Lloyd Doggett

Mr. DOGGETT

Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Chair, this bill should really be known as the desperation act because Republicans are so desperate to fund an endless war, so desperate to avoid angering their master at the White House, so desperate to find a way to exclude from the upcoming election many of the very voters that are about to vote them out of office. Obedient Republicans here today are doing nothing to address sky-high prices that are caused by erratic Trump tariff taxes and unnecessary conflicts. American families are paying about $1,100 each in increased costs as a result of Trump's operation epic folly, and servicemembers are continuing to pay with their lives. Now, Trump demands that we pay again for his billions of dollars wasted in a quagmire he hasn't the slightest idea how to get out of. Watching Trump blunder along in such a chaotic, irrational manner has caused many Americans to ask: Is he past his prime, or is he really sick? Yet, instead of providing an inquiry or a check on his condition, Republicans hand him another huge check today to do whatever he pleases. To shield themselves from accountability, they also add in this bill not really voter identification, but voter exclusion. They have it all backward. We should restrain the would-be tyrant, not restrain the voters. This misnamed bill is not about saving America. It represents Republicans' last-ditch effort, grasping for a life preserver before they sink.

Mr. DOGGETT

Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to condemn the violent repression of musicians. As Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Musicians' Caucus, I express my profound concern regarding reports that Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi has been sentenced by that nation to public flogging for appearing in a musical performance without adhering to government- imposed dress requirements. Reports indicate that her offense was not violence, incitement, but rather the act of artistic expression itself. The Congressional Musicians' Caucus was established to recognize the vital role that music and musicians play in enriching societies, strengthening cultures, and advancing mutual understanding. While members of Congress may hold differing views on many international issues, we can stand together in support of the principle that creators should never face physical punishment, imprisonment, or violence for creating and sharing their artistic works. History offers far too many examples of governments seeking to silence musicians, songwriters, composers, and poets whose voices resonate with the public. Authoritarian regimes have often viewed artists as threats precisely because music and creative expression have the unique power to inspire, unite, and give voice to the aspirations of ordinary people. Efforts to intimidate artists through violence are not merely attacks on individuals; they are attacks on cultural expression itself. From the persecution of Chilean songwriter Victor Jara during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, to the denunciation and censorship of Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich under the Soviet regime, to the repeated imprisonment and violent targeting of Nigerian musician Fela Kuti for criticizing military rule, history demonstrates that the suppression of artistic voices is often an early warning sign of broader assaults on fundamental freedoms. The international community should never become indifferent to such actions. I recognize and appreciate the efforts of organizations such as the National Music Council of the United States, the Songwriters Guild of America, the Society of Composers & Lyricists, and others that continue to draw attention to cases in which musicians and music creators face persecution because of their artistic work. Bringing these incidents into public view helps ensure that such abuses do not occur unnoticed. I affirm my support for the freedom of artistic expression and my opposition to the use of violence, intimidation, or physical punishment against musicians, composers, songwriters, poets, and other creators. Regardless of nationality, ideology, religion, or political viewpoint, artists should be free to create and perform without fear of physical retaliation from their governments. I stand in solidarity with artists everywhere whose non-violent, creative voices are threatened by repression and in the hope that cultural expression may continue to serve as a bridge between peoples rather than a basis for punishment.

Mr. DOGGETT

Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, approaching the 61st anniversary of Medicare, a true lifeline for retirees and individuals with disabilities, I am filing the Saving MEDICARE Act to ensure a solvent, better Medicare that reaches more Americans. Medicare represents a valued Federal guarantee that workers will age with dignity and have access to quality, affordable healthcare. That guarantee is now under threat from giant, private insurance companies that profiteer off Medicare. This landmark proposal comprehensively addresses the many ways that Medicare Advantage insurers are overpaid. My goal is to level the playing field so that traditional Medicare is no longer at a disadvantage to these private insurers. Twenty-three years ago, in this very room, Republicans arm-twisted their own members and others all night long into the wee hours of the morning to ensure approval of a terrible bill that has hurt Americans and cost them hundreds of billions of dollars. Its landmark provision was one to limit Medicare from negotiating prescription drug prices, ensuring that we continue to pay the most outrageous pharmaceutical prices anywhere on Earth. At the same time, they also included this new program with the great misnomer Medicare Advantage, a private insurance alternative to Medicare. Though the supporters claimed that they would save us so much money, it would cost less than traditional Medicare, MA private insurers have never saved us a dime. Indeed, MA actually costs taxpayers tens of billions of dollars more every year. This year, the nonpartisan, independent Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, or MedPAC, estimates that MA costs taxpayers $2,660 more for each person who goes into their plans rather than traditional Medicare. Insurers claim that this great bonus that they are receiving provides so many extra benefits to consumers, from pest control, to rent, to a trip to get groceries, all these various things from one advertised insurer, except a Joe Namath autographed football. Hidden in the fine print are caveats, and consumers often find they aren't eligible for any of those advertised benefits, and skimpy coverage and high cost-sharing when they need help the most. Difficulty in accessing the doctor of their choice and getting treatment approved create long delays, often outright denials, and many MA enrollees are struggling to receive quality healthcare. In short, the only advantage in Medicare Advantage is to the monopoly and oligopoly private insurers. The Saving MEDICARE Act will stop this waste, fraud, and abuse. It is about delivering to Americans the care that they deserve at a reasonable price. These funds will extend Medicare solvency and improve Medicare with dental, vision, and hearing benefits--another piece of legislation I have offered. We can achieve an out-of-pocket cap, lower premiums, and more. We can achieve this by simply saying to MA that you should not cost more than traditional Medicare. My bill reins in upcoding, a practice insurers use to make it appear that patients are sicker than they really are. It will also stop plans from profiteering when the Veterans Administration is providing most of the healthcare, but they have recruited veterans to join their plans for whom they provide little or no care. It addresses insurance practices of steering sicker patients into traditional Medicare and trying to get healthier consumers who cost less into their plans. It phases out the failed county quartile system and the Quality Bonus Program which have only delivered more money to private insurers. Finally, it enhances Federal oversight and involves State partners in this also. Medicare Advantage is putting Medicare on long-term life support. The Saving MEDICARE Act is a roadmap for accountable, and reasonable spending and improving the healthcare for many Americans. In this totally ineffective and unsubstantial Congress, chances of getting Republicans to stand up to any special interest are pretty slim, but this bill is designed to encourage colleagues in the future with specific guidelines on how to deal with Medicare and make it better for more Americans, and to urge more of our colleagues to have the courage to stand up to these insurance giants by preventing them from using Medicare as a piggy bank.

