Donald Beyer

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 150th anniversary of the Appalachian Mountain Club. The Appalachian Mountain Club was founded in 1876 in Boston, Massachusetts with the mission to foster the protection, enjoyment, and understanding of the outdoors and is the Nation's oldest conservation and recreation organization. For 150 years, the Appalachian Mountain Club and its 90,000 members and 11 Chapters have led efforts to protect forests, waterways, wildlife habitats, and public lands, while fostering responsible and joyful outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship. The Appalachian Mountain Club's first testimony before Congress in 1895 contributed to the creation of land that later became Mt. Rainier National Park. In 1911, it helped secure passage of the Weeks Act, leading to the creation of the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire and Maine. Nearly 80 years later, the Appalachian Mountain Club supported the creation of the Forest Legacy program to conserve critical forestlands across the country and advocated for protections from acid rain that contributed to the adoption of the landmark 1990 Amendments to the Clean Air Act. Today, AMC continues to do irreplaceable work on conservation. Since 2003, it has protected over 130,000 acres as part of its Maine Woods Initiative, helped create the Highlands Conservation Act to conserve natural resources in the 3.4 million acres of the Highlands Region across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut, and advanced the designation of the New England National Scenic Trail. It has also supported the adoption of the Great American Outdoors Act and the EXPLORE Act, to ensure outdoor recreation access for generations to come. And AMC has played an essential role in making the Appalachian National Scenic Trail the truly one-of-a-kind trail it is today. The Appalachian Mountain Club has been a champion of the Appalachian Trail since its conception in 1921, its construction from 1923 to 1937, and today through maintenance of sections of the trail in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. It has operated a hut system on the trail since 1888 and now stewards more than 1,800 miles of trails across the Northeast, while supporting public land managers throughout the region on additional trail construction and rehabilitation projects. The 150th anniversary of the Appalachian Mountain Club provides an opportunity to recognize its historic legacy, honor its dedicated staff, members, volunteers, and other supporters, and reaffirm the importance of conservation and outdoor recreation to the Nation's future. The organization's efforts have helped improve access to outdoor recreation and strengthened the connection between people and the natural world. I am proud to honor and commend AMC on the occasion of its 150th anniversary and expresses gratitude for its lasting contributions to conservation, outdoor recreation, and the stewardship of America's natural resources.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 150th anniversary of the Appalachian Mountain Club. As a lifelong hiker, I am thankful for AMC's hard work, leadership, and tireless support for our public lands. To paraphrase Thoreau: ``Not till we are lost . . . do we begin to find ourselves.'' AMC and its 90,000 members have given countless people the chance to find themselves. They have helped ensure that lands that run from Mount Rainier to the White Mountains are protected for generations present and to come, and they have made an irreplaceable mark on the Appalachian Trail. The AMC stewards more than 1,800 miles of trails across the Northeast, with rarely a switchback--basically straight up and straight down. AMC has continuously operated huts on the Appalachian Trail since 1888. My nights in an AMC hut are among the most memorable of my life. Mr. Speaker, may all Americans celebrate AMC's 150 years of success.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Larsen) as a cosponsor of H.R. 8031.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. ``So likewise, a passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils. Sympathy for the favorite nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real common interest exists, and infusing into one of enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter without adequate inducement or justification. It leads also to concessions to the favorite nation of privileges denied to others, which is apt doubly to injure the nation making the concessions--by unnecessarily parting with what ought to have been retained--and by exciting jealousy, ill will, and a disposition to retaliate in the parties from whom equal privileges are withheld. And it gives to ambitious, corrupted, or deluded citizens (who devote themselves to the favorite nation) facility to betray or sacrifice the interests of their own country without odium, sometimes even with popularity; gilding with the appearances of a virtuous sense of obligation a commendable deference for public opinion, or a laudable zeal for public good, the base or foolish compliances of ambition, corruption, or infatuation. ``As avenues to foreign influence in innumerable ways, such attachments are particularly alarming to the truly enlightened and independent patriot. How many opportunities do they afford to tamper with domestic factions, to practice the arts of seduction, to mislead public opinion, or influence or awe the public councils! Such an attachment of a small or weak towards a great and powerful nation dooms the former to be the satellite of the latter. ``Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence (I conjure you to believe me, fellow citizens) the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake, since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government. But that jealousy to be useful must be impartial; else it becomes the instrument of the very influence to be avoided, instead of a defense against it. Excessive partiality for one foreign nation and excessive dislike of another cause those whom they actuate to see danger only on one side, and serve to veil and even second the arts of influence on the other. Real patriots, who may resist the intrigues of the favorite, are liable to become suspected and odious, while its tools and dupes usurp the applause and confidence of the people to surrender their interests. ``The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is, in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements, let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop. ``Europe has a set of primary interests, which to us have none, or a very remote relation. Hence she must be engaged in frequent controversies, the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concerns. Hence therefore it must be unwise in us to implicate ourselves, by artificial ties, in the ordinary vicissitudes of her politics or the ordinary combinations and collisions of her friendships or enmities.''

