Gabe Amo

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, as Americans enjoy Labor Day weekend, let us reflect on the origin of this holiday: working people's fight for fairness. That fight runs deep in Rhode Island. In 1824, at Old Slater Mill in Pawtucket, workers led the first industrial strike in history, demanding fair pay and better conditions. More than a century later, thousands of Rhode Island textile workers walked off the job in the 1934 general textile strike. They stood up because they knew that workers deserved better, but they were met with violence by the authorities, leading to the deaths of several workers in Saylesville and Woonsocket. Now, building on that legacy, I stand with Rhode Island workers and workers across our country to keep fighting for good jobs, fair wages, safe workplaces, and the right to organize. We are stronger when we represent the dignity of those who make this Nation strong.

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, 19 months ago, President Trump took an axe to our foreign assistance, illegally freezing aid and demolishing the United States Agency for International Development. Thirteen days later, he ranted that USAID was ``run by a bunch of radical lunatics.'' The very next day, Elon Musk bragged that DOGE had ``spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper.'' Well, the chips fell, and kids died. When I asked Secretary Rubio about the consequences, he told me: No children are dying on my watch. A year later, the hatchet men were still lying. Children are still dying. Elon Musk recently proclaimed that he cannot cite a single name of someone who died because of aid cuts. Just because Elon can't name one of the 700,000 people killed by his cruelty doesn't mean they didn't exist. We know their names. Abdullahi Ibrahim was 10 years old when USAID-supported asthma treatment disappeared from his clinic in Nigeria. His family could no longer afford his medication. He suffered a fatal asthma attack. Mohammed Hashim was 2 years old. When food assistance disappeared from his refugee camp in Myanmar, he died of starvation. Gbessy Kiadu was only a 1-year-old. He died of malaria after clinics in western Liberia ran out of malaria medication because of USAID cuts. These are not just statistics. These are children. They had parents, dreams, and full lives ahead of them. Today, the warning signs are flashing that if these cuts continue, hundreds of thousands of additional children could die every year. Abdullahi, Mohammed, and Gbessy are three of the more than 700,000 no longer with us because of Trump's choice to close USAID and decimate U.S. foreign assistance programs. We are seeing the consequences in Nepal, where deaths have risen after Trump's cuts to lifesaving maternal health programs. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, cuts to USAID-funded disease-detection systems delayed detection and response to the Ebola outbreak. It is now the worst outbreak on record, with nearly 3,000 people dead and over 6,000 confirmed cases. Make no mistake, America is paying a price, too. Shuttering USAID eliminated more than 23,000 American jobs. American farmers and manufacturers who supply food products to USAID were left struggling. From peanut farmers in Texas to sugar farmers in Florida, to American longshoremen moving food through our ports to manufacturers in my home State of Rhode Island, Trump's cuts left wounds across the country. Cuts to USAID disease monitoring and prevention systems leave Americans at greater risk of disease. As the COVID-19 pandemic clearly showed us, disease does not care about borders. Eliminating global health programs puts us at greater risk of a future pandemic. American security on the world stage is suffering, too, as Trump backs away from our strongest soft power tool: helping others. American taxpayers lost the return on an investment that made our country safer and stronger. Our foreign assistance was never charity. It was about American leadership, security, and workers producing food, medicine, and lifesaving technology. It told the world something powerful: When America gives its word, America keeps it. As the USAID logo reminded the world, it was from the American people. Now, that good will is gone because Trump threw that promise into the wood chipper. Our allies are left wondering whether they can trust us. Our adversaries are filling the vacuum. Families are burying children who might have lived. Mr. Speaker, as we look to the future, let's be clear about what we must do. We must rebuild American foreign assistance, restore American leadership, hold accountable those who recklessly dismantle these programs, and remember every single life that was lost. Abdullahi was not a number, Mohammed was not a statistic, and Gbessy will not be forgotten. They were children. They were loved. They should be with us today.

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, the data is in, and Trump's and Republicans' big, ugly law has been disastrous for Americans. We can now confirm that they have succeeded in ripping food assistance away from 4.5 million SNAP recipients, including 1.5 million children. In Rhode Island alone, that is over 16,000 people who are now heading to the grocery store with less to spend as costs rise because of Trump's tariffs and illegal wars. Across my district, I have spoken with food pantry leaders seeing rising demand. I have heard from Rhode Islanders struggling to feed a family on $90 a month in SNAP benefits. In the wealthiest country in the world, no one should have to worry about putting food on the table. We can do better than Trump's foreign wars and putting billionaires over the welfare of working people.