Mr. DOGGETT

Mr. DOGGETT. This bill should really be known as the big slush. It is a slush fund to enrich our corrupt President and a slush fund for ICE to continue abusing communities across America. Grocery prices soar and gas prices surge, and to the Trump regime, it is really just ``peanuts,'' peanuts of the type perhaps that are served on that luxury jet that Kristi Noem purchased and wasted taxpayer funds on so she could ride in style to support her ICE agents terrorizing too many Americans. After filing a $10 billion bogus lawsuit against his own administration, Trump incredibly reached a sordid deal with his personal criminal defense attorney, whom he has appointed Acting Attorney General, to stop tax evasion audits of Trump, his family, and all the Trump enterprises, special treatment that has been estimated to save him over $100 million. On top of that, he gets to control a taxpayer-funded $1.8 billion slush fund that can be used to reward the rioters who were here on January 6, who assaulted police, and other Trump pals and criminals. Law-abiding neighbors face ICE cruelty while convicted criminals get a check at our expense. What we need is a genuine check on the Trump regime, but there is no rule of law and no checks and balances. Trump knows that a compliant Republican Congress will let him get away with anything. This bill doesn't secure America. It secures Trump's stranglehold on the Republicans.

Mr. DOGGETT

Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, for over a year, the House Republican leadership has yielded to Donald Trump's peculiar friendship with Vladimir Putin and blocked action on this measure. Every day that Republicans look the other way, Ukrainians die. Over 55,000 of them have perished. Over 20,000 children have been kidnapped. The war that Trump promised to end in a single day is now in its fifth murderous year. Trump has continued to send signals to Vladimir Putin that his brutal aggression is okay. He has reduced U.S. direct support for Ukraine by 99 percent. He has withheld even the modest funds that this Congress approved last year. He has removed American troops from Europe, diverted essential defensive weapons that would protect Ukrainians elsewhere, and remained silent while Putin destroyed American businesses in Ukraine and provided intelligence to Iran to target Americans. Most recently, he has indicated to NATO that when Putin creates a further crisis, the U.S. will offer less, if any, help. As Putin tests the resolve of the civilized world, Trump has shown that he has no resolve. He is too weak to lead and too reckless to be followed. With my own name on some of the first sanctions legislation that this Congress approved against Russia and with two of the measures that I have authored since then incorporated in this measure, I am glad to see that we finally get some action. Since March, thanks to Trump's incredible lifting of sanctions, Vladimir Putin is getting about $200 million a day, including today, in revenue to oil his war machine. Tonight, let's unite to resist the appeasers and seek a victory for everyone in this world who values self-determination, democracy, and freedom.

Mr. DOGGETT

Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, we could restore access to a family physician for millions of American families who no longer have it thanks to the Republican action. Or, we could instead choose to provide for our future by ensuring that every single 3- and 4-year-old in America can access pre-K. But instead of helping working families, Republicans insist that we shower more tax dollars on a rogue agency that already has entirely too much funding to continue its mission of ripping families apart and detaining babies.

Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, ICE has become another three-letter word for lie: lies about immigrants as an excuse for racist and un-American policies; lies about dead American citizens like Renee Good and Alex Pretti; lies about outrageous conditions at detention centers like Dilley, Texas, where measles spread and children are fed infested food with worms; lies really to all of us that the Trump regime is merely concerned about dangerous criminals when, in fact, their dragnet picks up anyone who happens to get in the way no matter how much that immigrant teacher, immigrant construction worker, immigrant small business owner or healthcare worker are contributing to their community. While we have simply asked that ICE meet the standards that we expect of our local law enforcement, this bill is designed to let ICE continue its rampage across America totally unrestrained. What we should be doing is using the $70 billion that this Republican bill showers on ICE and CBP to instead address the affordability crisis that our American families are facing because of Trump's continued mismanagement, his reckless, endless war in Iran, and his illegal tariffs. That $70 billion, think of what it could accomplish. With it, we could restore affordable access to a family physician for millions of American families.

