Becca Balint

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Tokuda).

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. DeSaulnier).

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, we have heard from Members from many different parts of the country, from Vermont to Michigan to California to Hawaii. As I said before, we must prioritize human connection and healthy relationships, and we have to craft policy and make bold investments to address our national mental health crisis. The percentage of U.S. adults who report having been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lifetimes has reached nearly 30 percent. This is almost a 10 percentage point increase since 2015. The percentage of Americans who currently have or are being treated for depression has also increased to almost 18 percent. These rates are the highest recorded by Gallup polling since it began measuring depression using the current form of data collection in 2015. It is impacting all of us, but I am particularly concerned about the toll it is having on our kids and teens. Thirty years ago, the greatest health threats to teenagers came from binge drinking, drunk driving, teen pregnancy, and smoking. These have all fallen sharply since then, but they have been surpassed by soaring rates of mental health disorders. In a little over a decade, the number of adolescents reporting depression has increased by 60 percent. Emergency room visits by adolescents are up as parents seek help for their teens who are struggling with anxiety, depression, and self-harm. Suicide rates among adolescents are up sharply, as well. The public health crisis has intensified since the pandemic, but it didn't cause it. We have seen a steady increase over the past 20 years. Young people now are getting less sleep, less exercise, and less in- person time with friends, all crucial for physical and mental health. Adolescent brains are being exposed to a huge wave of incoming stimulation via social media and technology. Teens in my district have told me they feel anxious, disconnected, and depressed. Many fear that their constant use of cell phones and social media is impacting their mental health. We have important work to do, all of us. Every single congressional district is experiencing this. My work on mental health will be a cornerstone of the work that I do in Congress. I am working toward a future in which anyone who wants mental health care gets it and when we finally end the unequal treatment of mental health and addiction. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to share the story of Amiram Cooper. Amiram is 85, a husband, a father, a grandfather of nine, a composer, and a poet. His love for the arts and writing inspires everyone around him. On October 7, he was 1 of more than 240 men, women, children, and elderly who were kidnapped by Hamas. Amiram was one of the founders of Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the sites of this horrible attack. This tight-knit community was left devastated by the brutality of that day. Amiram and 135 others are still held captive in Gaza today. Their families continue to live a nightmare--devastated, not knowing what conditions their loved ones are in. It has been 123 days. We must demand that medical and aid organizations be able to treat the hostages and negotiate on their behalf. We must continue to do everything in our power to keep these hostages and their families in our hearts and to keep telling their stories. We must bring every single hostage home and end this violence.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, before I begin, let me just say may the record show the Vermonter is here. Snow across D.C.; the Vermonter is here. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a voice for rural America. In Vermont's capital city, Montpelier, we do not have a functioning post office. This is completely unacceptable. The post office is a vital, nonnegotiable part of our communities. It is part of the fabric of rural America. Seniors depend on it, small businesses depend on it, and our downtowns depend on it to keep our communities vibrant and connected. Vermonters are frustrated, and rightly so, not only because they have been denied reliable, accessible service, but because the USPS has failed to give us any answers as we try to rectify this failure. Vermonters are not asking much. A fully functional post office in a State's capital city is not a big ask. We must get back to making government work for the people at its most basic functions. When we ignore this need, we continue to erode faith in the government, and we leave communities behind. I won't stop raising my voice until reliable Postal Service is restored in Montpelier, Vermont, and in other parts of rural America.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, here we are in a new year, a new opportunity to actually do something for our people back home. It is discouraging and frankly embarrassing that this has been the least productive Congress in U.S. history. The chaos and dysfunction in this Congress under Republican leadership has caused legislative paralysis and has prevented us from focusing our attention on the critical needs of our constituents. More than that, the chaos, the fearmongering, and the dehumanizing rhetoric have dragged us ever closer to a crippling cynicism. We are sent here to act in service of our communities and our constituents. We can't do that when we demonize each other, when we dehumanize each other, when we dehumanize our fellow Americans. We can't do that when we don't treat ourselves with basic human dignity. This isn't some naive notion. It is reality. The nihilism and cynicism is threatening our democracy. It is eroding our communities. It is killing us. Let's get back to being spirited political opponents and move away from being enemies.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Madam Speaker, no one should need permission from a judge or a Governor to make a personal choice for their family and for their health. This week, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that 31-year-old mother of two, Kate Cox, was not entitled to a medically necessary abortion despite her doctor's concerns for her health. She had to make the decision to leave her State to access the care she needed and deserved, a choice that is not available to everyone. Ms. Cox is not the first woman to be denied lifesaving care, and she will certainly not be the last. Women across this country in States like Texas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Idaho, and others have been stripped of their most basic rights. It is disturbing. It is dangerous. We know that these extreme laws are going to cost lives, and they disproportionately impact women of color and low-income women. Republicans are literally denying women the lifesaving care they need. The Dobbs decision did exactly what it was intended to do: to strip women of their bodily autonomy. It is inhumane, it is cruel, and it is clearly against the will of the American people. We cannot let them win.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be present on December 6, 2023. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 698; NAY on Roll Call No. 699; YEA on Roll Call No. 700; NAY on Roll Call No. 701; YEA on Roll Call No. 702; NAY on Roll Call No. 703; and YEA on Roll Call No. 704.