the "wall street journal" nick timiraos serves as the economics correspondent. thank you for your time. remember, on the house side today, aside from the efforts to fund ukraine and israel and other matters that you will see play out this week, expect also the house to deliver its impeachment articles over to the senate side considering the homeland security secretary alejandro mayorkas. follow that on c-span. when it gets to the senate side, be sure to stay close to c-span2, to see how the senate receives them, what they will do as far as the trial is concerned, and other matters related to that. as always, you can file along -- follow along on c-span.org and on our app, at c-span now, always available to you anytime you want to reference those things. the house of representatives is now coming into your we will take you to them.

[captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2024] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the chair lays before the hughes communication from the speaker -- a communication from the speaker -- the house a communication from the speaker. cloipt speaker's rooms -- the clerk: the speaker's rooms, washington, d.c. april 16, 2024. i hereby appoint the honorable mary e. miller to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. signed, mike johnson, speaker of the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the order of the house of january 9, 2024, the chair will now recognize members from lists submitted by the majority and minority members for morning hour debate. the chair will alternate recognition between the parties with time equally allocated between the parties, and each member other than the majority and minority leaders and the minority whip limited to five

minutes. but in no event shall debate continue beyond 11:50 a.m. the chair recognizes the gentleman from north carolina, mr. davis, for five minutes. mr. davis: madam speaker, i rise today to acknowledge a pivotal chapter in our great nation's history. a moment that forever altered the course of our destiny. 248 years ago, the seeds of liberty were sewn -- sown on april 12, 177 of. a group of -- 1776. a group of visionary delegates took a stand that would define the character and direction of a

country. yet to be born. the halifax resolves were not simply words on paper, they were a proclamation, a declaration of a dream for freedom that was bigger than themselves, bigger than any one of us. that dream became north carolina's loud call for american independence. you see, the halifax resolves were born from a year of passionate debate, from a people united not by what they could see, but what they could imagine. a people who believed that a just world was possible. we gathered over the weekend to commemorate the 248th anniversary of this momentous occasion, not only to reflect on the bravery and wisdom of our predecessors, but to recommit

ourselves to the timeless principles embodies in the halifax resolves. madam speaker, i stand on the shoulders of giants and we must always remember that it is through the courage of those who became -- who came before us that we enjoy the freedoms that we hold dear today. a story of courage, a story of hope, a story that tells us that the path to freedom and independence may be long, but it's well worth it in the end. happy anniversary to the halifax resolves. and may the legacy of freedom and bravery and our independence continue to inspire us for generations to come. thank you, madam speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from iowa, mrs. miller-meeks,

for five minutes. mrs. miller-meeks: thank you, madam speaker. i rise today in honor of national librarian day, which is recognized every april 16. as we celebrate the profound impact of literature, let us not forget the unsung heroes behind its organization and dissemination, our dedicated librarians, of which my mother was one. with roughly 17,500 public libraries spread across the nation, including more than 550 within iowa, librarians are the pillar of our communities. it is an era marked by rapid digital transformation, librarians have imagined to adapt to the times. libraries now offer free computer skills classes and access to free online resources. many public libraries even offer language and citizenship classes, access to useful tools, technology like 3-d printers and computers, and free workshops on a variety of hobbies and life skills. they provide a quiet shelter during hot or rainy days at no

cost and they serve as a safe welcoming hangout for people of all ages. i'm grateful for our librarians and thank them for all that they do. madam speaker, i rise today to congratulate ishika dasai on winning the 2024 congressional app challenge. ashika and nashida manages the productivity of their fellow students through an app. students are asked to create an app that solves a district-specific problem and this year they rose to the occasion in iowa's first congressional district with orbit. the app challenge was created in 2016 to foster an appreciation for computer science and stem. since its inception, over 40,000 students across 50 states have participated in the challenge. the winning teams get their app displayed at the capital buildings -- capitol building for a year. they also get to fly out to d.c.