Mr. DOGGETT

Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, before departing the Capitol last week, I stood at this very spot with Democratic and Republican colleagues, three separate times, to honor, with moments of silence, American servicemembers who have fallen in Trump's reckless war in Iran. If congressional Republicans continue to remain silent, the only result will be more of those ceremonies and more deaths of innocents like the 168 children and teachers who were killed by a U.S. bomb. An arrogant Hegseth dismisses all of this with a shrug as ``bad things happen.'' To Trump, he sees it as a fundraising opportunity as he solicits money using the pictures of these fallen heroes. But for the families who lost a father, a son, or a daughter, a spouse, it means an empty seat at Thanksgiving. It means a bride walking unaccompanied down the aisle. It means an untouched pillow on the bed. It means years of grief without the good advice, the laughter, the hope, and the bear hug that will never come. While Iran certainly has a tyrannical regime that has murdered thousands of its own citizens and in prior years was responsible for the deaths of some Americans, Iran posed no imminent or immediate threat at the time President Trump chose to suddenly abandon negotiations and launch an assault. Republicans are rubber-stamping a war that lacks any plan or any set goal. More than 200 American servicemembers have already been wounded, and Trump is certainly not dispatching more ground troops to the area for the sunshine. We are now in week 4 of what he told us was a 4- to 5-week war. All we have to show for it is death and destruction, a depleted weapons supply, soaring gas prices, and an Iranian regime that is intact and more hardline than ever. Israeli officials have advised that any Iranian protestors will be ``slaughtered'' by a brutal regime that is ``not cracking.'' What is much worse about this is that Trump knew. He was told by close advisers that this would be the outcome before this war began. As one said: ``It wasn't just predictable, it was predicted.'' Instead of acknowledging this complete failure, Trump continues to endanger all of us. Now, he is submitting to this Congress a bill for American taxpayers of $200 billion. Let's face it, Iran has grabbed Trump by the Hormuz, with no path out of a quagmire that could be like Iraq where we lost 4,400 servicemembers and wasted over $2 trillion. With Trump's $200 billion bill, about 22 million Americans could have affordable access to healthcare, not just this year, but with restored tax credits for the next 7 years. Our veterans, 9 million veterans could get their VA healthcare paid for for the next 2 years. With $200 billion, we could double the National Institutes of Health budget to explore research for Alzheimer's and other dreaded diseases. We could fully fund Pell grants and educational opportunities for 7 million Americans over the next 7 years, actions that could have been taken here at home, but Trump yielded to pressure from abroad. We know that under Trump it is Netanyahu first and Americans second. Too weak to prevent this war by saying no to him, he continues to blindly follow strongmen. Amazingly, when Trump is told that war criminal Vladimir Putin is helping Iran target American servicemembers, he shrugs it off. He is so desperate that he has now not only lifted sanctions on Russian oil, fueling the Russian war machine to attack innocents in Ukraine, he has actually removed sanctions on Iranian oil to fund the Iranian Government and the missiles that they continue to send our way. While Trump declares himself the ``acting president of Venezuela'' and says that he can do ``anything I want'' to Cuba, while one of his many lies contradicts the next one, he really believes that he is not just king of America, but king of the universe. Yet, it is Americans that will pay the very severe price for his gigantic ego and constant whims that embark us in danger around the globe.

Mr. DOGGETT

Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, from the same folks who brought us $4.7 trillion in additional Federal debt and who worship the ``king of debt,'' Donald Trump, as he describes himself, they present this unbalanced budget amendment. Apparently, this proposal, which reeks of hypocrisy, is designed by those who gave us so much more debt to protect us from them doing even more harm. However, I think it really should be known as the protect our billionaire buddies act because that is what it is really designed to do: to prevent a future Congress from ever demanding a fair contribution from the billionaires and the multinational corporations that pay a tax rate lower than that for a teacher or a nurse, and to shift our jobs overseas. Our loophole-filled tax code has more holes than swiss cheese. By imposing this first-in-history supermajority requirement before any tax can be increased, they prevent plugging those holes and doing anything about the injustice and inequities in our tax code that shift the burden onto working people and small businesses. These Republicans aren't really deficit hawks. They are war hawks these days, and they created a special loophole in their own amendment for war, to ease the funding of the war machine. With Trump in office, we can expect more wars wherever his latest whim and ego take him, endangering all of us. Mr. Speaker, there is nothing balanced about this amendment. Let's reject it.

Mr. DOGGETT

Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, from his first day in public office, President Trump has made it clear that he wants to rule America by imperial decree. He didn't want to be king just for a day in America. He wants to be king of the universe. Congress is just a nuisance that can be avoided, the courts are an occasional speed bump, and international law is just a suggestion to this President. In his decree declaring war on Iran, he glibly responded to the loss of American lives by saying: ``That's the way it is.'' With no clear objectives, no approval from the Congress, and no commitment to keep the ground troops out, more American deaths and billions of taxpayer dollars wasted will be ``the way it is.'' We know that in this regard, Trump is not America First. At best, he is America second, as Secretary Rubio confessed this week. Trump is too weak to follow President Bush's wise example of saying no to Netanyahu. He has dragged us into a war without an imminent threat. He has committed us to a war that will further destabilize an already unstable region of the world, and in Trump's own words, this war will go on ``as long as it takes.'' The last war like that cost 4,400 American lives and $2 trillion of taxpayer money. While certainly I do not mourn the death of any of these despots in Iran who have done so much harm, under Trump's clueless approach, we may just be replacing one tyrant with another. We already see what is happening to our embassies, our military facilities, and our airports where many Americans are stranded abroad. Mr. Speaker, I urge approval of this resolution to stop Trump's forever war. Unless it is approved, Trump will only be encouraged to grab more and more power on his drive for total authoritarian, one-man rule in this country and the world.

