happen? congressman? guest: i did not understand the question. host: he did not think the holocaust occurred. guest: i would suggest there are many books on the topic, including people who participated in it. maybe that will educate your listener a little bit more. host: appreciate that from the congressman. appreciate your time this morning, joining us from the office building. always good to hear from you. thanks so much for your time. that is going to do it for us this morning on the washington journal. i want to keep you updated on a few things going on. the senate has a hearing on c-span two. the house coming in and just a minute or so. we will show you that live, gavel-to-gavel, here on c-span. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2024]

[captioning made possible by th, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.] the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the chair lays before the house a communication from the speaker. the clerk: the speaker's rooms. washington, d.c. may 1, 2024. i hereby appoint the honorable erin h houchin to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. signed, mike johnson, speaker of the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the order of the house of january 9, 2024, the chair will now recognize members

from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning hour debate. the chair will alternate recognition between the parties with time equally allocated between the parties and each member other than the majority and minority leaders and the nye mortgage whip -- minority whip limited to five minutes. but in no van shall debate -- no event shall debate continue beyond 11:50 a.m. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from california for five minutes. mr. valadao: madam speaker, california's in its second consecutive wet year. every major reservoir in our state is above a 15-year average and our snow pack in the sierras is at more than 100% of average for this time of year. these conditions should mean that our farmers and communities are finally getting the water deliveries that they desperately need after years of drought.

sadly, that's not the case. central valley project contractors rely on meaningful allocations from the bureau of reclamation for their yearly planning, including the type of crops they'll plant and when. despite these favorable conditions, our south of delta farmers were still not allocated 100% of the water they contract and pay for from this year -- for this year from reclamation. in february, our south of delta farmers were allocated just 15% of their contracted supply. in march, these numbers were updated to 35%. just last week these allocations were bumped to 40%, a mere 5% increase with no real explanation or transparency on the decision making process. a 5% increase is insufficient for our family farms and drown stream communities who rely on -- down stream communities who rely on these to grow the food that feeds the world. california grows a quarter of our nation's food so these allocations are critical to the

fate of our nation's food supply. i urge reclamation to significantly increase the allocations for south of delta water contractors so our communities can meet the nation's food supply needs. food security is national security and our ability to grow food for the nation will not survive without reliable water supply for south of delta agriculture. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair now recognizes the gentleman from north carolina, mr. davis, for five minutes. mr. davis: madam speaker, it breaks my heart to share that something just doesn't seem quite right speaking without first hearing the voice of the gentleman from new jersey, the honorable donald milford payne

jr. no matter how soon you would come to do a one-minute speech, donald payne was always first. i never figured out how he somehow beat everyone to the chamber all the time. no matter how many one-minute speeches the rest of us did, donald would always do more. one time our friend, mr. joe neguse from colorado, suggested that i had done more one-minutes than mr. payne. why did he do that? donald quickly corrected him. the name donald means ruler or king. indeed, donald was the one-minute king. many days we sat together, he would review his notes, going over what he was going to say, waiting to hear those words, for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition recognition?

donald would then gently walk to the podium with his ipad in hand. although he mostly said what he needed to in one minute, occasionally getting the gavel, madam speaker, i must use a five-minute time period today because one minute would not do mr. payne justice. donald was not only a styling and colorful individual, but he also brightened the house with his presence. he brightened us with his bow ties, he brightened us with his glasses. he brightened us even with his matching socks. he brightened us by using his voice as an instrument to speak up for the people of new england's 10th -- new england's 10th congressional -- new jersey's 10th congressional district. that's why he consistently received the john r. lewis award for his advocacy as captured right here. look at him.

he's happy, he's at peace, he's living the dream. he's on cloud nine. he's at peace. we also had a special connection because there are a fair number of people living in new jersey who are actually from north carolina. we had many memorable conversations about mutual friends between votes, while sitting in the first and second seat, waiting for one-minutes. new jersey, pleas -- please know that north carolina stands with you. donald payne was an encourager. and his last words to me were, you're a good plan and i want to help you. he said, take care and i'll see you soon. and little did i know that that would be our last conversation. his life and legacy deeply inspired all of us and i will always cherish the moments we

spent together. donald's father, he served in the people's house for about 35 years. and we're deeply grateful for their service. when his father passed, donald assumed office, he once said, i'm following a legacy and i'm not backing away from that. he didn't back away from that. he continued his father's legacy, he continued to set a legacy for his three children and children across the country. and he continued the legacy by making america better. my heart goes out to his wife, beatrice, and the payne family. and i extend to you my deecht condolences -- my deepest condolences. and to new jersey's 10th congressional district. the flowers that now rest in the seat donald often occupied reflect his inner beauty and radiance. madam speaker, donald's last

floor speech, interestingly, was on housing, out of all issues. what a way to end. what a way to remind us all that there is a house of many mansions. donald, thank you for showing us humility, showing us neatness, showing us kindness, brightening this institution and using your voice to advocate for the american people. farewell, my friend. and, yes, i look forward to seeing you soon. you will always be remembered and we miss you dearly. i end today with the last words donald payne spoke and shared on the floor on march 22. he ended his final one-minute speech this way. and with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee,

mr. kustoff, for five minutes. mr. kustoff: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to pay tribute to a west tennessee native and a true american patriot, the 73rd adjutant general of tennessee, jackie daniel "dan" wood. major general dan wood passed away peacefully at his home in tennessee on april 12. dan, as he was known, was born on maple street in lexington, tennessee. he attended lexington city school and lexington high school where he enjoyed playing basketball. in 1961 dan wood answered the call to serve our nation and enlisted in the united states army. and then shortly thereafter, he deployed to vietnam and bravely answered his call to duty.