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, three young college students went for a walk in Burlington, Vermont, during their Thanksgiving break: Hishem, Kinnaan, and Taahseen spoke Arabic to one another and wore keffiyehs. They were shot. Whether or not this meets the legal standard for hate crime, we know this was a hateful act. The recent rise in Islamophobia in this country has led to deadly violence. It is deeply disturbing and frightening. I want to be clear: Leaders in this very Chamber need to unequivocally denounce the rise of anti-Arab hate and Islamophobia. Words matter. We need to lead with our values--community and acceptance--rather than hatred and fear. No one should be targeted because of their ethnicity or their religion. It has no place in Vermont. It has no place anywhere. We all have a part to play. We need to speak up and stand with our Muslim neighbors and friends now. The eyes of the Nation are on Vermont, and we want to make it absolutely clear to Americans that we will stand against this kind of violence and hate.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2(a)(1) of rule IX, I rise to give notice of my intention to raise a question of the privileges of the House. The form of the resolution is as follows: H. Res. 610, Censuring Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. Whereas, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has repeatedly fanned the flames of racism, anti-Semitism, hate speech against the LGBTQ community, Islamophobia, anti-Asian hate, xenophobia, and other forms of hatred; Whereas, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has repeatedly debased the memories of thousands of victims of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, by perpetuating conspiracy theories to shift blame and responsibility for the mass murder; Whereas, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has repeatedly assaulted the foundation of our democracy by perpetuating conspiracy theories related to the January 6 attack on the Capitol which sought to halt the peaceful transfer of power; Whereas, Marjorie Taylor Greene has repeatedly called for violence against elected Representatives and their families; Whereas, Marjorie Taylor Greene has repeatedly espoused anti-Semitic rhetoric and conspiracy theories, including through inflammatory evocations of the Holocaust; Whereas, on May 20, 2021, Marjorie Taylor Greene said that the mask mandate in the House of Representatives was akin to Jews being ``put in trains and taken to gas chambers in Nazi Germany''; Whereas, on May 25, 2021, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted that, ``Vaccinated employees get a vaccination logo just like the Nazis forced Jewish people to wear a gold star''; Whereas, on February 26, 2022, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene appeared at a white nationalist event that was condemned by the Republican Jewish coalition as ``appalling and outrageous that a Member of Congress would share a platform with an individual who has actively spread anti-Semitic bile, mocked the Holocaust, and promoted dangerous anti-Israel conspiracy theories; Whereas, on September 1, 2022, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene posted a tweet comparing President Joe Biden to Adolf Hitler that said, ``Joe Biden is Hitler. #NaziJoe has to go''; Whereas, on September 1, 2022, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene posted another tweet of a doctored video showing President Biden speaking with audio of Hitler, swastikas in the background and a mustache akin to that of Hitler; Whereas, on July 21, 2021, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said that if she was ``in charge'' she would ``kick out every single Chinese in this country that is loyal to the CCP. They would be gone''; Whereas, on December 19, 2021, while at a Turning Point USA conference, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene referred to Asian Americans as ``yellow people,'' a slur that has been historically used to malign the Asian-American community in the United States; Whereas, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has a history of perpetuating LGBTQ hate speech, including through her use of offensive posters in the halls of congressional office buildings beginning on February 24, 2021; Whereas, on November 22, 2022, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted that an LGBTQ California State Senator was a ``communist groomer,'' an offensive slur that has been used to stoke fear and incite hatred of LGBTQ Americans; Whereas, on March 7, 2023, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene again referred to members of the LGBTQ community as ``groomers'' and spouted anti-trans rhetoric on the floor of the House of Representatives; Whereas, on June 1, 2023, the first day of Pride Month, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted a photo showing an anti- trans poster that she had displayed in the hall outside of her congressional office; Whereas, on February 22, 2019, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene posted a video on Facebook claiming that the Muslim-American Members of Congress were not ``really official'' because they didn't take the oath of office on the Bible; Whereas, on June 17, 2020, Politico reported that Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene repeatedly engaged in Islamophobic rhetoric and suggested that Muslim Americans do not belong in the United States Government; Whereas, on May 10, 2021, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene yet again referred to fellow Muslim-American Members of Congress as the ``Jihad Squad''; Whereas, on June 17, 2020, Politico reported that Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene referred to Black Americans as ``slaves to the Democratic Party'' and said that they should be proud to see Confederate monuments; Whereas, on June 17, 2020, Politico further reported that Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene stated in a video, ``I know a ton of White people that are as lazy and sorry and probably worse than Black people''; Whereas, on May 18, 2023, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene compared being called a white supremacist to a person of color being called the ``N-word,'' a vile racial slur; Whereas, on January 28, 2021, a video of Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene resurfaced in which she used a harmful and offensive slur targeting Americans with disabilities, which the National Down Syndrome Society called ``heartbreaking and unacceptable''; Whereas, on November 1, 2018, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene denied the attacks on September 11 saying there was a ``so-called plane that crashed into the Pentagon'' and that ``It is odd there is never any evidence shown for a plane in the Pentagon''; Whereas, on November 17, 2018, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene peddled a vile anti-Semitic trope when she claimed that wildfires in California were caused by space lasers operated by members of the Jewish community; Whereas, on August 17, 2020, a video of Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene resurfaced in which she stated that the mass shooting at a country music festival in Las Vegas, Nevada, where 60 people were murdered, was perpetuated in order to pass anti-gun legislation; Whereas, on January 19, 2021, Media Matters published a screenshot of a