Greg Landsman

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about what is at stake right now, who is here to lead, and who we have to watch out for. Last year, there was a small number of more extreme Members that took this country to the brink of default, but a bipartisan majority of us voted to stop that and to protect our economy. When the Speaker brought us a bipartisan bill to fix air travel, that same bipartisan majority of us voted to pass that, too. Is that bipartisan majority gone? No. We are still here. In fact, last night the Speaker brought to the floor a bipartisan bill to provide meaningful tax relief for families and small businesses, and we passed it overwhelmingly. So bring us a bipartisan budget to protect millions of jobs and critical investments in our families. We will pass that, too. Bring us the bipartisan bill agreement to fix the border. We will pass that. The largest majority in this House is our bipartisan majority. Bring us these bills. We will pass each and every one of them, and that is what the American people want and need us to do.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz for doing this Special Order again tonight. This is the second, maybe third time she has done this to ensure that we do everything we can to tell these stories and to convince Hamas and those who fund Hamas to release every single hostage. I am here to speak about Tsahi Idan. He was kidnapped on the 7th. Just after his daughter was killed, he was taken from his wife and his other child. They heard the sirens. They went into their safe room. Before long, a neighbor, who had been forced by Hamas, forced their way into the bomb shelter. Imagine being in there with him. His teenage daughter throws herself against the door to protect herself and her family--her dad, her sister, her mom. She was immediately shot and killed. He sees this, and then is taken, and he has been held hostage for 115 days. I go back to Israel in a couple weeks, and it is entirely possible that I will get to spend time with him if Hamas releases the hostages. Like him, I am a father. I have a teenage daughter. I hate this war. I want this war to end. I join all of us who have called for a cease- fire. We can't end this war until all of the hostages are home. I know that others will stand up tonight and talk about the lives, stories of others being held hostage. Over a hundred still remain in Gaza, including a 1-year-old. It cannot be overlooked by all those pushing for peace and a cease-fire that the quickest way to end this war is for Hamas to release these hostages, to get every single one of these hostages back home to their families and to their communities. I hope that is something we can all agree on.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the efforts to undermine women and girls. The majority brought two bills forward that most Americans would reject. One was a bill to protect misleading antiabortion pregnancy centers that aren't required to use actual medical professionals. The second restricts campuses from using literature that does anything other than encourage women to carry a pregnancy to term. These were bad bills. Instead, I encourage my colleagues to support two bills that we will introduce next week. One, we want to prohibit funding for those pregnancy centers that mislead women and keep them from the medical care they need. Two, we want colleges and universities to address the crisis of sexual assault on campus. Instead of requiring pamphlets to be passed out, they should require colleges and universities to report on sexual assaults and submit plans that would end this nightmare for women on campuses across the country. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to end these efforts to undermine women and girls, and instead, pursue policies that empower and protect all those we serve.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of bipartisanship. There are more than 300 of us in this Chamber that will support a bipartisan budget agreement. Yet, there are a few who want to see the government shut down. A shutdown will lead to any number of awful things with our economy. It will hurt millions of workers and every single American. There are more of us who are determined to keep this government open, but we need a bill, and that is what we are asking for, a bipartisan budget bill that we can pass. Mr. Speaker, this is as serious a moment as it gets.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Madam Speaker, I thank my very good friend and colleague from the great State of Ohio, Marcy Kaptur, for her leadership on this. It is remarkable. Madam Speaker, I, too, rise today in support of Ukraine and its fight against tyranny. Imagine where we would be, the global community, had the United States and Europe joined forces in 1939 to stop Hitler when he invaded Poland? The world is watching us now, and Russia wants nothing more than for the United States and our allies to abandon Ukraine. That is the big win for Putin. Abandoning Ukraine would give Putin and his despots like him the green light to further their wars of imperialism and expansion, and history, as I mentioned, shows us that appeasing autocrats has devastating consequences. Doing so could draw the United States and our allies into direct conflict, putting American troops in harm's way. Ukraine is fighting for its survival. Eastern Europe is fighting for its survival. The United States in partnership with our allies must stand firm by Ukraine's side as it fights to defend its freedom, its sovereignty, and its future. We have to pass a budget. We have to pass this much-needed investment in our global partners. We can, if and when the Speaker realizes how serious of a moment this is and decides to be serious and bring us a bipartisan bill which will pass overwhelmingly.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Chair, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall No. 700. Stated against:

