LEGISLATIVE DAY OF APRIL 21, 2026
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Floor U.S. House of Representatives
Follow its sittingsSpeaker 3
Thank you, mister speaker. I rise today to honor reverend Snow Peabody for his continued efforts to give back to the community of Arizona, specifically through his work with Teen Challenge. Now mister Peabody has been working with Teen Challenge of Arizona since 1971 and has served as the executive state director for fifty years. Reverend Peabody married his lovely wife, Ladell, in 1976. They were married for forty nine years and have three children, Sunny, Heaven, and Crystal Rain, as well as five grandchildren.
Juan Ciscomani
Now Liddell went home to be with the Lord at age 70 on 03/14/2025, just last year. Ladell was a blessing to all that met her and to all that followed her direction as the Teen Challenge of Arizona state music director. Ladell would be seen at any of the five Arizona Teen Challenge centers singing songs of praise, engaging with everybody there, the men, the women, the children especially at the center, and bringing a joyful smile to each person that she met. See together, the two led teen challenge for half a century, reaching and impacting countless lives. They began Home of Hope, a teen challenge center in Casa Grande.
Additionally, they began the springboard home of girls in Noor Valley back in 1976. I was honored to speak at the teen challenge banquet last November where Reverend Peabody talked about leaving a seat open at his table because he knows that Ladell is there, and she wouldn't wanna miss it. She was with him at every single dinner and every single banquet, and at that special one, he left the seat open for her. At that very moment, it was clear to everyone in the room how much Teen Challenge means to both of them. Thank you, Reverend Snow Peabody, and your fifty five for your fifty five years of incredible service with Teen Challenge.
May Ladell's legacy live on forever. Thank you, sir. Yield back.
Emilia Sykes
Thank you, mister speaker. Last week was tax day. I probably don't have to remind most folks because it is a day that is both loved and lauded depending on who you are. For millions of Americans, it's supposed to be a moment of relief, a chance to catch up, get ahead, and breathe a little easier because of the refunds that many expect. But for far too many families, including constituents in Ohio's 13th Congressional District where I represent, tax day was just another reminder that their money isn't going as far as it should.
Because while the president and house republicans promised lower cost and bigger refunds, families are actually seeing grocery bills that are still too high, gas prices that stretch their budgets, rent, health care, housing, and everyday essentials taking up more and more of their paychecks. So when they finally get that tax refund, they'll realize it doesn't go as far as promised or they didn't get a tax refund at all and it went nowhere. And that's not by accident. Republican policies like the one big beautiful bill gave massive tax breaks to millionaires, billionaires, and big corporations. The top point 10.1% are receiving average tax cuts of more than $300,000.
Meanwhile, Americans earning less than $50,000 a year are seeing their taxes go up. Add in president Trump's lack of strategic strategy, a strategy on tariffs which amounts to a national sales tax, and now families are paying more out of pocket while the wealthiest get a permanent tax break. But that's not all. The one big ugly bill also slashed a trillion dollars from Medicaid and cut billions to snap, jeopardizing health care and food for millions of Americans across the country and tens of thousands of my constituents. And it's not just about coverage, it's about jobs.
Hospitals and health care providers are the largest employers in Ohio's 13th District. So when you cut funding at that scale, you're not just hurting patients, you're threatening jobs, closing services, and weakening our lower our local economy economy. Mister speaker, we don't need to raise costs on working families to give more tax breaks to the wealthy. My lower your taxes act expands the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit so working families can better afford childcare, groceries, housing, and other expenses. It would allow families to claim up to $3,600 per child, lift them out of poverty, and allow them to decide where their dollars are needed the most while also expanding tax relief to workers who are often left out.
Timothy Kennedy
My no tax on overtime for all workers act makes a simple promise. If you work extra hours, you should be able to keep that extra pay Because every extra hour on the job is time away from family, time spent working hard, that effort should be rewarded and not taxed. But because of the carelessly thrown together no tax on overtime provisions in the one big beautiful bill, thousands of members of organized labor, the very people who built and make this country run, are excluded. I've also worked with my colleagues, Republican and Democrat, through the Bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus to lower cost, strengthen supply chains, improve trade policy, and protect protect jobs in Ohio's thirteenth district, our birthplace of champions. But because trade policy should be strategic, not chaotic, and never leave Americans' families paying the price.
