Debbie Lesko

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize the president of the Sun City Republican Club, Glen Sayler. Glen Sayler has distinguished himself by providing exceptional service to the residents of Sun City, Arizona. As president, Glen has been an advocate for educating members on the civic engagement process and how to interact with elected officials. The efforts of Glen and the Sun City Republican Club have been pivotal to the success of elected officials and candidates in the Phoenix West Valley. I am thankful for Glen's leadership and dedication to conservative principles. I sincerely appreciate his service to Congressional District 8 and the State of Arizona.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Arizona's 8th Congressional District and the State of Arizona's 27th Legislative District, it is my honor to recognize Carol Ayotte. Carol Ayotte is the Chairwoman of the Republican Legislative District 27 which spans portions of the Cities of Glendale, Peoria, and Phoenix with a population of over 240,000. As Chairwoman, Carol has worked tirelessly to educate, train, and inspire the next generation of citizens through civic engagement. Her efforts to work collaboratively with other leaders in the Phoenix West Valley have been instrumental to the success of Republican elected officials and candidates in the state legislature and beyond. As a resident of Legislative District 27, I am thankful for her leadership and dedication to conservative principles. I sincerely appreciate her service to the legislative district and to the State of Arizona.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Arizona's 8th Congressional District and the State of Arizona's 28th Legislative District, I would like to recognize Lori Bango. Lori Bango is the Chairwoman of the Republican Legislative District 28 which spans portions of Peoria and North Phoenix and includes the unincorporated areas of Sun City and Sun City West, representing a population of over 228,000. As Chairwoman, Lori has worked tirelessly to educate, train, and inspire the next generation of citizens through civic engagement. Her efforts to ensure Republicans are elected in the Phoenix West Valley have been instrumental to the success of Legislative District 28 and beyond. I am thankful for Lori's leadership and dedication to conservative principles. I sincerely appreciate her service to the legislative district and to the State of Arizona.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, Cathi Herrod serves as president of the Center for Arizona Policy. She has been a pro-life and pro-family warrior for decades in Arizona. Her efforts at the State Capitol and around Arizona communities have helped to ensure that we cherish our values and respect the dignity of life. Thanks, in large part, to her tireless work, Arizona is one of the top pro-life and pro-family states in the Nation, and she continues to fight to maintain this standing in the face of overwhelming odds from opposing forces. During her distinguished career, she has received the Family Champion Award from Focus on the Family, the William Wilberforce Award from Students for Life of America, and the Deborah Award from Family Life Radio. On behalf of Arizona's Eighth Congressional District, I applaud Cathi Herrod for her service to our state and thank her for her continued action to defend life and family.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, Justin Wilmeth serves as an Arizona State Representative for Legislative District 2, covering the North Valley. Since joining the legislature in 2021, Justin has been a force to be reckoned with, setting a first-year freshman record with eight sponsored bills being signed into law by Arizona's governor. Justin understands the issues and values that matter most to our great state, and he is working every day to protect our laws. From securing the border, to enhancing economic prosperity, to defending our Second Amendment, to fighting for election integrity and transparency, Justin has proven to be a relentless warrior for conservative principles and policies, making his constituents very proud of his efforts. Arizona's Eighth Congressional District is thankful for Representative Justin Wilmeth's endeavors on behalf of his district and our state.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, John Kavanagh serves as an Arizona State Senator for Legislative District 3, covering the Northeast Valley. He has served in the Arizona Legislature since 2007. Before coming to Arizona, John worked as a police officer for the Port Authority of New York and the New Jersey Police Department. I had the privilege of serving with Senator Kavanagh for a number of years when I was a state legislator, and we worked on several policies and reforms that have made a lasting impact for future generations of Arizonans. John has earned much recognition for his conservative principles during his time in the legislature, including a Lifetime A+ rating from the National Rifle Association, a Lifetime A rating from the American Conservative Union, and a Lifetime A rating from the Center for Arizona Policy. Arizona's Eighth Congressional District thanks him for his distinguished record of service to his district and our state.