upon his return home, dan enlisted in the tennessee army national guard. he completed officer candidate school at the tennessee military academy and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1966. general wood went on to serve as commander of the fourth battalion, the 117th infantry, the 30th separate armored brigade and then in 1995 dan wood was named as adjutant general by my friend and a former member of the house of representatives, the late governor don sunclift. general wood held this position until his retirement in july of 2022. he oversaw numerous deployments of soldiers and airmen overseas. he ushered the national guard into the 21st century. and he coordinated the tennessee national guard's response to the

september 11 terrorist attacks. neral dan wood served in the military for more than 40 years and is a proud fourth generation citizen of henderson county and a fifth generation tennessean. we mourn a son of tennessee but we also celebrate a true american hero. our thoughts and prayers remain with his wife of 62 years, janice, his son, stewart, his daughter, amy, and three grandchildren. dan wood taught us all what it means to serve your country and to dedicate your life to preserving freedom for generations of americans. we truly miss him. and with that, mr. saker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the chair recognizes e gentlewoman from alabama, ms. sewell, for five minutes.

ms. sewell: mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the extraordinary career and achievements of lieutenant general a.c roper. the first african-american three star geral in the u.s. army reserve. as he celebrates his retirement from 41 years of service in the united states army. lieutenant general roper's extraordinary career began after he was commissioned in 1983 as a student at the university of alabama at birmingham. he has an ex tensive military -- an ex tensive military education and -- an ex tensive military ed -- extensive military education. throughout his exemplary career, lieutenant general roper moved quickly up the ranks and broke down barriers for african-americans serving in the armed forces. on may 14, 2021, he made history

as the first african-american to become a three-star general in the u.s. army reserve. most recently, he served as deputy commander of the u.s. northern command and vice commander of the u.s. element f north american aerospace defense command at peterson air force base in colorado. he has received numerous awards and decorations. i got to know lieutenant general roper during his time as the chief of police for birmingham police department. i was immediately impressed by his firm, yet compassionate, leadership style that commanded the respect of his fellow officers and endeared him to the birmingham community. lieutenant general roper's reputation has always been one of great purpose and great passion. he's an honorable man guided by an abiding faith in god and a love of country. on behalf of a grateful nation,

i ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the retirement of lieutenant general a.c. roper after 33 years in law enforcement and 41 years of military service. mr. speaker, i rise to honor the award-winning small business owners in alabama's seventh congressional district. as we celebrate this week, national small business week. ms. jackie smith is a proud owner and operator of a coffee shop in reflections in our hometown of selma, alabama. after leaving her job in 2011, jackie bravely took on the risk of opening up her own small business, turning the site that once was a segregated diner into a beautiful coffee shop in the heart of downtown selma. for 13 years, the coffee shop has provided a place for community to come together, learn about selma's history and

eat some great food. like any business owner, jackie has had her fair share of hardships. after the tornado of january 12, 2023, we saw her resilience and thanks to an investment by the s.b.a., she was able to open her doors and continue the coffee shop's great legacy. and in fact she opened up another business, reflections. this week her extraordinary entrepreneurship earned her the national recognition as a small business administration's 2024 phoenix award winner for outstanding disaster recovery efforts. we congratulate her on her outstanding achievements. today we also recognize s.b.a.'s 2024 small business persons of the year in alabama. ... that was sana'a, timothy, and robert of transformation partner's llc in tuscaloosa,

alabama. beginning in the year 2000 as a statewide training provider, her firm has grown tremendously over the past two decades. today they serve numerous clients in the field of higher education, government, military, corporate america covering consulting services and employee development programming. transformation partners was hit hard by covid-19 pandemic but once again thanks to the assistance of the s.b.a. the firm remained operational and weathered the storm. now the efforts have earned them national recognition of s.b.a.'s 2024 national small businesspersons of the year for alabama. i ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the outstanding entrepreneurship in alabama's seventh congressional district. congratulations to all of our winners. we wish you much success in the years ahead. thank you. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee, mr. rose, for five minutes.

mr. rose: mr. speaker, i rise to honor the incredible life of rebecca dawn foster. rebecca was many things to many people. a beloved daughter, sister, w wife, mother, and most recently grandmother. above all else, rebecca was an amazing human being and devoted christian who did everything to serve others and leave this world better than she found it. rebecca was my friend. rebecca was born on september 30, 1968 to wesley and fay neal, a native of tennessee, she graduated from clerk range high school where she competed on the 1983, 1984, and 1985 girls basketball state championship

teams. and she would tell you if she was here they came that close to winning again in 1986. memories of those wins spark joy throughout her entire life. rebecca earned a bachelor of science in nursing and later a master of science in nursing info mattics from tennessee technological university. she had a distinguished 29-year career in health care. most recently in the role of chief nursing officer for cumberland medical center. in 2019 she graciously agreed to take on a new occupation, focused on constituent care rather than patient care as my district director for tennessee's sixth congressional district. her dedication to service lives on through her family. rebecca took enormous pride in her husband who serves as mayor of cumberland county, tennessee. her daughter, brook, who

followed in her footsteps in nursing, and her son, who is a sworn police officer for the city of crossfield. she's also survived by her beloved granddaughter, aca write, rebecca took such joy from being with her. she is survived by parents wesley and fay neal. sister sharon reagan, mother-in-law and son-in-law. rebecca had a lifelong passion for singing. she served as music director at oak hill baptist church for nearly 15 years n fact, the sunday before her passing rebecca was on stage with her daughter singing her heart out and worshiping the lord with the help of the pulpit to keep her balance. there are simply few among us as special as rebecca dawn foster. she was first diagnosed with cancer in 2023.