Mr. BEYER. ``But these considerations, however powerfully they address themselves to your sensibility, are greatly outweighed by those which apply more immediately to your interest. Here every portion of our country finds the most commanding motives for carefully guarding and preserving the Union of the whole. ``The North, in an unrestrained intercourse with the south, protected by the equal laws of a common government, finds in the productions of the latter great additional resources of maritime and commercial enterprise and precious materials of manufacturing industry. The south in the same intercourse, benefiting by the agency of the north, sees its agriculture grow and its commerce expand. Turning partly into its own channels the seamen of the north, it finds its particular navigation invigorated; and while it contributes, in different ways, to nourish and increase the general mass of the national navigation, it looks forward to the protection of a maritime strength, to which itself is unequally adapted. The east, in a like intercourse with the West, already finds, and in the progressive improvement of interior communications by land and water will more and more find a valuable vent for the commodities which it brings from abroad, or manufactures at home. ``The West derives from the East supplies requisite to its growth and comfort--and what is perhaps of still greater consequence, it must of necessity owe the secure enjoyment of indispensable outlets for its own productions to the weight, influence, and the future maritime strength of the Atlantic side of the Union, directed by an indissoluble community of interest as one Nation. Any other tenure by which the West can hold this essential advantage, whether derived from its own separate strength, or from an apostate and unnatural connection with any foreign power, must be intrinsically precarious. ``While then every part of our country thus feels an immediate and particular interest in union, all the parts combined cannot fail to find in the united mass of means and efforts greater strength, greater resource, proportionably greater security from external danger, a less frequent interruption of their peace by foreign nations; and, what is of inestimable value! they must derive from union an exemption from those broils and wars between themselves, which so frequently afflict neighboring countries not tied together by the same government; which their own rivalships alone would be sufficient to produce, but which opposite foreign alliances, attachments, and intrigues would stimulate and embitter. Hence likewise they will avoid the necessity of those overgrown military establishments which, under any form of government, are inauspicious to liberty, and which are to be regarded as particularly hostile to republican liberty. In this sense it is, that your Union ought to be considered as a main prop of your liberty, and that the love of the one ought to endear to you the preservation of the other. ``These considerations speak a persuasive language to every reflecting and virtuous mind and exhibit the continuance of the Union as a primary object of patriotic desire. Is there a doubt whether a common government can embrace so large a sphere? Let experience solve it. To listen to mere speculation in such a case were criminal. We are authorized to hope that a proper organization of the whole, with the auxiliary agency of governments for the respective subdivisions, will afford a happy issue to the experiment. It is well worth a fair and full experiment. With such powerful and obvious motives to union affecting all parts of our country, while experience shall not have demonstrated its impracticability, there will always be reason to distrust the patriotism of those who in any quarter may endeavor to weaken its bands. ``In contemplating the causes which may disturb our Union, it occurs as matter of serious concern that any ground should have been furnished for characterizing parties by geographical discriminations--Northern and Southern--Atlantic and Western; whence designing men may endeavor to excite a belief that there is a real difference of local interests and views. ``One of the expedients of party to acquire influence within particular districts is to misrepresent the opinions and aims of other districts. You cannot shield yourselves too much against the jealousies and heart burnings which spring from these misrepresentations. They tend to render alien to each other those who ought to be bound together by fraternal affection. The inhabitants of our Western country have lately had a useful lesson on this head. They have seen in the negotiation by the executive, and in the unanimous ratification by the Senate, of the treaty with Spain, and in the universal satisfaction at that event throughout the United States, a decisive proof how unfounded were the suspicions propagated among them of a policy in the general government and in the Atlantic States unfriendly to their interests in regard to the Mississippi. They have been witnesses to the formation of two treaties, that with Great Britain and that with Spain, which secure to them everything they could desire, in respect to our foreign relations, towards confirming their prosperity. Will it not be their wisdom to rely for the preservation of these advantages on the Union by which they were procured? Will they not henceforth be deaf to those advisers, if such there are, who would sever them from their brethren and connect them with aliens?''

