Michelle Fischbach

Mrs. FISCHBACH

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, as expected, my colleagues deviated completely from the task at hand today, and instead, like I said earlier, they wanted to continue these attacks on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. As I have mentioned repeatedly, Medicaid is not cut for those who need it. We are ensuring that American taxpayer dollars are going to help American businesses. The American Entrepreneurs First Act does not prevent people with temporary visas or other legal immigrant statuses from holding jobs at American businesses or from owning their own small businesses. It just says that if you want support from American tax dollars, you need to be an American citizen or a lawful permanent resident. Mr. Speaker, the Save SBA from Sanctuary Cities Act further supports that mission, a mission that the majority of Americans support, to end pro-illegal immigration policies by showing these cities that the SBA is serious and is going to move its offices if sanctuary cities do not start following Federal law. Mr. Speaker, we are here to further the great work that is being done by our communities to put a stop to the terrible overdose and substance abuse issues in this country through the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act. I do not believe that there is a person in this Chamber who does not see this as one of the most serious issues facing our Nation today. I support the rule and the underlying legislation, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mrs. FISCHBACH

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Kadyn Kulzer from Paynesville on being awarded the State FFA Degree, the FFA's highest honor. Kadyn has been a member of the Paynesville FFA since seventh grade and has been a great chapter officer for the past 2 years. She has demonstrated years of commitment to the FFA chapter in Paynesville. Kadyn plans to attend college to earn a degree in exercise science and eventually pursue a career as a chiropractor. I am sure she will excel in her career, just as she has excelled in the FFA. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Kadyn on her hard work and dedication to the FFA and the community. Congratulating Dorothy Vandendriessche

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Dorothy Vandendriessche of Marshall, Minnesota, on receiving the Minnesota Woman of the Year Award at the Catholic Women's convention. This award recognizes significant and outstanding contributions made by a councilwoman in areas of service to the church, the Council of Catholic Women, her parish, and the community. This honor is given to women who serve as an inspiration to others. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Dorothy on this outstanding achievement and for her contributions to her community and her church. Congratulating Mason Miller

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Mason Miller of Ada, Minnesota, on signing a free-agent contract with the Detroit Lions. Mason started in all 16 games of the NDSU Bison season last year and was named a first team All-American. Mason played an important role propelling the Bison to their tenth FCS National Championship. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Mason on this incredible accomplishment and wish him well as he begins the next chapter of his life.

Mrs. FISCHBACH

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Kumara Jayasuriya on his remarkable tenure as the president of Southwest Minnesota State University. Under President Jayasuriya's leadership, SMSU thrived. In a period where most Minnesota schools saw an enrollment drop, SMSU's rose by nearly 20 percent. Just last year, the university recorded its highest enrollment in 14 years, and I am incredibly grateful for what he has done to improve higher education in western Minnesota and to protect the legacy of a respected institution. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate President Jayasuriya on his retirement and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with him to advance SMSU.

Mrs. FISCHBACH

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Mechatronics Team 3133, the Alexandria Area High School's robotics team, on winning the Impact Award. This prestigious award will send the team to the world championship in Houston, Texas. This is their third Impact Award, and it is clear why. The team is extremely dedicated, having offered hours of their time in the summer to work with elementary and middle school robotics teams. Teammates Bridger Klavetter and Gunner Sellnow said they appreciate the worldwide community that the sport has allowed them to be part of and said that their team works to be professional in defeat and gracious in victory. On behalf of the Seventh District, I wish them the best of luck in Houston.

Mrs. FISCHBACH

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Mary Gislason on 43 years of service to the people of Lyon County. As a dispatcher for the sheriff's office, Mary provided crucial support, connecting those in need with emergency responders. Mary's colleagues praised her ability to remain calm despite the severity and stress of the job. After 43 years of serving the people, some of them on the worst day of their lives, and being a lifeline to those in the field, I congratulate Mary on a well-deserved retirement. I wish her the best as she begins the next chapter of her life. Congratulating Dave Preisler

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Mr. Dave Preisler on receiving the Minnesota Pork Board's Distinguished Service Award. From a childhood in 4-H and FFA to a 28-year career in the pork industry, Dave has dedicated his life to Minnesota agriculture. His expertise, compassion, and ability to lead in times of crisis have allowed him to leave a lasting impact on the industry and those who rely on it. I congratulate Dave on this tremendous honor. We are all grateful so much for his service.

Mrs. FISCHBACH

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the West Central Area girls' basketball team, the Knights, on their first-ever State championship in any sport for their school. As the fourth seed in a season full of upsets, I know this was a hard-fought victory. They should all be so proud of everything they have accomplished this year. They have certainly made their families, community, and the entire Seventh District proud. Congratulating Ron Mergen

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Ron Mergen on 37 years of service to the city of Paynesville. A beloved and respected member of the community, unsurprisingly, last year, he was voted Boss of the Year. I know his coworkers are sad to see him go, but I also know he won't be a stranger. He has been named the grand marshal of this year's Paynesville Town and Country Days parade. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ron so much for his service to the community and congratulate him on a well-earned retirement.