during the difficult period that followed, many around her were fearful, but she chose to be faithful. despite the intense treatments, she underwent and sometimes painful side effects that she endured, she continued to work as she was able and did so with the smile -- with a smile on her face. if you talked to rebecca any time since last july, you were much more likely to find her smiling and showing pictures of her gracious precious little granddaughter than talking about her health battle. her optimism lulled many of us into believing that there was many years ahead that we would get to enjoy our relationships with rebecca. the day before her passing, rebecca shared a page from her prayer devotional on social media. it was titled, unafraid. and based on the book of hebrew, chapter 13, versus five and six, which reads in part, i will never leave you.

i will always be by your side. rebecca never questioned the presence of the lord. she lived a full life as a result. she knew god's plan for her was not to live in fear but to live in faith and to love others while she was here. rebecca knew each day and the good things in it are blessings from the lord above. she kept cheerful faith throughout her painful health struggle. last week she went home to have and received her eternal reward. glory be to god for rebecca foster who came into our lives and with her talents and vivacious spirit, left us forever changed for the better. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from michigan, ms. slotkin, for five minutes. ms. slotkin: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to do what i hope is part of the responsibility of a member of congress which is to

flag and alert for future threats that are just around the corner. for me that threat is the potential for thousands of chinese electric vehicles and connected vehicles coming into the u.s. marketplace. i'm a former c.i.a. officer and pentagon official, and i want to flag that the prospect of thousands of chinese made connected vehicles coming into the country would give them a huge amendment of data, high fidelity data, on things like u.s. military bases, key infrastructure facilities like bridges and electric grid nodes. secretive locations, individual leaders, even. all while china refuses to give reciprocity on that same exact data for american companies operating in china. they know exactly how sensitive the data is that can be collected off of electric and

connected vehicles. here's the story. if you think this is fantasy, in 2021 for the first time a chinese connected vehicle was sold in the european union. not that long ago. post covid. already they have nearly 25% of market share in the european union. these vehicles are much nicer than they used to be. they are underselling every single vehicle on the market there because they are subsidized by the chinese government. i had the opportunity to raise this issue as a national security threat with the secretary of defense and the secretary of the army in the past couple weeks. i wanted to ask them specifically if they think as in their national security capacity that mapping, radar, cameras, light detection, bluetooth connected software would be a threat on our facilities here and having that kinds of volumes of data. the secretary of defense could not have made it more clear that this would give a potential

adversary extremely detailed information for targeting, for counteracting some of our infrastructure, for going after even individual leaders. and now we are an open market society. what is happening right now is these chinese companies are getting very interested in opening facilities in mexico and using the u.s. mca or what people commonly refer to as nafta to easily come over our border. we don't have a process in place right now to vet with the national security lens these imports that are coming in. i have a real problem with that. i think we need to get better at understanding that the future of threats is not necessarily just tanks and fixed wing airplanes and all those traditional things. it's data and who controls it. and for me this is an issue that i want to alert not just because i'm a michigander and we make american vehicles in michigan, but as a national security professional. with that, mr. speaker, i yield

back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from indiana, mrs. houchin, for five minutes. mrs. houchin: i rise today to extend my concongratulations to the scotsburg warriors basketball team for their remarkable achievement in winning their first ever class 2-a state championship this year in indiana. i'm so proud of my hometown team having watched the warriorettes receive the state championship trophy growing up in scotsburg in 1989. this victory was extra special. their hard work has paid off through every practice, game these young athletes demonstrated the true spirit of teamwork and excellence. their victory not only brings pride to the scotsburg community, but the academic achievement and leadership of these talented young men serves as an inspiration to aspiring athletes across the state. i commend the coaches, staff, and supporters who have cheered on the players throughout their journey to success. congratulations again to my

hometown team. mr. speaker, i rise today to extend congratulations to the lanesville high school girls basketball team on their incredible achievement, winning the state championship for a second consecutive year. their dedication, teamwork, and determination have propelled them to the pinnacle of success, making their community and school both very proud. this team's journey is a testament to the power of hard work and perseverance. as they celebrate this historic victory, let us recognize the countless hours of practice, the sacrifices made, and the resilience shown by each member of the team. their win not only brings honor to lanesville high school, but their hometown. on behalf of the entire ninth district i congratulate the lanesville girls basketball team for their outstanding achievement and wish them continued success in all their future endeavors. mr. speaker, i rise today to congratulate the brownstown

braves boys basket team for their outstanding victory in winning the class 3-a state championship this year. their successful season is a testament to their hard work and exceptionallantent. the browns town community is undoubtedly beaming with pride for this achievement. what an exciting time to be part of indiana basketball. especially southern indiana basketball. i commend the coaches, staff, and supporters who provided guidance and unwavering support to these young men. the braves basketball team i want to congratulate you once more. this is a victory you will never forget. may you continue to strive for greatness in all your future endeavors. thank you, vehicle, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from -- thank you, mr. speaker, yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from michigan, ms. tlaib, for five minutes. ms. tlaib: i'm deeply concerned about the escalating oppression of first amendment protected speech and assembly on college campuses across our country. to all the elected university boards and appointed presidents, it needs to be very clear your