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2503, the ROTOR Act. Last year's January 29 midair collision at Reagan National Airport tragically took 67 lives, but it was preventable. It is our duty to do everything we can to keep this tragedy from ever happening again. This bill would implement a central recommendation from the NTSB's final report on the collision: a requirement to use Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast technology, ADS-B Out and In. NTSB has recommended an ADS-B In requirement 17 times before. NTSB's final report said that the ADS-B In would have alerted the flight crew 59 seconds before the collision and the helicopter crew 48 seconds before. ADS-B In would have given those pilots a fighting chance to avoid the disaster. It is high time that ADS-B Out and In are required in our Nation's busiest airspaces like the national capital region. Passing the ROTOR Act is the strongest first step we can take for ensuring a safer airspace for the flying public today to improve aviation safety and prevent a future crash at DCA. I thank Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Larsen, Ranking Member Smith, and Chairman Rogers for the comprehensive draft legislation they released last week addressing the systemic causes of the January 2025 collision. Their ALERT Act of 2026 improves important must-pass provisions. We need to reevaluate the arrival rate at National Airport. We need to improve our helicopter route charts. We need to limit military helicopter flights in our region. But Congress must pass the ROTOR Act this week to mandate that pilots have access to ADS-B In and Out as soon as possible. Then we must immediately work to advance the ALERT Act of 2026 while reconciling any differences in a way that maximizes aviation safety to ensure that all of the recommendations of the NTSB can be adopted. Mr. Speaker, I thank the families of flight 5342 who have been a driving force for the ROTOR Act and for aviation safety reform. These families have been advocates, experts, and champions all in the face of tremendous loss. It has been an honor to work with them. Passing the ROTOR Act is the first and strongest step that Congress must take to immediately give pilots another key tool to prevent collisions and begin saving lives now. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the ROTOR Act and soon the ALERT Act of 2026.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following letter from the National Taxpayers Union, signed by 469 economists, opposing the Trump Administration's sweeping national tariffs as dangerous economic policy, for consideration by the Supreme Court as it evaluates the potential violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA): 469 Economists: Biggest Trade Threat is if Tariffs Are Left in Place In the case of Trump v. V.O.S. Selections, the Trump Administration's submission to the Supreme Court of the United States argues that terminating its sweeping national emergency tariffs would have catastrophic consequences for our economy. This is backwards. The greater threat to the economy of the United States is not that the Trump Administration's tariffs will be struck down, but that they will be allowed to remain in place. As economists, we know that broad-based tariffs impose net costs on the economy. They divert resources from their most efficient use, while making it more difficult and expensive for U.S. businesses to access inputs and capital goods, like steel and machinery for manufacturers and fertilizer and agricultural equipment for farmers. Additionally, by increasing production costs for domestically made products and reducing the amount our trading partners can earn by selling to the United States, tariffs reduce export opportunities for U.S. producers. The Trump Administration's April Executive Order, Regulating Imports with a Reciprocal Tariff to Rectify Trade Practices that Contribute to Large and Persistent Annual United States Goods Trade Deficits, asserts that trade deficits constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the economy of the United States. However, this allegation is not backed by sound economic theory or empirical evidence. Trade deficits primarily reflect underlying macroeconomic factors such as the U.S. savings rate and the desire of our trading partners to invest in the United States. The United States has experienced trade deficits for 49 consecutive years, yet, during this period, real GDP, national wealth, and median incomes have all grown substantially. Moreover, U.S. industrial capacity reached a historic high in August. Even if you believe trade deficits are harmful, no serious claim can be made that they are either catastrophic or constitute a national emergency. In technical terms, the U.S. current account deficit is offset by a surplus in the capital account. There is no inherent threat to our economy if our trading partners invest in U.S. companies or buy Treasury bonds instead of purchasing American-made exports. In fact, it is not uncommon for the U.S. trade deficit to increase when the economy is growing and to decrease when it is not. The significant reduction in the trade deficit during the Great Recession is the most prominent recent example. As the Supreme Court considers the Trump Administration's argument that the trade deficit represents an extraordinary threat, we respectfully encourage it to consider the centuries of economic theory and I evidence and the overwhelming consensus among economists that suggest otherwise.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and pay tribute to Colonel (Ret.) William H. Smith for his distinguished and honorable service to the United States Army and our Nation. Colonel Smith officially retired from active duty on April 30, 1977, at Fort Myer, Virginia, concluding a monumental career that spanned 31 years, 2 months, and 22 days of total active service. Born on March 14, 1928, Colonel Smith's military journey included more than seven years of prior active service before entering his final period of duty in 1953. As a leader within the Transportation Corps, he became an expert in Personnel Management and Aviation Materiel Management. His dedication to professional excellence was evidenced by his extensive education, including training at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and various aviation and transportation schools. Colonel Smith was a highly decorated officer whose valor and technical skills were recognized with numerous awards, including: the Bronze Star Medal; The Meritorious Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster; The Air Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster; The Air Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster; The