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Dawson- Boyd Blackjacks on defeating the defending champs to claim their first- ever title 1A championship. It has been 34 years since the Blackjacks have been to the State tournament, and their hard work paid off. With what felt like the entire town in Williams Arena, this game was a dream come true. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the Blackjacks on their victory. They have made all of their families, community, and the Seventh District proud. Congratulating Albany Huskies on Undefeated Season

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Albany Huskies on their undefeated season, closing it out with a win over Waseca in the Class 2A championship last weekend. These players were unshakable, even when the score was tied up. They knew their mission and executed, and they have made their families, the Albany community, and the entire Seventh District proud. Congratulating Alexandria Cardinals on Championship

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Alexandria Cardinals basketball team on defeating Mankato East for their first- ever 3A Boys championship title. The senior co-captains, Sam Hagstrom and Chase Thompson, were especially excited, saying: ``It has been a fun ride,'' and, ``We ended things with a bang and left our mark,'' after their big win. This is a closely bonded group of young men, and their teamwork certainly paid off. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the Cardinals on their win and for making their families, community, and the entire Seventh District proud. Congratulating West Central Area Knights

Mrs. FISCHBACH

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 211 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, we are here to debate the rule providing for consideration for H.J. Res. 25, H.R. 1156, and the continuing resolution. The rule provides for H.J. Res. 25 and H.R. 1156 to be considered under a closed rule. One hour of debate for each bill shall be equally divided and controlled by the chair and the ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee, or their designees. The rule provides for a motion to recommit for both bills. The rule also provides for H.R. 1968 to be considered under a closed rule. One hour of debate shall be equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Appropriations Committee or their designees. The rule provides for one motion to recommit for this bill. Mr. Speaker, House Republicans want to keep America open for business. I would like to believe nobody in this Chamber wants a government shutdown, and the bill we are considering today would keep the government fully funded through September 30. This will ensure that there are no disruptions to veterans' healthcare services and benefits or to Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid. It invests in defense personnel with the largest pay raise for junior enlisted troops in over 40 years. It includes funding for the Toxic Exposures Fund to treat veterans who have experienced service-related exposure to toxic substances. This bill fully funds the program that provides key nutrition assistance for mothers, infants, and children and increases funding for the WIC program. It increases funding for the FAA. There are no poison pills in this bill. It is a clean CR that fully funds the government. A shutdown would mean small businesses cannot get their Federal loans, national parks would close, and assistance programs for families would quickly run out. There is nothing controversial in here for my Democrat colleagues to vote against, but I am certain many of them will. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle have taken to fear-mongering. They are okay with the chaos of a government shutdown because they cannot see past their blind hatred for President Trump. We are also here today to discuss legislation to repeal a misguided Biden rule that requires decentralized finance platforms to file a Form 1099-DA. This would include disclosing taxpayer information and transaction details these platforms currently do not collect. This rule demonstrates a lack of understanding about how decentralized currencies and the platforms they are traded on actually work. Misguided policies like this need to be repealed, and that is what this CRA will do. Finally, we are here to debate the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act, which was introduced by the Ways and Means chairman, Mr. Jason Smith, to extend the statute of limitations for prosecuting unemployment insurance fraud that took place under the CARES Act. Currently, the statute of limitations is 5 years, which means many of these would expire at the end of this month. Unfortunately, we saw a wide range of fraud and abuse taking place in this federally funded unemployment insurance program, and more time is needed to root it all out. This bill, which extends the statute of limitations to 10 years, is a clear example of the House's commitment to removing waste, fraud, and abuse from the Federal Government. Anyone who is serious about protecting taxpayer dollars should agree that simply giving law enforcement the ability to continue to investigate and prosecute fraudsters is a commonsense proposal. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to take a minute to address one thing out of that entire rant because it is categorically false. The Community Oriented Policing Services, COPS, program maintains a consistent level under this CR. The only variation in levels reflects the removal of previously enacted FY24 community project funding allocations which are separate from the main programming. Claims that the COPS program has been defunded to zero are categorically false. Unlike the Democrats, Republicans remain committed to supporting law enforcement and ensuring public safety. I wanted to address that one thing. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Norman), my Rules Committee colleague.

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy), my colleague from the Rules Committee.

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy), my colleague from the Rules Committee.

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to remind everyone that the people have spoken. They spoke in November. The Republicans are the majority in the House. The Republicans are the majority in the Senate. They elected President Trump. The people have spoken. I would like to bring it back to what we are actually talking about today, and that is the rule in front of us. We are discussing the rule and the continuing resolution. As my colleague from Texas mentioned, there was not a single ``no'' vote from Democrats for the continuing resolution in December. They are standing here today willing to shut down the government not because of anything substantive in the bill but because they believe that as long as they are acting against the Trump administration, against the elected President's and Republicans' agenda, then they must be doing the right thing. Motivation by blind hatred, that is the Democratic Party that we have before us today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This is just another example of how talking points are written before they actually read the bill because this is about a government shutdown, plain and simple. We have to have the rule to pass the CR so that we can avoid a government shutdown. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, the House Appropriations Committee worked in good faith throughout the FY25 process, and it was the Democrats who weaponized this process, holding up negotiations on demands that were completely unrelated to funding. If my colleagues choose a Democrat shutdown simply because they hate Donald Trump and his administration, then they are showing they have still learned nothing from the results of last year's elections. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.