the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order.

pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which a recorded vote or the the yeas and nays are ordered or votes objected to under clause 6 ever rule 20. the house will resume proceedings on postponed questions at a later time. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from south carolina seek recognition? ms. mace: i move the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 5527. the speaker pro tempore: does the gentlewoman move the bill as amended. yes. the clerk: h.r. 5527 a bill to amend section 1078 for fiscal year 2018 to increase the effectiveness of the technology modernization fund and for other

purposes. pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, ms. mase and mr. raskin each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from south carolina. ms. mace: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. mace: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. mace: thank you, madam speaker. i rise today in support of h.r. 5527. the technology modernization fund or the t.m.f. was established by the bipartisan republican-led modernizing government technology act of 2017. the t.m.f. was established because it could be difficult to plan and budget for federal legacy i.t. upgrades law that the annual appropriations cycle. the t.m.f. addresses this problem by acting as a self-sustaining funding mechanism to assist agency with legacy i.t. modernization projects that span multiple fiscal years.

the federal government depends on i.t. systems for everything from national defense to the administration to benefits programs. over the course of this congress, the house oversight subcommittee on cybersecurity, information technology and government innovation has heard from current and former government officials about the risks and costs associated with the federal legacy i.t. systems. these risks include cyberattacks targeted toward highly vulnerable legacy systems that house sensitive public data. these half century old i.t. systems are prime targets for malicious actors and enemy nation states. my bill, the modernizing government technology reform act, enhances the technology modernization fund by ensuring that as a sustainable financing tool for fixing costly and risky legacy i.t. systems. the t.m.f. has straight from the orange congressional intent established by the bipartisan law congress passed. it does not consistently require agencies to repay their awards

and operational policy decision made by the administration which has put a strain on t.m.f.'s resources and hindered the fund's ability to help address future legacy i.t. modernization projects. with this legislation we'll refows can -- -- refocus the t.m.f. on replacing i.t. systems and address our cybersecurity risks. the reforms made to the t.m.f. by h.r. 5527 also prioritize fiscal responsibility and they're common sense. let's run through some of them quickly in the bill. this will require restorations. it requires the t.m.f. to recover all administrative costs that projects incur. requires the t.m.f. to suspend or terminate project funding in fraudulent or miss leading statements -- misleading statements were used to obtain funds. it provides agencies more flexibility to repay the t.m.f. it increases the visibility into t.m.f. awards by requiring written agreements governing each award to be made publicly

available. this legislation also requires each agency conduct an inventory of its legacy i.t. systems, creating a new oversight tool to ensure the federal government is addressing the problem of legacy i.t. systems. reforming the t.m.f. is necessary to ensure it remains a sustainable, revolving fund that can be used to address the costly challenge of modernizing legacy i.t. into the future. this is smart and this is timely reforms. this is a fair and balanced re-authorization. grateful to my colleagues, representative connolly and khanna, for their support and collaboration on this effort and i urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation. i now reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from maryland is recognized. mr. raskin: thank you, madam speaker. i yield my time -- myself such time as i may consume. i want to thank the distinguished gentlelady from south carolina for her great leadership on this and mr. connolly from virginia for his very hard work on it too.

in this century public confidence in the federal government depends on ensuring that our federal information technology systems and websites are secure, safe and effective. we invest more than $100 billion every year in federal i.t. needs. outdated legacy i.t. systems and infrastructure are costly to maintain and very challenging to secure against the onslaught of cyber attacks by adversaries and criminal organizations. the constantly changing landscape of information technology requires resources if federal agencies are going to be able to protect data privacy, complete their missions and effectively serve our people. the modernizing government technology reform act would ensure this important work continues smoothly by extending the technology modernization fund sunset from december, 2025, to december, 2031. it would also clarify the use of funds and maintain the repayment

flexibility adopted by the technology modernization fund known as the t.m.f. in recent years while ensuring its solvency by setting minimum reimbursement requirements. additionally, the bill sets requirements for regularly updating inventories and lists of i.t. systems and high-risk federal i.t. systems as well as the legacy systems that present the greatest security, privacy and operational risks. this timely and comprehensive picture of the federal government's most serious i.t. modernization needs will inform the t.m.f. -- inform the ability of the t.m.f. to make the best investments. the t.m.f. provides a self-sustaining funding model that's become an essential tool for federal agencies to address these challenges. it supplies up-front funding for i.t. projects in exchange for future reimbursement once a project's cost saves are realized, allowing agencies the flexibility they need to address

modernization needs outside of the traditional budget cycle. t.m.f. also instills accountability safeguards to ensure that taxpayers are getting strong returns on our investments. projects are selected for funding after rigorous review by the t.m.f. board of technology experts and written funding agreements outlined specific requirements and milestones that have to be met. funds are distributed incrementally based on performance as assessed by quarterly review business the board and technical experts provide hands-on support towards successful execution of the projects. committee democrats have supported robust oversight and funding for the t.m.f. including an historic billion-dollar investment through the american rescue plan. with this infusion, high priority projects were also allowed reduced repayment requirements if warranted since the infusion of these moneys, the t.m.f. has received more than 220 agency proposals requesting more than $3.5 billion, far outpacing our

funding availability. to date the t.m.f. has provided over $900 million to 57i.t. modernization projects across 32 agencies and the biden-harris administration has embraced it as an indispensable tool to better serve the american people. for example, t.m.f. funding is helping to digitize veterans' records, ensuring that more than one million people and their family members who reach out to the national archives and records administration every year get timely access to the documents they need to verify their qualification for important life-saving benefits. t.m.f. fund something also expediting the speed and safety of food inspection at the usda, leading to better meals for school kids and service members alike. t.m.f. funding also better secures all of our personal data at the social security administration and at the department of education. again, i want to thank representatives mace and connolly for their great work on this important project and i

urge my colleagues to support the bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. mace: madam speaker, i yield three minutes to the gentleman from new york, mr. langworthy. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. langworthy: madam speaker, i thank you for the time to the gentlewoman from south carolina. i rise today in support of the modernizing government technology reform act. it's no secret that america's cyber infrastructure is under constant attack by our adversaries, including china, russia, iran and north korea. f.b.i. director christopher wray recently warned americans that the cyber threat that china poses, declairing that china -- declaring that china's hackers are preparing to wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to american citizens and communities. yet despite warning after warning of the rising threats to our nation's cyber infrastructure, our federal agencies remain dangerously vulnerable to future potentially devastating cyber attacks. every year the federal government spends over $100

billion on i.t. and cyber security but 80% of this spending goes to operating and maintaining outdated, obsolete legacy systems. these aging systems not only waste taxpayer money, but leave us exposed to our enemies. these i.t. systems also require specific technical knowledge to operate and update, which creates enormous procurement and hiring challenges. leaving agencies scrambling to find vendors and employees with the necessary skills. in addition to the up-front costs associated with the updating legacy i.t., many of these systems continue to run with no known security vulnerabilities and this is a ticking time bomb. in order to bring the federal government up to speed, congress established the technology modernization fund to help eliminate these vulnerabilities and replace antiquated i.t.

systems and strengthening our cyber defense. re-authorizing and reforming the technology modernization fund is essential to our future success. under this legislation, federal agencies can continue the modernization process and adopt safer technology and adopt technology with congressional oversight to keep efforts on track. as my colleagues mentioned, this bill establishes a legacy i.t. inventory to enable congress to evaluate agency and government-wide efforts to modernize i.t. tech and ensure that such critical modernization efforts are being done the right way. our national security is at stake. we can't afford to become complacent with our adversaries. i urge our colleagues to take cybersecurity and support 5527 and i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. ms. mace: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. mr. raskin: i have no further speakers. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. ms. mace: i have no further speakers and am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. mr. raskin: we urge everybody to support this legislation and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the the gentleman yields back the balance of his time the gentlewoman from south carolina is recognized. ms. mace: h.r. 5527 ensures that will delay cyber risk. i want to thank my colleagues today across the aisle and encourage my colleagues to support this very necessary legislation and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields.

thoivment those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. 2/3 being in the affirmative -- the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from south carolina seek recognition? ms. mace: i move the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5887 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: a bill to amend chapter 3 of title 5 united statescode to improve government service delivery and bill related capacity for the federal government and for other purposes pursuant to the rule the gentlewoman from south carolina, ms. mace and the gentleman from maryland, mr. raskin each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from south carolina. ms. mace: i ask unanimous consent that all members may

have five legislative days to include extraneous material on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection ms. mace: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. i rise in support of h.r. 5887, outdated bureaucratic government processes make it challenging to deliver government services. this creates opportunities for fraud and abuse. these processes do not change because federal agencies lack a designated official that congress can hold accountable for program service delivery and backlogs and process applications or improperly delivered benefits. many agency officials, program managers, policy makers, resource managers are responsible for specific parts of the problem. the developing solutions to poor government service delivery will require someone to be available for government-wide coordination. this addresses this problem by requiring the office of

management and budget and designate a senior official for improving government service and facilitating process reforms. it will develop standards and performance metrics. also under the bill, senior agency officials designated to be responsible for service delivery will be required to coordinate with other agency officials such as the chief information officer and program managers as they work to improve operation. and the expansion of the bipartisan 21st century integrated experience act of 2018 will improve congressional oversight over the government service delivery reform efforts. i am thankful of representative khanna and timmons for their work on this legislation and i encourage my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from south carolina

reserves. the gentlemanfrom maryland. mr. raskin: i yield myself such time as i might consume. i thank the distinguished gentlelady from south carolina and i want to thank my wonderful colleague mr. khanna for his leadership the government service delivery improvement act and i am proud to declare our support for this bipartisan legislation. federal government services should be accessible and responsive to the american people and this means ensuring agencies have the resourcing and staff they need to fulfill their missions as well as the infrastructure and technology they need to have effective interactions with the public. democrats have fought for adequate funding so the government makes the necessary modernization investments that our agencies need to deliver for for the people and standardizing efforts to improve the delivery of government services.

