Shomari Figures

Mr. FIGURES

Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the anniversary of the most defining day of my life to date, September 13, 1996, a fall afternoon. My mother walked into a waiting room at the University of South Alabama's medical center and announced to a collection of friends, family, and colleagues that my father, Michael Figures, had died. He had suffered a brain aneurysm at the house at the dinner table a couple of nights before and ultimately passed away. Mr. Speaker, my father was a lot of things to a lot of people. He was a State senator. He was a civil rights advocate. He was a lawyer and a community leader. To me, he was just Daddy. By any assessment, he exceeded expectations of a Black kid born in 1947 in Mobile, Alabama, in a neighborhood called The Bottle. He went on to excel academically, went to Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, and was one of a handful of students who were selected to integrate the University of Alabama Law School, and he did that. Mr. Speaker, 3 years later, he walked out as the first African American to graduate from the University of Alabama Law School. He didn't stop there. He got elected to the State senate. Because of the Voting Rights Act, he was one of the first three African Americans to walk into that chamber since Reconstruction. He used that position, as well as being a lawyer, to continue to advocate for rights and to continue to advocate for equality and fairness in communities. You can imagine that Alabama, at that time, had not experienced them. He didn't stop there. In 1981, the Ku Klux Klan lynched a young man in Mobile, Alabama, named Michael Donald. My father ultimately brought the lawsuit that resulted in the bankruptcy of the Ku Klux Klan. I remember that when my father passed away, the condolences started pouring in. President Clinton called the house, and then-Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman called the house, and then Jesse Jackson. Then, there was one who surprised me: George Wallace--that George Wallace, who, just a few years before my father had integrated University of Alabama Law School, had stood in the schoolhouse doors, famously, to block enrollment of African Americans coming into the school. Later on, their lives would cross paths. As Governor Wallace was winding down his terms as Governor, my father was in the State senate. As a kid, though I did not fully comprehend or understand the magnitude of my father's impact or who he was or what he was and what he meant to so many people, I knew one thing: that the respect that I saw shown to him as a kid, whether it was at a park ballfield, in the aisles at Home Depot, or at a gas station, I knew I wanted to be like that when I grew up. This is in an era where Gatorade commercials were plastered around at the time telling kids that ``I want to be like Mike,'' but the Mike I wanted to be like was not a basketball player. He wore a suit to work, and he was my father. Those footsteps that he left, I would later walk in them. I followed those same footsteps to the University of Alabama, where I got my law degree. I followed those same footsteps to the career that I had at the Department of Justice in seeking to make government work for everybody. I followed those footsteps here to Congress because my father, though he never served in Congress, was a State senator. He was the first Black president of the Alabama State Senate. He was the named plaintiff, believe it or not, in the Voting Rights Act case that created the first opportunity district for an African American to represent Alabama since Reconstruction, a seat that is now occupied by Congresswoman Terri Sewell. He literally paved the pathway for me to be here some 30 years after his death. Mr. Speaker, I can stand here today with just a simple message to my father, and that is: I am here because of him. That 10-year-old boy, or barely 11-year-old boy back in September of 1996, became a man, and not just any man. He became a Congressman who can stand on this floor in this House and deliver this speech because of what he and because of what my mother did for me. As I sit here today, it is only my dream and my hope that one day, my children, the children who I have of my own--I have four now of my own just like my father--that one day they can also look to me with the same admiration, with the same twinkle in their eyes that I did with my father and say, ``I want to be like my daddy,'' and that based on the work that we have done in our lives, that that pathway is made easier and possible for them.

