Mark Amodei

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. AMODEI. The gentlewoman has, for purposes of the record, my commitment to do exactly that.

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Speaker, I have no objection to engaging in a colloquy.

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I am prepared to close, and I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I guess in continuing on the slow-but-steady progress on the theme for today, northern Nevada counties are overwhelmingly owned by the Federal Government, restricting local planners and zoners from being able to adequately serve and plan for their communities' needs. In Pershing County, the Federal Government owns 73.3 percent of the total landmass in the county. The amount of Federal land in Pershing remains virtually unchanged because this bill has a one-to-one consolidation of checkerboard land that was done during the 1800s for railroad construction. It is literally a consolidation of the checkerboard into two pieces, one private and one public. In Douglas County, the Federal Government owns 51.9 percent of the total landmass in the county. This bill conveys 7,777 acres to the county for flood management purposes and allows for the disposal of no more than 10,000 acres in the county. This would dispose of only 4.1 percent of Federal land in Douglas County, most of which is for public purposes. In Lyon County, the Federal Government owns 64.8 percent of the total landmass in the county. The bill allows for the disposal of 12,085 acres of Federal land in Lyon County, decreasing the Federal estate in that particular county by 1.4 percent. All of the parcels for conveyance, disposal, and wilderness were identified and requested by local planning and zoning authorities. That is, in all three cases, the county commissions. The bill has been wrongly conflated to the lands provisions originally in last year's reconciliation package. To be clear, this is not what was considered during the reconciliation. The bill before you is a holistic package that balances conservation and economic development priorities for northern Nevada communities and enjoys bipartisan support in Nevada. The bill is nearly identical to what was favorably marked up and reported out of the House Natural Resources Committee in November last year. The largest piece of this bill, Pershing County, passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee way back in the 115th Congress, so it has been in the mix, if you will, for more than a little while. Groups in support is a list of groups that you don't always hear talked about in support of the same thing. All counties, cities, and Tribes included in the bill not only support it, but the bill consists of requests from those entities to have these lands put into local control. The supporting groups include: Friends of Nevada Wilderness, Coalition for Nevada's Wildlife, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Great Basin Wildlife Conservancy, Nevada Bighorns Unlimited, Nevada Sporting Dog Alliance, Northern Nevada Safari Club International, Sierra Front Muley Fanatic Foundation, Southern Coalition for Nevada's Wildlife, Truckee River Flyfishers, National Mining Association, and the Nevada Farm Bureau. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Agriculture, Washington, DC, September 8, 2026. Hon. Bruce Westerman, Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: This letter confirms our mutual understanding regarding H.R. 2317, the ``Northern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act of 2025.'' Thank you for collaborating with the Committee on Agriculture on the matters within our jurisdiction. The Committee on Agriculture will forgo any further consideration of this bill. However, by forgoing consideration at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over any subject matter contained in this or similar legislation. The Committee on Agriculture also reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees, should it become necessary, and ask that you support such a request. We would appreciate a response to this letter confirming this understanding with respect to H.R. 2317 and request a copy of our letters on this matter be published in the Congressional Record during Floor consideration. Sincerely, Glenn ``GT'' Thompson, Chairman.

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2317, as amended, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2317) to provide for transfer of ownership of certain Federal lands in northern Nevada, to authorize the disposal of certain Federal lands in northern Nevada for economic development, to promote conservation in northern Nevada, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 11 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Speaker, some may be surprised to see me standing on the House floor today, including the person this speech is about. I felt it was necessary. Today is a bittersweet day. For my longtime Chief of Staff, Molly Cutrona, it is her last day on Capitol Hill. Unfortunately, we are losing her talent, her leadership, and her feisty energy to the private sector. Although she is a native of Nevada's redheaded stepchild's neighbor, California--no offense to my colleagues from there who don't hold her in the same regard that we do--we consider her, after her stint in this office, an honorary, born-again Nevadan. Molly started in my office 8 years ago as my legislative director. Over those 8 years, I have watched her grow both professionally and personally, getting married, and welcoming beautiful twins into the world. However, Mr. Speaker, don't be fooled. I have experienced plenty of bullying from her disguised as advising. I will say this once, and only once: Some of it may have been deserved. Those 8 years aren't defined by her antics. She will be remembered in these Halls for her ambition, loyalty, creativity, confidence, and absolute dedication to her colleagues and to the people of Nevada's Second District. We are losing one of the best in the business. It has been an honor to work alongside her, and we have no doubt that she will continue to set a phenomenal example for her daughters, Claire and Coco. Molly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything. With C- SPAN as my witness: I apologize for allowing Ken, your successor, to rearrange your office.

