residential segregation has gotten worse at the extremes of highly affluent neighborhoods and highly form neighborhoods and it's done through zoning. it's done through the federal government subsidizing affordable housing creation. i write about this. it's intentional and maintained and a lot of affluent walking neighborhoods have petitioned to secede from school districts. what happens in the system where you have highly advantage spaces and disadvantage spaces everyone has to scratch and claw to get as close to and opportunities.

a lot of people leave cities and go further and further out to get opportunity. the supreme court's jurisprudence undermines the government being racially conscious to counter that. host: we want to thank you for your conversation this morning. the house is about to gavel in and we will bring you up to the floor for a live gavel-to-gavel coverage here on c-span. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order.

the chair lays before the house a communication from the speaker. the clerk: the speaker's rooms, washington, d.c. may 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 leaders for morning hour debate. the chair will alternate recognition between the parties with time equally allocated between the parties and each member other than the majority and minority leaders and minority whip limited to five minutes, but in no event shall the debate continue beyond 11:50 a.m. the chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from iowa, mrs. miller-meeks, for five minutes. mrs. miller-meeks: thank you,

madam speaker. i rise today to recognize iowa's very own julie zerwick, sip yent of the american association of -- recipient of the american association's college of nursing advocate of the year award. she's a committed advocate for nursing education currently serving as a professor and dean at the university of iowa's college of nursing. passionately supporting both students and faculty, dean zerwick emphasizes the importance of strong leadership within the nursing profession. she ardently believes in nurses advocating for their patients, communities and the profession itself. and as a former nurse, i can testify to the importance of the dean conducting herself in these endeavors. under the dean's guidance, the bachelor of science and nursing program has consistently ranked among the top 10 in the nation at her university by u.s. news and world report for three consecutive years.

2022, 2023, and achieving an impressive number four ranking in 2024. i ask my colleagues to join me in expressing appreciation for dean zerwic k's unwavering advocacy and congratulating her on receiving the advocate of the year award. thank you, madam speaker. today we celebrate the exceptional achievement of school students moving on to the finals in the american rocketry challenge. among 5,500 talented students competing, maharishi's team has risen to the top. their mission is no small feat. carting a large egg to 820 feet, maintaining flight for 43 to 46 seconds, and safely returning. but i'm confident in their design and precision. the students' rocket journey has been marked by hours of hard work, creative problem solving and an unwavering dedication to stem excellence. iowa's aerospace partners stand

behind you, cheering you on. and for those that are interested, today in the rayburn foyer there will be some demonstrations. tomorrow on friday. they are not just competing for prizes, they are shaping aerospace innovation. once again, congratulations on the bright minds of the maharishi school. your achievements inspire us all. best of luck in the national finals. with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. espaillat, for five minutes. mr. espaillat: thank you, madam speaker. today is, and this week has been, police week here in washington, d.c. we saw how hundreds of police officers came to the nation's capital to be recognized, to be honored for their service across neighborhoods and cities and

states of this great nation. police officers respond to crises, to a violent situation, to a family conflict, to someone brandishing a weapon. very often -- it is not often that a police officer responds to a friendly situation. they respond to conflict, so they put their lives in harm's way for all of us in america. and neighborhoods across the country expect police officers to show up when they call upon them to protect them. so this week is the week where we stand up here in the nation's capital and recognize the men and women in uniform that protect our families, our

neighborhoods, our cities owrks states -- our cities, our states. for us here in the house of representatives, and for me in particular, i am forever grateful to the heroic officers who protected the capital and will forever be remembered, the 140 officers who were injured and the five who lost their lives as a result of the attack on january 6 right in this chamber. they didn't determine whether the member was a republican member, whether the member was a democratic member. they came to protect our lives and in many ways they also showed up here confronting a violent, racist mob to protect democracy. to protect the house of

representatives. on the other side, to protect the senate. so i want to take this opportunity, madam speaker, to recognize the officers that lost their lives. brian sicknick, a capitol police officer who died a day after the attack. howard livingood from the capitol police as well. jeffrey smith from the metropolitan police department. gunther hashida from the metropolitan police department. and kyle defreitag from the metropolitan police department. i am grateful for the brave officers also that testified in front of the january 6 committee. officer michael finon, officer harry dunn, and new yorker, brooklynite police sergeant, and

officer daniel hodges. but it has been more than a year since congress agreed to install a plaque to honor the officers who defended this very capitol during the january 6 attack. so i brought a poster of that plaque that has not yet been installed and we could talk all the fanfare we want about how great the police department is here in the metropolitan d.c. area and across the country. but we have failed for over a year to properly recognize the capitol police officers and the local police departments that protected our very own lives. we have failed to install the plaque and that's why i bring this poster of it to show the american people that we want to honor not just all the plefers

across -- police officers across the country but also the ones that defended this capitol and protected us from an angry, violent mob. whose intent was to kill nancy pelosi. whose clear intent was to assassinate vice president pence. they made no distinction on our political affiliation here in this chamber. they weren't going to ask you for your pen or your voting card and when you are a republican or a democrat -- and weather you are a republican or a democrat. they made no distinction. and yet the police officers are here and we have failed to properly honor them. madam speaker, i yield back. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from arizona, mr. ciscomani, for five minutes. mr. ciscomani: thank you, madam

