Jennifer Kiggans

Mrs. KIGGANS

Mrs. KIGGANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and memory of E. Phillip Hickman of Virginia's Eastern Shore. Born in July of 1952, Phil group up in northern Accomack County, graduating from Atlantic High School. He attended Virginia Tech, studying agricultural economics, and returned to the shore upon graduation. Together with his brother David, they founded Dublin Farms in Horntown, Virginia, and built it into the center of potato growing in the Commonwealth. Phil was extremely active in the Virginia agriculture community, serving as the chairman of the Virginia State Seed Potato Board, National Potato Board, and countless other local organizations. Matching his dedication to his community was his next-level enthusiasm for the Virginia Tech Hokies, owning a maroon pickup, an orange boat, and a van dedicated to tailgating. If it was a Saturday during football season, you could count on Phil to be cheering on Tech. Phil was a devoted family man, raising the next generation of great Virginia farmers at Dublin Farms. He leaves behind a wife, son, daughter-in-law, two grandchildren, and his brother. Phil Hickman embodied the culture and values of the Eastern Shore, leaving behind an unforgettable legacy. The Commonwealth mourns his loss.

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record remarks submitted at the request of a Virginia Beach constituent, Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman of Temple Lev Tikvah, and are a reflection of his views. International Holocaust Remembrance Day Saying ``Yes to Life'' Published for the first time in English, Yes To Life (In Spite of Everything) Boston: Beacon Press. 2020, originally appeared in German in 1946 following public lectures delivered in Vienna, Austria in March and April 1946 by the renowned psychiatrist and author Dr. Viktor E. Frankl (1905-1997), the iconic founder of Logotherapy, the third school of Viennese psychotherapy. His thirty-nine books were translated into fifty languages. His classic Man's Search For Meaning was reconstructed during nine days in 1946 from bits of paper he had ``obtained'' during his internment since the original manuscript sown into his coat was confiscated upon arrival in Auschwitz. An Austrian Jew, Dr. Frankl was deported by the Nazis in 1942 to Terezin, Auschwitz, Dachau, Buchenwald and Turkheim from which he was liberated by the American forces in 1945. His pregnant wife, parents and brother who were deported with him did not survive. Dr. Frankl chose to remain in Vienna after the war--though the majority of survivors left with understandable cause--to head a neurology department in a major hospital and, I believe to prove the limits of Nazism and the power of the individual to contend with great suffering, asserting the human will while serving as a personal exemplar. Already back in 1946, still reeling and recovering from the unfathomable horrors of the Holocaust, Dr. Frankl's insights remain most relevant, pointing at the critical difference a single human being can make whether for good or evil in face of mass ideologies proven empty and utterly destructive. While the inmates in the camp, testifies Dr. Frankl, were told by their tormentors as a means to dehumanize them that they ``were `not worth the soup' '' they were given following a trying day, never mind that the poor-quality soup was the only food they ate that day. Nazism sought to reduce humanity to meaninglessness. Juxtapose it with Dr. Frankl's noble assertion ``of life's unconditional meaning'' which is rooted in Judaism's affirmation that human life is a precious divine gift, partaking of God's sacred image; that saving one human life is tantamount to saving an entire world, and destroying one human life is tantamount to destroying an entire world. No wonder saving a life, our own included, is a paramount Mitzvah overriding all but three Commandments. Each of us is unique and irreplaceable, including one's weaknesses. Each human life is of infinite worth and meaning that none can rub us off. Indeed, God's divinity and human dignity are indivisible. Dr. Frankl's personal experience in the camps led to his conviction that having a sense of purpose while in dire circumstances of suffering can make a critical difference for one's very survival. The book's title Yes To Life is intimately intertwined with Judaism's clarion call ``L'Chaim! `` ``To Life!'' as well as the Biblical admonition, ``U'Varachta Bachaim,''``Choose life.'' ``Yes To Life'' was forcibly and ironically sung as a hymn by the camps' inmates, originating in a camp song ordered by one of Buchenwald's commanders. Yes, saying ``yes'' to life in face of imminent death is both courageously encouraging and foolishly disappointing, reminiscent of the Nazi deceiving ``Arbeit Macht Frei,'' ``Work Will Free You,'' upon entering hell's gates. Judaism's endless optimism manifested in Dr. Frankl's approach, captured the Rabbinic teaching not to lose hope even if a sword is placed on your neck. However, the odds do not support it. The same heroic thrust but rarely realistic prevailed in the paradoxical reassuring though not accurate message atop a shtiebel's entrance in the Warsaw Ghetto, ``Jews, do not despair!'' Is not hope against hope all that we have left when the chips are down, providing us with an extra measure of strength to endure? Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman is the founder of Temple Lev Tikvah in Virginia Beach. Kazakhstan's only born rabbi, he is the son of Polish Holocaust Survivors and spent his early childhood in transit and DP Camps in Austria and Germany. He grew up in Haifa, Israel.

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to advocate for our military men and women and their families and the work that needs to be done to improve their quality of life. As a former Navy helicopter pilot, Navy spouse, and now-Navy mom, taking care of our military members is one of my top priorities. We can do better for our military, and there is much work to do. Two weeks ago, I attended the funeral of Navy Commander Doug Morea. A Naval Academy graduate, Doug was an F-18 pilot who led a squadron during a recent 9\1/2\-month deployment on the USS Truman. He died by suicide, and his death was one of seven naval aviator suicides since July of last year. As I stood in the parking lot talking to base leadership after his funeral, I asked: Why? Why do we continue to see so many military suicides and the number rise? The base commanding officer spoke about the pressure even senior officers feel to care for their people, including the most junior sailor. Our country continues to ask our military, and specifically our Navy, to do missions around the world to keep the peace and defend the freedoms we hold dear. In order for our military men and women to complete this mission, we must provide resources they need to do their job. That begins with ensuring they have the quality of life they deserve.