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada. Madam Speaker, Mr. Chairman, and Madam minority leader, well, here we are again. It is going to come as a surprise to nobody here that as the chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee, I am rising in support of the 2026 Homeland Security appropriations bill. Later today, we will vote on the bill for a third time, and unfortunately it won't be the charm. This shutdown should have never happened. The Committee negotiated a full bill on a bicameral, bipartisan basis, and then the goalposts got moved at the north end of the building. Now our colleagues have taken the Department hostage over radical and unachievable policy demands which never would have made it into the original bill. This is a smokescreen for what we are really talking about here: stopping immigration enforcement--stopping immigration enforcement. Most Americans support removing dangerous criminal aliens from our communities, stopping immigration enforcement. Most Americans support removing those who have final orders of removal instead of stopping immigration enforcement, but apparently there is a new priority on the other side of the aisle. We are in day 40 of the shutdown with no apparent end in sight, and I find it interesting that we keep hearing about this wonderful discharge petition, which is H.R. 7481. Well, I have read H.R. 7481, and if it was, as we like to say in the appropriations business, a clean bill, just funded those other ones, you know what, I think my distinguished colleague would have a good point. You know what is not in there--don't ask me why. I didn't draft it--no body-worn camera money. That was one of the things everybody agreed to, but it is not in H.R. 7481. By the way, this is an act of oversight whether you agree with it or not. Madam Speaker, you know what is not in H.R. 7481, all sorts of the preexisting, previously agreed to oversight provisions. This is about stopping immigration enforcement. How many of us would miss the paychecks that those folks at TSA have missed and still continue to work? Good question. Who knows what the answer to that is. Over 400 TSA officers have quit since the beginning of the shutdown. I can't really blame them. The Democrats' solution is to pick and choose which agencies at DHS get funded to ease the pain they created to alleviate their guilt for the hardship they have caused to our hardworking national security professionals. No. The right call is to fund the entire Department. We can all vote to do that again today. The time to fund the Department of Homeland Security is now. That is not news to anybody. That is the position. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to do the right thing: Vote ``yes'' and end this shutdown.

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and my colleague, the ranking member on the other side, for their work. Mr. Speaker, as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Homeland Security, obviously, I rise today in strong support of the fiscal year 2026 Homeland Security appropriations bill. Later today, we will vote on this bill for a second time in 2 months. It shouldn't be necessary. The committee negotiated a full-year bill on a bicameral, bipartisan basis. Our bill includes reforms like funding for body-worn cameras, negotiated amongst both sides in both Houses, and de-escalation training, something else that we have heard about. Democrats continue to insist on proposals which would prevent the enforcement of immigration law. It is disappointing that we must cajole our colleagues to support this bipartisan bill once again, but here we are. The Department of Homeland Security has now been shut down for more than 3 weeks, with no apparent end in sight. Let us just for a second really talk about why we are here. One of the biggest successes of the present administration is what they have done on the border and what they have done in terms of ending unlimited immigration from the previous administration and how they are trying to clean that up. That is a phenomenal sore spot amongst some of my colleagues. You know what, why are we here with this? Why are we ignoring TSA and all this stuff you are going to hear throughout this? We have got Secret Service. We have got FEMA. We have got all of these things going on. We have got the Coast Guard. Why are we ignoring all of those? Because the thing that really upsets them is the success on the number one issue that this administration ran on, which was cleaning up the border. Now, when you have got some operations in the Twin Cities that are under investigation, it is like here we go. We can fixate on this, or try and take the plumb so far of this administration's accomplishments--and there are many. So here we are, until we get to a point where we can move on to something else and forget, the wall is still being built; there is plenty of money for operations with ICE, and all of those things, but we are doing political stuff. I get it. I understand it. I just don't understand how that gets to the top of the rail when there have been reforms. It has been quiet up in the Twin Cities for a while now. There have been pivots made. While utility bills, mortgages, car payments, and grocery bills don't stop coming because the Senate has decided to hold this bill hostage, we sit here and struggle through and hope that people can struggle through in all the other homeland areas that are on hold. What I would tell you is this: Vote ``yes,'' end the shutdown.