Facebook comment from Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene where she emphatically agreed that the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 American students and teachers were murdered, was a false flag event; Whereas, on January 21, 2021, Media Matters published a screenshot of a Facebook comment liked by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene that claimed 9/11 was ``done by our own government'', to which she responded, ``That is all true''; Whereas, that same comment liked and agreed to by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene further claimed that the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary where 26 people, including 20 precious children were murdered, was staged; Whereas, on September 3, 2020, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene posted an image of herself holding a gun next to images of three Members of Congress with a caption encouraging ``going on offense'' after them; Whereas, on January 26, 2021, CNN reported on posts, comments, and likes by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene from 2018 and 2019 in which Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene liked several posts and comments on Facebook demonstrating her support for the execution of several members of the Democratic Party, including the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and President Barack Obama; Whereas, on January 26, 2021, CNN further reported that Marjorie Taylor Greene liked a Facebook comment on January 2019 that stated, ``a bullet to the head would be quicker'' in reference to the removal of Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Whereas, on January 26, 2021, CNN also reported that deleted videos showed Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene calling for the execution of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and stating that she was ``a traitor to our country, she is guilty of treason,'' and should ``suffer death or she will be in prison''; Whereas, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has perpetuated the ``big lie'' related to the 2020 Presidential election by espousing conspiracy theories and by threatening and inciting violence; Whereas, on October 26, 2021, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene downplayed the actions of those who participated in the January 6 attack on the Capitol and said ``if you think about what our Declaration of Independence says, it says to overthrow tyrants''; Whereas, on November 4, 2021, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene went to visit those incarcerated related to the January 6 attack on the Capitol in what she referred to as ``the patriot wing'' of the D.C. Jail; Whereas, on November 10, 2021, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene referred to those who participated in the January 6 attack on the Capitol as ``political prisoners of war''; Whereas, on December 10, 2022, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said that if she had organized the January 6 attack on the Capitol, ``we would have won. Not to mention, it would have been armed''; Whereas, on July 19, 2023, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene displayed graphic pornographic images during an official committee hearing that she claimed depicted a member of President Biden's family; Whereas, on July 19, 2023, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene sent an official press release and posted to her official congressional website public hearing commentary featuring graphic pornographic images she claimed depicted a member of President Biden's family; and Whereas, Members of Congress have promised to always have the back of Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene no matter the extent of her vile and hateful behavior: Now, therefore, be it resolved that Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene be censured; Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene forthwith present herself in the well of the House of Representatives for the pronouncement of censure; and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene be censured with the public reading of this resolution by the Speaker.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the en bloc amendment, which includes my amendment to support Vermont's recovery from this summer's catastrophic flooding. Vermont farmers are hurting. With government funding running out on Saturday, the Republicans' Agriculture appropriations bill is too little too late. Vermont's recovery needs are urgent. My amendment urges USDA to ensure disaster assistance is deployed as quickly as possible. It has been a rough year in Vermont. Vermont producers have sustained millions and millions of dollars in damages, impacting nearly 30,000 acres of land. Vermont's farmers are essentially the heart of our communities, the fabric of our State, and I will do everything in my power to make sure they have the resources they need to make sure that they are able to recover and build back better from this horrible flooding. A government shutdown would be devastating for Vermont and other States like mine that are recovering from disasters this summer. Vermonters need Federal recovery dollars to continue to flow so that towns and households can get back on their feet. We must turn our attention to serious matters. Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of this amendment.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the public schools. I am a parent. I am a former middle school teacher. I am also the child of a working-class mom and an immigrant dad. I understand so deeply that education is the bedrock of this great democracy. Nevertheless, Mr. Speaker, I am worried about our public schools. I am worried about the news stories about banning books and erasing Black curriculum from schools. These Republican actions are not supportive of our public schools or teachers or parents or our students. This assault on public education does not make us a stronger nation, a kinder nation, or a more thoughtful one. We don't have any fear about facing the complexity of our Nation's history. Our democracy is stronger than that. It can withstand the ugly details, the inconvenient truths, and the uncomfortable nuance. We have a robust democracy, and we have a republic that can face tough questions about its history. We need not be afraid of this. Age-appropriate curriculum about our Nation's history must include the hard parts. Our students, our parents, and our teachers can handle it. Let's trust them. It is concerning to me that in some districts we have movements to prevent students from learning about slavery or the Trail of Tears or Martin Luther King, Jr., or Rosa Parks or Anne Frank. As the grandchild of an immigrant, a man who was killed in the Holocaust--a grandchild of someone killed in the Holocaust, I know the importance of knowing history. I know the importance of speaking frankly and clearly about what happens when we don't know the details and when we simply demonize a group or dehumanize a group of people. What we need to do is shine the light of day on complex history. When we use our time here in Congress to fan the flames of culture wars instead of investing in our schools, then we are not doing the job that we were sent here to do and that parents want us to do. It doesn't matter what your political stripe