Suzanne Bonamici

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose the big, bad billionaire bill, especially the cuts to Medicaid. According to the Congressional Budget Office, this bill will result in more than 13 million people across the country losing health insurance coverage, and people with disabilities will be the hardest hit. Medicaid is the primary program for comprehensive health and long- term care coverage to one in three people with disabilities. My colleagues across the aisle are so focused on giving tax cuts to billionaires, I think they have lost sight of the everyday people who will be harmed by their reckless decisions. One of my constituents, Rachael, is a caretaker for her adult son with Down syndrome. Payments from Medicaid allow Rachael's son to survive. Rachael told me that without these payments her son could die. Republicans have claimed that vulnerable populations who need Medicaid will not be harmed by provisions in this legislation, but we saw this play out before. In 2011, when States had to cut spending to comply with Federal requirements, many people with disabilities were hit hard and fast by the loss of services. I implore every one of my colleagues: Do not be complicit in destabilizing the lives of millions of people, including Rachael's son who will have their healthcare ripped away.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, Oregonians at home and colleagues in the House often hear me talk about NOAA, but I want to use this time to explain how this agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, contributes to the economy and to our well-being. NOAA is not just a four-letter acronym or a Federal building in Maryland, it is the backbone of this Nation's environmental safety and resilience, which support better health and a thriving economy. When the Earth shakes the coastline of my district in the Pacific Northwest, as it inevitably will, it will put the lives and safety of thousands of coastal residents at risk from a devastating tsunami. The first lifesaving alert they will hear is because of NOAA. As a seismologist at the Alaska Earthquake Center said: NOAA creates the information needed by emergency managers, mariners, and everyday citizens: Where is the safe zone in my town? How long will I have? Where should boats go? How do I stay informed? When someone fishing in Astoria, Oregon, sets her catch limits for Dungeness crab or pink shrimp and when she checks the marine weather forecast to decide whether to put her crew out on the water or to keep them safe at shore, that is because of the workers at NOAA. At a recent Oregon fisheries roundtable, one fisherman made the stakes clear: NOAA's forecasts of sea state and weather save lives. Last year, blooms of toxic algae shut down beaches, contaminated shellfish, and put about 40 Oregonians in the hospital with a paralytic shellfish poisoning. States, hospitals, and families deserve accurate information about what they are exposed to and what they consume. This should not be a luxury. This is a public service and expectation that we should be able to rely on, and we have it because of the hardworking staff at NOAA. Planes avoid turbulence. School districts decide whether it is safe to have class during a snowstorm. People seek shelter during a tornado or a hurricane. Weather forecasts are available at our fingertips, and behind every alert, every early warning, every saved life are the people at NOAA. I have spoken with shrimpers in Newport, Oregon, and scientists at Oregon State University, Tribal leaders along the Columbia River, and teachers in Hillsboro. They have all highlighted how NOAA's work is far-reaching, and this is just in one of 435 congressional districts. Students in Oregon recently told me that the Sea Grant program, run by NOAA, helped spark their love for marine biology and education. Another student said Sea Grant inspired their interest in ocean technology and set them on the path to study engineering. These students understand how NOAA's science programs can protect their communities and change lives, so it is hard to understand why so many of my colleagues and this administration are throwing NOAA overboard and then hoping a storm won't come. NOAA has been threatened, and its budget is being slashed by this administration. In past Congresses, we have come together to sustain this funding because its bipartisan work is valued across red, blue, and purple districts and States. We have successfully fought back against attempts to muzzle its experts, and we will continue to fight back and win. Let me be clear: Defunding NOAA will hurt Oregonians, Americans, and people across this country. It puts the lives of fishers and their crews at risk. It leaves towns without early warning. It undermines economies built on tourism, shipping, and fisheries. Slashing the budget of NOAA doesn't save money. A 2019 analysis shows NOAA provides $11 in economic benefit for every dollar we invest. That is not charity, it is infrastructure. NOAA's ocean observation system, for example, drives economies and saves lives. Captain Dan Jordan, a Columbia River bar pilot, sees this every day. He said: ``Ships crossing the Columbia River bar face one of the most dangerous harbor entrances in the world. . . . bar pilots rely on weather forecasts, real-time buoy data along with wave and current models . . .'' to safely cross the bar. I agree with Captain Jordan. Just as we need roads, rails, and broadband, we