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Homeland Security bill under consideration. As the chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee, I thank the full committee chair, Mr. Cole, my colleague from Oklahoma, for his leadership in helping to return us to regular order and producing a series of bills that will fully fund the government by the January 30 deadline. I also thank my colleague from Connecticut, the ranking member, Rosa DeLauro, who was part of this combination. We have seen them work before in years past, both as the chairman of the full committee and as folks on other subcommittees that have worked well. It has been a help to all of us, and I thank them all publicly for their professionalism and respect for each other in our process. I also thank my good friend, subcommittee Ranking Member Cuellar, a real pro. We don't agree all the time, but it is like it has never been a disagreeable experience. There are days around this outfit when, quite frankly, that isn't the case. I thank my friend. I appreciate that. He has been a great partner. Finally, I will take the time to thank the committee staff on both sides of the aisle who worked tirelessly over the past month to negotiate the product before us. On the majority side are Paul Anstine, Anna Lanier Fischer, Fern Gibbons, Alessandra Ramirez, Ashley Truluck, and Nkosi Thomas. On the minority side are Shannon McCully, Jamie Wise, and Jim Ellsworth. It was not cool to be on Appropriations during the last 30 days, for sure, and they were real troupers, professionals, and class acts. I thank them all for their dedication and effort. I also remind everybody, because we get tied up in a lot of stuff, that, essentially, the Homeland Security bill is the Coast Guard, FEMA, TSA, Secret Service, Border Patrol, and ICE. There are other parts in there, but that is the majority of what we are talking about. Homeland, what is that? That is the agencies that take up the lion's share of this sort of stuff. As the chairmen, we would like to basically think that by having those meetings, talking across the aisle and with our staffs, that what we have produced is a bedrock model for going forward and getting us out of the continuing resolution rut. Continuing resolutions lock us into spending levels that are both outdated and have not evolved like, frankly, the positions on both sides. The fiscal year 2026 Homeland Security bill under consideration today furthers this administration's goals of undoing the damage caused by the previous administration, starting with the border. This funds the President's priorities, codifies reductions and efficiencies, and operationalizes border security and immigration enforcement investments in the reconciliation process. Mr. Speaker, let's start with ICE. I know people have lamented that, boy, we really didn't get everything we wanted and all that stuff. It is like, guess what. There is something that we should both be celebrating here today, and it is about ICE. Since the last administration wasn't real big on ICE, kind of maybe hoped they didn't exist or whatever, one of the things that didn't happen with respect to ICE, like all other law enforcement agencies around, was the use and implementation of body cameras so that we don't have to rely on somebody who happened to have their cell phone and have a good angle, whether they are accusing or defending themselves for whatever they did. This bill funds body cameras for ICE personnel so that we can have first-person, if you will, access to what people really think was done. Would you like a pay raise for the Coast Guard? This bill does that. Would you like more infrastructure for the Coast Guard? This bill does that. Would you like grants for first responders and nonprofit religious worship institutions? This bill does that. The foundation is undeniable. As the tax on houses of worship has increased over the last few years, we are providing more money for that. Finally, we ensure that CISA, the agency that is charged with protecting our critical infrastructure, like power and water, has the resources required to prevent attacks from nation-state adversaries like China and Russia. Simply put, this bill ensures that the men and women of the Department of Homeland Security, who work tirelessly to keep America safe, have the resources and tools that they need to protect this great Nation. I ask my colleagues to continue to support the bill.