Emilia Sykes
I've called for restoring congress's role in trade decisions because these choices are too important to be made without accountability. And there certainly is a need to expand to to ensure that goods from other countries with questionable labor practices are able to compete, American companies are able to compete. But what is happening with the administration is not the case. It's chaotic, it's expensive, and the national tax on goods costs way too much for the general American public. But in the end of the day, I'll never stop advocating for my constituents and for the American public who deserve so much better than this.
So we should all ask our question ask a question because at the end of the day, this is about who our economy works for. Is it working for the families who are doing everything right? Working hard, paying their taxes, going to work every day, trying to get ahead? Or is it working for the powerful and well connected? Well, I believe it should be working for the people, for the workers putting in overtime, parents trying to afford childcare, and families choosing between groceries and health care.
Working families deserve policies that lower cost and reward hard work, and leaders who will fight for them every single day. I am that leader. And mister speaker, I call upon you and your majority to work alongside me. Thank you, mister speaker. I yield back.
Seth Magaziner
Thank you, mister speaker. I was struck by a recent interview that former Ben senator Ben Sasse gave with Ross Douthat of the New York Times, in which he argued that the future grand divide in human society will not be over income, class, or gender, but about how we incorporate technology into our lives. If artificial intelligence, as many predict, is going to reduce economic scarcity in the long run, senator Sass argued that humanity will be left with an abundance of AI powered services and taskmasters. Some will choose to lean into this abundance. And while it might result in greater efficiencies for some, it will also turbocharge the worst parts of how we use technology.
Blake Moore
Deepfakes, pornography, identity theft, placelessness and social isolation are already rampant in our society and will only skyrocket in a world of mass adopted generative AI. Others will keep their eyes wide open and adopt technology more carefully, particularly when it comes to their children. I recently introduced the AI Children's Toy Safety Act which draws upon industry led research about the dangers of incorporating AI chatbots in children's toys and mandates an immediate ban on the manufacturing, sale, importation or distribution of any toy product in The United States made with an AI chatbot. Nearly every major AI service provider such as OpenAI, Google, Perplexity AI, XAI and Anthropic have terms of service that state their products should not be used by unsupervised children under the age of 13. Yet, these companies have been more than willing to let their product be licensed by children's toy makers anyway.
This poses serious data privacy challenges for children and risks locking them into addictive and unpredictable engagement patterns. It also risks exposing them to explicit content given that these chat bots have been trained on data generated by and for adults. So to be clear, I am as eager as any elected Republican to unleash the power of American innovation to win the AI race, cure cancer, prevent the Chinese Communist Party from setting the standards for AI around the world. But our approach needs to blend national security imperatives with a human centric ethical framework, a framework that clearly states that more technological abundance is not always the same thing as more flourishing. That's why I'm also looking to introduce a house companion bill to Senator Josh Hawley's GARD Act, which bans AI companies from developing romantic companion chatbots for minors and mandates that AI companies disclose their nonhuman status to all users to prevent minors from being tricked by artificial displays of empathy or affection.
As common sense conservatives, we must be honest with big tech when their search to improve the bottom line invites serious ethical questions about our children's development. Thank you, mister speaker. Also, Mr. Speaker, Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Carlos Olin Godby. Many of us here know him as the best IT administrator Capitol Hill has ever known.
But much more than that, he was a husband, father, and friend of those who knew him. It didn't matter the issue or request. Carlos was there, ready to lend a hand at a moment's notice. He was a calm and dependable problem solver, intelligent and trustworthy. There was never a problem he couldn't fix, and if he wasn't sure right then, we knew he'd figure it out, and always, before he even told me he could call me back, he was calling me back with a solution.
Carlos brought a special light to our offices. He didn't just fix our IT problems, he asked how we were doing, he asked about our families and he showed that he cared personally about those he served professionally. He spoke often about his wife, Angela, and his daughter, Adele. They were truly his pride and joy. Carlos enjoyed spending time with friends at Mount Vernon Park, trying to perfect his lawn, listening to all kinds of music, creating delicious dishes with the New Mexican green Mexico green chile, and rooting for the New Mexico State Aggies and the Dallas Cowboys.