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, Shawnna Bolick serves as an Arizona State Senator for Legislative District 2, covering the North Valley. Throughout her time in public service, Shawnna has been a strong champion for promoting school choice and protecting the most vulnerable among us. Thanks, in large part, to her work, Arizona is one of the premier states in the nation for school choice and for safeguarding those who cannot defend themselves. She has served on Arizona's Early Childhood Education and Health Board, the Arizona State Board of Education's Academic Standards Development Committee, and the Arizona Juvenile Justice Commission. Shawnna is a `can-do' conservative fighter. She will always stand on her principles, but she looks every day for consensus and for opportunities to enact meaningful policy reforms and enhancements for her constituents. Arizona's Eighth Congressional District is grateful for Shawnna's commitment and passion for public service, and I am thankful for the example she has left for many to follow.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize an accomplished woman whose public service to Arizona has left a lasting impact on thousands of Arizonans. Beverly Pingerelli began her career at Henry Ford Hospital after receiving her bachelor's degree from Wayne State University. From there, she went on to work in the molecular medicine laboratory at St. Joseph's Hospital. Eventually, Ms. Pingerelli moved on to public service where she was elected to the Peoria Unified School District Governing Board from 2015 to 2019. After serving on the board, Pingerelli chose to continue her public service in the Arizona State Legislature. While serving Arizona Legislative District 28, Beverly Pingerelli has put a focus on economic prosperity, student success, and parental rights. She even sponsored legislation to expand parental oversight of public school library books and materials and cosponsored legislation to require voter ID and prohibit human smuggling. Beverly Pingerelli is truly a force to be reckoned with in the legislature, and Arizona is lucky to have her representation. Tribute to Kimberly Yee

Mrs. LESKO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a woman who has led our State with strength and helped to create one of the most prosperous economies in Arizona history: Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee. Kimberly Yee was born and raised in Arizona and was the first Chinese-American Republican woman to be elected to a major statewide office in the history of the United States. She is the first Asian American elected to a statewide office in Arizona history. Yee began her career in public service in 2010 when she was elected to the Arizona Legislature where she served for 8 years between the house and the senate. She was the second woman to serve as Senate majority leader since U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor served in Arizona in that same position. During her time as treasurer of Arizona, the Permanent Land Endowment Trust Fund hit record highs. She also led the effort to pass a State law requiring financial education for high school students prior to graduation. Treasurer Yee's service to Arizona has raised financial literacy rates, improved Arizona's economy, and helped show young women and girls across the State that anything is possible.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize someone whose service will be felt by future generations of Arizonans--Arizona Senate President Warren Peterson. Senator Petersen's service to the people of Arizona began in 2012 when he was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives. Throughout his time in the House, he served as chairman of the Judiciary Committee and majority leader. Once his time in the House came to an end, Senator Petersen was elected to the Arizona Senate where he became President in 2023. Under his leadership, Arizona has accomplished school choice, passed tax cuts for families across the State, and worked hard to enforce border security in the face of opposition from the left. During my own time in the Arizona House of Representatives, I was lucky enough to serve alongside President Petersen where he was a respected colleague and a friend. Petersen's service to Arizona could not be overstated, and his leadership is appreciated by all Arizonans.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend an accomplished and dedicated leader who has served Arizona greatly: the speaker of the Arizona House, Ben Toma. During his tenure in public service, Speaker Toma has achieved many great things for Arizona. He advanced universal school choice, a ballot measure to require voter ID, a border security ballot measure to require E-Verify, and he instituted the largest tax cut in Arizona history. He also signed on to an amicus brief to support the State of Texas as they fight in court for their right to defend their State from invasion. Speaker Toma's career is a testament to his dedication to Arizona. His legacy of leadership will last for years to come.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable Arizonan whose passion for Arizona's education has left a lasting impact that will be felt for years to come. Thanks to Dr. Peter Pingerelli, thousands of young Arizonans were able to receive a high-quality education, cultivating their skills in order to achieve their goals. As a member of the West-MEC governing board and a professor at Grand Canyon University, Dr. Pingerelli was deeply passionate about education in Arizona. Dr. Pingerelli's impact on education in Arizona cannot be overstated. He was a great friend, father, loving husband to State Representative Beverly Pingerelli, energetic educator, and valued community member. He will be dearly missed by everyone who had the privilege to know him.