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. Mr. Chairman, is this Groundhog Day? We must be stuck in some kind of infinite time loop because Republicans are trying to ram through a third unpopular, deficit-busting resolution that does nothing to lower costs for Americans. This is on top of cuts to healthcare and their continued investments in cruelty. Unfortunately, this is actually happening. Republicans are trying to pass another bad budget, and all this for the farm aid that Republicans are touting as necessary because Trump's illegal war in Iran and chaotic tariffs jacked up costs for farmers. The billions in defense funding that Republicans claim is necessary for Trump's choice to wage the illegal Iran war depleted our stockpiles, and the only necessary action that my constituents are imploring Republicans to take, lowering costs for the American people, is completely missing from this failing effort. Republicans are running up billions of dollars on America's credit card so that they can send our servicemembers to fight another forever war in the Middle East. They are working to pass a voter suppression bill that won't secure our elections but will make it harder for Americans to vote. My Republican colleagues tell Americans that they are working for them. The American people are smarter than that. They know what Republicans are doing, and they will not forgive them for what they have done. I urge every Member to vote ``no'' on this latest bad budget.

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. I hope my colleagues will join me in voting for the motion to recommit.

Mr. AMO. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to H.R. 8595. This disastrous bill doesn't just turn America's back on the world. It makes Americans less safe and more vulnerable to disease. An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda has taken more than 700 lives and infected more than 1,900 people. American citizens have already been infected, and the outbreak will spread if we fail to contain it. Republicans' solution? Ban the United States from supporting the World Health Organization, the group coordinating the response to the Ebola outbreak. The story of outbreaks fueled by Republican shortsighted cuts does not end there. Here at home, we are responding to a growing cyclospora outbreak that has sickened more than 1,600 people across more than 30 States, with thousands more cases under investigation. Public health officials are still working to identify the source of the outbreak. They are facing an uphill battle thanks to Trump and Republicans' deep cuts to the CDC's public health workforce and the program that monitors foodborne illness. The cause and effect is clear. When Republicans slash public health funding and stop monitoring the spread of disease, Americans get sick. For this reason, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee. If the House rules permitted, I would have offered the motion with an important amendment to this bill. My amendment would strike provisions that prohibit U.S. participation in international public health efforts through the World Health Organization and the pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response accord. Disease prevention and surveillance at home and abroad protect American families. Infectious diseases do not stop at borders. We are safest when we work with partners around the world to detect outbreaks early, share information, and respond before disease reaches our borders. Mr. Chair, I include in the Record the text of my amendment. Mr. Amo moves to recommit the bill H.R. 8595 to the Committee on Appropriations with the following amendment: On page 212, strike lines 10 through 17.

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the generations of Rhode Islanders who have come together for the longest continuously running Fourth of July celebration, in Bristol, Rhode Island. Since 1785, when the Reverend Henry Wight, a Revolutionary War veteran and minister of the First Congregational Church, hosted Bristol's first patriotic exercises, Rhode Islanders have gathered to celebrate our values of liberty, community, freedom, and prosperity. For 241 years, Rhode Islanders from all walks of life and visitors from all over the world have come together to walk along the famous red, white, and blue center lines snaking down the middle of the parade route. By the time the town welcomes as many as 200,000 visitors to its community, the town committee, the police department, the fire department, and the Fourth of July committee have worked around the clock for months to pull off a safe and spectacular event. As the crowds and the music swell this weekend, I thank all who have made this event possible. Happy Fourth of July.

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, Trump's corruption is out of control. Since taking office, he has increased his net worth by at least $4 billion, accepted a $400 million plane from a foreign country, routinely bought stock in companies doing business with the government, and wasted $14 million of taxpayer money ruining the Reflecting Pool. He has tried to bully the IRS into a sweetheart deal that grants him tax immunity for life and, if he can get away with it, establishes a slush fund to pay off cop beaters. His kids and cronies are also getting rich. Trump intervened to secure Donald Trump, Jr., a $620 million deal with the Pentagon for his startup. Multiple Cabinet members have conveniently sold stocks right before one of Trump's erratic tariff announcements. His clan has made $2.3 billion in crypto schemes. Trump's priority is to enrich himself and his acolytes. My Republican colleagues need to stand up, do the right thing, and stop the grift, greed, and graft from further imperiling our democracy.