mr. khanna's bill would create a lead position in the office of management and budget to coordinate government-wide efforts to improve the delivery of services working with officials designated at each federal agency. the service delivery lead at o.m.b. would develop and oversee the government-wide standards, policies and guidelines to improve government service delivery and evaluate and collecting and improving data and metrics. this bipartisan bill will ensure the government is providing the best service possible to the people and it is acting in a transparent and accountable ways to improve our delivery of government services. i urge all colleagues to support it. i now yield to the distinguished the gentleman from california. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized mr. khanna: i rise in support of

h.r. 5887. i did want to say a word about our ranking member. i appreciate his support and i come to appreciate that this is an addition from the house floor and he speaks about history and i learn something and i really appreciate his leadership and statements recently. and i appreciate representative mace, representative timmons and representative donalds, loudermilk and ranking member raskin and connolly and the staff who has been incredible on both sides. i am proud to say this bipartisan legislation passed unanimously in the house committee on oversight with a vote of 44-0. the government services act builds upon the progress made in the 21st century idea while the

idea act focused on government services, this bill takes the next step by addressing online, in person and by phone. what sets the bill apart is whole of government approach. it recognizes that improving service delivery requires collaboration. the bill dects the head of federal agencies to designate a senior official for improving services and requires the office of management and budget to select a senior official to coordinate efforts across federal agencies and we appreciate working with o.m.b. and the democrat and republican staffs who have been slnt. these first will help officials measure progress and enhance coordination. the government service act prioritized constituent experience by mandating agencies to incorporate service delivery into their strategic plan. the government service delivery improvement act is a significant

step forward in having a service delivery oriented federal government. it's a commonsense approach to improving government services. i thank again representative mace, who has been a pleasure to work with and our lead ranking member raskin. i urge all my colleagues to join me in voting yes on h.r. 5887. i yield back. mr. raskin: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maryland reserves. the gentlewoman from south carolina is recognized. ms. mace: i yield three minutes to the the gentlemanfrom south carolina, mr. timmons. mr. timmons: the oversight committee investigated numerous instances failing to provide, from passport backlogs or veterans requesting records we need to be better. some of our most rewarding work is helping our constituents who

are caught up in red tape whether they are a small business trying to get records from the i.r.s., someone in need of a passport or a senior requiring an answer from social security, this is how we make our most immediate impact. many of these issues we deal with most shouldn't require our assistance at all. they are fail of you are of agencies. in order to fix this, this tasks o.m.b. with designating a senior official to coordinate senior officials to deliver services in a timely and nonwasteful manner. this bill requires the designation of a senior official for every senior agency to improve the service delivery of that particular agency. this bill will allow congress to further hold agency heads accountable to drive necessary changes enhance services and foster greater trust with the people they serve. the act isn't just about streamlining processes, it's

about rebuilding trust between the government and its people and ensuring when americans turn to government for assistance they meet with assistance above all respect. i thank mr. khanna for his assistance and i urge members to support it and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina yields back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maryland. mr. raskin: we are prepared to close. i'm happy to yield whack. ms. mace: i have no further speakers and am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlemanfrom maryland. mr. raskin: urge everyone to support the legislation and i yield back. ms. mace: i encourage all my colleagues to support this bill to improve government programs for the american people and i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 5887 as amended. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from south carolina seek recognition? ms. mace: i move that the house suspend the rules and port charlotte the bill h.r. 3019 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: a bill to establish inspections regime for the bureau of prisons and for other purposes pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from south carolina, ms. mace and the gentleman from maryland, mr.s raskin, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from south carolina.

ms. mace: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to include extraneous material on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection ms. mace: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. mace: i rise in support of h.r. 3109 the federal bureau of prisons facilities conducting meaningful oversight with an organization of this size can be challenging. the department of justice office of the inspector general handles criminal complaints on behalf of incarcerated people. this is overwhelmed with complaints. their friends and family and the bureau of prisons staff. poor prison conditions and civil rights violations. these complaints do not rise to criminal misconduct, they are still very important and warrant investigation to determine if reforms are necessary. the federal prison oversight ensures that incarpeted people, their families and bureau staff

have a reliable mechanism to file their complaints. first the bill requais the office of inspector general to conduct inspections of bureau of prison facilities and provide recommendations to address shortcomings. the office of the inspector general will assign a risk score and higher risk facilities will receive more frequent inspections. the bill creates an ombudsman to investigate issues to impact the health and safety of incasterred individuals. it can initiate an investigation after receiving a complaint from incarpeted person, family, staff or others. if they find significant harm, they must report their findings to the attorney general and congress. this bill will ensure the inspector general and ombudsman will have access to the facilities and authorized to conduct unannounced inspection visits. they will fund these

investigations between .2 and .25% of their annual appropriations. it is endorsed by council of prison locals and public safety and civil rights organizes. i would like to thank senators osoff, brawn and durbin and thank representatives mcbath and armstrong for introducing this bill in the house. and i reserve the balance. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from maryland is recognized. mr. raskin: i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. raskin: i want to raise in favor of the prison oversight act which would strengthen oversight of our prisons and improve conditions for those who work and live inside them. i want to thank the bill's house leaders, my friends and colleagues, representative lucy mcbath and kelly armstrong as well as senators john osoff and

mike brawn and dick durbin. the bill has the support of a wide array of groups including the americans for prosperity, the conservative political committee, justice action network, right on crime, the due process institute, and the council of prison locals which represents 30,000 correctional officers. federal prisons have long experienced systemic problems that threaten the health, safety and civil rights of incarcerated people and also the staff who work there. for example, last year n.p.r. reported last year more than 4,950 incarcerated people had died in facilities operated by the federal bureau of prisons in the last 10 years and many incarcerated experienced delayed care or postponed care for serious medical problems. this february, the d.o.j. inspector general issued a scathing report on b.o.p. prisons which found systemic policy violations and

operational failures contributed significantly to the problem of inmate suicide. the bureau of prison facilities are responsible for more than 158,000 incarcerated people and more than 34,000 correctional officers and staff. it is documented by g.a.o. in our hearings that b.o.p. has consistently struggled with the problem of staffing shortages. according to the council, prison locals, b.o.p. lost 20% of its employees since 2016 and only employs around 13,000 correctional staff officers today. despite receiving appropriations to fund more than 20,000. as of 2023, staffing levels for health care workers at b.o.p. facilities was only 69% and nearly 20% of facilities do not have a health care program on site to provide even routine or preventative health care services. staff shortages have contributed to often disturbing and at times

fatal delays in rendering health care services for the incarcerated. g.a.o. has reported on b.o.p. challenges in upholding the responsibilities to help inmates prepare for a successful release and reintegration including implementation of important requirements of the first step act of 2018 to lower the risk of resid chris im. addition -- recidivism. additionally, they haven't monitored their programs. and this led g.a.o. to add the management of the prison system to its 2023 high risk list indicating the severity and magnitude of these problems. h.r. 3019 would take important steps to address these concerns by requiring the department of justice office of inspector general to periodically inspect, evaluate, and report on policies, procedures, and activities at b.o.p. prisons with higher risk facilities

required to undergo even more frequent inspection. such inspections may include reviews of inmate confinement conditions, working conditions, staffing capabilities, policies and procedures related to housing, confinement, and other restrictive housing, health care programs and services, and complaints of violence and abuse made against incarcerated people and staff. the bill would also establish an ombudsman within d.o.j. that would be charged with receiving such complaints that go to problems threatening the health, safety, welfare, and rights of incarcerated people and staff. institutionalized misconduct, mismanagement, abuse, and negligence have no place in the federal government, especially in operations dealing with vulnerable people who are most in need of a pathway back to personal health and responsibility and to society, to make our communities safer, uphold our values and reduce

recidivism it's important we bring in increased humility and the prison oversight act is a important step forward and i urge my colleagues to support the bill today and i will reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from south carolina is recognized. ms. mace: i reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves her time. the gentleman is recognized. mr. raskin: i'd like to recognized distinguished gentlelady from georgia, the author of the legislation, and a real leader on criminal justice reform, lucy mcbath, for four minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. mrs. mcbath: thank you. it's an honor to be over the prison oversight act. my son jordan davis was killed when he was 17 years old by a man who is now serving a life