Mr. FIGURES

Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Act of 2026, which would authorize Tuskegee Airmen, Incorporated to establish a memorial on federal land in the District of Columbia to commemorate the service, sacrifice, and enduring legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. The Tuskegee Airmen are widely recognized for their exceptional combat record, including their escort missions protecting American bombers over the skies of Europe, which was vital to the Allied victory in World War II. During combat, they flew more than 15,000 sorties, escorting bombers and engaging enemy fighters. Their courage, skill, and unwavering determination helped pave the way for the desegregation of the U.S. military. Their achievements effectively broke down racial barriers, expanded opportunities for future generations of Black military personnel, and had a profound effect on the U.S. Armed Forces. These men defended rights and freedoms abroad that they did not have back at home. They were trained as pilots on Moton Field and on Tuskegee Army Airfield in Tuskegee, Alabama, going on to form units such as the 99th Fighter Squadron and the 332nd Fighter Group. The Tuskegee Airmen, alongside thousands of Black mechanics, navigators, bombardiers, instructors, and support personnel, were essential to American victory in World War II. The memorial will serve as an educational resource, designed to teach future generations about one of the greatest, most well-known, most well-decorated fighting forces in this Nation's history, and to highlight the important roles that Black military pilots and support personnel played during World War II. The Tuskegee Airmen have received numerous accolades for their service, including the Congressional Gold Medal, 14 Bronze Stars, one Silver Star, 3 Distinguished Unit Citations, 96 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 744 Air Medals, and at least 60 Purple Hearts. Their legacy has continued through Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., a national nonprofit organization founded in 1972 and incorporated in Washington, D.C., in 1975. The organization was established to preserve the history and achievements of the original Tuskegee Airmen and engage with youth to inspire future careers in aviation, aerospace, and STEM. It is fitting that Congress enact legislation that would authorize a memorial of the Tuskegee Airmen in our Nation's capital, allowing millions of visitors who travel to Washington, D.C. each year to learn about and honor the extraordinary service and enduring legacy of the Airmen. I invite all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.

Mr. FIGURES

Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Tariff Impacted Farmer Support Act of 2026, which would establish a temporary Farmer Support and Revenue Loss Assistance Program to provide targeted relief for producers of cotton, peanuts, soybeans, corn, and poultry. The Trump Administration's tariffs and foreign policies have uniquely impacted these farmers, who are experiencing significant revenue losses due to increased fuel and fertilizer costs and a reduced ability to export their products to foreign markets. This bill seeks to support small and mid-sized family farming operations and ensure that America's producers can continue feeding, fueling, and clothing our Nation. Farmers across Alabama and the Nation continue to face rising production costs, market volatility, and economic uncertainty that have placed extraordinary pressure on family farming operations. These challenges have been compounded by rising fuel and fertilizer costs due to the Iran War and retaliatory tariffs resulting from the Trump Administration's trade policies, which have reduced export opportunities and created current and future uncertainty in agricultural markets. For farmers operating on thin margins, a single year of substantial losses can threaten the long-term viability of their operations. Agriculture remains a cornerstone of Alabama's and the American economy, supporting rural communities and generating billions of dollars in economic activity each year. Despite their importance, this Administration has not adequately addressed the harm its policies and decisions have had on farmers. While the Trump Administration extended approximately $20 billion in financial support to the Government of Argentina, American agricultural producers are facing measurable financial strain and need support. The Tariff Impacted Farmer Support Act of 2026 would authorize up to $15 billion through the Commodity Credit Corporation to provide direct assistance to qualifying agricultural producers of soybeans, cotton, corn, peanuts, and poultry with no repayment obligation. Eligibility would be limited to agricultural producers with gross annual farm revenues of $500,000 or less, consistent with applicable definitions under the Food Security Act. Assistance would be based on documented revenue losses between the 2024 and 2026 crop years, utilizing receipts, contracts, and other producer records to verify eligibility. I encourage my colleagues to support and cosponsor the Tariff Impacted Farmer Support Act of 2026.