Army Commendation Medal; The World War II Victory Medal; The Vietnam Service Medal and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal; and The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with two Bronze Stars. His physical courage and specialized skills were further distinguished, earning him the Senior Army Aviator Badge, the Parachutist Badge, and the Glider Badge. Over the course of his career, he served more than five years overseas, including a final overseas tour in Korea. After a decorated tenure in the United States Army, Colonel Smith also became a business owner, and, until his final days, served his community as a driver for the Fairfax County Public Schools. After eighteen years, he concluded his final retirement at the remarkable age of ninety-seven years old. Colonel Smith's distinguished legacy is a testament to his commitment to defending the United States. His transition from the battlefields of the mid-20th century to high-level personnel and aviation management reflects his versatility, leadership, and sacrifice throughout his career. He leaves behind a family who carries forward his strength and a community forever enriched by his presence. I hope my colleagues will join me in honoring Colonel Smith's legacy as a father, husband, and soldier driven by faith and service.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Dr. Foster for gathering us here to help shine a light on what remains the most serious existential threat facing our country and our planet. It is too easy to forget in these days of polycrisis that we are on the brink of a new nuclear arms race. Very soon, one of the last remaining pillars of the nuclear arms control regime, the New START treaty, is due to expire. This treaty restricted the U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals and provide some measure of stability in our bilateral relationship. Sadly, the Trump administration has failed to do anything to get ahead of the expiration of New START and has done a lot to raise nuclear tensions. The President has made threats, endorsed insanely expensive plans to expand our arsenal, pushed for the resumption of explosive testing, and advocated for an impractical missile defense system that will only encourage our adversaries to accelerate their own weapons program. I am particularly horrified that the President may choose to ignore the comprehensive test ban treaty which has given comfort and safety to the world for two generations. Meanwhile, Russia has expressed an interest in maintaining New START restrictions on its stockpile for another year while the terms of a new treaty can be hashed out, but, unfortunately, the White House has not responded to their offer, and it has shown no interest in engaging with China either on nuclear arms reduction, this despite the danger China is dramatically trying to build up its nuclear arsenal. If ever there were a time to talk to China, it would be right now. It is not hard to guess what happens next if nothing changes. Each side will be adding now weapons to their arsenal for the first time in decades. We would come back to 10,000 nuclear weapons aimed at the Soviet Union, 10,000 aimed at us, to 1,500 to 1,800 each. Now we are going back to that feedback loop that was reminiscent of the first days of the Cold War. Not only will this cost a tremendous amount of money and put us on an even more dire fiscal trajectory, it will ratchet up the very real danger of a nuclear exchange. Mr. Speaker, we can already destroy the planet many, many times over with our own existing nuclear stockpiles. Why on Earth do we need to spend more of our scarce resources on these incredibly expensive weapons? We have gone through this cycle before. We were very lucky, but I am terrified we will not make it through again. This shouldn't be a partisan issue. It has never been partisan. Republican Presidents from Dwight Eisenhower to Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush have all led on arms control agreements. I have been critical of my own party's approach to nuclear weapons. The Biden administration, despite campaign promises, refused to adopt a first-use or no-sole-use nuclear policy. Currently, the U.S. President can order the launch of hundreds of nuclear warheads within 15 minutes, with no oversight or even conversations with the Speaker of the House, the Secretary of Defense, the chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and including Congress. Vesting this much power in one person, particularly this President, is irresponsible, dangerous, and unnecessary. Given our massive conventional military advantages over our adversaries--think of Venezuela--there is no plausible circumstance that could justify the use of nuclear weapons to deal with a nonnuclear threat. Removing the specter of the U.S. using nuclear weapons first in a conflict would go a long way toward slowing down this renewed global arms race. I am so glad to see my colleagues here share my concerns. I hope we can make a dent in the common sense here in this Congress. While I have you here, today I voted against a funding measure that would enshrine the Trump administration's illegal destruction of the United States Agency for International Development, USAID. Among the litany of illegal, immoral, and illegitimate acts committed by this administration, what President Trump and Elon Musk did to USAID will echo in our history as one of the most evil and pointless decisions made by this country. Hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable people in the world have died already because of this decision so far. Their premature and tragic deaths are the direct moral responsibility of Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Marco Rubio. They remind me of the comments of an unnamed French diplomat speaking of the horrors of World War I: The war I cannot find it to be so bad. The death of one man, that is a catastrophe; 100,000 deaths, that is a statistic. Our global reputation and soft power around the world have suffered permanent damage. Our ability to fight future global pandemics and diseases has been crippled, and U.S. farmers have suffered needlessly on top of the hundreds of public servants who were harassed and thrown out of their jobs. Beyond the human cost, far from saving the taxpayer any money, the State Department's own assessments show that shutting down the agency will cost more than $6 billion. The whole point of this misguided crusade against starving and sick children overseas was to find waste, fraud, and abuse that simply did not exist. This was a case of the very worst of us attacking the very best of us. I have heard from hundreds of my constituents, former USAID public servants, who dedicated their lives to making the world a better place. Their overwhelming regret is not that they lost their jobs but that the critical work they did to help the poor, the sick, and the starving has stopped. I am sickened by what this administration has done to USAID and to the world. I will do everything I can to reverse this awful decision. Mr. Speaker, I thank Dr. Foster for convening us together and for his leadership.