need buoys, satellites, and tide gauges so our ships can safely transport goods in and out of our ports. This is navigation, weather, safety, commerce, and, yes, climate science. Proposals to gut NOAA's funding by more than 25 percent, to decimate the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research would, as the former director of that office said, take our scientific footing back to the 1950s. Their mission is to develop the best possible science to save lives and property in a changing climate. To cut it is not fiscally conservative, it is strategically catastrophic. When did we become so afraid of knowledge? When did we decide that protecting political egos was more important than protecting people's lives? NOAA scientists are not enemies of the State. They are guardians of it. To the next generation, I know many of you feel disillusioned. You see the ocean becoming more acidic. You see storms getting stronger. You wonder if anyone in power is listening. Let this moment be a promise. I hear you, and the workers of NOAA hear you, as well. Let's reject the cynical policies of willful ignorance. Let's not stand in opposition to science but in service to it because when the sky darkens, the tide rises, and the wind begins to howl, it is the workers of NOAA who will tell us what comes next.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn in the strongest terms the attack by DOGE on the Women's Bureau at the Department of Labor, the only Federal agency representing women in the workforce. Last week, Elon Musk's unelected, unqualified, inept team at DOGE canceled millions of dollars in grants funded through the Women's Bureau by calling them wasteful. These terminations decimated the important work of the Women's Bureau, including programs to support survivors of gender-based violence and Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations, which has successfully expanded pathways for women to enter the workforce and lead in all industries, including the trades. A Department of Labor spokesperson claimed that the Women's Bureau funds discriminatory DEI experiments. I would like to know why exactly they think helping women enter and succeed in the workforce is a discriminatory DEI experiment. Canceling more than $20 million in congressionally authorized funds is both illegal and unconstitutional, and we must hold DOGE and Secretary Chavez-DeRemer accountable. Congress established the Women's Bureau 2 months before women officially gained the right to vote, 105 years ago this year. Instead of celebrating its achievements and recognizing the benefits of these grant programs, the Trump administration is trying to send us backward in time, harming millions of women in the process. Mr. Speaker, I am not going back. I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand with me in support of the Women's Bureau and the crucial opportunities and protections it provides for women in the workforce. Congratulations to Lincoln High School and Sprague High School

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and congratulate two high school teams on their recent cochampionship win of the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution competition. Run by the Center for Civic Education, this competition tests the knowledge of high school students from around the country about the U.S. Constitution and American Government. Students display understanding about historical and contemporary constitutional issues, and their breadth of knowledge is incredibly impressive. I am proud to report that both top teams are from public high schools in Oregon. Lincoln High School and Sprague High School won the national competition in Virginia after competing at the State level and then spending 3 days here in the D.C. metro area at the finals answering tough questions with confidence, intelligence, and grace. Both teams showed deep knowledge of constitutional law and U.S. history, and this year we saw something amazing. The average team size is 21 students, but the Sprague team had only two. Impressively, the Lincoln team was mostly sophomores, but they all worked hard and it showed. A scoring anomaly resulted in both the Sprague and Lincoln teams earning the title of cochampions for the first time in the competition's history. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Center for Civic Education for making this opportunity available. I also thank the teachers and coaches who worked with the teams and these impressive students for giving us hope for the future at a time when it is desperately needed. Please join me in congratulating Lincoln High School and Sprague High School on their cochampionship win of We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution competition.