mr. speaker. >> mr. speaker, before the election this speaker said he'd lower energy bills by 300 pounds and since he took office they've gone up since 149 and he said he'd protect the fuel payment and he stripped pensioners and set up a lame duck for 1950 women saying he'd have their backs and betrayed them in the most scandalous way. and this is a one trick pony prime minister who says one thing and does another. in scotland, someone else is 16 points ahead of the polls. does he understand? does he understand why the people, especially those of us in scotland treat him with such contempt? >> they used to ask those questions from this sort of area with many m.p.'s not along ago and all changed in july and he's now talking from right up there we can hardly hear him. >> deborah abraham. >> sorry, mr. speaker. i couldn't hear over the hubbub. can i wish you a very merry christmas and all colleagues across the house a very merry christmas and especially the house star. and i associate myself with the remarks

mr. speaker. >> mr. speaker, it is a pleasure to welcome his highness the state of qatar to the uk, but i look forward to discussions this afternoon on how we are strengthening our relationship and boosting strength including a 1 billion-pound investment in our new clean energy partnership >> here here. >> sunday marking world aids day we stand with all of those that we have lost in those living with hiv today and we will seek to end new cases of hiv in england by 2013. mr. speaker, can i also note that we are joined in the gallery today by mandy, mother of emily, a british citizen still being held hostage in gaza i have met mandy a number of times and in my view what she is going through is nothing short of torture. mr. speaker, this morning i had meetings and an admission i should have further such meetings later today. >> mr. speaker, i would like to concur with the comments the prime minister is just made. the hospital is the most remote hospital in mainland england. it's intensive care unit only has

mr. speaker. >> mr. speaker, it is a pleasure to welcome his highness the state of qatar to the uk, but i look forward to discussions this afternoon on how we are strengthening our relationship and boosting strength including a 1 billion-pound investment in our new clean energy partnership >> here here. >> sunday marking world aids day we stand with all of those that we have lost in those living with hiv today and we will seek to end new cases of hiv in england by 2013. mr. speaker, can i also note that we are joined in the gallery today by mandy, mother of emily, a british citizen still being held hostage in gaza i have met mandy a number of times and in my view what she is going through is nothing short of torture. mr. speaker, this morning i had meetings and an admission i should have further such meetings later today. >> mr. speaker, i would like to concur with the comments the prime minister is just made. the hospital is the most remote hospital in mainland england. it's intensive care unit only has

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize vance coleman who recently retired as a mayor after 20 years. in 2024, 20 years ago, vance was approached to run for mayor by citizens who thought his involvement with the school system and his deep affection for medinah made him a great candidate. mr. kustoff: he was elected mayor in 2004 and the population has grown by four times since he became mayor. mayor coleman was instrumental in constructing the new municipal building, updating the city's infrastructure and prioritizing public safety by expanding the police and fire departments. under his leadership, the medinah sports complex opened to better serve the needs of athletes and children. vance coleman made medinah a great place to live and to raise a family. vance's integrity and his commitment to family has been the foundation of his service. he and his wife have been married for over 40 years. and after two decades of dedicated service, medinah is a better place to live, work and raise a famil

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize and express my gratitude to a long time trusted advisor for the pence family. ryan, my chief of staff, has been a part of this team since the very beginning. he counseled my brother, michael, first, working with him in this body and then the governor's office. president trump saw his incredible value, leading to ryan's service in the tr trump-pence administrative office of speechwriting which he helped me in my term here. his future was limitless but to my good fortune, ryan agreed to join my team when i was elected to office. for years he's been my eyes and ears in the district, giving my constituents the support they deserved while i was here in washington. from scheduling to communications to policy, ryan can do it all, but despite his expertise, he's a humble man. he would never ask anyone to do something he isn't willing to do himself. a leader can only be respected to the extent he respects others, and ryan exemplifies this principle. our staff

mr. speaker. i rise today to recognize mr. ernest topness for his distinguished and imfactful career serving both our nation and the people of cedar rapids, iowa. known by many as easterny first joined the united states postal service in 1959 after serving in the u.s. army during the korean war. ernie delivering mail in cedar rapids for 65 years. making connections and building friendships with those on his route. his dedication is is unmatched. when others would sit out on a snow day or call in sick, he was always known to actually show up. at the age of 91 ernie recently retired as the second longest serving mail carrier in the united states. mr. topness, your legacy is one of unwavering dedication and inspiring service. we wish you all the best in your well deserved retirement. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yield back. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york is seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the hous

