Wesley Bell

Mr. BELL

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

Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, I support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, this isn't about politics. This is about a friend, a good man, a husband, a father, a superhero, whose not-so- secret power was that he just happened to be one hell of a public servant, not to mention his sport coat game which was unmatched. I don't have to talk about my personal experience with him as a mentor, as a leader, and partner on countless initiatives that always were about making things better for the people of Dellwood and of St. Louis County. When unrest ensued in 2014, Mayor Reggie Jones refused to let Dellwood be forgotten in the shadow of its nationally known neighbor. If that wasn't enough, he had another super, also not-so-secret, power, his service to our kids. Reggie poured countless hours into our young people long before he held public office. For more than 30 years, Reggie served as the Herbert Hoover Club director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis. The entire community mourns with his lovely wife, Rukiya; his children; family; and loved ones and is here for them. I will continue to honor Reggie by doing exactly what he would be doing if he were with us now, through work, the work for Dellwood, for St. Louis County, for our youth and anyone who needs a helping hand. Cool Reggie Jones, may his memory be a blessing and may his example be our charge. My friend will be missed.

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the proud Representative of the largest Bosniak population outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina and to stand in solidarity with them. Over the weekend, we marked 31 years since more than 8,300 Bosniaks were murdered at Srebrenica. Today, we remember the victims and stand with the families and survivors. Srebrenica should never have happened, and yet it did--not because the world didn't know but because in too many places, the world chose to look away. As co-chair of the Bosnia Caucus and as a St. Louisan, I will do everything I can to ensure we are reaffirming our commitment to truth and remembrance. We have an obligation to honor that history and to support those who live with its legacy and trauma every day.

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solidarity with the LGBTQ community as we close out a truly special month of celebration and joy. This past weekend, I had an amazing time walking in the St. Louis Pride Parade. It was hot outside, but the energy and the feeling of community was palpable. To me, that is what this administration fails to see: A community--a community rooted in love, understanding, and acceptance. Instead of supporting our fellow LGBTQ Americans, this administration has chosen to turn them into targets--targets of hate, targets of bigotry, targets of cruel and deliberate policies to erase them and their history. I have a promise for my LGBTQ friends and family: I will always stand with you. I will always stand for you.

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the St. Louis region, my constituents, and all the families across the country who have been impacted by the gun violence epidemic, an epidemic forgotten by some, intentionally ignored by others, that still ravages my home and our Nation. As a former prosecutor, sadly, I have had a firsthand view of what families go through after losing a loved one to gun violence. I truly have no words for the heartbreak and devastation I have witnessed these families shoulder. What is worse is that this isn't a complex equation. Gun violence is the leading cause of death of children in America. Despite this, my colleagues across the aisle have repeatedly failed to act to keep our children safe. Mr. Speaker, we must continue championing legislation and programs that address the root cause of this disease plaguing our country. There is simply too much at stake.

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Madam Speaker, no one in this Chamber disputes that improper and fraudulent payments are a serious problem. The question before us is not whether to fight fraud; it is how we fight fraud. If this bill actually does that--and I will give you a hint: It does not. The Stopping Fraudulent Payments Act allows agency officials to block payments whenever they have sufficient reason to believe there is an elevated risk of fraud. This bill sets the standard so low that any administration can use it to cut off legitimate recipients before a single fact is even proven. As a former prosecutor and public defender in St. Louis, I know firsthand what fraud accountability looks like. It starts with evidence, not suspicion. This bill would allow any administration to stop payments for programs it opposes or in States it disfavors, using fraud as a pretext, allowing Trump to target States that disagree with him. The people who would bear the brunt of payment pauses are the ones who cannot absorb it. These are patients on Medicaid, our seniors on Social Security, working families relying on SNAP, some of the most marginalized of our American brothers and sisters. We can fight fraud without handing this administration a blank check to weaponize Federal payments. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of all of those impacted by last year's devastating tornado. People deserve a recovery process that is prompt, transparent, and responsive to their community's actual needs. However, time and time again, President Trump and his administration have failed to meet those needs. Sadly, those impacted by last year's tornado have joined a long line of communities around the country pleading with this administration to do its fair share in their recovery process. This is unacceptable, which is why yesterday I introduced my CDBG-DR AAA legislation, the first in a series of bills to reform and overhaul the disaster relief system in this country. This bill helps ensure recovery gaps are identified early and continuously assessed after a major disaster declaration is declared by the President. This will help communities access the resources needed to rebuild stronger and faster. We can and we must do better for those who need us most, and I remain committed to fighting on their behalf in Congress.