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and to my colleague, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, for bringing us all together today. I would just say a word or two about Doris Liber, who I met a few weeks ago. She came to the Capitol with other families who have loved ones who were taken hostage. Her son, Guy, was taken hostage by Hamas on October 7; 26 years old. He was at a festival with his friends, and terror took over. He was shot in the arm and called his mother. That was the last time she heard his voice. We hope and pray that he is alive and that he will be released. Every single one of these hostages must be released. Hamas must release every single hostage, and they must surrender. They can end this nightmare, and they can end this war.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 643.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Speaker, for personal reasons, I was unable to make votes. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: NAY on Roll Call No. 592; NAY on Roll Call No. 591; NAY on Roll Call No. 590; NAY on Roll Call No. 589; NAY on Roll Call No. 588; NAY on Roll Call No. 587; NAY on Roll Call No. 586; NAY on Roll Call No. 585; NAY on Roll Call No. 584; NAY on Roll Call No. 583; NAY on Roll Call No. 582; NAY on Roll Call No. 581; NAY on Roll Call No. 580; and NAY on Roll Call No. 579.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize our letter carriers in southwest Ohio and across the country. These folks keep our communities connected. They deliver everything from birthday cards to magazines, Social Security checks, and lifesaving medication. They are also facing more and more threats and violence. Hundreds of letter carriers across the country have been assaulted on the job. Earlier this week, in southwest Ohio, there were two armed robberies of letter carriers within 12 hours. Thankfully, they are both expected to fully recover, but this has to stop. We need to protect our letter carriers from these assaults. That is why I have sent requests to the Postmaster General urging him to deploy enhanced training and safety measures and to the Attorney General urging the Department of Justice to prosecute these crimes to the fullest extent of the law. Mr. Speaker, I thank our letter carriers across the country for their service. We will keep working with our colleagues in Congress to fight for them.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor our guest chaplain, Bishop Michael E. Dantley of Christ Emmanuel Christian Fellowship in the neighborhood of Walnut Hills in the city of Cincinnati. Bishop Dantley has been the senior pastor of Christ Emmanuel for over 40 years, almost 50 years. He has worked to establish a grade school and built a program for the homeless, formerly incarcerated, and men battling addiction. He has been honored by numerous community groups, including the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio, and uplifts his congregation with messages of hope and healing every week. As you heard today, he invokes action--to act for the good of our neighbors, especially the least of these. Bishop Dantley has been a guide and source of strength for me, inspiring me to act even when I wasn't sure I could and to act in service of those I represent, especially those most marginalized. I thank Bishop Dantley not just for joining me today but for his decades of service to our community and our country.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to officially welcome folks from the Warren County Chamber Alliance to the Capitol this week. I am so proud to represent these folks here in Congress and so glad that they are here in Washington these past few days. These leaders are incredible advocates for our Warren County businesses and residents. We have had a very productive time discussing our bipartisan policy work and how our office can help them in their work. They have great projects, from road updates to high-speed internet expansion to updating water lines. We hope to have over $14 million coming back to southwest Ohio in this budget, which, when passed, will help ensure that these projects are fully funded. Again, I am proud to officially recognize their visit to D.C. this week and look forward to continuing our work together.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of our workers, specifically our autoworkers. Right now, they are doing what many of us came here to do, which is to get wages up. They want to get their wages up. It is really important for this Congress to stand with them, not just for their families but for our economy. They work for companies, great American companies, that have made tens of billions of dollars in profit. If we allow the profit to just be concentrated among a few, our economy won't grow as fast. If we say to the hundreds of thousands of autoworkers, yes, you deserve a very big raise, that means that the spending power will be distributed in a way that will grow our economy much faster. I stand with our autoworkers. I believe in what they are doing, and I wish them the best luck as they continue to negotiate for better wages and better working conditions.