Betty McCollum

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I do not support continued funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). I will vote no on H.R. 7148 because it does nothing to stop the dangerous and illegal activity of ICE and Border Patrol agents. The Department of Homeland Security's Operation Metro Surge, under the direction of Secretary Noem, has brought 3,000 unidentified federal agents into Minnesota's communities. This surge is not about immigration enforcement. If it were, the Trump Administration would focus their efforts on states like Texas, which has 20 times as many undocumented immigrants as Minnesota, or Florida which has 12 times as many. Instead, President Trump and Secretary Noem have brought fear and chaos to the Twin Cities and across Minnesota with this disproportionate and punitive surge. I want to state for the record what is happening on the ground in my state. Minnesotans are experiencing a coordinated violation of our civil rights by the federal government. Journalists and protesters are being arrested in violation of their 1st amendment rights to speech. The right of protestors under the 2nd amendment to lawfully be armed in a public space is being questioned by President Trump. DHS agents are entering homes using administrative warrants that conflict with the 4th amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure. Minnesotans are being detained without cause in violation of the 5th amendment right to due process. And this entire surge is being used to attempt to coerce our state government into capitulating to federal government demands, in violation of the 10th amendment. Minnesotans are being racially profiled on a mass scale, assaulted on our streets, and kidnapped from their homes. Two United States citizens--Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti--were killed in our streets by DHS agents. Today, in my district and throughout the state, people are afraid to leave their homes. Children are not going to school. Families are not attending religious services. Small businesses are closed. Many of my neighbors now live in a consistent state of chaos and fear. When they do go out, many citizens and legal immigrants are now carrying their passports with them. If they do not have a valid passport, which half of Americans do not, they may resort to carrying around birth certificates or whatever other legal papers they have. This is not the America that I learned about as a child or that I taught about as a social studies teacher. This is what we learn about when we study the behavior of dictatorships and how they rule with fear and oppression. I ask my colleagues to believe your eyes, not the lies. This is what we are seeing and experiencing in Minnesota, and it is all being done at the direction of the President of the United States. Right now, in Minnesota, we are standing up for our neighbors. We are defending our rights and the rights of everyone in this Nation. To all who are volunteering their time and effort to drive their neighbors, to escort children to school, and to deliver food: I thank them for standing together. We are one Minnesota. To the peaceful demonstrators and observers: I thank them for their voice and their commitment. They are often the only ones delivering the transparency that our federal government refuses to provide. For that, they have not only experienced frostbite, but they have also been threatened and roughed up and detained for exercising their constitutional rights. Agents have shown up to some of their homes to tell them they are watching them. But they continue to be a model for our Nation of courage, compassion, and conviction. I could not be prouder of my state and its people. And so that brings me to my vote this week. I strongly oppose combining Homeland Security funding with the other important Appropriations bills in this package. I wish that it had not been tied to funding for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Treasury, State, and Defense. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I know the hard work and collaboration that went into producing these bipartisan funding agreements. However, I cannot in good conscience support any bill with funding for DHS while this dangerous surge in Minnesota continues and without real oversight and constraints on ICE and Border Patrol. I understand that some of my colleagues will be voting for this package with the hope that we will make those changes. But, unfortunately, in the face of this Administration's words and actions, I cannot share that optimism. Last Thursday, White House border Czar Tom Homan announced that there would be a drawdown of federal immigration agents in Minnesota. When asked by a reporter that same day whether a drawdown would occur, President Trump stated: ``No, no, not at all.'' Considering that President Trump has rejected his own Border Czar's intentions to reduce the presence of federal agents in Minnesota, I have no reason to believe that the Trump Administration will implement the reforms necessary to protect the safety of the people of Minnesota. I will vote no today on H.R. 7148. In the coming weeks, my vote will depend on what controls we can put in place for ICE and Border Patrol. We must see an end to the surge in Minnesota, and a guarantee of independent investigations into the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and of other abuse and misconduct by DHS agents. We must institute changes for the conduct of ICE and CBP agents, including restrictions on their use of force, mandating the use of judicial warrants for searches, and an