Mr. DOGGETT

Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, as Baghdad was first bombed 23 years ago, Americans were bombarded with lies. When that giant statue of Saddam Hussein was pulled down, the lies were paired with attacks on all of us who opposed what was ultimately recognized by almost all as a colossal American blunder. Though later President Bush announced ``mission accomplished,'' the killing continued. Ultimately, over 4,400 American lives were lost and $2 trillion spent on this unwarranted invasion that, unfortunately, only benefited Iran. Now, as Tehran is bombed, we are once again being bombarded with lies. Our trigger-happy President issued his personal declaration of war without approval of Congress, without exhausting nonviolent alternatives, and without any real plan after the bombs stopped falling. Just months ago, Trump told the Nation that he had obliterated the Iranian nuclear capability. With no imminent threat to our country, he declared war just because he likes issuing decrees. He loves issuing imperial decrees, whether it is imposing new tariff taxes, obstructing our voting rights, or declaring himself the acting President of Venezuela. It is the American people who will pay the price in blood and treasure for his military adventurism. Trump callously has responded already ``that's the way it is'' to the deaths of American servicemembers and so many innocent civilians. With his war spreading across the Middle East, Trump is not ruling out ground troops, since airpower alone will not be sufficient to accomplish the regime change that he is obviously seeking. While certainly not mourning the death of Iranian tyrants, despicable people, rarely has assassination of such foreign leaders produced a peaceful result. Two decades of experience in Afghanistan and Iraq tell us that even boots on the ground are insufficient to accomplish a peaceful democratic society. Only the Iranian people can do that. Of course, Trump is also sending a message to fellow authoritarians Xi and Putin that might makes right. Use war if it is helpful. Ironically, we learned that President Trump's action does not demonstrate strength, but rather weakness. Secretary Rubio has confirmed that Trump was just yielding to Netanyahu's planned attack by saying, essentially, ``me, too.'' He was too weak to tell Netanyahu no, as President Bush had wisely done. Trump talks tough and brandishes a very powerful military, but he cannot stand up to powerful leaders like Netanyahu and Putin. Choosing war is not ``peace through strength.'' It is a means of diverting attention from multiple Trump failures here at home. Coming just after revelations from the Justice Department of hiding documents accusing Trump of sexually abusing a minor, this war of choice may even be useful as a distraction from the Epstein files that have not been fully disclosed. In Trump's own words, this is a war that could go on ``as long as it takes,'' perhaps as long as it takes for him to interfere in the November elections and secure a Congress that will continue to be little more than a doormat for him. With war so much easier to get into than to get out of, it is imperative that this Congress act swiftly this week to approve the War Powers Resolution to save American lives and stop another destabilizing, bloody conflict that will have repercussions for generations to come.

Mr. DOGGETT

Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a critical national resource that for 30 years has served as a lifeline for victims and survivors of domestic violence and relationship abuse across our country: the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Based in Austin, Texas, in my Congressional district, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is the only national hotline that operates 24/7, responding to all those in the U.S., its territories and military bases across the globe via phone, chat and text. These services are free and confidential. Authorized by the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 and funded through the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, the National Domestic Violence Hotline was created to ensure that anyone experiencing relationship abuse would have a safe, confidential place to turn for help. On February 21, 1996, the National Domestic Violence Hotline answered its very first call--marking the beginning of a national commitment to listening to survivors, offering support without judgment, and helping people see pathways to safety and healing. Since that first call, The Hotline has served more than 7.8 million people through phone, chat and text--each contact representing courage, resilience and hope. Its highly trained advocates provide compassionate support, personalized safety planning, and connections to local resources, responding to thousands of contacts each day as the demand for services continues to grow. Thirty years later, The Hotline continues to experience incredibly high demand for its services. Every day, The Hotline receives nearly 3,000 calls from those needing crisis support and a path to safety--demand for services has more than doubled during the past decade. As the needs of survivors have evolved, The Hotline has implemented responsible, survivor-centered technology innovations--including expanded chat and text services and improved resource navigation to increase access, reduce barriers, and better meet demand nationwide. This 30-year milestone is not a celebration of the continued prevalence of domestic violence. The ongoing need for a national hotline is a sobering reminder that relationship abuse affects millions of people across every community, demographic, and geography. Survivors, particularly those from marginalized communities, often face compounded barriers to safety and support, and too many endure abuse in silence. But the courage of survivors is something worthy of recognition. Every day, individuals reach out to The Hotline, often for the first time, taking a brave step toward safety, healing, and freedom. The Hotline bears witness to that courage by offering hope, validation and practical support in moments of crisis. In addition to its core hotline services, The Hotline operates the National Dating Abuse Helpline, which provides 24/7/365 chat, text and phone support to help teens and young adults experiencing abuse or unhealthy dating situations. The Hotline also runs love is respect, a program dedicated to engaging, educating and empowering young people facing abusive or unhealthy relationships. I also wish to recognize the dedicated advocates who staff the National Domestic Violence Hotline and its programs. Their work requires extraordinary compassion, resilience, and skill, as they respond to heart-wrenching calls and messages with care and professionalism. Their commitment saves lives and strengthens families and communities across our Nation. For 30 years, the National Domestic Violence Hotline has stood as a beacon of hope--answering the call when it matters most. As we mark this 30th anniversary, we honor the survivors who inspire this work, the advocates who make it possible, and the enduring mission to ensure that everyone can live a life free from violence.