sentence in prison. and through my family's pain, i've found the strength, believe it or not, to actually forgive my son's killer. so i introduced this bill after i heard from families and advocates about alarming corruption, misconduct, and lack of oversight in this country's prison systems that has led to tragedy and loss for far too many families across this nation. and as legislators here in congress, we have the power to lead policies that help restore trust and transparency within these systems. i introduced the federal prison oversight act out of the belief that everyone deserves to be treated humanely and with respect. my bill will establish a federal framework for comprehensive

risk-based inspections of federal prisons to identify areas of improvement. high-risk work is not something to be taken lightly. for the brave men and women working within our prison system, this is their daily routine. they protect and they care for others while risking their lives because they believe in the power of rehabilitation. as their elected officials, we have the duty to make sure the roofs over their heads will not cave in on them. we have a duty to make sure that their systems are updated and that there are medical services and mental health resources necessary to protect themselves, incarcerated individuals, and everyone who may live near these

facilities. our prison system should be one that rehabilitates americans whenever possible. providing for long and healthy lives. the steps outlined in our bill will help to improve recidivism rates and make sure that our prisons are held accountable with implementing evidence-based programs. i've had the opportunity to speak with the new federal board of directors of prisons and she's been in my office and i've had good, healthy conversations with her. and passing this bill i truly believe is a first step in the right direction to protecting the rights of the administrators, the staff, and those actually serving their time. i want to thank representative armstrong here in the house as well as senator osoff in the

senate and chair comer and ranking member raskin for moving this bill through committee, and thank you to all committee members who saw the importance and the value of this bill and the value of trying to rehabilitate individuals that can be rehabilitated and reintroduced again into society to be successful human beings. thanks you so much for doing so. i urge all of my colleagues to vote for this bill. and i yield the balance of my time to my friend, representative raskin. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields to the gentleman from maryland. mr. raskin: thank you, mrs. mcbath, for your leadership on this and your commitment to creating decent conditions in our prisons, and thank you for the beautiful example of your commitment based on your love of jordan and your whole family and

community. with that, i will reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from south carolina is recognized. ms. mace: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves her time. the gentleman from maryland. mr. raskin: we would urge all colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this fine legislation and i yield my time back to you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields his time. the gentlewoman from south carolina. ms. mace: i have no further speakers and am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. mace: i want to thank congressman mcbath and armstrong for this bill and i want to thank my colleague, congressman raskin, for bringing up how we should reduce the rate of recidivism in this country with different policies, and we can work together. he mentioned the first step act, also. i'm glad he mentioned it. it was a bill that inspired me a

couple years ago when i was a state lawmaker when donald trump signed the first step into law in december of 2018. it was a bipartisan bill and it was done in such a significant way. but when i learned about president trump signing the first step into law in 2018, i was sifting through the bill and where i got my start in criminal justice reform. there was a provision in there that would ban the shackling of women during birth. this was actually a thing going on in our prison system, and i saw this because i am a woman and very passionate like my colleague across the aisle about women's issues. and i looked at the state of south carolina and learned we didn't have this codified into law that women in our state prison system could still be, and in some cases were shackled while they were actually giving birth. so that inspired me to do a bill signed into law by my governor henry mcmaster in may of 2020 that banned the shackling of

women in south carolina and allowed these infants, these babies to have skin-to-skin contact with their mothers after they had given birth and allowed women to have their children visit them once a week in prison and allowed them to have hygiene products accessible to them. so i really applaud my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for working together. because we know when we give people opportunities after prison, jobs, therapy, intense therapy, job training, and careers afterwards, they don't want to go back to prison, they don't want to go to jail. and this body in this chamber have a long history of working together to reduce the rate of resid chris imand -- recidivism. i urge you to vote for this bill to provide much needed recourse for incarcerated persons experiencing abuse. nobody wants that to happen. i encourage my colleagues on

both sides of the aisle to support this necessary legislation. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from south carolina yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 3019 as amended? those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rule -- ms. mace: i ask for a recorded vote. the speaker pro tempore: does the gentlewoman request the yeas and nays? ms. mace: yes. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.

.. posada. . .

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from north carolina seek recognition? mr. mchenry: i move to suspend the rules and pass the working dog commemorative coin act as amended. the clerk: h.r. 807, a bill to require the secretary of treasury to mint coins of the invaluable service that working dogs provide to society pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from north carolina, mr. mchenry and the gentleman from illinois, mr. foster, each will control 20 minutes. mr. mchenry: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection mr. mchenry: i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise in support of h.r. 807 working dog commemorative coin

act that i introduced with congressman mcgovern. the chair of the rules committee -- the ranking member or chair of the rules committee. but my good friend and i introduced this bill this congress h.r. 807 the dog coin bill in the halls of congress. it has been a project both i and my staff have been passionate since i introduced this bill last congress. this legislation not only honors those service dogs but the working dogs who protect americans at home and abroad. most of you pass a working dog when you came through security here today in congress. they are embodied in our daily lives and we pass them without notice. but since i introduced this bill last congress, i think we have been noticing these working dogs everywhere we go. i am thankful to have gained

this new appreciation. this awareness did not come from introducing a piece of legislation but spending time with extraordinary people that benefit from the work of america's working dogs. and i would like to highlight a few of them. u.s. marine corps chris sergeant was immediately retired due to injuries sustained in combat after migs in enduring freedom and operation iraqi freedom. he returned home and struggled like many veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder or pt sd and he was matched with his trained service k-9 named eddie. chris said about his new companion. he helped me find my independence again and able to finish my doctorate and became a

mental health director because of my service dog. navy corp. man joe worley is a familiar face on capitol hill traveling with galaxy. in 2004, as his medical convoy was headed back to his base in fleuj, iraq, the first vehicle was hit by an i.e.d. he jumped out to help his comrades and was hit by a grenade. it did not explode but took off his left leg. he was then shot six times. for his actions, he was awarded the bronze star for valor and a purple heart. since his injuries, joe has been paired with two separate service dogs and joined america's vet dogs full-time as the liaison

and what a great job he does. corp. man paul sullivan. he told me as his work in a first responder in maryland. his service dog sail escape the night triggers. he described sail as his dream catcher. and i would like to thank america's vet dogs team tore their work to get this bill to the floor today. deanna who spent 20 years in the us air force, john miller, bonnie stinger, trey mansion and puppy handlers knocked on every single door on the house and senate sides of the capitol. their impact is evident today because of the co-sponsors we have on this bill and support we have for this bill.

to come to the floor it must receive 290 co-sponsors gaining that many signatures is no easy task but you all worked so hard to spread the word that this is more than just a coin bill. this ace bill that will improve the quality of life for our wounded veterans and first responders, something we can all get behind. with that, thank you again to ranking member mcgovern for his partnership. his work on h.r. 807 and his work to permanently authorize the wounded warrior service dog program is the perfect example of collaboration to prioritize the treatment and care of wounded veterans and this bill will help enable, the treatment and care of our wounded veterans

and honor service dogs who are amongst us. and i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 807 and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from north carolina reserves. the gentleman from, mr. foster, from illinois is recognized. mr. foster: i rise in support of h.r. 807 the working dog commemorative coin act sponsored by representative mchenry. this bill introduced by representative mchenry and representative mcgovern will require u.s. treasury to honor the critical role that working dogs play in our society. working service dogs have provided a range of services from detection, military service, therapy, assistance and mobility to active servicemembers and first responders with disabilities. their work and companionship has healed for veterans and others

with disabilities. as the number of service dogs given to veterans with injuries continues to increase. this bill is an important step in giving these service dogs the love and recognition that they deserve. i thank representative mchenry and representative mcgovern, two ideological companions for their bipartisan work on this legislation. i am personally proud to be a co-sponsor of this legislation and i urge my colleagues to support it today and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois reserves. the gentleman from north carolina is recognized. mr. mchenry: i yield two minutes to my colleague and friend from texas, mr. self. mr. self: i rise today do support the working dog commemorative coin act. this is the important role that they play in the lives of americans one of whom is a

constituent special operator jason morgan. his story is absolutely incredible. he was found face down in a swamp in central america after a mission went wrong. he had a shattered spine, collapsed lungs and numerous broken bones. it is a miracle he survived. after waking up from a coma doctors told him he would never walk again. he went through painful curlingries his life hanging by a thread. when he left the hospital he was in a wheelchair and his life seemed to be falling apart and left to care for his three young sons on his own. everything changed. when jason met a black lab. with nepal by his side, his life and family's life. nepal helped him over come and

he completed a marathon and won in the wounded warrior games. more than that, this amazing service dog helped heal jason's family and taught him to be the father his kids needed. i have seen nepal steal the show with his personality and love of life and dedication of service. his tour of duty and yago has taken up his duties. i urge my colleagues to support this bill. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. foster: we have no more speakers on our side and prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. foster: madam speaker, i yield myself the balance of my time.

as we thank our veterans -- as we thank our veterans and active military servicemembers we must not forget the crucial role service dogs play on and off the battlefield. on a recent study conducted, veterans had stress hormones like those in healthy adults without ptsd. this is a collective and individual endeavor. this legislation furthers those efforts and ensure that this is the important role in protecting our nation and active duty service memberships and our veterans. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from north carolina is recognized. mr. mchenry: i am prepared to close and i yield myself the remainder of the time.