Our thoughts and prayers were with his loved ones now, especially Angela and Adele. I believe Carlos is watching over you now and still cheering you on and proud of everything you're doing. Carlos served on the hill for over thirty years. It's impossible to accurately describe the kind of person he was in just a short speech. I speak on behalf of my staff, myself, and countless others who are fortunate enough to cross paths with him.
His impact, his generous spirit will outlive him, and we will miss him dearly. And with that, mister speaker, I yield back.
Speaker 1
The chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts, miss Presley, for five minutes.
Ayanna Pressley
Thank you, mister chair. I rise today to celebrate my district director, Eric White. Scrappy kid from Rozzy, 23 years old when he first came to work for my city council office. A history buff, a voracious reader, decent hockey player, a proud graduate of our Boston Public Schools, and a dedicated advocate. There can be no doubt that Eric's world view and values were formidable shaped by his upbringing.
Two loving parents in John and Nina who modeled strong work ethics and even stronger bonds of love for one's family, neighbor, and community. The stories that Eric's father, John, a union laborer, one of seven children raised by a single mom, I know impacted Eric. That clearly informed the fights that he took on for working families, for workers' rights, for fairness and justice. And between his two parents, given his proud Irish and Italian heritage, I know it informed the fights that he took on for immigrants and anyone else in pursuit of the American dream. Throughout the years, Eric has been at my side, crafting strategies for transformative legislation like our liquor license reform efforts to support neighborhood restaurants, transformative investments stewarding our community project funding, and crafting speeches that spoke to the heart, to the heart of the matter, and to the heart of man.
Eric has been by my side for long car rides, for late night community meetings, marching in parades, or shoulder to shoulder at a union strike. During my Boston City Council tenure, Eric worked his way up from neighborhood liaison to policy director to chief
Juan Ciscomani
staff. As he closes out this chapter as my district director in my congressional office and looks to new horizons for change and impact, it isn't lost on me that the student of history is today a maker and shaper of history. Eric's impact on Boston politics, municipal, and federal policy will endure, but I know his greatest legacy is still being written. In the family he has grown, and the beautiful life that he is building. With his wife, Kelsey, whose numptials I had the honor of officiating, their son Cam, daughter Maisie, and one day soon, a dog named Teddy for president Roosevelt, of course.
Ayanna Pressley
Eric, I'm so proud of you. I'm proud of your contributions. I'm proud of your legacy of of kindness, compassion, your composure. I'm so proud of the man you have become. John and Nina, you have raised an exceptional human being.
Jared, I've not forgotten about you. You played a role as a brother as well. And I know that incredible chapters lie ahead for you personally and professionally, Eric. Your mark on the Massachusetts 7th is undeniable and your impact in my life indelible. You have always been there.
You have been there as an anchor. You were there when I said goodbye to my mother. You were there when I met my husband. The young man that started as an aide in my office is now a permanent member of my family. Lucky me.
Lucky me. I love you, Eric Iraq White. And I thank you for thirteen years of dedicated service and innumerable personal sacrifices. Thank you for everything.
Speaker 1
The gentleman yields. The chair recognizes the gentleman from New York, mister Latimer, for five minutes.
George Latimer
Mister speaker, as I have recognized the excellent staff members who are working with me in this my freshman term, may I also recognize and thank the young people, college students and recent college grads who have labored in the inglorious role of intern, doing day to day grunt work necessary but often boring. They have given months of their young lives on my behalf and I'm grateful. They include Pearl Bernard, Emma Balber, Annie O'Connell, Marion Karp, Jacob Niejelski, Reese Chamberlain, Cheyenne Atamadi, Lauren Flum, Zachary Cousins. I trust this experience was a good one for each of them and that in the years to come they will achieve great professional and personal success. Mister speaker, we've spent a year and a half watching this majority implement project twenty twenty five.
I think it's time for us to discuss project twenty twenty seven, the things that this house can and should do under new leadership. Let me highlight a priority for 2027, stop insider trading by members of congress, the cabinet, the president and vice president, and their families. We will never gain the faith of the American people proclaiming that we have their best common interest at heart when they see examples of elected and appointed officials putting their own personal economic interests at heart. My hometown in New York's sixteenth congressional district includes many of the most successful financial minds on Wall Street, but it also includes everyday hard working people who don't have any holdings on Wall Street. Let's make sure the playing field is fair, not stilted in favor of those who have access to information not available to all.