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, every day, more Americans are being hurt by the Republican healthcare crisis. Tax credits that help working people afford healthcare are vanishing, and Americans are watching billionaires get huge tax cuts while the cost of living goes up. My Republican friends knew that refusing to renew these tax credits would cause healthcare costs to skyrocket. Mr. Speaker, they decided to cancel work for 2 months and simply ignored the affordability problem. President Trump even called it a hoax. Democrats put forward this bill to help the American people. Thanks to a few sensible colleagues on the other side, we were able to force a vote on it. While Trump continues his self-dealing corruption and growing fondness for attacking foreign countries, his administration is lawlessly killing and lying about the death of an unarmed woman in Minneapolis. Republican leadership in Congress had to be forced to even allow a vote on this bill. Democrats here are focused on a bill to lower costs for tens of millions of Americans and prevent many from losing healthcare. Mr. Speaker, we speak about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We can't be free, it is hard to be happy, and lives are cut short with no healthcare.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the House Endangered Species Caucus, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 845. This bill, formerly called the Trust in Science Act, has gone under a rebrand since the best available science contradicts this politically motivated bill. I am here to remind the American people of some key facts underlying this bill. First, a small reminder, people are predators, too. In fact, we are the most successful apex predator of all time. This bill has the deeply unpopular Project 2025's name all over this. Look at page 534, part 3, section 16, where delisting the gray wolf is listed as the second highest priority for the Department of the Interior, just behind delisting the grizzly bear. Despite the Trump administration's incompetence and chaos, we have not forgotten about the direction coming from Project 2025 and the damage already done to our country. Second, this bill fails to recognize the status of gray wolves today, taking us back to an outdated rulemaking that didn't hold up in court. It is important to recognize State-by-State differences in wolf recovery but also in State-sanctioned predation. What does the best available recovery science say today? That is what we should be supporting. Gray wolf recovery goals are outdated, and they need to be updated. That is what we should be working on instead of this extinction effort. That is what this is: permission to once again reduce the wolf population in the lower 48 to zero. We know that premature delisting hinders the ability of gray wolves to be delisted legitimately. Today, wolves continue to face ongoing serious threats to their survival, including poaching, habitat loss, and the patchwork of inconsistent State mismanagement. The protections of the ESA have allowed gray wolf populations across the country to stabilize and regain strength. If delisted nationally, gray wolves will once again be hunted and trapped to the point of extinction. If we actually wanted to trust the science, we see that the gray wolf has made progress in their recovery but also that wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains are being killed in dramatic numbers, even the celebrated Yellowstone National Park's gray wolves. The Biden administration recognized this and put forth a National Wolf Recovery Plan that was supposed to be released last week on December 12. This highly anticipated plan would have developed a comprehensive nationwide recovery plan that would have engaged the public to help develop a unified recovery approach based on scientific evidence. Unfortunately, the Trump administration hastily announced its cancellation last November. By the way, the only reason Canadian wolves were necessary is because we had killed every last lower 48 wolf. Finally, I have to address the spurious argument that protecting pets and livestock somehow is ample justification for delisting the wolves. In Montana, Mr. Speaker, fewer than 60 livestock out of almost 3 million are killed every year by wolves. That is one loss for every 50,000 cows or sheep. That is a very tiny loss ratio compared to deaths by accident, lightning, freezing temperatures, and all of the other natural hazards that come from living outside 365 days a year, not to mention that most of these animals are being raised to be slaughtered. The numbers don't look much different in Wyoming or Idaho. Ranchers are compensated very generously for losses related to wolves, always more than market value, sometimes three times the value of the animal lost. Mr. Speaker, State Farm reported that 93,000 dogs--not 5 or 10-- 93,000 were hit by cars in 2022, yet no one has suggested banishing automobiles. I love dogs. Most of us do. We know how smart and complicated and ferociously loyal they are. They are just wolves we have tamed. There is abundant evidence that wolf families are more like human families than any other species. Wolves and men have evolved together over the millennia, one reason wolves show up in all our most important stories, poems, and songs. When we kill all the wolves, we kill something in our own humanity. We deny our connection to nature and what is beautiful and glorious. How can we proclaim the wonder of existence, the generosity of a loving God, and then hate the charismatic creatures he has also given to this world. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to kill this bill.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, House Republicans passed a bill that strips healthcare from millions of Americans and raises costs for millions more. That was a monstrous bill, but this is a cowardly bill. It does nothing to stop the skyrocketing costs that we have been warning about for months. Nothing in this bill will extend the tax credits that help 20 million Americans afford health insurance. This bill won't stop the Republican cuts that will raise my constituents' costs by $900 a month or restore coverage to millions whose coverage was sacrificed to give billionaires tax cuts. The developed countries around the world have figured out how to give affordable healthcare to their citizens. A vote for this bill is a vote for the Republican healthcare crisis.