Mr. FIGURES

Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to pay honor and tribute to one of the best that my hometown has ever had to offer: Mikhail Torrance. An incredible young man, who tragically and suddenly passed away last week at the age of just 37 years old. He was a young man whose passing has unleashed a tidal wave of shock and disbelief and raw grief and emotion back home. I am from Mobile, Alabama. It is the same hometown as Mikhail. It is a place that has produced arguably the best historical collection of athletic talent of almost any city in this country. We have had a number one pick in an NBA draft, an NFL draft, dozens of professional ballplayers, dozens of NCAA champions, NBA, Super Bowl, World Series champions, and six pro sports Hall of Famers, and that number will grow. In fact, just last night, we further added to that legacy with the first round draft pick in the NBA of Labaron Philon, Jr. Saying someone is among the best to come from my hometown in any sport is not something that can be said lightly at all, but it is something that can honestly be said about Mikhail. I am a few years older than Mikhail, so I was already in college at the University of Alabama when he was coming up through Mary G. Montgomery High School, but I remember when I found out that the University of Florida was recruiting him. It really surprised me because I had not heard of him much before that point. This is at a time when Florida was in the midst of winning back-to-back national championships, and so I called his high school coach, John Davis, who happened to be one of my high school coaches at LeFlore, and I asked him was this kid really that good. Without hesitation, and with the grin that a coach has when he knows he has a workhorse on his team, he said: Yeah, he is. But he also said: But he is a really good kid. Mikhail ended up coming out as a top recruit in the State of Alabama, ended up going to the University of Alabama where he did everything that was asked of him. He did it the right way. Every single year, he got better. He waited his turn, and by the time he came out, he was an all-conference player, excelled in the predraft process, and by all accounts was headed to the NBA. But he had a heart condition that was discovered and it cost him his shot at playing in the league. Imagine that, being 21 years old and on the pathway to fulfilling a childhood dream and having done everything the right way. This kid didn't have so much as a rumor of a blemish on his character or his reputation, and then that dream was suddenly taken away because of a medical condition. It was tough for him, but he pivoted. He was able to ultimately play proball overseas for a few years before returning home to Alabama to his wife, Jessica, and their two girls, Maci and McKenna, ages 11 and 7. He worked at the Army Corps of Engineers and in real estate, but he still stayed close to the game that he loved so much through coaching and training kids and hosting camps and refereeing local basketball games, even doing play-by-play announcing of televised college games and also doing motivational speaking, giving his testimony, sharing his pain, his struggle, his journey to inspire younger guys to continue to persevere and be better, even better than he was. As we know, life isn't always fair, and horrible things happen. Now, we sit here in this seemingly unreal moment, and his wife and kids suddenly find themselves in a club that no one wants to be a part of. Unfortunately, I, too, am a member of that club. Coincidentally, just like his daughters, I was 11 when my father suddenly passed, and my younger brother was 7. Having been in those shoes, I can tell you that as much as it sucks being in that club, you ironically end up in another club that a lot of people actually aspire to be in, and that is the club of having a father or a husband whose life will be remembered and talked about for years to come because he lived with such a passion and dedication and was truly loved and respected by many, many people. One day, as kids in that club do, his girls will research their dad. They will look him up. They will see the articles about his games and his stats and the clips of his highlights and read about his accomplishments. They will see the articles about his career being cut short. They will see the articles and the news stories covering his untimely death. However, buried in that research, it is my hope that they will find mention of his name in the Congressional Record, perhaps even see this speech, and know that their father lived a life that was worthy of tribute and honor on the House floor of the United States Capitol in the same room where Presidents speak, where heads of State speak, where we recently just hosted the King of England, because he deserved that. To Mikhail's parents, you raised a hell of a young man. To Jessica and the girls, our hearts go out to you and know that thousands of people are here to support you all. To Mikhail, on behalf of a grateful city and from a fan, I thank him for the example that he set for the city of Mobile, for representing us well, and being amongst the best that Mobile has ever had to offer this world. You made us proud, boy. You really made us proud.