Let's prove we mean what we say. If this majority in 2026 won't act, then let a new majority act in 2027. Mister speaker, permit me to jump forward and to provide unsolicited advice to a person I do not know. On 01/22/2027, that will be the third day of the presidency of the forty eighth president of The United States. I encourage that person to fire up Air Force One and fly to Ottawa.
Invite Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to meet them on the tarmac and give them a big public hug. Motor together to the Canadian Parliament, address the collective legislature and tell them America your friend has come home. Announce the end of Canadian tariffs and open up a dialogue on the issues between us. In so doing, you will not only be sending a message to Canada, but you'll be sending a message to England, to France, to Germany, to Japan. We will begin to restore the respect that we have lost in the capitals of the free world.
Thank you, mister speaker, and I yield back.
The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California, miss Rivas, for five minutes.
Luz Rivas
Mister speaker, the San Fernando Valley mourns the loss of Belinda Barragan. Belinda was a proud lifelong resident of the San Fernando Valley, graduating from Saint Genevieve High School in Panorama City. For over thirty years, Belinda was at the forefront of public service, advocating for working families and Latinos, ensuring that they had all opportunities and support to thrive. Belinda uplifted thousands of women and community members with her uniquely warm, funny, and love centered leadership. Her career in public service has often been behind the scenes, and she has taught us the definition of steadfast leadership.
Through her work with the Hope Leadership Institute, Belinda empowered hundreds of Latina professionals and created opportunities for these these women to strengthen their confidence and grow as leaders. Her integrity and compassionate leadership helped build the careers of grassroots community leaders as well as those in public and private sectors. She supported many Latino elected officials when they first started out in politics, including former congressman Tony Cardenas and senator Alex Padilla. Congressman Cardenas said, Belinda always helped everyone around her to be their best. Her intensity was infectious.
Emilia Sykes
Belinda's caring and loving personality matched her tough, let's get the job done attitude. He called her a force for good and positive change. Senator Padilla called Belinda Barragan the nicest person you would ever meet, and that she had a special ability to keep you on task and on deadline when there was work to be done. Senator Padilla asked Belinda to be his campaign manager when he first ran for city council. He said that seeing Belinda at Hope events over the years always brought him back to his early days in politics.
Luz Rivas
Belinda will be remembered for her unwavering integrity, empathetic leadership, and her lifelong residency in the San Fernando Valley. Her memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved her. I ask for a moment of silence in honor of Belinda. Thank you, and I yield back.
Gabe Evans
The gentlelady yields. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Arizona, miss Ansari, for five minutes.
Yassamin Ansari
Miss actually, sorry. Mister speaker, let's talk about naked, open, brazen corruption. The Trump administration is guided and shaped by it, emboldened by what they can get away with while the American taxpayer watches their own hard earned paycheck siphoned away by ever growing gas prices, groceries, rent, and health care. All the while, Donald Trump flaunts his White House Ballroom and DC arch with displays of nauseating corruption for his billionaire buddies in broad daylight. Take Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, a man with no meaningful political, diplomatic, or civil service experience who was handed sweeping authority during the first Trump administration over Middle East policy and sent across the world to represent The United States.
At the same time, his family's real estate empire in New York was in trouble after years of mismanagement and actively seeking foreign investment. Ladies and gentlemen, he sure found it. Kushner was shaping US foreign policy while simultaneously building relationships with foreign leaders that would later become financially valuable to him personally. He was acting as a diplomat for himself at the expense of America's interests abroad and our national security. Kushner communicated directly with wealthy high ranking officials like Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman using unsecured and unauthorized channels like WhatsApp with limited or no transparency and record keeping regarding these official and ethically dubious conversations.
Nothing has changed since the first Trump administration. In fact, it has only gotten worse. They no longer even pretend to hide it. While Kushner and Trump ally and billionaire friend Steve Witkoff meet with Gulf countries about matters pertaining to US national security, they are also directly involved with selling massive billion dollar deals to friends and family of the president. It's the largest corruption scandal ever seen in The United States leading back directly to Donald Trump, members of his family, and top administration officials.