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, I was absent for a recorded vote today due to travel delays. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: On Roll Call No. 208, H.R. 8466, Taxpayer Resources Used in Emergencies (TRUE) Accountability Act, as amended, VOTE YEA.

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate another St. Louis star and in honor of Pride Month. I would like to recognize Jordan Braxton, an incredible champion of our community. After identifying internally as female her entire life, Jordan made the decision to socially transition in her fifties. Her story is an inspiration to members of the LGBTQ+ community in the St. Louis region. Jordan has found a lifelong passion for advocacy work. Over the past four decades, she has educated and mobilized people to join the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Now, as the community empowerment manager for Vivent Health, she hosts educational programs and community engagement events for the St. Louis region and beyond. Mr. Speaker, I commend Jordan for her advocacy and thank her for all the love she pours into her work. I will keep fighting in Congress to protect the rights and freedoms of everyone, no matter how they identify.

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, on May 12, 2026, Oversight Committee Democrats convened the first-ever hearing to solicit testimony from survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes. The hearing, ``Survivors Fight for Justice: Exposing Epstein's Crimes in Palm Beach and Across the World,'' marked a critical step forward in the fight for justice and accountability. On behalf of all the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes, I rise to include in the Record the testimony offered by Roza, whose last name has been withheld for her safety: It took a great deal of courage for me to return to West Palm Beach today, so I ask for your understanding if I become emotional. In 2008, I had just turned 18 in Uzbekistan when I met the owner of MC2 Model Management, Jean-Luc Brunel. Coming from a financially unstable background, I was the perfect target for coercion. I was promised a modeling career beyond my dreams. In less than six months, MC2 obtained an O-1 visa for me--a feat nearly impossible for a teenager with almost no experience. I did not have the documentation to earn that visa; that was the ``Epstein magic.'' The Cage of Debt and Control By May 2009, I was in New York City, isolated and controlled in a manner I had never experienced. Within three months, the agency claimed I owed them over $10,000. I had no family, no friends, and no money. MC2 controlled every aspect of my life: where I went, how I dressed, and how I looked. They provided just enough of an allowance to keep me afloat, but never enough to be independent. The Abuse and Manipulation Less than a month after I arrived in the U.S., my agency sent me to the home of a registered sex offender while he was supposedly in jail. I was introduced to his girlfriend under the guise that she was a photographer helping me build my pollfolio. Jeffrey Epstein was supposed to be in a jail cell in June 2008, yet I met him in his home right here in West Palm Beach. Jean-Luc Brunel brought me to West Palm Beach to have dinner with Epstein in July, furthering the grooming and manipulation. Epstein used the names of powerful politicians to demonstrate his influence, telling me he was the investor at the very agency that promised me a career. He spoke of his arrest as if it were a game, bragging about girls visiting his cell and his friendships with authorities. Jeffrey offered me a position at the Florida Science Foundation to handle phone calls to help with my financial ``troubles.'' One day, his masseuse called me into a room where I was molested by Epstein. For the following three years I was subject to ongoing rape and stripped of my dignity. Jeffrey Epstein was under house arrest for the molestation of underage girls at the exact time he was abusing me. The fact that he could commit these acts made justice feel impossible and stole my ability to seek help. He raped me repeatedly. For months, I was summoned to his residences right here in West Palm Beach. My agency even relocated me to Miami to keep me closer to him, and only after he was released from house arrest was I allowed to return to New York, where my nightmares continued. Seeing a man supposedly under arrest living so comfortably stole my ability to seek help. I was scared for my life and the lives of my family. Those years of abuse turned into a decade of fear that I still carry today. The Breach of Trust I eventually found the courage to reach out for help. I stepped forward alongside other survivors, hoping those who allowed this to happen would be held accountable. I kept my identity protected as a ``Jane Doe.'' To wake up one day and see my real name mentioned over 500 times in unsealed documents was a stab in the heart. While the rich and powerful remain protected by redactions, my name was exposed to the world. Now, reporters from across the globe contact me. I cannot live without looking over my shoulder. I can only imagine the long-term impact this ``mistake'' will have on my life. The Demand for Justice I wanted to be a doctor growing up, so I want to leave you with this story. In the mid-1800s, a doctor named Ignaz Semmelweis discovered something life-saving. He realized that doctors were performing autopsies and then immediately delivering babies without washing their hands. He identified that ``cadaverous particles'' were being transferred to mothers, causing them to die in agony. He had the evidence. He had the solution. He begged the medical establishment to simply wash their hands to save lives. But the doctors were offended. They found it easier to protect their own reputations and maintain the status quo than to admit they were the ones causing the harm. They chose their pride over the lives of women, and Dr. Semmelweis was ignored, ridiculed, and eventually cast out. I see this same pattern today with the handling of these files. Releasing my name while redacting the names of the powerful is not a ``mistake''--it is a choice. It is a choice to prioritize the comfort of the institution over the safety of the survivor. The evidence is right in front of us, yet those in power would rather watch us suffer the consequences of their exposure than do the right thing and hold the true perpetrators accountable. They would rather we keep dying-- socially, emotionally, and physically--than admit their own complicity. I am no longer a ``Jane Doe'' hidden in a file. I am a woman, a fighter, and a witness. And I am telling you: it is time to wash your hands and finally give us justice.

