i think it is a good deal. i think they have done things, but there are also concerns about the economy. infrastructure things, like that. it is impactful for african-americans. the older parts of are where the african-americans are going to reside in big numbers. when you talk about infrastructure, the oldest infrastructure will be right there. that will impact the whole community. make no mistake. host: there is

>> we break away for live ■.by of the u.s. house. you can continue watching on c-span.org or c-span now. lawmakers are expected to consider 11 bills today, including an measure for tax relief to victim -- victims of federally declared disasters, notably while ours and the 2023 train irrelevant in ohio. another measure directs the inspector general of the justice department to conduct inspections of aons. live coverage of the house here on c-span. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in the chair lays before the house a communication from the eaker. the clerk: the speaker rooms, washington, d.c. may 21, 2024.i oint the honorabe

david kustoff to act as speaker pro tempore on thi signed, mike johnson, speaker of the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the order of the house of january 9, 2024, the lists submitted by thee members majority and minority leaders for morning hour deb the chair will alternate recognition between the parties with time equally allocated between the parties and each member other than the majority and minority leaders and minority whip limited five minutes. but in no event shall 1:50 p.m. the chair recman from pennsylva. mr thank you, mr. speaker.ncpresident biden took office, the price of has risen 55%.

the price of electricity is up close to 30%. the price of groceries is upmo p 30%. across pennsylvania families are feeling o this inflation, and on average they additional $70 a month for housing. an additional0 a month for transportation. since 2021, pennsylvania households has spent over $20,000 more than they would have because of inflation. recently, president biden has tt inflation was already at 9% annually when he took office. , when in fact, it was only 1.4%. what we are seeing is a ho has failed in his duty to protect america families. in central pennsylvania, more

than 100 families make less than $50,000 a year. mothers shouldn't have to make a decision on whether to buy gasoline or buying school lunches. parents should not have to worry at the kitchen table about paying their credit cardill or their rent. this is the reality that president biden's radical spending spree has created over the past four years. it is to return to fiscal sanity. it is time■ú once again be responsible stewards of the matter what president biden says spehes, inflation is a fault of his administration, and it's timt as failed policies. thank you. mr. speaker, as we recognize memorial day, we remember and

r over 1.1 million americans who have given their liveshi serving in the armed forces. these men and women are heroes. an american story is not told without recognizing the price that they paid to ensure our continued freedom. in pennsylvania's 13th congressional district,e understand the terrible price that this freedom costs. it w gettysburg following the bloodiest battle of thecivin said that we must take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full of devotion. in the western part of our district, is home to both united states marine corps san michael strength and u.s. army captain harry cramer.segth was e ■s jima and killed the american several days later during heavy.

captain cramer was a green beret, one of the most highly trained warriors who, in 1957, would become the first american casualty during the war in vietnam. these stories, the very representative of the men and womencrur country who made the ultimate sacrifice. this weekend amid graduation rt summer barbecues, please take a moment to recognize theseve and women who swore an oath to defend our nation and gave the ultimate sacrifice in the you, mr. speaker.edoms. i yield. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. mcgovern, for five minutes. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, last week the inter-american commission on human rights and the office of the special ltural, and environmental

rights expressed concern over the worsening of food insecurity in cuba. they noted how the situation disproportionately aff vulnerabr people, pregnant women, ilndhose with chronic illnesses. this is not a problem just in ha most of cuba's provinces are experiencing high levels of f insecurity. in march, the bbc reported that for the first asked the world food program for help amid food shortages. the w.f.p. said it received the request for help to provide powdered milk to children under age 7. according to theer commission, the cuban government approached w.f.p. f help to tint monthly delivery of milk for children throughout the country and to help whe delivery of flour forzed bread anti-basic food -- and the basic food basket. they on to describe how hunger is increasing due to a

combination of low economic growth, high inflation, reduced food production and distributionre problems, especially interruptions in electricity. it also cited recent economic measures adopted by the cuban government, including prices for fuel and electricity, the elimination of subsidies foe evaluation of the cntry's currentlycy. the inter-american commission and the special rapid two then underscored that u.s. policiesng and worsening the social and economic condition throughout cuba. and especiall affecting the cuban people's access to food, mend basic necessities. increasingr. speaker, the hunger and poverty in cuba. this is done deliberately and knowingly. it's a human rights violation. it also appears it is being done with a degree indifference and callousness i find shocking. it makes me ashamed.