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn the decision of my colleagues to block the House from considering resolutions of inquiry, a procedure that is designed to get Members of Congress factual information from the executive branch. Education Committee Ranking Member Scott and I introduced a resolution of inquiry that was scheduled to be considered yesterday during the Committee on Education and Workforce's reconciliation markup. Unfortunately, while the markup was in recess, the Republicans adopted a rule that blocks resolutions of inquiry from being considered. It was especially frustrating because we could have debated the resolution yesterday morning, but apparently the majority delayed consideration so they could pass this language in fine print that blocks us from conducting important oversight of policies and programs that are in the committee's jurisdiction. Our resolution is simple. It asks the President and the Department of Health and Human Services to tell Congress why they plan to eliminate the Administration for Community Living, an agency that administers programs designed to support older adults and people with disabilities and helps them stay in their homes. The public deserves to know what will happen if these programs are eliminated. The Administration for Community Living, known as ACL, was founded around the fundamental principle that older adults and people of all ages with disabilities should, whenever possible, be able to live where they choose, with the people they choose, and with the ability to participate fully in their communities. Bringing programs that serve those two populations together and sharing expertise actually made the programs work better and more efficiently. Unfortunately, at the end of March, the Trump administration announced a dramatic restructuring of the Department of Human Services that includes the elimination of the Administration for Community Living. Now is not the time to dismantle an agency that supports older adults and people with disabilities. More than 11,000 people turn 65 every day. In 2022, the people who are age 65 and older represented at least 17 percent of the U.S. population, and more than one in four adults experience a disability, including most adults over 75. The Administration for Community Living's programs improved the lives of millions of older adults and people with disabilities and also benefits their families and their caregivers. It is the only government entity that advocates across the Federal Government for these populations. Because my colleagues blocked consideration of this resolution, I want to take this opportunity to tell you more about what is at risk. Through the Older Americans Act, the Administration for Community Living runs senior centers and distributes more than 200 million meals every year to older adults and people with disabilities through the Meals on Wheels program. Seniors need access to nutritious food so they can lead healthy lives. It is not just the food. The person delivering the meal is often the only social contact the client will have that day, which is especially important in addressing social isolation. It is disheartening to see this administration advocating for policies that will put essential food assistance for older Americans at risk. The ACL does more than food assistance. They support paid and unpaid caregivers, including family caregivers and Native American caregivers. They study better ways to support older adults living with HIV. They protect seniors from abuse through the Adult Protective Services Program. They provide programming to reduce social isolation and loneliness. They support protection and advocacy programs for people with disabilities. They conduct research into fall prevention, chronic disease management, and Alzheimer's disease. They safeguard vulnerable adults through the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, and they address elder justice issues like abuse, neglect, and exploitation. They provide legal assistance for disabled people and more. These are just some of the reasons that we introduced the resolution of inquiry: to ask what will happen to these important programs with the administration's plan to eliminate ACL. We are a coequal branch of government, and we need this information to make prudent decisions on behalf of our constituents. Yet, as of yesterday, the majority blocked our ability to get those questions answered. Unfortunately, the Republican majority is also using the same shady tactic to take away the authority of Congress to legislate tariff policy, likely because Republicans know their positions are wildly unpopular and proper oversight would highlight these failings. This is yet another example of the erosion of separation of powers that we are seeing in this administration and this Congress. I have heard many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle talk about the importance of transparency and accountability. I hope my Republican colleagues live up to that and prove that by stopping the block on resolutions of inquiry.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise today in strong opposition to the SAVE Act. This bill will make it more difficult to register to vote, and it will prevent millions of American citizens, including married women who change their name and rural Americans, from exercising their right to vote. It creates an enormous and expensive unfunded mandate on election offices, and for what? Federal law already requires people to attest under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens when they register to vote. Noncitizens attempting to register to vote is exceedingly rare, and if they do, they face severe consequences, including fines, up to 5 years in prison, and deportation. Mr. Speaker, more than 140 million Americans do not have a passport. Approximately 70 million women do not have a birth certificate that matches their current legal name. Millions and millions of rural voters would have to travel long distances to try to register to vote. We don't have to guess what would happen if this bill were to pass. In 2011, Kansas had a proof-of-citizenship requirement.