and meet with their representatives. i was happy to meet with these young ladies and their parents and see firsthand how their app works. congratulations to them and all the winners. madam speaker, today i rise to celebrate iowa's very own modern woodsman park for once again being named the number one minor league ballpark in the country. modern woodman park is home to the quad city river bandits and seats more than 7,000 people. this stadium is perfect for baseball fanatics as well as families who want to spend quality time together. attached to their field is a kids amusement park that features rollercoasters and the state's only double decker carousel. this park has been a staple of davenport since 1931 and provides the city with a much-needed economic boost. i'm proud of all those who helped maintain this beautiful park and look forward to my next game there. madam speaker, i rise today to

congratulate caitlin clark, the university of iowa's superstar player, for being selected first overall in the 2024 wnba draft by the indiana fever. following back-to-back seasons of playing in the national championship game, caitlin now finds herself competing for the most prestigious award in all of women's basketball. a wnba championship. caitlin finished her illustrious college career as the highest scorer in ncaa basketball history, surpassing legends such as pistol pete maravich and kelsey plum. she also won all major player of the year awards in her junior and senior years. i could not be prouder of caitlin and all that she has accomplished at a young age. and even coach said, we're going to go to the final four. no one believed her, but she inspired her coaches, her team, her community to make it happen. i can't wait to see the impact she has on the wnba. as always, go hawks.

with that, madam chair, i yield. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. peters, for five minutes. mr. peters: thank you, madam speaker. i rise today in memory of candace carol, a long-time san diego attorney, constituent and friend. to say candace was a trail blazer would -- trailblazer would be an understaipt. i do not know how many women entered the legal profession in 1974, the year candace graduated from duke law school, i do know that just four years earlier there were only 13,000 women lawyers in the entire united states. 13,000. today there are more than half a million. candace said of duke law, it was the first place i'd ever been where if you are a fairly loud, smart, opinionated woman, put your hand up all the time, you are welcomed. indeed, candace was never one to stay silent.

her accomplishments reflect that. her impressive legal career included a clerkship with the d.c. circuit, seven years as an appellate attorney for the national labor relations board and she practiced with sullivan hill in san diego for 30 years. a mother of three, she advocated for women attorneys who were struggling to juggle a work-life balance. and she was also a champion for underserved communities serving on the boards of san diego volunteer lawyers, the national and local aclu and the san diego chapter of the international rescue committee. she cared about the next generation of attorneys, she taught seminars at duke law, and the university of san diego school of law, where she supervised a ninth circuit legal collink i. she and her husband established fellowships at duke to aid students working in nonpaid public interest positions during law school. candace also loved the arts. she served on the board of directors of the san diego opera and was credited with helping save the organization from being

forced to shut down. after everything i've mentioned doesn't reflect someone who has embraced a life of giving back, she also served as president of the san diego county bar association and the california women lawyers and chaired senator barbara boxer's san diego area advisory committee for federal judge and u.s. attorney nominations. sadly, candace died from leukemia at her home in san diego on january 24 with her husband, len, and her sobs, daniel, matthew and david, by her side. she was an inspiration to those who were lucky enough to know her friendship, compassion and commitment to service firsthand. and san diego is a better place because of her. madam speaker, i rise to mark the unfortunate designation today of the tijuana river as one of america's most endangered rivers. while it gives me no pride that the tijuana river is receiving this distinction, it will help bring critical attention to this

environmental catastrophe and public health threat. the sewage crisis has plagued the river for far too long, harming the environment, public health, tourism, our national security andres dents' quality of life -- and residents' quality of life. we're finally beginning to turn the page on this crisis thanks to advocacy efforts like this and soon the story of the tijuana river will, i hope, be one of triumph and not tragedy. last month we celebrated a victory when we secured $156 million for the u.s. international boundary and water commission's construction budget. this money will go toward fixing and upgrading the south bay water treatment plant. there's still a lot more to be done. we'll need to secure additional funding over the next few years to ensure this project is completed without delay and at the fully intended capacity. i will continue working with my colleagues here in congress and this crisis so that one day the tijuana river earns the distinction of being an environmental jewel, not an environmental disaster.