Mr. DOGGETT

Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, we are barely 2 months into this new year, and yet we have already had 35 mass shootings, devastating communities across the country. If only two or three people are killed, it hardly makes national news anymore. We can be sure after every major incident that Republicans will offer their thoughts and prayers and then proceed to obstruct anyone who wants to do anything to increase gun safety. Instead of addressing the serious tragedy, the illness that plagues our country with gun violence, Republicans today propose a new loophole, a dangerous loophole for so-called less-than-lethal devices. Once they are no longer considered firearms under the Federal definition, protective rules go away. That means no background checks. That means no serial number on the equipment so that the police can trace it if a criminal is using it. I have great respect for the gentleman from Arizona, but using his example of a woman coming at a police officer with a knife, this bill does nothing for the police officer. He can get full access to less- than-lethal weapons now, but the woman, if she had a mental health problem and was barred from a firearm, she could now go buy one of these less-than-lethal devices. In fact, it is not just one woman in Arizona. There are 5 million convicted felons in this country. There are 7 million people with mental health conditions. They are all barred from getting a firearm, and this dangerous loophole is designed to ensure that they now will see a giant sign saying, ``Come get your weapon,'' because they no longer will be prohibited from getting one of these weapons, while the police officers, the law enforcement officers across this country, get no benefit. In fact, their job is made more difficult because these weapons can no longer be traced when used by one of these convicted felons who chooses to engage in other criminal activity. These less-than-lethal devices, as they have been labeled, include tasers. There is one story after another, horrible stories, with details of criminals who have used tasers as they raped and abused their victims. Beanbag rounds, we had those used in Austin against a number of teenagers. They may be called less than lethal, but these teens required multiple lifesaving surgeries to bring them back to decent health, some with serious disabilities. With homemade alterations, which can occur with these less-than- lethal weapons, they can become more rapid-fire. They can become much more dangerous and still untraceable weapons. There are so many things that we could be doing in this Congress concerning gun safety. Mr. Thompson has requested a universal background check--not to deny anyone, but to ensure that someone with a mental health condition or some other condition, someone you do not want getting a gun, to ensure safety through that background check. That has been widely supported by law enforcement. There is a concern about the weapons of war that are brought onto our streets and kill multiple people. There are a number of reasonable measures that have been advocated by one group after another across this country to make our streets safer and to have parents, when they send their children off to school, know they will come home and won't have to spend all their time fearing the kind of violence that we saw in Uvalde, Texas, that led to the deaths of so many little children. These are things that Congress could be working on right now. This loophole that will allow more people who should not have a gun because of their criminal history or their mental health condition will allow them to get that weapon. Real public safety means fewer weapons on our streets, not more loopholes.

Mr. DOGGETT

Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, President Trump's repeated bullying of Canada and its eloquent Prime Minister Carney is both embarrassing and alarming. Our country could not have a better neighbor or trading partner than Canada. Declaring emergencies where none exist, Trump delights in these executive decrees for tariffs. He can act like a king, and he is enabled to be a king-like figure on this issue by Republicans, even though it is costing American families thousands of dollars. There have been 76,000 American manufacturing jobs lost amidst Trump chaos. Small businesses are losing out if they don't have a lobbyist who can go to Mar-a-Lago and bargain with Trump. This vote is about reaffirming ``no king,'' no rule by decree from the President when he has no authority to do this, and recognizing that our Constitution places responsibility for trade and tariff taxes where it should be, right here in this Congress.

Mr. DOGGETT

Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Texas, the Honorable Christian D. Menefee, be permitted to take the oath of office today. His certificate of election has not arrived, but there is no contest and no question has been raised with regard to his election.

Mr. DOGGETT

Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, Saturday was a great day for progress in Texas, from Houston to Fort Worth. For almost a year after the tragic death of our late colleague, Sylvester Turner, the citizens of the 18th Congressional District of Texas in Houston have been denied representation in this Congress. After Governor Abbott delayed the call for the election for almost 8 months and then delayed the runoff election another 3 months, these Texans finally have the representation that they deserve. At this moment, we remember the life of Sylvester Turner, who honorably served Houstonians for a decade or more as mayor and State representative, and who took over after the passing of our colleague, Sheila Jackson Lee, who we all remember for her tenacity. This is in a district that was once represented by the legendary Barbara Jordan. This is also a district with a long legacy of fighters, fighters for justice. I am confident that Christian Menefee will carry on that tradition. He was raised in the 18th Congressional District by two military parents who taught him about the values of hard work, of loyalty, and of standing up for what is right. With the help of a Pell grant, he was the first member in his family to graduate from college. He graduated from UT San Antonio and then went on to St. Louis to get a law degree from Washington University. He built a successful career as a commercial litigator in Houston and provided extensive pro bono work there, including his working with immigrant families affected by the Muslim ban. He most recently served as the Harris County attorney, the youngest person and the first African American to ever hold that office. At this troubling time in our country, please join me in welcoming someone who I know will be a great colleague, carrying out the incomplete term of Mr. Turner in this Congress. Congratulations, Christian. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Menefee).