during allimes a member of congress, i have fought to end hunger and food insecurity e world. i do not believe food and medicineul ever, ever be used as weapons against innocent civilians. t in sudan, not in ukraine, not in gaza,whe. and i have coordinated hearings and armed actors use food as a weapon against civilian population they view as adversaries. to see our o government club deliberately imposing and maintaining sanctions we know makeun cuba is unconscionable to me. it is also unconscionable, mr. speaker, t members of congress who cling to cold war appear eager to support action that is punish and increase the suffering of ordinary people on the island. they actually raise money off the cubansuffering. they say they care about human rights, but contribute to making the human rights situation worse.

they deliberately create chaos becausehe can. with absolutely no regard with how hurts the cuban people. sadly, president biden has adopted and maintained donald trump's policies against cuba.ey denounced as a candidate. when he was vice president. policies that hurt the very people he says he most to help. independent entrepreneurs, young people, afro cubans, women, and ther. president biden knows keeping cuba on the state sponsorterrorn cuba has access to the international financial system. oururopean and latin american friends and allies are unable to provide punished by we wonder why hundreds of thousands o cubs are leaving the island and migrating to our borders. im deeply disappointed by the president's inaction.

and the s has becomecies desperate with little hope for a better future. u.s. stubbornness sends a clear signal to the cuban people the no reason to believe that change will happen. president biden, your policies areurting. not the cuban government, but the cuban people. youric are helping to drive mass migration from the mr. president, stop increasing hunger and poverty in cuba. remove from the state sponsor of terrorism list and let's move toward normalizing relation between our two countries. it is in the interest of both our peoples. take action and please do it now. i yield back my time. the spr tempore: the gentleman is reminded to their remarks to the chair. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, f five minutes. mr. lamalfa: thank you, mr. chairman. i rise today to honor a dear

friend, brigadier general clarence e. "bud" adderson. probably known best by me and others in t as colonel bud. in recent yresentative tom mcclintock and i petitioned the air force to upgrade him to brigadier general which certainly deserved and earned. but i think for most folks they. what you see there in that smile goes even beyond his exploits as a triple ace in world war ii. but the kind, nice, decent man he is. you can sit dow■ i'll call him colonel bud, and just chat about anything. he was willingo talk about his time serving in world war ii, especially as a fighter ace. a triple ace. an ace means five kills of enemy aircraft. he did that over

he was known as evebody's friend in the auburn area of northern california. it was aor me to know him since somewhere around 2011 when i first to meet him at a special event there. he was always out participating health issues more recently made that tougher. he was out there sharing it and just being an inspiration to so many. especially people that he and chat and talk about hiswith experience, which that's very special. was an incredible experience in his service in he our nation and helping free europe in world war ii. not a lot of veterans always want tking about that publicly. it's difficult for them. he was the guy that could do that. you see him here with his aircraft. he flew three different types of aircraft in world war ii. thene most known is p-51 must

standing, named old crow. there are replicas around at certain air shows. ve of that. it's well-known because of amazing exploits. we arey saened by it by our hearts are filled with what great man and nice man was. when he was talking with usout d the dogfighting in world war ii that got him to that point of triple ace, and even nascar racing, interestingly there is a special edition ford mustang d like his aircraft he got to see, which is . i think by rusch -- rush racing. he's -- rusch racing. he grew up on a farm in new castle. he loved to watch airplanes back then. he graduate interested plaster hi9. earned his pilots license in 1 941 through the