thank you, madam speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee, mr. rose, for five mississippi. mr. rose: madam speaker, for many folks i represent in the upper cumberland region of middle tennessee, this year feels a lot like 1989. that's the last time the pickett county lady bobcats were named girls basketball state champions. they reclaimed that title last month when they defeated the moore county lady raiders 56-45 in the class 1-a final. and the championship, madam speaker, was a family affair. lady bobcats guard zoe nicholas now joined her aunt and grandmother in having been members of a pickett county state championship team. it doesn't stop there. nicholas' cousin is also on the winning team and was even named

tournament most valuable player. the coach that led the team to victory, brent smith, has a brother named barry who happened to coach the last winning team 35 years ago. it's important to note that even though this is the first state championship in a while, the program does very well every season. it's also important to note that each time the lady bobcats have made it out of the quarterfinals and advanced to the state championship, they've won. i want to congratulate the current champions for keeping that now six-time winning streak alive. i am proud to represent pickett county and many places like it that take so much pride in their families, communities and their home team. again, congratulations to the pickett county lady bobcats, the 2024tssaa girls basketball state champions.

madam speaker, i rise today to congratulate and recognize the 2024-2025 tennessee future farmers of america state officer team. i want to commend f.f.a. for all it does to support our nation's young people and the many ways it has helped produce some of our nation's best and brightest. for countless elected officials, including me, f. fmpt a. is where it -- f.f.a. is where it all started. it's where we began, honing leadership skills, learning ways to meet challenges big and small, and seeing the value of hard work. the experiences f.f.a. students are afforded in those few short years will continue to matter to them throughout their lives. serving in an officer role can be transformative. i know because i had the chance to be one myself. i was elected f.f.a. president of my local chapter in cookeville, tennessee in 1928. the following year -- 1982. the following year i was fortunate enough to be elected

middle tennessee state vice president. my time as an f.f.a. state officer taught me tremendous lessons i'm proud to hold onto until this very day. i still keep two of my f.f.a. blue cord roadway jackets in framed cases in my office, on my office wall, as a reminder of the lessons learned from that experience. ... i say all of this to send a message to f.f.a. students everywhere. living to serve isn't just part of the f.f. f.a. motto, it's a lifestyle. with that i congratulate the newly elected f.f.a. state officers. ted, emily, sky already, middle tennessee state vice president sarah at. west tennessee vice president, shelby wallace. state secretary, eli. paige purdue reporter. and lesley rush sentinal. f.f.a. chapters across-towntown

are preparing student leaders for big things. it's those chapter officers and this slate of state officers that give me so much hope for the future of our state. madam speaker, members of congress, please join me in recognizing the newly elected tennessee f.f.a. state officers. congratulations to each of them. thank you, madam speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from south carolina -- from kansas, mr. mann, for five minutes. mr. mann: madam speaker, i rise today to make it crystal clear, america stands with israel. on october 7, 2023, ira iranian-backed hamas terrorists invaded israel killing and kid mapping both israeli and americans rutting in the deadliest day for the juicish people since world war ii. in the aftermath house

republicans made it clear we always have been and will be staunch supporters of israel. under fortunately the biden administration and radical democrats have taken a different approach. since day one president biden's mission has been to appease their regime in tehran as if would be effective to discourage bad behavior. he took a sledgehammer to president trump's policies that worked and desterred -- deterred terrorism. in september of last year, president biden unfroze $6 billion in iranian funds for the release of five american hos hostages. we are grateful that those americans are free, exchanging $6 billion in assets sets an alarming precedent that only further incentivizes hostage taking by iran and other bad actors. america does not negotiate with terrorists. the president's appeasement dealing with the terrorist regime in tehran backfired and put american and israeli lives

at risk. after four years of peace in the middle east under president trump, president biden has empowered iranian proxies and put the entire region at risk. if it isn't clear enough to the biden administration, here's a wake-up call. the president's policies aren't working. they are failing. in fact, president biden's policies are so disastrous that for the first time in history iran has launched a direct military assault on israel. some people are claiming that israel should not respond to iran's attack based on the punches thrown, but rather on the punches that landed. of the more than 300 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles that iran launched at israel, fortunately the iron dome and other defense mechanisms protected israel from much of the damage that iran intended to cause n no other country would we spew such a nuanced foreign affairs strategy. america will not tolerate this behavior from any neighboring country. and neither should israel. since october 7, house republicans have passed legislation to support our ally.