speaker. today i rise with grave concerns over another border record shattered by this administration. we know that the border crisis has national security consequences and also humanitarian consequences. just recently the washington examiner reported that under the biden administration, nearly half a million migrant children arrive to the united states without a parent. the administration's open border policies are incentivizing parents to send their children on the dangerous journey to the united states, oftentimes putting them in the hands of ruthless drug cartels and human smugglers. sadly, to the lack of oversight -- due to the lack of oversight and protection by the department of health and human services, many of these innocent children end up in singing situations -- sickening situations where they are trafficked, forced to work

in unsafe conditions, or even worse. as an immigrant myself who moved to the united states as a young boy, and now a father of six, this breaks my heart. we must protect these vulnerable children and treat them with the care they deserve. there is nothing fair, humane or compassionate about this. these children are sent to the u.s. in search of opportunity and a better life. but instead end up in harm's way. this is yet another terrible consequence of the historic crisis at our border. the administration's failure to enforce the laws puts immigrants -- puts migrant children in danger while enriching cartels and criminal organizations that profit from their suffering. this is a tragedy and it's completely unacceptable. we have a responsibility to protect these vulnerable children while enforcing the law to stop this behavior.

i will continue working to secure our southern border and strengthen protections for unaccompanied migrant children. madam speaker, i rise today to congratulate mandy rhodes on a well-deserved retirement after 18 years of service to the students and community at push rich christian academy. during her time, mandy taught students in fourth and eighth grade and served the grammer school campus as principal for seven years. an outstanding career as an educator. as a teemp and principal -- as a teacher and principal, mandy is known best for how she cared for everyone around her. her incredible smile and positive attitude created a warm environment, sense of community and a culture of excellence at the academy. she empowered her students to be the leaders and innovators of tomorrow. and i know this firsthand because my own kids experienced it. she has been a force for goord

our -- for good for the students in our community and my family. mandy -- i strongly believe that no profession means more to our future generation than our educators. education is the pillar of the american dream and our teachers are its architects. and so thank you, principal rhodes, for all you have done and all you have given to the students and community of push ridge christian academy. may god continue to bless you in your new journey. madam speaker, i rise today to congratulate the south point high school softball -- the high school -- i'm sorry, the south point high school girls softball team for winning the f-a state championship. on -- 4-a state championship. on saturday they faced off against their opponent. in an exciting game they shut out their opponents with a score

of 11-0, securing four home runs. this marks the lancers' sixth state championship in a row since 2018. their hard work and perseverance over the past six seasons has been truly commendable. with this state championship under their belt, the lancers end the season with 31 wins and only four losses. i am proud to represent such dedicated athletes, determined coaches and supportive parents. congratulations, coach trisha stan, and her talented team for this well-deserved win and this amazing title. congratulations. and with that, i yield. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from north carolina, mr. nickel, for five minutes. mr. nickel: thank you, madam speaker. may 18 marks 15 years since the end of sri lanka's almost

30-year armed conflict. a war that tragically ended hundreds of thousands of lives. this conflict shattered families and communities, leaving deep scars that are still felt to this day. this week i'm introducing a resolution that commemorates those lost and aims to protect the community from future violence and discrimination. my resolution recognizes the genocide in sri lanka and affirms the right of their people to self-determination through a democratic process. the tamul people have a long history of identity on the island now known as sri lanka. historically they lived in sovereign tamil kingdoms that were forcibly merged and you single administration in 1833 by the british. this set the stage for decades of strife, conflict and suppression, culminating in war. ...

my resolution asks for a peaceful solution to ongoing tensions. it advocates an independence referendum, one that's been used in similar conflicts in other parts of the world. this echos our commitment to democratic principles and underscores our support for human rights globally. additionally, my resolution calls on the united states to strengthen diplomatic ties and support the tamil people's pursuit of justice and self-determination. it highlights the ongoing challenges in the region, including the militarization of tamil areas, proation of land, and destruction of cultural heritage which continue to exacerbate the grievances of the community. today as we remember the end of a dark chapter in sri lanka's history, we should also look to the future. a future in which the rights and dignity of all people are held andry secretaried. let's stand together in advocating for a peaceful democratic solution that

respects the tamil people's right to decide their own future. this resolution is not just symbolic, it's a crucial step toward healing, justice, and lasting peace. we are seeing recognition and support grow slowly but surely for this issue. thanks to the tamil community's continued advocacy and partnership, members of congress are now discussing this issue. we have a caucus called the ethnic and religious freedom in sri lanka caucus, specifically to address the federal government's role in righting this wrong. we are making real progress and i'm proud to co-chair this caucus. we started with advocacy and legislation when i was a state senator in north carolina, and now we are continuing the fight in the united states congress by introducing a resolution that affirms the right of tamil to pursuit an independence referendum. i urge all that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks colleagues in the house to support this important legislation. it's an opportunity for us to lead by example, to champion the

values of democracy and human rights, and to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the tamil people. thank you, madam speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from michigan, mr. huizenga, for five minutes. mr. huizenga: thank you, madam speaker. i rise today to honor the men and women serving as first responders in our communities across southwest michigan. these brave individuals put on their uniforms every morning with no guarantee that they will make it back home. we must remember there is no such thing as a routine traffic stop these days. the tragic reality is our police and law enforcement officers are being targeted and killed at an alarming rate. yesterday here at the capitol and in michigan, we honored those who have fallen in the line of duty while serving our communities, including the deputy sheriff stover.