civilian pilot training program. in january,2, he entered the u.s. army aviation cadet program, receiving his wings that september. in europe, bud served two combat tours escorting heavy bombers in the p-351 from 1943 to 1945. some severe duty. if ever watched any daylight raids to tryy they had to bomb germany out of the war is incredible those little friends, these mustangs were known, escortingot mission were invaluable and loved by them. he flew 116 combat missions, 480 hours. 16 1/4 enemy aircraft as they divide■h■u up amongst a couple other pilots. and tark about the dogfight was exciting. he flew in the 357 fhter group, known as the oxford boys, highest scores ace in the 363rd

fighter squadron. he came home from europe and married eleanor cosby in 1945. two children, james and katherine. after the war he became fire test pilot and later chief of fighte operations. he flew many models of early jet fighters and was invol in some very unusual flight test programs, includingt edwards air force base where much of that came from. he's flown over 130 types of aircraft along 7,500 flying hours in his career. he's also signed in post war korea f-86 jet fighter squadron there. command f-105 wing in okinawa, and two assignments at th he was decorated 25 times, two legion of merits, five distinguished flying cross, bronze star, 16 medals, french legion of honor, as well as many other campaign and service ribbons. when bud retired from the air

force, he joined the mcdonald aircraft company andd as 12 years at the flight test if in 1984 they moved back to auburn where they could travel and be the great man we knew him. god bless him. i'm to miss him personally. what a great mend friend he great human being. the speaker pro tempore: the gentn' appreciate it. the speaker pro tempore: chair recognizes the gentleman from connecticut, mr. courtney, for five mr. courtney: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, 25ea ago the month of may was designated national militaryion month by an act of congress introduced by the late senator john mccain, a hero, from the state of arizona. since then, throughout every may, our n observes a series of military events. on may 8, victory in europe day the date nazi germany surrendered in world war i isks. may -- world war ii.

may 10, military spouse appreciation day. may 18, armed forces day, to he roughly 1.4 million all six branches andctive duty the 760,000 national guard and reserves, every one of them volunteers. lastly, on may 27, our nation will observe its most solemn national holiday, memorial day,s will be held at military gravesites and veteran g places to remember and pray for those who gave their lives in defense of our nation's freedoms and security. mr. speaker, the definition ofss gratitude. gratitude can come in many forms. verbal, which certainly counts, but the most meaningful is tangible support for the disruption and sacrifice that the hard work o military service entails. mr. speaker, i have the honor to reprt connecticut, home to the largest military installation i england, with 9,000 sailors, officers and

d.o.d. support personnel t submarine base and the highest concentration of veterans in the la week i had the opportunity to attend a veteranse house nearby the subbase, a monthly event hosted at a restaunt owned and operated by michael whose amazing staff and volunteers doneo 50 or so locals to shareave a few laughs and catch up on new developments for the veteran community. i w provide a legislative update on a variety of those issues. the most progress report on the milestone pact act signed law by president biden in 2022 that finally knocked down barriers to health care and benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxins during the vietnam radiap and camp lejeune. e snificant expansion of benefits and services for toxic exposed veterans ever. since the bill was signed, implementation has moved fast, as thishart shows, as of a few

days ago, the v.a. has purported that over oneli related claims have now been granted, delivering more than $5.7 billion of benefits to over 14r5,000 -- over 14,000 veterans have 145,000 veterans have signed up to veteran health care. the law was further expanded a few months ago to veterans who not only served overseas, but also served in the continental u.s. and are suffering from the cancers and heart diseases caused by toxic exposure. i also briefed the coffee house on a neweasure which the house armed services committee will take up tomorrow, the service member quality of lifet act is e annual national defense act. this bill, thanks to efforts of the quality of life panel, will provide additionalcs for service members and their families. this effort could not come soon. last year for the first time in over 20 years, the air force missed its active duty enlisted