we supported israel's right to self-defense. condemned hamas terrorism. rejected anti-semitism. reaffirmed america's commitment to israel's security. pushed the biden administration to reinstate the -- refreeze the iranian assets, and further prevent iran from tongued terrorism. we fully funded u.s. israel cooperative missile defense programs and supported the expansion of the abram acourts to support peace in the middle east this. week congress will vote on legislation to condemn behavior of the iranian regime and show our unequivocal support for israel. for house republicans and me, there is no question america stands with israel. now, mr. president, the choice is yours. abandon our strongest ally in the middle east or join house republicans and standing with our ally and sole democratic partner in the middle east, israel. thank you, madam speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia, mr. carter, for

five minutes. mr. carter: madam chair, as you know i come down here quite often. i consider this to be one of the great privileges that we have in congress to recognize people in our districts for the life they lived. for the achievements that they achieve. some of them i know and some i don't. all of them deserve to be recognized because all of them have done great things. today i come down to honor someone who was a dear friend. i rise today to commemorate the life of my dear friend, kevin "catfish" jackson. kevin grew number cartersville, georgia. those who knew him recognized his talent. and motivated him to pursue a future in athletics and academics. he wanted to quit high school.

he wanted to become a lineman for georgia power. his coaches saw his athletic ability and encouraged him to continue on, and he did. he will be remembered among many things as being a member of the 1980 university of georgia national championship football team. he played under coach vince duly and russell. in fact, coach russell told the story about how he got his nickname catfish. some people say it was because coach said he fought like cat and drank like a fish. coach also said that it might have been because one day in practice he was waddling around in the mud and looked like a catfish. due to his dedication and teamwork, and his love for the sport, he was voted by his

teammates as co-captain for the georgia bulldogs in 1983. later he was selected by his coaches for the coach wally butts award for the player who pace the price. a title that recognizes willingness to sacrifice for others without even ends. after graduating with a degree in business education, kevin moved to the city of savannah, my hometown. he became a very prominent businessman and very important member of our community. he applied what he learned both in the classroom and on the field to his business ventures. he earned a reputation for treating staff with the respect that he hoped to receive in return. his career started in 1985. he first worked as a salesman for the georgia fastener and safety company in savannah. then he went on to serve as vice president of marketing. in 1999, he founded his own business, envirovac holdings, a

company committed to environmental and industrial cleaning services. as president and c.e.o., he successfully expanded his company across the southeastern region of the nation. kevin was a man of many passions. he lived life like he was. he lived life big. he was known for giving his all in everything he worked on. he served as chairman of the savannah economic development authority. he served on the board of directors for the georgia ports authority, the georgia economic development, the lottery, and so much more. despite his many obligations, he always looked out for his community. and his strong faith guided him tirelessly to serve others. he lent his talents to many wonderful organizations, including alzheimer's association, bethesda academy, casa, leukemia society, cure for

cancer, feed the hungry, united way, ymca, and savannah christian prep school. and i would be remice if-remiss if i did not mention his involvement in the organization of the band of brothers. in fact, for a while we met at his business. the band of brothers is a prayer group, a bible study, that meets every week on friday mornings at 6:306789 kevin was a big part -- 6:30. kevin was a big part of getting that started. he was always there when you needed him, both in his career and personal endeavors. his heart was always filled with gratitude. and his personality brought joy to all he met. more than anything, he loved his family. i love following him on instagram. seeing all the different posts he would have enjoying his grandchildren. he even build them a zoo. practically a zoo. a farm with all the farm animals. words cannot express the

profound impact that catfish has left on his community. he'll be missed. but his career and his service have created a legacy that will never be forgotten. the savannah and broader georgia community are praying for kevin's family, his memory will live on in our hearts forever. we suffered a great void in our community with the loss of kevin "catfish" jackson. but his memory will live on forever. thank you, madam speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from south carolina, mr. norman, for five minutes. mr. norman: thank you, madam speaker. this is a privilege to be on this house floor and recognize people who have done great things for the community and for other people. and i rise today to recognize mr. nick sotamose whose service