officer scott bierstead. and more recently ryan proxmire, with the kalamazoo county sheriff's office. over the last several years increased support for the defund the police movement and anti-police legislation that is led to a complete lack of appreciation for the work officers do every day. to these men and women serving our communities, please know i support you. the vast majority of us here in congress support you. and we thank you for your effort to make southwest michigan a safer place and even bert place to call home. madam speaker, president biden's immigration policies continue to wreak havoc on our borders. according to the department of homeland security, over nine million individuals have illegally entered the united states over the last three years. that alone is unacceptable, but just this week it was revealed that there have been more individuals who have evaded border patrol and illegally

crossed into the united states since president biden took office than in the previous decade combined under presidents obama and trump. madam speaker, it's clear president biden's open border policies -- policies are the problem. the biden administration must implement the border reforms i voted for and the house passed that include restarting construction on the border wall, ending catch and release, and making sure our men and women serving on the border have the manpower and resources they need to secure our border. border security is national security, and will i continue to fight for border security and make west michigan a safer place. madam speaker, yesterday in our house financial services committee we had a big day. it was frankly a sad day and a tragic day because it was a day to explore what had happened at the fdic, federal deposit insurance company.

there was an independent report, the cleary gottlieb report, which had heard from 541 individual whistleblowers who were outlining the hostile work environment that exists at the fdic. sexual harassment, racial discrimination, general temper tantrums, and bad behavior abound. some say this has been happening for a long time. that is true. but there is one person, one man, who has been in charge of the fdic for 10 of the last 13 years. he has been on his third tour of becoming the chair. and these complaints stretch back to each time that he has been chairman. and in fact, the other two intervening chairs, sheila baird from president obama, and yellenna mcwilliams from president trump have spent their time cleaning up the mess that

martin gruenberg has created. if you created the environment, you can't fix the environment and you are not the right person for the job. if you say everyone had been held to a higher standard from now on, yet will not hold yourself to that same standard, you are not the right person for the job. madam speaker, the time has arrived for the fdic chairman martin groundberg to -- gruenberg to resign or be fired. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from illinois, mrs. ramirez, for five minutes. mrs. ramirez: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for five minutes. mr. speaker, in recognition of jewish american heritage month i rise today to honor my constituent, a long time descendent of our multicultural,

multiracial democratcy, naturalla brahmasble. naturalla has dedicated her entire life to organizing multicultural interfaith coalitions for economic and racial justice. and for the last 10 years, marla has been a passionate voice for jewish neighbors leading the community organizing team at the jewish council on urban affairs. through these efforts he she has helped achieve significant victories for a community, for our city and our state. ending cash bail in illinois. protecting affordable housing units across the city of chicago. expanding medicaid coverage for undocumented immigrants. and making sure that our communities understand the importance of affordable housing. marla has lived in the beautiful humboldt park community for over 20 years and had an opportunity to see her work, how she organizes from a place of love, from a place of justice, and from a place of peace. she has devoted herself to

mentoring young jewish leaders and people of all backgrounds like me demonstrating how through solidarity we can unite across faith communities for our fight for justice and peace. on behalf of the illinois' third congressional districters it is the greatest honor of my life to commend marla brahmasble to being a siding light for the jewish community and all of us in illinois three, chiang thank you, congratulations -- thank you, congratulations. mr. speaker, in heck nation of asian american native hawaiian, and pacific islander month i rise today to commend two essential asian american organizations serving families in illinois three. albany park illinois three is home to the hana center and alliance of filipinos for immigrant rights and empowerment, as we call it afire. they are essential to serving families of korean, filipino,

and asian american heritage through social security services, education, culture, and community ordering. by hosting citizenship workshops, health fairs, and other events to engage the community in culturally competent ways, hana center and afire demonstrate the strength and cultural richness of the asian dais -- diaspora. i'm grateful for them and the work building the power of asian american and immigrant communities to organize around their needs. on behalf of the illinois' third congressional district, i'm honored to commend the hana center and afire for their unwavering work to uplift or asian american, native american, and pacific islander families. congratulations afire, congratulations hana center. thank you. mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the life and the legacy of

dr. tom jobe, a trail blazer in the field of mental health. as we have observed mental health awareness month, it's fitting to honor the contributions of a man who expanded our understanding of psychiatric. his multidisciplinary approach challenged established norms. his innovative researched shed light on alternative treatment approaches that brought hope, humanity, and possibilities to patients across illinois and across the nation. he provided care for people, constituents, and the west side, south side of chicago when very few others were doing it. beyond his professional achievements, his warmth, empathy, generosity touched all who knew him. and his passing was deeply mourned. he was a brilliant man with interest that ranged from medicine to philosophy.