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Hindu Community in Arizona's 8th Congressional District, I would like to recognize the successful completion of Sewa Diwali in the Salt River Valley, led by Vaibhav Navghare and the dedicated members of the non-profit Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh. This excellent organization was founded by Kenyan Hindus in the 1940s and is active in 156 countries. They are responsible for putting together Sewa Diwali each year, which is a large food drive to celebrate the spirit of selfless giving during the festival of Diwali. Under Mr. Navghare's leadership, 9,300 pounds of food were collected by over 110 volunteers from 40 different organizations in the Salt River Valley. All of the proceeds directly benefitted the Navajo tribes at Flagstaff. I am incredibly proud of the hard work that Mr. Navghare and Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh put into helping those in need and I thank them for their service. May their charitable endeavors inspire others to give back as well; they exemplify the best of Arizona.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great American woman who has served our Nation and my State so admirably throughout many decades. Sandra Day O'Connor is an American icon and was a trailblazer for thousands of women to pursue and achieve their dreams. This amazing woman was born in 1930 and grew up on the Lazy B Ranch in southeastern Arizona. She went on to serve in the Arizona Attorney General's office and then as the county's first female State senate majority leader in the Arizona legislature. After being elected as a judge to the Maricopa County Superior Court, she was nominated by President Ronald Reagan as America's first female Supreme Court Justice. She always showed courage, leadership, and independence throughout her time in government. Her contributions to the fabric of this Nation will be cherished for generations to come.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Madam Speaker, do we live in Communist China? Really, do we live in Communist China? I can't believe that the Biden administration first wants to ban gas stoves--we had to do legislation to prevent that. Now, they want to ban 67 percent of the manufacturing of regular gas-powered cars by 2032. That is insane. President Biden and my Democratic colleagues claim they are for the middle class. They always say: We are for the middle class. Well, no, they are not because who can afford these electric cars? It is the people with a bunch of money. That is who can afford it. Not the middle class. Not the lower class. I am in strong support of this bill to prohibit and prevent this radical regulation against common Americans.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank our colleagues for standing in respect of a great woman. She was not only a great woman for Arizona but a great woman and trailblazer for all women across America. As was said, she was the first female majority leader to serve in the Arizona Senate. She went on to be the first woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice. She stood up for truth. She stood up for justice. She was not only a wonderful woman and representative of Arizona but a wonderful American. We are saddened by her passing, but she set the trail for all of us women. She was a great Republican, a great American, and we praise her each and every day.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 598, H.R. 3774.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 578, H. Res. 798, and YEA on Roll Call No. 577, H.R. 6126.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 560, H. Res. 559, and YEA on Roll Call No. 561, H.R. 340.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall no. 528.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, I am in support of funding the government so our military, Border Patrol officers, and other dedicated employees that are protecting our Nation can continue with their job and get paid while they are doing it. I am also in support of House Republicans pushing and demanding that the Senate secure our border by including the bill that we have already passed out of this House, H.R. 2. One of the biggest crises in our Nation right now is a result of this administration's disastrous border policies. President Biden's policies have allowed 233,000 border crossings in just August of this year compared to 50,000 just 3 years ago under President Trump. Biden has invited 211,000 additional migrants to fly directly into the United States from their home foreign country. Biden has accepted 263,000 additional more migrants to apply for asylum via his new CBP One app. Biden has allowed 151 migrants to enter our country that are on the terrorist watch list--and that is just who we have caught. Biden has allowed migrant women and children to get raped by cartels. His policies have allowed young migrant children to be sold into sex slavery. His policies have allowed fentanyl to flood our border and kill our citizens. This has got to stop, and Republicans are here to stop it and protect our Nation. House Republicans have already passed a bill to secure our border that is now sitting over in the Senate waiting to be heard. Schumer won't even bring it up for a vote. It is time for the Democrat-controlled Senate to pass our border security bill. It is time for the insanity at our southern border to end. It is time to pass this bill and pressure the Democrats in the Senate to secure the border.