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor this week's St. Louis All-Stars, the brave men and women of our Armed Forces who have served or are currently serving our Nation around the world. While I still have very serious concerns about President Trump's decision to launch this unauthorized war, one thing remains clear: Our servicemembers have made extraordinary sacrifices in the name of duty to the United States. We must do everything in our power to honor their service, protect their rights, and ensure they receive the care they have earned when they return home. That includes restoring and strengthening Veterans' Affairs services, which have been cut by the Trump administration. To all the servicemembers deployed around the world, especially those from the St. Louis region, I thank them for their courage and their commitment. We are praying for their safe return.

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today during Second Chance Month to raise awareness of the challenges faced by millions of individuals with criminal records transitioning back into society. Every day, individuals with criminal records are held back from the opportunity to rejoin society and contribute. Instead of letting their past define them, we must create pathways that allow these folks to rewrite their histories. As a former prosecutor, I am passionate about diversion programs that help low-level, nonviolent offenders, especially, avoid incarceration by connecting them with the treatment, support, and life-skills training to break the cycle of recidivism. That is why I introduced the BRIDGE Act last month, which expands pathways to employment and economic freedom for justice-impacted adults and youth. One bad situation should not define a person's entire story. Let's give people a second chance to make a better life for themselves. When we do so, it has the added benefit of also making our communities safer.

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, tonight, I will begin by talking about what it meant to be Black in America before Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. The message this country sent to Black children, whether they grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, or in St. Louis was simple: You are not enough. Not enough to lead. Not enough to run. Certainly not enough to win. Jesse Jackson spent his entire life dismantling that lie. That message didn't start with any one person. It was written into the founding documents of this country. It survived the Civil War. It survived Reconstruction. By the time the civil rights movement had finally forced America to live up to its own words on paper--the right to vote, the right to sit anywhere in this country, the right to walk through the front door--there was still something left untouched. It was something deeper, the belief, planted in generation after generation of Black children, that the rooms behind those doors weren't really meant for them. Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr., walked into that breach, and he didn't just march. He ran. In 1984, kids across this country--I was one of them--were watching a Black man on television, not appealing to anyone's conscience, not asking for inclusion, but running for President of the United States, winning delegates, walking into that convention floor, and demanding to be taken seriously. Jesse Jackson, Sr., understood something that a lot of people still haven't caught up to: The vote and the dollar have to move together. You cannot march your way to dignity if the political system keeps finding new ways to lock you out. He didn't wait for the party to make room. He built the room for himself, ran twice for the highest office in the land, and forced a reckoning with whom this democracy was actually supposed to serve. You cannot draw a straight line to Barack Obama, to Kamala Harris, or even to me without acknowledging the impact and legacy of Reverend Jesse Jackson. We are standing in this Chamber today because of that work, every single one of us. The question he leaves us with isn't: How do we remember him? It is whether we are still building what he started. Because the work, as any of us in this room can plainly see, is not finished. Mr. Speaker, I will conclude with this: ``But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.''