that enriched not only his work, but the lives of all people who ever met him and surrounded him. his commitment to mental health care for everyone touched many lives. he is deeply, deeply missed by his partner, anna we ever, hundred loved one, and entire community of the state of illinois. we know that his legacy lives on. a today let us remember tom's many contributions as we continue the vital work of advocating for mental health awareness, support resorts -- resources. in your memory we honor you today. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from ohio, mr. carey, for five minutes mr. carey: madam speaker, i rise today to urge the senate action on a bill that will prevent deadly chemicals

from falling into the hands of our children. our youth poisoning and prevention act passed the house last night. overwhelmingly bipartisan. democrats, republicans working together in what we need to be doing. this must become law. it's a parent's worst nightmare. this faceless stranger over the internet teaching your children how to take their own life, and your child, in a moment of vulnerability, listens to them. see, that's exactly what happened to christine johnson. a very vibrant 16-year-old in hilliard, ohio, my district. she was very open with her parents as it related to her

mental health struggles. but it was behind closed doors on some ridiculous internet forum that she found sodium nitrate. with the coaching of these online predators, christine was able to purchase sodium nitrate through an online service, and actually have it shipped to her front door. without the knowledge of her parents. you see, sodium nitrate is a chemical that is used in the preservation of meat and fish. but it is, in fact, a chemicals when it is highly concentrated that can be over 100 times more powerful. one spoonful. more powerful and deadly than any chemical. thanks to these online forums like the one that christine saw, the number of suicide deaths

using this sodium nitrate is steadily increasing. in recent years the share of sodium nitrate usage as a method of self-poisoning has grown nine times over. by passing this bill what we did, bipartisanly, from the democrats, republicans in the house we need to have it passed in the senate. the youth poisoning prevention act would prevent commercial sales of highly concentrated sodium nitrate so it can never fall into the hands of these vulnerable youth. i want to thank my colleagues, rep trahan of massachusetts, as well as my senator in ohio, j.d. advance and tammy duckworth of illinois for partnering in this important effort. again, this is the stuff that we as members of congress need to be doing.

..we are one step closer to preventing these senseless tragedies. madam speaker, with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. kennedy, for five minutes. mr. kennedy: thank you, madam speaker. i rise to honor a great american, a dear friend of the western new york community, the city of buffalo and my family, tommy cohen. tommy passed away unexpectedly last monday, may 6, at the age of 44. leaving an irreplaceable hole in our hearts. tommy was a one of a kind soul. friendly, charitable,

hardworking, caring, with a vivacious personality and a beaming smile. his love for life and his community was constantly on display through his generosity for others. he always looked out for the little guy and would lift up anyone who needed a helping hand. buffalo is known as the city of good neighbors and tommy served as a shining example of that. in 2022 buffalo was struck by one of the worst blizzards in our history, paralyzing the city and costing the lives of dozens of buffalo citizens. during this terrible storm, tommy strapped on his skis, made his way to one of his restaurants, and got cooking for the first responders. food was delivered to fire

houses, police stations and hospital, keeping those heroes fed as they fought desperately to save lives in the middle of an emergency. he didn't have to do that. put his own safety at risk for the betterment of others. but for tommy, that was just something that you do for the community. his service to the community and dedication to others earned him recognition from the buffalo police in 2019, when they presented him with the william raymond citizen of the year award. tommy was a leader in the western new york community with countless friends. but to me he was my neighbor and part of my family. growing up with my younger brother, patrick, he was like a little brother to me. we watched each other grow up and our careers take off, supporting each other and

cheering one another on along the way. he thrived in the hospitality industry, opening restaurants across buffalo, 40 thieves in the elmwood village, patrick's rooftop in downtown buffalo, and our beloved neighborhood of south buffalo, the legendary doc sullivan's, home of the famous smitty wings. he personified south buffalo and he proudly invested in our community, creating jobs and developing spaces that brought neighbors together over a pint and a few wings. it didn't matter if you were from south buffalo, when you walked into doc's, tommy made you feel like you were from the neighborhood. he knew how to create more than a restaurant. he created an experience. each place had its own signature feel, but tommy's character was

woven throughout it. last friday there was a standing room only crowd that turned out for tommy's funeral at our lady of victory basilica, a true testament to a man who made an impact on countless people. my sincere condolences and sympathies go out to his parents, tom and libby, his siblings, erin and brian, and kristen and pat, his nieces, nephews and extended family. we are all better for knowing tommy. may he rest in peace. madam speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. casten, for five minutes. mr. casten: thank you, madam speaker. so it's police week.