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and work of Sinead O'Connor. For me, Sinead was the first truly incredible singer songwriter, and she made me think. She made all of us think about justice and about fairness. She made us think about who gets left behind and why it is on us to care for those left out. She stood up for the most vulnerable, not only in her songs, but at the expense of her own career. Mr. Speaker, I will take this 1 minute to make sure that her family, friends, and fans know how much she meant to so many of us. May we all, especially those of us in Congress, honor her by fighting for those in our communities who are most marginalized.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the historic grand opening of the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame. Thanks to the work of Hamilton County Commission President, Alicia Reece, the Black Music Walk of Fame is a one-of-a-kind interactive tourism attraction that will celebrate the untold stories and legacies of artists from southwest Ohio, attracting families from across the region, country, and globe. Cincinnati is home to many transformational Black artists, from Otis Williams to Bootsy Collins to Penny Ford. Thanks to the dedication and tireless efforts of President Reece, these artists will forever be honored on the banks of the Ohio River for all to see. The Black Music Walk of Fame will inspire future generations of artists as well as drive tourism and growth. It is my honor to represent such talent and passion. Madam Speaker, I congratulate President Reece and all of those who have worked so hard to transform this vision of the Black Music Walk of Fame into reality.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Speaker, during Roll Call Vote Number 315, I mistakenly recorded my vote as Aye when I should have voted No.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome President Herzog of Israel to the Capitol tomorrow. Israel is a critical partner of ours and essential to our national security. It is one of the most inclusive and progressive democracies in the world with high voter turnout, a diverse legislature, a Pride event in Tel Aviv that is one of the biggest Pride events in the world. We must continue to grow our special relationship with Israel. We also know that the path to peace and security and a two-state outcome will be a strong governing authority in the West Bank and then Gaza. This will help get the mostly Iranian-backed terror groups out of the West Bank. The key will be for European and Arab nations to help our Palestinian friends establish this legitimate governing authority. With this, we will be on an historic path toward peace and better lives for both Israelis and Palestinians. Again, I welcome President Herzog. We are so glad he is here, and I hope that this unique and special relationship between our countries continues to grow stronger and stronger all in our effort to promote peace and prosperity around the world.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my amendment to the CHOICE Arrangement Act because we have to do way more to cut healthcare costs for our families. I have offered an amendment to cap the cost of insulin for all children and young people at $35 a month. Last Congress capped insulin for seniors, and I believe that this Congress should do it for our children. We can make life just a little bit easier for hundreds of thousands of our families dealing with diabetes. If we want to actually cut healthcare costs, this is the way we do it. This will save everyone money, including taxpayers. This is a bipartisan issue, and so I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and cut costs for children and families. This Congress needs this bipartisan win and hundreds of thousands of families need the relief.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 382, condemning the rise of antisemitism and calling on elected officials to identify and educate others on the contributions of the Jewish American community. I also thank my colleague, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, for her leadership on this and many other issues. As a member of the Jewish community, this is deeply personal for me and my family. Like all parents, I want my children to be safe no matter where they go. I also want them and their culture, their Jewishness, to be understood and appreciated by others. Unfortunately, we are not there yet. Last year, an individual in our community, who went by the name ``Paleface'' online, was arrested just moments after he announced that he would soon drive with his many assault weapons to local synagogues to kill as many Jews as he could. He was, fortunately, stopped. I am also the Representative of the First Congressional District in Ohio, which is home to the city of Cincinnati and the Nancy and David Wolf Holocaust and Humanity Center, which is dedicated to the work of this resolution: providing learning experiences that touch hearts and change minds. It was founded by local Holocaust survivors, and it is committed to education that inspires action, not only in Cincinnati, but around the entire Nation. I want to lift up the Holocaust and Humanity Center and Cincinnati and encourage my colleagues to seek them out to identify and educate others on the contributions of the Jewish-American community and to end anti-Semitism now and forever.