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, in Kansas, more than 30,000 U.S. citizens, 12 percent of everyone seeking to register to vote, were barred from voting. Other States have tried. In all of them, a significant number of citizens have been wrongly barred from voting. It is unacceptable. It is voter suppression. It is wrong. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the SAVE Act.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, as someone who has dedicated years of my career to education striving to create a better future for children, I find it disturbing and ironic that my colleagues in the majority pass bills that they say are to protect students but, in fact, do nothing to address the real challenges children are facing in schools today. The majority is willing to pass a bill to protect students from the Chinese Communist Party, something no parent or educator has ever mentioned to me, but not willing to address gun violence, increasing behavioral health needs, or, importantly, the stress and fear that the Trump administration has created by giving ICE free range to raid sensitive locations, including schools. Don't take my word for it. Listen to the words of a fourth grade student in Oregon who wrote me this letter: ``Hi. I am a local student, and I am in fourth grade. Ever since the rules were changed to allow ICE agents to enter schools, I have felt scared for my safety and the safety of my classmates, friends, and neighbors. I feel scared and distracted in class sometimes because I am worried ICE might come in our school. I worry what might happen to me if I refuse to answer their questions to protect my friends and classmates. I also worry about ICE agents trying to talk to me on the bus ride from school. I worry about what I should do if ICE agents come up to my neighbors when I am walking with them home from the bus stop. Some of the things I worry about are: Do I hide my friends if they are getting taken? If ICE enters my school and takes someone, what will the school do? If ICE takes my classmate, what should I do? Where does ICE take people? And what do I do if my friends come home to an empty house because their family got deported? ``I wish I did not have to worry about these things, and I wish even more that my friends, classmates, and neighbors did not have to either. Thanks for your time.'' Mr. Speaker, this administration said they were going to go after dangerous criminals and drug dealers, but what they are doing instead with this disastrous mass deportation effort is creating fear and stress across the country including among young children. ``I wish I didn't have to worry about these things,'' the student said. So do I and so should anybody in this body with an ounce of compassion. These are kids. Let that sink in, and let's do what we need to do to truly protect students.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn in the strongest terms possible President Trump's executive order that threatens millions of students and local public schools through the dismantling of the Department of Education. This is an illegal and unconstitutional abuse of power straight out of the Project 2025 playbook. Congress created the Department. Only Congress can dismantle it, something I will fight every step of the way. I note that Donald Trump and Elon Musk have likely never set forth in a public school, and they certainly do not understand what the Department of Education actually does and why it is important, but students, families, and teachers in Oregon and across the country understand. In the past few weeks, several Oregon parents have told me they are terrified that their kids will lose access to vital educational services. One mom said she worries about sending her two kids with special needs to kindergarten next year if there are cuts to IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Unlike Secretary McMahon, I actually know what IDEA stands for and what it means for students. I have been an education advocate for decades, and no one has ever said we need less money to meet the needs of students with disabilities. It is always a plea to fully fund IDEA. Another mom told me that her kids attend a title I school and get enough to eat because of school breakfast and lunch programs. It is a fact that high-poverty schools, about half the schools in the U.S., have greater educational needs, and that is why title I dollars provide flexibility so districts can determine how to best meet the needs of their low-income students. Cutting that funding will widen, rather than close, the achievement gap. Nonsensically, Trump and Musk are rejoicing at the idea of returning power to States and local communities. Return what? States and local districts already have power over core functions of education, including curriculum, staffing, and budgeting. In fact, it is against the law for the Federal Government to set curriculum. Donald Trump also makes a bogus argument that declining test scores justify abolishing the Department, but test scores don't make the case for slashing Federal investment in education. On the contrary, they show us where we need to direct resources and support to students, especially low-income students and students with disabilities. Unfortunately, we are losing an important research tool about what students need because the Trump administration has taken a chain saw to the National Center for Education Statistics. We know that more than 51,000 public schools serve concentrated populations of students from low-income families and receive title I funds. Almost 7.5 million students with