the week when law enforcement officers who keep us safe all over the country come to washington to remind us how important they are and when members of congress introduce resolutions and bills and give speeches in this chamber to let them know how grateful we are to them for their s. i rise today partly to -- their service. i rise today partly to share in that gratitude. neighborhoods like greenwood and beverly have long been home to huge chunks of the chicago police force, from rank and file beat cops, to the cook county sheriff himself. last march i was title of the bill bring home $372,000 for federal funding for police equipment in the village of alsip. i'm grateful to all of the service of our law enforcement officers, but for a bigger reason. we're a nation of laws and we only survive as a nation of laws if those laws are consistently and predictably enforced. and it's our brothers and sisters in law enforcement who make sure that they are. but i do find myself wondering how all these floor speeches this week look to them. how do all these pretty speeches

sound to the local police chiefs who were pleading with us in 2020 to provide them with funding to shore up revenue, during the covid down turn, who knew they couldn't stay open without it and who know that every single republican voted against the plan who kept their officers paid. how do all these pretty speeches look to the capitol police officers who were defending us right now -- who are defending us right now? how do they feel when these speeches come from the same lips of members who still refer to people who assaulted capitol police as political prisoners or in one case as a matterer? how do they sound to the f.b.i. officers or local police who depend on the f.b.i. to coordinate when crimes cross state lines, when they come from the lips of members of congress who are regularly and consistently calling to fund the f.b.i.? how do they sound to a.t.f. officers who were forced to spend hours every day tediously stripping personal identifying information from gun sales

databases, making a mockery of the claim that it's people not guns that kill people. how do all these pretty speeches sound to the victims of financial fraud who depend on the nlrb to protect them from wage theft or the cfpb to protect them from junk fees or the s.e.c. to protect them from financial crimes when the republican party is consistently trying to defund all three? after all, if somebody steals $1,000 from you, you're out $1,000. that is just as true if the crook is wearing a burglar's black mask or a white collar. on that subject, how do all these speeches sound to our nation's criminals? you know the ones. the ones who every april misrepresent their income and assets and commit tax fraud because they trust that the republicans are going to consistently block funding and resources for the law enforcement professionals at the internal revenue service. and finally, how do you think all these speeches sound to the guy who was subsequently

convicted in court for lying about the rape and hasn't paid the $83 million fine imposed by law enforcement professionals for that lie, much less the fine imposed on him for unrelated financial fraud. the guy most of you wouldn't trust with your retirement saves, the guy none of you would trust for an evening alone with your teenage daughter, but who all of my republican colleagues think should be the next president of the united states. the former president of peru famously said, for my friends, everything. for my enemies, the law. that is not how a country of laws works, but it is how fascism is built. it's not the way that you ensure that everybody has equal protection under the law, nor is it the way to honor the men and women who dedicate their life to that principle. and i hope that next year on police week that isn't such a partisan idea. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair would like to remind plebs from refrain from engaging in

personalities toward presumptive nominees forker the office of president -- for the office of president. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from michigan, ms. tlaib, for five minutes. ms. tlaib: my office is bringing home over $17 million in federal funding for 15 imleunt projects throughout the -- community probablies throughout the 12th congressional district this year -- projects throughout the 12th congressional district this year. i am so proud to have partnered up with civic and community leaders throughout the district to prioritize the needs of our residents with transformative projects, madam speaker. from home repairs to affordable housing, to remove lead out of our water, to helping our seniors with flood recovery resources, to workforce development, to neighborhood revitalization, and also to help decrease pollution in our neighborhoods because our residents deserve to breathe clean air. we got $4 million for wayne county, our largest county in the district, and $3 million to the city of detroit to

facilitate lead service line replacement. we all know that our children cannot learn if they're being poisoned with lead-contaminated water. over $1.9 million to our village of beverly hills for water main replacement and reliability, which is so critically important for their water infrastructure. % incredible, beautiful neighborhood as well as detroit's aviation neighborhoods. cody action alliance is prepared to help hundreds of seniors and those in need for home repairs. we also helped secure $1.1 million, madam speaker, to alternatives for girls, to construct the dr. mayaing an louisvilleage -- dr. may maya angelou village. we also were able to recover $1 million to after the storm for

the metro detroit flood recovery project, again, helping many of our seasoned residents struggling with flooding. we also were able to obtain $1.5 million to the city of inkster and dearborn heights for their fire station as well as firefighting resources. we were able to secure half a million dollars to the city of dearborn for their dearborn industrial green beltway to fight pollution and, again, this is one of our neighborhoods that is facing some of the worst air pollution in the district throughout. over $1.2 million to the city of lavonia for their new wellness center for seniors. incredibly important project. the $17.1 million builds on the tireless work we all have done in each of these previous two budgets -- budget cycles to invest in our communities. with the hard work and the incredible partnership and dedication of my team, but especially our 12th

congressional district chief of staff because she's not just my chief of staff, she's my district's chief of staff. larissa richardson helped over the last three years in partnership with me to get $52.1 million in community projects throughout our district. and we're just getting started, madam speaker. to our families and our communities throughout the 12th congressional district, you deserve your fair share of resources. you deserve not just to be able to survive, but also thriving. madam speaker, i'm thrilled to announce that redford township is getting a new recreation and wellness center. i would like to congratulate our incredible supervisor mccray and the township's administration and trustees on the groundbreaking ceremony for this new community space in our district. our team was able to provide $2 million in federal funding for the community project there. the event marks a significant milestone for our community as it will be the first new building focused on recreation and wellness in the township in