end to the use of roving patrols and racial profiling. We must improve the transparency and accountability of DHS operations by requiring that ICE and CBP agents wear functioning body cameras capturing archival footage. Proper uniforms must be worn displaying agency affiliation so that the public knows they are interacting with federal officers. Clear identification with a unique ID number must be displayed so that illegal behavior of an individual officer can be prosecuted in a court of law, as with any other public servant. My vote against DHS funding today will stand in solidarity with Minnesotans, to honor the lives of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and to demand changes that will protect our democracy. It will be a vote to uphold the values I brought with me to Congress, which are the values of Minnesota: honesty, respect, and caring for our neighbors.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.J. Res. 142, which would override a tax reform made by D.C.'s elected City Council. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) runs out of funding in less than ten days. Republicans should be using this valuable time to negotiate a bipartisan deal to see an end to DHS's violent tactics in the Twin Cities and Minnesota at large. But what pressing issue does the Republican Majority want to tackle instead? They want to waste more of the American people's time by debating and overturning local laws of the District of Columbia. Mr. Speaker, none of us ran for or were elected to serve as D.C. City Council members. I have been a city council member. It is a very different job, with a direct line of responsibility to the residents who elect you to deal with everything from potholes to public safety. That local representation and local responsiveness is a key part of our democracy, and Republicans are proposing to strip that local self- governance away from the residents of the District of Columbia. All Members of Congress are sent here by our constituents to represent their interests, and to vote on matters of federal importance. We are not sent here to rule on specific local ordinances or decisions made by the cities and counties in any of our districts. Yet Republicans have brought H.J. Res. 142 to the floor to do exactly that. Republicans want to tell the District of Columbia's 700,000 residents that the laws and policies they have voted for, and that were crafted by their local elected officials, are null and void. D.C. residents deserve the same right to govern themselves as we enjoy in the 4th District. That is why I urge my colleagues to reject H.J. Res. 142, which would overturn local tax credits designed to reduce child poverty and support families facing economic hardship. Congress should never prevent a municipality from using its own locally raised funds to strengthen their community. Today, I will vote to defend the rights of the residents of D.C.--as I would my own constituents--to ensure Republicans do not override these important budgetary decisions enacted by the D.C. City Council. I will not vote for these attempts to decide those issues for a single district at the local level, whether in the District of Columbia or in the districts of any Member of Congress. Mr. Speaker, I respect the will of D.C. residents to shape their local government through their local elections, and that is why I will not support H.J. Res. 142. I urge my colleagues in the majority to focus on issues of national importance, like negotiating a bipartisan deal to rein in the Department of Homeland Security, and leave the governing of D.C. to their city council.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I voted today not to continue funding for the Department of Homeland Security without real oversight and constraints on ICE and Border Patrol. Minnesotans are being racially profiled on a mass scale, assaulted on their streets, and kidnapped from their homes. Peaceful demonstrators are being threatened and detained for exercising their First Amendment rights. Two American citizens were killed on our streets by Department of Homeland Security agents. This is not the America that we learned about in civics class. This is the behavior of a dictatorship. We live in a democracy, where even the President must follow the rule of law and the Constitution. My vote against the funding today for DHS was to stand in solidarity with Minnesotans to demand changes that will protect our democracy. We are one Minnesota. We will continue to care for our neighbors and to stand up for our rights because they are your rights, too.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the FY2026 Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act. Due to the perseverance of my colleagues, Ranking Members DeLauro, Hoyer, and Frankel, the legislation before us protects funding for Democratic priorities, reasserts Congress's power of the purse, and rejects Republicans' poison pill riders. The fiscal year 2026 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations bill upholds U.S. leadership abroad and invests into vital programs that support humanitarian aid, development, and democracy building. This bill, while imperfect, rebukes President Trump's attacks on foreign aid by allocating $5.5 billion for humanitarian assistance, $9.4 billion to support the State Department's Diplomatic Programs, and $3.5 billion for global health programs that support maternal and child health and fighting infectious diseases. All of these areas were cut significantly in the President's budget and the House Republican appropriations bill. In addition to the improvements made to