Erin Houchin

Mrs. HOUCHIN

Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to make a few comments. Mr. Speaker, we have heard about things embedded in this legislation. I want to reiterate this is a bill that says that parents have the right to know what their children are being taught, parents have the right to be heard, parents have the right to see the school budget and spending, parents have the right to protect their child's privacy, and parents have a right to keep their children safe. We have also heard our colleagues talk about how well school boards work, and for large swaths of the country, I am sure that is true. Just because things work well in some places does not mean they work well in all places. Tell that to Mr. Scott Smith who was arrested at a school board meeting in Loudoun County, Virginia, when he questioned whether the school might be trying to cover up his daughter's sexual assault by a gender fluid student. We have heard that this bill pits parents against teachers and against each other. We have heard a lot of those types of comments. The very fact that they characterize this bill as pitting someone against another when I have just stated the facts of what is in the bill should be a red flag. I sat through a 16-hour markup until the early hours of 2:30 or 3 a.m. in this morning. We did hear dozens of amendments, but what I heard were dozens of chances to empower bureaucrats over empowering parents. Republicans are proud to stand up for parents on behalf of students. This is not politics over parents. It is parents over politicians and bureaucrats. We want what parents all across America want: schools to teach reading, writing, arithmetic, and science with the utmost transparency. Parents want to be involved and informed without having to file 200 freedom of information requests only to be sued by the NEA and the school board, such as Nicole Solis. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time to close.

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

Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Speaker, we made a commitment to America, and delivering for parents is an important part of that promise. We must empower parents to be in the driver's seat with respect to their children's education. This isn't about banning books or politicizing education. How parents having a right to be informed about and involved in decisions regarding their own children's academic experience is being misconstrued by some is lost on me. Mr. Speaker, we did have a robust committee markup on this bill that I was part of. We were in committee markup, hearing and debating amendments on this bill, from 10:00 in the morning until 2:30 in the morning. In those many amendments, what I heard over and over again was: there is nothing to see here and that this bill is not necessary and that most schools in America are doing just fine. Well, most schools, Mr. Speaker, are not all schools. Our parents have a fundamental right to know what is happening in the classroom without having to file a public records request to find it. If things are going so well that our colleagues across the aisle believe that this bill is not needed, then they should stand and join Republicans in support of parents across America. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying bill.

Ms. HOUCHIN

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

Mrs. HOUCHIN

Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to recognize the Corydon Central Panthers Girls' basketball team and congratulate them on a great 2022-2023 season. Making the Indiana High School Athletic Association's State Championship game is no easy task. Every member of the Panthers team should be proud of the season they put together. The team had a tremendous performance throughout their season and into the playoffs, especially senior Ava Weber who is the program's all-time leading scorer. Corydon Centrals' program is well positioned to continue to compete for future championships. I congratulate them. They have made their hometown proud.

Mrs. HOUCHIN

Mrs. HOUCHIN. Madam Speaker, this Saturday was a big day for basketball in Indiana. Let's be honest: Every day is a big day for basketball in Indiana. Nonetheless, this weekend, the girls' basketball teams throughout the State went head-to-head to compete for the Indiana High School Athletic Association State championship. I am proud to share that not just one but two southern Indiana high schools brought home State titles for the Ninth District. First to play was the Lanesville Eagles girls' basketball team. They walked away from the game with the school's first-ever IHSAA Class 1A State championship title. The Eagles continued their firsts as senior Linzie Wernert was named the first athlete in Lanesville history to win the 2023 Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award. Next up on the basketball court was the Bedford North Lawrence Lady Stars basketball team. They won the game with the IHSAA class 4A State championship title for the fifth time. Again, only adding to their success, senior Karsyn Norman was named the 2023 recipient of the Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award. Both teams left their hearts on the basketball court and represented their hometowns well. I join all Hoosiers across the district in saying congratulations. Their dedication to the sport helps make Indiana the best basketball State in the country.

Mrs. HOUCHIN

Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Financial Exploitation Prevention Act, a bill that I am proud to be a cosponsor of. Every day, seniors and other vulnerable adults become targets of financial fraud. While not all the cases are known or discovered, about one in five senior investors in the United States are victims of financial scams. In 2021 alone, there were over 1,500 reported cases of financial fraud against Hoosier seniors. This is unacceptable. As a member of the House Financial Services Committee, this is exactly the type of legislation my constituents sent me here to support. That is why, today, I will be voting ``yes'' on this important bill to keep our seniors' pocketbooks safe. Mr. Speaker, I hope all of my colleagues will join me in doing the same.

Mrs. HOUCHIN

Mrs. HOUCHIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Born- Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. From New Albany to Salem to Madison, Hoosiers across southern Indiana feel as I do, that every life is precious and all lives deserve the dignity and respect of lifesaving care. That is why I am proud to stand alongside my colleagues in support of this pro-life bill. This legislation would ensure that children who are born alive despite an attempted abortion are given the same medical care and help as any other newborn infant. We know the majority of Americans agree on this issue, that saving the lives of babies who survive a botched abortion is not just humane, but it is necessary and foundational to our constitutional right to life. It is why I am an original cosponsor on this important bill to support mothers and their children. I stand with Hoosiers on behalf of these vulnerable infants. Unfortunately, Madam Speaker, Democrats support the radical position of abortion on demand up until birth, funded by the taxpayers, and they would even deny care to an innocent child that miraculously survives a botched abortion. This is a commonsense support of life. Madam Speaker, I urge the rest of my colleagues to stand with us in defending life. On this issue, we should all agree.