who could speak to what precisely on the shelter front as well as all these other fronts i just described would be sufficient. i just can't react in real time to news reports like that. reporter: on the japan visit tomorrow, the president has said to u.s. steelkeave your back. what is his message to the prime minister tomorrow about acquisition of u.s. steel, how strongly will the president conte valentine's day his opposition -- convey his opposition and will there be specific things that the president will either urge the prime minister to do or will say he's willing to take to prevent an acquisition? jake: you guys know joe biden. you have seen him. he's been very clear he's going to stand up for american workers. defend their interests. he's also been very clear that he is going to make sure -- >> we are going to leave this white house briefing to take you life to the house floor for votes. 6655.

senate 2501 and agreeing to the speaker's approval of the journal if ordered. the first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15-minute vote. pursuant to clause 9 of rule 20, remaining electronic votes will be conducted as five-minute votes. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentlewoman from north carolina, ms. foxx, suspend the rules and pass h.r. 6655 as amended on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title. the clerk: h.r. 6655, a bill to amend the re-authorize -- a bill to amend and re-authorize the work force innovation and opportunity act. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, 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:d on this vote, the yeas are 378, the nays are 26. 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentlewoman from north carolina, ms. foxx, sprawls and pass

senate 2501 this is a five-minute vote.

.

. the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 406, the nays are zero. 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to

reconsider is laid upon the table. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the unfinished business is the question on agreeing to the speaker's approval of the journal which the chair will put de novo. the question is on agreeing to the speaker's approval of the journal. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. and the journal stands approved. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i have -- ask unanimous consent -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman will suspend. the house will be in order. members are encouraged to take their conversations off the floor. for what purpose does the

gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> i seek unanimous consent. that i may here after be considered the co-response are of h.r. 4006 first introduced by representative johnson from ohio, for the purpose of adding co-sponsors pursuant to rule 12. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. and for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> to seek unanimous consent. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman will state the request. >> i ask unanimous consent it may be in order any time thursday, april 11, 2024, for the speaker to their a recess subject to the call of the chair for the purpose of receiving the prime minister of japan. the speaker pro tempore: without objection.

for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to speak out of order. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized, without objection. >> i rise today, along with my colleagues from across the illinois delegation to pay tribute to the victims that were killed and injured in the rockford stabbing spree march 27th. on that dark day for our city, we lost 15-year-old jenna

newcombe, a student from east high school who shielded her sister and others from the attacker. we lost 49-year-old jay larson, a 25-year veteran of the united states postal service and member of the illinois letter carriers who was out delivering the mail to his neighbors. we remember 63-year-old ramona shupok, a mother and grandmother and 23-year-old son jacob. together we grieve for the loss of our loved ones as a native rockfordian, i have faith we will not let this tragedy define us. as we work to make sense of what happened, we must continue to

tell the story of who we are and what we stand for. today we lead with love, compassion, and kindness. and as neighbors we weather every awful storm, looking for the sunlight to tell us that it's over. i appreciate my colleagues standing with me today on the floor of the house to remember those we lost in tragedy. and i want to thank all the members of this entire body who shared their thoughts, prayers, and keeping rockford in their hearts during this difficult time. mr. speaker, i ask the house to join me in a moment of silence to remember the victims of the rockford, illinois, stabbing spree. [moment of silence] >> thank you all. mr. sorensen: i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: we now will entertain requests for one minute speeches. for what purpose does the gentlelady from north carolina seek recognition? ms. foxx: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlelady is recognized. ms. foxx: the house is not in order. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the gentlelady is recognized. ms. foxx: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to report to the house that article 3 courts have once again protected the american people from extreme executive overreach. i am talking of course about the president's so-called, quote, bar of defense, end quote, rule. on friday the u.s. fifth circuit court of appeals stopped the regulation in its tracks for

now. this key decision gives strong reason to believe the borrowed defense scheme will be permanently scuttled. writing for the court, judge edith jones said, quote, we assess a strong likelihood the plaintiffs will succeed on the merits in demonstrating the rules' numerous statutory and regulatory shortcomings, end quote. this is a grand slam for taxpayers and for every american who never stepped foot on a college campus but yet have been forced to pay for other student debt. god bless our republican system of checks and balances. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from north carolina seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlelady is recognized.

>> mr. speaker, i rise today to highlight the extraordinary achievements of the n.c. state men's and women's basketball teams, which had amazing runs through this year's ncaa championships. for the first time in n.c. state's history, both teams made it to the final four in the same year. the underdogs of the season, the men's team, shocked the nation when they beat top seeded u.n.c. to win the a.c.c. tournament, claiming the title for the first time since jimmy v. was the coach in 1987. ms. ross: they continue to defy the odds by beating duke and making it to the final four. the three-peat champions, the women's team also made the wolfpack community exceptionally proud, starting the season unranked and making it to the

final four with an incredible final game against south carolina. congratulations to both teams on your fantastic season. gopac! thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. thompson: i rise to recognize gold star spouses day. on april 5 we honor the military service members who died while serving our country. this day offers remembrance for the spouses while also acting as a time of recognition for their sacrifices. as an army dad, i'm blessed my son has returned home from his deployments and i'm aware that's not the case for all families and we must take the time to remember, respect, and to honor the spouses of our fallen service members.

gold star spouses day brings awareness of the sacrifices and the grief these spouses have faced in the name of our country. let us all take a moment to remember our freedom is not free. gold star families have lost a loved one in the name of protecting our freedom and they deserve our gratitude today and every day. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from north carolina seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, every day more than 200 americans lose their lives through the department nil drug overdose. the overdose rate among the american population has reached an unprecedented high. the truth is that last year, the united states customs and border protection personnel seized 51.4

million fentanyl pills at the tucson sector alone. mr. davis: unfortunately, fentanyl pills and counterfeit drugs still manage to make their way into american communities. through my recent visit to arizona, it was made clear we urgently need more scanning technology, band width, and personnel. congress must take immediate action to stop the flow of deadly fentanyl that includes securing the border and passing the map act. thank you, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from california seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i rise to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. >> thank you. thank you. this week marks the 45 years of taiwan relations act which has strengthened our partnership

with our friends in taiwan and shaped the u.s. foreign policy in the indo-pacific. taiwan is the trusted partner in freedom, democracy, trade, security, and global health. as chairwoman of the house foreign affairs subcommittee on the indo-pacific, i've been working to ensure the united states supports taiwan. i led the taiwan w.h.o. act to support taiwan's participation in the world health organization and the world health assembly. and the taiwan nondiscrimination act to give taiwan a seat at the table in the international monetary fund. mrs. kim: i also led the arms delivery solutions act which became law through the ndaa to track and ensure delivery of backlog arms to taiwan. our partnership with taiwan is more important than ever. thank you, and i yield the balance of my five.

balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: members are advised to take their conversations outside. for what purpose does the gentleman from arizona seek recognition? >> i rise to ask unanimous consent to address this body for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, on behalf of all arizonans, tonight i am angry. today the arizona supreme court upheld an 1864 law passed before arizona was a state, before women could even vote, that bans abortion at every stage of pregnancy without exceptions for rape or incest and puts women's lives at risk. recently a constituent of mine shared a story of her close friend and went into preterm labor at 20 weeks and her doctors had devastating news, her baby wasn't viable but under arizona's draconian abortion laws she was told she'd have to wait until her baby's heart stopped or she became seriously infected before her medical team

would be allowed to intervene. she was in pain and scared, scared she could suffer future fertility or even die. this is the devastating reality of a post roe america and health care deciding when they can receive health care and not their families. the extremists continue to block the women's protection act that would restore the federal right to abortion and it's unforgettable and arizonans will remember in november. mr. stanton: i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina seek recognition? mr. wilson: to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. wilson: thank you, mr. speaker. incredibly the march 22 ""washington times" lead front page article by ben wolfgang was a remarkable journalistic achievement and warned of the terrorist attack on russia which was gruesomely correct that night on the attack on the moscow city hall, killing over