humanitarian assistance programs, this bill also makes strides in international conservation and environmental programs. The conferenced agreement removes Republican policy riders that would have prohibited any funding to the Green Climate Fund, the Clean Technology Fund, and implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement, and saved the Global Environment Facility from elimination. The fiscal year 2026 Financial Services and General Government bill provides critical assistance to small businesses in the Twin Cities by rejecting cuts to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund. The CDFI Fund promotes economic development in distressed urban, rural, and tribal communities. CDFIs leverage capital from the CDFI Fund to catalyze investment in the Twin Cities that grows our small businesses, develops housing units, increases access to financial services, and creates jobs. Over the past year, President Trump has proposed eliminating the CDFI Fund, has fired CDFI Fund staff, and withheld funding that Congress appropriated intended for our small businesses. As Trump administration and ICE are terrorizing our community and small businesses, it is more important than ever that the CDFI Fund remain fully funded to assist small business owners as our community rebuilds after this crisis. While these bills were not ideal, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan agreement.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Chair, it was a very rough appropriations cycle at times, so I thank Mr. Cole and Ms. DeLauro for leading us through this and for making sure that our government does not shut down again. I thank them both for their work. Madam Chair, the staff lost their holiday break and time with their families to get this bill done. Particularly, I thank Jennifer, Jason, Ed, and in my personal office, Ben and Lisa, for all of the work that they did. I also thank Adam Sullivan and the entire majority staff. A special shout-out to Bill Adkins for his work and dedication to our national security. Bill recently departed to work at the National Reconnaissance Office, and we all wish him well. Madam Chair, a special warm thank you to Chairman Calvert for working in a bipartisan manner to get this Defense bill done. As always, legislation is a compromise, but I am glad that the harmful partisan riders have been removed. We know that this process would go much more quickly without having to debate them each year. This bill does include several important provisions to support military personnel and their families. It includes a well-deserved 3.8 percent pay increase. Medical research programs have been increased with a total of $100.7 billion, and that includes nearly $1.3 billion for congressionally directed medical research programs. That is an increase of $620 million above last year. These programs are important. They support efforts to develop lifesaving treatments for cancer, disease, and other service-related injuries, and these advances in medical research and knowledge will improve healthcare and outcomes for our entire civilian population. This bill makes $400 million in funding available to Ukraine, and I strongly believe that we should continue to support our Ukrainian allies. I am also pleased that this bill does not include additional funding to cover operations in the Caribbean and Venezuela. Congress needs to do more to rein in the President's military interventions that have not been authorized by Congress. We should pass a Venezuelan War Powers Resolution to do just that. The bill also contains language to reaffirm our ironclad support in Congress for our NATO allies and all 32 members. That includes Denmark and, especially, my good neighbor to the north, Canada. I am disappointed that we were unable to include stronger language making it clear that President Trump needs to keep Greenland free. The future of Greenland is up to its people, the Kingdom of Denmark, not the President of the United States. Madam Chair, this bill has been negotiated in good faith and in a very bipartisan way. I urge Members to support it.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this bill. This year, Minnesota has witnessed a state of unbelievable violence, which has led to chaos and terror at the hands of President Trump and DHS. Minnesotans are being racially profiled on a mass scale, assaulted on our streets, and kidnapped from our communities. Just the other day, a 5-year-old child was used as bait to get members of his household to come out so masked people in front of this 5-year-old could handcuff and carry family members away. Masked Federal agents are seizing parents, yes, in front of terrified children, and many of these people we are finding had no record and were here legally. American citizens and permanent residents are snatched from their cars, and they are taken to detention centers. I worked on one case this past weekend. It was cold, and a woman was warming up her car. She was taken out of her car. She was taken to Whipple. Then she was taken to Sherburne County and then back to Whipple again. Oh, and in between, she had to go to the hospital because of a head injury, and her arms, her wrists, might be suffering permanent damage. This was a citizen, a citizen, mind you. This is the worst case of mass civil rights violations by the Federal Government in recent history. Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks ago, Minnesota stood up to call out these illegal abuses by masked Federal agents, and a citizen, a mother of three in Minneapolis, Renee Good, was shot and killed. It is happening right here, right now in Minnesota in the United States of America, and it needs to stop now. Not one penny of our taxpayer dollars should go to DHS while our constitutional rights are being violated.