Mr. FIGURES

Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduced the Affordable Youth Enrichment Opportunities Act to provide a federal tax deduction for parents who work hard to provide enrichment opportunities for their children, only to find those opportunities increasingly expensive and out of reach. Whether it is academic tutoring, youth sports, or training in the arts, such as music, theater, or dance, families are facing growing costs to help their children gain the valuable lessons and benefits of extracurricular activities. Sports teach teamwork, discipline, and leadership. Academic and artistic programs foster creativity, critical thinking, communication skills, and intellectual curiosity. Together, these experiences help children build confidence, develop important life skills, and prepare for future success. Yet access to these opportunities is often determined by a family's financial circumstances rather than a child's needs, passions, abilities, or potential. While federal tax law provides slight tax relief for certain childcare and school expenses, families receive no comparable federal tax deduction for the costs of youth sports, arts, or academic enrichment activities. My bill will change that. The Affordable Youth Enrichment Opportunities Act allows eligible taxpayers who itemize their deductions and pay out of pocket expenses for qualified academic, athletic, and enrichment activities for their children to claim a tax deduction not to exceed $5,000 per taxable year. Eligible taxpayers may claim the deduction provided that their modified adjusted gross income for the taxable year does not exceed the applicable threshold amount, which ranges from $100,000 to $200,000, depending on filing status. Every child deserves the opportunity to pursue activities that help them reach their full potential. By helping families afford extracurricular enrichment activities, we can ensure that more children have access to activities that shape character, build skills, and prepare them for future success. I encourage my colleagues to support and cosponsor the Affordable Youth Enrichment Opportunities Act.

Mr. FIGURES

Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Defending American Property Abroad Act because it is the right thing to do. We have talked here today about this being a U.S.-based company. It is a little bit more personal than that to me, my colleague Congresswoman Sewell, and a few of my other colleagues from the State of Alabama. This is an Alabama-based company, and it is the right thing to do because, Mr. Speaker, when you have a company that is operating on land lawfully acquired nearly four decades ago that is performing lawful operations, paying taxes lawfully, and exporting the goods lawfully-- many of which come through my hometown, the Port of Mobile, which is now the deepest port in the Gulf, which they are doing lawfully--then they should be treated lawfully. What we have here is not really complicated. It is not complex in terms of what the Mexican Government did here. They came in and just took it and said: We are not abiding by a process. We are not abiding by any contractual terms or any other terms. We are just taking it, and by the way, we are not going to pay you for it. When a foreign entity uses the full force of its military and government to take away property rights from an Alabama-based company, I am going to stand up for them. We also have an obligation to make sure we are using the full force of our government in response to it. That is what this legislation does. I urge my colleagues to support it for that reason. Not only that, we are here because it is an Alabama company today, but tomorrow it could be a Mississippi company or a Washington company or Oregon, Indiana, Illinois, or any other State. We cannot sit by quietly and not respond, and not respond proportionately, to what the Mexican Government has done. I don't have anything against the Mexican Government personally, and I don't have anything, certainly, against the Mexican people. What I do have a problem with is that when we see a government, even our own government, mistreating businesses and people, we have an obligation to speak out and to stand up for that. For that reason, I stand in support of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. FIGURES

Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I too rise in support of H.R. 7342, the Made in America Jobs Act, as amended, legislation introduced by myself and my friend from Colorado Representative Jeff Hurd. In 2024, Congress reauthorized the U.S. Economic Development Administration for the first time in over 20 years. This reauthorization made significant revisions to EDA, providing the agency with the tools and resources it needs to support local economic growth and success in the worldwide economy. One change this legislation made was to allow EDA to consider new criteria when awarding grants that promote long-term investment and growth. The Made in America Jobs Act builds on this progress by further expanding grant eligibility to projects that facilitate the relocation of employment sources from outside the country to inside the United States and the growth of the domestic manufacturing and customer service sectors. By directing EDA to consider projects that aid these efforts when awarding grants for public works, planning, training, and other activities, Congress can continue to support established and emerging industries while creating new economic opportunities for both rural and urban communities alike. Mr. Speaker, I support this bill as amended and urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, this is a commonsense piece of legislation that incentivizes companies and corporations to bring jobs back to America. We have seen over the better part of the last century the outsourcing of American jobs to offshore. This gives us an opportunity to make real, tangible improvements in terms of those efforts to recruit those companies back here to the United States and not just to the big cities in the United States. This is an effort that will allow us to be able to put in place the resources and the incentives to bring those jobs to places like Macon County, Pike County, Monroe County, and Bullitt County, places that most of America has never heard of and places that most of America has very similar communities in their backyards. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 7342, the Made in America Jobs Act, as amended, and urge my colleagues to do the same. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FIGURES

Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6618, the Wildfire Aerial Response Safety Act, as amended, bipartisan legislation introduced by my good friend from Oregon and fellow freshman, Representative Bynum, Representative Neguse from Colorado, and Representatives Crane and Ciscomani from Arizona. The devastating impacts of wildfires are seen far too often across this country, destroying local communities and the livelihoods of many of our constituents. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, there were at least 34 drone incursions into active wildfire suppression areas last year. Of those 34, 29 incursions forced aerial firefighting efforts to be grounded and significantly delayed critical response efforts. Most notably, as my colleague Representative Taylor just mentioned, a drone actually struck a Canadian Super Scooper plane during last year's catastrophic wildfires in southern California. Whether these drone disruptions are intentionally malicious or the result of uninformed operators, they are a costly nuisance to Federal wildfire suppression efforts and needlessly risk the lives of first responders and law enforcement, both those in the air and those on the ground. These brave women and men put their lives on the line to fight dangerous fires and should not have to deal with drone incursions while doing their jobs. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 6618 requires the FAA to evaluate the number and impact of drone incursions over the previous 5 years, including any cost to the Federal Government, the effectiveness of educational public outreach, and deploying approved counter-UAS systems to detect and mitigate against drone interference. This study and the recommendations will be key in establishing necessary safeguards against drone incursions during wildfire suppression activities. With the growing number and severity of wildfires across the country, we cannot afford to let these dangerous drone incursions go unabated, lest we run the risk of distracting or endangering our firefighters and first responders. These brave individuals put their lives on the line for us, and today, they need our assistance. This is the first step to delivering it. Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation. I urge my colleagues to do the same, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bynum).

Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, we must do everything that we can to help our firefighters and first responders battling wildfires. We know drone use is becoming more prolific. With that, we are seeing increased risks to the efforts to battle these fires. Sometimes it is out of curiosity. Sometimes it is out of carelessness or recklessness. Sometimes it is just pure stupidity. At the end of the day, we have an obligation in this House to do everything that we can to protect our firefighters and make sure that they are equipped with the resources and the laws that they need to be able to do their jobs effectively. That is why I support H.R. 6618, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FIGURES

Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6267, the Aviation Supply Chain Safety and Security Digitization Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by my friends Representative Knott of North Carolina and Representative Scholten of Michigan. U.S. innovation, economic growth, and global leadership are impossible without our Nation's aerospace industry. This is an industry that is particularly relevant to me representing Mobile, my hometown, where we are the proud home to an Airbus facility. Unfortunately, the last few years have taught us, through a pandemic, tariffs, and quality control issues, just how much supply chain disruptions can spiral and compound. It is essential that Congress take this lesson and pass legislation to reduce the risk of these compounding disruptions from happening in the future. H.R. 6267 directs the GAO to study the impediments to the use of digital documentation and verification in the aviation supply chain to aid in identifying falsified documentation and counterfeit parts. As a major driver of the U.S. economy, we must ensure that aerospace supply chains remain resilient. To achieve that, we must also remove any unnecessary or antiquated barriers where we can. This bill will help Congress find ways to expedite the aerospace supply chains digital transition. I support this legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, we must learn from past lessons, as Representative Knott just explained the incident that happened in 2023. We have the tools at our disposal to be able to deal with this, to be able to better secure our supply chain in the aerospace industry, and we have an obligation to do so. That is why I support H.R. 6267, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FIGURES