students' constitutional rights doesn't end when they enter your campus grounds. mr. speaker, i'd like to submit for the record the statements from the aclu and from ben the arc. the aclu state, mr. speaker, says, quote, as you fashion responses to the activism of your students and faculty and staff, it is essential that you not sacrifice principles of academic freedom and free speech that are a core to our educational commission of your respected institutions. from ben the arc statement, protests, quote protest is essential to our movement work. it must be protected. we firmly stand against anti-semitism being used as an excuse to threaten free speech and criticism of university and u.s. policy. to be clear, criticism of american policy towards israel is not inherently anti-semitic, end of quote. mr. speaker, this is a

fundamental american value. from the civil rights movement to anti-war protests to the movement for black lives immigrant rights, our country has a long history of student leading movements for change and challenging the status quo that oppresses and normalizes genocides across the world. i am deeply moved by the courageous young people in more than 100 encampments at colleges across our nation that are demanding divestment in support of a genocide of gaza and apartheid government of israel. i had the opportunity, mr. speaker, to visit encamp at the university of michigan that has public programming, they put it online for families on various issues. the day i went they were recognizes the anniversary of the armenian genocide. and having someone also speak about the connecteddivity -- connectivity to the palestinian neck about. it was inspiring to see these brave students across races, all faiths and backgrounds, standing side by side in solidarity to

protest for peace. from prayer to shabbat, they are coming together in a way i wish my colleagues would welcome. sending in mil millized -- militarized police officers and snipers to stop thinks students from expressing their first amendment right. my colleagues are so outrage by students opposing genocide and apartheid, many of these same members were completely silent last year when we saw the dramatic increase of threats, literally death threats, on historical black colleges and universities across the country. .. these prosecutions of students can only be seen as explicit efforts to silence students and take away their first amendment rights. no student, mr. speaker, not one should be met with academic repercussions or policy brutality on their own campuses for exercising peacefully their right to free speech and

assembly. why is it, mr. speaker, that my colleagues and every headline from mainstream media is more concerned and outraged by these protests than they are about the over 35,000 palestinians killed in gaza? 07% of them -- 70% of them are women and children. there are no universities left in gaza. no outrage. multiple mass graves have been uncovered as several -- at several locations that israeli forces have recently drawn from. 200 bodies found at a hospital, literally fresh bodies found with their hands tied behind their backs naked. where's the outrage for these war crimes? and this is not just me. this is the united nations high commissioner for human rights. our government isn't just complicit to this genocide, we're actively participating. students are occupying their campuses to peacefully protest for an end to these atrocities

and divestment in this genocide and apartheid. they're even renaming some of the buildings after palestinian children that have been killed. these students should be praised for standing up for what they believe in, not vilified, smeared with misinformation campaigns and silence. i call on these universities to end the repressive tactics, to precise restraint -- exercise restraint, to stop suppressing the very activism, academic freedom and thoughtful debate that they seek to inspire in their students. mr. speaker, we don't want to see an apology years later. no. we want to see action today to protect these students. we don't want to have you all in 10 years praise the same students for doing what was right years later. we don't want to see that. we need it now. they deserve it now. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. ms. tlaib: thank you. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. the gentlewoman yields. the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia, mr. carter for five --

mr. carter, for five minutes. mr. carter: mr. speaker, i rise today, sadly, to honor the life of one of my dear friends and a friend to many, many in the first congressional district and all throughout southeast georgia, milton h. "w "woody" woodside. he was a resident of glen county 1973. he was born in clinton, north carolina, during his early adulthood he graduated from the military college of south carolina, or better known as the sid dell in chaferls -- citadel in charleston south carolina. he was so proud of the citadel. he had many friends that he always visited with and he kept in touch with from the citadel. he always talked about his

experiences at the citadel. luckily for us he moved down to the coast of georgia where he served as president to the brunswick golden chamber of commerce from 1985 until his retirement in 2019. he served 23 combined years in the u.s. army and the georgia army national guard. he also served on the congressional staffs of former representatives ginn and thomas. woody brought this valuable insight back to our home district where he served as past president of the southeast georgia chambers and developers council and he was chairman of the gedo region 11 of the governor's development council. he was involved in countless other organizations, including serving on the boards of the southeast georgia health system, the board of the georgia chamber of commerce executives association. for his work, the georgia association of chamber of commerce executives awarded woody with the well-earned kent

lawrence professional of the year award in 2000. in addition to receiving countless other awards, one stood out, wrapping up all his achievements into one. for nine consecutive years, the georgia trend magazine named woody a notable georgian. woody is right accredited with also being recognized as glen county's best friend. for his hard work in serving the community, his instruction and oversight were critical for construction of the sydneyly near bridge and the establishment of the federal law enforcement training center that's located in glen he could, georgia -- glenco, georgia. he was also instrumental in major economic development projects in the community, including the brunswick harbor deepening gulf streement and he -- stream and he contributed significantly to the growth and success of our region's tourism industry. without a doubt, woody's actions were noticed and appreciated by others throughout the community.

he was that great guy. touching countless lives and always willing to lend a helping hand. he wasn't one to just talk about a problem. he was the kind of guy who found solutions. mr. speaker, speaking for the entire community, his contributions and his community leadership will forever be remembered. i'd like to extend my condolences to his family, ellen, and to his daughter. the positive light that woody brought will forever be cherished. i'm so blessed to have called him one of my best friends. mr. speaker, in our lives there are people and places we remember. i will always remember woody woodside. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields.