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record remarks submitted at the request of a Virginia Beach constituent, Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman of Temple Lev Tikvah, and are a reflection of his views: I have returned from the torn Land of Israel where I grew up, following a visit throughout July of a shaking, even shocking experience. Israel is undergoing a trauma whose lasting impact is impossible to predict. However, the current internal crisis threatening Israeli democracy, the Middle East's sole one, is due to the most extreme coalition government in Israel's history attempting to alter its Western liberal orientation by disabling the Supreme Court's standing as an independent Judiciary. Consequently, the unprecedented mass demonstrations for months in opposition to the proposed radical agenda which I watched in disbelief and participated in, have reflected a powerfull popular response determined to preserve Israel as both the Jewish and democratic state envisioned by its founders. Already adversely affected are the Israeli economy, military, public health, the woman's status, education, Pride community and society at large, while Israel's enemies, Iran and its proxies, become further emboldened. The special relationship between Israel and the United States is at risk as well as the essential bond between Israel and American Jewry. With heartfelt, even prophetic pathos and deep grasp of the multi-layered Israeli scene since its inception and prior, veteran Israeli author Ari Shavit offers us a concise manifesto for urgent action with the goal of ``Saving Israel,'' his recent book's alarming title (Saving Israel. Rishon LeZion: Miskal- Yedioth Ahronoth Books and Chemed Books. 2023). He begins with a statement of both profound gratitude and grave concern, ``the State of Israel is a miracle. No other nation did what we have: To build anew a national home following two thousand years. No progressive democracy succeeded to flourish as we have, following a Shoah and living under a volcano. Despite all the troubles, problems, weaknesses, difficulties and blemishes--The Zionist dream has been realized. The people of Israel lives and the state of Israel lives. Our sons and daughters have in our ancestral land what our grandfathers and grandmothers did not: Sovereignty, freedom, prosperity, pride and progress. Being a technological, economic, military and political super-power, Israel of the 21st century is a strong country capable of shaping its own fate and march toward a brilliant future. But the deep 2023 crisis threatens the Israeli miracle and erasing our astonishing successes, leaving us homeless.'' Shavit does not mince words. On the one hand, heaps praise upon Israel's successes though Israel is not a global, as the author claims, but a regional superpower. In light of trying beginnings and facing monumental challenges that were likely to doom the fragile creation: Attacks from a collection of superior military establishments while absorbing penniless immigrants from west and east three times larger in size, into a war zone with meager resources. On the other hand, he bemoans the Jewish people's destructive tendencies that brought down Jewish sovereignty and led into long exile and ultimately a consuming Holocaust. ``And the Jewish people has multi-talents though sorrowfully it lacks the talent to be a people. It tends toward extremism, internal strife and self- destruction . . . Israel needs to be both powerful and ethical, both national and liberal, both Jewish and democratic. Only a combination of resoluteness and openness will guarantee that not weakness nor zealousness will bring us again to the pit's cusp.'' The author is convinced that the goal is within reach though the hour is late and the Israelis with all their complexities and tribal tendencies ought not further delay. He thus concludes, ``The good and silent great Israeli majority will not remain still. The democratic Jews will not let a wondrous national and human enterprise to go down. For all of us have a stake in this special place. And we all know that there wouldn't be a Fourth Commonwealth. The Third Commonwealth is the Jewish people's last opportunity. With determination, love and faith we'll defend Israel and rebuild the house.'' Rabbi Israel Zoberman is founder of Temple of Lev Tikvah in Virginia Beach.

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained due to family obligations, I regret missing the 3 votes on December 11, 2023. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 707, YEA on Roll Call No. 708, and YEA on Roll Call No. 709.