is, Mr. Speaker, or whether you are not involved in politics at all. Mr. Speaker, what you want for your children and grandchildren is essentially the same. You want a strong education for your kids and grandkids. You want schools where all students feel safe and supported and can be the very best selves. We know that kids suffer when they don't have the resources that they need. We should be investing our time and energy into making sure all of our schools regardless of ZIP Code have the resources they need for every single American kid to be successful. That is our job. Balance is at the core of who we are as Americans. It is not banning Judy Blume or trying to pretend that racism wasn't part of our past and, indeed, in many instances, isn't still a part of our present. We should not be afraid of these details. To ensure that the next generation of Americans is equipped for adulthood, we have to support well-rounded, holistic education that sets up our children for success. I have a 13-year-old--almost 13; she will be 13 in a couple of weeks--and a 15-year-old. I will tell you that every time we sit down to dinner at my house, we have robust conversations about the news. In fact, when I first started in Congress, I used to walk through the door on Friday afternoons and my son would say, ``Mom, let's talk about your votes.'' We have complex conversations about geopolitics. I don't shy away from talking about the hard stuff with my son or my daughter. I trust them to ask questions of me that are age-appropriate. I wish that we would trust our families across this country to be able to have rich and complex conversations with their students about curriculum that is often complicated. That is the human experience. That is the American experience. It is not tidy, nor would we want it so. We are a nation of ideas. We wrestle with concepts. This is who we are at our best. We should not be afraid of this happening in our public schools. I know the impact that quality education can have on our young people and the danger that lies ahead if we use our positions as elected officials to be proscriptive about what should be discussed in our public schools. The continued attack on our public education, which is often fueled by divisive rhetoric and often, unfortunately, manufactured controversies, is an affront to parents and students everywhere. As I said, they know how to navigate complex issues. Why are we so afraid of this? Our continued dependency within this building on creating groups of people to demonize and dehumanize for political ends then, unfortunately, gets played out in public schools across this country. How is this possibly helping our democracy? I want students who ask hard questions. When I was a teacher, I welcomed them. I welcomed people from across the political spectrum and their parents to be able to come into my classroom and have deep conversations about difference. It is not about indoctrinating people. It is about having a place where we are not afraid to talk about hard things. Isn't that what we want for our schools and for our communities? I fear that we are so afraid of having hard conversations that we have stopped talking at all. Better to shut down any conversation about something that somebody perceives as controversial than to try to come together with differing opinions, wrestle with ideas, wrestle with complexities. This is who we are at our best. This is actually what this body was supposed to be and what our public schools can be at their best: a microcosm of the democracy. As a public schoolteacher, I taught middle school. People often say middle school is great preparation for being in Congress for a whole lot of reasons, that public schoolteachers and the parents that support those teachers and those students are some of the most committed, compassionate members of our communities. They are invested in their students. They are committed to their communities. Unfortunately, they have become targets of baseless attacks that have come from divisive politics. I have to say, the attack on public schools, the attack on teachers, is not serving us as a nation. It is not, as I said, making us stronger. It is not making us more thoughtful. It is not making us more equipped to deal with the complicated world of geopolitics that we must confront. I welcome hard conversations, and I always have in my classroom. This is what teachers across this country are trying to do, to hold space for hard conversations. Why are we so afraid of that? I also have to say, as a woman who has two kids, and my spouse is another woman, I want my kids to be able to go to a school where their teacher is not going to be reprimanded for acknowledging that my kids have a particular kind of family. I want my kids to feel like they have as much of a right to be in a classroom to get an education as anyone else. Why are we so afraid of difference? For many years in this country, difference, diversity of experience, diversity of background--we talked about our Nation as a great melting pot. Sometimes it was called a fruit salad. Sometimes it was called a potpourri of experiences. It used to be that we celebrated that, that we did not see that as a danger to our very democracy. We are in what I feel like is not just uncharted territory. It is dangerous territory for the Republic. I know from representing Vermont, which is a rural State with hundreds of communities dotted across our wooded landscape, that the public schools are the heart and soul of our communities. They are where young minds are nurtured, where curiosity is fueled, where community itself is fostered. Our teachers, in conjunction with the parents in those communities, play an invaluable role in shaping our children's futures. They deserve to be acknowledged for the work that they do, not vilified. One of the things that I heard as I was campaigning across Vermont to represent my State in Congress--didn't matter what community I was in-- people would come up to me at the end of events and say: I don't want to hate my neighbors. I don't want to feel like the only way forward is to be fearful of other Americans, people within my own community. I try to live my life here in Congress and as a former teacher as someone who is always thinking about how we bring the community of man back together. How do we move away from a meanness of spirit that is not just corroding our work here but is actually corroding our Nation? Schools are an important part of people being able to come together and speak honestly about their experiences and histories. It is a way forward for us as a nation. Why are we so afraid of having difficult conversations? Now, I never imagined that, as the child of an immigrant and a working-class mom, I would be standing here before you. As a gay woman, I never thought that I would be walking in these Halls, but I am here. I have a place here, and I am going to use my voice to continue to ask questions. What happened to our ability to have tough conversations without demonizing each other, without dehumanizing each other? We know what happens when norms are upended, when rights are attacked. We have seen this across the globe. We have seen it here in our own country. Public schools are an important part of building back the strength and vibrancy of our democracy. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my colleague from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib).