Mr. DOGGETT

Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, oil over democracy. Trump has made clear his priorities, accepting ruthless suppression by Maduro's comrades so long as the oil profits flow to him as the self-described acting President of Venezuela. With one major oil company describing the country as uninvestable, Trump has absolutely no winning strategy to secure any benefits for the American people. He doesn't just want to be king of America. He wants to be king of the universe. He wants to be a Putin or a Xi, disrupting the global order that bipartisan American leaders made possible to prevent another world war. Imperialism, starting wars around the world wherever Trump's latest whim takes him, will not Make America Great Again. It will make us much less safe. To found this country, Americans got rid of one despotic king. We don't need another one. Instead, we must demand an accountable President by adopting this important resolution and asserting the power of Congress.

Mr. DOGGETT

Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, in their incessant drive to impose a national ban on all forms of abortion, Republicans continue to block relief for millions of Americans who are struggling with soaring ObamaCare health insurance premiums. Now, today, they offer this bill to funnel taxpayer dollars to fake health clinics. To deceive women, these so-called pregnancy crisis centers use medical jargon and dress up in scrubs, yet most of the 2,600 clinics do not have a single licensed medical professional. Instead, they rely on fear and misinformation to discourage vulnerable women as they are trying to make one of the most important healthcare decisions about what is best for them. Much more shocking than the waste that is promoted through this bill is the indifference with which so many extremist Republicans have shown to the right to life, the right to life for the mother, the right to life for American women. I chaired an Austin field hearing last August, and I heard dozens of tragic stories from Texas women like Kaitlyn Kash and Amanda Zurawski, forced to the brink of death before they could receive care for a miscarriage, hemorrhage, or sepsis. An obstetrician, Dr. Donell Oliver, testified: ``Women are dying; families are suffering; and medical professionals' hands are being tied.'' That is the result of the kind of strict abortion ban Republicans have imposed on Texas women that some here want to impose on all 50 States and all women in our country. I think the death certificates for so many other women who have been denied treatment for pregnancy complications should really read the truth, which is ``Cause of Death: Republican abortion ban.'' For every American whose life is threatened by Republican extremist interference, I strongly oppose this bill and urge its rejection.

Mr. DOGGETT

Mr. DOGGETT. Madam Speaker, I support strengthening our relations with African countries through the African Growth and Opportunity Extension Act. I think increased trade, economic activity, and development that respects human rights, labor rights, and the environment can benefit both Americans and Africans. I think that trade is especially important at this time after the profound damage done by the consistent disrespect by President Trump of Africans, unless they happen to be White Afrikaners, and, more importantly, by his abrupt and unjustified termination of the Agency for International Development, which has cost tens of thousands of lives in Africa and other places, and thousands of American jobs. AGOA cannot undo all of that harm, but it can be part of responsible engagement, if it is done right. It is important, however, to understand that this reauthorization does not guarantee a single African country the benefits of this bill if they fall out of favor with President Trump. The role of Congress is constrained. The bill continues to empower the President to include or exclude countries entirely at his whim, and we know how unpredictable, vengeful, and punitive he can be. While I support AGOA, I do not support extending it to countries with serious human rights abuses, nor to those engaging in serious environmental destruction, such as the devastation of Africa's rainforests. In Tanzania, bodies filled morgues as more than 700 people last fall were reportedly killed in connection with the recent election. Peaceful protesters in Mozambique, Angola, and Madagascar were shot by security forces. Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are involved in multiple war crimes, despite President Trump's failed attempts to achieve a peace agreement. I have particular concern about Kenya from a business standpoint. A longtime, well-respected Austin resident, an engineer and law-abiding citizen, serves as co-president of LightPulse, a respected Kenyan healthcare and educational institution. Kenyan authorities cooperated in the abduction of one of his employees, who was taken to Turkiye and tortured. The next thing that we knew, up on a website in Turkiye was a declaration that my constituent was being labeled as a terrorist. Another incident of this type occurred only last month, and the Kenyans have been unable to provide a suitable explanation for their conduct. Finally, American workers should not be forced to compete on an uneven playing field, where China sends manufactured products to Africa, there are minor changes made there, and then this product is sent here as an AGOA trade preference product. Our trade laws should be clear and not put our workers at a disadvantage by forcing them to compete with these kinds of practices. AGOA cannot undo the immense harm that President Trump has already inflicted, but if properly structured, it can strengthen democratic rights and environmental protection. I would support a short-term extension paired with meaningful reforms. We have had no shortage of time in order to get these reforms; only a lack of will. We do not have that reform bill before us. Madam Speaker, for all of those reasons, I respectfully urge my colleagues to reject this bill and instead work toward a more responsible, accountable reauthorization of AGOA.