140 innocent civilians. at a time of fake news and biased reporting by mainstream media, it's refreshing to know "the washington times" courageously stands for truth and christopher dylan launched the newsletter with the national security editor guy taylor to provide daily email updates. the march 22 article specifically cited an imminent terrorist attack in russia which war criminal beauty than day should have tried to prevent instead of his obsession with mass murder of ukrainians. with biden open borders and warnings by the f.b.i., american families are sadly at a greater risk of attack today than ever. in the event of attacks to stop elections, all votings should be in person while accepting absentee ballots. congratulations coach dawn staley and the u.s.c. gamecocks. .. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from ohio seek recognition? ms. kaptur: to address the house for one minute and revise and

extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. ms. kaptur: quledering i viewed the total solar eclipse surrounded by thousands of children, teachers and families at imagination station in toledo, ohio. so many traveled from near and far to witness this phenomenon together. new generations of astronauts and scientists were inspired to think about how our solar system and its qualities impact our way of life. the science and mystery they was cost moss, sun, moon and stars above, remain new horizons for humankind. as a lifelong resident of the buckeye state i know ohio is recognized as the state of flight and for courageous heros from the wright brothers to john glenn and neil arm strong, our state has a proud tradition of breaking barrier, from soaring into flight, taking the first steps on the moon and launching toward the stars above. yesterday a new generation of ohioans got a chance to take in the wonders and see a

phenomenon, something we won't witness again until 2044. maybe the next john glenn or sally ride was amongst us yesterday dreaming of the day they'll change the course of space travel and hume history. thank you, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from utah seek recognition? >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. chairman, i rise today to lend my voice to the chorus of voices calling for the release of hostages taken in israel by hamas terrorists on march 7. ms. maloy: i had the chance to hear from the parents of one hostage, hirsch goldberg and i heard from his parents who with incredible poise and patience articulated to us what it's like for 180 days to know their son

is being held hostage in a tunnel, they know he's missing an arm. they've had no medical updates. now it's been 185 days. i want to take this opportunity to gin all freedom loving people in the world in calling to bring them home. let's not make it 186 days or more days. the hostages need to be released. they knead to be home with their families. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from north carolina seek recognition? >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. >> i -- ms. manning: i rise to recognize the wins of the art competition. we honored the winners where we displayed not only the winning artwork but every submission which included works from several county schools. i'm amazed by the remarkable

artistic talent from the young people from across the triad. i want to recognize the honorable mentions, a piece called claire by any and and falling man by violate. both students from weaver academy. third place was shared by two pieces, "fish life" by hayden, and "smile. in second place was "the butty of bodey island" and claiming the top honor of first place is "spectrum" by caden from weaver academy. i'm proud to represent such talented young students and i look forward to seeing all their future artistic achievements. with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from wisconsin seek recognition? mr. grothman: i'd like to make a unanimous request to speak for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute.

mr. grothman: we haven't been in congress for two weeks now but the number one issue in the country remains what it was two ekes ago because the president of the united states refuses to act. and that, of course, is the invasion across our southern border. around the time we left, we had new estimates on the number of people who came other here. and they are estimate, nobody knows exactly the number, because we estimate that about 40,000 to 50,000 of the people who come across every month are what they call got-aways and due to a shortage of people in the border patrol we do not even count them or interview them or know much about them. by our estimate is that in february we had about 220,000 people come here. that was down from december. but still about 10 times the number who came across in donald trump's final february of his term. we have 10 times as many.

we estimate about 9,000 to 10,000 of those are unaccompanied minors. that is a crisis that demands immediate attention from the white house. and quite frankly more attention from this body. it dwarfs all the other bills we have here. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. grothman: i hope congress deals with this issue. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from next seek recognition? ms. jackson lee: to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlelady is recognized. ms. jackson lee: what a great amount of excitement yesterday when i left downtown houston and went to one of our community schools to engage with young hispanic an african-american students on the eclipse. that had not been seen for years and years and years. what an enthusiastic message we were giving them, that they too can stand for science and the solar system.

yet my republican friends want to make light of some interpretation that i gave to one of the elements of the clips. rather than being excited about the idea of those seeing the eclipse, republicans again wanted to make fun. they didn't want to talk about prenatal care. they didn't want to talk about the idea of women's rights. they didn't want to talk about school student loan reduction. they wanted to talk about a democratic member. i'm glad i was standing with these children right here. here i am, to be able to celebrate the eclipse that will not be seen for another -- until 2044. it's unfortunate that -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. ms. jackson lee: it's unfortunate we didn't have this picture. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentlelady's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentlelady from massachusetts seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. ms. jayapal: i rise -- ms. pressley: i rise to honor our community colleges. i'm grateful for the exemplary work they do for those in every walk of live and circumstance. their impact reaches far beyond the class rule that deliver critical services to their commons and strengthen our work force. further as minority serving institutions they benefit from an academic ecosystem that's reflective of the comment. they understand that education justice includes racial justice. in boston and throughout our country, community colleges are necessary for making education accessible to all and congress

must invest in them like the public service that they are. that's why i was happy to work on the program so students can earn associate degrees ander is if i have cats at no cost. this month and every month community colleges are worth the investment. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. she yields back. under the speaker's announced policy of january 9, 2023, the gentleman from new york, mr. d'esposito is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader. mr. decem d'esposito: thank you. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that members have five leming slative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous material on the subject of the special order. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so order. mr. d'esposito: i rise today commemorate the life and honor the service of a murdered new york city police officer, jonathan diller.

i rise today also to honor his wife, stephanie, and his 1-year-old son ryan. they both will spend the rest of their lives reeling from the loss of a beloved husband and father. in a way that none of us can fully understand. jonathan diller's death is a national tragedy. it's an indescribable loss not only for his family, for long island, for the great state of new york, but for the united states of america and law enforcement never corner of this globe. horrifically officer diller's death is not the only death endured by the nypd in recent memory. mr. speaker, i rise today as well to honor the lives and

service of anastacio dastokos and others. we play for these slain nypd heroes and their families and reremind those retired and those serving here in the house of representatives that we will always stand with the men and women of law enforcement. mr. speaker, i rise today to honor as well the some 374 officers slain in the line of duty since president biden began to steadily chip away at law and order in this country, since 2021. president biden and allied politicians in governors' mansions, district attorneys' offices and right here in the house of representatives may pay lip service to these officers and their families but their votes, their rhetoric, their

spewing of hatred, tell a very different story. you see, mr. speaker, there's a reason why governor hochul's presence was universally rebuked by those including myself in attendance at now-detective first grade diller's wake. the reason, mr. speaker, governor hochul and far-left lawmakers have, at every single turn, prioritized equity over the lives of men and women who wear the uniform. they have pursued disastrous pro-criminal policies when they could have and should have pursued public safety. as a result, brave public servants and innocent americans are paying the price in blood. and we have, thankfully, across this country, many organizations who support men and women in blue in some of our worst times.

some of them are here with us today. i want to thank them for being here and always supporting men and women in blue. public safety is not rocket science. so when we witness record assaults and attacks against law enforcement officers, we begin to look at those in power. these places. and wonder why are they choosing to allow this to happen? when americans in new york -- when americans and new yorkers watch videos of illegal migrants brutally beating nypd officers in times square we begin to look at those in power and wonder why they choose to allow these people to be here in the flairs. just minutes ago, the new york post issued another article. its title, migrant repeat offenders viciously attack cops during bust for ransacking a new

york city target. whether it's cashless bail or open borders, the common denominator among these stories is radical progressive policy. and the american people know, see, and suffer this reality. you see, mr. speaker, my colleagues, i shouldn't say all of them, but some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are no doubt aware that the animal, the animal who shot officer diller had 21 prior arrests. 21 prior arrests for charges ranging from drug convictions to assault to hate crimes. when someone like detective diller's killer can commit heinous acts of violence, be apprehended and then let out on the street the same day, we have a problem. mr. speaker, that problem lies not with the police, not with

the men and women of law enforcement, not with the men and women who put on that shield and that gun belt every day. mr. speaker, it lies with elected officials who have no regard for public safety. . the american people know that it does not need to be this way. that it was not this way until very recently. until those in power changed course. mr. speaker, nightmares like those of officer diller will continue to occupy our headlines and our hearts. you see in. in places like new york, you'll hear from other members from the great state of new york tonight, not only is our state legislature and our governor all

run by democrats, not only are they saying that cashless bail is working, that criminal justice reform is working, they are doubling down and saying that it is better for the city and the state of new york. mr. speaker, i plead with my colleagues, in all branches of government, to come to their senses. i humbly ask they listen to law enforcement experts. give them the tools they need. do not take the handcuffs from their gun belt that they're supposed to be utilizing against criminals and use it on them. let them do their jobs. i ask that they change course, that they understand in their reckless pursuit of equity and social justice they are hurting those trying to protect. in my years as an nypd detective, i saw enough death

and suffering. we don't need to see more. mr. speaker, that morning when stephanie diller gave the eulogy of her husband, she mentioned the funerals of police officer mora and rivera and referenced the speakers who said we needed change. and she asked a simple question to those elected officials that were in that church in mass peek because -- masipiqua to those listening at home and on the streets and asked a simple question, what has changed? and the answer in places like new york that's run by democrats, the answer is nothing.

nothing has changed in our pure suit of justice. the only thing that's changed is people's lives have become more dangerous. our streets have become more dangerous. we don't need to see more death and suffering. we don't need to see more nightmares like jonathan diller. mr. speaker, i now yield five minutes to my colleague from new york, congresswoman malliotakis. ms. malliotakis. thank you for your service and for highlighting the dangers our law enforcement face each and every day. as a representative from new york city, it breaks my heart to see that we are losing police officers year after year, not

just to retirement and those fleeing our state but those being murdered. murdered by criminals who should not be on our streets. we talked how 374 police officers have been killed in the line of duty since joe biden became pregnant in 2021. that includes five of our brave nypd. detective sakos and rivera and mora and of course the latest being officer jonathan diller. we must listen to the words and the pleas of their widows, of their parents, of their family members, of their fellow law enforcement officers who are saying this is preventible. and if we see that our police officers are not safe in cities

like ours, how can the public be safe? it's truly tragic because we know it's preventible. there are a certain number of laws the state legislature have put in place that have caused this crisis. the individuals who are responsible for the death of officer diller, they were career criminals. guy rivera pulled the trigger with 21 prior arrests and was still on our streets and was recently released on a five-year prison stint for a drug conviction and then went off to parole in 2022 but he was on the streets because of a new law the legislature passed is less is more act. he had parole violations but he wasn't in jail and that's because of the actions of our governor and the state

legislature. his partner, the other perp was arrested 14 times for things like robbery, assault, and even attempted murder in 2001 and was sentenced to a decade behind bars. but guess what? he's back on the street. and in april, he was caught with a loaded illegal gun. the d.a. sought bail but the judge agreed on bail but not for monitoring. so he made the bail and was released back on to our streets again. it is tragic to see the laws put in place by our legislature have caused the death of these police officers. but new yorkers are being hurt each and every day by people who have not a dozen, not two dozen, sometimes four dozen prior arrests and they are still on the streets because of the revolving door.