disabilities receive a free, appropriate public education because of IDEA. I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to speak with your local and State legislators and ask them if they have extra resources to fill these gaps. Also, the majority of Federal funding through the Department of Education is to open doors of opportunity to higher education for students who choose to attend college but can't afford the cost. This includes Pell grants, Federal work-study, and low-interest loans to those who qualify. I would not be where I am today without the Federal aid I got to first attend community college, then college, then law school. Importantly, the Department of Education is a civil rights agency. The Office for Civil Rights enforces Federal laws prohibiting discrimination and harassment, investigating thousands of civil rights cases every year, primarily from students with disabilities. This work will be more difficult, if not impossible, with the Trump administration firing at least 240 employees in the Office for Civil Rights and closing more than half of its regional offices. Donald Trump also says he wants to shut down the Department but keep its core functions. Get rid of the people with expertise and give the core functions to other agencies without the expertise or the staff to handle them? That is not government efficiency. It is absurdity. Last month, I introduced H. Res. 94 in defense of public schools and the Department of Education, and more than 85 of my colleagues have signed on. We will fight all efforts to defund and dismantle the important work the Department does, and we won't back down. The consequences are clear: Closing the Department of Education will harm students, families, communities, and the economy. The majority of Americans support the Department of Education, and I know public school advocates will be working tirelessly to maintain the strong and vital Federal investment in our system of public education. Donald Trump and Elon Musk might think that this ill-conceived abuse of power will go unchecked. They are about to find out how wrong they are.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, it is all over the news this morning. In just a few hours, it is expected that Donald Trump will sign an executive order to shut down the Department of Education. I condemn that in the strongest possible terms. This will slash support for students with disabilities, undermine schools in rural communities, and also eliminate the civil rights protections that people fought and died for. This executive order will be an illegal and unconstitutional abuse of power. An act of Congress created the Department of Education and only an act of Congress can dismantle it, and we will fight that. Last month, I introduced H. Res. 94 in defense of public education. We have more than 80 colleagues on that resolution. I want everyone to join us in signing that. Do not let them bulldoze our public education system. They are going to try to justify it by saying we have to return authority to States and local school boards, but they already have the authority. The Department of Education and the Federal Government don't set curriculum. They don't decide how many kids are in each class. What the Department of Education does is it protects civil rights, gives support to students who are low income and students with disabilities. Mr. Speaker, we will fight the efforts to defund this important work. If we can't legislate, we will litigate, but we will not back down.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to share the story of a Federal scientist in Oregon who was recently fired by Donald Trump and Elon Musk. In Oregon, we experience seasons with drought and wildfires, and lives depend on accurate research of water sources. Mr. Speaker, 60 to 70 percent of usable water in both Oregon and Washington comes from mountain snowmelt, which is a critical water source in the West. It is vital to farmers, forests, and every community I represent. The scientist was with the Department of Agriculture's Oregon Snow Survey. Here is what he said: My job was to collect tangible data from the snowpack which could be used to determine a community's yearly water budget. I am completely heartbroken to have lost my position with the

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Chair, last week, I had five townhall meetings across northwest Oregon in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Not one person, not one of the thousands who attended, asked me to support a budget that cuts Medicaid, gives tax breaks to the wealthiest, raises the cost of living, or undermines safety and security, but that is what we are voting on today. The Republicans are stealing the hard-earned tax dollars of Oregonians and Americans to line the pockets of people like Elon Musk. This ruthless Republican budget will rip away healthcare from low- income and working families and children and take us back to the days when if you got sick, you either went without treatment or went bankrupt. It could rip away resources from local schools and prevent children, especially students with disabilities, from getting a good education. Republicans say they are eliminating waste. Do you want to talk about waste? Waste is giving the wealthiest big tax cuts while regular Americans are struggling to put food on the table. The cost of groceries is increasing, wages continue to remain stagnant, and too many families can't afford housing or childcare. The Republican majority's answer is to rip you off and give tax breaks to the wealthiest and then hope, unrealistically, that it is going to trickle down. We must oppose this Republican billionaire budget. We must focus instead on the American people so everyone, not just those at the top, have the opportunity for a better future.