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Donald L. Carlson, who passed away peacefully at his home in Carson City, Nevada. Mr. Carlson was a native of rural Davis County, Iowa, but I believe he would have considered Nevada his true home. His son, Sev Carlson, shared that his father described Nevada as ``the land of opportunity, not only for others who migrated to the Silver State, but particularly for himself.'' He moved out west in 1974 to pursue a career in education, specifically a professor of sociology at Western Nevada Community College. During his tenure, he served on WNCC's Faculty Senate, was recognized as an Outstanding Faculty Member in 1991, and received the Nevada Board of Regents' Academic Advisor Award in 2003. Mr. Carlson also owned Survey Research Systems, a political opinion research company, to study and analyze what motivates voters. While he agreed to represent clients all over the Nation, his particular interest was polling the needs of Nevadans and ensuring their policy goals for elected officials were heard. I owe immense gratitude to Mr. Carlson, who played a pivotal role in both my personal and professional life. He was deliberate in choosing whom to support, and I am deeply thankful for his support of me over the years. While we did not always see eye to eye, I always valued his insight, honesty, and the lessons he shared. He was an exceptional teacher, not only in the classroom, but also to countless individuals he inspired and guided with principle in their pursuit of public service throughout our great state. On behalf of the 2nd Congressional District of Nevada, I want to recognize and honor the extraordinary life of my friend Don Carlson and the lasting impact he made on our community. He was a remarkable man, and while he will be deeply missed, his legacy will not be forgotten.

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Donald L. Carlson, who passed away peacefully at his home in Carson City, Nevada. Mr. Carlson was a native of rural Davis County, Iowa, but I believe he would have considered Nevada his true home. His son, Clifford D. Carlson, shared that his father described Nevada as ``the land of opportunity, not only for others who migrated to the Silver State, but particularly for himself.'' He moved out west in 1974 to pursue a career in education, specifically a professor of sociology at Western Nevada Community College. During his tenure, he served on WNCC's Faculty Senate, was recognized as an Outstanding Faculty Member in 1991, and received the Nevada Board of Regents' Academic Advisor Award in 2003. Mr. Carlson also owned Survey Research Systems, a political opinion research company, to study and analyze what motivates voters. While he agreed to represent clients all over the Nation, his particular interest was polling the needs of Nevadans and ensuring their policy goals for elected officials were heard. I owe immense gratitude to Mr. Carlson, who played a pivotal role in both my personal and professional life. He was deliberate in choosing whom to support, and I am deeply thankful for his support of me over the years. While we did not always see eye to eye, I always valued his insight, honesty, and the lessons he shared. He was an exceptional teacher, not only in the classroom, but also to countless individuals he inspired and guided with principle in their pursuit of public service throughout our great state. On behalf of the 2nd Congressional District of Nevada, I want to recognize and honor the extraordinary life of my friend Don Carlson, and the lasting impact he made on our community. He was a remarkable man, and while he will be deeply missed, his legacy will not be forgotten.