Mr. FIGURES. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 5663, the ACPAC Modernization Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by my friend from Nevada Representative Titus. Congress has delivered several key victories to the flying public to help them have a better flying experience. This included requirements for passengers to receive automatic refunds; requiring airlines to develop policies to reimburse passengers for travel, meals, and hotel accommodations when experiencing a flight disruption; and requiring airlines to allow young children to sit next to their parents. The Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee, or ACPAC, established by Congress during the 2012 FAA reauthorization, has helped implement these reforms, as it advises the Transportation Secretary on aviation consumer protection issues. However, the advisory committee is currently missing a critical voice, the voice of ticket agents. In 2024, ticket agents sold over 781,000 airline tickets a day, totaling nearly $100 billion in annual sales. Their expertise in the aviation consumer experience and industry is vital to the ACPAC's work. However, even as a substantial portion of the flying public relies on their services, ticket agents are currently not represented on the committee. This means they will be implementing many of the rules that fall directly on them, since they are the point of sale, but have no input on how these rules will be implemented. Their voices simply are not currently heard. This could potentially leave consumers who purchase tickets from online ticket agents worse off. That is why I support H.R. 5663, as amended. This commonsense bill would rectify this oversight by adding a representative of ticket agents to the ACPAC, allowing them to advise on the very rules they will be responsible for implementing. This would put ticket agents at the same level on the commission as air carriers, travel management companies, nonprofits with expertise in disability and accessibility issues, and other important industry advisers to the DOT. This bill builds upon section 508 of the 2024 FAA reauthorization, which extended the authorization of ACPAC through September 30, 2028. Madam Speaker, I support this bill now to fulfill the potential of ACPAC and urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FIGURES. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus).

Mr. FIGURES. Madam Speaker, Congress has delivered victories for the flying public before, and it is time we do so again by modernizing the ACPAC. Ticket agents are in many cases the face and the voice of airlines. They have to deal with so much as it relates to implementing the rules, to delivering bad news, to hearing the attitudes, to hearing the feedback of customers. That is why I support H.R. 5663, as amended, to give them the voice that they deserve in this process, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FIGURES

Mr. FIGURES. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6427, the Airport Regulatory Relief Act, as amended, introduced by my colleague from Alaska, Representative Begich. Current law provides small, general aviation nonprimary airports flexibility in how they construct runways by granting them the choice of using either Federal aviation paving standards or State highway paving standards. These options come with stipulations that the runways only service small planes, A, and, B, the DOT determines that it would not decrease aviation safety. Unfortunately, local and rural airports are having trouble with the time it takes the DOT to make these determinations. H.R. 6427 would allow small airports to be more agile in their project planning by changing the requirement for States to formally request permission from the Department of Transportation in order to use State highway specifications. By allowing States to simply notify the Department of Transportation of their intention to use the State highway specifications rather than formally request permission, critical airfield pavement construction projects will no longer be subject to lengthy and bureaucratic delays. For oversight, the bill maintains the requirement that the Department of Transportation make a determination on whether the use of such State highway standards would negatively affect aviation safety. If more time is needed to conduct the safety review, the DOT may take successive 6-month extensions, so long as the DOT also notifies the airport and provides such airport with justification. This deadline and extension process will help increase transparency for airport applicants, who will now be more regularly updated, and ensure accountability by requiring justification to come from the Department of Transportation. Madam Speaker, I support this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FIGURES. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, our local and rural airports are the backbone of general aviation in the United States, and they need Congress' help to remain cost competitive. This is a commonsense piece of legislation that removes the Federal Government. This is not a situation where the Federal Government knows what is best. Many States have been doing this much longer than the Federal Government. My State of Alabama is not often thought of as one in the lens of aviation history, but the Wright brothers, whom we have spoken about today at length, were from Ohio and flew in North Carolina. When it came time to open their first civilian flight school, a little-known fact is that they opened it in Montgomery County, Alabama, which I now have the privilege of representing. They did that in 1910. The FAA wasn't founded until 1958, so the State of Alabama has been dealing with how to land aircraft on small airfields for nearly 50 years before the Federal Government was. They know how to get the job done, and this bill allows them to do just that. Madam Speaker, that is why I support H.R. 6427, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FIGURES