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chair, the PERMIT Act is the bill you offer when you don't want to protect clean water. It is a very sad and extreme bill. With respect to my good friend, Chairman Babin, this amendment only makes it worse. In 2023, the Supreme Court gutted clean water protections that we have relied on since the 1980s, and now, the Trump administration is trying to make it the law that Americans don't deserve clean water. Already today, clean water protections have been defanged, leaving up to 80 percent of our streams and 50 percent of our wetlands at risk of pollution or destruction, but my House Republican friends have offered this bill that further rolls back the remaining protections on clean water. Mr. Chair, there are a couple of articles this week that highlight why this is so important. In Louisville, Kentucky, their water facility recently investigated why they had a spike in PFAS, so-called forever chemicals, and found out that a superconductor plant, Chemours, had dumped a PFAS called GenX into the water. This is a company that knowingly violated the allowable dumping limits several times. The only way that folks knew that they were able to address this was when they found out that Chemours had been violating its Clean Water Act permit. Louisville citizens have not only had to pay for upgrades to make up for their company's violations, but now they face serious health risks. This bill is only going to increase the burdens on Louisville taxpayers and everyone who is downstream on the river. The second article today is from The Washington Post. Mothers whose drinking water was downstream of sites contaminated with PFOA and PFOS, both of which are considered likely carcinogens, were much more likely to lose their babies and more likely to have a preterm or low-weight birth. Pollution has impacts, and we are just beginning to learn about the impacts of PFAS in our water. The Trump administration said that they want to make America healthy again, a wonderful goal and a good idea, but this bill does exactly the opposite. Please, let's kill the bill and kill the amendment. It is dangerous to us all.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 100th anniversary of The Garden Club of Alexandria, which was founded in 1925 and distinguished by a century of hands-on service, civic leadership, and lasting contributions to our community. For one hundred years, The Garden Club of Alexandria has been a cornerstone of our community, dedicated to inspiring a love of gardening, advancing civic beautification and championing environmental stewardship. Its members have transformed public spaces--such as the gardens at the Ramsay House Visitor Center and Gadsby's Tavern in Alexandria--into vibrant, welcoming places for all to enjoy. They have educated generations on the importance of protecting our natural environment and worked diligently to preserve historic gardens across Virginia, including Mount Vernon and Green Spring in my district. This centennial marks more than longevity; it also celebrates the enduring impact of The Garden Club of Alexandria. Through their tireless efforts and shared love of gardening, members have enriched our community in countless ways. Their legacy of service exemplifies the very best of civic involvement. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all past and present members of The Garden Club of Alexandria and look forward to their continued impact throughout our community.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the outstanding contributions of the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area (UNA-NCA) on the occasion of its United Nations 80th Anniversary Gala. The United Nations was founded in 1945, in the aftermath of World War II, to promote peace, security, development, and human rights around the world. As we mark 80 years of this global institution, it is fitting that we also honor one of its most steadfast and influential community champions: the UNA-NCA. Founded in 1952, the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area is one of the oldest and largest divisions of the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) and a member of the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA). With the support of more than 1,000 members, volunteers, and supporters in the greater Washington area, UNA-NCA has led efforts to educate, inspire, and mobilize citizens across our region to support the principles and vital work of the United Nations and its specialized agencies. For over seven decades, UNA-NCA has worked to build public knowledge, strengthen US-UN relations, and aid the UN in achieving its goals. It continues to serve as a critical bridge between the United Nations' international ideals and the everyday lives of citizens in our Nation's capital and surrounding regions. Its work reminds us that local engagement can make a global impact. UNA-NCA's mission is brought to life through a variety of programs that promote education, civic engagement, and leadership development, including the flagship Global Classroom DC Model UN Program, Graduate Fellows Program, Global Goals at Home, Young Professionals Program, the Annual Human Rights Awards, and more. Over the years, my staff and I have had the opportunity to participate in and support several UNA-NCA events, including on Capitol Hill in 2017 to highlight the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Annual Human Rights Awards, and regular meetings with the chapter as part of its congressional advocacy efforts, I was also honored to receive the UNA-NCA Arthur W. Johnson Leadership Award in 2022. Recognition from the UN holds personal significance as my grandmother, Clara Mortenson Beyer, was the first ever U.S. Representative to the International Labor Organization in Geneva. Finally, I want to offer special recognition to President Paula Boland, Board Chair Anne Simmons-Benton, and the board, staff, members, volunteers, and students whose steadfast work ensure UNA-NCA's success in its mission. As we celebrate UN80, I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting the UNA-NCA for its visionary leadership, its tireless advocacy, and its unwavering commitment to a more peaceful and just world.