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I have had the honor of working on this important legislation for months and am proud of the final bipartisan bill we produced to strengthen our national security. One of the main reasons I came to Congress was to restore America's military strength and improve the quality of life for our servicemen and -women. This bill takes several critical steps to help us achieve that goal. In total, this year's NDAA authorizes $886 billion in national defense discretionary programs with the focus on improving our readiness and recruitment, supporting our servicemembers and their families, strengthening partnerships with our allies, increasing the lethality of our Joint Force, equipping our warfighters to successfully complete their mission, and ensuring vigorous oversight of taxpayer dollars at the Pentagon. I wanted to speak specifically to a few components of the NDAA, why it is a great bill, why I am excited to support it and encourage my colleagues to do the same. First of all, a large component of the NDAA is about supporting our servicemembers and their families. It secures the largest pay raise in 20 years for our servicemembers at 5.2 percent. We continue to see our servicemembers struggling with the economy. They are unable to afford things, not just gas and groceries, but things like buying a new home, buying a new car. We have servicemembers that still qualify for things like SNAP benefits and WIC benefits. We still see food pantries that exist on our bases. Providing that important pay raise, again the largest in over 20 years, was a very important component of taking care of our men and women. This NDAA also authorizes $356 million over the President's budget request to renovate and build new barracks. We had a GAO report come out recently that really highlighted some of our insufficiencies when it comes to housing, especially unaccompanied housing--the mold issues, the pest issues, and the out-of-date infrastructure that is old and dilapidated. We can do better for our servicemen and -women. This bill provides just that. It is a starting point. There is a lot to do, but I am excited to support it for that reason. The NDAA also includes a parents bill of rights at DOD schools. I represent Virginia's Second Congressional District, so it is kind of the birthplace of the parents' rights matter movement. We were able to incorporate why it is important to have parents involved in their children's school into this NDAA piece so that it applies to DOD schools as well. The bill also authorizes DOD to reduce the out-of-pocket childcare expenses for military families and provides $153 million over the President's budget request for the construction of new childcare centers. In my district, I have Naval Air Station Oceana. Our base has over 1,600 people on the waiting list. That is not acceptable, and my base is not alone. If you were to look at other bases, they have the same amount on their waiting lists. We can do better than this. It is an important way to support our servicemembers and their families. This bill also authorizes an additional berthing barge to provide a safe and healthy housing alternative for Navy servicemembers during dry-dock availabilities. We just had an article come out about the USS Stennis in Newport News, which is where the shipyard is. It will be the first to have off-ship housing, free WiFi, and better parking. We have to take care of our servicemen and -women who are in these extended port periods, especially when their ships are being repaired. This bill does just that. This NDAA also provides oversight for taxpayer dollars. It cuts $37 billion in inefficient weapons systems, Defense programs, and Pentagon bureaucracy. It requires mandatory DOD audits, and it also establishes a special inspector general to oversee and monitor security assistance going to Ukraine. I have been a supporter of Ukraine. I think we need to continue to support that fight in Ukraine; however, it cannot be a blank check. There has to be some accountability, and this inspector general will do just that. This NDAA also improves readiness and recruitment, and this is something I have been focused on. We have a recruitment, retention, quality of life task force that has been part of our Armed Services Committee. We have been focusing on that for several months now. This NDAA is a good place to start. It creates a grant program to expand the capacity of our shipyards. We see that we are behind in our shipbuilding capacity. We know that China is outpacing us. China is rapidly approaching 400 ships, while we are hovering at just under 300. It is so important that we invest in that shipbuilding piece and, additionally, supporting our ship repair industry. This bill also increases the number of Junior ROTC programs and instructors at U.S. high schools. That is such an important part of our recruiting for our Armed Forces. I want people to be in our great Navy and Army and Air Force and to join our great military. It is a great way for people to have jobs and education benefits and healthcare. Plus, there is no better place to advertise for our military than starting with our young people. Putting that investment in the JROTC programs is so important, and this NDAA does that. This bill also extends military recruitment and retention bonuses and special pay authorizations. We have got to stay competitive with civilian jobs that are out there. I know there is a lot of competition in workplaces, and this NDAA will help the military to stay competitive. It also rejects the Biden administration's efforts to reduce the size of our Navy by protecting four battle force ships with years of service life remaining. The President had asked to decommission eight ships, and we reduced that number to four. We really can't afford to decommission any ships, in my opinion, but we cut it to four. We have to make sure that we are providing oversight of the money and investment that we are putting in ship repair. We need to watch that our ships are getting repaired and they are getting repaired on schedule because we need every single one of them. This bill also establishes enlisted training pilot programs at community colleges offering more educational opportunities for our enlisted servicemen and -women. It prohibits DOD from contracting with any CCP or Chinese-owned or controlled company operating in the U.S., which is such an important piece of national security. This NDAA also strengthens partnerships with our allies. We need our friends now more than ever. This bill fully funds our Pacific Deterrence Initiative. It provides for the implementation of the AUKUS agreement with Australia, unlocking over $3 billion in Australian investments in the U.S. submarine industrial base. It authorizes over $987 million in INDOPACOM Commander priorities, which were left unfunded in the Biden budget. It strengthens training and advising for the military forces of Taiwan and extends authority for the transfer of weapons systems, as well as precision-guided munitions to Israel. This NDAA also protects our own national security. We do have some border wins that we were able to get and secure in this NDAA. It fully funds the deployment of National Guardsmen in support of Border Patrol activities. It extends the Pacific Deterrence Initiative to enhance U.S. deterrence and defense posture in the Indo-Pacific region. It funds initiative of $14.7 billion, an increase of $5.6 billion over the budget request. It prohibits the DOD from reducing the number of intercontinental ballistic missiles below 400 or reducing the responsiveness or alert status of the arsenal. I am also proud that my colleagues from both sides of the aisle supported my effort to include critical provisions from my Sailor Standard of Care Act in our Nation's most important Defense bill. These provisions will directly benefit servicemembers and their families in Hampton Roads and throughout the country by improving our servicemembers' quality of life by increasing access to mental health care. As a nurse practitioner, focusing on mental health care, especially for our military members and especially for our veterans, has been something that I fight for every single day. We had provisions of the Sailor Standard of Care Act get into the NDAA and into the Conference version, which we will be voting on tomorrow. Some of those provisions are that it examines reimbursement rates for mental health care providers under TRICARE. When I meet with mental health care providers in my district, and throughout the country really, they have that same concern, they want to be reimbursed. There are not enough of them. We want them to be partners in care for our military members and our veterans, so we need to make sure we are providing that reimbursement, and we are providing it in a timely manner. This bill also directs the Navy to look into constructing and managing a dashboard to track quality-of-life programs and their utilization rate. So we are looking at things like healthcare, childcare, spouse employment, housing, and we are making sure we are providing the best services we can, again, for our military. This bill requires a report on the feasibility of expanding TRICARE for life to include a benefit for the SilverSneakers program, mimicking the existing benefit that is included under some of our Medicare Advantage programs. We had constituents that asked for this program. They want to utilize public gyms and recreation facilities, and so we would like the TRICARE program to cover it for our older adults who would love nothing more than to go exercise. This bill also assesses the feasibility of providing additional mental health resources to limited-duty sailors. In Hampton Roads, we saw an increase in the suicide rates for sailors that we took out of the workplace, that we took out of the mission, and we kind of had them in a waiting area. In this bill, we are looking at how long is that taking to medically process people out? Are we providing those mandatory mental health screenings? Are we taking care of them? Who is providing that care? This bill is going to look at expanding that care so that chaplains can do it and corpsmen can do it. There is a shortage of mental health care providers. So really looking holistically at how we are providing the mental health services to our servicemen and -women and providing them with the best mental health services that we can. The harsh reality is that the world is a dangerous place. The United States and its allies are facing unprecedented and rapidly evolving threats across the globe. China is outpacing us in warship production. China has 350 ships and is quickly moving to 400 ships compared with our 293. Iranian proxies have attacked American bases and troops stationed overseas over 46 times since October 17. Israel is countering the most horrific attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. North Korea launched its first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit last month with the help of Russia. Russian aggression continues in Ukraine, with Putin threatening to go after NATO member countries next. Now more than ever, we must prioritize and project American strength across the globe. This legislation goes a long way in achieving that goal. The goal of this legislation is deterrence, it is all about peace through strength. America leads the world in peacekeeping forces, and it is so important. I can think of no other country that I would want to have this role than our great Nation, the United States. In closing, Madam Speaker, the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act ensures our military can remain the best in the world. It refocuses our Nation's efforts on advancing military readiness and quality of life to make sure our men and women in uniform are ready to fight tonight. As a former Navy helicopter pilot, as a third-generation veteran, military spouse, and mother to children who serve, I will always be the loudest voice for our military men and women in Congress. I urge all of my colleagues to support this critical legislation. Passing this year's NDAA by a wide bipartisan margin would send an important signal to the men and women defending our freedom that those of us in Congress will rise above our differences to prioritize their needs and our national security above all else.