Mr. FIGURES. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6460, bipartisan legislation introduced by the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Mann) and the gentlewoman from Kansas (Ms. Davids). The FAA reports there are more than 370,000 registered recreational drones in the U.S. However, the FAA's new interpretation of language in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 and 2024 has now restricted these authorized recreational drone users to only class E2 airspace, airspace designated for airports. This restriction was not the intent of Congress and leaves many lawful drone users unable to frequent the spaces that they are used to flying in and doing so safely. Without change, there will likely be significant confusion amongst recreational hobbyists who are simply trying to do what they have always been allowed to do. The bipartisan H.R. 6460 makes a technical correction to the current statute, authorizing the FAA, through its existing approval process, to permit eligible recreational drone flights in certain class E controlled airspace. To clarify, this bill would not automatically allow for recreational drone flights near airports or higher altitude operations in uncontrolled airspace. Recreational drone operators would still be required to comply with the FAA's safety requirements and to go through the agency's approval process. This bill will help reduce some confusion for recreational drone operators to ensure safety and clarifies the FAA's authorization process for these drone flights. I support this legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FIGURES. Madam Speaker, recreational drone use is a rapidly growing pastime here in America, and we must put in place sufficient guardrails for safety. That is why I support H.R. 6460 and urge my colleagues to do the same. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FIGURES

Mr. FIGURES. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2247, the Airmen Certificate Accessibility Act, as amended. Current law requires airmen to carry physical versions of their pilot license in case a representative of the FAA ever needs to verify the airman's status. This is despite other important paper documents pilots are required to carry, such as their flight bags or flight books, now being allowed to be carried in a digitized form. The option for airmen to now carry their certificate in a readily accessible digital format is a priority for the aviation community. We have heard them on this issue. H.R. 2247, as amended, combines the necessary safeguards to provide the option for a digital airmen certificate that is issued by the FAA so long as that certificate can be authenticated and verified by an inspector. This digital certificate may be uploaded to a device on the airman's person or, if in the presence of a stable internet connection, be stored and accessed through the cloud. This bill would direct the FAA into rulemaking to ensure these digital certificates are just as secure as their physical originals and establish guidelines for their authentication and verification. By allowing airmen to use a digital certificate in this way, we will continue our efforts to safely and securely modernize the FAA. Madam Speaker, I support this legislation. I thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett) for his leadership here, and I urge my colleagues to support this, as well. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FIGURES. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I agree with my colleague from Tennessee. This should not take an act of Congress to do, but nevertheless, we are here and we have to do it. I appreciate his work on this issue in making sure that we can balance a long-asked-for convenience to our pilots with the necessary safeguards. That is why I support H.R. 2247, as amended, and urge my colleagues to do the same. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FIGURES