Blake Moore
Kushner is a private citizen. He is not subject to the rules and regulations of actual public servants, including background checks and requirements for a security clearance, negotiating America's foreign policy and matters of literal war and peace between The United States and Iran, some of the most consequential negotiations of the twenty first century. Meanwhile, new reporting from the New York Times shows that Kushner is simultaneously soliciting $5,000,000,000 in new investment from the very same foreign governments with a direct stake in these negotiations. It would be too outlandish for a movie script, yet this is the reality in America today. An elite ruling class which makes policy decisions based on how it will affect their personal bottom line and using taxpayer funded government to get rich at our expense.
Yassamin Ansari
I mean, Trump is literally suing the IRS, which he controls for $10,000,000,000. Money straight from the taxpayers into his own pocket. But there is hope. All across the world, people are organizing and uniting against corrupt leaders who view government as a tool to enrich themselves and their friends. In Hungary, after sixteen years of democratic backsliding and a state molded into a piggy bank for the elite, a broad coalition defeated Viktor Orban despite him literally doing everything he could to rig the system in his own favor.
Hungary shows us that there is a path forward. Follow the money, take no vote for granted, and make corruption shameful again. When democrats take back the house in November, I will work to ensure that subpoenas fly out for every taxpayer dollar and cent that Trump and his family have spent during their time in office steering into their own pockets. Kushner will come under oath and testify, and accountability will not stop there. Mister speaker, I rise today to honor Miguel Alvarado of Guadalupe, Arizona, a man deeply respected in our community.
For over two decades, Miguel has shown up for his neighbors with consistency and with heart. For twenty five years, he has led the Guadalupe car show, a tradition that brings thousands together to celebrate culture, creativity, and community pride. The twenty fifth anniversary Guadalupe car car show returns on Sunday April 26 transforming Downtown Guadalupe into a vibrant festival with low riders, classic cars, and custom builds drawing 10,000 to 15,000 attendees from across Arizona. It's a must attend event for families and car enthusiasts alike. Beyond the car show, Miguel has organized events for over fifteen years that support local families including a back to school drive and a Christmas celebration bringing joy and gifts to children.
For more than a decade, he's also provided turkeys to families in need during the holidays. Miguel's work brings people together building a network of volunteers committed to giving back. He reminds us that strong communities are built by those who show up. I am proud to represent him in congress. I yield back.
Gabe Evans
The gentlelady yields, members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the president. The chair recognizes the gentleman from New York, mister Kennedy, for five minutes.
Ayanna Pressley
Thank you. Mister speaker, I rise today to honor remarkable Western New Yorker and my good friend, Edward Herndon senior, who passed away on 04/19/2026 at the age of 95. Ed's life was defined by service to our country, our community, and his family. Born in Kings Mountain, North Carolina on 11/10/1930 to Hubert and Anna b Herndon, Ed's journey led him to Washington DC and then to Western New York, where he would leave an indelible mark on our community and everyone he met. From an early age, Ed embodied the values of hard work, integrity, and faith in action.
Timothy Kennedy
After graduating from Lackawanna High School, he answered the call to serve and enlisted in the United States Air Force. Ed served with distinction during two tours in Korea and Japan between 1946 and 1950, and continued his service as an air force reservist until 1956. His devotion to our country did not end when he hung up his uniform. At home, he found new ways to serve. He worked with the United States Postal Service, Western Electric in the city of Buffalo, where his skills and leadership earned him appointment as director of real estate in 1957.
A position he held for sixteen years. He later served on the city board of assessment review, where his approach said everything about him. He was knowledgeable, committed, and above all, fair. He understood that property assessment is not just a number, It's a real consequence for a family or a senior on a fixed income, and he never forgot that. That sense of humanity was rooted in his faith.
For decades, Ed was an active and devoted member of his congregation at Saint Philip's Episcopal Church. Faith wasn't just something he professed, it was the life he lived. And it showed in his integrity, his honesty, and his extraordinary ability to connect with people. Which brings me to what those who knew Ed will remember most. He had a rare gift for making friends, and he used it generously.