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Faith McCrea. Faith is a member of Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada, Troop 1306, and has exemplified extraordinary leadership, innovative problem-solving, and a demonstrated commitment to making a lasting, positive impact, by earning the most prestigious award in Girl Scouting, the Gold Award. Gold Award Girl Scouts are recognized as trailblazers who are willing to tackle the most pressing challenges facing their communities and the world with measurable, sustainable, and far-reaching results. To earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, high school-age Girl Scouts must identify and investigate an issue they care about, devise a plan, and then lead a team of experts and community members to implement a project that produces lasting change. Over the course of 1 to 2 years, Gold Award Girl Scouts demonstrate significant initiative, commitment, and leadership, distinguishing them from their peers. Through their resourcefulness and perseverance, they embody the Girl Scout Law to truly make the world a better place. Faith McCrea created ``Emotions through Art,'' designed to help students who experience anxiety and depression when dealing with the pressures of school. Faith began by researching art therapy and how it can help people who are dealing with negative emotions. Applying her research on art therapy techniques, Faith's project helped students express their negative emotions through art using colors and shapes. Faith presented the color wheel to students and taught them how they can use art to express and influence their emotions. She uploaded art videos to YouTube for people to watch when they are feeling upset, and she also passed out brochures that she designed with resources on how to seek professional help if they need it. On behalf of the 2nd Congressional District of Nevada, congratulations to Faith McCrea for achieving the highest distinction in Girl Scouts, the Gold Award. We thank Faith for her leadership and for making such a positive, lasting change in our community.

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Delaynie Bowley. Delaynie is a member of Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada, Troop 188, and has exemplified extraordinary leadership, innovative problem-solving, and a demonstrated commitment to making a lasting, positive impact, by earning the most prestigious award in Girl Scouting, the Gold Award. Gold Award Girl Scouts are recognized as trailblazers who are willing to tackle the most pressing challenges facing their communities and the world with measurable, sustainable, and far-reaching results. To earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, high school-age Girl Scouts must identify and investigate an issue they care about, devise a plan, and then lead a team of experts and community members to implement a project that produces lasting change. Over the course of 1 to 2 years, Gold Award Girl Scouts demonstrate significant initiative, commitment, and leadership, distinguishing them from their peers. Through their resourcefulness and perseverance, they embody the Girl Scout Law to truly make the world a better place. For her Gold Award project, Delaynie Bowley created ``Pet Safety Patrol'' to tackle the widespread issue of pet poisoning, which affects more than 401,500 animals annually in the U.S. Recognizing a gap in pet owners' knowledge about household hazards and essential pet first aid, Delaynie assembled and distributed pet first aid kits at Desert Hills Animal Hospital. She educated more than 50 people in one-on-one meetings about common dangers in their own homes. She provided each participant with a pet first aid kit, which included a pamphlet with a link to her website, which offers additional resources and a customizable pamphlet for animal hospitals and veterinarians to use nationwide. On behalf of the 2nd Congressional District of Nevada, I congratulate Delaynie Bowley for achieving the highest distinction in Girl Scouts, the Gold Award. We thank Delaynie for her leadership and for making such a positive, lasting change in our community.

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Kristianna Meister. Kristianna is a member of Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada, Troop 1306, and has exemplified extraordinary leadership, innovative problem-solving, and a demonstrated commitment to making a lasting, positive impact, by earning the most prestigious award in Girl Scouting, the Gold Award. Gold Award Girl Scouts are recognized as trailblazers who are willing to tackle the most pressing challenges facing their communities and the world with measurable, sustainable, and far-reaching results. To earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, high school-age Girl Scouts must identify and investigate an issue they care about, devise a plan, and then lead a team of experts and community members to implement a project that produces lasting change. Over the course of 1 to 2 years, Gold Award Girl Scouts demonstrate significant initiative, commitment, and leadership, distinguishing them from their peers. Through their resourcefulness and perseverance, they embody the Girl Scout Law to truly make the world a better place. Kristianna Meister designed ``Dancing Through The Decades'' to enhance the lives of senior citizens and those who may need extra assistance going through life. Through dance, Kristianna created a program that engaged participants both mentally and physically, with the goal of getting people up and moving. She led participants in guided stretches to help them feel good in their bodies. She taught them about the history of different styles of dance and basic steps from each style of dance to get the participants engaged and moving. She created instructional videos for the dances, which were posted on YouTube and distributed to Senior Centers around the country. On behalf of the 2nd Congressional District of Nevada, I congratulate Kristianna Meister for achieving the highest distinction in Girl Scouts, the Gold Award. We thank Kristianna for her leadership and for making such a positive, lasting change in our community.