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my Caregiver Outreach and Program Enhancement Act. Known as the COPE Act, this bill takes an important step toward providing mental health resources to those who care for our Nation's veterans. Specifically, this legislation would authorize the VA to provide grants to organizations that support family caregivers' mental health. Caregivers play a critical role in the lives of older Americans, especially our veterans. As the only geriatric nurse practitioner in Congress, I have seen firsthand the positive impact caregivers have in the lives of the people they care for. When I was practicing in clinic settings, I had countless conversations with the people who cared for my patients. I know that this genuinely rewarding role comes with immense emotional challenges, as well. These dedicated individuals frequently put aside their own needs to care for their loved ones and desperately need to have the resources at their disposal to effectively handle the stress of taking on such a role. By ensuring veteran caregivers can properly take care of their mental health, the COPE Act will improve the lives of our Nation's heroes and solidify the support system they need to age with dignity. The VA offers so many great benefits and programs, unfortunately navigating the wide range of these benefits and programs is so complicated that many are unaware that they might qualify for them or that these services even exist at all. My legislation also seeks to fix this problem by requiring the VA to reach out to eligible veteran caregivers and make them aware of the mental health benefits available to them. I am very proud that another bipartisan bill of mine, the VA Medical Center Security Reporting Act, is included in this version of the COPE Act that is being considered today. From 2018 to 2021, violent crimes at VA medical center campuses more than doubled from 3,141 to 6,505. There is a significant lack of important statistics and information relevant to crime and safety on VA campuses, including the vacancy rate for VA police departments, availability of issued equipment, and recommendations to address and reduce criminal activity at medical centers. By ensuring these statistics are properly reported, my legislation will equip us with the information we need to address the increasing crime at VA medical centers, support our law enforcement officers, and provide veterans with a safe environment to receive the quality healthcare they have earned and deserve. Mr. Speaker, I am the granddaughter of a veteran, the daughter of a veteran, the wife of a veteran, and the mother of future veterans, and I served 10 years myself in the Navy as a helicopter pilot. I am also blessed to represent one of the largest veteran populations in the country in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Improving the lives of our Nation's heroes is and always will be one of my top priorities in Congress, and this bill helps to do just that. In closing, I thank Chairman Bost for moving this legislation through the Veterans' Affairs Committee as well as my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, Representative Chrissy Houlahan and Chris Pappas, who joined me in introducing these important bills. I am confident that with the passage of this legislation, we as a country will move closer to fulfilling our promise to provide for America's veteran population and those who care for them. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the COPE Act.

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 5283, the Protecting our Communities from Failure to Secure the Border Act. For 3 years, Americans have experienced the repercussions of the Biden administration's failed border policies. In fiscal year 2023 alone, over 2.4 million migrants were apprehended illegally crossing our southern border with drug smugglers, human traffickers, terrorists, and other dangerous criminals taking advantage of our porous border. This crisis has affected every facet of our Nation, including our National Park Service. In September, the Biden administration signed a lease with New York City to house at least 2,000 illegal migrants in a tent encampment at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn which sits on Federal land. This encampment conflicts with Federal law, takes away from the field's taxpayer-funded recreational activities, and raises serious safety concerns both for those who would be housed there and for those who live nearby, as it puts an undue burden on law enforcement. A couple of months ago in the Natural Resources Committee, we actually heard from people who represented the Park Service and lived and worked in New York City, including law enforcement. I feel that it is our job as Representatives to be listening to the people who actually live and work in those communities to have legislation that makes an impact there. They are the ones that told us about the security concerns and the concerns from tourists. What were the children and people who are encamped there doing on a daily basis? Some of the issues they had were with criminal activity and how it interfered with the recreational purposes of that park. Americans shouldn't be deprived access to national parks and lands paid for by their tax dollars because of this administration's destructive immigration policies. This bill, that I was proud to work on as a member of the Natural Resources Committee, would reverse the decision to lease Park Service land to New York City to house illegal migrants and prohibit the Biden administration from doing so with any Federal lands in the future. Mr. Chair, I came to Washington to restore commonsense leadership, and with this bill we have an opportunity to do just that. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5283.