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. thompson: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to be here to support this bill that we are now debating regarding the national detector dog training center. this training center serves as an important line of defense in safeguarding america's agricultural, natural resources from harmful pests and diseases. the center in georgia trains dogs and their handledders to detect prohibited cultural items like fruits, vegetables, and meats. these dogs and their handlers serve as many of our border entry points to prevent such prohibited items from coming into our country and spreading dangerous pests and animal disease that is would have just devastating impacts on our domestic production. actually impacting our ability to feed ourselves. resulting in food insecurity, which leads to national security. while this bill simply codifies the training center that's been in existence since 1984, i'm glad to seat center received the recognition and prioriti

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. kennedy: mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 8664, the d.h.s. intelligence and analysis oversight and transparency act. h.r. 8664 would require the undersecretary for intelligence and analysis at the department of homeland security to annually audit and report to congress on the information systems and bulk data of the office of intelligence and analysis or i & -- i&a. it would ensure such systems and data are consistent with oversight guidelines. last year, at the request of ranking member thompson, the government accountability office issued a report that found that i&a is not auditing its information systems and bulk data. such audits are necessary to ensure, for example, that information pertaining to u.s. persons that is collected, stored, shared and managed in information systems is protected. the g.a.o. report recommended that the undersecretary identify who is responsible for conducting the audits of information syste

mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from north carolina, ms. manning, for five minutes. ms. manning: mr. speaker, i rise today with deep gratitude for the people of north carolina's sixth congressional district for trusting me to represent them in the u.s. house of representatives. i've been proud to stand with house democrats to pass historic legislation, to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, lower the cost of prescription drugs, strengthen domestic manufacturing, protect our future with the development of clean energy, address gun violence and provide vital support for our veterans. thanks to these efforts, 80,000 households in my district have gained access to affordable, high-speed internet. 39,000 residents are saving hundreds of dollars annually on their prescription drugs. and more than $4,-- 4,700 veterans exposed to toxins during their service have filed claims to access benefits they've earned. i've also been proud to secure nearly $60 million in

mr. speaker. and, mr. speaker, i thank the gentleman and my colleague from rules, mr. scott, for the customary 30 minutes. i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks and yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. leger fernandez: families all across the united states want congress to help lower the cost of living. whether it's a single mom working to put enough food on the table for her kids or an elder who tries to stretch their social security as much as possible, millions of americans also worry about the cost of their utilities. indeed, utility bills are at the heart of our most basic needs. they are some of the highest costs that working families have to think about each month. h.r. 7673, the liberty in laundry act, yes, i know, some chuckle just by hearing the title, but the liberty in laundry act betrays americans' desire for lower costs because it increases utility bills. energy efficient washing machines can save the average family up to $285 over the washing machine's lifetime. republicans would take a

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize the hardworking entrepreneurs of pennsylvania in celebration of small business saturday. small businesses across our nation are the backbone of our economy, and the heart of our communities. now more than ever they need our support. for small business owners or shops are more than just a business, it's an extension of who they are. when you think about the places that give our neighborhoods their unique character, we think about the coffee shop on the corner, the boutique where you find the perfect gift, or the family-owned diner that feels like home. small business saturday is about recognizing the value of our small businesses and showing them the support that they deeply deserve. since its inception in 2010, the total reported u.s. spending on small businesses during small business saturday is an estimated $201 billion. according to data from the small business administration. the s.b.a.'s data for 2023 shows the reported projected spending in the

mr. speaker. the prime minister has consistently backed criminals over law-abiding british people. he defended terrorists. he argued all immigration laws have a racist undercurrent. he voted against life sentences for people smugglers. he voted against more than 100 and measures to control migration. he even said it was wrong. he even said that it was wrong and the conservatives took away someone's citizenship. now he has appointed her defense lawyer as his attorney general. mr. speaker, events in syria means we will see small boat arrivals. will he strip citizenship from jihadi terrorists who want to destroy this country. p.m. starmer: mr. speaker, i was director of public prosecution for five years. unlike anyone on their benches i was prosecuting for five years. i was working for three of those five years with that then home secretary theresa may who commended the work that i did at the end of those five years, i dedicated five meters -- because of my life locking up criminals. it would be easi