we just heard of another cop hospitalized after being attacked by six migrants at a target on the upper east side. once again, lawlessness is taking over the streets of new york city. and what you're seeing taking place is a combination of -- open border policies of this president, the policies of our left-leaning state legislature with the bail reform and raise the age as well as the less is more act, and couple it with the city policy that handcuffs the nypd and doesn't allow for any cooperation for individuals committing crimes to be deported or at least detained. if i.c.e. makes a detain requesr these individuals which they have, the city won't comply but release them on the streets so they can continue wreaking havoc in our city, in our country.

that is wrong. and it's not going to stop, we're not going to bring public safety to the streets or the city or to this country unless we change these policies. so the left-leaning democrats who continue to vote for these policies, refuse to repeal or adjust or fix these policies, we're speaking to you tonight, and we're echoing what the widows and children and families and parent members and the community where these police officers are and the millions of crime victims we're seeing across our country reside. they want action, they want it now, and we must continue to fight for it and won't stop until we get cooperation from the other side of the aisle. thank you. i yield back.

mr. >> i now yield time to the gentlelady from indiana, mrs. houchin. mrs. houchin: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise with a heavy heart to address the tragic murder of jonathan diller whose life was senselessly taken while serving his community. this heinous act of violence not only took the life of a dedicated officer but serves as a stark reminder of the dangers our law enforcement officers face every day. guy rivera and lindley jones, the perpetuators of this despicable crime, are no strangers to the criminal justice system. with extensive criminal histories including prior arrests for violent offenses, rivera and jones epitomized the threat posed by repeat offenders who continue to roam our streets despite arrest after arrest after arrest after arrest. officer diller's death clearly

exposes the threat that soft on crime policies and democrat led cities have brought to communities across the country. these atrocities have enabled individuals like rivera and jones to avoid accountability and continue to live freely while law-abiding citizens and our brave men and women in law enforcement pay the price. as we mourn the loss of officer diller, we must also demand action to restore accountability in our criminal justice system to support crime victims and prioritize the safety of our communities and our law enforcement officers. i urge my colleagues to join me in calling for meaningful change to prevent tragedies like this from ever happening again. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back. mr. d'esposito: i now yield some time to my good friend from new york, mr. williams. mr. williams: thank you. i'm proud to join my colleagues

from new york, and particularly a veteran of the new york police department, mr. d'esposito. before serving this agust body served his neighbors and helped keep them safe. he speaks out of passion and experience on this critical topic. this is a time of soul crushing grief for the diller family. you know, i can't feel what you feel, but i can say this, you're not alone. across america, people are standing up and they're saying that this senseless violence has to stop. it cannot go on. when new york city and albany turned their backs, letting someone with 21 prior arrests back on the street, the park was left to pick up the pieces, left to ask questions like how many crimes does someone have to commit how many people does

someone have to threaten to kill before they do the damage? they want to know why time and again dangerous, violent criminals whose public servants have the responsibility to remove from society, these people are instead free to victimize more innocent people. like officer diller. they want to know why they have to suffer while career criminals so ofteno void real consequences. there is so much more that we must do at the policy level to prevent more tragedies like these from occurring to prevent career criminals from destroying families like this one. radical policies like no cash bail cannot continue. willful ignorance from elected officials cannot continue.

preventible killings like this one simply cannot continue. and we cannot stop working until we reach the day when our nation's police officers and their families -- in fact, when all decent law-abiding folks who are just trying to get along and do the right things, when these people are able to trust that their elected officials here and at the local level truly have their back, may that day come soon. stephanie and little ryan, my heart breaks for you. america lost a hero but you lost a husband and a father. who was serving self leslie and through -- selflessly and through his dedication we will not forget. mr. speaker, i yield back.

pred'esposito: mr. speaker, i now yield a few minutes to my good friend from new jersey, mr. mr. van drew: first and foremost, jonathan diller is an american hero, a hero whose wife will have to grow old without a husband whom she loved so much. a hero whose 1-year-old son will grow up without a dad. and yet what makes this tragedy so gut wrenching and so horrible and so foul is the fact that it was 100% avoidable. it did not have to happen. what kind of a society are we when we let individuals who have been arrested 14 times, 20

times, more times than even that, and we keep sending them back out to roam the streets and hurt our good american citizens. what kind of a society are we when we prioritize identity politics over the safety of the american public and our law enforcement officers? this is a dangerous pattern that we see in new york, but it's all across the country. the left continues to vilify our law enforcement. the left continues to undermine or outright ignore the laws meant to protect our american citizens. the left it pushes weak on crims and electses weak on laws district attorneys and that's where the blame goes. this isn't a matter of policy differences. this is a matter of good versus evil. right versus wrong.

law and order versus criminality and chaos. and it costs jonathan diller, an american hero, it cost him his life. how many times, how many times must we lose good americans before people wake up and we must realize that we need to stand up for our law enforcement officers. how many families must suffer a loss and a loved one before we continue to say enough is enough, that this is it, we've had it, this is the time, this is the place and it has to be more than words, it has to be more than resolutions. it has to be in change and we need to make that change now. we cannot allow brave men like jonathan diller to die in the future. our police already have one of the hardest jobs that anyone

could imagine. we cannot make their lives harder by defunding them. we cannot make their lives harder by demeaning them. we cannot make their lives harder by demonizing them. we can make their lives harder by allowing career criminals to stay out of jail over and over and over again. we are a nation of laws and we owe a tremendous debt to those men and women who enforce those laws. and we owe it to them, we owe it to them to pass laws that ensure that they are properly funded and to enforce laws, to enforce laws that keep the bad guys off the streets. i thank officer diller. i thank him for his brave service and i'm praying, we all are, america's praying for his family. but as i said before, that is not enough.

we must make the change. i thank my friend, congressman anthony d'esposito, for bringing us all together today and i thank him for his good work and, speaker, i yield back. mr. d'esposito: mr. speaker, i yield some time my good friend from california, mr. garcia. mr. garcia: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in solidarity with my good friend from new york and i want to thank him for his service before coming to congress as a law enforcement officer. and most importantly i want to stand here today and support -- in support of our law enforcement who are currently wearing the uniform. we have similar problems in california, as new york does. these brave men and women who wake up every morning and think about the sobering and very realistic thought that today may actually be the last day of of their life. and despite having that realization every morning, the realization that they may have to deal with someone who will

literally try to kill them, they still get up, they still put on that uniform, and they proudly serve our communities. they do it despite the radical policies like defunding the police, despite the lunatics dressed in suits disguised as d.a.'s like our own district attorney in los angeles county who goes by the name of george gascone. instead of being the d.a. he's more like a defense attorney, rather than a district attorney. he's more like the penguin of gotham city who enables the deaths of his constituents and puts our sheriffs and lapd officers' lives at rifers day. he helps -- at risk every day. he helps the bad guys instead of protecting the innocent, instead of allowing the police to do their job. he allows for early release of felons, downgraded or no charges at all of serious offenses, most of them felonies. and zero cash bail policies instead of supporting law enforcement and law-abiding

citizens. the brave peace makers in blue wake up every morning and serve, despite the fact that they are working double overtime because our county supervisors and our mayors aren't hiring enough new cadets into the academies. they get up and put their lives on the line on a daily basis, despite their own elected officials who are supposed to represent them at all levels of government, not supporting them. they also suffer disproportionately high divorce rates and unfortunately astronomical suicide rates. in my district alone we saw four law enforcement officers commit suicide in just one week. but to the 708,000 police officers, please know this, the good guys have your back. as a former combat naval aviator and the son of an lapd officer, i know the dangers you face on a daily basis and i appreciate your courage and your sacrifice and that of your families. the fear your families face on a

daily basis, the reality that some of you may not come home at night because evil still does exist on our streets, we are eternally grateful to you. and most people in our communities are. each year more than 100 cops give their lives in our defense. last year 136 cops were killed in the line of duty. someone doesn't need to become a cop or someone doesn't want to become a cop, they don't do it for the money, they don't do it for the benefit, they do it because they want to serve, they want to protect, they want to do what is right and what is noble. and there is no greater form of love than being willing to give your own life in defense of another human being. and for many of us, that's true for our kids, that's true for our spouses or close friends, we would die for them. but the amazing thing about law enforcement officers is that they wake up every morning willing to give up their lives in defense of complete strangers. that's extremely powerful. and that should be very humbling