i just want to reiterate how important this bill is. the congress can direct amends to strike the coin and the proceeds of that sale of coin can benefit society in large-scale fashion. we have a threshold that says you have to have 290 co-sponsors. it has to have wide bipartisan support and in the greater interest of the country if we are going to do this because it is a constitutional function and directs the mint to do a thing and direct the proceeds to actually help important not-for-profits in this country. and when we have a group like vet dogs, america's vet dogs, they do such important work and they have shown the societal benefit of what they have done. for us to act today to

acknowledge that role of service dogs and then get the benefit back into this community hem veterans suffering with ptsd and for us to have service dogs available across the country is a very, very special thing. as i said, it took a lot of work. and members of congress are people, too. we often don't acknowledge that, but we are people, too. we are emotional, too. and things get really emotional here on capitol hill and the way to bring that emotion is have a little boy wag their tail at you and ask to be petted. and those are the dogs, the service animals that are on capitol hill. and we have some service dogs that are in the gallery today watching what is happening today and because they are here it has

been less emotional and even if they are wagging their tails in the gallery, it brings a sense of calm to us as policy makers. it has been a welcomed thing to have those service dogs around the capitol complex driving up co-sponsorship but couldn't be done without the good work of staff and i want to thank phil who has worked with me for nearly a decade here in d.c. and it has been the work of phil to direct this whole process and get co-sponsors to show interest and without that definitive work we wouldn't be here without the co-sponsorship we have here today. i acknowledge the important work of phil poe in bringing this bill to the house floor.

i thank staff because the staff makes this operation actually work. and we can never thank them enough for the input they make into law. the dedication they have to our constitutional public and to the american people and phyllis one of the finest in the business. phil, thank you for your good work. and i urge adoption of this important resolution and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 807 as amended. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative. the rules are suspended and the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. . . . for what purpose does the gentleman from north carolina seek recognition? mr. mchenry: i move to suspend

the rules and pass the bill h.r. 1097, the everett alvarez jr. congressional gold medal act of 2023. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 1097, a bill to award a congressional gold medal to everett alvarez jr. in recognition to his service to the nation. the speaker pro tempore: pursuan t to the rule, the gentleman from north carolina, mr. mchenry and mr. foster will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from north carolina. mr. mchenry: i ask unanimous consent all members from five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mchenry: i yield myself as much time as i may consume. and i rise in support of h.r. 1097, a bill that will reward the congressional gold medal to everett alvarez jr. madam speaker, the congressional gold medal is considered the highest civilian honor awarded in the united states.

in the 248 years since the continental congress issued the first one to george washington in 1776, only 184 have been awarded. that's fewer than one per year. so the distinction of awarding such an honor should not be lost on this 118th congress. madam speaker, i cannot think of someone more deserving of such recognition than retired united states navy commander alvarez. as a boy growing up in salinas, california, alvarez marveled at the naval planes flying in and out of move at field in and out of santa clara county. at age 22 ignoring his parents' protests he followed his boyhood dream of joining the navy and was selected for pilot training. on august 5,1964, that dream

turned into a nightmare when his sky hawk was shot down on the vietnam border. the junior grade pilot was subsequently captured and imprisoned by the north vietnamese forces. commander alvarez spent the next 1,313 days, more than eight years and seven months in some of the most horrific conditions imaginable. despite being beaten and tortured about u.s. military operations, commander alvarez refusedded to comply, saying he wanted to be able to look in the mirror and not feel ashamed. even when the north vietnamese captors no longer felt alvarez held military value, they continued to brutalize him in an attempt to extract propaganda messages. he did not cave. when he was finally released

february 12,1973, he held the undesirable distinction of being the second longest held u.s. prisoner of war in our nation's history. commander alvarez left knowing he owed nothing more to his country, yet remarkably he would go on to serve another seven years in the united states navy. today at age 86, i believe when commander everett alvarez jr. looks in the mirror, he sees only honor in his reflection. that's what the american people see. mr. speaker, i thank my colleague, mr. panetta, for introducing this bill along with the multitude of sponsors. it's a massive amount of work to get a legislative product like this, especially in a divided congress and a divided time for america. but this is a source of unity and pride that americans are willing to sacrifice for the

american dream, their american dream and their ideals in this free nation of ours. and because of the willingness of folks like commander alvarez, we do have this free nation and we do have a sense of pride in being an american. i support this bill. i urge my colleagues to do the same. but again, i want to close by thanking mr. panetta for his thoughtful approach in building bipartisan consensus not just on this but overall in his policymaking skills. so with that, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from north carolina reserves. the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. foster: i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. foster: i rise in support of h.r. 1097, the everett alvarez jr. congressional gold medal act sponsored by representative panetta. it bestows a medal of honor to

alvarez jr., a retired united states navy officer who maintained the military code of conduct, loyalty, and honor to the united states under torture, abuse, and interrogation for eight years and six months of imprisonment. he is the second longest held prisoner of war in the united states history. our nation's fallen soldiers, our veterans, our active military service members are those who demonstrate tremendous selflessness and they should never be neglected. i applaud my colleague representative panetta who also is a veteran of the war in afghanistan for his efforts and advocacy on this important bill to ensure commander alvarez jr. is recognized and praised for his unfaltering sacrifice to our country. representative panetta has long worked to help active military members and our nation's veterans and his deeply

appreciated service to our nation has resulted in significant strides in legislation to help ensure we are treating our veterans with the respect and dignity they deserve. today is one example of his work making a real difference and i'm very pleased to support this bill to honor commander alvarez jr. i urge my colleagues to support this bill, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois reserves. the gentleman from north carolina is recognized. mr. mchenry: reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. foster: i yield six minutes to our most loquacious and thoughtful gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. panetta. mr. panetta: thank you for yielding me this time and chairman mchenry, thank you very much for that comprehensive and exact description of this exact piece of legislation. i appreciate that, and of course your kind words. mr. speaker, i do rise today as

well to support the everett alvarez jr. congressional gold medal act. this legislation would award the congressional gold medal to retired united states naval commander everett alvarez jr., the first captured in the vietnam war and the second longest serving prisoner of war in the history of our nation. a native son of salinas, california, everett alvarez has made immense contributions to our country. while growing up, he always wanted to be in the u.s. navy. as a kid in an immigrant family surrounded by other immigrant families in his neighborhood, he was instilled with that sense of service, that attitude he should always give back to the country that gave he and his family so much opportunity. he attended santa clara university where he earned a degree in electrical engineering and remain as lifetime member of the board of fellows. while at s.c.u., alvarez would stare at the naval jets flying

over campus going in and out of the naval base at moffatt airfield. he passed the exams to join the navy and train as a pilot. while in the navy he was trained to fly the a-4 sky hawk fighter bomber jets. in may of 1964, lieutenant j.g. alvarez was assigned the u.s. constellation off the coast of vietnam, otherwise known as an area as yankee station. for the first few months, alvarez carried out numerous missions over laos, cambodia and northern parts of vietnam. however, his first combat mission was the day after the gulf of tonkin incident which also turned out to be his last mission. on august 5,1964,during operation pierced arrow, lieutenant alvarez was sent on a mission to target and take out torpedo boat bases in north vietnam. however, right as he got to the

coast of north vietnam, his a-4 sky hawk was hit by enemy fire and immediately tried to regain altitude but realized he couldn't. he worked hard to get his plane out to the ocean and made one final radio transmission to his wingman before he bailed out in the bay in which he said, i'll see you guys later. unbeknownst to all, he wouldn't see freedom for the next eight years and six months, or the next 3,113 days. now, for the first part of his captivity, everett was in solitary confinement for 13 months, mainly because the u.s. hadn't started the formal bombing campaign against the north vietnamese but also at that time, the north vietnamese were unprepared for prisoners of war, so for his first six months in captivity, the enemy didn't know what to do with him so they kept him in a local jail treating him like a local criminal. as time went on, the enemy constantly interrogated him,

demanding he tells them about u.s. intentions and operations. everett refused and subsequently was put into a seven by seven foot cell. as tough as that period was, everett will tell you that his toughest time was from 1965-1969, four years, when he and other p.o.w.'s were constantly pressured and used as propaganda included being beaten and marched through the streets. history occur included a rifle butt to the left side of alvarez's face and dislocated his jaw and still causes him difficulty today. he suffered numerous other injuries at the hands of his captors including those that included surgeries to his arms and back. most of his activity was spent in the prison known as the hanoi hilton where conditions were absolutely horrific. during those years he was confined to a room that was 10 feet by 12 feet and given nothing but a straw mat and a

bag filled with straw that was supposed to be a pillow. they starved him so much that his weight fell to just under 100 pounds though his normal weight was 170 pounds. though he was physically weak, having endured starvation, isolation, and torture, everett alvarez remained strong. he said the p.o.w.'s took care of one another by communicating with one another and tapping on prison walls. everett personally and regularly inspired and encouraged his fellow p.o.w.'s to return with honor by not cooperating with the enemy and staying loyal to the united states of america. on january 12, 1973, we know u.s.' involvement with the vietnam war ended with the signing of the paris peace accords. soon after on february 12, everett alvarez was released from captivity. upon arrival at the u.s. air base in the philippines, he greeted the navy admiral awaiting him to which alvarez said lieutenant j.g. alvarez reporting back, sir.