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise to recognize the nittany leathernecks' contribute to christmas throughout the commonwealth. the nittany legislate next' detach of the -- leathernecks' detachment is active, retired and former marines. since 1947, the mission of the u.s. marine corps reserve toys for tots has p program has been to collect new toys each year and distribute them as christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community. the nittany leathernecks' detachment coordinates toys for tots for centre county. the detachment works with the centre county adult services office which coordinates with seven centre county food pantries to identify needy children and distribute toys. the nittany leathernecks' campaign annually provides a christmas gift experience to over 9,000 children. mr. speaker, i want to thank the selfless marines for their service to our country and their dedication to uplifting our communities. merry christmas. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore:

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i'm immensely grateful to call debbie lesko not only a colleague but also a genuine friend. she's someone i admire. debbie is one of the kindness and most forgiving people i have ever met in my life. i can attest to that personally because she forgave me in a very big way. she's built a reputation as a rock conservative champion. from her time in the arizona state legislature to her service here within the people's house, she never faltered in her work to protect the values and g god-given freedoms of her constituents and the american people. her friendship and collegiality will be sorely missed as we enter into a new congress. i know that wherever she goes she'll continue to leave a positive indelible mark with her work and passion. god bless you, and may he continue to bless your family as you turn the page and enter a new chapter in your life. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i yield three minutes to another distinguished member of the committee on education and the work force, the gentlewoman from pennsylvania, ms. wild. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from pennsylvania is recognized. ms. wild: thank you. i rise in strong support of the jenna quinn act, a crucial piece of legislation that directly addresses the pervasive issue o. sorry. strike that. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. mr. scott: i reserve. but i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from north carolina is recognized. ms. foxx: thank you, mr. speaker. we have no further speakers on this bill and i am prepared to close if the gentleman from virginia is prepared. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from virginia. mr. scott: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself the balance of the time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. mr. scott: i yield myself the balance of the time. the speaker pro tempor

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, the biden-harris education department has once again failed america's hardworking taxpayers. for three years in a row the education department failed its audit. in other words, the education department has been unable to manage effectively, efficiently or with any sense of accuracy the resources entrusted to it. accuracy, transparency and consistency are critical when it comes to managing finances. the education department has taken a different approach. its student loan data was full of errors and it made up estimates it could not defend to its auditor. bungling and bad budgeting appear to be the education department's blueprint. i can't tell if this is due to janineentness or -- general ineptness or deliberate wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars, but i can tell you it's an embarrassment. the american people deserve better. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from washington seek recognition? without objection, the gentlewoman is rec

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today in strong support of a bill that the house will be voting on this week. h.r. 8753, which directs the u.s. postal service to designate a single unique zip code for certain communities. h.r. 8753 will provide long overdue relief to 45 mostly small towns in 13 states from connecticut to california by fixing a chaotic situation where the residents' zip codes are hopelessly carved up in a hodgepodge that results in lost mail, delayed mail and wrong deliveries. one of the towns included in h.r. 8753's list is the small town of scotland, connecticut, located in the heart of eastern connecticut which i have the great privilege to represent. scotland is the quintessential historic new england small town with a population of 1,576 people. it may be small, but its history is rich. one of the signers of the declaration of independence, samuel huntington, was born in his family's home located in scotland and today it is a significant part of the national history trail which wa

mr. speaker.he prime minister has consistently backed criminals over law-abiding british people. he defended terrorists. he argued all immigration laws have a racist undercurrent. he voted against life sentences for people smugglers. he voted against more than 100 and measures to control migration. he even said it was wrong. he even said that it was wrong and the conservatives took away someone's citizenship. now he has appointed her defense lawyer as his attorney general. mr. speaker, events in syria means we will see small boat arrivals. will he strip citizenship from jihadi terrorists who want to destroy this country. p.m. starmer: mr. speaker, i was director of public prosecution for five years. unlike anyone on their benches i was prosecuting for five years. i was working for three of those five years with that then home secretary theresa may who commended the work that i did at the end of those five years, i dedicated five meters -- because of my life locking up criminals. it would be easier