to the rest of us. the least we can do as elected officials at all levels of government is to give our law enforcement officers every dollar of funding and every policy tool to make sure that they come home at night and that the bad guys go to prison. and we should never bend the knee, never bend the knee to an organization or human being that supports defunding or jeopardizing the lives of our police officers. i urge leadership in this body, the house of representatives, to bring my bill, the sergeant steve owen bill, to the floor for a vote. sergeant steve owen, who is pictured here, was a brave sheriff who was brutally exeexecuted in broad daylight in the antelope valley, just like deputy ryan who is also pictured here was shot in the head while sitting in his patrol car in the afternoon, in the antelope valley. the sergeant steve owen bill would make the intentional killing of a cop a federal felony with a punishment no less than the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

this should be the law of the land in all 50 states and, mr. speaker, we should all agree that that's a reasonable law. this is a reasonable punishment for such evil. may god look over our peace makers and i want to thank my colleague from new york for putting this special order on. and may the lawmakers and the district attorneys, the elected officials do their jobs and take care of those who provide our communities with our security blankets on a daily basis. god bless our law enforcement officers, god bless this country and i yield back. thank you. mr. d'esposito: thank you. mr. speaker, i now yield some time to my good friend from new jersey, mr. kean. mr. kean: thank you to my good friend and former nypd detective, anthony d'esposito. for holding this special order today.

to honor the life and memory of new york city police officer jonathan diller. on march 25, 2024, during a routine traffic stop in queens, new york, officer diller was shot by a man with 21 prior arrests, who was released on parole just three years ago. the fact that this killer was able to be released on parole should be a shock to anyone and is unfortunately endemic to the soft on crime policies that extreme democrats are pushing across the country. this tragedy was entirely avoidable and we as leaders must act to ensure that does not happen again. i rise today to honor a young man who was a credit to his community and to his profession. during his three years in the nypd, officer diller was recognized three times for excellent police duty.

he was respected in his community and deeply loved. it was seen in the tremendous outpouring of support during his funeral and wake services last week. let us remember the sacrifices that he made and the lives he touched. we in this chamber need to make clear our complete support for the brave men and women who proudly wear the badge. risking their lives to keep our communities safe. i offer my sincerest condolences to jonathan's wife, family and the nypd community. to those members of law enforcement and first responders in new york, in new jersey and across our country, stay safe and know that we are with you. i yield back. mr. d'esposito: mr. speaker, i now yield some time to a good friend, a fellow new yorker, and someone throughout his career in public service who has always supported law enforcement,

whether as a state legislator, as a county executive, mr. molinaro from new york. mr. molinaro: thank you, mr. speaker. i want to thank my colleague not only for today's special order, but for a lifetime of service and sacrifice on behalf of the people of the city of new york and his own community. he knows firsthand the sacrifice that men and women in law enforcement make every day and, by the way, by extension, the sacrifice their families have to offer in that service. we first today -- i certainly rise in support and recognition and extend my love and prayers to the family of nypd officer jonathan diller. we heard some powerful words from his widow reminding us how absolutely important it is that we establish policy that protects men and women in law enforcement and instead time and time again in the state of new york, certainly, but across the country too many are passing

policies that make the job of law enforcement that much more dangerous. undermining the ability to provide for public safety. we have to remember that jonathan diller was killed senselessly by a man who had had previously been arrested 21 times in the state of new york. 21. i want to speak specifically to people who have made the loss of officer diller a sad story. what new york has done is instead of taking a smart way of ensuring judicial discretion, the ability to evaluate risker

and giving law enforcemented tools they -- launch the tools they need -- law enforcement the tools they need. the leaders in new york, crime is on the decline. they point to arrest statistics as a statement that crime is going down. places like new york, arrests are being made. why? because small business owners and main streets across the state in neighborhoods in new york city, they know not even to bother calling in many cases. because the law enforcement community is unable to respond to even the simplest of crimes and because of that they consistently see the escalation of crime. in those who committed lower level offenses, sooner or later are committing higher level offenses and maybe taking the life of a law enforcement official and then it's too late. 21 times that person was arrested and released before killing officer diller.

21 times this criminal justice system had the ability in the state of new york if it only had the backing of policymakers, had the ability to intervene and protect officer diller and the 20-plus victims that came before him. officer diller's death is just one more example of how incomprehensible the decision to eliminate cash bail throughout new york has made our state, my state, a community that i have served since 1994, as a whole more dangerous. for men and women, small business owners and families. we know it. for the state of the union i brought two upstate county sheriffs, they know firsthand how crime has continued to rise and violence continues to escalate. because of decisions out of albany, new york, democrats empowered one party rule in my state, new york is more dangerous and the ability to provide for public safety that much more difficult. .....

under current law, instead of programs that help discourage recidivism and allow them toe intervene at the right moment, those apprehended are free to apprehend and they're back within the streets in moments if not immediately committing more crimes, undermining community safety. by the way, even putting their own ability to find their way to a life free of crime, putting that at risk. while touted as progressive, new york stay's bail reform is anything but. new york state's cashless bail is not progressive. it is cruel and it is dangerous. and it has put the lives of too many new yorkers including the life of jonathan diller at risk. the first rule was to do no harm and cashless bail has only

produced harm. the bail experiment has failed and yet politicians continue to avoid the necessary question to revisit this disaster of a policy. it is time that lawmakers in washington and in albany prioritize public safety, prioritize supporting law enforcement and end senseless tragedies. prior to coming to congress, i spent 12 years as a county executive where we focused intervention and prevention and diversion tools, giving law enforcement the capacity to make communities safer. new york state threw it all out and with it has made our communities less safe and the work of law enforcement more dangerous. i join my colleagues in expressing our deepest sympathy and extend our love to the family of officer diller but also to the men and women in law

enforcement across new york and across america and their families. may they come home to families that love them and ultimately communities and governments that support them. and with that i yield back. mr. d'esposito: mr. speaker, i think we've heard this evening from members of this body, from throughout the country, that we are faced with a problem, and the problem is that in far too many places, in far too many progressive democrats' cities and states, we have chosen to put criminals ahead of law-abiding citizens. and throughout the last couple of weeks, many of us who support law enforcement and support the

repeal of cashless bail have heard from naysayers talking about gun violence and that republicans should focus more on banning certain types of weapons. and i want to point out that in a place like new york, we have on the books some of the strictest gun laws in the country. i've taken myself hundreds of guns off the street as a new york city detective. and i will tell that you there was one thing in common with those hundreds of arrests for firearms. never once was i presented with a license to carry it. you see, the guns being used to kill people throughout this country are illegal firearms, illegal handguns. just weeks ago, the committee on

house administration held a hearing talking about the violence here in the nation's capital, and we again on the other side of the aisle were poised with the questions, well, what about banning certain types of guns? and we heard from law enforcement professionals with almost 80 years of combined service. they gave us the facts and they said, of the hundreds of guns recovered, over 90% of them were illegal handguns. you see, no signs in cities that say a no handgun zone. that's not going to solve the problem. banning certain types of weapons, those aren't the weapons that are killing people. those are not the weapons that killed the brave hero and detective from new york city. what we need is to have district attorneys actually enforce the

law, actually live up to the oath that they took to be the highest ranking law enforcement officer in their jurisdiction. not someone like in new york city in manhattan. we have a rogue d.a. by the name of alvin bragg, who before he took his oath of office, he thought it was his job not to enforce the laws, but in new york apparently rewrite the penal code and only enforce those laws he deemed necessary. well, we see where that ended up. so, mr. speaker, i want to thank my colleagues from across this country who joined with me here this evening to salute detective first grade jonathan diller. you see, when i took the oath to become a member of the nypd, i raised my right hand and i swore to protect and serve, but i also

made a promise, and that's the same promise that law enforcement officers make throughout this country when they take their oath and that is to never, ever, ever forget our fallen brothers and sisters. and for those on the other side of the aisle in statehouses throughout this country and in this chamber, and our colleagues on the other side of the house who think that the failed progressive policies that they've put in place are actually working, i ask them to do one thing. i remember the night when officers ramos and lou were shot and killed in new york, and i heard the radio transmissions. i've listened to the radio transmission of officer diller and his partner just weeks ago

when they were at what they thought was just a routine car stop. when you hear officer diller yell into the radio that he had been shot, i asked my colleagues who think that these failed policies aren't putting people in danger, sit down and listen to those blood curdling radio transmissions. and mr. speaker, in just a few weeks from now, there will be thousands, tens of thousands of law enforcement agencies from throughout this country. they will make their way to capitol hill. and just the other day, they began to engrave the names of fallen officers from throughout this nation on our law enforcement officers memorial, and we will gather, gather on the lawn for the vigil, and we

will commemorate and pay homage to every single member of law enforcement who died in the line of duty. on the statue at the law enforcement officer's memorial, there's a beautiful statue of a lion. and underneath that lion is a simple quote, and it says, it's not how these officers died that make them heroes, it's how they lived. mr. speaker, it's not how detective first grade jonathan diller died that made him a hero, it's also how he lived. he was a loving father, a giving husband, someone who surrounded himself with friends who wanted