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, House Republicans are making it harder for moms and kids to get the food they need. WIC, or the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, has provided mothers and babies with healthy food and a solid start in life. Needy families use it to purchase formula, fruits, veggies, milk, and other nutritious essentials. Yet, House Republicans just slashed this vital benefit by 10 percent in their agriculture spending bill, making it 10 percent harder for 18,000 Rhode Islanders to make ends meet. Because of Trump's latest cruelty, moms will go to sleep every night fearing their kids will go without. Without proper nutrition, kids are denied growth, learning, and opportunity. Republicans can always find money for billionaires, but how is it they can't find money for moms and babies? Mr. Speaker, every kid deserves enough to eat. It is time to stop the cuts, end the chaos, and bring down costs.

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, on June 8, 2026, I intended to vote YES on Roll Call No. 208, Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended H.R. 8466.

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, when I first heard the bill's name, I thought somebody said: less Secure America Act. After reading it, I realize that is what it is. Republicans already handed Trump's immigration machine a massive windfall in their big, ugly law as they cut your healthcare. Now, they are back for more. This latest scheme is about pouring $70 billion into ICE and CBP while leaving untouched Trump's $1.8 billion slush fund for his political allies and January 6 cop beaters. It does nothing to lower costs, nothing to stop corruption, and nothing to help working families. Think about that. If you are worried about your grocery costs or your utility bills, Republicans have nothing for you. If you are worried about your healthcare costs, Republicans have nothing for you. If you are worried about affording childcare, Republicans have nothing for you. If you are Donald Trump, looking for billions more to expand ICE and bankroll more abuses of power, Republicans are happy to write the check with your money. This bill isn't about security. It is about cruelty, corruption, and misplaced priorities. You deserve better than this latest, devious deception. The American people deserve lower costs, safer communities, and a government that works for them, not another blank check for Trump's chaos. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on Republicans' latest betrayal.

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to reveal a theft from the American people. Donald Trump is stealing our money. At every turn, he is taking money from Americans' bank accounts to pad his pockets and those of his billionaire buddies. His tariffs, which were twice ruled illegal, cost the average working family of four $1,700 last year. At the gas pump, Americans have collectively paid an extra $40 billion to fuel up since the start of this war of choice with Iran. What is Trump's latest grift? It is an over $1.7 billion taxpayer-funded slush fund to pay off his cronies who have been convicted of crimes, including the dangerous felons who attacked the Capitol on January 6. Donald Trump is abusing power and weakening our democracy, and Republicans in Congress are complicit by refusing to act. Enough with the greed and the corruption. End the war, stop the chaos, and let's do something to lower costs for the American people.

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, recently Trump's Agriculture Secretary bragged with great pride about kicking 4.5 million Americans off of SNAP. At a time when Republicans' tariffs and wars have jacked up grocery prices, it is not good news that Trump and Republicans are making Americans hungrier. SNAP provides the bare minimum, just enough. But it means that kids in Woonsocket can focus on school and not on an empty stomach. It means moms in Pawtucket can worry a little less if there is enough on the breakfast table. It means veterans in Middletown have breathing room on their decisions to pay the light bill or buy food. It means seniors in Smithfield might not skip a prescription refill to eat. Celebrating ripping away 4.5 million American SNAP benefits is immoral and wrong. If this administration actually wanted to help families, they would lower costs, not take away food and make life more expensive. We have to protect SNAP.

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, Rhode Islanders have had enough of Trump's reign of terror. Across my State, they know when so-called enforcement becomes intimidation, when profiling and abuse are rampant, and when accountability is absent. Now, instead of restoring trust or lowering costs, Republicans are doing it again. Their first big, ugly bill ripped billions out of our healthcare system that will make millions sicker and poorer, all to spend $170 billion on ICE and CBP's rogue tactics. Now this budget doubles down on that spending spree, dumping another $70 billion of taxpayer funding into the same cruel system without any reforms. So here it is. They are using your money not to lower costs for gas, groceries, rent, or healthcare, not to help people, but to fund raids, roundups, and fear in American communities. I will not stand by while costs rise, rights are trampled, and working families are left behind. So we have a choice. Use your tax dollars to fund masked men and their masked raids or help families put food on the table, keep a roof over their head, and stay healthy. I choose families. I urge a ``no'' vote on this latest Republican budget betrayal.