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i yield two minutes to my very good friend, distinguished gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. meuser. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized for two minutes. mr. meuser: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank my good friend, chairman cole, for his leadership. mr. speaker, i rise in support of the agreement reached between the two houses. the incoming trump white house and the republican-led united states house of representatives. mr. speaker, c.r.'s are not ideal. they are not preferred. but come the new year, we will begin a new era of regular order. as well, i expect we will be working in a concerted manner for the next four years to borrow a phrase, make america great again. as we are all aware, the vacuum of leadership from the current white house has been filled already by the incoming white house. the trump doge team also proved to be consequential, mr. speaker, rooting out unnecessary provisions throughout this government funding process, streamlin

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the life and legacy of shirley chisholm as we mark the 100th anniversary of her birth. november 30, 1924. and as we commemorate her many achievements by posthumously awarding the congressional gold medal. the daughter of immigrants, shirley chisholm represents the american dream realized. born and raised in brooklyn, new york, she would go on to be a trail blazer, a cat -- trailblazer, a catalyst for change and an inspiration for generations after her. in 1968, she would become the first black woman elected to the united states congress and in 1971 was a founding member of the congressional black caucus. in 1972 she became the first black woman to run for a major party's nomination for president. but before forever changing the national political landscape, shirley chisholm sought to change her neighborhood. jumping into local politics in the 1950's. after receiving a bachelor's degree from brooklyn college and a master's in childhood education. from colu

the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. dunn: mr. speaker, i yield -- mr. duncan: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of h.r. 7673, the liberty in laundry act, and i thank congressman ogles for leading on this issue. you know, throughout the 118th congress, the energy and commerce committee has been on the front lines for defending the needs of everyday americans against the radical climate agenda of the biden administration. this administration has prioritized expensive and unreliable energy policies that have diminished the quality of life for our friends and neighbors across the country. these harmful policies have sought to direct the energy we use and even the appliances we buy. we stood on this floor and we've talked about gas stoves, we've tatalked about dishwashers, tald about hvac. in congress we've talked about the push to electrification and the mandates from the u.s. government to americans to tell them what kind of cars they have to drive. not that they want to drive, but cars they have to drive. tod

mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the the gentleman from south carolina seek recognition? mr. wilson: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house, revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. wilson: thank you, mr. speaker. i'm grateful to recognize 2024 army congressional fellow major j.j. jackson for his service to the country and the second district of south carolina. throughout his congressional tenure, j.j. has been a valued team player and working on military and veterans issues, including today the national defense authorization act. as an air defense artillery officer, j.j. has held numerous positions with a distinguished career, including tours in our valiant allies of saudi arabia and jordan. he most recently served the pentagon as a legislative liaison with department of the army. a georgia native, he graduate interested west point where he was a starter for the army football team. w

mr. speaker. i yield myself five minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman recognized. mr. smith: i want to thank chairman ronellers for his outstanding leadership of the committee this year and in past years. he's done a great job setting an example of bipartisan leadership and working this process all the way through to produce the product we have before us today. i also want to thank members of the house committee, pote republicans and democrats and all the staff. we have a very 230e cussed spirit on that committee that says we're not going to focus on partisanship, we're going to focus on getting the job den and getting the bill done. second, i think this process has been really good. we went through the normal process of hearing the bill in committee, all kinds of amendments and debates that lasted a while, we did the same thing in the rules committee, we went to conference and we produced what is an outstanding product in many, many respects and the chairman highlighted some of them. bu