to be near him. because he made them laugh. he made them feel special. and even with just a few years on the job, he went out into some of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city of new york and did real police work. he was willing to stop those cars, to take those illegal guns off the street, even when he knew that district attorneys wouldn't do their best to prosecute. he went out there and did god's work. he did the work that he took the oath and swore that he would do. so, mr. speaker, again, i thank my colleagues for sharing this hour, not only with me but with the family of detective diller, with members of law enforcement

throughout this country, and with the nypd. and every night i pray for the mayor of the city of new york, mayor adams, our police commissioner, and the hierarchy of the nypd, and the rank and file, the men and women who go out there each and every day to do that great work. you see, the men and women that we've honored tonight, it's not how they died that made them heroes, it's how they lived. and i want to thank all law enforcement officers throughout this country, whether it's right here in this beautiful capitol building and the capitol police that protect us each and every day, to the counties, the cities, the villages, the states, from sea to shining sea, stay safe and realize that in a country where each and every

night we watch the news, it seems like in our social media streams that all elected officials are fighting against the good work of law enforcement, there are good people that are praying for them, that are rooting for them, that are making sure they have the resources each and every day to do the job they need to do. mr. speaker, with that, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: does the gentleman yield? mr. d'esposito: i yield. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. under the speaker's announced policy of january 9, 2023, the gentlewoman from florida, ms. cherfilus-mccormick cherem, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader. ms. cherfilus-mccormick: i ask unanimous consent all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the subject of this special order hour. it is with great honor -- the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentlelady is recognized. ms. cherfilus-mccormick: thank

you. it is with great honor i rise today with -- to co-anchor this special hour with my distinguished colleagues, representative jonathan jacksonened a stacey plaskett. for the next 60 minutes, member of the c.b.c. have the opportunity to discuss the crisis in haiti, an issue of great importance to the congressional black caucus, congress, the constituents we represent, and all of america. i would like to yield to my colleague, the honorable avet clark from new york. yvette clark from new york. ms. clark: mr. speaker, i rise on this day to help shed light on an escalating crisis 700 miles from the shores of florida

that crisis is in the island nation of haiti. i'd like to thank my colleagues for anchoring this evening's special order hour as part of our mission in the congressional black caucus, congresswoman sheila cherfilus-mccormick and congressman jonathan jackson, your leadership is tremendous, and of course my colleague, congresswoman stacey plaskett of the u.s. virgin islands. there's no doubt the haitian people are experiencing some of the most horrific, horrific times in modern day civil society. their democracy has been suspended -- suspended and there's no viable governance. anarchy is poised to take root. and there's no protection for the people. this is a humanitarian crisis that has reached unprecedented levels with widespread food

insecurity, hunger, and undeterred gang violence, filling the void and terrorizing the nation. according to the u.n., four million people in haiti face acute food insecurity, and one million are one step away from famine. imagine the population of los angeles subject to severe food insecurity, violence that has led to a spike in starvation with goods unable to move freely while people are forced to remain in their homes out of fear for their lives. haiti haiti is a mere 700 miles from our shores and yet in many ways haiti has been forgotten. but it is urgent, crucial, that we pay attention.

american law and ethos paints the united states as a nation of immigrants. but our nation has historically welcomed mostly immigrants of european origin. like donald trump who once asked, why are we having all these people from s-hole countries come here? like some of the wealthiest people in the world who, despite being immigrants themselves, continue to push insane conspiracies, completely devoid of compassion and logic and reason. they repeatedly used the rhetoric of the white supremacist great replacement conspiracy theory. focused efforts on -- of the erasure of black immigrants' contribution to our nation, from our history, and hoping that oura whitewashed or real

replacement theory of disinformation will endure. their racial cruelty and inhumanity has only enabled maltreatment of black immigrants. as temporary workers or worse, as criminals, rather than as legal permanent residents and asylum seekers. as political pawns rather than people in need. they describe haitians as invaders. desperate families seeking refuge, clinging to life. and their fleeting, tenuous future, they're not invaders. such rhetoric reflects an ongoing 21st century vicious quest for racial hierarchy in

immigration policy that deters and blocks black refugees and immigrants from entering the united states. it is urgent that we pay attention because the black african descendantdies a pra has always -- descendant diaspora has always been the reservoir to black communities and families in the united states. from malcolm x, whose mother was from the island nation of grenada, to vice president kamala harris, whose father is jamaican, just like mine. and as we continue to bear witness to the hell unfolding on a small nation a mere 700 miles off our coast, we can never forget that black history is american history. so in closing, i implore my colleagues and the administration to come together for our haitian sisters and

brothers. my co-chairs from the haiti caucus and i will continue to push this administration to extend t.p.s. for haiti and a pause to deportations. the whole country is unstable and dangerous. there's no excuse to send anyone anywhere in haiti. so let me repeat, there is no excuse to send anyone anywhere in haiti. we cannot give credence to those who would have us give in to fear. for saking our american -- forsaking our american values for reasons beyond logic and comprehension. we cannot forsake our american values for reason beyond comprehension or give credence to those who give us fear. who give in to fear.

our nation rises to its greatest heights when we are guided by our hearts and compassion and moral obligations to our neighbors in need. with that, i want to thank my colleagues once again and i yield back. mrs. cherfilus-mccormick: thank you so much to our colleague for your statements. is a want to recognize congress -- i also want to recognize congresswoman sheila jackson lee who has submitted her meant -- comments for the record. i would now like to yield to ms. ms. plaskett: thank you so much to my colleague, to congresswoman sheila cherfilus-mccormick, as well as to her co-chair, congressman jonathan jackson, who have led this special order hour for some time now, in bringing to america, as well as to other members of congress, the issues that are important to the congressional black caucus, the conscience of the congress.

in these special order hours, which really allow our colleagues and others to understand those issues which may not get the kind of attention through media or even in our hearings that they deserve, and so i want to thank them for spending this time to allow us to talk about a festering crisis that is directly at our border. the congress has not engaged in sufficiently to ensure the democracy continues to reign in this near neighbor of ours. the time for dawdling, procrastination, pointless disputes, reviews and continual talks has long expired. haiti cannot wait. haiti is a nation t that has endured a tremendous amount of misfortune. although it holds the

distinction of being the first republic of people of african descent and one of the oldest nations in the americas, second only to the united states of america, haiti faces a significant and ongoing humanitarian, political crisis. the world has witnessed the republic of haiti face a profound political security crisis as the nation continues to be overwhelmed now by gangs that systemically endanger its democratic process. during this period, the u.s. has condemned the violence, imposed sanctions on gang leaders and called to hasten the transition to elections. but that is not enough. while observing haiti's plight, the sustained consistent misfortune, lack of access to resources, abject poverty and rampant corruption, one might

wonder, what is the root cause of these issues? i know i have. i know others have. they've said, why are they in the situation? understanding haiti's disadvantaged state, we must acknowledge the ways in which the nation and its resources have in fact been exploited for many years. in the early 1800's, haiti was forced to pay huge reparations to france in exchange for independence, which they had won fairly. they have paid to the tune of $21 billion to france, a debt that took over a century to pay off. payment for freedom. can we as americans imagine paying england for the right to be independent? for winning a revolution? but france required it and we, the united states, forced that payment on haiti. a debt that took over a century

to pay, paid to a european superpower that had colonialized and enslavinged them -- enslaved them, in order to profit from their labor and the resources of the land. like many european nations, the wealth and ease of living enjoyed by the french today were built at the expense of haiti, haitian people, and many other colonialized areas, affecting many generations. the continuous and often gross exploitation that organically accompanied colonial rule in places like haiti, along with the results that followed is something that is often ignored. we want to forget that that happened. we want to just look at this state that they are in now and not think about what brought them there, how we may have led to that exploitation as well. it is rarely acknowledged and almost never remediated. the nation of haiti, with its

past, current and ongoing dilemmas, is a testament to the tragedy of this reality. how could a nation entrentrenchn billions of dollars of debt over multiple generations even begin to establish a necessary infrastructure and societal structure needed to build a semblance of normalcy and make significant progress toward economic growth and prosperity? the very certificatity of the situation -- severity of the situation has far surpassed the usefulness of words. we in the united states must assist. we are operating on borrowed time with russia having already set its sights on expanding its reach from the african continent closer to our shores. intent on capitalizing on haiti's political instability, the wagner group has sought to offer the haitian government military strength to combat the gangs. if the united states does not

take immediate action, our foreign adversaries, not limited to russia and china, may be 700 miles from our shores. that's how close haiti is, as you've heard from congresswoman yvette clarke, to the united states. this continued marginalization has negatively impacted the entire region and in this case haiti, threatened to derail u.s. security and economic interests in the western hemisphere. in the fiscal year 2023, in our national defense authorization act, we have included an amendment that directed the department of defense to assess the standing u.s. military force posture in the caribbean. giving u.s. national and regional security interests and to thwart our foreign adversary, russia and china -- adversaries, russia and china. those adversaries have set their sights on expanding their reach in the region of the caribbean