over 50 years. the center will provide space for residents to engage in health and wellness activities, strengthening our communities' bonds, promoting healthy lifestyles, and many, many more different programs, again, to create space for our families and our communities. so redford township, congratulations. you deserve this space. i'm so excited to have been part of this positive impact and again look forward to seeing the completion. madam speaker, as the only palestinian american serving in congress, i'm a reminder to many of my colleagues in this chamber that palestinians do indeed exist. we are human beings. that we deserve to live. that we have dreams of freedom and human dignity. i read this quote, quote, when you tell a people to forget its past, you are not proposing peace, you are proposing extinction. this is from peter brunette. as we mark 76 years, we honor the thousands of palestinians who were ethnically cleansed in 1948 and nearly 800,000

palestinians who were violently and forcibly displaced. many, madam speaker, still carrying their keys in hopes of one day returning to their homes, to their villages. we honor their trauma and painful loss of their connections to their family, the land, ol iive groves -- olive groves and villages they grew up in. we honor those who have suffered the impacts of colonialism, ethnic cleansing and apartheid. the nakba did not end in 1948. .. the speaker pro tempore: the chair the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from nevada, mr. horsford, for five minutes. mr. horsford: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for five minutes. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. horsford: madam speaker, i rise today to celebrate lira electric, a small business from my district which was recently honored as an s.b.a.

minority-owned small business of the year during small business week. lira electric started with just two employees in 2017. robert and his wife, and they have since grown to a team of 34. serving clients bike the department of defense, m.g.m. resorts. their journey shows the important role small businesses play in our economic growth. the success they achieved highlights the support of the initiatives which empower minority-owned businesses to thrive and contribute significantly to our economy. congratulations to robert lira and the entire team at lira electric for this well deserved recognition. your hard work inspires us all. i'm proud to represent communities with businesses like yours. madam speaker, i rise to honor the life the naomi deloreries

jackson goins. who passed away after the life of a beloved educator in north las vegas. she was was born in memphis and pursued her passion of education at the university of arkansas, pine bluff, and unlv. in 1964 she and her husband moved to las vegas where she worked for 36 years in the clark county school district before retiring as an assistant principal. for their collective contributions to our local education landscape, they were honored as the namesakes of the therinh. and naomi d.goins stem academy in north las vegas. her strength, perseverance, and commitment to education will be remembered by her loved ones and everyone who knew her. i extend my condolences to her husband, her daughter, north las

vegas mayor pamela goins brown, and all of her loved ones during this difficult time. madam speaker, i rise to recognize one of the greatest heavyweight boxers in history, joe lewis. tomorrow he is being recognized in nevada in a tribute to celebrate both his professional and personal contributions to our communities. lewis was one of the first black men to be elevated to national hero status after he broke many racial barriers and advocated for civil rights. known as the brown bomber, he held the heavyweight title for almost 12 years, defending it a record 25 times. despite a four-year hiatus from boxing to serve during world war ii. in addition to his boxing career, lewis was instrumental in breaking the color barrier in the pga and paved the way for the first generation of black professional golfers. his legacy left an enduring

impact on sports and civil rights, helping inspire future generations to fight for justice. i'm proud to honor his memory and celebrate his lasting influence. madam speaker, i rise today to recognize national police week. i'm proud of the work we are doing here in congress to make sure we give law enforcement the tools they need through the bipartisan safer communities law and through the appropriations process. through the bipartisan safer communities law, we are making our communities safer, reducing crime, saving lives, and breaking the cycle of violence. this law has already made improvements to our school safety, mental health resources, and reduced the number of guns on the streets and cracked down on illegal gun trafficking. historic investments in student mental health for state and school districts, including $1 billion to hire and train more

than 14,000 school mental health professional. more than 750 prohibited individuals denied firearms under bsca's enhanced background checks for gun purchasers under 21. more than 430 gun traffickers charged under bsca's expanded federal enforcement efforts to crack down on gun trafficking. and through community funding projects, democrats putting people over politics, have delivered more direct funding to our local law enforcement than our colleagues on the other side of the aisle. third wave just released a report this week highlighting that house and senate democrats through our community project funding have secured nearly $400 million this year to fund public safety projects in our districts and states. this is compared to republicans that secured around 272 million. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired.

mr. horsford: i'm proud to have delivered $4.4 million to law enforcement programs in nevada's fourth congressional district, including to north las vegas -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. horsford: the las vegas metropolitan police department's emergency command vehicle, the judicial district -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. horsford: and $1.6 million to north las vegas public safety enhancement. these are true investments to public safety. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is no longer reco recognized. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from nevada, mr. horsford -- sorry. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from new mexico, mr. vasquez, for five minutes. mr. vasquez: mr. speaker, i request unanimous consent to address the house for five minutes, revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. vasquez: mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the courageous law enforcement officers of new mexico who have made the

ultimate sacrifices for their communities. our law enforcement officers are brave public servants who put their lives on the line every day to serve the people of new mexico. through their bravery they make our community safer and serve as models of justice, strength, and integrity. this national police week i want to recognize and honor the new mexico officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty just this year. sheriff michael reeves. officer anthony ferguson, james sides, new mexico state policeman just continue hare, and las cruces police department patrol officer jonah hernandez. as we respect on the bravery and service of these officers, i would like to recognize the loved ones they left behind. their families, friends, and colleagues. just as we won't forget the sacrifices made by these officers, we will not forget the loss that so many feel in their