the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. correa, for five minutes. mr. correa: thank you, mr. speaker. yesterday marked black april, the day to reflect on the fall of saigon, and the end to democracy in vietnam. it's been over 49 years since we fought shoulder to shoulder with our vietnamese allies for freedom and democracy. and after the fall of saigon, refugees were forced to flee their homes with what they could carry. and it's important to recognize the resiliency and strength of the vietnamese people. i grew up with many vietnamese americans who came to this country and to orange county for a better life. and today orange county is proud to be the house of the biggest vietnamese american concentration in the united states.

i join my community back home in honoring the sacrifices of our vietnamese allies and our own service members who fought for freedom, democracy and opportunity in vietnam. mr. speaker, i yield. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes mr. cline for five minutes. mr. cline: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to congratulate the james madison brass band on their historic acheebment at the north american brass band championships held in huntsville, alabama, on april 6. under the leadership of conductor professor kevin see its, the -- stees, the brass band marked a monumental milestone in the band's 24-year history. their victory is a testament to the talent and hard work of the students and their conductor. competing against seven other top-tier bands, the brass band

emerged victorious, marking the first time a collegiate band has claimed the highest division of the competition. this accomplishment adds to the band's remarkable record at north american brass band championships, including 14 podium finishes, underscoring their consistent excellence and resilience. moreover, professor stees' outstanding leadership has not only brought glory to j.m.u. but secured him a distinguished place in the brand band association history as only the second conductor to win in two different sections in the same year. mr. speaker, i extend my congratulations to the j.m.u. brass band, professor kevin stees and the entire community on this remarkable achievement. mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the broadway lions club which is celebrating their 70th anniversary this year. the broadway lions club received their charter in 1954 by 20 men in broadway, all thanks to the spongesser shn of the mount -- sponsorship of the mount jackson lions club. although there's been much

change over the last 70 years, their mission of serving the community has remained the same with 40 active members from the broadway community, the lions club's primary focus is on sight and hearing needs for those in the community and assisting food programs in schools for students in need. mr. speaker, as a fellow lion, i wish to thank all members of service organizations like the broadway lions club for their outstanding work to make a difference in our community. congratulations to the broadway lions club for their 70 years of service to our community, we look forward to their continued contributions and success for many years to come. mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the rockingham county baseball league's 100th anniversary. one of the oldest continuous baseball leagues in the county, the rock are -- in the country, the rockingham county baseball league was founded in june of 1924 after j.r. polly lineweaver who was a sports writer spearheaded efforts. at the beginning, seven communities joined the league, including bridgewater, brier

branch, broadway, dayton, keiseltown, lynnville, eden and spring creek, and played their first games on june 28, 1924. by 1938 the league began playingity own championship series each season. while teams have come and gone throughout the years, this league is made up of eight teams today. the bridgewater reds, broadway bruins, clover hill bucks, elkton blue socks, coast guards, montezuma braves, shockers and diamondbacks. as the league's 100th season begins on may 31, i'm proud to honor the baseball league. i ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the league for reaching this milestone and wish the league continued success for years to come. mr. speaker, as we mark national small business week, it's crucial to confront the stark reality facing america's entrepreneurs under the biden administration. the administration has imposed regulatory burdens that have escalated to an unprecedented scale with the cost of federal regulations soaring to $1.3 trillion. the small business community is now saddled with over $267

million man hours of compliance paperwork, a stark comparison to the regulatory landscape under the trump administration where regulatory costs were over 45 times lower. the economic climate continues to pose significant challenges with persistent inflation undermining any optimism for relief. despite expectations, interest rate cuts remain a distant hope forcing small businesses to halt expansion and investment plans. inflation rates have not only been consistently higher than anticipated, but have seen recent upward revisions. additionally, the first quarter g.d.p. report revealed a disheartening 1.6% growth rate, falling short. the slowdown in consumer spend something further compound bade 3.4% increase in the personal consumption ex extend you are -- expenditures price index. these figures underscore the dire circumstances confronting small businesses, the current administration's relentless regulatory assault, coupled with severe economic headwinds is not only risking the survival of small billses but is --

businesses but is indicktific of the broader disregard for the backbone of our economy. we must pivot toward policies that alleviate these pressures. our commitment must rely in fostering the prosperity of small businesses which are integ rat to -- integral to the nation's economic vitality. the time for action is now. we owe it to america's entrepreneurs to implement measures that help rather than hinder their potential. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the chair recognizes the gentleman from oregon, mr. blumenauer, for five minutes. mr. blumenauer: thank you, mr. speaker. the biden administration announced the long-awaited rescheduling of cannabis from schedule one to schedule three. this reschedule eliminates the vestige of the failed war on drugs started by the nixon administration. krar to science, -- contrary to science, it was used for political purposes against black

americans, young americans. a schedule one controlled substance, wiccan business has been -- which cannabis has been for over 50 years, is one that has no medicinal value and is highly addictive. at the time the nixon administration made that determination, they knew that that was false. it is not highly addictive and it has in fact medicinal purposes. that has been demonstrated by vote after vote after vote by americans across the country that recognize that medical cannabis has tremendous therapeutic features. i could not be more excited or optimistic that we are finally on the home stretch to end the failed and misguided war on drugs. this action by the biden administration ties together many of our initiatives from

justice to research, to tax fairness, and charts the path for more progress sooner. one of the overhauls here is the prohibition of state legal cannabis businesses from banking services. every day in the united states there are people with shopping bags full of $20 bills that are used to pay their state taxes. think of it. it's outrageous. it has made these state-legal cannabis businesses sitting ducks for robbery and it severely handicaps their ability toork in a constructive fashion. ... furthermore, what's going to happen with this rescheduling, it is finally going to allow state legal cannabis businesses