and latin america. the continued expansion of russian and chinese influence threatens our national security, our prosperity and our democratic values. china's economic investments and financial assistance target vulnerable countries in the caribbean and carry collateral conditions, including diplomatic expectations, through their belt road initiatives, b.r.i., china has entrenched its presence by signing agreements with countries such as an tiga and -- antiga and granada, jamaica, guyiana, dominican republic, trinidad, tobago and others. these investments span vast infrastructure projects, including the development of major ports, highways and energy sectors. for example, recently the dominican republic received a $600 million loan to expand the

country's electric grid, along with a $3.1 billion package of investments. do we not think that china will not use this as leverage? these projects raise concerns about the leverage and strategic advancement the investments have. what will happen to haiti? haiti is in a position where they need financial support. we in the united states have got to pass the caribbean trade resolution, the resolution recognizes the importance of enhanced trade and investment in the caribbean. we're also working on strengthening the existing trade relationships like the caribbean basin initiative, or the sponsorship of hope for haiti prosperity act of 2023, to signal our long-term commitment to haiti. as a member of the new democratic coalition, i join my

colleagues in calling for renewal and enhancement of generalized systems of preference in which numerous caribbean nations participate. strengthening our economic partnership, the support of these nations is vital not only to their economic growth but to our national security. as the united states' third border, the caribbean economic stagnation directly impacts u.s. security and stability. as co-chair of the caribbean congress -- congressional caribbean cause, i'm accuse will the -- acutely aware that the economic and political challenges facing our neighbors are complex and as such require collaboratetific and sustained -- collaborative and sustained efforts from policymakers, industry experts, financial institutions and civil society. we must have u.s. leadership in the region. neighboring nations will continue to look elsewhere for support. venezuela is another country

that they're looking to. are my colleagues in the -- i and my colleagues in the congressional black caucus agree that haiti is at an inflexion point and we need to act decisively by proving -- approving the state department's request for $40 million in funding for the multinational security support mission to haiti. for over six months this congress has held those funds, congressional republicans have refused to deliver the necessary resources to carry out this mission, even as the situation on the ground has deteriorated. the instability in haiti is not only a humanitarian crisis, but a threat to our national security. we believe that the multinational security support mission would advance the national security interests, not just of haiti, but of the united states. it

would demonstrate american leadership in the caribbean and provide a lifeline to the haitian people. depending on large part what congress does or does not do next, the situation could start to improve, or by contrast, devolve into chaos and even civil war. if we act decisively haiti has a fighting chance but if we dither or delay, we're likely to watch as the haitian national police collapses, violent gangs overrun the country, irregular immigration to the united states and other countries surge. we recognize that of course there is a right and a responsibility to be careful, to scrutinize the fund, to ensure the state department has explained, but we believe that burden of persuasion has been met and that it's time to release the remaining funds. we regard american leadership as

indispensable in this area. what is happening in haiti is a test of american mettle. and we must pass this test. our hands off and apathetic approach to haiti is an affront to our values. a country which helped us during our revolutionary war, haitian men came and fought alongside our american soldiers in the american revolution and when they sought their own resolution, what did we do the a the end? require them to pay our ally france. our support of haiti must be clear. we must support our democratic neighbor to the south. i urge my colleagues to support all measures that would advance stability in this nation and ensure the people of haiti can in fact prosper. thank you so much, congresswoman

cherfilus-mccormick, for the opportunity to speak. i know it's an issue very dear to you not only because of your own familial ties to haiti but so many of your constituents as well in florida are crying out for support for their family and friends that we main there, americans trying to ensure their brothers and sisters and family members can in fact prosper. i want to thank you for your leadership on this issue. i want to thank the congressional black caucus for doing all they can do. and of course to my sister from another mister, yvette clark of brooklyn, thanks for always being there in the fight as well, and i yield back. ms. cherfilus-mccormick: thank you so much to congresswoman stacey plaskett and to our congresswoman yvette clark for

working tirelessly with us. at this moment i'd like to yield to congressman jonathan jackson from illinois. mr. jackson: i'd like to thank the honorable stacey plaskett, thank my colleague, the honorable sheila cherfilus-mccormick. mr. speaker, much of the world today has their attention focused on gaza, and it seems as if haiti has been ignored. but when you consider the long and difficult journey of the haitian people from bondage to freedom and all that has been done to destabilize and punish haitian independence, i say to you haiti cannot be ignored. it would be easy to blame the haitian people for the overwhelming violence committed on the streets of port-au-prince

and into the countryside but such thinking would be the result of a tragic reductionism, more so intended to manipulate the facts than to teach them, because what is happening in haiti today is a result of what happened when empires and colonial powers conspire to make it economically impossible for liberated countries to flourish and survive. to think that haiti had to pay france, the equivalent of what would be today $21 billion in 1804 after independence had been declared. king charles x of france, a slaver and colonial power had the american government after its independence enforce a payment to american bankers, french and german bankers, and put a tax on the haitian people

for 150 years. haitians did not stop paying. america did not stop paying french bankers until 1947. yes, our 150-year tax was put on the first freed african group of people to resist slavery and colonialism. how is it even possible to the world that would stand by and allow france to put a tax on people of haiti because they dared to do what american peoples had done just 20 years prior to the haitian revolution. can you imagine the outcry in this country if great britain had required america to pay a freedom tax after the revolutionary war to make up for lost wages and profits? americans would still be angry.

americans would be resentful, but more importantly, americans would still be recovering from having to dedicate most of its g.d.p. to paying an unconscionable tax for the subsequent loans and interest needed to resolve it. how did it happen that for 450 years, the nation of haiti was trapped in a vicious cycle of economic extortion and exploitation while the rest of the so-called civilized world acted as if making the victim pay, the brutalizer was not a crime against humanity and the complete inversion of common sense? but this is what has happened to haiti. this is the root cause and the base behind the bottom less music of chaos and violence happening in haiti right now. the reverend martin luther king jr. said that violence is the language of the unheard.

a point to which i shall add, criminality is the verbiage of the poor, people who not the means or opportunity to participate and benefit from the wealth of their own country will in the end act against the national interests because the politics of bread are unrelenting. i stand with all of my colleagues who condemn the violence going on in haiti because violence is never the answer. but more than that i call on all the western powers to once and for all take their knees off of the neck of the haitian economy. the world owes the haitian people an apology and the real support haiti has never received. america should celebrate our longest and greatest democratic

ally in the western hemisphere, haiti. the haitian army fought with america in the american revolution in savannah, georgia. we can end this violence not with soldiers but with real economic investment. and if the manifest destiny of america is to be concerned about the quality of life in our hemisphere, then the investment we make in haiti is the fact that an investment should be a future stability of the neighborhood we live in. charity begins at home, our scriptures teach us. it's about time the nation and the world support haitians' self-determination. mr. speaker, i yield my time to the honorable sheila cherfilus-mccormick, my co-anchor from the great state of florida. ms. cherfilus-mccormick: thank so you much. mr. speaker, i'd like to yield myself the rest of my time. today i stand before you to discuss the future of haiti. haiti is a country with an

inspirational global history and a rich culture but it has encountered numerous obstacles over the years, such as political turmoil and dire gang violence. gangs currently control 80% of the capital, 1.4 million haitians are nearing famine. 362,000 people are internally displaced and young girls are regular victims of gender-based violence. in short, the gang violence has caused life in haiti to be unbearable. the haitian people have been crying out for help, and the republican party has been holding up funding for the security mission to help more than two million people in haiti for the last six months. the security mission in haiti is critical to protecting the haitian people and creating an environment necessary for peace, stability, democracy, and self-determination. we are at a tipping point, and we need a solution now. no debates, no political games. haiti cannot wait any longer for

the multinational security mission. every single day we wait, we risk another life. we must end this nightmare facing the haitian people. instead of actively working towards a solution, republicans are holding these funds to further their radical agenda. haiti is in our back yard. its insecurity is a direct threat to america's security. no one wants to leave their homes. they're forced to. despite receiving 70 briefings since october of 2023, republicans continue to spread misinformation and you are engaging in fear mongering towards haitian migrants coming to the united states. they're refusing to propose real solutions while lives hang in the balance. and our national security is under real threat. let me be clear, the united states supports the security of the haitian people. i commend the biden-harris administration and secretary blinken for pledging $300 million to support the m.s.s.

the biden administration announced $25 million for humanitarian assistance to haiti and builds on the $33 million of humanitarian assistance secretary of state blinken announced last month. republicans need to stop playing these political games with their lives and release the hold on the multisecurity mission now. the longer we hold the funds, the more haitian people die and three to the united states. recently, we've seen more governors talking about this fear of haitian people coming to our borders, but the truth is it we step in right now and release the funding, we would have the security necessary, so no one has to leave their homes. every day we see more children, women, boys, and girls who are being brutalized, kidnappinged, raped in front of their family. rape has been used to intimidate the haitian people. how can we stand as americans who call haiti and the haitian people our allies and not come to their defense? how can we stand in this very moment when we see haitian lives every single day being

sacrificed, being killed, and do nothing. how can we play these political games while we have so many family members who are dying? being the only haitian american in congress and the first democrat, it breaks my heart we are in this place and i can see our republican counterparts playing these games. every single day i live in fear of hearing another family member who has died in haiti. every single day we have more than 1.2 million haitian americans living in the united states who are in fear that their family is being murdered. right now we have haitian americans who cannot be evacuated soon enough to get out of the country. we have elderly people who came to the united states and worked very hard and went back to retire in their home countries who cannot get out of their country, who are being threatened, who are being beaten. we see children every single day being forced into being part of the gangs who have been tasked with burning bodies and actually shooting on first sight when they see people. how can we as americans every single day see these atrocities and do nothing? how do we live and have a

conscience and come to congress and continue to play games? we must do what is right for the haitian people and the american people. we must live up to our greatness and put an end to these political games and do what it right. as the leaders of the global economy, as the leaders of the international world, let us stop playing these games and finally lead with compassion. our strength is in our ability to come together and service all humanitarian people, all humanity. let us act today and stop playing these games. for the last six months, we've been begging for these funds to be released. and to be honest with you, $40 million being released for this mission is nothing compared to what we have spent in other regions, so why not for a country that is right in our back yard? with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back.