after his release and hospitalization, alvarez resumed his naval service and even graduated from the navy post graduate school in monterey, california, with a agree in operations research and systems analysis. on june 30, 1980, he retired from the navy completing a 20-year naval career. during his service, commander alvarez earned the silver star, two legions of merit, the distinguished flying cross, two bronze stars, two purple hearts, and a prisoner of war medal. after leaving the navy, alvarez continued to give back by serving his country. he was appointed by president ronald reagan as the deputy director of the peace corps and deputy administrator of the veterans administration. in an argue with "stars and stripes" everett alvarez was asked despite the nightmare of being a p.o.w. for the second longest time in our nation's history, what allowed you to realize he is the american dream? may i have an additional minute? mr. foster: additional two minutes.

mr. panetta: additional four minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for an additional four minutes. mr. panetta: he was asked despite living the nightmare as a p.o.w. for the second longest time in our nation's history, what allowed him to realize he is the american dream? his response was that i'm nothing special, i'm just one of the guys that had to do what we had to do and that's how we did it, one day at a time. mr. speaker, he may being he's nothing special, but what he did in captivity as the second longest serving p.o.w. in our nation's history and what he has done for our country is not just special, it's unfathomable and it's absolutely amazing. his service to our nation, his sacrifice as a p.o.w., his strength and his symbol as an american for americans deserves the highest honor that congress can bestow, a congressional gold medal. i'm honored to be the author of this bill, and i'm also proud that 300 members of this chamber

co-sponsored this legislation, demonstrating how deserving commander alvarez is of this recognition. i'm also honored that senator padilla is a sponsor of this legislation in the senate and look forward to working with him and his senate colleagues in order to obtain the appropriate amount of support so that this bill passes out of the u.s. senate and makes it to the president's desk for signature into law. for now, i urge all of my congressional colleagues to support the everett alvarez jr. congressional gold medal act to honor everett alvarez, an american and an example of what we stand for as americans. thank you, mr. speaker, i yield back. mr. weber: we thank the gentleman and the commander. the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. foster: we have no more speakers. at this point, we are prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois. mr. foster: mr. speaker, i yield myself the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized mr. foster: mr. speaker, my draft number was 321. being born in 1955, i never was called to serve and always wondered what my service had been like had i been called and i'm humbled with this story and there are many lessons that we tried to draw from the war in vietnam. but one of the lessons that we did not get right was the duty that we have to respect the service to those who served under very difficult circumstances. and i just want to say that that is part of the reason that i extend my support again for h.r. 1097 everett alva he res. junior congressional gold medal act of 2023. congress will recognize the service he made to protect our nation and i recognize representative panetta to bring

this legislation to the floor today. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time the gentleman from north carolina is recognized. mr. mchenry: as i close, i want to thank my democratic colleagues for their work. we have two coin bills here on the floor today. and they speak to different parts of our united states' story the best among us. and that gift that continues with us retelling important stories of our history, really important for us to know today. but i want to thank my colleague, mr. panetta, for the work he put in in bringing this congressional gold medal act before us and the story of everett alvarez junior and his contribution to the united states. and the example he leaves us, he

gives us, actually. and for this to be done in his lifetime is a very special honor and a rare honor indeed. but i urge my colleagues to vote yes on this important resolution. i thank my colleagues for the debate here and the story telling. it's important for us to tell the stories of the best of american history and let's be honest. it is important to tell the whole story of american history. but these stories of heroic acts are really important for us to note. and so, with that, i urge adoption of this resolution and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 1097. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are

suspended and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from missouri seek recognition? >> i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 5863, the federal disaster tax relief act of 2023 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5863 a bill to provide tax relief with respect to certain federal disasters pursuant to the rule the gentleman from missouri, mr. smith and the gentleman from mr. thompson. the chair recognizes the gentleman from missouri. mr.smith: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection the gentleman is recognized mr.smith: thank you, mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 5863, the federal

disaster tax relief act. introduced by my ways and means colleague from bel steube. this legislation was approved last year by the ways and means committee 38-0 because families and communities across the country who suffered disasters need support. in fact, bipartisan support for this legislation was so strong that it was approved a second time by the ways and means committee as part of the tax relief for american families and workers act. this legislation not only helps victims of disasters but provides broad and immediate tax relief for american workers, farmers, families and small businesses, which is why the house of representatives passed it with 84% support earlier this year. i encourage my senate colleagues to take up that legislation to support disaster victims and

help the millions of americans treading water in today's economy. the federal disaster tax relief act provides assistance to communities across the country bringing relief to those recovering and rebuilding after tragic floods and tornadoes like those affected communities in my home state of missouri in the winter of 2021 and summer of 2023. hurricanes like hurricane ian that claimed countless lives in florida, wildfires that devastated communities in california and hawaii and the train derailment and toxic in east palestine, ohio. i want to commend representative steube for his leadership. his passion started with his desire to provide help to the families he represents who were devastated by the hurricane. but in the interest of getting this done, he broadend his

relief effort to include over 300 storms in 45 states. i encourage all of my colleagues to vote yes on this bill so we are standing with and supporting our fellow neighbors when they are most in need. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. thompson: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: jarngd. mr. thompson: i rise in strong support of this legislation and i thank chairman smith of the ways and means committee for all of the good work he has done to ensure we are able to help our constituents who are suffering as a result of natural disasters and colleague and friend, mr. steube who without his leadership on the ways and means committee, we wouldn't be here today. and also, mr. lamalfa, my colleague to the north of my district who has worked with me over the years to address one

component that is covered by this piece of legislation. this has been a long time coming for my constituents, too long, way too long. now the second time in five months that this house has come together to state plainly and in bipartisan fashion that americans should help one another when disaster strikes. while the senate continues to play politics with what ought to be a bipartisan victory, they have been sitting on the tax bill for five months. and i join chairman smith in calling for them to move the entire bill, because there is so much in that for so many of our constituents across the country. and i just want to briefly reiterate how we got here today. in my district, wildfires in 2015, 2017 and 2018 devastated

entire communities across my district and across the state of california. entire towns were destroyed. thousands of people lost homes. dozens of people lost their lives. in the aftermath, the courts found that pacific gas and electric was liable for causing some of these fires. as part of its subsequent bankruptcy proceedings, the utility established a trust from fire survivors are generally eligible for compensation for losses sustained during these fires. let me pause here to say one thing. no disaster survivor is ever made whole. no one is ever made whole. people lost their homes and everything in their homes. family pictures, family records. they lost businesses and as i said earlier, sadly they lost

family members. and while the courts eventually created a path to compensation, it took years to get there, years my constituents didn't have. they couldn't wait around for three, four, six years to get a payment from that trust and then because the trust was structured in the form of stock shares and because stock shares need to bemon advertised carefully and slowly in order to maximize returns to survivors, the payments to survivors came in batches. nobody is getting, repeat, nobody is getting 100% of what they lost. and then to add insult to injury, riders our constituents started to get even a little bit of compensation, our constituents are told they may owe taxes on these payments because depending on the taxpayer, the payments may qualify as income. in four years of working on this

issue, i have yet to encounter a single person on either side of the aisle who believes this is fair. that's why we have been so successful in passing this legislation numerous times out of the ways and means committee and off the floor of this house. this bill has been stalled, advanced and then held up. it has been marked up and passed the house and stalled again. the senate ought to stop digitterring on what is a good bill for this country and just pass it. we are here again tonight tore take this matter up. i'm grateful to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. mr. neal, our ranking member on ways and means, has been a great colleague and champion. the chairman, mr. smith, and mr. steube, one of our colleagues on the committee.

i wish such an unusual strategy to get here wasn't necessary. i am committed and i think my colleagues are committed to pulling every lever to get this bill passed. this is a fundamental question of fairness and i urge all my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill. and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from missouri is recognized. mr.smith: i want to thank congressman thompson for his advocacy on his legislation and moving it through the committee in a very bipartisan effort. i yield such time as he may consume to the author of this legislation, the gentleman from florida, mr. steube. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognizedst mr. steube: i stand in support of h.r. 5863. and historic act last week the majority of the house of representatives made clear that the house should act to provide tax relief to victims of natural

disasters all across america. i thank every member who stood with me on this fight. on september 28, 2022, southwest florida was ravaged by hurricane ian one of the most devastating. no one ranks him as the third costliest hurricane killing 150 people and causing billions of dollars in damages. for floridians, the recovery is far from over. despite experiencing hurricanes, floridians are resilient. i have been working on legislation to recover from storms that have decimated many storms. -- communities. the sun coast is still waiting for congress to do its job and provide relief. more than a year after land fall, congress has to provide disaster relief.