to fully deduct their business expenses. right nowue to a provision knn as 280 of the tax code, these businesses are prohibited from deducting legitimate business expenses. as aesult, state legal cannabis businesses pay two, three, maybe four times more than a comparable noncannabis business. it's outrageous. it poses serious problems in terms of their profitability and being able to thrive. these decisions are going to raise the profile ofn issue very iortant to some of us but which has never gained the attention it deserves or the momentum that it demands. we made some pgress here in the house. we have passed safe banking seven times with an overwhelming bipartisan support, but it never could quite get across the finish line. this rescheduling by the biden

administration is going to hp us change that. it's going to help the almost half of a million people who work in the industry, the $40 billion a year of economic activity. eliminate the injustice, and perhaps most of all it will usher in a new era of protections because right now somebody who buys their marijuana from a corner drug dealer in a park, that person has no license to lose. it doesn't check for i.d. treating marijuana in a thoughtful fashion is going to help us solve the racial injustice that has been evidenced against black, against young people. it's going to be able to open up a whole array of cannabis products that will make a big difference in communities across the country. today's decision changes all of

that. and there is no going back. and in this troubled congress it will also pave the path for building on our bipartisan cannabis caucus. an example where people can come together to work on something that can unite us rather than divide us. and the rescheduling of cannabis is an important step in that direction. and will have profound impacts from coast-to-coast. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the chair recognizes the gentleman from arizona, mr. ciscomani, for five minutes. mr. ciscomani: mr. speaker, i rise today to honor u.s. army veteran and former pima county superviseor, my friend, mr. paul marsh, for his service to our country, advocacy for his fellow veterans, and contributions to southern arizona.

his services -- service in different capacities throughout the years has left a mark on our communities forever. paul's journey began when he enlisted in the u.s. army in 1952, bravely serving in the medical corps during the korean war until his honorable discharge in 1954. his commitment to his country did not end there. it continued throughout his life as he has tirelessly advocated for veterans arights and support services, specifically those which address chronic homelessness among our veterans. his compassion and dedication to improving the lives of his fellow veterans knows no boundaries. as a founding member of the veterans memorial foundation, paul spent 10 years advocating for a final resting place for our nation's heroes in tucson. he understood the importance of having a central location for family members to visit their loved ones and started the arizona veterans memorial

cementtary. despite facing challenges along the way, the cemetery broke down in 2014. thanks in large part to paul. a few short years later i reconnected with paul while i was with the state of arizona and the cemetery needed signage on the i-10. paul was determined to see it happened. i'm proud to have played a very small part in that in his ensuring there was visibility for the arizona veterans memorial cemetery. i am grateful to paul for his own service, his continued advocacy, and unwavering dedication to his fellow veterans. paul, your work will forever inspire us to strive for a better world for all who have served our country. mr. speaker, i rise today to remember the life of jacob. one of arizona's brave first

responders who tragically patched away on july 29, 2021. at just 20 years old, jacob lost his life while serving our community so bravely in tucson. he was a graduate of c.d.o. high school in 2019 and earned his e.m.t. certificate in may, 2020 from pima community college. jacob's dedication to community service shined bright during his time as an e.m.t. for american medical response. he had hoped to follow in his footsteps of his firefighter brother, committed to helping others in the time of need. he's remembered in the community as a loyal, kind, and selfless friend. he remains a true hero in the hearts of our tucson community. i recently met jacob's parents, jim and can run, at an event -- karine, it's clear they are carrying on his legacy of service and sacrifice. we will never forget jacob's

sacrifice. where the ultimate sacrifice of other first responders. his death is a reminder that our first responders risk their lives every time they put on the uniform. we extend our gratitude for his dedicated service and are eternally thankful for his contributions. mr. speaker, i rise today to remember the life of lieutenant commander lou conter, last survivor of the u.s.s. arizona during the attacks on pearl harbor. at 102, he passed away in his home in grass valley, california, surrounded by his family on april 1, 2024. he enlisted at the age of 18 and just two short years later was at the center of pearl harbor attacks on december 7, 1941. then quarter master lou was on the deck when the ship was hit. ultimately 1,177 of his

shipmates from the u.s.s. arizona perished that day. he went on to serve 27 years in the navy, rising to the ranks of lieutenant commander. spent his life keeping the memories of pearl harbor alive. educating others and even doing interviews up until he was 100 years old. lieutenant commander conter was committed to helping others in times of need and truly loved make ago difference in his community. he leaves behind a daughter, three sons. stepsons -- son and several grandchildren and great grandchildren. we will never forget his sacrifice or the sacrifice of his fellow sailors on the u.s.s. arizona. we extend our gratitude for his dedicated service and are eternally thankful for his contributions. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. ciscomani: with that i yield. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from connecticut, mr. larson,

for five minutes. mr. larson: thank you, speaker molinaro. great -to be here this morning. i rise to discuss the issue, ongoing issue of social security. as you know, mr. speaker, more than 70 million americans rely on social security. and social security is the nation's number one anti-poverty program for the elderly and the number one anti-poverty program for children. it also, mr. speaker, is the number one program with regard to disability. and more veterans rely on social security disability than they do on the v.a. mr. speaker, i know that speaker houchin was in the chair before and part of our rising to social security is to make people aware

in their districts -- districts of how many retirees they actually have. for example, in new york's 19th you have 173,667 recipients. more than $300 million comes into the 17th district in new york. monthly. for those recipients. 130,000 of which are retirees. 20,000 disabled workers. 8,900 widows. 4,247 spouses, and almost 10,000 children. but what's astounding, mr. speaker, is that congress has done nothing. in fact, what will shock the

public is that congress has not extended the benefits of social security in more than 50 years. richard nixon was president of the united states when congress last acted. imagine, 10,000 baby boomers a day become eligible for social security. and yet congress has done nothing. more than 70 million americans rely on social security. again, the nation's number one anti-poverty program for the elderly, and the number one anti-poverty program for children. congress continues not to do what our constituents send us here to do. vote.