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act. When I first read the Biden administration's plan to increase fuel standards, which require 67 percent of all new vehicles manufactured be all-electric by 2032, I was appalled. This plan does nothing to benefit America and everything to benefit our greatest adversary, China. Electric vehicle batteries require at least a 1,000 percent increase in materials extracted from the Earth compared to a gasoline-powered vehicle. Who dominates the extraction and processing of these materials? You guessed it: China. Nearly all the growth in mining to meet this demand is expected to come from offshore, non-U.S. mines. Who has been buying these mines? You guessed it: China. China is the only one that stands to benefit from this drastic change in policy, and American consumers will suffer. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this bill.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Chair, I thank Mr. Davidson for sponsoring this bill and allowing me to talk. The Biden administration's mortgage rule is the most recent in a long line of upside-down, absolutely crazy policies by this administration. Recently, the Federal Housing Finance Agency increased loan-level pricing adjustments for Americans with good credit scores and decreased the fees for the majority of Americans who have poor credit scores. That makes no sense. It is upside down, and it incentivizes people not to have good credit scores. Americans who have good credit scores and have been fiscally responsible should not be forced to effectively subsidize the loans of people with bad credit, especially in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis with still-high inflation rates and rising home prices. The Middle Class Borrower Protection Act repeals this terrible policy and ensures that Americans are not unfairly punished for being fiscally responsible. I have young adult children, and they struggle. They are not wealthy, as some of my Democratic colleagues have said, but they have struggled. They live paycheck to paycheck, but they try to have good credit scores. One of them said to me: Jeez, with this crazy Biden policy of wanting to punish people with good credit scores so that they have to pay more to subsidize people with poor credit scores, why the heck should I work to have good credit scores? That is what this administration is doing. This is like socialism. This is insane. That is why I support Mr. Davidson's bill. That is why I support Americans who strive to be fiscally responsible.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record on H.R. 1640.

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my bill, the Save Our Gas Stoves Act. I never would have thought that I would need to introduce legislation to protect Americans' kitchen appliances, but this only goes to show how out of touch this administration's policies have become. In February, the Department of Energy proposed an extreme regulation that would effectively eliminate nearly all gas stoves and gas cooktops on the market today. The Department's proposed rule sets requirements for gas stoves at the maximum technologically feasible, or max-tech level. Based on the Department of Energy's own analysis and DOE's own technology support report, 96 percent of the market share of gas stoves will not, I repeat, not meet DOE's new proposed rule. That is a 96 percent ban. Worse yet, no gas ranges passed DOE's new proposed rule tests. Gas ranges represent nearly 90 percent of all gas stoves sold. What did DOE do after the public heard about this and pushed back? They adjusted their analysis, seemingly out of thin air. Now, they claim that nearly 50 percent of gas stoves will pass their rule. Guess what? That means more than 50 percent won't. Don't tell me they are not trying to ban gas stoves. The DOE is justifying this proposed requirement under the false guise of saving Americans money. However, the estimated savings is just $21.89 over the next 14\1/2\ years. That is only $1.50 per year or 12 cents per month. Consumers don't want to give up the features of the stoves they like for 12 cents per month. Consumers don't want to wait an extra 7 minutes to watch a pot of water boil for 12 cents per month. Instead of DOE bragging about how they are going to save consumers 12 cents per month, maybe they should tell the public that natural gas is 3\1/2\ times cheaper than electricity and that, according to studies, households that use natural gas for heating, cooking, and drying clothes save an average of $1,068 per year. Consumers don't want the government taking away the features on gas stoves that they like and use. That is not the role of the U.S. Government. That is why I introduced the Save Our Gas Stoves Act to protect Americans' consumer choice. My legislation prohibits the Department of Energy from implementing this extreme rule and prohibits the Department of Energy from imposing standards that result in the unavailability of a product based on the type of fuel the product consumes. Mr. Chair, I thank the American Association of Homebuilders; the American Restaurant Association; the American Gas Association; the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers; the Arizona Restaurant Association; the American Public Gas Association; the National Propane Gas Association; and several energy companies, including Southwest Gas, which delivers natural gas to consumers in Arizona, for their support of my bill and for their support for American consumer choice. Mr. Chair, I am pleased that this is a bipartisan bill that has received bipartisan support and that my Republican colleagues and 29 of my Democratic colleagues already voted in favor of an amendment to H.R. 1 that did virtually the same thing as this bill. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on my bill. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of consumer choice. I urge my colleagues to vote to save our gas stoves. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.