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about a woman who changed St. Louis and, in doing so, changed America. Her name is Frankie Muse Freeman. In 1954, segregation was still the law of the land. Despite that, Frankie Muse Freeman walked into a St. Louis courtroom with her law degree. The result: the end of legal racial discrimination in public housing in Missouri. She was the lead attorney. She was a Black woman. She won. She didn't wait for permission anywhere in her life. When law firms wouldn't write her back, she opened her own practice. Mr. Speaker, during Women's History Month, when I think about what this administration is doing--gutting programs that Black women built careers and communities around, eliminating the pathways to economic stability--I think about what Frankie Muse Freeman would say. I think she would say: Get back to work and, most importantly, win.

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Washington University women's track and field team who just captured the 2026 NCAA Division III Indoor National Championship. This team found a way to turn individual effort into a collective title. You don't do that without character, and you don't do that without each other. With the WashU women's soccer team winning back-to-back national titles a few months ago and now their women's track and field team, these ladies are making St. Louis title town. Especially during Women's History Month, St. Louis is so proud of these young women. They define student-athlete and do both at the highest level. When we talk about what makes St. Louis a great city, this is a big part of that answer. Champions live here. Champions are developed here. I congratulate the athletes, the coaching staff, and the entire WashU family on this remarkable achievement.

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a legend of St. Louis who passed away last week. Mama Reed knew no strangers in her community. She lived a life of service. As one of the first Black teachers in the Hazelwood School District, a committeewoman, a mentor, mother, sister, auntie, she led through her example, her advice, and her unconditional and sometimes tough love. As I think about the term ``rest in power,'' its meaning, as I stand here, I have a moment of clarity because I stand here feeling an intense obligation to honor her and send her off right, and as I am going forward, a desire to make her proud although she is no longer with us. That is power. Mr. Speaker, may Mama Gwen Reed rest in it, and we love her.

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, I was absent for recorded votes due to a personal commitment. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: YEA on Roll Call No. 71, H.R. 6329; YEA on Roll Call No. 72, S. 2503; NAY on Roll Call No. 73, Ordering the Previous Question on H. Res. 1075; NAY on Roll Call No. 74, H. Res. 1075; YEA on Roll Call No. 75, motion to recommit on H.R. 4626; and NAY on Roll Call No. 76, Passage of H.R. 4626.

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, each month I recognize a St. Louis all-star, someone who represents the very best of our city. During Black History Month, I have been highlighting Black leaders who helped shape St. Louis and expand opportunity for everyone. However, this week is bigger than one name. That is because long before the great Bill Clay was elected to Congress, Black Missourians were fighting through poll taxes, literacy tests, and intimidation just to cast a ballot. They were told their voices didn't matter. They organized anyway. Countless leaders pushed from the streets, as well as leaders like our beloved Frankie Muse Freeman, who fought in the courts. When I see new efforts to make voting more restrictive, more complicated, and more conditional, I am reminded why their work matters. Black History Month isn't just about remembrance. It is about vigilance. Mr. Speaker, I stand here because they fought to open the door, and I won't let anyone quietly close it.

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, we are debating this bill because Donald Trump is still trying to overturn an election that he lost 6 years ago. Some in this body are helping him do it. The SAVE America Act is built on the lie that the 2020 election was stolen. That lie has been investigated, litigated, audited, and debunked over and over again. Instead of accepting reality, the authors of this bill are using that lie as an excuse to take control of our elections. This is not on the level. Let's be honest about where this is coming from. It is coming from the President himself. We are being asked to trust Donald Trump and his allies about elections while he is actively trying to subvert them. That is dangerous, and Congress should not be a willing partner in it. Mr. Speaker, our democracy does not need a takeover. It needs truth, and this bill has none of it.