recruiting goal. the army fell short at 10,000 enlisted recruits and the navy fell short over 7,000 e sailors and 2,000 officers. included in this bill for tomouthorities to alleviate pay discrepancies for junior enlisted service combat food insecurity, support childcare and spousal employmene bill will rebase military 19.5%r enlisted service members. the bill also cover 100% of basic allowance for housing to ensure that serviceembers can cover the cost of housing, no matter where they're stationed and it will alsak the basic needs allowance available to sub service members with less than 200% of the pty guidelines, making more service members eligible for the the panel documented that 25% of junior enlisted service members today are forced t enrl in food stamps in order to put food on the table for theirg: famili. to transferd.o.d. will be given

professional licenses between states for military spouses, fully funds childcare fee assistance programs wait lists for eligible families. this is the sort of meaningful gratitude that truly adheres to the goals of military appreciation month. as john mccain often quoted george washington, quote, the willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly or to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated byhe nation. these words, these words are tre than ever with an all-volunteer force.d finish the job for successful implementation of the pactass this year's quality of life bill as soon as possible. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from north carolina, ms. foxx, for five minutes. ms. foxx: thank you, mr. speaker.

mr. speaker, employers across all industries are looking for qualified workers to fill in-demand jobs. job creators are consistentl finding that skills-based credentials can successfully, oftentimes more effectively, prepare for success on the job. it's not just employers who are recognizing the value of found that 82% of american voters in favor of bolstering the nation's program. the education and workforce committee is proud to spearheadn like a stronger workforce america act, which makes critical updates to the nn' ditionally, the bipartisanem.

workforce pell act help connect low-income students and workers wit the experiences and programs they need to gain relevant skills for in-demand jobs. in conjunction, these pieces of legislatio be transformative for america's workforce and prepare more americans for economy. i yield back, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from nth mr. nickel: thank you speaker. i rise in support of the financial innovation and technology for the 21st century act. or fit21. i'm crowd to have playedicaloles

bipartisan legislation. i worked with my fellow north carolinian and chairman patrick henry -- mchenryrench hill to make sure this bill brings regulatory clarity to the digital market while protecting consumers, promoting innovation and u.s. national security. the fit for the 21st century a represents a bipartisan effort to regulate a centralized inteer immediate years in the digital assets market, prevent the next f.t.x., safeguard consumers, cement the u.s. as a global leader in finance and technology, and promote a secure, innovative andnclusive financial future. this commonsense legislation is deo stop another f.t.x. from happening, by giving guncreed power over bad actors. filling regulatory gaps between, creating accountability through registration disclosure, requiring companies to mitigate conflicts of interest, and

requiring firms to segregate customer funds from their own. this provides the cftc with the resources they requestedak the new rulemaking required by fit21 ane fees to intermediaries seeking to register. this would be a big deal for the united states. congress has never voted on a regulatory structure for crypto. in fact, we're operating on a 100-year-old securities law. we're the global leader in financial services and technology today. if he with want to be the global leader -- if we want to be the global leader i 5 years, we need to pass this act. the legislation will allow the digital assetthriving in the un, cementing american leadership od the next generation of the internet. without this, s.e.c.'s regulation by enforcement will push the industry overseas where americans are not protected. additionally, i'm proud to have secured an amendment to legislation during the markup supported by leaders of both

parties on the financial services committee, expressing the sense of congress that the seek to foster advances in this exciting new era of the internet, to improvee a more fair and equity to financial services for everyday americans. much like the dawn ofhe internet, this new blockchain technology sometimes feels like unard territory with immense possibilities. we're responsible forshering in this new era in a way that harnesses innovation andures consumers are at the forefront. digital assets andain technology have the potential to revolutionize our society. they can growhemy foster collaboration, enhance transparency, efficiency and reduce transaction costs for working families. given the rapid pace of digital innovation, we must these investments are not at the cost of consumer safety. fit21 will address these challenges by establishing stricter regulatory requirementl