i received thousands of letters, calls and pleas for help who incurred thousands of dollars in recovery expenses and having a hard time getting ahead. on eight separate keyings since 2022, congress has provided tax relief to victims of natural disasters. since 2021, 3 1-r disasters have been declared without congress taking action. wildfires across the western united states and maui impacted americans who have not received relief. the similarly, victims of the east palestine train derailment are facing similar issues. this bill helps americans and allows them to deduct aid for natural disasters from their taxes. it will provide relief for millions who have been affected

by natural disasters, in the northeast, victims of wildfires will be -- will get the relief they deserve. those who face winter storms will get protection. our friend in texas who have experienced a variety of disasters, including tornadoes, flooding and fires. this doesn't just impact california, it congress must act to provide them relief. i'm grateful to be supported by many of comie colleagues on both sides of the aisle to lead the fight for americans all across the country, to get disaster relief. disaster relief is not a democrat problem or a republican problem, it's something that all of us face. i would like to give a sincere thanks to members and staff who have worked tirelessly on this bill. i would like to give a special thanks to california congressman mike thompson, jimmy panetta, doug lamalfa, as well as congresswoman joe wilson tokuda of hawaii for their leadership on this effort. i'd like to thank congressman bill johnson who played an important role with this bill

and a special thanks to ways and means committee chairman jason smith for passing this bill out of the committee. the constituents in my district and the districts each of you represent are in need of help. and today i urge swift passage of this bill on the house floor and urge expeditious consideration in the senate so that americans all across america can get much-needed relief. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida yields back. the gentleman from missouri reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. >> mr. speaker, i'd like to yield two minutes to the gentlelady from hawaii, ms. tokuda, who knows firsthand the tragedy of wildfires, her constituents experienced a horrific, horrific disaster in her district, in her home state. and she has been there with them every step of the way and she's here on their behalf again tonight. thank you for your support and i yield. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from hawaii is recognized for to minutes. ms. tokuda: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in strong support of h.r. 586 3-rbgs the federal disaster tax relief act of 2023.

it will keep survivors' hard-earned money in their pockets and help them in getting their lives back to normal as soon as possible. whatever that normal might look like. seeing the overwhelming challenges faced by the survivors of the maui wildfires, i introduced h.r. 5873, the natural disaster tax relief act of 2023, last october, to lessen the tax burden faced by disaster survivors and ensure they have the financial resources to support their ohana. since then, far too many people continue to struggle with recovery costs that no one could ever budget for. across our country, through all disasters, current, those to come and so far in the past, they've reached deep into their saves, they've gone into debt to feed their kids, to cover their mortgages, to pay for education and health care costs and rebuild their homes, businesses and livelihoods. i want to thank my friends and colleagues for incorporating elements of my legislation into this bill, as we continue to

fight for its critical passage. like me, they know all too well that there will never be enough to replace all that people lost. as the good congressman from california mentioned, no one will be made whole, but that being said, anything, anything we can do to lighten the tax burdens and the financial struggles they face will it a long way to rebuild lives and rebuilding communities. i am proud to join congressman steube, lamalfa and thompson on the floor today to pass this bill out of the house, and i implore the senate to embrace and pass this bill. disaster does not discriminate. it doesn't care if you're democrat, independent or republican. but when it hits, people need help. we must pass this critical bipartisan piece of legislation now. thank you, mr. speaker. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from california reserves. and the gentleman from missouri is recognized. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i yield such time as he may

consume to the gentleman from california, mr. lamalfa. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. lamalfa: thank you, mr. speaker. and thank you so much, chairman smith, for helping us with our legislation all this time here and i'm very grateful also to mr. steube for allowing our bill to be piggybacked with his in this effort here as well as the 7024 tax relief for american families and workers act, which is still waiting over in the senate. i hope we can get that one, but i'm very grateful for everybody to join this effort here today. a strong bipartisan effort to move this narrower, much more -- very important disaster relief package to help people all across the country, as has been said. my colleague, mike thompson, thank you so much for our partnership on this. it's taken some time and we're getting there. glad to see. you know, with the losses we've suffered, along with our

constituent, our constituent, of course, especially, it's very painful to see and to not be able to go back to them and say, we've gotten the result yet. but my own constituents, i commend them, i'm grateful for them, they've been very, very patient, the victims of the camp fire where 85 lives were lost. my neighbors in santa rosa area, and of course my good friend, ms. tokuda in lahaina, who suffered even more greatly loss of life than what ours had been, a record in paradise. we don't want to set records, we want to get results. it's been a great partnership on top of disaster and heart ache. so just picture this, though. as i talk about paradise. you wake up in the morning, you hear there's fire. all of a sudden there's an evacuation. people are crowding the narrow roadways trying to get up the hill or down the hill, out of town. barely making it in some cases. scorched vehicles. tires on fire. all that.

they're seeing in their rear-view mirror their neighborhoods engulfed in flames, their houses going down, all their m momentos are in the. they're wondering, did their neighbor get out? did the elderly laid upthe street -- lady up the street get out? maybe there was a firefighter or neighbor who helped that lady get out just in time so there wasn't worse loss of life. the resilience of these folks in the fires that i've had in my district, neighbors and other neighboring states, is just amazing. as they've stuck with us on this. so as settlement happened with the utility, somehow partly compensate and won't ever be made whole, they can never be made whole, even with a lot of money, that settlement should not be taxable -- a taxable event. break that down for a minute. you're in your home, you've been paying off your mortgage, maybe it's already paid off. you've got yurek which the in your home -- your equity in your

home. so this disaster happens. you lose your home. all of a sudden you've got to rearrange your life, you have to rebuild your life. that portion of that equity that now is going to be compensated for partly by the settlement with the utility, that portion of your home is now a newly taxable event. because of the i.r.s. interpretation on that. how is that right? how is that fair at all that you have ripped out of your life your home, your family, whatever may have happened to you personally, and now you have a taxable event on top of that piece of equity that was in your home because of a bad interpretation here? that's why this legislation is necessary. that's why it's been so strongly supported on both sides of the aisle, all through the process here. that's why we need to evercome these hurd -- overcome these hurdles we have to get this done. people deserve to have that predictability, that sustainability of their life, to be able to put it back and put

themselves back into a good way again. so, fire victims, camp fire in my area, zog fire, our other neighbors there, relief is on the way here. this has been a tremendous effort. a little out of the ordinary to get this legislation back to this floor here tonight. and i think it will pass resoundingly. i hope so. i ask for everybody's aye vote. again, i appreciate all my colleagues, both sides of the aisle, for stepping fard and doing right by the fire victims, by the hurricane victims, by the folks in east palestine and others who are going to be added into this. this is how legislation should look. this is how the country pulls together. i'm glad to be a part of it. i yield back. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields back. the gentleman from missouri reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. thompson: mr. speaker, i have no further speakers and i'm prepared to close. mr. smith: we're prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. again, i'd like to thank mr. steube, mr. lamalfa,

chairman smith and all of our colleagues on ways and means who worked so hard to bring this bill to fruition not once, not twice, but now three times. and our friend from hawaii, i know how difficult that is in your state in your area, what a devastating fire that was and i know how hard you're working for your constituents and thank you for being on the floor today. mr. speaker, florida, texas, south carolina, louisiana, kentucky, oregon, new york, california and over a dozen other states have been devastated by disasters. there's not a single colleague in this house who should have to go through a disaster to know how bad it is. this devastates communities, it devastates people's lives, it disrupts communities, it

disrupts people's lives. people are killed, businesses are lost, homes and heirlooms are lost and destroyed. the least that we can do is to come to the aid of our constituents, our fellow americans, in times of disaster and in times of great need and that's what we're doing today. this is commendable work by the ways and means committee and every member on this -- in this house should be proud to come to the floor and vote to support their friends, their neighbors, their constituents in these very, very dark times. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields back. the gentleman from missouri is recognized. mr. smith: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i would once again just commend the great work and advocacy that mr. steube, mr. lamalfa, mr. thompson -- i can tell you, they've been

advocating since i've been chairman that this is an important piece of legislation to get across the finish line and let's hope that the united states senate does the same thing. with that, i urge all members to support this bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 5863, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, -- for what purpose does the gentleman from missouri seek recognition? mr. smith: mr. speaker, on that i demand the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.

for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3317, the rolling stock protection act. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 423. h.r. 3317. a bill to amend title 49, united states code, to remove the lifetime exemption from the prohibition of procurement of rolling stock from certain vehicle manufacturers for

parties to execute a contract -- to executed contracts. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york and the gentlelady from nevada will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. molinaro: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the record on h.r. 3317. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. molinaro: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. molinaro: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of h.r. 3317, the rolling stock protection act. this bipartisan bill introduced by highways and transit subcommittee chairman rick crawford was reported favorably out of the committee on transportation and infrastructure in may, 2023. i ask that my colleagues join me in supporting this legislation. the bill will prevent federal tax dollars from being sent to foreign state-owned enterprises and state-connected businesses for the purchase of rolling stocks such as rail cars and buses. moreover, this bill will block federal dollars flowing from the federal transit administration to rolling stock manufacturers

connected to the chinese communist party. in 2019 congress enacted the transportation infrastructure vehicle security act. as a provision of the fiscal year 2020 national defense authorization act. it prohibited public transportation agencies that receive federal assistance from using funds to procure vehicles from state-owned enterprises. the passage was a direct response to alarming national economic security concerns related to china's state-owned enterprise rolling stock manufacturers, primarily the china railway rolling stock corporation. and build your dreams, whose presence in the bus and rail car market had grown significantly. that legislation included a loophole that allowed the f.t.a. to grant lifetime exemptions for four of the nation's largest transit agency, allowing them to continue to buy the rolling stock from companies from the c. krmpt p. this. bill -- c.c.p. this. bill we are considering today

will close that loophole. in doing so, h.r. 3317 will enhance american manufacturing opportunity in the rolling stock industry, it will help american workers and strengthen our domestic supply chain. h.r. 3317 will take us another step forward in it will take us another step forward in securing america's economic interest. i urge support of the legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from nevada is recognize. ms. titus: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. titus: i also rise in support of this legislation that will prevent organizations from spending on rolling stock. as of today the u.s. doesn't have any domestic rail car manufacturers. federal transit policies have been designed over the years reflect that reality while still encouraging domestic manufacturing wherever possible.