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, parents and voters across this country understand the biggest challenges facing America's students in our public schools, and it is not about curriculum that includes details about slavery or the Trail of Tears or Anne Frank. That is not what most voters and parents care about. What do they care about? Number one, they care about getting students the support they need, and in some instances, that is one-on-one support to meet the needs of their students. They care deeply about addressing the educator shortages that we see across the country. They care deeply about ensuring that their students have the mental health services that they need. They care deeply about the dangers of gun violence in their schools. They want candidates to address these issues. They want leaders who will address these issues. I will say the needs of parents are really not that different from the needs and desires of students. I have spent quite a bit of time traveling across Vermont, speaking to predominantly middle school and high school students about what it is that they are concerned about. They talk about the same kinds of things. They talk about needing mental health support. They talk about how afraid they are to go to school because they are worried about the epidemic of gun violence. They are concerned that they won't be prepared for the future. They are not clamoring to have curriculum restricted. They want to have those hard conversations. I taught middle school for many years. I run into some of my former students who are now adults, and we talk about the conversations that we had in my classroom that were on hard issues, but they were age appropriate. I trusted them and their families to be engaged in the work that was happening in my classroom. I fear that where we are headed is a future in which what it is that teachers are allowed to discuss with students will be so restricted that our students will not be prepared for the future outside of their little communities. History is complicated. It is often ugly, sometimes really distasteful. I studied African-American history and Native-American history when I was earning my master's in history. I studied African- American communities post-Reconstruction, during an era known as racial uplift. I looked at Black women's community organizations and the work that they did post-Reconstruction to have vital supports within their communities. I studied Native-American land claims and the missteps and mistakes and atrocities that happened in history regarding Tribal claims to land. I am a better person for knowing these things. It did not fundamentally make me a less patriotic American. It did not make me less grateful that my father came here as an immigrant to build a new life. Every nation has its complex histories, its difficult chapters, its reckonings. No nation is without dark spots in its past. Where we can rise above as a nation is to say, we will embrace head- on the complexity and the nuance and trust that our students, parents, and teachers can have those conversations, and it will not make them less likely to love their country. Having taught middle school for a very long time, and community college, I will tell you that students feel betrayed when they are not given age-appropriate curriculum about the hard stuff, and then they find out about it later, and they feel like we have been withholding history from them, that we don't trust them enough to ask the good questions. I wish so sincerely that we would trust parents more across this country to be able to have a relationship with their local public school and their teachers and together have those meaningful, sometimes difficult conversations. One of the things that I am also quite concerned about is that we are not investing even in the infrastructure of schools. I am concerned that there are so many aging buildings across this country that in a decade or two they are not going to be structurally sound for our students. It is going to take a big investment of money to make sure that every single student has a safe building to learn inside. However, our priorities often in this building are not around investing in the needs of our children and our families. I know that bill is going to come due, and there is going to be a time when parents and communities say: Why didn't we make those investments when we should have? Is it not true that our children are truly the most precious resource for the Nation? Now, the other thing that I have been thinking about is that we, as parents, need to be willing to show up for our schools and our students even when there is no controversy. Take an interest in what is happening, not because you have any kind of agenda but just because you want to know what is happening in the schools. I can tell you that most of the schools that I know of in Vermont would welcome involvement from the community, whether it is a community garden or helping to lead after-school programs. What the most frustrating thing is when people are not involved in the work of the school or what is happening there, and there is a sense of suspicion about what is happening there. I can tell you, as somebody who volunteered as much as I could at my kids' school when they were little, I knew what was happening in their schools because I was there communicating. Public schools are not the enemy here. Teachers are not the enemy, nor are trans people and queer people that seem to be on the receiving end right now of a lot of the vitriol around public schools. I went into teaching for one reason--alleviating suffering. That is the same reason why I ran for State senate, and it is the same reason why I ran for Congress, alleviating suffering in all of its forms. When you are a teacher, you have to do that in real time because kids come into the classroom with whatever they were dealing with that morning at home, and it is the job of the teacher to hold all students where they are and make the classroom environment a place where all feel safe and supported. It is not an easy job; I can tell you. Oftentimes when you are a teacher, you get to the end of the day and you haven't remembered to eat or use the bathroom or take care of any of your personal needs because there is only one thing that is important to you, which is making sure your students get what they need when they are with you that day. Can we please stop demonizing