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, last week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was asked why Americans don't feel better about the economy. His answer: ``Well in their heart of hearts they feel good.'' Let him tell that to the families in Pawtucket who are paying more at the grocery store and at the doctor's office, or seniors in Smithfield choosing between prescriptions and rent, or drivers paying over $4 a gallon to fill up for their commute from the East Bay or Aquidneck Island. Working families don't feel Trump's economy in their hearts. They feel it in their wallets. This administration needs to stop the gaslighting. Trump's tariffs illegally took billions from American consumers for everyday goods, and he won't give a dime back. Instead of fighting an unlawful war in Iran, they should be focused on lowering costs here at home. If they want people to feel good, then do good. Mr. Speaker, stop the war, end the chaos, and make life affordable for Americans.

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the newest addition to Team Amo, Fay Elliot Sodaro. Fay was born on May 13 and is a congressional baby through and through. She was welcomed by her parents, Dylan and Paige. Dylan serves as my Chief of Staff, and Paige serves as Ranking Member Bobby Scott's legislative director. Least to say, we anticipate she will soon surpass us all in knowledge of how Congress works. Fay is named after her great-grandmother and her great-grandfather. She is keeping her parents busy, and we can't wait for her to make an appearance on the House floor. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Dylan and Paige, and I welcome Fay to Team Amo.

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a giant of the civil rights movement, Reverend Jesse Jackson. He is a man who understood that the success of any individual or community is interwoven like threads in a rainbow quilt. He was a man who dedicated his life to lifting up the least among us and a man who reminded us that our Nation is only as strong as its promise to every child, every family, and every community. From walking alongside Dr. King to his time in public service and the enduring legacy of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Reverend Jackson showed us that racial justice and economic justice are inseparable and that true equality requires both. He believed that hope is not a sentiment but a call to action. He knew that the work of building a more just and inclusive America is never finished. As a college student, I remember watching his `88 convention speech and being moved by seeing an image of someone who looked like me on the highest stage, saying that the feeling of this Nation could be compelled by action and driven by hope. That message to keep hope alive is why I am standing here right now. The feeling of hope, which also happens to be the motto of the great State of Rhode Island, is something that has been the center of my service, and I am so honored to be recognizing someone who inspired it. Now it is on us to carry forward his legacy, to ensure that the Rainbow Coalition can continue, and that we keep the promise of America for every child no matter their race, their ZIP Code, or where their family is from. Mr. Speaker, I am so honored that I get to serve with a big part of Reverend Jackson's legacy, his son, Jonathan, my dear colleague. Reverend Jackson, you are deeply missed. Your mission lives on, however, in each one of us, and we will carry it forward with courage, with justice, and yes, of course, hope. Rest in power.

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, Rhode Islanders are struggling with Trump's affordability crisis. Yet instead of focusing on the needs of the American people, Trump started a war of choice with Iran. Now six American servicemembers are dead, thousands of Americans are stranded, and the risk of a wider war is growing, all while spending $1 billion a day of your taxpayer dollars, Mr. Speaker. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and the Iranian people deserve self-determination. However, starting a war without a vote in Congress is not a strategy. It is reckless. Trump has offered no clear objective, no day-after plan or endgame, and our Constitution is clear: Congress decides when we go to war. I have voted yes on the War Powers Resolution to stop Trump from further destabilizing the Middle East, to prevent more casualties, and to stop this madness. One man should not be able to drag America into another foreign war, and we must keep fighting to stop these actions that are leaving Americans and the world less safe at a major cost to all of us.

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, today, as Rhode Island digs out from a historic blizzard, we rise to honor two Rhode Islanders, Rhonda and Aiden Dorgan, whose lives tragically ended in the horrific shooting at a high school hockey game last week in Pawtucket. Three other Rhode Islanders were injured in the shooting and remain in the hospital. Today, we hold in the light the victims, their families, the teams, school communities, and the broader Rhode Island community as they work to heal from, yet again, another act of gun violence. I thank Mayor Donald Grebien, Governor Dan McKee, law enforcement, and local leaders for their leadership in their response to this senseless tragedy. We are grateful to the first responders for their prompt action on the scene and medical professionals for caring for the wounded. We are forever indebted to the ordinary Rhode Islanders who stepped up to stop the violence and care for the wounded. Some of them include Michael Black, Robert Rattenni, Ryan Cordeiro, Chris Librizzi, Glenn Narodowy, and Maryann Rattenni. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts. We continue to stand together to heal and work toward the safety that we all deserve, and I ask my colleagues to join me in a moment of silence.