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate Black History Month, it feels right to honor someone who has spent a lifetime making sure Black history in St. Louis was seen, recorded, and remembered. After more than 40 years, Wiley Price is retiring. For decades, Wiley documented St. Louis through the lens of The St. Louis American. That matters because Black St. Louis has not always been seen clearly or treated as central to this city's story. Wiley made sure it was. Wiley was there for the joy and the grief, from church basements and street corners, and for Presidents, moments of celebration, and moments of strife. While others passed through, Wiley stayed, year after year, building trust, bearing witness, and creating a record that cannot be erased. If someone wants to understand Black St. Louis over the last 40 years, they won't start with official reports or headlines written elsewhere. They will start with Wiley Price's photographs, which tell a story that could never be written. As he retires, he leaves behind more than images. He leaves behind a history of this city, told honestly and with care. His work will never fade, and St. Louis is a better place because of him.

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because working people in St. Louis and across this country are getting squeezed from every direction. Groceries cost more. Rent costs more. Childcare costs more. Healthcare costs more. For too many families, every month feels like a math problem they can't solve. For generations, the American Dream meant that if you worked hard, you could build a stable life, you could afford a home, you could raise a family, and you could retire with dignity. Today, that dream feels farther away for millions of people, not because they stopped believing in it but because it is becoming impossibly unaffordable. Affordability is not just an economic issue. It is a trust issue. People don't just feel broke. They feel shut out. Under President Trump, influence isn't just whispered behind closed doors; it is put up for sale. Money flows in and policy flows out. That is not normal. That is not acceptable. In this administration, access is bought instead of earned. If you are a billionaire or a special interest, you get a seat at the table. If you are a nurse, a warehouse worker, or a parent juggling two jobs, you are out of luck. That is how we end up with policies like tariffs that raise costs for Missouri families by $600 a year. It is how we end up with an economy that works great for the people at the top and barely works for everyone else. When President Trump talks about a great economy, it is clear he is talking about an economy he has never had to live in, one where you don't worry about grocery bills, prescription costs, or childcare, because those concerns have never touched his life, and they don't guide his decisions. When decisions are driven by money instead of the public interest, the result is higher costs, weaker protections, and a growing sense that the American Dream is slipping out of reach. It doesn't have to be this way. We can build an economy where the American Dream is affordable again, where housing is within reach, healthcare is accessible, and childcare doesn't bankrupt you. We can stop giving billionaires yet another tax break and start giving working families some breathing room. Because when government works for working people, the American Dream stops slipping away and starts feeling possible again. That is what House Democrats are fighting for, not an economy built around pay-to-play politics or shady closed-door deals but one built around dignity, fairness, and that simple idea that the American Dream should be within reach for everyone, not just the well-connected.

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, today I was absent for recorded votes due to travel. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: YEA on Roll Call No. 49, H.R. 980--Veterans Readiness and Employment Improvement Act of 2025, as amended, and YEA on Roll Call No. 50, H.R. 3123--Ernest Peltz Accrued Veterans Benefits Act, as amended. personal explanation

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, on June 22, 2020, while serving as St. Louis County prosecutor, we were notified of a crime scene at a local restaurant by homicide detectives. Myself and our outreach director at the time, Captain Clay Farmer, responded to that scene to support the investigation that shortly after would be issued by our office. What I witnessed at this scene still haunts me to this very day. I had intended this to be more celebratory to honor posthumously the great Demetrius Johnson and the legendary St. Louis American photographer Wiley Price on his retirement, and I will in the near future. In light of the conviction secured in this case yesterday, my thoughts are with the family of Kimberly Pelton and my friends, Lakeshia Finch and Arlydia Bufford. Arlydia is a remarkable young woman, full of energy, and she beat me in UNO. Lakeshia, who has documented her heroic recovery from this atrocity, exemplifies courage, resiliency, and an unrelenting determination. These three victims are our St. Louis stars.

Mr. BELL

Mr. BELL. Madam Speaker, as the holidays roll around, I want to say this to folks across the St. Louis region: This season isn't just about what is under the tree. It is about who we show up for. There is a lot happening in the world right now. Some of it is heavy. At home, I see a community that still believes in looking out for one another, especially our children. Not every child has the stability they deserve, through no fault of their own. When families can't carry that load alone, the rest of us have to help. That is what organizations like the Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition do every day, and it is what Annie Malone has done for generations, helping young people aging out of the system find their footing. As we celebrate with the people we love, I hope we also think about how we can help others. That is how we make this season matter. Madam Speaker, I wish St. Louis happy holidays.