Everywhere he went, friendships followed. Whether it was a next door neighbor, a mail carrier, a police officer, or a member of congress, Ed greeted everyone with the same sincerity and respect. A big friendly hello, a genuine smile, often a welcoming hug. My own family knew this firsthand. My parents first met Ed at a Saint Patrick's Day party, and a friendship was born that lasted decades.
When my father served as city of Buffalo commissioner of assessment and taxation, He worked alongside Ed on the board of assessment review. He told me Ed was one of the finest examples of a public servant he had ever witnessed. A man who brought his full character to the job and was beyond reproach. Ed never missed a chance to celebrate life either. Whether it was the Juneteenth festival, Dingus Day, or Saint Patrick's Day, Ed was there to celebrate with his fellow Buffalonians.
And perhaps nothing captured that spirit better than his ninetieth birthday, which was right in the middle of the COVID shutdown. What unfolded was a drive up celebration unlike any other. Friends, colleagues, and loved ones from every corner of his life lined up to pass by, wave, and wish him well. In in there was Ed, sitting at the curb, greeting every single car with that same infectious smile, that same wave, celebrating right back. It wasn't a birthday party as much as a testament to a life well lived.
As an extraordinary, as a servant he was to the public, Ed's proudest legacy was his family. In 1956, he married the love of his life, Jean Ruth Watson. Together for fifty eight years, they built a beautiful family. He was father to seven children, Gladys, Brian, Eric, Joan, Edward Junior, Michael and Gina, grandfather to nine and great grandfather to 18. Edward Herndon was the very definition of a public servant, a patriot, a husband, a father, grandfather, great grandfather, and a leader who gave back more than he ever asked for in return.
His story is one of deep devotion and quiet strength, and it serves as a reminder, a challenge of what looks like to live fully and give generously. Through his service to our country, his dedication to Western New York, and the boundless love he poured into his family and community, Edward Herndon's legacy will live on in our hearts as a shining example of our nation's highest ideals. On behalf of a grateful community and a grateful nation, may Edward Herndon senior rest in peace. We love you, my friend. I yield back.
Gabe Evans
The gentleman yields. The chair recognizes the gentleman from Rhode Island, mister Magaziner, for five minutes.
Seth Magaziner
Mr. Speaker, a recent vaccine trial for patients with pancreatic cancer using mRNA technology produced an astounding result. Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer. More than ninety percent of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer die within two years. But among those who were in this vaccine trial, half are still alive today more than six years later.
If these results continue in future rounds of the trial, we will have made an incredible breakthrough that could give new hope not only to those with pancreatic cancer, but other forms of cancer as well. And this is just one of many ongoing studies showing great promise. Unfortunately, right when we are on the cusp of making incredible advances in the fight against cancer, the funding for this research is under threat. Last year, the White House proposed cutting funding for cancer research by 40% and canceled a number of research grants. Some of the biggest cuts have been to research of mRNA, the same technology used in the successful pancreatic cancer trial.
In August, the administration canceled grants for 22 mRNA vaccine research studies alone. This does not make America healthier. My own family has been afflicted by cancer. I know the agony people feel when they receive that terrible diagnosis, the horrible process of chemo and radiation, the cost, the sorrow that millions of American families have had to live with because of a serious cancer diagnosis. We cannot turn our backs on those families when we are so close to finding real cures.
We have to continue funding the research. And the truth is that even before the current administration, we weren't doing enough. Last year, the federal government spent about $7,000,000,000 on cancer research. The war in Iran is costing us more than $1,000,000,000 a day. Think about that.
Speaker 1
We will spend more on the war in Iran in one week than we spend in cancer research in the entire year in an entire year. Think about the lives that could be saved. The families who would get to spend more holidays and graduations with their loved ones if we had the right priorities. We don't need to spend billions more on unnecessary wars in The Middle East or ballrooms or more ICE agents. Let's instead do what we do best as a country and invest in innovation and science and save lives.
Seth Magaziner
Mister speaker, it has been exactly one year since speaker Johnson said that he supports a stock trading ban for members of congress. One year. And what has happened? Absolutely nothing. We need to pass a congressional stock trading ban because it is not fair that members of congress have access to inside information that influences major industries, pharmaceutical industry, the tech industry, and others, and can trade off of that information that average Americans don't have.