teachers? Can we please stop thinking there is some sinister agenda? People serve in that capacity because they want to make a positive difference in the lives of children, and sometimes it is as simple as sitting with a student who had a rough time on the bus in the morning or someone who is carrying with them a deep insecurity about themselves and that is getting in the way of their learning. We talk in education about differentiated learning, and we use that to talk about how students come in with different levels of success at a particular topic, particular curriculum, and you try to differentiate, make it possible for them to be successful. I have often thought when we talk about differentiated learning, we forget that that is what teachers do day in and day out with every single student they have. What does this student need right now? How can I help them get what they need so they can be successful? It is both exhausting and rewarding. Can we please stop attacking teachers? Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Tokuda).

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, we have important work to do in this country. We need to continue to invest in schools so that we can reduce poverty. We need to alleviate hunger. We need to work together to build better outcomes for kids. We need to give teachers a living wage and create equitable systems that don't leave anyone behind. Your ZIP Code should not determine whether you get a robust, rich education or not. Students, parents, educators deserve more. They need partners, not partisans. They don't need bullies. What they need is for us to stand up for robust, rich education and not be afraid to talk about the tough stuff. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart. Vermont has experienced so much devastation over the last 2 weeks. The images have been shocking. Our capital city is completely under water, small businesses across the State destroyed, homes and rental units totally gutted, and thousands and thousands of acres of cropland decimated. Seeing my State under water makes it clearer than ever that climate change isn't coming. It is here. Disasters like this bring up so much trauma for many of us who lived through Hurricane Irene. I want Vermonters to know that we, your congressional delegation, will be there as long as it takes to recover, but we have a very long road ahead. With the support of our friends and neighbors, we will get through this together. That is what I have seen as I have traveled around Vermont visiting communities--Vermonters pitching in and helping one another. We cannot accept what we have seen in Vermont over the last week as the new normal. We must continue to fight for climate action and climate resiliency to keep Vermont the Green Mountain State that we know and love.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be present on July 17, 2023. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 330, and YEA on Roll Call No. 329.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be present on July 12, 2023. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 292, NAY on Roll Call No. 293, and NAY on Roll Call No. 294.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, I often say that Vermont is held together with duct tape, twine, and hundreds of volunteer hours. I rise today to highlight the work of Lewis Lyman Sumner. His 54-year commitment to the Halifax community has been immeasurably impactful. He served for over half a century on the Halifax Select Board and gave 6 years of service to the National Guard. He is also a 50-year member of the Grange--such incredible public service. The Sumner family has deep roots in Halifax and has been a staple in that community since they settled there in 1783. Lewis and his family continue to operate their family farm. Lewis served his community as emergency management director for eight FEMA disasters, working tirelessly to keep Vermonters safe during these emergencies. Lewis and his wife, Laura, are both dedicated public servants. Laura served as town clerk for 43 years until her retirement in 2010. I close by thanking Lewis, Laura, and their family for their years of service to southern Vermont.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Madam Speaker, I just want to start by giving a heartfelt thank you to my colleague, Morgan McGarvey, a dear friend whose family has become close to my family. Our wives have become close. It just means so much to me to be standing here on the floor of the House. It is a place where I never thought I would be in a million years not just because I am a child of an immigrant and a working-class mom but because I am a gay American. I knew at 11 years of age that I was gay. I also knew that it was not something that was accepted by my family or my community or my teachers or my friends, but it didn't matter. That is who I was. I also knew that my calling in life was to alleviate suffering, first as a teacher--I taught middle school for many years--and then as a State legislator, and now in Congress. That has been the through line of my life. It is using whatever position of power I have in order to alleviate suffering in all its forms. Madam Speaker, I just want to tell you what it is like when you know at 17 years of age what you are called to do, and you do not see a path to do it, not only because I had nobody in my family who had ever run for office, but it was because as a gay American I knew the world had not changed enough for me to be able to safely run for office. Even when I decided to run, it terrified my parents. They did not want me to be so public about being not just gay but having a family, a wife and children. Nor did they want me to open our lives up to the world to say: This is what a family can look like and not just survive but to thrive. For the first few months when I was elected to be a State senator, my dad would start almost every single phone conversation with some version of: Have they vandalized your house yet? Have they slashed your tires yet? Are you getting a lot of hatred? I would say: Dad, if I am getting that, I am not going to tell you because I don't want you to be worried. Even today, I have to remind them constantly: Don't read the comments. Do not read the comments on social media about me because you will not see me reflected in those comments, and you will feel so heartbroken that your daughter, who is finally doing what she was