while the u.s. remains, or at least for now, dependent on global transit car manufacturer we need to ensure fair competition among all manufacturers including s.o.e.'s. when one entity receives government support for artificially low bids, if that's left unchecked over time, other manufacturers will be driven out of business. this would make transit cars more expensive in the long run and leave systems across the country reliant upon just one manufacturer. congress recognized this concern after four u.s. transit agencies awarded rolling stock contracts to an s.o.e. that submitted artificially low bids. the 2020 national defense authorization act first prohibited most u.s. transit agencies from using federal transit funds to purchase rolling stock from s.o.e.'s. transit car manufacturers that did not receive government subsidies including manufacturers in south korea,

japan, spain and other places, were not affected by this ban. congress exempted the four transit agencies with the initial s.o.e. contracts from the ban so not to disrupt ongoing procurements. the legislation we are considering here today doesn't affect those initial contracts or any current options on those contracts. but it does prevent future contracts from being executed using federal funds. the bill ensures that all u.s. transit agencies will operate under the same rules. i would also note that nothing in this legislation impacts what transit agencies do with their local funding. it only affects funding if the federal government for transit rail cars. as transit agencies continue to receive the record funding provided by the bipartisan infrastructure law, it's critical we ensure the market for rolling stock is fair and competitive. ultimately, that will yield the best outcome for transit

agencies and will help them provide more reliable and effective service for their riders. i support this legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. the gentleman is recognized. mr. molinaro: i recognize the bill's sponsor, rick crawford, of arkansas for five minutes. mr. crawford: thank you, mr. speaker, i thank the gentleman for yielding. i rise in support of my bill. i ask that my colleagues join me in supporting this simple, direct bill. in may of last year this bipartisan legislation was favorably reported out of the committee on transportation and infrastructure. by mill -- my bill will close a loophole that allows some of the country's largest transit agencies to purchase rolling stock such as rail cars from state-owned enterprises and state-connected businesses, including those linked to the chinese communist party. i thought congress had fixed this problem back in 2019 with the passage of the

transportation infrastructure vehicle security act or tivsa. that was included in the national act prohibiting the purchase of rolling stock by those receiving federal funds. why are we back today? we are here to make it crystal clear to the f.t.a. that c.c.p. connected companies are never allowed to receive taxpayer dollars. while tivsa should have pre prevented this, the f.t.a.'s execution of the law provide lifetime exemptions to four transit agencies if the prohibitions on contracting with c.c.p.-connected companies. i mentioned that the f.t.a. granted lifetime exemptions to four agency and i think it's important to know who we're talk about. the four agencies receiving this exemption from the f.t.a. twher southeastern pennsylvania transportation authority, septa. the massachusetts bay transportation authority, mbta.

the chicago transit authority. and the los angeles county metropolitan transit authority. i'm pleased to report that one of those transit agency, septa, announced in april that after significant production delays and cost overruns it was recognizing the right to terminate the contract with crrc with cause. that's a positive step. alternatively, the mbta announced it is reuping the contract with crrc and adding another $148 million in rolling stock purchases. the enactment of tivsa should have eliminated any possibility that transit agencies that receive federal funding could continue to news those -- to use those dollars to pay for contracts with companies connected to the c.c.p. fave years after tivsa was made law, an agency is expand such a contract. all the more reason we're take action to pass this bill today this. bill will end once and for all

the practice of sending federal dollars to c.c.p.-controlled rolling stock companies by eliminating these lifetime exemptions. chinese companies controlled by the c.c.p. have nearly limitless financial resources they can use to undercut domestic rolling stock manufacturers. it's unfair, uncompetitive playing field and i'm proud to put an end to it today. the c.c.p. isn't just investing these state-owned enterprises to help them better compete in the market. the c.c.p. is trying to take control of the market. the c.c.p. wants to dominate this industry and drive american manufacturers out completely. we can't let that happen. h.r. 3317 is supported by a broad range of organizations including the transport workers union, the alliance for american manufacturer manufacture, the teamsters, the railway supply institute and the railway security alliance. i thank them for their support of my legislation and hope my colleagues will join me in approving passage of this bill today this. will prevent the use of the

rolling stock as a tool to undermine our interests. this will solve an important concern. h.r. 3317 is good for american workers -- workers and will ensure responsible stewardship of american taxpayer dollars. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting my legislation and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentlelady from nevada is recognized. ms. titus: i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. molinaro: we have no more speakers and are prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleladyis recognized. ms. titus: we have no more speakers either. i want to say i support this legislation and encourage my colleagues to do the same. thank you and i yield back the balance. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. molinaro: i yield myself as much time as i might consume. mr. speaker, h.r. 3317, the rolling stock protection act is a bipartisan bill that protects american workers, our domestic economic interests and our national security. h.r. 3317 will stop federal dollars from going to rolling

stock manufacturers backed or controlled by the chinese communist party. the bill is a responsive and responsible step to prevent further erosion of our domestic manufacturing sector by the c.c.p. h.r. 3317 will enhance domestic manufacturing opportunities an ensure that united states tax dollars can no longer be paid to companies linked to ad adversarl nations. i urge support of this bill and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 3317. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. molinaro: i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5754 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of

the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5754, a bill to designate the united states courthouse located at 350 west first street, los angeles, california, as the luis fel felicitas and gonzalo mendez united states courthouse. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york and the gentlewoman from nevada will each control 20 minutes. mr. molinaro: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend and insert extraneous materials. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. molinaro: i rise in support of the bill to designate the united states courthouse at 350 west first street, los angeles, california, as the felicitas and gonzalo mendez united states courthouse. the two are remembered for their

work in a bill to desegregate schools in los angeles. it is fitting we acknowledge the late cup bill naming this courthouse in los angeles after them. mr. speaker, with that, i urge support of h.r. 5754 and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from nevada is recognized. ms. titus: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself stouth time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. titus: i rise in support of h.r. 5754 which designates the federal courthouse in los angeles, california, as the felicitas and gonzalo mendez united states courthouse. the mendezs were activists whose efforts culminated in the 1946 federal court case, mendez vs. west minister school district of orange county. this helped to end segregation in california schools and helped pave the way for desegregation efforts nationwide. ms. mendez was born in puerto rico and moved with her family

to california at the age of 12678 she and her family encountered discrimination and racism in california because of their puerto rican heritage. shemarryed gonzalo mendez, a mexican immigrant who had become a naturalized u.s. citizen. they had several children and operated a successful agriculture business in southern california. the mendezs attempted to enroll their children in a local school but were rejected because of their mexican names and appearance. in response, the mendezs bravely organized and filed a lawsuit against the local school districts to end the district's practice of segregating mexican schoolchildren. after they won the case in 1946, and won a subsequent appeal in 1947, the state of california took the further action of enacting a law officially desegregating california public schools. making it the first state in the country to do so. the law was signed by

then-governor earl warren. seven years later, mr. warren, then chief justice of the supreme court, wrote the opinion in brown vs. board of education in which the court rule that segregation of any kind in public schools is unconstitutional. if h.r. 5754 is enacted, the los angeles federal courthouse would be the first courthouse in the nation named after a latina. i strongly support this legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same. i thank you and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. the gentleman is recognized. mr. molinaro: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from nevada is recognized. ms. titus: i yield five minutes to ms. no poll tau noah, who -- mrs. napolitano, who we're going to miss terribly when she retired from her role on the committee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. mrs. napolitano: i rise in support of h.r. 5754 to

designate the united states courthouse located at 350 west first street, los angeles, california, as the felicitas and gonzalo mendez united states courthouse. i thank representative gomez for introducing this legislation. this bill recognizes the important role the mendezs served in the fight for civil rights in the united states. their fight for equality in the case mendez vs. westminster, along with our other families, would not only end segregation in california schools but lay the groundwork for brown vs. the board of education. in september of last year, i stood alongside the daughter of felicita and gonzalo as mr. gomez marked the introduction of his bill. sill vee ark a dedicated civil rights activist, travels the country to ensure the legacy of her parents and those four other

families are not forgotten. i am proud to have worked with my l.a. colleagues including former representative roybal-allard for the construction of the much-needed courthouse in downtown los angeles. the felicitas and gonzalo mendez courthouse will serve as the reminder of the contributions of latino americans to this country and i hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this legislation. i ask my colleagues to support h.r. 5754 and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentlelady from nevada reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. molinaro: we have no more speakers and i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from nevada. ms. titus: i yield five minutes to the sponsor of the resolution, mr. gomez. mr. gomez: i rise in support of my bill to name the los angeles u.s. courthouse in my district