Mr. DOGGETT

Mr. DOGGETT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. As stewards of Americans' hard-earned tax dollars, we have a responsibility to ensure efficient and appropriate government spending. The dollars that have been spent on Social Security have been spent well and effectively to benefit millions. For years, I have sought action on several fraud prevention measures, efforts that have been repeatedly rejected, not even heard by the Republican majority. Ignoring my legislation and other proposals that have been offered from the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, another inspector general that was fired by President Trump, Republicans instead offer this minor bill that does little to address fraud, that raises a myth concerning payments to the deceased, and perpetuates that myth that Social Security should be, in the words of one Republican Senator: pulled up by its roots and gotten rid of. It is all fear-mongering from some of the same people who recently enacted a truly horrifying scheme with the largest cuts to healthcare and SNAP food assistance in the history of this country, all in order to further enrich some billionaire donors. These cuts leave millions of children, people with disabilities, and seniors without access to a doctor, struggling to afford their medications, and unable to receive in-home support. The billionaire class was so greedy that even $1 trillion in cuts to healthcare wasn't enough to pay for everything that they demanded. The total receipt from Republicans' legislation means that trillions of dollars are being added to our national debt, even after these draconian cuts to healthcare. Those additions to the national debt will endanger the long-term promise of Social Security and Medicare. This legislation does nothing to address Social Security's guarantee to American workers. If this Congress fails to act, the Federal Government will default in 2032, and people would see their Social Security payments cut. Meanwhile, this bill also ignores the Trump regime's effort, which I discussed, about the development of a digital file on every American and the invasion of our privacy. It is good that this legislation requires the Treasury Department's Do Not Pay system to reimburse Social Security and State agencies for its use of death records that the States collect and provide to Social Security. Social Security should not bear the price for that Do Not Pay system's use of the data. I certainly support that provision, but every American will bear the cost of Republicans' failure to protect their hard-earned benefits and private information from Trump's hatchet job on the Social Security Administration. While I don't oppose the bill, I do oppose the misrepresentations that are made about it. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DOGGETT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 3 minutes. Madam Speaker, I think it would be more accurate to say this bill is a tiny step, it is a trivial step, and it is curious how narrow the interest of our Republican colleagues are with regard to fraud. Trump has been busy pardoning one fraudster after another. We haven't heard a peep from our Republican colleagues about that nor about his wrongful action within days of his inauguration of abruptly and unjustifiably firing the chief inspector general of the Social Security Administration. That is the public watchdog who is there to ensure that no fraud--dead, living, or otherwise--occurs. In only a single year, that inspector general had saved Social Security about $12.4 billion through audits and investigations. House Republicans have similarly remained totally mute about the fact that as of today, almost a year later, Trump has continued his failure to nominate a replacement inspector general. They are apparently not too eager about addressing fraud to have a real watchdog there. Just as they yell ``fraud'' as an excuse to replace ObamaCare with Republican nothing care, while Trump reinstates the suspended insurance brokers that were causing the fraud, the Trump regime and its congressional enablers are really just yelling ``fraud'' as a cover for the real agenda, which is to privatize Social Security. Trump's Treasury Secretary, Mr. Bessent, recently blew their cover by indicating that the big, ugly bill about which Republicans have been so gleeful is really a ``back door'' to privatize Social Security, a step that will undermine the program that so many Americans are counting on. This bill offers no additional protection to them or to the taxpayer. What it does do is continue the myth that Social Security is fraudulent, that it is not delivering the benefits that Americans have been able to rely on for generations, and with appropriate action will be able to rely upon for generations to come. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DOGGETT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself another 5 minutes. This bill is really another missed opportunity. The protections that are most urgently needed are not these new guardrails, but guardrails to protect our inalienable right to privacy. Through the Privacy Act and other means, this Congress has long set limits on what the government can and cannot do with intimate details that it collects about each American. Government officials are not free to use our sensitive personal data however they wish, but that may actually be happening under the Trump regime. When this legislation was before the Ways and Means Committee, I offered an amendment to address a serious and looming threat to our privacy. The Trump administration is pursuing an unprecedented effort to consolidate Federal data on virtually every American into a single, centralized master file, a de facto digital ID on every American. This would be a digital record containing most anything that any part of the government knows about you, tracking where you live, where you work, your earnings, your bank account, your health insurance, your child support agreements, and more. To understand the scope of this extraordinary project, my amendment required the administration to produce materials related to the Social Security Administration's role in data aggregation and its chosen contractor, Palantir, a company that one Silicon Valley executive once described as ``building the infrastructure of the police state.'' This project would further empower a President whose priorities include revenge, personal enrichment, and self-glorification to misuse this data. Beyond the obvious danger of empowering a surveillance state or enabling the targeting of political opponents, the other danger associated with this mass centralization is that this sensitive information held by the Federal Government in one place could be exposed to hacking. One vulnerability, one malicious actor, one insider threat, and millions of Americans could be exposed. A whistleblower has already revealed that the Social Security records of roughly 300 million Americans were uploaded into an unsecured cloud environment without adequate safeguards. Internal Federal reviews have identified serious weaknesses in Palantir's systems. One internal U.S. Army memorandum described Palantir's platform as ``very high risk,'' warning that any unauthorized user, regardless of clearance, could access all the applications and datasets, the very kind of thing that would interfere with our privacy from private entities. Palantir, of course, disputes these findings, but the concerns are real, and the consequences of getting it wrong would be enormous. My approach would not have stopped this project. It would not have dismantled anything. It simply would have required transparency, basic disclosure of how Social Security data has been used or misused by the Trump regime in the creation of this centralized database. Yet, despite the gravity of these concerns, Republicans voted to block this reasonable inquiry from a regime that seems to thrive on secrecy. This vote follows a troubling pattern that occurred right here in the House when rules were adopted to block a resolution of inquiry that I and other Members had to ask for this data from the administration. Twice now, Republicans have adopted special rules, extraordinary measures that are designed to prevent the House from ever considering this question. Twice they have used the process to hide from the American people what is happening and to protect their Members from having to take a vote about this sweeping intrusion into our privacy. Remarkably, Palantir has even said they are willing to support the resolution. That hasn't been enough for our Republican colleagues. This is the time for sunlight instead of fear of sunlight. It is unfortunate that this transparency, which should not be controversial, is not included in this bill. I will be voting for this bill, as we did in committee, but it is relatively meaningless, and the big issues of the day are not being addressed in this legislation. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DOGGETT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 5 minutes. Madam Speaker, information on the deceased is already shared among Federal agencies under existing law. This is really a trivial bill that is designed only to make it appear that Republicans are doing something about supposed fraud. An independent investigation found that the Social Security Administration has an incredible success rate with less than 1 percent of payments found to be improper, some of those being overpayments and some of those being underpayments. Today, of course, is not the first time we have heard these claims about fraudulent Social Security payments to the dead. Indeed, from that very podium, Madam Speaker, we heard President Trump last March come to give a lengthy address to a joint session of this Congress. In his remarks that combined misinformation, outright lies, and a good many platitudes, the President devoted special attention to Social Security, ridiculing it with outlandish tales. He spoke of ``3.9 million people from ages 130 to 139, 3.5 million people from ages 140 to 149. And money is being paid to many of them.'' What nonsense. Thanks to the anti-fraud guardrails that are already available, that has not happened, and the President's representation was absolutely wrong. While today's bill essentially duplicates existing efforts to prevent erroneous payments, the focus on improper payments to deceased people is just another part of the Republican plan to undermine public confidence in Social Security, a social insurance program that has been one of the most valuable initiatives ever approved in this Congress. Yet Trump appointed Elon Musk, who proclaimed that Social Security is ``a Ponzi scheme.'' He gave him the authority to take a hatchet to the Social Security Administration. For months, DOGE, the department of government evisceration, promoted related lies. Undermining the delivery of checks and quality service, the Trump regime, through DOGE, abruptly fired thousands of Social Security workers, and it continues to enact erratic policy changes. This comes on top of years of Republican opposition to adequately staffing the Social Security Administration. Social Security has less staff today than it did a decade ago, despite the fact that it now serves many, many more Americans. As a result, at Social Security, under the Trump regime, there is a backlog of 6 million cases, public inquiries, along with an agency that is riddled with errors and delays from the shortage of adequate staffing. Now, the plan from the Trump regime on Social Security is to cut in- person visits at offices around the country, which is just another effort to obstruct Americans from getting straight answers, not from a machine but from a person, concerning their hard-earned benefits. These are just more ways to cause Americans to question this vital Federal program so that nobody is surprised if, one day, the payments are late or the trust fund is insufficient. We have had one current Member of the United States Senate, a Republican, who has declared that what we need to do, he insists, is to ``pull it up by the roots and get rid of it'' with reference to Social Security. Providing modest retirement, disability, and retirement benefits to 69 million Americans, Social Security is what puts food in the fridge and keeps the lights on week after week. For 22 million Americans, Social Security is the difference between living in poverty, and for 40 percent, it is more than one-half of their income. It is a lifesaving, irreplaceable, social contract. As stewards of this hard-earned benefit, we must protect taxpayers' dollars, but empty promises to address supposed fraud are not the answer. Americans deserve a restored watchdog and efficient program at Social Security that ensures swift and easy access to their payments. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DOGGETT

Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, our vote today represents hope, the hope of millions to access their family physician, the hope for so many Americans who have wondered how they will be able to afford healthcare, hope that by using an extraordinary measure today in the House, we can address an extraordinary need. After 70 Republican repeal efforts, after rejecting the amendment I offered last May to retain these credits, and after delaying for months to give us the opportunity to provide this care, we are here today with hope. Now, the responsibility shifts to the Senate. They need to promptly approve this measure and not attach any weakening provisions such as junk insurance and health savings account tax shelters. Keep it focused on affordability, on providing enrollment periods for those who have already lost their coverage because of enormous premium hikes. We have heard so much about fraud. The only fraud that has been identified relates to broker fraud that Trump has made worse and Republicans have ignored. The biggest fraud of all would be replacing ObamaCare with Republican nothing care.

Mr. DOGGETT

Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, unable to run America, Trump says that he will run Venezuela. Unwilling to provide help to Americans facing soaring health premiums, he offers new tax subsidies to Big Oil. Long eager to drag America back to the ugly glory days of White nationalism under his hero, President William McKinley, Trump now is apparently going to make imperialism great again, also. Declaring that he and he alone will dominate the Western Hemisphere, he sends a chilling message to his fellow authoritarians, like Putin, Xi, and others: Might makes right. Just stay in your own neighborhood. With no interest in democracy, he has made clear that this is a war for oil and that he will work with any pawn that will get it to him, even those who are launching a new wave of repression in Venezuela. Colombia, Mexico, Greenland--he is handing Putin a gift by dividing NATO. Our allies had to meet yesterday to defend Denmark on Greenland from this bully in chief. So many conflicts but no plan to provide security to American families. He ignores our needs.