and dedication to his work continue o unite and uplift washington, d.c., where over 589,000 government employees work and live. nick has served as the maitre d' of the monaco restaurant for over 50 years this month. he is not an elected leader, not a lobbyist, he is not a congressional staffer. and yet this impact and influence reaches as far as anyone with political power in this town would have. nick knows about the lives of individuals who have walked into delmonico every day. not only does he know political affiliations, not only does he know committee positions or the bills they are working on, but he also knows how their spouses are doing, where their kids just got accepted to school. and when their next grandkid is on the way. it is his incredible memory,

paired with a genuine care for people that have made him a success in this town. when nick started in 1974, washington was a much smaller town and the nature of politics and the entire political arena was much different. nick has grown alongside of it. matching the needs and changes in this town stride for stride. his deep knowledge and understanding of the needs of his guests exemplifies why people continue to return to the delmonico along with the great food they provide daily. it is why i take my staff, my friends, and my family time and time again to delmonico. he's truly an outstanding leader, his demeanor and dedication to service guide the sphere of the entire restaurant. as we recognize nick, let us be

inspired by his example so that we may do work and that we may do it well for the betterment of the people we serve. he has set the gold standard for over 50 years. and his commitment and service will long be remembered. for that i hope you will all join in giving nick a big thank you. i yield back, madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from south carolina -- from guam, mr. moylan, for five minutes. mr. moylan: thank you, madam speaker. i rise in recognition of mayor ernest, retiring this year after over a decade of public service. having been elected in 2008, the mayor holds the distinction of being the mayor of the southern

most village of guam, the village of malesu. his history of service dates back to his time working for the government of guam. a lifelong public servant, the mayor was previously the youth center supervisor with the department of parks and recreation. and held several positions at the public defender's corporation. a few of his accomplishments during his tenure included over 200 new corrupts at the cemeterm at the. completed long awaited land exchange for 32 families for the landless program. repairing the community center, dedicating and renaming the pure part as the malsu veteran sons and daughters pier park. ..

the president is known for his leadership abilities, generosity and his tenacity in advocating for the people. he and his team are and continue to commit their time to ensuring there are programs for the elderly and sports activities for the youth. i will certainly remember him as a gifted public servant who can make a village a family and carry out the spirit. i would like to personally thank the mayor for his unwavering dedication and commitment to the area and its residents. i wish him the best in his retirement and thank him for his many years of service. i'm confident his legacy will inspire future leaders to come.

i thank you, madam speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from south carolina, mr. timmons, for five minutes. mr. timmons: thank you, madam speaker. i stand before you today to speak on the unbreakable bond between the united states and israel. a partnership rooted not just in strategic interests but in our shared values of democracy, freedom and justice. this critical alliance not only shapes the destiny of our nations but also upholds the very principles that define our civilization. when iran launched an unprecedented attack on israel this past weekend, we saw the forces of tyranny emboldened against beacons of freedom. we saw the importance of u.s. leadership and alliances in chaotic regions, but ultimately we saw the results of inaction. for six months israel, our greatest ally in the middle east, has been at war for its very survival.

we've supported them and prayed for their safety from the beginning and in november, when they needed us, this house, the republican majority, passed a bill to aid our friends. but my colleagues on the other side of the aisle didn't want to take up $14 billion out of the $80 billion they handed over to the i.r.s. to pay for it. the result of this was weakness. we showed weakness to our allies and to the world. this cannot stand. the united states has a moral obligation to support our allies in democracy and regional security against the forces of tyranny and terrorism. we have a moral obligation to bring another bill to the floor to support this alliance. let us send a clear message to teheran and to the world, the united states stands unequivocally with israel. we will not waiver in our commitment to defend our ally from the threats of iran and its proxies. we must do this to free the palestinians in gaza from the tyranny of hamas. we must do this for israel. we must do this to send a message to the world.

i yield back. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until noon today.