for two individuals, the mendez family, alongsided ramirez -- alongside the other challenges challenged segregationist policies that prevented their children from getting the same quality education as their white peers and they won. their efforts resulted in the landmark 1946 case of mendez v. westminster school district, which led to the desegregation of california schools, and set the stage for brown v. board of education. the monumental supreme court decision that stated, separate but equal is inherently unequal. i introduced this bill, alongside with sylvia mendez, and the daughter of felicitas and gonzalo mendez. feliz as it was awarded -- felicitas was awarded the presidential medal of freedom and is the subject of the children's book "separate is never equal" which i brought as a reminder of what this means

for our children. this courthouse will be a reminder that history and law are not just shaped by judges, they are molded by people who have the courage to challenge unjust laws and make our country better. the naacp, aclu and japanese american citizens league sent amicus briefs in this case, showing that our struggles are distinct but our battle to form a more perfect union is one and the same. in fact, thurgood marshall wrote the naacp's brief and just years later used the similar reasoning before the supreme court in brown v. board of education. i ask for unanimous consent to enter into the record letters from the naacp, los angeles mayor karen bass, and 21 latino civil rights organizations and advocacy groups in favor of this legislation. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. gomez: for all-americans to feel part of our american story, they need to see themselves

reflected in the buildings and monuments that commemorate our history. the felicitas and gonzalo -- gonzalo mendez courthouse will be one of several courthouses named after latinos. i urge the senate to pass this legislation swiftly, to send a clear sign about what we stand for as a nation. with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentlelady from nevada reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. molinaro: mr. speaker, i'm still prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from nevada is recognized. ms. titus: thank you, mr. speaker. i strongly support this historic legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. molinaro: mr. speaker, in closing, i join in supporting this bill, recognizing the legacy of feliz as it and --

felicitas and gonzalo mendez after naming this building after them. this is a historic and appropriate recognition and with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 5754, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill ises passed and -- is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. molinaro: thank you, mr. speaker. i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 6248 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 424. h.r. 6248. a bill to require amtrak to report to congress information on amtrak compliance with the americans with disabilities act of 1990, with respect to trains and stations. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york and the gentlelady from nevada each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york.

mr. molinaro: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the record on h.r. 6248. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. molinaro: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. molinaro: i am proud to see my bill, the think differently transportation act, come to the floor. this is yet another item to pass the house that builds off the work that we began when i was county executive in new york state. duchess county, new york. the think differently initiative. think differently is a call to action to break down barriers and create opportunities for those living with intellectual, physical and developmental disabilities. the think differently transportation act does just that. the bill requires that amtrak submit to congress and the president annanual report -- an annual report with an expected timeline of bringing amtrak trains and stations into compliance with the act. trains should be fully accessible for all americans of

every ability. and fully compliant with exral law. the a. dmpt a. was passed in is the 90 and established a 20-year time frame for intercity rail stations to be accessible to those with disabilities. as of july, 2023, sadly, amtrak has only brought 30% of the 385 stations it's responsible for into a.d. ampt compliance -- a.d.a. compliance. this is simply unacceptable and creates far too many barriers for everyone of every ability, making this bill necessary. this act is a strong, bipartisan bill that allows congress to have appropriate oversight of amtrak, to ensure it complies with its obligations under the law. the bill is an important step forward that congress can take to address accessibility barriers to travel by rail. i also wish to take this time to acknowledge the co-lead, original co-lead of this bill, the late congressman don payne jr. who, as we know, passed away last month. it was an immense pleasure to work with him and i'd like to

think that the passage of this bill would act as some small honor to him and his legacy for helping individuals with disabilities. mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to support this legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from nevada is recognized. ms. titus: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. titus: thank you. i'm pleased to support the think differently transportation act. it's a bipartisan bill that will advance accessibility on amtrak services. i'm sure my words won't be that eloquent of mr. paip, had -- mro speak on this bill himself. amtrak received $22 billion in the bipartisan infrastructure law to buy new equipment, invest in station accessibility, and make improfits in the backlog of capital projects and operating needs. congress set specific directions for how am track could use --

how amtrak could use its b.i.l. funds. with regard to station accessibility, the b.i.l. states that amtrak funds are to be used to make all the stations amtrak service -- serves accessible. it would require am trook report annually on plans at the more than 500 stations amtrak serves. not just the ones where it has the responsibility to make accessibility a priority under the americans with disabilities act. thanks to the b.i.l., amtrak is investing in new equipment and new stations. we need assurances that these investments will take place and take into account people with disabilities as required by the a.d.a. this bill helps to do just that. i urge all my colleagues to support the think differently transportation act and to think differently about transportation so it is more accessible and i

reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. molinaro: mr. speaker, i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from nevada is recognized. ms. titus: yes, thank you. just in closing, i'd like to say again that i support this bill. i thank the sponsors of it. i wish mr. payne were here to see it pass and i encourage my colleagues to vote in favor. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. molinaro: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank my colleague across the aisle and i too wish representative payne for many reasons would still be here to at least celebrate this important next step. there are far too many barriers in the lives of those living with intellectual, physical and developmental disabilities. they shoulder 70% unemployment rate, access to transportation and the ability to move around as every american would hope to create such enormous barriers to opportunity. this think differently transportation act will help to ensure that amtrak follows the basic expectation that the

a.d.a. sets into law. through regular reporting, to both congress and the president on amtrak's progress, or lack thereof towards a.d.a. compliance for its trains and stations and all those they serve. this bill represents an important step toward improving amtrak service for customers of every ability. and with that, mr. speaker, i urge support of the bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 6248, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. molinaro: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5799. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. i'm sorry. tthe clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5799. a bell do depends -- a bill to

designate the u.s. border patrol in uvalde county, texas, as the james r. do i men guess -- dominguez border patrol checkpoint. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york and the gentlewoman from nevada will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. molinaro: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the record on h.r. 579 9. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. molinaro: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is rozzed. mr. molinaro: i rise had today in support of a bill that honors the service and sacrifice of border patrol agent james r. dominguez. by naming the united states border patrol checkpoint in uvalde county, texas, after him. border patrol agent dominguez served our country for more than 12 years. on july 19, 2012, agent dominguez stopped to clear debris out of the roadway when he was turangicly struck -- whether he was tragically struck and killed by a passing car.

it is fitting that we honor agent dominguez by naming this border patrol checkpoint after him. mr. speaker, i urge support of h.r. 5799 and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from nevada is recognized. ms. titus: thank you. i yield myself such time as i may consume. thank you. i rise in support of h.r. 5799, this bill to designate the checkpoint of the u.s. border patrol located on united states highway 90 west in uvalde county, texas, naming it the james r. dominguez border patrol checkpoint. i thank mr. gonzalez for bringing the bill. in 2012, 41-year-old united states border patrol agent james r. dominguez was struck and killed by a vehicle while assisting a disabled motorist on u.s. 90 near cline, texas. agent dominguez had served with the u.s. border patrol for 12 years. he is survived by his wife and four children. agent dominguez's brother and

father were also members of the border patrol. i support this legislation to rename the border patrol checkpoint located on u.s. highway 90 west in uvalde county, texas, as the james r. dominguez border patrol checkpoint. and i urge all my colleagues to do the same. thank you and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from nevada reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. molinaro: mr. speaker, i now recognize the bill's sponsor, representative tony gonzalez, for five minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from the great state of texas is recognized for five minutes. mr. gonzales: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of my bill, h.r. 5799, the james r. dominguez memorial act, and i want to thank this chamber for bringing this bill to the floor for a vote today. i have the privilege of serving texas 23 and the people of uvalde. i was in uvalde yesterday. it has been a tough couple of years for us in the district. just outside of uvalde is a checkpoint called the uvalde checkpoint station. very soon that checkpoint will be known as the james r.

dominguez checkpoint. as i met with border patrol agents that day, it was nothing but smiles, whether they'd been in for two years or they'd been in for 30 years like agent moreno, it was all smiles and that smile -- they were smiling because they knew that -- they weren't going to be forgotten. when they passed away -- whether they passed away during service, over 12 years ago, they were not going to be forgotten. their families weren't going to be forgotten. in 2012 border patrol agent james dominguez tragically passed away in the line of duty when he was struck by a vehicle along highway 90 in texas. agent do i men guess was a loving -- dominguez was a loving father, husband, friend to all who knew him and a strong man of faith. he dedicated 12 years of his life as a border patrol agent, last serving in the uvalde station in the del rio sector. today is a special day for this chamber. we will move forward tonight on legislation that will honor the memory of border patrol agent james dominguez by renaming the checkpoint in uvalde in his honor. i am proud to have worked very

closely with chief owens and his wife, cassie garcia, as well as the family members of agent dominguez, his brothers and sisters and his wife, to rename this uvalde station and make this memorial possible. agent james dominguez's legacy will live on for generations to come, his service will never be forgotten. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas yields back. the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentlelady from nevada is recognized. ms. titus: thank you, mr. speaker. i'm pleased to support this legislation, as i said, and i encourage my colleagues to do the same. with that, i thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from nevada yields back. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. molinaro: thank you, mr. speaker. in closing i urge support of this bill to honor the service and sacrifice of u.s. border patrol agent james r. dominguez by designating the united states border patrol checkpoint as the james r. dominguez border patrol checkpoint. i thank my colleague, representative mike gonzalez, for his advocacy and with that i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5799. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until approximately

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