mr. speaker. i rise today to recognize an extraordinary member of my team who joined our office one year ago as a brookings congressional fellow and will sadly be returning to his previous role at the department of defense in the new year. ms. dean: chris, a native of new jersey, which we have forgiven him for, he's now earned title of honorary pennsylvanian. a renaissance man, chris brings his joyful spirit, hardworking dedication, baking skills, leggos and -- lego and corgi dexter to our office, faithfully and tirelessly serving pennsylvania's fourth congressional district. chris took on the foreign affairs committee work for my office during extraordinarily heavy times. he became an integral part of our legislative team right away, meeting with constituents, advocacy organizations, and fellow hill staff. in just under a year, chris has become a de facto foreign policy expert and a valued member of our team. we will miss his calm demeanor and wealth of knowledge, along with his infectious positi

mr. speaker. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman mrs. bice: i was impressed by lauren's patriotism and her initiative, especially given the fact that she's just in middle school. this week we remember one of world war ii's most significant battle, the battle of the bulge. as winston churchill famously said, this is, quote, undoubtedly the greatest american battle of the war. unquote. the battle of the bulge, which occurred in europe, lasted over a month. it is significant because it was the last major german offensive on the western front, ultimately ending in an allied victory. in this defensive stand, the courage and fortitude of the american forces were challenged. but ultimately liberty prevailed. i want to thank lauren for taking the time to write to me and for placing special emphasis on a conflict that affected every american family and spanned the globe. and with that, mr. speaker, i yield. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. mr. thompson: thank you. i rise to

mr. speaker. i rise to recognize a few of my distinguished colleagues on the house committee on agriculture. these colleagues have been invaluable teammates in our fight for america's farmers and ranchers, but they are also colleagues who will be moving on to other adventures next year. first the gentleman from missouri, mark alford, representing the fourth district, a former news anchor and now the host of alford's america radio show, congressman alford is a megaphone for missouri's number one industry, agriculture. i was fortunate enough to visit the missouri state fair with him last year and i know he will continue to be a fighter for america's farmers and ranchers. next congresswoman lawrie sha ocasio-cortez deremer. she crashesly hosted the agriculture committee in her district for one of our farm bilasening sessions which provided us with critical producer input, crucial to drafting of the committee's farm bill. tapped by president trump to serve as the next secretary of labor, i know she wil

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 10515. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. cole: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. cole: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of h.r. 10515, the american relief act of 2025. as the 118th congress draws to a close, it's natural to use these final days to reflect on our work. though we've accomplished much over the last two years, there's more to be done. first and foremost, we need to ensure that the government remains open and operating to provide needed services for americans. it's why i stand before you. with government funding running out, it's our duty to act. when the house appropriations committee began our process of drafting bills for fiscal year 2025, we knew we had work -- to work quickly to pass the -

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i yield two minutes to my very good friend, distinguished gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. meuser. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized for two minutes. mr. meuser: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank my good friend, chairman cole, for his leadership. mr. speaker, i rise in support of the agreement reached between the two houses. the incoming trump white house and the republican-led united states house of representatives. mr. speaker, c.r.'s are not ideal. they are not preferred. but come the new year, we will begin a new era of regular order. as well, i expect we will be working in a concerted manner for the next four years to borrow a phrase, make america great again. as we are all aware, the vacuum of leadership from the current white house has been filled already by the incoming white house. the trump doge team also proved to be consequential, mr. speaker, rooting out unnecessary provisions throughout this government funding process, streamlin

mr. speaker. i seek unanimous consent to address the house for one minute, to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i want to congratulate a very fine young man from tennessee's second district, young jack felton. he's a proud member of the fall 2024 pledge class of the fraternallity where he was recently initiated. mr. burchett: jack graduated from the web school of knoxville where he served as captain of the baseball team and played shortstop. he thinks quickly, he's got steady hands and he works very hard. jack is majoring in agri-business. i know he'll find success wherever his life takes him. i know his parents and they raised him well. he has four sisters, three here and one sweet little girl in heaven. jack has been a life long balls fan and he's the fourth in his family to attend u.t. and he truly bleeds orange, mr. speaker. i have no doubt jack will continue to make his family proud b

mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: you are recognized. mr. burchett: i rise to honor airmen who were lost, lieutenant colonel parker, laurence gabby, captain seymour -- james spearman, captain andrew weber, technical sergeant gauge seymour, technical sergeant josh osborn and senior airman jonah parham. on april 13, 2024, iran launched a value vote of missiles and drones at israel. this marks the -- marked the first time the company struck israel from within iranian territory and ewas the single largest drone attack carried out by any country. they took off and offleaded -- offloaded tens of thousands of gallons of fuel to make sure they remained airborne. 99% of the missiles were intercepted due to the actions of those 11 brave airmen. it's my honor to recognize these 11 airmen and my district's

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i yield to the gentleman from north carolina, a member of the appropriations committee, a good friend and valued colleague, mr. edwards, for five minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from north carolina is recognized for five minutes. mr. edwards: thank you, mr. chairman. thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in strong support of the american relief act. the basis of this bill we all know is a continuing resolution to fund the government, to prevent us from shutting down, until some time into the first quarter. now, i admit, i think we all know a continuing resolution is not the best way to fund our government, nor to be responsible for our taxpayer dollars. we have an appropriations process that should work and to the credit of chairman cole, that did work through the appropriations committee. and i certainly appreciate the chairman's strong leadership in getting us through that. and it's noteworthy that he pointed out, the appropriations committee by itself does not get

mr. speaker. yield myself five minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman recognized. mr. smith: i want to thank chairman ronellers for his outstanding leadership of the committee this year and in past years. he's done a great job setting an example of bipartisan leadership and working this process all the way through to produce the product we have before us today. i also want to thank members of the house committee, pote republicans and democrats and all the staff. we have a very 230e cussed spirit on that committee that says we're not going to focus on partisanship, we're going to focus on getting the job den and getting the bill done. second, i think this process has been really good. we went through the normal process of hearing the bill in committee, all kinds of amendments and debates that lasted a while, we did the same thing in the rules committee, we went to conference and we produced what is an outstanding product in many, many respects and the chairman highlighted some of them. but

mr. speaker. mr. thompson: i rise to recognize special education day. it's more than academics but opening doors and tearing down barriers and empowering every child to reach their fullest potential. it's about recognizing their differences and strengths and the diversity in learning that enriches us all. in the 1970's, congress made a commitment to provide a free and appropriate education to students with disabilities. through the individuals with disabilities education act, we made strides in inclusion in education. and while we've made tremendous progress, more work remains to be done. congress promised to cover 40% of the extra costs of special education but we've never come close to fulfilling that promise. in fact, the current funding remains 14% of the targeted amount. this means our students in school suffer. and students with disabilities will not be able to succeed, not without the appropriate high quality services that they deserve. for many years, i've been proud to help introduce the i

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i yield to the gentleman from north carolina, a member of the appropriations committee, a good friend and valued colleague, mr. edwards, for five minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from north carolina is recognized for five minutes. mr. edwards: thank you, mr. chairman. thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in strong support of the american relief act. the basis of this bill we all know is a continuing resolution to fund the government, to prevent us from shutting down, until some time into the first quarter. now, i admit, i think we all know a continuing resolution is not the best way to fund our government, nor to be responsible for our taxpayer dollars. we have an appropriations process that should work and to the credit of chairman cole, that did work through the appropriations committee. and i certainly appreciate the chairman's strong leadership in getting us through that. and it's noteworthy that he pointed out, the appropriations committee by itself does not get

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i yield two minutes to my very good friend, distinguished gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. meuser. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized for two minutes. mr. meuser: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank my good friend, chairman cole, for his leadership. mr. speaker, i rise in support of the agreement reached between the two houses. the incoming trump white house and the republican-led united states house of representatives. mr. speaker, c.r.'s are not ideal. they are not preferred. but come the new year, we will begin a new era of regular order. as well, i expect we will be working in a concerted manner for the next four years to borrow a phrase, make america great again. as we are all aware, the vacuum of leadership from the current white house has been filled already by the incoming white house. the trump doge team also proved to be consequential, mr. speaker, rooting out unnecessary provisions throughout this government funding process, strea