[no audio] the speaker pro tempore: under the speaker's announced policy of january 9, 2023, the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. schneider for 30 minutes. mr. schneider: thank you, mr. speaker. 186 days since the barbaric hamas attack on october 7 in which 230 people were murdered and more than 150 were taken hostage.

186 dayings and still 133 people including eight americans are being held hostage in gaza. many of the 133 are known to be dead including three of the americans. some were murdered on october 7 and their bodies taken into gaza. some known to be alive in captivity have been murdered by their captors, like eldat casir, whose body was recovered last week. 186 days, more than six months. no indication of their medical status. no visits if the red cross. no word of when they might come home. for the families, 186 days of wondering if their loved one is dead or alive, is being tortured, or a victim of sexual violence. 186 days is unconscionable. for many weeks, negotiations facilitated by the united

states, egypt and qatar have sought to achieve a cease fire and bring hostages home. israel has accepted the terms. hamas has to date rejected them. the world waits for hamas' response. as secretary of state blinken noted earlier today, quote, it is astounding to me that the world is almost defiantly silent when it comes to hamas, end quote. so mr. speaker, i rise today to once again bring urgent and necessary attention to the hostages still held in gay savment all deserve to be named but i will list the americans, many of whose families are with us in the gallery here today. edonne alexander. hersch goldberg poland. omar nutra. keith siegel. judy weinstein. my heart goes out to the families and friends of those

hostage who was yet to be released. who have no information about the well being of their loved ones, whether they are alive, injured or dead. i refuse to let the hostages be forgotten. we must bring them home. mr. speaker, tonight with my colleagues we stand on the house floor, imploring congress to work to save the hostages. we also honor the families of those who were killed or taken hostage on october 7. tonight, a number of these families present in the house gallery continue to call for our government to do all it can to bring the remaining hostages home, including rachel goldberg and john poland, parents of per, goldberg poland, a 23-year-old chicago native who attended the concert on october 7. than declahan, a father of a

35-year-old husband and father who was 200 yards from his kibbutz when the area was invaded. after sounding the alarm for his neighbors he joined the security team at the kibbutz. his mother was also taken captive but escaped when an i.d.f. helicopter shot at the vehicle taking her away. roman and omar, parents of a 22-year-old member of the i.d.f. who was on a tank defending the border on october 7 he grew up in new york but was visiting israel before attending university in the united states. audi and yale alexander, parents of a 19-year-old member of the i.d.f. stationed near gaza at the time of the attacks. andrea weinstein, sister of judy who was killed on october 7. judy, age 70, grew up in canada but was born in new york. liz hershnotaly, great aunt of 3-year-old abigail who was kidnapped alone to gaza after

her parents were murdered in front of her eyes by hamas terrorists we honor the memories of those who have die and pray for those still in captivity. i want to thank all my colleagues who have joined me here today as we work to make sure that we bring those hostages home. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the record on the subject of this special order. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. schneider: thank you. it is now my privilege to bring my good friend and colleague, debbie wasser -- wasserman schultz who joined me on a mission to understand what israel is going through and how we can make a deisms ms. wasserman schultz: i thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership in calling together all of us in support of bringing all of our hostages home. and reminding the world that hamas still has american

hostages in its grip. we are joined in the gallery by several family member who was spent every night for over half a year praying mourn, hoping beyond hope for their loved ones' safe return. our number one job as elected officials is providing for the safety, security and integrity of the american people. we cannot rest while a terrorist group that has murdered americans continues to hold americans hostage. nothing is more critical than what president biden and his administration are doing every day. he is fighting tirelessly to bring americans and the rest of the hostages home right now through a temporary ceasefire agreement. it is unconscionable that hamas continues to reject a hostage deal and hold other 130 hostages in gaza. it is despicable that these sick, violent fiends refuse to allow the hostages to be

reunited with their families and cling like vultures to the remains of innocent civilians they have tortured, starved and murdered in order to use them as political leverage. our message to these families, our regional partners and the american people is consistent and clear. hamas must not succeed. the houghs ams must come home. two weeks ago, i joined my colleague from illinois and we both led side-by-side congressional delegation, i of women members of congress, where we met with the parents of hersch goldberg poland who we have met with numerous times and many of the family members that are here tonight, rachel and john are here tonight as well. and their strength and commitment alongside all of the american families to be reunited with their loved ones is inspiring. the las vegas of a parent knows no bounds. once the hostages are released we look forward to welcoming you all back to this chamber in celebration of your families

being made whole again. please know that i personally and on behalf of my constituents carry all of your loved ones in my heart each and every day. i'm proud president biden and vice president harriries have stood by -- and vice president harris have stood by israel's side, defending the american people and pushing lev -- using leverage to push to get a deal done. there's a deal on the table, that continues to be geshted today, spearhead by president biden, backed by israel, egypt and qatar, that will get hostages home, aid into gaza and a pause in the fighting. hamas can end all the pain in hearts right here around us and in that region. if they had any interest in safeguarding palestinians this could all be over right now. egypt, qatar and leaders with leverage must insist that hamas accepts this deal. anyone who wants to see a temporary ceasefire, the release of hostages and a just and lasting peace must demand it of

hamas. it has been 186 days. our fellow americans must come home now. those who have been lost must be brought home and laid to rest and until that day, we will continue to stand together, arm in arm with these families and with our ally israel. thank you. i thank the gentleman and i yield back. mr. schneider: thank you. mr. speaker, may i inquire how much time remains. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman has one minute remains. mr. schneider: it is now my privilege to yield three minutes to my colleague, from indiana. i'm proud that this is something we worked collaborative on across both sides of the aisle. mr. baird: i thank my colleague for yielding me this time. hamas has committed countless attacks against the israeli people since last year's

unprovoked attack. thousands lost their lie whence hamas stormed into israel to terrorize jewish communities and brutalize their people. many families have mourned the less of loved ones while others still live with the uncertain i have to knowing their family members are held in captivity. i've had the opportunity to speak with the families of those hostages on multiple occasions including some of those here tonight. i've stood shoulder-to-shoulder with them as they recount the terrible pain they've experienced. as they nervously await news of their loved ones. despite the overwhelming grief these families have experienced, they continue to share their stories, to shine a light on the true to scale of hamas' inhumanity. i appreciate them for remaining in the spotlight, to remind the world of the terrible atrocities committed by hamas. their courage is a testament to

the strength of the israel people and all those who have victimized by the hamas terrorists. we will can't to fight for the release of all the hostages that are still held in captivity and stand with our friend in israel in their struggle for their lasting security. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. mr. schneider: thank you. it is my pleasure to introduce my friend who also traveled with us to israel two weeks ago, the gentlelady from north carolina, kathy manning. ms. manning: thank you to my good friend representative schneider for bringing ugh together tonight to push for the release of the hostages. it's been six months since hamas terrorists invaded israel to carry out gruesome attacks,

rape, mutilate, slaughtering civilians and taking innocent people hostage. here we are six months later. and 130 houghs rages main captive in gaza. i recently returned from a congressional delegation trip to israel. i saw firsthand the savage and diabolical nature of the october 7 attack. i visited kibbutz kavar asa, one of the communities burned and pillage. i saw the devastating the instruction that resulted when hamas went house-to-house, killing people by throwing grenades in their homes. spraying them with bullets and setting their homes on fire while young people were hiding inside the deliberate cruelty was shocking. gut wrenching. and unforgettable. the kibbutz is where aviva and keith siegel were taken by

hamas. keith is an american citizen from my home state of north carolina. for six months, keith has been held hostage by these terrorists. i think about keith and all the hostages every single day. aviva spent 51 days in captivity and thankfully she was released in november and since her release she has spoken out about the horrifying sexual abuse and violence she saw hamas use on the hostages. it's hard to imagine what the women still being held captive today must be experiencing. and it's hard to anticipate the condition they will be in when they are finally returned. for the young women who are being raped and tortured, i am deeply worried that they will be pregnant as a result of their rapes in captivity. during my visit to israel, i met with dr. kohab levy, chair of

israel's civil commission on october 7 crimes by hamas against women and families. she is working tirelessly to gather testimony and the evidence of the sexual abuse of women and families. and she says the job of viewing and archiving the evidence is particularly tough on her staff. so are the death threats they get from people who don't want to see the evidence of those horrific crimes collected for the world to see. the accounts of sexual violence she shared can only be described as evil. carried out to inflict maximum physical, emotional and psychological pain. on women and girls. we cannot allow the world to ignore what has happened, and we cannot allow the world to forget the hostages. and the world cannot be allowed to ignore the truth.