absence. to their families who grieve their loss today, we owe you our immense support and gratitude. choosing a career in law enforcement is not an easy choice. in fact, it comes with unimaginable risks and challenges that the majority of the american public will never have to face. they are peacekeepers, our first responders, and the protectors of civil society. and there is still more we can do to support our police officers. their mental health, their physical health, and their well-being. as well as that of their families. i will continue to support measures in congress to ensure every officer has the tools and stability that they need to serve our communities. i urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do the same. on behalf of all new mexicans, i thank our fallen officers, again, for their service and sacrifice. part of the reason folks look to the united states as a beacon of democracy and justice is because we honor, respect, and follow

the rule of law. assault in this nation is never acceptable, no matter the perpetrator or cause. never. when it comes to our police officers and first responders, that's especially important. my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have introduced a bill meant to address this issue and specifically target immigrants in this country. and unfortunately, they could not help themselves but to introduce inflammatory and anti-immigrant language that distorts what we could accomplish if they were actually willing to work together to find real solutions to our nation's broken immigration system. that's why i introduced amendments to ensure what we all can agree on, due process, justice, and rule of law to which we are all entitled to in this country. let me be clear, if anybody is convicted of an offense involving an assault of a law enforcement officer, they should be held accountable. that's not in the case in the bill 9 republicans proposed. i remain committed to address

public safety concerns with legislators on both sides of the aisle that support law enforcement and their families. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does gentlewoman -- the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new mexico, mission leger fernandez -- ms. leger fernandez, for five minutes. ms. leger fernandez: mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize the santa fe international literary festival. humans have painted stories on cabin walls, etched them into clay tables, and recounted them around the dinner table. pablo charlotteans in new mexico celebrate the story tellers and sculptures. the invention of the printing press in 1440 allowed readers across the world to access literature and begin to understand cultures and lives different than their own. sadly, some fearful politicians

want to limit our curiosity and knowledge. they are now banning books. in contrast, the santa fe international literary festival brings together the best literary minds from across the world to move us forward. every participating author is exceptional and has included powerful authors whose award winning books have been banned. like m. scott mamaday. and hula alvarez. at the festival writers will take us around the world and back through history like doug preston, hampton sides. memory lists like javier will take us on a 9-year-old's perilous journey of migration to the united states, hopefully increasing our empathy along the way. congratulations to the festival on another year of spreading the

joy of stories. mr. speaker, this national police week i rise to give thanks to the officers who keep us safe every day, everywhere. police have families who love them and miss them when long hours keep them on the road and on duty. my gratitude extends to your families as well. my gratitude must include getting you the federal resources to do your job, to solve crimes, to keep us safe. my community projects have funded mobile command units in rural counties, virtual raining gear so you are prepared before you face the worst, and squad cars to get you where you need to go. in my district we have many small rural police forces that are grateful for the f.b.i. help with forensics and federal cops and burn j.a.g. grants which

help your police officers do their jobs. federal law enforcement investigates and prevents crimes in indian country. sadly, republican bills and proposals seek to cut these important federal programs and defund the f.b.i. this year alone, democrats have sent almost double the amount of funding than republicans to local law enforcement. i will fight to keep these federal funds flowing so my rural and tribal police forces have access to these important federal grants and to an f.b.i. that can be their partner when the worst happens. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize the loss of one of new mexico's most accomplished and best loved public servants, former new mexico state representative jim trujelo. he answered the call to public service and it's an act of love.

i'm grateful for the love he gave to the people of his district and our state. his legacy now lives on in countless lives he touched in our beautiful state through both his important career as financial professional, and his broad public service in new mexico human services department, six years in the new mexico national guard, and his outstanding 17 years in the new mexico legislature. i met with him numerous times when i was working on voting rights in tribal and intergovernmental affair matters. he always listened with deep attention and gave clear direction and support. he was a man of his word. his tireless dedication to the people of new mexico proved how much we can accomplish when we work together for our beloved communities. i carry his inspiration with me as i continue my own service in the beautifully diverse third

district of new mexico. i offer my deepest condolences to his wife, their children, and the entire extended family. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from california, ms. porter, for five minutes. ms. porter: i rise to commemorate the 70th anniversary of brown versus board of education, the supreme court's decision to desegregate public schools. despite this landmark case, and the integration that followed, segregation in schools has increased by more than 60% over the last few decades. .. driven by school choice and courts rolling back desegregation commitments. every student should have the opportunity to get a quality education. federal, state and local leaders

must work hand in hand to reverse the harmful policies, including housing costs, that have contributed to this new weight of segregation. in orange county, which i represent, students challenged school sell -- seg daition in one of the first -- segregation in one of its first -- the firstcations of its -- first cases of its kind. can laid much of the groundwork for brown v. board of education. as we mark the aimp, i -- anniversary, i hope my colleagues will join me in recommitting to fighting segregation. i rise to extend my sin -- i rise to extend my sincere gratitude to our nation's military spouses. we recently celebrated national military spouse appreciation day, a reminder to reflect on how military families support our service members and our