always called to do, is going to be on the receiving end of hate. For what? For standing up for marginalized people in my community. Sometimes that is members of the LGBT community. Sometimes that is the rural poor in my community who need me to stand up for them. Sometimes that is people of color who are being discriminated against or just regular families who can't put food on the table or pay for affordable housing. I would be a target for doing the work of an elected official, not because I am doing my job poorly, but simply because of who I am. Madam Speaker, I will tell you who I am. I am a very proud American citizen who contributes deeply to her community, her State, and her Nation. That will never matter to some people. All they will see is that I am a gay American and, therefore, I am suspect and not to be trusted. I have to tell you, Madam Speaker, this is the greatest honor of my life to be here in Congress. I never thought that I would get here. It sickens me to my core when I sit in committee hearings or I listen to discussions on the floor and people say things about me and my community that are not just rooted in ignorance but often in hatred, distrust, and fear. It doesn't have to be this way. It really doesn't. Madam Speaker, in your communities, regardless of your Congressional District, you have gay Americans and trans Americans. They may be in your family, and they don't feel comfortable telling you because they know how you feel. They see your votes and they hear what you say about us on C-SPAN. Morgan just gave voice to something that is at the heart of it for me and my constituents which is: Where is your love? Where is your compassion? I have had the opportunity to talk to two different sets of parents of trans kids who have come to the Capitol to say: Our own government is talking about our children as if they are demons and as if they are monsters. They are dehumanizing our children, and they are blaming us, the parents, saying that we are terrible people because we love our children, we support our children, and we want them to get the care that they need and that they deserve. They said in both these meetings: We need you to speak for us because we are not in those rooms and we are not in those Halls when people are saying not just insensitive things but cruel things and uneducated things about our lives. We have people in our LGBT community who are thinking of leaving their home States right now because they fear for their lives and for the lives of their children. It is not hyperbole. Yesterday, I was at a leadership meeting for some young people who had won a wonderful award. I went to speak to them, and afterwards one of the moms came up to me. She gave me a hug. She said: You don't know what it means to my kid to see you here as an openly gay woman serving in the House of Representatives. She said: I am fearful for her, not because I don't love her and support her, because I do, but I fear because of the hatred that she receives on a daily basis. She said: Not just from the community, but from elected officials. As Morgan said, these are children. Almost every week I have families come to visit me in Vermont. Some are parents of trans kids, some are parents of gay kids, and some are just parents of kids who want to be part of something powerful like elective government. I can't tell you, Madam Speaker, how proud I am every time they say to me: I am so glad that I voted for you. I am so glad that you are sticking up for all of our kids. They say: That gives me hope for the future that we are going to ride out this backlash. What we see right now is what we saw when I was a kid, and instead of being on the receiving end, instead of it being about trans kids, it was about gay kids, and we were the bogeyman. I hear some of our elected officials on TV talk about how they are protecting families by passing legislation like ``don't say gay.'' This is absurd because these kids in Gen Z are so far ahead of us. What they see are people and not labels. I think about my own family. If we were not in Vermont, if we were in Florida or in Texas or somewhere else where people are passing these ridiculous bills about ``don't say gay,'' my own children would be in school being ashamed or being made to feel ashamed of their family. This is about real people. This isn't about some slogan. Madam Speaker, it shouldn't be about playing to your base so that you can raise more money or drive people to the polls because you want to make them fearful of Americans who are just living their lives. That is all they want. That is all I ever wanted. It is Pride Month, and we threw a big party in Vermont last week for pride. One of the young men who helped me organize it told me that the day before this event his car was completely and totally trashed and vandalized. It had hateful homophobic messages all over it. I was so frustrated and sad that this was how we were ushering in pride. Even more than that, I hated that I could sit with him and say: I have had the same experience. I had to have my car repainted because someone decided to scratch ``dyke'' into the side of my car. So I was grateful that I could sit with him, and I thought: Have we learned nothing? Just the other day in Vermont a poet was harassed at a poetry reading because he is a man of color and he is gay. They basically chased him out of a poetry reading because somehow his poetry was going to be so dangerous for the people of that town. We are talking about ideas. Why are we policing ideas? We have seen this before. So I am here today, Madam Speaker, because I want you to know that pride is about going through the hard stuff too. It is about not glossing it over with rainbow flags, parades, drag queen story hours, and the things that are celebratory--yes, they are--but it is also about acknowledging that some people are trying to drag us back. They are trying to erase our experience, our identities, and our families. I could not be more proud to not just represent my community but also all of the Vermonters who support me, who elected me, and who said: Yes, yes, we see the work that you do. We see the compassion that you bring to your work, and it doesn't matter to us that you are a gay American. You are the right person for the job. I need my colleagues here to understand that this is about real people. It is about real families. It is about promise and possibility. It is about every single kid believing that they have the right and opportunity every other kid has. It is about how families feel regardless of what their family looks like that the government is not going to come after them and infringe on their personal freedoms. Pride is a month about freedom, about living your life true to yourself and to have a heart wide-open to the world and inviting other people in to celebrate. We should have enough room in our hearts. We should make enough room in our hearts. We should be driven by compassion, love, empathy, and basic human dignity. That is why I am standing up today. Madam Speaker, I love Representative Morgan McGarvey, and I thank him for his leadership.