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the administration's decision to pause or end--or as the unelected billionaire Elon Musk said: ``Feed into the wood chipper''--government payments for food aid. The thoughtless plan to shut down or pause the work of the U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, is wrong for many reasons. It is especially harmful to people around the globe who can starve without this food aid, and it is harmful to the U.S. businesses and American farmers who sell their agricultural products to the U.S. Government. In 2020, the U.S. Government bought more than $2 billion in food aid from American farmers, but right now, because of this wrong decision by the administration, there is about 500,000 tons of food, including rice, wheat, and soybeans, at risk of spoiling. Much of it is stockpiled in ports across the country, including about 31,000 tons of food at the port in Houston, Texas, alone. What a truly senseless waste and shameful considering how many people around the globe are food insecure. My home State of Oregon has a robust agricultural sector. We produce wheat, potatoes, and amazing specialty crops. We export more than 80 percent of our wheat production from Oregon. The administration's egregious decision has been really harmful, and it is also harmful to national security. This is a national security issue. The bags of food and the vials of medicine that USAID distributes are labeled ``from the American people.'' That improves our standing in the world, and it keeps us safer because it is common sense to understand that people are much less likely to turn against the United States if we are saving their lives and their families' lives in their country. This decision also goes beyond USAID because the Trump administration has also paused funding for several programs at the Department of Agriculture that support farmers, food producers, food banks, and people struggling to afford food. At a time when food prices remain high, something I know our constituents care about, stopping these programs is inhumane and shortsighted. On behalf of our Oregonian and American farmers, on behalf of those in America who want to retain what is left of our global leadership, I urge the administration to reverse this heartless and harmful decision.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, recently an Oregonian told me that his young daughter and her friends, especially her Hispanic friends, are scared at school. They are kids that are at school to learn. Then I learned why they are scared. I rise today to strongly condemn the Trump administration's unconscionable decision to rescind guidance that restricted immigration arrests near sensitive locations, including hospitals, places of worship, and schools. For several years, ICE operated under a policy that designated certain areas as safe from immigration enforcement raids. Now, Donald Trump has reversed that. This decision to no longer protect schools from immigration enforcement is harmful, and it makes our schools less safe. We should all be working together to keep students safe at school. Instead of criminalizing undocumented children and children who look like they might be undocumented, we should be protecting all children from the horrors of mass shootings, which unfortunately, are far too frequent in this country. I want to be clear. Immigrant children are not hiding in American schools as the current administration wants you to believe. They are there to learn, and taking them from their schools will cause immense suffering and chaos for families and communities. These are children who may go on some day to find the next cure for cancer or write a great American novel. They have tremendous potential. Now, I ask my colleagues to show some humanity. Please join Representative Adriano Espaillat from New York and me in supporting the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act. Show some humanity for children. Help keep our schools and other sensitive locations to be safe from harmful immigration enforcement actions.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Tonko for his leadership on this important issue. I have been on the Committee of Science, Space, and Technology since I joined Congress 13 years ago, Mr. Speaker. It has been so inspiring to meet and hear from some of the Nation's, and sometimes the world's, leading scientists. Today, I rise in defense of science and scientific integrity and in defense of truth. I rise in defense of the hardworking scientists and researchers who dedicate their careers to keeping our country safe, our economy strong, and our future secure. The assault that is happening right now at our Federal science agencies is appalling and dangerous, and it must be stopped. The Trump administration, working hand in hand with Elon Musk and his shadowy group of hackers calling itself the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, is dismantling the critical programs that protect clean air and water, grow the economy, and save American lives. Experienced and talented scientists at NOAA and the National Science Foundation are being demeaned and threatened with termination. Communications have been disrupted and critical research has been stalled. This is not just an attack on these individuals; it is an attack on the very foundation of our Nation's scientific enterprise. It is also affecting