Mr. FIGURES. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3410, the Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act, as amended, bipartisan legislation introduced by Representative Nehls and Representative Davids. One of the priorities of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which I have the privilege of sitting on with my colleague from Ohio, Representative Taylor, is to look for new ways to help our constituents have a better flying experience. Supersonic flight is poised to be another paradigm shift in the aviation industry, especially if it can be done in ways that maintain safety and limit noise and sonic booms. However, currently supersonic aircraft are prohibited from operating in the U.S. without a special authorization from the FAA. H.R. 3410, as amended, is the first step to eventually allowing Americans to safely travel across the country at almost half the time it takes now, providing more time for being productive or spending the time with family and not on a plane. The bill would require the FAA to revise current regulations to ensure supersonic aircraft could fly in the U.S. as long as these operations do not create a supersonic boom that reaches the ground. It would also help ensure these aircraft would not create noise levels any higher than traditional aircraft that are currently in operation. This bipartisan bill also calls for future updates to the standard by the FAA to ensure supersonic aircraft become even quieter in the future. Furthermore, the bill ensures that these noise standards are periodically reviewed and further updated to reflect the latest advances in aircraft technology. While Congress and the FAA should continue working to make supersonic flight more sustainable, I am greatly encouraged that the industry stakeholders are designing their supersonic aircraft to fly completely on sustainable aviation fuel. The potential benefits to consumers are promising: less time on the aircraft and more time building that new business or spending time with friends and family. Madam Speaker, I thank the Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Nehls and Representative Davids from Kansas for their leadership on this legislation. I support this legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same. Madam Speaker, in closing we should have been here a long time ago in terms of being able to build on the supersonic technology that has been out for years. It has been over two decades now since a supersonic aircraft has been used in a commercial context, and we have the technological advances to be able to do so and do so safely and efficiently. This legislation is common sense. It pushes back or guards against the things that had the most worries in previous iterations of this type of technology, particularly sonic booms reaching the ground and noise levels. The flying public deserves a better flying experience, and this bill is a step in the right direction of being able to provide that. That is why I support it, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FIGURES

Mr. FIGURES. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6422, the American Water Stewardship Act, as amended, a bipartisan bill that combines several standalone bills that all have broad support. I am proud to have sponsored the ESTUARIES Act, which reauthorizes the National Estuary Program and is included in section 6 of this bill. The National Estuary Program is an important resource supporting locally led efforts to restore and protect the environmental health of estuaries of national significance, one of which is in my district and my hometown, the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program. H.R. 6422, as amended, reauthorizes several other EPA programs that have strong bipartisan support due to their proven success. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative covers a wide geographic area and works to protect and restore the country's largest source of freshwater. Other programs include the Columbia River Basin Restoration Program, as well as the BEACH Act, which Representative Pallone has championed for years. I, again, recognize my Democratic committee colleagues, Representatives McDonald Rivet, Scholten, Sykes, Gillen, Hoyle, Brownley, Pappas, Huffman, Moulton, Pou, and Norton--there are a lot of us--for their leadership on this comprehensive package, and my Republican colleagues, as well. Reauthorizing each of these EPA programs will allow them the Federal support that they need to continue the comprehensive, complex work that they do locally to restore and protect local aquatic ecosystems. The health of our water resources supports the health of our communities by providing flood protection, storing clean water, and supporting our water-based economies. Madam Speaker, I support the American Water Stewardship Act, as amended, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FIGURES. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. To date, the National Estuary Program covers 28 unique coastal habitats nationwide, and with passage of this, it would add another one. The Columbia River Basin is one of our largest watersheds. The Great Lakes are the largest system of fresh surface water in the world. The Long Island Sound provides benefits to millions of residents in New York and Connecticut, and it is habitat to more than 1,200 invertebrates, 170 species of fish, and dozens of species of migratory birds. These water bodies are worth protecting, and there are major economic, recreational, and human health benefits to restoring them all. Further, as the weather warms up, I know we are all looking forward to visiting our favorite beaches and coastal areas, which means that we need to know that our coastal waters are safe from contaminants. This bill pulls together reauthorizations of five critical programs, all of which are broadly supported by Members on both sides of the aisle. The bill provides these programs with 5 additional years of flat funding and also ensures the GAO evaluates the continued success of each of EPA's geographic programs. The American Water Stewardship Act is just that: thoughtful stewardship of our most critical water resources. Madam Speaker, I support this bill, as amended, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I yield back the balance of my time.