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my friends in the majority to think about this from a different perspective: It is June, and you all have defaulted on America. Millions of people have lost their jobs. Our economy is in shambles. Madam Speaker, you would look back and say to yourself: There were things we could have done. We should not have left. We should not have left D.C. We should not have left the Capitol. There are solutions. There is a discharge petition behind me. Two hundred thirteen Members have signed it. We just need five more, and we have a vote. There is a bipartisan solution from the Problem Solvers Caucus. We could vote on it early next week. You could lock leadership in a room, negotiate, and finish this thing. It requires, however, folks to come back to work. Gavel us back in, and protect millions and millions of people from losing their jobs. Come back.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today during National Police Week to encourage my colleagues to support a bipartisan bill to help our communities better recruit and retain local law enforcement professionals. This week a bipartisan group from Ohio introduced H.R. 3376, the Enhancing COPS Hiring Program Grants for Local Law Enforcement Act. My colleagues from Ohio, Republican and Democratic, Congressman Carey, Congressman Miller, and Congresswoman Strong Sykes, have partnered together to alleviate the strain on local police departments by expanding the COPS hiring program. This bill will allow them to use existing grant dollars for recruitment and retention bonuses. We will also be introducing similar legislation for communities to better recruit and retain firefighters. Public safety is a top priority for me. We are making sure police and fire departments across the country have what they need to keep our children and families safe. I hope Members will join us in this fight.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Chair, I rise today in opposition to this bill. I hate bullies. This bill is about bullying children. Children struggle with identity, gender, and otherwise. As a parent, I need all the other adults, teachers, coaches, and lawmakers to help me and my wife to protect our children, support them, give them a sense of purpose and belonging. This is the opposite of that. You are picking on children. Your government has become so intrusive in our lives. You are in our doctors' offices banning reproductive freedom. You are in our classrooms banning books and what teachers can and can't say. Now, you are in my daughter's locker room requiring physical exams of children? It is so profoundly disgusting and inappropriate. It is un-American. Don't tread on us. Let us be. We have an economy to fix, a public safety crisis to address, a border to secure, a budget to balance, roads to pave, and bridges to build. Focus. Stop bullying children.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about freedom in the context of the Supreme Court's decision to extend their decisionmaking timeframe as to whether or not this country is going to ban a pill that has been approved by the FDA for over 20 years. This is a safe pill, and it is about reproductive freedom. Make no mistake, it is also about control. This is about stripping Americans of their reproductive freedom, and I think immediately to my own 13-year-old daughter and her freedoms. We need everyone in this body to object to this national ban and to come together to restore freedom to millions of girls and women across America. This is a defining moment in our country. We need the majority of us to stand on the side of freedom.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call for a bipartisan House and Senate select committee to address gun violence. Later this week, the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force will meet, and I pray that substantive work will emerge. The Second Amendment provides Americans the right to have a gun to protect themselves and their families and rifles to hunt. Weapons of war are different. To be clear, we are talking about the weapons that spray hundreds of bullets in seconds, tearing bodies to shreds. The folks in my district, whether they are Republicans or Democrats or Independents, are on the same page. They want us to double or triple the number of mental health professionals, pass red flag laws, safe storage laws, and have commonsense, comprehensive background checks to keep these guns and rifles away from people who want to hurt others. Most agree that these weapons of war have no place in our communities or anywhere near our children. We need both parties to be about public safety. This bipartisan group of both House and Senate Members can make it happen, and we have to act fast.

Mr. LANDSMAN

Mr. LANDSMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of my favorite people and a Cincinnati radio icon, Lincoln Ware. For 50 years now, across southwest Ohio, folks have listened to Lincoln Ware. From deejaying aboard the USS Midway as a marine to WCIN, one of the oldest, Black radio stations in the country, to helping ``The Buzz'' get off the ground with the very famous ``Lincoln Ware Show'' to his talk show ``Cincinnati Issues'' on Star 64, Lincoln has made an enormous impact on our city and region. Off the airwaves, Lincoln is always out in the community. From celebrations to protests, he is there. You can even join him as part of his walking club at Winton Woods on Saturdays during the spring, summer, and most of the fall. He brings humor, wisdom, and clarity to thousands of Cincinnatians every day. I thank Lincoln, and I congratulate him.