Angie Craig

Ms. CRAIG

Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I missed votes on September 1, 2026. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 286; NAY on Roll Call No. 287; NAY on Roll Call No. 288; NAY on Roll Call No. 289; YEA on Roll Call No. 290; NAY on Roll Call No. 291; and YEA on Roll Call No. 292.

Ms. CRAIG

Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my friend, United Steelworkers Rapid Response Coordinator Robert ``Bob'' Ryan, on his retirement after nearly two decades of leadership and advocacy with the United Steelworkers. Bob began his career with United Steelworkers after previously working as a Machinist with Rock-Tenn. As the District 11 Rapid Response Coordinator, Bob advocated for Steelworkers in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. In Minnesota alone, Bob helped represent over 13,000 workers, including those at Pine Bend Refinery in Rosemount, Minnesota. In his role as a Rapid Response Coordinator, he worked tirelessly to improve wages, strengthen benefits and create safer working conditions for workers across the country. Bob helped mobilize members to advocate for union priorities and has been a strong partner for my office in advocating for organized labor. I am deeply inspired by Bob's commitment to his fellow Steelworkers. His leadership in the labor movement will have a lasting impact on our community, and I am grateful for all he has done to strengthen workers' rights throughout District 11. It has been an honor working with Bob over the years. I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Bob and in wishing him all the best on his well-earned retirement.

Ms. CRAIG

Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I missed votes yesterday. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 228, H.R. 7757, and YEA on Roll Call No. 229, H.R. 7128.

Ms. CRAIG

Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of a Minnesota hero, Michael Coy of St. Paul Park, Minnesota, who passed away on April 21, 2026. Mr. Coy served his community for more than 35 years as a UPS delivery driver and was a committed member of Teamsters Local 638. On April 18, 2024, while driving on the highway, Mr. Coy witnessed another driver, Samuel Orbovich, crash into a lamppost, setting his vehicle on fire. Mr. Coy immediately stopped to assist him. Mr. Coy attempted to assist Mr. Orbovich from the passenger door but was forced away by flames. He was instead able to direct fellow bystanders to break the driver's side window and rushed over to assist others in pulling Mr. Orbovich out of the vehicle through the driver's window. Both men were taken to the hospital for injuries sustained in the accident. Because of Mr. Coy, Mr. Orbovich is still alive today. Mr. Coy's bravery was recognized by the Carnegie Hero Fund with a Carnegie Medal. He was one of fifty-two recipients of this award last year. I offer my deepest condolences to Mr. Coy's family--his wife, son, siblings and the countless others who knew and loved him. I want to thank him again for his service to our community.

Ms. CRAIG

Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I missed votes today due to a family emergency. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 176 (Agreeing to H. Res. 1299), YEA on Roll Call No. 177 (Passage of H.R. 3234), YEA on Roll Call No. 178 (Passage of H.R. 4544), YEA on Roll Call No. 179 (Passage of H.R. 5317), YEA on Roll Call No. 180 (Passage of S. 2393), YEA on Roll Call No. 181 (Passage of S. 1003), YEA on Roll Call No. 182 (Passage of H.R. 1993), YEA on Roll Call No. 183 (MTR for H.R. 2616), NO on Roll Call No. 184 (Passage of H.R. 2616), NAY on Roll Call No. 185 (Previous Question, H. Res. 1300), and NO on Roll Call No. 186 (Adoption of H. Res. 1300).