that hamas has the power to end the war they started by releasing the remaining houghsages. time and time again, hamas has refused ceasefire deals and refused to release the hostages. it is shocking that the world is not protesting hamas, calling out hamas for starting this war, and continuing it. hiding behind women and children and prolonging the suffering of two peoples. so let me be clear. hamas must release the hostages and stop all the suffering they have caused and are continuing to cause. thank you again to my dear friend, representative schneider for your leadership, for organizing this time together, for us to continue to call out for every single hostage to be brought home. mr. schneider: thank you. it is now my privilege to yield

three minutes to another one of our colleagues who joined us on that trip two weeks ago from california, norah -- norma torres. mrs. torres: thank you to my colleague. mr. mrs. torres: i also rise to demand the release and safe return of the remaining hostages in gaza who have now spent half a year in captivity. the words of a mother, i love you, stay strong, survive. this is the mental message rachel goldberg poland sends her son hirsh every single day. he's an american who is among the 130 hostages still held captive by terrorist hamas for 186 days. the 130 hostages are not mere

numbers, they are people with stories and families who love them and desperately want to see them home. three hostages are american citizens. hirsh goldberg is a vibrant 23-year-old california native who loves soccer, traveling, and spending time with his family and friends. he fought for unity and equality in israel as a leader of an initiative to bring israeli and palestinian children together through soccer. i spoke with his mother, his parents who are with us tonight and israel last month. they knorr a constant state of profound trauma, not knowing whether their son is dead or alive. not knowing if their son will ever come home.

all they know about their child is that their child came from survivor accounts, and from watching terrorist hamas go-pro footage of the october 7 massacre. hirsh was last seen october 7 with his left arm blown off by terrorist hamas grenades and his body was loaded into a truck heading into gaza at gunpoint. his last messages to his parents read, i love you, i'm sorry. despite the horrifying images, hirsh's mother, rachel, says hope, hope is mandatory. mr. speaker, here in congress, hope is not enough. i join my colleagues in calling for the immediate release of all hostages held by hamas terrorists, and i urge the

administration to continue to do everything in its power to help free the hostages like hirsh and ensure their safe return. i will not allow the hostages to be forgotten. they are not a terrorist group, political pawn, and i stand with their families in calling for an immediate return. and i yield back. mr. schneider: mr. speaker, last week there were 19 members of the republican freshman class in israel and i'm pleased to yield to one of those members, rudy, from indiana. >> mr. yakum: i call for the immediate, unconditional release of all hostages held in hamas, by hamas in gaza. hamas committed unspeakable war crimes 1786 days ago on october 7. since that day, we have borne

witness to stories of the atrocities committed by hamas from survivors of the attack and from hostages who have been released. last week i traveled to israel and saw the after math of hamas' slaughter. we witnessed first hand in kibbutz near oz which prior to hamas' attack had 400 residents. mr. yakym: in that kibbutz we you walked through homes where men, women, children and elderly were murdered or taken hostage. it's estimated that 25% of near oz's residents were either killed or abducted and taken hostage by hamas. hamas showed utter disregard for human life. i also met with rachel goldberg and john whose american son

hirsh was taken hostage by hamas. hirsh remains in captivity today. i am grateful that rachel and john are here tonight. along with several other families whose loved ones are being held in gaza. i admire your strength, especially in a time of such immense hardship. know that your loved ones are not forgotten. we must continue to call for the release of every last hostage until they have all come home. the fastest way for this conflict to end is for hamas to release every hostage and surrender. it is pastime to bring them all home. i thank my good friend, the gentleman from illinois, brad schneider, for organizing tonight's special order. thank you for your leadership, and i yield back.

mr. schneider: thank you. it's my pleasure to introduce from the state of massachusetts, my friend jake auchincloss. mr. auchincloss: today we stand against anti-semitism and in solidarity with the hostages and their families. we stand together against the depravity of hamas, holding innocent men, women, and children hostage for six brutal months. we proclaim with one voice that the hostages must be returned immediately and unconditionally. we stand together against the surge in anti-jewish and anti-israel hate crimes. we proclaim with one voice anti-semitism and the delegitimatization of israel have no place in our country. my forebearers in ukraine learned through torment that hate may begin with solitary anonymous acts of desecration but it does not end there. hate does not end unless we drag

anti-semitism to the daylight and bear witness to their penetrating effects and resolve together that we are our neighbor's keeper. i'm committed to all measures that will counter the scourge of anti-semitism and hasten the return of the hostages. and we must all strive for an america that is true to its ideals and and is real that's secure and democratic. where in both countries, all sit under their own vines and fig trees and none shall make them afraid. i yield back. mr. schneider: thank you. it's now my privilege to yield four minutes to my friend, representative from new york, dan goldman. mr. goldman: thank you to my friend from illinois for scheduling this. thank you, mr. speaker, for the time. i rise here tonight once again to rift up the 133 hostages,

innocent babies, grandparents, young women who have suffered from awful sexual abuse and so many others who are all brutally and illegally captured on october 7 by hamas, a terrorist organization which has held them in treacherous conditions for six months. we don't actually know how many are alive bahamas has violated just about every single humanitarian law that exists and will not provide a basic list of those who are alive or even provide wellness checks and daily medication to the elderly. eight of these hostages are americans. three of whom are sadly now confirmed dead. three weeks ago, eti hen, a 19-year-old soldier in the i.d.f. who was on the border of gaza on october 7 was determined to have been killed on that fateful day.

hadid and ruby's parents and my constituents who are here tonight with several other families of hostages have fearlessly and courageously led the families of hostages to focus our attention on the urgent need to bring them home. but ruby and the other hostage families should not have to work so hard to keep the hostages front of mind. since when do americans show indifference to eight of our own held hostage by a terrorist group? since when do international organizations and democratic countries around the world simply allow a terrorist group to hold hostages from 26 different countries, captive for six months with deafening silence? is it only because they are jewish that they are viewed differently?

we all want this conflict to end. we want the violence to stop. so let me give you two simple actions that can end this conflict immediately. first, hamas can lay down their arms and relinquish control of the gaza strip. and second, and most importantly, hamas must release all of the hostages, including the deceased bodies. that will end this today. there was a permanent cease-fire on october 7 when hamas executed the worst terrorist attack on the jewish people since the holocaust. hamas has vowed to repeat that attack over and over again if given the opportunity. just imagine if after 9/11 al qaeda controlled mexico or canada and vowed to continue to attack the united states from

our own border again and again, would a single person in this country have called for us to retreat and let al qaeda remain in power next door, poised to replicate 9/11 again? of course not. there are many calls for some kind of a cease-fire. and there's no question that some kind of cease-fire is long overdue. even though everyone seems to have a different understanding of the term. no question israel must do its part. the israeli government must increase humanitarian aid so displaced palestinians can get the food and medical care they need, and they have been doing that much more robustly since a conversation between president biden and prime minister netanyahu last week. and the israeli government must

be willing to enter into a reasonable agreement to stop the violence and get the hostages out. but one requirement of any reasonable rational cease-fire agreement must include that the innocent tortured, illegally held hostages are released. i dare -- i challenge anyone, anyone in this building, in my district in new york city, or in any of the 435 districts around this country to publicly say that a cease-fire agreement of any kind need not include the return of the illegally abducted hostages. but israel has no control over the hostages, hamas does. and so if any reasonable cease-fire agreement necessarily includes the return of hostages, and it must, then there can be

no cease-fire agreement of any kind if hamas is not a party to that agreement. so if you are calling for a cease-fire, help you must call on hamas to release the hostages, and so i say to our administration, i say to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, on both sides of this capitol, i say to our allies around the world, hamas and the countries that harbor and communicate with their leadership must feel much greater pressure to release the hostages. more and more are dying every day. we must bring them home. we must bring them home now. i yield back. mr. schneider: thank you. mr. speaker, is there any time remaining? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman has one minute remaining. mr. schneider: i'd like to read in the record a statement from

steny hoyer. mr. speaker, i rise today -- the speaker pro tempore: would the gentleman suspend? the gentleman's request was to read in the record a statement? mr. schneider: yes. if that's allowed by the rules. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman can insert remarks in the record without objection. mr. schneider: on behalf of steny hoyer, i would like to submit his statement talking about american hostage eti chen deemed to have been murdered october 7. his family is awaiting to bring his body home before they honor with him with a funeral and sit the jewish tradition of seven days of mourning. they'll not have that opportunity until his body is returned. we all join with the family and all of israel waiting for the

return of every hostage, not just those living but those deemed deceased and i thank the speaker for his time today. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair would remind members of the rules do note allow references to persons in the gallery. does the gentleman have a motion? mr. schneider: yes, mr. speaker. i move the house do now adjourn. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on the motion to adjourn. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the motion is adopted. accordingly, the house stands adjourned until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow for morning hour debate.