president biden has put out a plan. we have put out a plan called social security 2100. that's detailed and paid for. this might also surprise you, too, mr. speaker, as i know it does many citizens, that the president's call to lift the cap on people making over $400,000, who pay nothing into social security. imagine the workers, the more than 170,000 in your district who pay in to social security and have done so all throughout their lives and yet others who pay nothing for the nation's number one anti-poverty program. that's why this is so important that congress take action and step up and do the right thing.

with 300 million coming into new york's district, mr. chairman, those are dollars that are spent locally right back in the community. for all people listening to c-span or people and guests in our audience, mr. speaker, they should be making sure that they are calling their representatives and making them aware of the fact that this program has not been enhanced. this is a benefit, this is no entitlement. this is an earned benefit that people have paid for. and that only the united states congress can act to change so that these individuals will get the relief. imagine a cost of living

increase that hasn't been enhanced in over 50 years. so i thank you, mr. speaker. with that, i yield back the balance of my time and hope that the american people and more importantly this congress acts on behalf of the people that desperately need our help. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the chair recognizes the gentleman from nebraska, mr. flood, for five minutes. mr. flood: thank you, mr. speaker. i rye today to address the securities and exchange commission's new climate disclosure rule. since president biden took office, his agencies have weaponized rule making to impose job crushing regulations. in just three years his dramatically expanded the waters of the u.s. rule issued presidential executive orders, and established a new climate corps. the new climate disclosure rule requires extensive disclosures on co-2 and other theoretical climate risks. these disclosure requirements will have devastating down

stream consequences. the rule will likely serve as a gift to activist lawyers looking for reasons to declare open season on industries they op oppose. it is breathtaking in its expansion of regulatory power and an unelected agency using power that was not dell kateed -- delegated to it by congress. the s.e.c. should stick to the core mission of regulating financial markets and get out of its newfound hobby of dabbling in climate alarmism. i applaud the work of my financial services colleagues in the western caucus on pushing back against this draconian rule. i hope to see it repealed. .. madam speaker, i rise today to honor doug christian son for his service. after 14 years in the state legislature, many of those as a speaker of, he was named chancellor at u.n.k. and became the longest serving chancellor in the university's history.

chancellor christenson, a native of carney, has been described as a champion for u.n.k. and rural nebraska. during his time in the state legislature, he helped shepherd then carney state college into the university of nebraska's system. his leadership has been nothing less than transformative. from newhousing to athletic facilities, christenson oversaw many of these priorities during his two decades of leadership. one of his most successful achievements was helping grow rural nebraska's health care workforce. chancellor christenson's work at u.n.k. will have a lasting impact on nebraska for generations to come. congratulations on an outstanding career, mr. speaker, chancellor, thank you for your service to the state and the university, and best wishes in the next chapter. madam speaker, i rise today to recognize luke, a university of nebraska-lincoln student, who recently won a challenge grand prize by deciphering passages of

text from digital scans of a cachinnized scroll. this -- carbonized scroll. this young man is smart. last year he decided to take on the challenge of deciphering text on pa pie russ charred into a lump of carbon by the eruption of mount view sif rouse. because the schools were caulkerrennized, they're virtually impossible to unroll without destroying them. he created a machine that can reveal ink, yes, that smart. alodge the way he enlisted help from peers across the globe to pitch in and decipher the burnt scrolls recovered from an ancient library. luke and his team ultimately submitted 15 passages containing more than 2,000 characters. the work contained in the passages they recovered hadn't been read since 79a.d. congratulations to luke, your innovative talent has already taken so you far. we look forward to seeing you and what challenge you take on next and please stay in

nebraska. we want you to live here. finally, madam speaker, i want to talk about something that was very destructive last friday. we had several ef-3 and ef-2 tornadoes ravage portions of my district, congressman bacon's district and congressman smith's district. but the silver lining here is that the meteorologist at the national weather service office in valley, nebraska, oo used all of their talents and equipment, everything in the power of the national weather service, to identify these tornadoes and get -- these tornadoes and get that life-saving information to the people. what they did saved lives. we did not lose one person's life in the state of nebraska. over 400 homes were destroyed and i also want to say, as a nebraska broadcaster myself, the men and women of the nebraska broadcasting companies in multiple languages went to work and got nebraskans the information they needed to take shelter and stay away from these

potentially and very, very, very obviously dangerous tornadoes. we ought to be proud of this federal agency, the national weather service. we ought to be proud of what they do. they don't get the credit very often and i also want to recognize the broadcasters not just in nebraska but everywhere in our great country that go to work every day to get people life-saving information and in this case you can look at everything that happened and our emergency alert system worked. our meteorologists and our tv meteorologists and our radio and television folks came together to deliver for the great state. so with that, i want to thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. the chair recognizes the gentleman from west virginia, mr. mooney. mr. mooney: thank you, madam speaker. on april 18, five brave young girls had the courage to stand up for their rights in harrison county, west virginia. these 13-year-old girls showed