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I seek to recognize the 125th anniversary of Cranford United Methodist Memorial Chapel, a spiritual home deeply rooted in the history of Fairfax County and the American story itself. The site predates Fairfax County, which was found in 1742, starting and still serving as a place of worship and gathering. Originally home to Pohick Church, established in 1730, it counted among its vestry members George Washington and George Mason. The surrounding cemetery, the oldest in the county, dates back to the same year and has been researched and preserved for centuries. Over 200 unmarked graves have been discovered and marked. This historic grave is where soldiers from the Revolutionary War and the Civil War lie to rest. The site's spiritual legacy continued through the Methodist movement, with John Lewis and early circuit riders holding meetings here as far back as the early 1800's. By 1830, a formal Methodist congregation had been established, leading to the construction of Lewis Chapel in 1857, a humble building that served as a chapel, schoolhouse, and even a Civil War hospital. Its walls still bear visible traces of that history. In 1900, local craftsman James Cranford built the present-day church, consecrated as Cranford United Methodist Memorial Chapel. 125 years later, it remains a sacred house of worship in Northern Virginia, interweaving community, service, history, and faith.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 30th anniversary of Art on the Avenue, an annual celebration held each fall in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia. For three decades, this esteemed event has served as a cultural touchstone, welcoming visitors from throughout the greater Washington, D.C., area and exemplifying the spirit of artistic expression and community engagement. Since its founding, Art on the Avenue has attracted tens of thousands of attendees each year. The festival features the work of more than 300 artist vendors, musical performances across four stages, family- friendly activities, and an array of cuisine from local restaurants and eateries. These offerings have enriched the community, fostered creativity, and supported local businesses. Art on the Avenue is consistently recognized as one of Virginia's premier festivals, earning repeated distinction as ``Best of Virginia Festivals'' by Virginia Living Magazine. Its enduring popularity and acclaim reflect the dedication of the organizers and the appreciation of the participants. I wish to recognize and extend my deep appreciation to Pat Miller, the founder of Art on the Avenue, for her exemplary leadership and unwavering dedication to this event. The longstanding success of Art on the Avenue has been made possible by Pat's vision and commitment. I also want to offer special recognition to the local businesses that sponsor the festival each year, and to the hundreds of volunteers whose steadfast efforts ensure its continued excellence and vitality. In commemorating this milestone anniversary, I encourage my colleagues to join me in celebrating Art on the Avenue and the profound contributions it has made to the cultural life and community spirit of Northern Virginia and the entire Commonwealth.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and include in the Record, three prominent community members in the Nepali American community who have contributed to cultivating arts, culture, and business around the country. Navin KC For more than twenty-five years, Navin KC has been a tireless force in the world of dance and choreography, introducing Nepali language, art, and culture to audiences both nationally and internationally. As the Founder and Director of KC Dance Center in Virginia, he has provided countless students, particularly second-generation children, with dance training that emphasizes not only technique but also cultural heritage and language. His choreography has been featured in films, theater productions, and music videos, while his students have performed across the United States in places such as Hollywood, New York, Texas, and Colorado. Since 2017, through his annual production, ``Kollywood Night,'' Navin has created a powerful platform where emerging talent and celebrated artists come together to celebrate the richness of Nepali culture on stage. Luna Shrestha With more than two decades of dedication to art, culture, and language, Luna Shrestha has made a profound impact as a performer, choreographer, and instructor. As Co-Founder and Director of KC Dance Center, she has trained students across Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. in dance, yoga, aerobics, and Nepali-inspired fitness programs. Luna's work is driven by her passion for preserving and sharing Nepali traditions in America and giving young performers the opportunity to showcase their skills on stages nationwide. She plays a key role in the production of the annual ``Kollywood Night'' show for new trainees and established artists. Nabaraj KC A community leader, humanitarian, and advocate, Nabaraj KC has earned recognition on local and national levels. As President of the College Point Civic and Taxpayers Association and the Dil Kumari KC Memorial Foundation, he has led initiatives that raised more than $3 million worth of food, personal protective equipment, and other important resources to communities in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. His service has earned him several honors, including the REALTOR Spirit Award in 2022, Community Service Award in 2023, and COVID-19 Hero Award. He has also been named among Schneps Media's Queens Power List and Kings of New York. A proud New Yorker and son of Nepali immigrants, Nabaraj KC combines his professional and educational background with a dedication to community service.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and spiritual leader of over 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide. I am honored to welcome him to Washington, D.C. Born Demetrios Arhondonis in 1940 on the island of modern-day Gokceada, Turkey, His All-Holiness Bartholomew was elected in October 1991 as the 270th successor to the Apostle Andrew, who founded the Church of Constantinople nearly 2,000 years ago. His formal office is the Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch, a historic title dating to the sixth century. His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew studied theology around the world, including at esteemed schools in Turkey, Italy, Germany, Greece, and Switzerland. His doctoral dissertation, submitted to the University of Athens, was in the field of Canon Law, and he was a founding member of the Society of Canon Law of the Oriental Churches. For nearly three decades, His All-Holiness served the Church in many capacities, from his ordination as a deacon in 1961 and priest in 1969, to Assistant Dean at the Theological School of Halki, Metropolitan of Philadelphia, and later Metropolitan of Chalcedon, before becoming Patriarch. He has received dozens of honorary doctorates