technologies and ensuring that these innovations are sec and transparent before they reach consumers. here's the reality. 20% of amere invested, trade or use -- traded or urypt so it's not going anywhere. unfortunately the s.e.c.'s open hostility towardhe digital assets industry is not serving president biden's best turnings. cryptocurrency regulation into a political football and forcing president biden to choose sides on an issue that matters to many americans. as a result, the u.s. is falling behind jurisdictions like the u., u.k., hong kong, japan, singapore, and the u.a.e. we't afford to lose our status as the economic and technological powerhouse of the globe. when you love crypto or you hate it,ou should support regulation. the status quo just isn'tnd we r the next crisis to take action. it's past time for congress to act a the opportunity to do this this week with the

fit for thst act. i urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this legislation, a clear message that our priorities lie in protecting consumers, cementing the u.s. as a global leader in finance and technology, and promoting an innovative and inclusive financial future. thank ynd back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizeom connecticut, , for five minutes. mr. larson: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. i rise this morning to address a pertinent issue for all americans, that being social security. mr.peaker, as you know, it's been more thanus years since congress, the only body that can, has taken action to enhance socialecurity. what becomes even more confounding, mr. speaker, is 10a day becoming eligible for social

security, congress has not acted toce this program. i was talking to my goodjodey a, and reminding him that in his texas, for example, he has 128,000 security recipients. and 90,000 retirees. 9,000 children. almost 10,000 widows. 4,679 ses 14,000-plus disabled workers.'t received a t enhancement in more than0 years. and social security has nothing to do with the debt o deficit, it's an earned benefit. it's for. and the increas we're calling for, well, the president said it b're going to pay for ty

lifting the cap 400,000. you could have people in the audience, for example, raise their hand if they're making moha $400,000. i doubt that you would find any. it's .6% but most people are astounded to learn that there' c and they haven't paid anything into the system. a system that all americans pay to example, mr. speaker, in es you have, in tennessee's eighth district, 189,000 of your citizens receive social security benefits. 136,000 of them are retirees. 25,000 disabled people. 4,000 spouses. and the list goes on. and here's the important thing. ...

your district $330 million monthly that goes into your. i say this to my colleagues and good friends on the other side of the aisle, we are always talking about economic development, whatetter economic development tool is there than for your citizens to get a payment. nobody gets wealthy on social they haven't had an increase in more than 50 years. even this mey would go right back into yourict. and be spent at the local grocery stort the pharmacy, at the dry cleaners to pay for rent or a mortgage or put gas in your automobile. the money all comes back and congress hasn't acted in over 50 mr. arrington says, at least he says this about social security 2100, the bill we have put

forward, thatnhances benefits across the board by 2%. rewheel. you realize, mr. speaker, there are more t 23 million americans who pay taxes on their social security. there's tax relief forake sure billionaires. how about people who are tually working for a living and then have to double taxation on their social security? 23 million americansthere are fs who get below poverty level checks from federal government, from social security. even though they have paid thei. why? s hasn't taken action. the only body that can. the president can't this through executive order.

the supreme court isn't going to need to act on a bill. as representative arrington says, well, i don't agree with larson's bill. do -- what don'te with? if you have a better idea, put it as least he's honest enough we don't have a plan. we haven't written a on paper. the american people not only need a plan, what they need is helpnd relief in this time global inflation. this time is long overdueer. i yield back -- for congress t thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: purs t of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until 2

>> c-span is your unfiltered view of government. we are funded by these television companies and mor including mediacome. >> add whether you live here or right here, or wat e of anywhere, you should have access to fast, reliable that's why we are leading the way and taking you to 10-g. >> mediacom supports c-span as a public service. along with these other television providers. >> the chair of the houseat to republican conference, elise stefanik, for wiping those responsible for the october 7 attack on israel off the face of the earth during remarks to the israeli parliament in jerusalem. she also criticized the biden administration's hold on weapons to israel and