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Millie Grieve. Millie is a member of Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada, Troop 188, and has exemplified extraordinary leadership, innovative problem-solving, and a demonstrated commitment to making a lasting, positive impact, by earning the most prestigious award in Girl Scouting, the Gold Award. Gold Award Girl Scouts are recognized as trailblazers who are willing to tackle the most pressing challenges facing their communities and the world with measurable, sustainable, and far-reaching results. To earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, high school-age Girl Scouts must identify and investigate an issue they care about, devise a plan, and then lead a team of experts and community members to implement a project that produces lasting change. Over the course of 1 to 2 years, Gold Award Girl Scouts demonstrate significant initiative, commitment, and leadership, distinguishing them from their peers. Through their resourcefulness and perseverance, they embody the Girl Scout Law to truly make the world a better place. Millie Grieve's project ``Breast Vests'' aimed to reduce the fear around touching women to perform life-saving CPR by increasing exposure and answering uncomfortable questions. Millie has been a lifeguard for the City of Reno for two years and noticed lifeguards were uncomfortable with the concept of performing CPR on the female anatomy because they lacked training. She created vests to zip over the mannequins that the City of Reno already had, using neoprene to make the vests more effective on the pool deck. Millie then personally presented her project to more than 100 lifeguards and surveyed them afterward, showing a 20 percent increase in overall comfort in performing CPR and using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) on women. On behalf of the 2nd Congressional District of Nevada, I congratulate Millie Grieve for achieving the highest distinction in Girl Scouts, the Gold Award. We thank Millie for her leadership and for making such a positive, lasting change in our community.

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada

Mr. AMODEI of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Neva Mellow. Neva is a member of Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada, Troop 317, and has exemplified extraordinary leadership, innovative problem-solving, and a demonstrated commitment to making a lasting, positive impact, by earning the most prestigious award in Girl Scouting, the Gold Award. Gold Award Girl Scouts are recognized as trailblazers who are willing to tackle the most pressing challenges facing their communities and the world with measurable, sustainable, and far-reaching results. To earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, high school-age Girl Scouts must identify and investigate an issue they care about, devise a plan, and then lead a team of experts and community members to implement a project that produces lasting change. Over the course of 1 to 2 years, Gold Award Girl Scouts demonstrate significant initiative, commitment, and leadership, distinguishing them from their peers. Through their resourcefulness and perseverance, they embody the Girl Scout Law to truly make the world a better place. Neva Mellow created ``The Art of Letting Go''. There is a common misconception that young people do not experience grief, which is untrue. In the first class she presented to, out of 15 students, 10 had suffered the death of a loved one. Of those 10, four had suffered the loss of a parent, three the death of a sibling, and two had experienced losing someone to suicide. Neva hosted five seminars for Carson City School District freshmen, educating them on 16 types and five stages of grief. She emphasized the importance of support groups and self-care in navigating these emotional challenges. Following the seminars, students created art pieces to express their journey of overcoming grief. These artworks were then donated and displayed at the Brewery Arts Center and local organizations focusing on mental health, helping to raise awareness and foster healing within the community. On behalf of the 2nd Congressional District of Nevada, I congratulate Neva Mellow for achieving the highest distinction in Girl Scouts, the Gold Award. We thank Neva for her leadership and for making such a positive, lasting change in our community.