Ms. CRAIG

Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Pallone for yielding. As co-chair of the bipartisan Biofuels Caucus, this has been a longtime coming. Getting year-round E15 across the finish line has been a priority of mine since the day I came into Congress. In fact, I led the charge for Democrats when we were in control of the House in 2022, the only other time that year-round E15 has passed the House of Representatives. Back then, the farm economy wasn't great, but now it is downright terrible. Farm bankruptcies in the Midwest are up 70 percent year over year. Our family farmers are hurting, and so are our working families in this country. Tariffs and trade wars have shut corn and soybean farmers out of their largest markets, and the war in Iran is hitting every single person I know in the pocketbook when it comes to gas prices. We have the opportunity today to expand market opportunities for farmers who badly need them while at the same time lowering costs at the pump. Make no mistake about it: It is going to lower costs to allow for year-round E15 if the adoption rate goes up as retailers put in more infrastructure at the pump so that people will have broader access to year-round E15. But the dynamics of the policies in this country are not changing today. As we think about the administration, the tariffs, the war in Iran, the Strait of Hormuz and the problems we have there, fertilizer costs, diesel costs--we can stand here all day long and say this is a good bipartisan bill, and I believe it is. In 2022, we passed a bipartisan bill. But until this administration changes its actual policies that impact family farmers, there is going to be pain throughout farm country. As we think about E15 and biofuels in our country, E15 is homegrown, renewable, and available. All we are asking to put into law is that we not arbitrarily limit this cheaper option for consumers to a few months out of the year. In fact, what we are putting in place today, should this pass, is a status quo because we are seeing waivers every single year anyway. Let's make it available to any American anytime they want to choose it. Year-round E15 is a win for consumers, and it is a win for farmers who desperately need these domestic markets because of so many bad policies on the part of this current administration. I urge my colleagues to support this package, to support our family farmers and working people across this country.

Ms. CRAIG

Ms. CRAIG. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. CRAIG. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. CRAIG. Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, again, with respect to this amendment, I do believe there is a compromise between better testing and creating rifts between our trusted exporters. The minority would be happy to work with the majority and the Congressman on honey regulation through FDA, but we don't believe that this is the answer. Mr. Chair, many of us were here pretty much all night last night, and what was interesting on the House floor during that time is after hours of delay in actually starting general debate on the farm bill, both sides of the Republican Party, both factions in the Republican Party who were negotiating for and against E15, came back claiming victory. I am just raising this issue because I personally witnessed both sides saying that they had a gentleman's agreement to bring E15 to the floor and not to bring E15 to the floor. I would just caution my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who believe that there is a deal to get E15 to the floor that there are some antics and tricks related to going back to the Rules Committee that folks may be planning. At the end of the day, unfortunately, Republican leadership has a history of promising something different to a number of different factions within the Republican Party. I mean, hell, the Democrats over here, you don't need us to be your adversary because you are your own worst enemies these days. We just sort of pop the popcorn and watch this stuff happen. But as this happens, I am not rooting for you all to be at war with each other. I am rooting for good public policy in this country. Year- round E15 is not getting a vote today. To me it is a really sad day when the Republican Conference can't vote for a commonsense bill that is going to lower the cost of gasoline at a time when the war in Iran is driving up gas prices. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.

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

Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, it is extremely important to support a regulated, safe supply of honey products in the United States. While I believe we can move forward on testing and creating a more consistent market, the complete exclusion of testing in some of our most reliable trade partners is an issue in this text. I believe there is a compromise between better testing and creating rifts between trusted exporters. I look forward to working with the Congressman on honey regulation through the FDA, but I will have to vote ``no'' on this amendment today. Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern).

Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Chair, I will say it is great news. It is good news. We got a new date. We are going to get a vote on year-round E15 on May 13. That is terrific news, Mr. Chair. I remember, though, that there was a partisan working group put together earlier this year, and we were supposed to get a deal by February 15. Then, it was supposed to be on the floor by February 25. Mr. Chair, I would say, forgive my skepticism, but this certainly looks like every time we have a deal for a vote on year-round E15, there is an uprising in the Republican Conference and somehow my Republican colleagues from Midwest States, where farm bankruptcies are up 70 percent this year, get rolled. Mr. Chair, I remind my colleague from the other side of the aisle that everybody here is running for election to something in the next election cycle, so I clearly don't understand why it is being raised what I am running for--except the people retiring from the Republican Conference in record numbers who are not seeking reelection. Currently, the vote on the farm bill, I remind us all, can't go to the Senate. The farm bill cannot go to the Senate without a vote on E15. Although I remain skeptical that anything is going to go smoothly in that Conference, I hope that we do get our long-awaited vote on year- round E15. The last time E15 year-round passed was 2022, and Democrats were in the majority when it passed the House. Mr. Chair, finally, I hope that Republicans can get their act together, figure out a path forward, and give us a vote on year-round E15.

Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, my beautiful congressional district in Minnesota is 40 percent covered in corn and soybeans every single summer, and right now those farmers have nowhere to sell their crops. Why is that? It is because we have systematically, under this administration's policies, created a situation where there are no export markets. Mr. Chair, I don't know where we are talking to family farmers, but the ones that I talk to, their input costs are so high, and that is being driven by bad policy. Their input costs are high because fertilizer costs are out of control, and apparently the administration doesn't even know how much farmers have already secured their fertilizer. It is just nonsense what the Secretary of Agriculture said about, no, they have already bought their fertilizer, so this doesn't matter whatsoever. What about diesel costs? We know that farmers are facing a loss. Instead of standing here today and talking about more farm relief because of the bad policies of this administration, the Farm Bureau says that our farmers have lost $54 billion in the last year, and the administration offers $12 billion in relief, a small fraction of what is needed. We had an amendment--it wasn't made in order--$17 billion in additional relief to our family farmers, but this administration doesn't want to do that. They want to keep promising the world and telling the farmers that they love them, and then doing absolutely nothing to help our family farmers. E15 is a good example. We could expand our domestic markets in this country today, but, no, we said-- Lucy with the football again on E15--we are going to take it away, and, oh, we will come back in 2 more weeks. Reporting is that they are going to change the bill at this point. If you want to change the bill, change it back to my bill that would allow for year-round E15 that actually would save money. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, just wow. Just wow. That entire speech is just wow. At the end of the day, we are sitting here talking about the farm bill, and this amendment does nothing to materially address the very real issues farmers are facing as they look at planting season today. All I could really hear is the word ``Brazil.'' We have forced our largest export markets, like China, to Brazil and Argentina because of bad policies from this administration. I am pretty sure that my farmers back home in Minnesota are far more concerned about how they are going to afford fertilizer to make it to next year without a substantial loss than they are about emissions standards on their tractors. The cost of diesel has gone up 50 percent since the start of the war in Iran. Where are my colleagues' amendments today forcing this administration into policies that actually help family farmers? The tariffs have sent our trading partners to other markets, perhaps never to come back. Let's talk about the domestic markets that we could be expanding into in this country, like year-round E15. However, are we taking a vote on year-round E15 today? No, because my Republican colleagues cannot even get themselves pulled together. Mr. Chairman, if we are going to talk about helping farmers' bottom line, this bill and this amendment do nothing to help them. We are going to be right back where we are 1 year from now asking what is going to save family farms if we pass this version of a farm bill. This amendment does absolutely nothing to help anyone. When we think about this farm bill, we think about the $187 billion in cuts to the SNAP program. That is $25 billion, Mr. Chair, directly to farmers' bottom line. Do you know what else is $25 billion so far, according to the Secretary of Defense? The war in Iran has cost $25 billion. We are here talking about a skinny farm bill that adds no cost to anything when we just spent in the last 60 days $25 billion on a war in Iran that no one wants. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is terrible, not to mention the critical role of the Clean Air Act in making sure that the health and safety of Americans across this country is secure. Do you know why Brazil is getting all our business? It is because they are cutting down the rainforest, and they are planting our commodities, our business. I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this amendment, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Ms. CRAIG

Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I will just end with this. I want you to imagine a single mom who is on the SNAP program--remember, this is $6.20 a day--who wants to put a four-pack--remember, no one can afford six-packs anymore because everything is too expensive--wants to purchase a four-pack of soda as a treat once a week for her children. The idea that we are going to force that family, that single mom, to say, no, I can't choose to do that--we are going to take that choice away from them. Mr. Chair, there are lots of people who live in families that need just a little bit of help right now, and it is getting worse under this administration. You cannot deny it. At the end of the day, this is one more way that we are attacking poor people in our country. Mr. Chair, we are all for healthy, but let's not be mean at the same time. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for this amendment, and of course, all of us here support promoting healthier diets and lifestyles for all Americans, but I have serious concerns with any policy that would make life more difficult for Americans who are already struggling to make ends meet. Across the country right now, chaotic waivers restricting different kinds of foods and drinks from being purchased with SNAP are already creating massive confusion for participants and for retailers. We don't know the result of the effectiveness of these waivers at this point, although things aren't looking good. We certainly shouldn't be codifying any type of restrictions and picking winners and losers among foods without getting those results first. If the intention is to address diet-related chronic disease, we would be better off investing in fruit and vegetable incentives, like GusNIP, and revive SNAP-Ed, a nutrition education program that was eliminated in H.R. 1. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment.

Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I support this amendment. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield the balance of my time.

Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, even though I am not opposed to it.

Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, ditto, and I yield back the balance of my time.