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, I always say that Vermont is held together with duct tape, twine, and hundreds of hours of volunteer service. The other thing that we know about Vermonters: They pay their bills. They also stay when you are in the midst of an emergency, which is where we are right now. Mr. Speaker, I led my senate chamber. When you are facing a budgetary crisis, you don't leave. You stay. You engage. It doesn't matter if it is 1 o'clock in the morning, 2 o'clock in the morning, or overnight, you stay. We are public servants. I can't believe that not five so-called moderate Republicans--because we hear about them all the time, that there is a group of reasonable Republicans. Where are they? We need just five to sign the discharge petition and be done with this. Pay our bills, that is what we are talking about--pay our bills and not be held hostage and make dramatic cuts that are going to affect veterans, going to affect students, going to affect working families. That is what we are talking about. Where are they? Where are the five moderate Republicans that we always hear about? They are not here. They left.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2811, the default on America act. A budget reflects our values, and we can plainly see where the Republicans' priorities lie. They are threatening default with catastrophic consequences, and why? Why? So they can secure 10 years of devastating cuts that American families depend on. Those programs will be devastated. Republicans have to abandon this dangerous path. America pays our bills. We must prevent default as we have done countless times under Democratic and Republican Presidents, including President Trump. A default will be a terrible blow to low-income and middle-income Americans. They don't care about these reckless political games. They care about how disastrous a default will be on them in their quest to buy a house or lease a car or pay for college. They don't care about this. They care about results. I sit on the Budget Committee and have a front row seat to this nonsense. We have to pay our bills, and we have to reject the ransom note.

Ms. BALINT

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

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

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Chair, I rise in the strongest opposition to H.R. 734. This is one of the most powerful bodies in our Nation. We should be using our influence and our power for good. We should be alleviating the suffering of our constituents and not fanning the flames of fear and enabling discrimination. What upsets me the most about this bill is that it is devoid of compassion for the kids who just want to live their lives. I was honored yesterday to meet with Rebekah Bruesehoff. This wonderful 16-year-old girl spoke about the incredibly positive impact sports and community have in her young life. To Rebekah and trans kids everywhere, there are allies in Congress who care deeply about you, and we will continue to fight for your rights. We should not be choosing to use the power of this institution to attack young kids who just want to live their lives. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote for the motion to recommit so that I can offer an amendment to protect student athletes' sexual privacy and keep schools accountable when sexual abuse occurs. Mr. Chair, I include in the Record the text of this amendment. Ms. Balint moves to recommit the bill (H.R. 734) to the Committee on Education and the Workforce with instructions to report the bill back to the House forthwith with the following amendment: Strike the text of the bill and insert the following:

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill and to speak clearly and directly on H.R. 734, which Republicans are ironically calling the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. This bill is undeniably an attack on our kids and does nothing of substance to protect girls. Bills like this are aimed at taking away rights from LGBTQ Americans, specifically our kids. Kids and their families are being targeted and harassed for political gain. I ask, is this really the Nation that we want to live in? Sports bans for kids are cruel and unnecessary. These bills are clearly, at their core, un-American. They are about restricting rights. They are about barring kids--kids, kids--from full participation in sports. The U.S. House of Representatives must not participate in this obvious fear-based hate and discrimination of trans youth. We risk lives when we don't stand up clearly and loudly against discrimination of all kinds. This bill would have us believe that we should be afraid of trans youth. Nothing could be further from the truth. When I talk to these kids and their families, when I listen deeply to these kids and their families, what they say is: I just want to live my life. I just want to have friends. I want to be myself. I don't want to go to school and be picked on. They need our support. They do not need us demonizing them and fearmongering and bullying. Today, Republicans blocked our amendments, which would have actually supported our girls in schools. My amendment would have strengthened protections against harassment in schools based on sex, race, color, national origin, disability, and age. It would have restored protections against harassment and ensured equal opportunities for all students. It would have also required schools to take additional steps to protect students that have experienced sex-based harassment. We cannot keep putting our children in harm's way with this hateful rhetoric that is coming directly from inside the Halls of Congress. Instead, let's do our job and take real steps to actually protect our children.