higher education. There is a lot of research being done in higher education with NSF grants. It is not efficiency. It is not reform. It is sabotage. For what? Is it to silence the truth about the fact that climate change is real and poses a serious threat? Is it to give billionaires more control over public institutions? Is it to gut the research that drives American innovation at a time when China and the EU and the rest of the world are making moves to surge ahead? My home State of Oregon received more than $370 million in Federal research grants last year. That funding supported groundbreaking research into cleaner, cheaper energy, earthquake and tsunami warning systems, and wildfire prevention. That funding is now in jeopardy because Donald Trump has unlawfully and unconstitutionally halted Federal research dollars. That means stalled renewable energy innovation. It means fewer tools to combat wildfires. It means fewer jobs in the growing industries that help our State and country thrive. I want to follow up on the remarks that Mr. Beyer made recently and all the words that are going to trigger this review. ``Women'' but not ``men''? ``Disability,'' ``advocacy,'' ``institutional,'' ``barrier''? What if someone is doing research on the Great Barrier Reef? Are they going to be denied their funding? Mr. Speaker, there is nothing woke, DEI, or radical about predicting the next devastating earthquake or tsunami, detecting a wildfire before it spreads, or protecting ocean health to support our coastal and fishing economies. Demonizing committed scientists is shameful. Impairing decades of lifesaving research because it might help communities on the front lines of the climate crisis is derelict. Infiltrating Federal agencies with unelected hackers and rescinding lawfully appropriated funds is illegal. Is this what happens when we have a lawless, science-denying, vindictive person in the White House? I tell you, we won't stand for it. Oregon's coastal communities rely on NOAA for fisheries management, ocean health monitoring, and storm forecasting. Without it, livelihoods and lives are at risk. Let me be crystal clear: Silencing scientists doesn't stop hurricanes. Firing researchers doesn't stop rising sea levels. Blocking climate data doesn't change the fact that last year was the hottest year in recorded history. The United States has long been the world leader in scientific innovation. We led the space race. We mapped the human genome. We pioneered the technology that powers the global economy. Today, under this administration's reckless interference, we are watching that leadership slip away, our scientific edge erode, and America's future be sold off to the highest bidder. This is frustrating. I just read that the National Cryptologic Museum just taped sheets of paper over plaques that celebrated women and people of color who served honorably in the National Security Agency. That is absurd and demeaning. The assault on science demands action. What is happening now is not leadership or patriotism. It is corruption. I truly hope that my Republican colleagues who for years have recognized the value of Federal science agencies and advocated for their investment will join me in speaking out against this reckless attack on scientists and science. Congress must reassert its constitutional authority to guard the science agencies it authorized and the funds it has appropriated from political corrosion. Public data, peer review, and a diverse research workforce are the cornerstones of the U.S. science enterprise. Yes, I said ``diverse.'' Politically driven propaganda masquerading as science, like we saw during the first Trump administration--remember Sharpiegate--erodes public trust and damages scientific credibility. Mr. Speaker, we must protect the integrity of our Federal science agencies. The world is watching. We must restore funding to the research that drives our economy. It is a lot of the basic research that then goes into advanced research in the private sector. We must hold those who undermine scientific integrity accountable, no matter how powerful they think they are.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak against this extreme legislation that would criminalize doctors. As we have heard, killing a baby is already against the law. What we should be doing is working together to get accurate healthcare information to anyone who is pregnant or who wants to be pregnant. Here is a real story from Oregon. A county public health clinic closed, and when a local woman missed her period, she went to a so- called crisis pregnancy center. She got a test and an ultrasound. The center said: You are pregnant. All is well. You should plan for a new baby. A month later, she was hemorrhaging and went to the emergency department where the doctor diagnosed a uterine polyp and early cancer. That blurry ultrasound she got at the crisis pregnancy center was not a baby. It was impacted stool in her colon. She was obviously and dangerously misdiagnosed. Sadly, stories like this are not uncommon, which is why I will soon introduce the Stop Anti-Abortion Disinformation Act to prohibit unfair and deceptive advertising of services by crisis pregnancy centers. They often engage in deception to get people in, and then they mislead them about the services they provide and often tragically mislead them about their condition. Now, that is a real problem and one that makes a compelling case not for this bill but for comprehensive reproductive healthcare. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this bill.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler).