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Inaugural National Certified

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Virginia Beach Sheriff Ken Stolle, who recently retired after an incredibly successful 43-year career in public service. During his 13-year tenure as sheriff, Ken Stolle brought about numerous positive changes for our local law enforcement officers and our community, including creating a successful transition program for inmates at the end of their sentences, implementing body cameras for all Virginia Beach sheriff's deputies, and establishing successful mental health programs for those serving time in the prison system. Stolle was often quoted as saying he ran the largest mental health facility in Hampton Roads, and his emphasis on this issue led to policies that have been a blueprint for agencies across the country. Before serving as sheriff of Virginia Beach, Ken worked for the Virginia Beach Police Department, practiced law in Hampton Roads, represented Virginia Beach in the Virginia State Senate, and served our great Nation as a United States Navy reservist. Mr. Speaker, I thank Sheriff Stolle for his many years of service to our community, our Commonwealth, and our country. We wish him the best of luck in retirement.

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained due to local and state elections in my district, and I regret missing the votes on the Amendments to H.R. 4820, Making Appropriations for the Departments of Transportation, HUD, an related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024. Had I been present, I would have voted nay on Roll Call No. 613; yea on Roll Call No. 614; nay on Roll Call No. 615; nay on Roll Call No. 617; nay on Roll Call No. 618; yea on Roll Call No. 619; and nay on Roll Call No. 620.

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained due to local and state elections in my district, and I regret missing the votes on the Amendments to H.R. 4820, and the motion to table H. Res. 845 Transportation, HUD, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024. Had I been present, I would have voted Yea on Roll Call No. 608; Nay on Roll Call No. 609; Yea on Roll Call No. 610; Nay on Roll Call No. 611; and Nay on Roll Call No. 612.

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the Virginia Beach lifeguards on a successful summer season and to thank them for keeping our beaches in Hampton Roads safe. Lifeguards are an essential part of any community, but back home in Virginia's Second District, the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service has protected our oceanfront since 1930. Their mission of promoting beach safety protects not only the citizens of Virginia Beach but the millions of visitors we have each year. Lifeguarding is one of the top choices for people searching for summer jobs, including my two sons. While it is a rewarding job, it is also a challenging one that demands personal responsibility. Beaches and oceans are dynamic natural environments. Crowd conditions, currents, waves, sharks, and other weather conditions can rapidly change, putting swimmers in grave danger. The average number of people saved each summer is between 400 to 600, but during this year's summer season, which extended from May 13 to September 17, the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service performed more than 800 rescues on the beaches they patrol. On behalf of a grateful community, I thank our lifeguards for the level of skill they bring to this job and what they do for Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads. Congratulations to the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service on a successful summer season.

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record remarks submitted at the request of a Virginia Beach constituent, Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman of Temple Lev Tikvah, and are a reflection of his views: Fifth Anniversary of Pittsburgh Massacre The utterly unsettling 83-minute attack on Shabbat morning. Oct. 27. 2018, at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. resulting in the death of 11 worshiping Jews, has been described as the worst antisemitic crime committed on American soil. The name ``Tree of Life'' connotes the holy Torah whose lessons. including the Ten Commandments, aim to preserve the divine gift of precious human life, proclaiming that freedom and responsibility are inseparable twins. A 2020 book, ``Bound in the Bond of Life: Pittsburgh Writers Reflect on the Tree of Life Tragedy'' (University of Pittsburgh Press), offers the traditional Jewish response, asserting life's primacy facing death and loss. The moving volume of insightful reflections by a wide array of Pittsburgh writers connects to their own lives' experiences. It is a thoughtful and fitting account honoring the memory of the slain who are rightfully placed in the context of the long historical chain of Jewish martyrdom, culminating in the Holocaust and beyond, with the appellation of ``Kedoshei Pittsburgh'' (Pittsburgh's Martyrs). The book's co-editor Beth Kissileff is married to one of the attack's survivors, Rabbi Jonathan Perlman of New Light Congregation. Kissileff, who has taught at the universities of Pittsburgh and Minnesota, raises, ``Can one heal after gun violence? Can any of us feel safe again? Did antisemitism really not ever go away?'' The above interrelated issues are complex and beclouded by sectarian politics. Yet, we are not free from tackling them while advocating for remedies helping to prevent similar tragedies in the future. Co-editor Eric Lidji is director of Pittsburgh's Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives at the Sen. John Heinz History Center. He oversees preserving the massacre's documentation. ``In due time, with persistence, I can know just the tiniest bit more . . . so that others can someday make meaning from it all.'' However, what ``meaning'' can be derived from such a calamitous occurrence? Recording aids sacred remembrance and provides a therapeutic dimension. David M. Shribman who wrote the book's Forward is the former executive editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. His team won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for covering the carnage. His then-newspaper printed in Hebrew the four letters of the memorial Kaddish prayer. Dor Hadash congregation was inspired to conduct a ``Refugee Shabbat,'' for the gunman's ire was at the refugees and immigrants assisted by HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society), who sought entry into the United States. ``Just as the Holocaust survivors once warned my generation, those of us who saw what happened at Tree of Life must tell those who come next.'' The challenge is to retain the bond of remembrance and the attack's lessons over time's natural and forced forgetfulness. Dr. Laura Zittrain Eisenberg teaches modern Middle East history at Carnegie Mellon University. She is a third- generation family member at Tree of Life. Eisenberg shares the constructive response, ``organizing blood drives . . . community service activities at libraries, food pantries, and service organizations . . . under the slogan `Remember. Repair. Together.' '' Can this spirit of both altruism and practicality, turning pain into promise, be sustained over time? The life-changing Pittsburgh ``pogrom'' reflects Jewish vulnerability in ``Golden America.'' Only Tree of Life remains in the building to be redesigned by famed architect Daniel Libeskind, son of Holocaust survivors, who designed the World Trade Center Memorial site following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The remodeled building will memorialize the Pittsburgh tragedy and serve as the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh. Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman is founder of Temple Lev Tikvah in Virginia Beach. He is son of Polish Holocaust survivors.