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of Spencer and Christine Lane of Barrington, Rhode Island, whose lives were tragically taken on January 29, 2025, in the midair collision that claimed 67 lives. I have spoken with Doug Lane and other families who are mourning their family members who passed away in this tragic incident. They shared the pain that their families carry from this heartbreaking event. For years, there were warnings. Since 2008, the National Transportation Safety Board has recommended requiring technology to help pilots detect nearby aircraft in real time and avoid collisions. The ROTOR Act finally acts on that recommendation by requiring technology to help avoid collisions, aligning military and civilian safety standards, strengthening coordination and closing dangerous gaps in our aviation system. We must act now to make our skies safer. For the Lane family, for the 67 lives lost and their families, for every passenger and crew member in our skies, I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, Republicans are trying yet again to write a blank check for ICE while American families struggle to afford the basics. If we defeat the previous question, we can claw back the $75 billion in the ICE slush fund that Trump and Republicans established with their big, ugly law and redirect that money to where it belongs: lowering healthcare costs. In that same bill, Republicans cut more than $1 trillion from our healthcare system, jeopardizing millions of Americans. Reclaiming this $75 billion from ICE would prevent 700,000 Americans from losing their health insurance. That is 700,000 Americans protected. That is 700,000 Americans being spared from choosing between seeing a doctor or paying rent or paying for their groceries. This is a simple question of our values. Taxpayer dollars should be used to care for people, not to fund masked agents terrorizing our communities, spreading panic, making us less safe, and killing people. Instead of lowering costs, Republicans poured billions into DHS, an agency spreading chaos and making choices with deadly consequences, all while ignoring the needs of working families. That tells you what their priorities are. Mr. Speaker, everyone in this Chamber has a chance to decide today: Do we want to lower costs and protect 700,000 Americans receiving Medicaid or fund Trump's domestic mass army of terror? It is that simple. Here is the kicker. This effort was bipartisan in the Senate when Senator Sanders introduced it. Democrats and Republicans agreed that we should cut the ICE slush fund to protect Medicaid. It should be bipartisan here, too. I hope Republicans make the right choice, but my expectations are pretty low. I hope the American people are listening. They are most certainly watching on their screens every night. Mr. Speaker, this vote is about using taxpayer dollars to lower costs for Americans over fueling the fear that persists in our cities. It is about caring for our neighbors when they are sick over sending masked agents to terrorize our communities. It really is that simple. Choose care over cruelty. I urge a ``no'' vote.

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, today, students returned to class at Brown University to start a new semester after the mass shooting in December that took the lives of Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov and injured nine other students. My thoughts remain with the victims, their loved ones, and our whole community during what, I am sure, has been a difficult few days. For the Brown students who returned to campus this week, I want them to know we have their backs, and we are all thinking of them. If anyone is struggling, they should reach out for help. As Brown, Providence, and Rhode Island continue to heal, I join countless others in making sure our community, our city, and our State have all the support we need to recover. We are on a long journey, but I know we are on it together.

Mr. AMO

Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2683, as amended. I thank Representative Lawler for introducing the Remote Access Security Act, as well as Chairman Mast and Ranking Member Meeks for working together to get this through our committee. President Joe Biden imposed unprecedented export controls on China and Russia to restrict their access to critical U.S. technologies that could enhance their military capabilities. We know these controls were working because both nations have worked vigorously to try to circumvent our restrictions. Right now, our laws do not explicitly cover the remote access of technologies via network connections, including the internet or cloud computing services. H.R. 2683 would close this gap by giving the Bureau of Industry and Security statutory authority to control the remote access of items by bad actors who aim to jeopardize our national security or foreign policy interests. While this bill passed the House last year, it is even more critical today. President Biden took steps to prevent the remote access of U.S. chips by our adversaries in his Artificial Intelligence Diffusion Rule. That rule is not perfect, but President Trump rescinded it and failed to replace it with any new policy framework. Thanks to Donald Trump repealing the rule, there are currently no clear or consistent safeguards in place to protect American chips from being accessed remotely by our adversaries, and the safeguards are even less clear once they are exported abroad. For the sake of enriching himself and his billionaire friends, Trump went further to undermine our national security by loosening President Biden's export controls on advanced chip sales to build data centers in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. He is auctioning off our chips to the highest bidder without a care for the national security implications. Without strong guardrails in place, this puts American IP and technology at risk. H.R. 2683 provides BIS with the authority to control remote access to critical American technology and demands that the administration act to protect our interests. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.