And by the way, members of Congress should not be conflicted when making decisions about how to legislate. The overwhelming majority of the American people want this reform. They understand that we have a corruption problem in Washington. If a bill were brought to the floor today, it would pass overwhelmingly. I have a bipartisan bill along with Chip Roy, members on both the left and the right and the center, Famila Jayapal, Ocasio Cortez, Brian Fitzpatrick, Tim Birchitt.
We have a great bill with over a 100 cosponsors. We could vote on that today and it would pass. We've got a discharge petition. We can get this done. We we need a speaker with the courage to do the right thing and call a vote.
Jared Moskowitz
I yield back. The gentleman yields. The chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida, mister Moskowitz, for five minutes.
Yassamin Ansari
Thank you, mister speaker. South Florida is grieving because Nancy Matayer, the beloved vice mayor of Coral Springs, Florida, tragically passed away earlier this month. This was not just the loss of a public official. This was the loss of a daughter and a friend and a powerful voice for our state. It's the kind of tragedy that stops people in their tracks and leaves an entire community asking how someone so vibrant, so committed, and so full of promise could be taken from us so suddenly.
Jared Moskowitz
Nancy was a rising star, and more importantly, she was a great person. There were really two types of phone calls I got from Nancy. Whenever I saw her name come up on my phone, I never knew which one I was going to get. The first was a call about somebody who needed help. There was an issue, a family, a problem in the community, something Nancy believed needed attention, action.
She was relentless in the best sense of the word. She was never calling about herself, something she needed. She was always calling about help for someone else. She was always their advocate. And Nancy wanted to use her voice for others.
That instinct to fight for people showed up in every part of her public life. Nancy was a proud advocate for the Haitian community, and she understood that representation matters. She knew that public service is about making sure every family, every neighborhood, and every voice counts. She also brought that same passion to fighting for the environment, because she believed that we must protect the world, and that it must be left better for the next generation. That mister speaker was the first type of call I got from Nancy.
The second type of call was actually my favorite type of call. That's where Nancy disagreed with me, maybe something I was going to do, something I had already done. And Nancy never hesitated to make sure I knew how she felt. But she had a gift of communicating her feelings. She could challenge you directly, push you to be a better person, and still make you feel respected in the process.
That is rare, and that is who Nancy was. Nancy wanted to join us here in congress and be our colleague, and she was taken from us on the eve of her announcement. And I will say plainly what so many others know to be true, that had Nancy decided to take that step the next day, Nancy would have probably won that race. She would have had the strength and the talent and the heart for this institution. She understood that public service is about showing up for people, standing up for people, and never losing sight of who we send to this body.
While all of us in the Florida delegation cannot help bring Nancy here as a member of this body, we can help make sure that her name and her legacy are honored. That's why I'm introducing today that I will introduce legislation to name a post office in Nancy Matayer's honor so that her life of service to South Florida will be permanently recognized by the people and the community she loved. Nancy Matayer mattered. She mattered to the city of Coral Springs. She mattered to the county, Broward County.
She mattered to South Florida. She mattered to her family. She mattered to her friends, and she mattered to all of us who had the privilege of knowing her. Her death is a tragedy. Her loss is profound.
Her life, her voice, and her legacy will endure. Mister speaker, I'd like to ask for a brief moment of silence in Nancy Matayer's honor. Thank you, mister speaker. May her memory be a blessing.
Gabe Evans
The gentleman yields. The chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts, mister McGovern, for five minutes.
Luz Rivas
Thank you, mister speaker. Mister speaker, I rise today to call attention to a grave injustice unfolding in Pakistan. Last December, an Ahmadi Muslim educator, Mubarak Ahmad San Sani, was sentenced to life in prison, not for violence, not for incitement, but for possessing a Koran. Mister Saini was convicted under Pakistan's blasphemy laws. His sentence is a stark reminder of how these laws stifle the ability of religious minorities to study, to pray, and to express themselves freely.
George Latimer
Sadly, mister Saini's case is not an anomaly. It reflects the systematic persecution of Ahmadine Muslims who were denied equal citizenship rights in Pakistan. They are prevented from calling themselves Muslims under Pakistan's constitution, jailed and prosecuted under anti Ahmadi laws, denied the right to participate freely in elections, and even prevented from burying their dead with dignity. In Pakistan,
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