Mr. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mr. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following message I shared on October 11 at a meeting of Jewish leaders with Governor Glenn Youngkin of Virginia at the offices of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater in Virginia Beach. Thank you Governor Youngkin for your initiatives to fight the precipitous rise of anti-Semitism in these United States and around the world. Your very timely visit with us so shortly after the October 7 terrorist Hamas vicious attacks on Israel's innocent civilians near the Gaza border is deeply appreciated along with ordering the lowering of the flag throughout the Commonwealth. We turn to our shared one God of life's blessings who always brings us together to be one caring family, gratefully united and gloriously diverse, ever harkening onto the divine commandments of loving-kindness. At this painfully trying time of excruciating anguish and an over-whelming sense of violation by heartless enemies of humanity and civilized society, evoking terrifying images of the Holocaust deeply seared within us and to which I can personally testify as son of Polish survivors who lost hundreds of murdered relatives, and one who spent his early childhood in Europe's transit and DP Camps, later growing up in Haifa, Israel and serving in the IDF in the 1960s. Just as we did not allow ultimate victory to Nazism rooted in historical anti-Semitism, so we shall defeat, whatever the cost, those who now shamefully delight in the barbaric slaughter of Jewish babies and their shocked parents, mowing down hundreds of youth celebrating peace at a music festival along with rape and torture; dragging to cruel captivity the young as well as frail Holocaust survivors who had found refuge in the world's only sovereign Jewish state and the Middle-East's only democracy. We shall never abandon our beloved Israeli sisters and brothers heroically fighting for the very survival of their ancestral homeland which they have already honored with remarkable accomplishments benefiting all humanity. We are uplifted and reassured at this fateful hour of existential threat to Israel's very well-being by the incomparable Israeli-American alliance of shared values and interests that, no doubt, makes a critical difference for the defense of the entire free world. The Ford and Eisenhower strike groups whose homeport is Hampton Roads are truly a source of swelling pride. The recent historic strides toward lasting Middle East peace with the major inclusion at last of Saudi Arabia, likely pushed Iran and its proxies--the enemies of peace who glorify death and dying while the West sanctifies life and living--to this inhuman cowardice massive assault on a holy Jewish day--50 years and a day since the other traumatic surprise of the Yom Kippur War--with total disregard for basic human norms. They will be held accountable. Perhaps it was also a failed attempt of divergence from the Ukraine tragedy. Restoring Israel's damaged deterrence is a must priority. The internal Israeli bitter divisions around misguided Judicial Reform were perceived to reflect a weakened society, though Israel unites in a national security emergency, but a heavy price is nonetheless exacted by an enemy tragically neglecting and sacrificing its own Palestinian people. Oh God sustain our sacred resolve to face evil and subdue it with Shalom's eternal blessings that we shall not compromise over, of healing, hope and harmony. Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman is founder and spiritual leader of Temple Lev Tikvah in Virginia Beach.

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to stand up for the men and women serving in America's armed forces. I am working day in and day out to prevent a government shutdown in just over 48 hours. If Congress can't reach deal on government funding before Saturday night, those serving in our military will not receive their paychecks. I will not allow the men and women who put their lives on the line to protect our country to go without pay. That is why I introduced the Pay Our Troops Act, which would ensure our troops, including the Coast Guard, will be paid on time no matter what. As we continue working to avoid a government shutdown, my bipartisan legislation would give our troops the financial reassurance they deserve. Our servicemembers shouldn't suffer because of Washington dysfunction, especially not at a time when inflation and interest rates continue to hurt our military families. I am a Navy veteran, a Navy spouse, and a Navy mom. I know first hand that far too many of our service families live paycheck to paycheck. In fact, one in three families have less than $3,000 in savings. For the sake of those families and all of our military families, I am committed to getting our economy back on track by cutting wasteful spending. I am also committed to ensuring our servicemembers get a paycheck, no matter what is happening here in Washington. Mr. Speaker, if there is anything that can unite us, it should be taking care of our troops. I believe that we can make commonsense spending cuts, while still responsibly funding our government and maintaining our national security. While we continue working to prevent a government shutdown, I urge my colleagues to join me in providing financial certainty to our military families by supporting our Pay Our Troops Act.