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, as trans student and successful athlete Rebekah said: ``I know what it is like to have my gender questioned. . . . It is invasive and embarrassing. I wouldn't want anyone else to have to go through that,'' and, ``It is awful. Legislators are bullying kids.'' Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano).

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, in light of the comment that the gentleman from Michigan, who is managing the time on the other side of the aisle, made about birth certificates, I want to remind my colleagues that in the discussion on a similar bill, we had a conversation about how out of the millions of birth certificates in this country, there are a considerable number of children who are born either intersex or with ambiguous genitalia. How does the gentleman plan to enforce this bill? Because he is saying birth certificates but those aren't necessarily reliable. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg) for the purpose of a colloquy.

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the so-called Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025, a bill that will actually do the opposite and make sports more dangerous for women and girls. In fact, this bill will empower child predators, putting students across the country at increased risk. This is a one-size-fits-all bill that would apply equally to every sport, from K-12 schools to colleges. Currently, schools, parents, and communities manage youth sports leagues and write rules about who can participate in different sports at different levels. Many State schools and athletic associations across the country have allowed equal participation for transgender athletes for years, and it is working just fine. This legislation would revoke all Federal funding from schools that include transgender students on girls' and women's sports teams. This is damaging and discriminatory to transgender students who benefit, as all students do, from participating in school sports, and it is also damaging to the entire school that is threatened because Federal funding benefits all students. I remind my colleauges to keep in mind that as of last month, of the approximately 510,000 athletes who play at the NCAA level, 10 are transgender--not 10,000, 10 out of 510,000. Transgender students, like all students, deserve the same opportunity as their peers to learn teamwork, find belonging, and grow into well- rounded adults through sports. Childhood and adolescence are important times for growth and development, and sports help students form healthy habits and develop strong social and emotional skills. Sports provide meaningful opportunities for kids to feel confident in themselves and learn valuable life lessons about teamwork, leadership, and communication. Teams provide a place for kids to make friends and build relationships. Yet, my colleagues across the aisle want to take these opportunities away from certain children. That is discriminatory, and it is wrong. My colleagues are apparently so afraid of people who are different than them that they have manufactured false and dangerous presumptions based on outdated stereotypes about transgendered people, especially transgender women and girls. Additionally, there is no way this so-called protection bill could be enforced without opening the door to harassment and privacy violations. It opens the door to inspection, not protection, of women and girls in sports. Will students have to undergo exams to prove they are a girl? We are already seeing examples of harassment and questioning of girls who may not conform to stereotypical feminine roles. Will they be subject to demands for medical tests and private information? That is intrusive, offensive, and unacceptable, especially from a party of limited government. I want to be very clear: There are real problems harming women and girls in sports, but transgender students are not why. Today, we should be working to solve the real pervasive problems in athletics that deter women and girls from participating, including sexual harassment and assault, lack of equal resources, and pay inequality. We should be working on those issues and also on the issues that improve the lives of the people we represent back home, like increasing access to affordable healthcare and housing, lowering costs for everyday Americans, and fighting the climate crisis. Instead, here we are again. We have seen this time and time again: Republicans fearmonger about the trans community to divert attention from the fact that they have no real solutions to help everyday Americans with the pressing problems they face. We must not discriminate against kids because of who they are. Transgender youth already face high hurdles. Research shows that this type of discriminatory policy is associated with declines in mental health and higher suicide risk among already LGBTQI+ youth. We don't need adults in Congress making things worse. As Republican Governor Spencer Cox from Utah said in his veto statement of a similar bill: ``When in doubt, however, I always try to err on the side of kindness, mercy, and compassion.'' So should we all. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, just a reminder that this bill applies to every student of every age in every sport the same way. As Flynn, a successful trans athlete, said: ``The next time you see a story about trans athletes, think of the children behind the story who are just trying to play a game with their peers.'' Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Adams).

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Clark), the Democrat whip.

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. Ansari).