more guts and the courage of their convictions than most grown-ups. these student-athletes competed in the 2024 harrison county middle school championship track and field meet. these girls from lincoln middle school stepped up to the circle for their turn before refusing to throw in the shot put event. they were showing solidarity in protest of the participation of becky "pepper" jackson, a 13-year-old boy. pepper jackson won the event by recording a throw of 32 feet. the second place competitor, who was actually a female, finished with a 29-foot throw. while west virginia state law bans transgenders, in other words, boys pretending to be girls, from playing on girls' sports teams, however a recent federal court ruled the law could not be lawfully applied to pepper jackson. west virginia attorney general patrick morrissey has quickly stepped up and filed an amicus brief in support of the five

athletes and asked the u.s. supreme court to weigh in on transgender student-athletes bans for a second time on behalf of the parents who filed a complaint with the local county board of education. as a result of their protest, an appearance at a press conference with west virginia attorney general patrick morrissey, the five girls were barred from competing in their next track meet and are also subject to punitive sprints in practice. these strong girls should be rewarded, not punished, for standing up for the sanctity of women's sports. young women should not be forced to compete against young men. no school in west virginia nor anywhere in america should turn a blind eye to this woke nonsense. former college swimmer rodly gains, who has been an outspoken critic of transathletes said, quote, these girls stood up for what they believed. their coach barred them from

competing. insane. i applaud riley for her amazing work advocating for young girls and women in sports. now more than ever it's important to address the unfairness in our society and the right to peacefully protest as our constitution allows. these constant assaults on the sanctity of women's sports threatens the future of fair athletic competition in our country. the ramifications of allowing men into women's sports are far greater than simply allowing men to put on a women's uniform. we've seen numerous examples of stronger men seriously injuring young women and girls in contact sports. young women are also being exposed to uncomfortable situations in which men are present in women's locker rooms. only god can create men and women. it's simply wrong for any parent to think they can or should even try to change the sex of their child. male athletes who can't win competing against other males, who then choose to take advantage of bad laws to steal titles from women are truly a

threat to females. we should be more focused, less focused on offending an individual's feelings than protecting the physical safety of our daughters who simply want to compete against other women. radical transpolicies -- trans policies are out of touch with not only the facts but the pulse of this great country. we must stand up against this nonsense and unlimited overreach on the fringes. i applaud the five young women in my district for standing up for themselves and being examples of strength as this fight for women's sports goes on. thank you, madam speaker, god bless these young ladies and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. the chair is happy to recognize the gentleman from south carolina, mr. norman, for five minutes. mr. norman: thank you, madam speaker. i rise today to recognize may 1 as the beginning of national month and to commend the outstanding dedication and

advocacy of mr. richard galloway jr. whose parents are in the balcony today, which we welcome, for his unwavering commitment to raising awareness about myocitis. it's a group of muscle diseases characterized by weakness and inflammation in the muscles. symptoms include muscle weakness, pain and fatigue, ongoing research efforts aimed to better understand the underlying mechanisms of this disease and to develop more effective treatment options. mr. galloway's journey is one remarked by resilience and compassion. in january of 2020, he was diagnosed with inclusion body myositis, otherwise the acronym, i.b.m., at the medical university of south carolina located in charleston. despite facing this challenging diagnosis, he has shown remarkable strength and determination in his battle

against this debilitating disease. beyond his personal journey, mrs advocate for myositis awareness. in october of 2023, mr. galloway organized the impactful event, crossing the cooper for christ, which raised over $13,000 for the myositis association. his dedication to this cause was further underscored when he was invited to lead a session on finding strength through faith in an annual patient conference in san diego, california. recognizing the significant contributions, mr. galloway was voted on to the board of directors of the myositis association at the beginning of 2024. the myositis association, a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1993, focuses on improving the lives of those affected by this awful disease through support, education, advocacy and research.

mr. galloway's unwavering dedication to raising awareness about myositis and supporting individuals battling this disease exemplifies the best of the human spirit. his commitment to advocacy and service is an inspiration for all of us and it is with great admiration and gratitude that i recognize his contributions today. i want to extend my sincere thanks to mr. galloway and the myositis association for yourselfless dedication and tireless efforts in making a difference in the lives of those affected by this awful disease. mr. speaker, i rise to respond to one of my colleagues who i think some of you heard who was supporting what was going on the college campuses today. they describe -- she described it as peaceful protests. madam speaker, they're burning buildings. they are tearing up campuses.

college presidents are not saying one word. this administration, this president is not saying one word about it. you have teachers, many of who are tonnured, are not saying -- are tenured are not saying one word. that is got to stop. they have government to have consequences. they have to have sheriffs who are willing to put a stop, whatever it takes, to stop this dooj our institutions -- damage to our institutions and lawlessness that's taking place all across this country. the illegal immigration that this administration is condoning and implementing is unheard of in the history of this nation. in south carolina they're giving illegals driver's licenses and restoration -- registrations to vote. it's high time this country wakes up to the dangers that we face as a free democracy. if we can keep it. and the first steps are stopping the lawless invasion at the

border that, again, is unprecedented in this country. i don't know how many more laken rileys, the young lady who was killed in georgia, her only mistake was jogging around the campus. i mean, how many more death does we have to have through fentanyl? it is insane what's going on in this country. madam speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until noon. also on the agenda in the house a measure denouncing the biden administration's immigration

policies. wah live coverage of the house whenbers return at noon easter here on c-span. looking ahead, no votes are planned in the house on thursday to allow members to atten funeral of congressman donald payne jr. in his mewn of newark, new jse he died on april 24 after being hospitalizedor several weeks after a heart attack. and congresswoman marjorie taylor gensays she will call up her motion to remove shows speaker mike johnson next week. she made that announcement during a press cone with representative thomas massie.