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record remarks submitted at the request of a Virginia Beach constituent, Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman of Temple Lev Tikvah, and are a reflection of his views: I have returned from the torn Land of Israel where I grew up, following a visit throughout July of a shaking, even shocking experience. Israel is undergoing a trauma whose lasting impact is impossible to predict. However, the current internal crisis threatening Israeli democracy, the Middle East's sole one, is due to the most extreme coalition government in Israel's history attempting to alter its Western liberal orientation by disabling the Supreme Court's standing as an independent Judiciary. Consequently, the unprecedented mass demonstrations for months in opposition to the proposed radical agenda which I watched in disbelief and participated in, have reflected a powerful popular response determined to preserve Israel as both the Jewish and democratic state envisioned by its founders. Already adversely affected are the Israeli economy, military, public health, the woman's status, education, Pride community and society at large, while Israel's enemies, Iran and its proxies, become further emboldened. The special relationship between Israel and the United States is at risk as well as the essential bond between Israel and American Jewry. With heartfelt, even prophetic pathos and deep grasp of the multi-layered Israeli scene since its inception and prior, veteran Israeli author Ari Shavit offers us a concise manifesto for urgent action with the goal of ``Saving Israel,'' his recent book's alarming title (Saving Israel. Rishon LeZion: Miskal--Yedioth Ahronoth Books and Chemed Books. 2023). He begins with a statement of both profound gratitude and grave concern, ``the State of Israel is a miracle. No other nation did what we have: To build anew a national home following two thousand years. No progressive democracy succeeded to flourish as we have, following a Shoah and living under a volcano. Despite all the troubles, problems, weaknesses, difficulties and blemishes--The Zionist dream has been realized. The people of Israel live, and the state of Israel lives. Our sons and daughters have in our ancestral land what our grandfathers and grandmothers did not: Sovereignty, freedom, prosperity, pride and progress. Being a technological, economic, military and political super-power, Israel of the 21st century is a strong country capable of shaping its own fate and march toward a brilliant future. But the deep 2023 crisis threatens the Israeli miracle and erasing our astonishing successes, leaving us homeless.'' Shavit does not mince words. On the one hand, heaps praise upon Israel's successes though Israel is not a global, as the author claims, but a regional superpower. In light of trying beginnings and facing monumental challenges that were likely to doom the fragile creation: Attacks from a collection of superior military establishments while absorbing penniless immigrants from west and east three times larger in size, into a war zone with meager resources. On the other hand, he bemoans the Jewish people's destructive tendencies that brought down Jewish sovereignty and led into long exile and ultimately a consuming Holocaust. ``And the Jewish people has multi-talents though sorrowfully it lacks the talent to be a people. It tends toward extremism, internal strife and self- destruction . . . Israel needs to be both powerful and ethical, both national and liberal, both Jewish and democratic. Only a combination of resoluteness and openness will guarantee that not weakness nor zealousness will bring us again to the pit's cusp.'' The author is convinced that the goal is within reach though the hour is late and the Israelis with all their complexities and tribal tendencies ought not further delay. He thus concludes, ``The good and silent great Israeli majority will not remain still. The democratic Jews will not let a wondrous national and human enterprise to go down. For all of us have a stake in this special place. And we all know that there wouldn't be a Fourth Commonwealth. The Third Commonwealth is the Jewish people's last opportunity. With determination, love and faith we'll defend Israel and rebuild the house.'' Rabbi Israel Zoberman is founder of Temple of Lev Tikvah in Virginia Beach.

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record remarks submitted at the request of a Virginia Beach constituent, Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman of Temple Lev Tikvah, and are a reflection of his views:

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, as a geriatric nurse practitioner, I have had the privilege of taking care of our Greatest Generation in various long-term care facilities, including many patients with cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Currently, more than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease. This disease denies millions of families the opportunity to cherish memories and robs people of their ability to remember their family members and loved ones. Until 6 days ago, all FDA-approved Alzheimer's drugs merely targeted the symptoms of the disease, never its progression. Thankfully, last Wednesday, the FDA issued a long-awaited approval of Leqembi, the first-of-its- kind drug that changes the underlying course of early Alzheimer's disease. This drug, which has shown promising results of slowing the progression of Alzheimer's by more than 25 percent over 18 months, will be fully available to Medicare patients, but providers will have to enter patients into a registry to collect information, and many families will still have to pay a significant out-of-pocket copay. It is imperative that CMS continues to find ways to lift these barriers to this life-changing treatment and that CMS also changes its policy to allow for more than one PET scan, which has the ability to detect the amyloid plaque that causes Alzheimer's disease. By having more treatment options available, patients can maintain their independence longer, get more precious time with their families, and have renewed hope for the future. I will continue to work across the aisle in Congress and with the FDA and CMS to ensure all Alzheimer's patients have equitable and affordable access to innovative drugs such as this.

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained due to a personal family matter, and I regret missing votes. I would have proudly voted in favor of the Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 272, and YEA on Roll Call No. 273.

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record remarks submitted at the request of a Virginia Beach constituent, Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman of Temple Lev Tikvah, and are a reflection of his views: The war in Ukraine hits close to home. I was a refugee the first four years of my life following my birth in Kazakhstan (USSR) in 1945, and my late father was a Russian soldier defending Leningrad and Moscow. My 102-year-old Israeli mom who died recently in Israel was a Ukrainian Holocaust survivor. My wife and I travelled in Ukraine with its vast Jewish past in 1991, where we lost so many family members during the Holocaust, including at Babi Yar. It is hard to fathom that the historic and beautiful landscape with a population yearning to be Western is being obliterated before our eyes. These searing events--an invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces who obey the absolute authority of Russian President Vladimir Putin--are beyond shocking. Who would have imagined that once more, following WWII and the Holocaust, we would witness an eruption of such magnitude in the heart of Europe, with the evil design to seize a newly democratic nation of 40 million people in an ill-begotten scheme to restore the collapsed Soviet Union and/or revive the preceding Russian Imperial Empire? What is the impetus behind Putin's plot to charge forward with uncontrolled rage and reckless impunity despite a dire outcome for all? Perhaps it is a case of over-confidence that he could literally get away with mass murder with little opposition from a world community, acceding to his past mischief in Chechnya, Georgia, Syria (Remember Aleppo!), Crimea and Donbas. He's gambled that his saber rattling with a nuclear arsenal would result in finger pointing while avoiding detrimental consequences to his megalomaniacal dream of reordering the world order through disorder with total disregard for human life and immense suffering for millions of young and old, who are now homeless refugees. He, whose family was personally impacted by the inhumane siege of Leningrad (St. Petersburg) in WWII, shows no mercy for a vast civilian population with close cultural and fraternal bonds that already had experienced Adolf Hitler's similar approach. Putin shows uncontrolled impulses of divine grandeur and sick grandiosity. The global community hopefully apprehensively watches, with the notable exception of the Russians who are deprived of the truth, fed by their government's fake news. Let us contemplate that Hitler could have been stopped early on if democratic nations had the common sense and necessary guts to confront him early. Jewish leaders appealed to Franklin D. Roosevelt, their sainted New Deal president, only to be turned away dismissively and misleadingly with false promises that all would be well, but first Nazi Germany had to be defeated. By the time the United States got involved it was too late for 6 million Jews--two-thirds of European Jewry and one-third of the total Jewish people, including a million and a half children, along with millions of others. Delayed response to fateful danger by democracies that tend to be slow and uncertain in decision-making and extra cautious about bloodletting of their own and others, turns ever costly with a commensurate rising price. It is humanity's tragic pitfall that dictators possess the nerve and verve to launch unprovoked attacks even as democracies become impotent at critical crossroads rather than calling for determined and quick action to avert monumental destruction. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who ironically and instructively happens to be Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust, is pleading for his country's independent existence and survival through more aid and we should fully assist him. To claim that the United States and NATO members have limitations in doing so because the victim does not belong to NATO is immoral and short-sighted. I suggest that Ukraine's defeat would serve to hasten another colossal disaster for Europe and the democratic world, with Putin further emboldened to continue violating others more vulnerable than Ukraine, whose resistance to the onslaught is an exemplary response we can all be inspired by. Zelenskyy has emerged, despite being laughed at given his comedian's background, as a world statesman with Winston Churchill's heroic aura. The Jewish War Veterans of the United States designated Zelenskyy as Honorary Patron. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin. Let justice prevail with our indispensable help! Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman is founder of Temple Lev Tikvah in Virginia Beach.