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding. I wish to associate myself with the remarks of the chairman of the committee and the Representative from New York, (Ms. Ocasio-Cortez) from the committee. I am not going to repeat all that, I am just going to add a couple of things contextually. I know that I am the last speaker standing in the way of getting to a Special Order, so I will be brief. First of all, to my colleague from the Golden State, it is interesting to note historically that when they decided who got to represent what sides of Lake Tahoe, Nevada got first pick. I am honored to have used that to get the side where we have the least developed side there is. Tahoe is a success story. This is the third authorization, or the second reauthorization of what was done initially. It has been a phenomenal bipartisan effort over the years, with the late great Dianne Feinstein leading the charge, based on her history in the Tahoe basin, and help from people like John Garamendi on the other side of the aisle, as well as many others. I will just say this: It is a team effort that is working well. It has gone through a development stage over the last 20-plus years, but they are clicking along pretty good right now. I don't have anything sexy to say like humpback something or other or suckers like the fish from a couple years earlier, we have no razorback anything in Lake Tahoe, but I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment and thank the gentlewoman from New York for offering it. Our Conference has been quite clear about standing with Israel in their fight against a brutal and inhumane terrorist organization that not only committed the deadliest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust but continues to hold innocent men, women, and children as hostages. I also recognize the Jewish community has been the target of increasing anti-Semitism, which was one of the reasons for the amendment that we did earlier regarding supplementing FEMA's program for protection against bigotry. Bigotry has no place in America. It certainly has no place in the Department of Homeland Security. Nejwa Ali is a DHS immigration adjudication officer. She was exposed celebrating the October 7 terrorist attack online. It was later revealed that she previously worked for the Palestine Liberation Organization, also known as the PLO, which some people would say has a troublesome reputation, to put it kindly. Their reputation is in the tank when it comes to anti-Semitic policies and things like that. During the budget hearing this last April, Secretary Mayorkas confirmed for us that she was still employed and on paid administrative leave in April, and the Department confirmed to my staff within the last 2 weeks that this continues to be the case. This is unacceptable. The Department has had more than 8 months to investigate and terminate this employee with cause pursuant to the applicable civil service regulations. While the Secretary and Biden administration refuse to do the right thing, I invite the Members of the House of Representatives to terminate this employee. We must do the right thing and act with urgency to force their hand. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Chairman, I rise as the designee of Congresswoman Stefanik to offer and support amendment No. 56.

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Chairman, clearly, this is one of the differences between the two sides of the aisle. This amendment is a double whammy. It weakens the border through lack of physical investment, physical improvement, and capital improvement. I agree with what my colleague from Illinois said. They can't handle it with the present levels of funding with what is coming across the border. The last thing we need to do is try to put more money into dealing with self-imposed impacts that are avoidable. I urge opposition to the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Chair, the Shelter and Services Program is a failed program. It does nothing but facilitate the administration's self- created policy crisis on our border. It is interesting to hear the discussions in terms of now that they are here, we should do something and skip over the whole issue of what has happened in the last 36 months? It is undeniable that the numbers are significantly larger. Once you are here, we have to focus on what we do. When you look at shelter services, we are renting tents. By the way, it is a single vendor. It is not even put out for bid. We spend over a billion something a year just for tents. While it is nice to talk about how we should be good stewards of whoever happens to show up, to ignore how they came to be here in such massive numbers in the last 36 months, to me, it is a bit--and you can fill in the blank. What began as a $30 million effort has ballooned to a $650 million grab bag for nongovernmental organizations to swiftly resettle migrants across the border illegally into our country. Even large city Democrat mayors are screaming: We can't sustain this. We should not be spending money on programs that incentivize illegal immigration. This amendment would directly undercut border security by reducing funds for border wall construction by $600 million. The men and women in the field have told us walls work, and it is time for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to accept that fact. This amendment would also cut immigration enforcement efforts by $100 million. Somebody earlier said: Hey, we are turning our backs on Border Patrol. Really? A hundred million bucks is a pretty good look at somebody's back. That significantly reduces our ability to remove these migrants that no longer have a legal basis to remain in the country. Remember the backlog that requires over a million dollars to get folks who have failed the test for claiming asylum. By the way, there are those who pose a risk. I won't repeat what other people have and will talk about. Instead of allowing this administration to continue to positively manage the unmitigated flow of migrants entering our country without consequence, this bill proposes funding and policies that address the crisis by empowering Federal agents and officers to do their jobs and not spend money on folks that enable a political agenda of this administration. I reserve the balance of my time.