from leading universities around the globe, including Georgetown, Yale, Athens, Thessaloniki, Louvain, and Moscow, and is fluent in multiple languages. As the primary spiritual leader of the Orthodox Christian world and a transnational figure, the Ecumenical Patriarch has exceeded the traditional scope of his office. His All-Holiness advocated for Christian unity, participating in meetings with numerous Church and State dignitaries, addressing national parliaments, and speaking to the European Parliament, the United Nations, UNESCO, and the World Economic Forum. He has led and contributed to reconciliation efforts between Christian Churches through theological dialogues, bilateral consultations, and personal encounters to address issues of common concern. Furthermore, his faith-led work has led to international meetings and theological conversations with Muslim and Jewish leaders to promote interfaith tolerance on a global level. He has convened historic synaxes of Orthodox Primates and presided over the 2016 Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, the first such gathering in over a millennium. He restored the independence of churches long suppressed under persecution and, in 2019, granted autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Through his vision, courage, and devotion, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has led as a beacon of faith, unity, peace, and reconciliation in our time.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Madam Chair, as co-chair of the Congressional Endangered Species Caucus, I rise today in opposition to this amendment. I can't believe that we are here again considering this unpopular amendment. It was brutally defeated last year, and it was crushed the year before, both times with bipartisan support. The Endangered Species Act has wide popularity, but our current biodiversity outlook has really worsened. Our scientific community continues to scream from the rooftops that biodiversity shrinking is a danger to humanity. In the meantime, our national defense is in no way endangered by saving endangered species. Amazingly, this is basically an attack on the Endangered Species Act that the Department of Defense has never asked for. It is a solution in search of a problem. The Department of Defense already has a robust collaboration with the Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service. They do management plans everywhere. Military lands are already excluded from designation as a critical habitat when there are management plans in place for listed species. Wholesale exempting the Department of Defense and its many contractors from compliance with the ESA puts our Nation's national legacy at needless risk. To date, as the Member from Arizona has mentioned, 99 percent of the species listed under the ESA have been saved from disappearing forever, making this one of the most successful pieces of legislation in American history. Actions to protect these species do not hinder national security, and managing endangered species in balance with our mission is something the Department of Defense already does very well. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues, once more, to reject this unwanted and unnecessary amendment.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chairman, that would make sense as to why there is a preference. They could do it differently if they are near saltwater versus being in, say, Dayton, Ohio. Mr. Chair, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Garamendi), my good friend.

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chairman, the current law that this amendment addresses doesn't hinder our readiness at all, nor does it raise costs. It is not costly. It is not a general ban on the internal combustion engine. Mr. Chairman, I believe I may be the only certified internal combustion engine mechanic in the U.S. Congress right now, although my certification has long since run out. I love internal combustion engines, but they do run out of fuel. They need fuel, just as electric vehicles need electricity. The current law allows for a preference for leasing or procuring electric, hybrid, biofuel-capable, or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles when reasonably comparable on cost to an internal combustion engine. The current law does not mandate buying a non-ICE vehicle. It just establishes a preference when all else is equal. Also, Mr. Chairman, it has many exemptions that prevent impacts to readiness and makes this a nonproblematic, commonsense provision. These include tactical vehicles that are entirely excluded from this preference policy. The policy can only be put in place if the alternative-fuel vehicle fully meets the needs of the Department of Defense. The alternative- fuel vehicle must be commercially available at a cost, including both purchase or leasing price and operating cost, that is comparable to traditional internal combustion engine motor vehicles, and there is an exemption if the purchase or lease of such a vehicle is, to quote directly from the law, impracticable under the circumstances. In addition to these numerous exemptions, there is also a waiver provision with no certification reporting requirement, making it very straightforward to get a waiver if an electric vehicle or alternative- fuel vehicle is not the right fit. The preference policy is not restrictive. It is not overly burdensome in any sense. It is just truly a preference if all other conditions are equal. In addition to eliminating the preference itself, it is pretty interesting to see that there are two other provisions in this amendment that both eliminate even the consideration of noninternal combustion engine vehicles, even the consideration, and other alternative-energy initiatives in the Department of Defense's energy performance goals or when setting energy plans for installations. It is hard to look at that language and consider this amendment with a straight face. I would be curious to know if the sponsor talked to the agriculture community. I am sure they would have concerns about the attacks on biodiesel and ethanol. This attack is actively harmful, and it sets us backward, especially when newer fuels and technology have such strong potential for energy efficiency, resiliency, and cost- saving gains. The EV business is just getting better and better every single day. In an environment where our bases need resilience more than ever, it makes no sense to remove the consideration of practices that can make energy performance or goals or plans more efficient and help the Department and installations meet their targets. Mr. Chairman, I urge opposition to this harmful amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.