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained due to a personal family matter, and I regret missing the vote on the HALT Fentanyl Act today. I would have proudly voted in favor of this legislation, and I remain committed to fighting the fentanyl epidemic. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 237. Personal Explanation

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, over the past 2 years, our Hampton Roads and Navy communities have been devastated by multiple sailor suicides, in particular aboard the USS George Washington and at MARMAC. As a former Navy helicopter pilot and nurse practitioner, it frustrates me that the number of sailors who die by suicide continues to rise. It is clear for anyone to see we have to do better to serve those serving our great country. That is why last week I introduced the Sailor Standard of Care Act. This important bipartisan legislation would increase mental health resources and require mental health screenings for sailors assigned to limited duty, address challenges servicemembers and their families face accessing quality mental health care through TRICARE, implement a system to track quality-of-life programs and their success rate, and expedite the Navy's medical separation process that impacts limited- duty sailors. It is imperative that we address the mental health and other quality- of-life challenges facing Active Duty servicemembers and veterans. This is exactly why I came to Congress. We speak so much about providing our military men and women with the necessary equipment, technology, training, et cetera, to be ready to fight tonight, and rightfully so, but we must take care of our people, too. It is time for Congress to focus on quality-of-life issues for our men and women in uniform and their families--not only mental health care, but housing, childcare, and spouse employment support. There is so much work to do. By doing so, we will not only do right by the men and women who make up our world's finest fleet, but we will also keep our Navy the best in the world.

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, over the past 2 years, our Hampton Roads and Navy communities have been devastated by multiple sailor suicides, in particular aboard the USS George Washington and at MARMAC. As a former Navy helicopter pilot and a primary care nurse practitioner, it infuriates me that the number of sailors who die by suicide continues to rise. It is clear for anyone to see we have to better serve those who serve our great Navy and our country. That is why this week I introduced the Sailor Standard of Care Act. This important bipartisan legislation would increase mental health resources and require mental health screenings for sailors assigned to limited duty, address challenges servicemembers and their families face accessing mental health care through TRICARE and implement a system to track quality of life programs and their success rates. It is imperative that we address the mental health challenges facing today's Active Duty servicemembers and veterans and that we do it today. This is exactly why I came to Congress. We speak so much about providing our military men and women with the necessary equipment, technology, training, et cetera, to be able to ``fight tonight,'' and rightfully so. However, all those resources in the world are meaningless without the capable men and women behind it. Right now, the harsh reality is that suicides among Active Duty servicemembers are at an all-time high. Tragically, they increased by more than 40 percent between 2015 and 2020. We owe it to our servicemembers to do everything in our power to make sure they have the support and mental health care they need. They put their well-being on the line to serve our Nation, and our Nation must put their well-being first. We must prioritize our servicemembers and their families by focusing on the quality of life we provide for them while they serve. As a veteran, granddaughter of a veteran, spouse of a veteran, and mother of future veterans, I am honored to fight every day for the quality of life they deserve.

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of National Police Week. I am proud to stand with Virginia's police officers, not just during National Police Week but each and every day. Our brave men and women in blue selflessly confront danger to protect us and our families, and I firmly believe it is only right to recognize all they do to keep our communities safe. Unfortunately, as Americans face a rise in violent crime across the Nation, law enforcement officers have faced significant challenges and grave threats that have jeopardized the safety of those sworn to protect our communities. These challenges range from increased violence against officers, efforts to defund police departments, lagging technology, recruitment and retention issues, and rising mental health concerns. Last year, 246 law enforcement officers were tragically killed in the line of duty. This year, there have already been 41 officers killed in the line of duty serving their communities. We must do more to support brave men and women of our Nation's law enforcement who serve our communities with courage, dedication, and strength. This week, I was proud to vote for several bills that showed them that we have their backs just like they have ours. Whether it is through legislation or simple actions, we must prioritize appreciation of the men and women in blue who put themselves in harm's way to protect their communities. The people of Virginia's Second District do an excellent job of showing our support for our men and women in law enforcement. This week, members of my team attended the annual National Police Week ceremony at the Virginia Beach Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. The ceremony and memorial serve as a solemn reminder of what our police officers put on the line every day when they wake up and go to work to protect our community. Mr. Speaker, please join me and the people of Virginia's Second District in recognizing the brave men and women of our law enforcement community for putting their lives on the line to keep us safe.