country through their selfless dedication. the biden administration recently came to an agreement with the department of defense and state department to strengthen the federal domestic employees teleworking overseas program. for military spouses working for the federal government. this agreement will help military spouses keep their jobs and advance their careers while their partners are stationed overseas. yesterday i joined my oversight committee colleagues to build on this success and advance a bill that would codify these protections into law. our military is stronger, is more capable when military spouses can build their careers. because families choose to re-enlist. i applaud their service and selfless dedication to our country. i rise to commemorate the

passing of past president of orange county realtors, jeffrey jackson. his presidency came at a tumultuous time for real estate, with changes to commission structures, historically low inventory and high interest rates. those challenges didn't inhibit his willingness to serve. as his association stated, he willingly embraced the opportunity. jeff was a passionate advocate and the struggles of his clients to find housing drove him to fight for housing for all. he fulfilled all of his roles, including at the state and national association, until the final weeks of his bat well cancer -- battle with cancer. jeff had four loves. his hoosiers, his dog, nice, -- nil serves, -- niles, jazz and housing. he moved to california in 2010 and in 2014 began his 10-year real estate career. jeff was loved by many. including me.

and he will be dearly missed. big oil has long exploited and profited from our dependence on fossil fuels. i rise today proud that our president is finally standing up to big oil and putting people over polluters. i applaud president biden's decision to pause the expansion of america's liquid natural gas export capacity. for too long the united states has rapidly approved l.n.g. terminals without verifying economic benefits and making sure that big oil companies are accountable to clean up their messes. the united states is already the top exporter of l.n.g. and future projects are not expected to go online for several years, handcuffing future generations with the harms of pollution. we need rigorous oversight of

l.n.g. exports to protect families, communities, the environment and our national security. the biden administration's announcement is an incredible first step to making sure the american people and not just big oil companies actually benefit from changes to our energy policies. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from ohio, ms. sykes, for five minutes. mrs. sykes: thank you, mr. speaker. today i rise to recognize the blue devils co-ed wheelchair basketball team as ohio's 13th district champions of the week. the cheel chair -- wheelchair devils won the basketball title, defeating the previously unbeaten and top ranked

austintown falcons. during this championship game, a freshman scored 16 points to help lead the wheelchair blue devils to a well-deserved victory. the win capped off an impressive 15-2 season, in addition to the hard work and determination of these outstanding student-athletes, i'd also like to recognize head coach monica curry and assistant coach greg for guiding and supporting the team throughout this impressive season. in all the success of the blue desks ils wheel -- devils wheelchair team on and off the court has made our community proud and i'm confident they'll continue their dominance next season. once again, congratulations to the blue devils wheelchair basketball team for their incredible season and for being named champions of the week. mr. speaker, today i rise to recognize lulu emanuel as ohio's 13th congressional district champion of last week but champion of this week.

she's a sophomore from fire stone community learning center in akron and she's my district's first place winner for this year's art competition. i had the opportunity to view lulu's winning piece at the community art show hosted at the summit art space in akron and i can truly see that herpes -- say that her piece is captivating. as you can see, lulu uses bold, dramatic neon colors that immediately catch your eye and show off her impressive technical expertise. as the winner of our district's congressional art competition, her work will proud ly be displayed in the capitol where visitors from across the country and the world can see our community's artistic talent and creative abilities. i can't wait so see herpes each time we walk -- her piece each time we walk past the capitol arts challenge on our way to the house floor. in addition to recognizing lulu's exceptional artistic talent, i'd like to also thank her teachers and her family for

supporting her in her defners -- endeavors. i'd also like to make sure we recognize all of the students who participated in the congressional art challenge because you all made this year's art challenge especially fantastic and we are very proud of you as well. but again, i would like to say congratulations to lulu on being the winner of ohio's 13th district art champion and this week's champion of the week. mr. speaker, this is national police week. and i rise to recognize the courage and dedication of police officers in ohio's 13th congressional district and honor those who have lost their lived while serving our communities. being a police officer is already a tough and dangerous job but in recent years staff short ands have made this job even more difficult. as i've talked to law enforcement agencies across ohio's 13th district, the number one thing i continue to hear is that they are having a hard time keeping and retaining officers.

our police officers are constantly overworked, overburdened and tired. and this constant strain on law enforcement agencies doesn't -- simply does not create an environment where police officers can perform to the best of their abilities to keep our communities safe. that's why i joined several members of the ohio delegation to introduce the enhancing cops hiring grants program. this bipartisan commonsense piece of legislation would allow local law enforcement agencies to utilize these grants for recruit am and retention bonuses and also modify the program to reduce costs and administrative burdens associated with the annual applications. giving law enforcement agencies the resources they need to provide recruitment and retention bonuses will ensure these democratics can hire the best, most qualified and responsible officers to protect our communities. in all, this bipartisan legislation will simultaneously improve our safety, the safety of our communities, and increase the trust between police officers and the people they

have sworn to protect and search the when i came to congress -- to search the when i came to congress i -- to serve. when i came to congress i've continued to put my constituents first. i'll work with anyone anywhere for solutions like the grants that provide our law enforcement with the resources they need to keep our communities safe. thank you, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until noon today. >> today the house judiciary committee's considering a resolution to hold attorney general merrick garland in contempt of congress. the attorney general spoke earlier this morning. here are his remarks.