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, in my last 30 seconds let me just say: Vote no. Vote for our constitutional rights. Vote for due process. Vote ``no'' on this bill.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this legislation, which risks polluting the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, as has been stated, our Nation's most visited wilderness. If this resolution passes and the mineral withdrawal is overturned, toxic sulfide-ore copper mining will contaminate the water and the habitat in this priceless wilderness. The BWCA is a huge reserve of the most pristine water in the United States, so clean you can directly drink from its lakes or streams. This water is under threat once again. In 2017, the Obama administration applied for a mineral withdrawal of the Rainy River Watershed--the watershed is up here--which is the headwaters that flows into the Boundary Waters Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park. It started a 2-year environmental study, which included extensive public input and scientific review. While the Rainy River Watershed was being studied, Paradise Valley in Montana and Methow Valley in Washington State were going through the same exact process. All three of those watersheds were threatened by sulfide-ore mining. In Montana and Washington, those studies were able to be completed, and their mineral withdrawals happened in 2018, protecting their waters, but the Rainy River Watershed was left unfinished. When President Trump took office, his administration initially promised to complete the study. Instead, President Trump honored his promise from a campaign rally and did not protect the watershed. His administration canceled the study for Minnesota's watershed without releasing any of the scientific findings. This is what we received in the committee instead, and it is an entirely redacted study--no information, nothing scientific in it, nothing, all blank. Now, I serve on the Defense Committee. If we needed to go in a SCIF, I would have been happy to go in the SCIF and get this if it was so classified it had to be redacted. The protection of the headwaters of the BWCA was abandoned. The Biden administration decided to finish the study, and they followed the scientific recommendations and the public input. In 2022, a comprehensive environmental assessment was finally completed. The Forest Service recommended a mineral withdrawal to protect the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, just as it had for the waters in Montana and Washington. Currently, we have 17 years left of a 20-year mineral withdrawal that is protecting and preserving this water, but today Republicans want to overturn those protections using, in my opinion, a legislative stunt. In January 2023, almost 3 years ago, the mineral withdrawal was completed. It was noticed under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. The law was followed. The Department of the Interior notified the Congress of the withdrawal on January 26, 2023, and as my colleague, the ranking member from the committee, just pointed out, we all received those letters. I received one. Mr. Stauber received one. The chair of the committee received one. Everybody got a letter. Then Congress had 90 days to adopt a resolution of disapproval. Republicans have tried to disapprove of the withdrawal, but they weren't able to bring it to the floor. Congress didn't ask, and the window of disapproval closed. Now they are trying to use the Congressional Review Act to get a do- over. The CRA wasn't created to overturn a public land order, especially one that is nearly 3 years old. CRA resolutions are for rules, which public land orders are not, and they are to be used within 60 days of the congressional notice, not 3 years later. Let me point out another, in my opinion, falsehood about this legislation. I am the ranking member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. There is no immediate national security interest that would be advanced by mining in this watershed. How do we know this? We know this because Antofagasta, as has been pointed out, is a Chilean mining company who owns Twin Metals. It is lobbying to undo the current mineral withdrawal and restore their leases to extract the copper. Here is what Antofagasta does with the extracted copper, and we can't say this enough: They send it to China where it is smelted and then it is sold on the open market or it is used for its own defense weapons. This resolution is not about national security. This is about water, the world's most critical natural resource, and it must be protected not only for today but for future generations. We have a responsibility to future generations to have water available. Also, in my opinion, some places are just too precious to mine. I urge my colleagues to oppose the resolution. Mr. Speaker, before I do that, I would like to enter the following documents into the Congressional Record: The January 2023 notification to Congress, the letter we all received; the redacted environmental assessment; and the complete environmental assessment. The links are as follows: The combined letter notification to Congress can be found at: mccollum. house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/mccollum. house.gov/files/evo- media-document/blm-correspondence_rep-westerman_ rainy-river- withdrawal-combined.pdf. The redacted environmental assessment can be found at: Mccollum. house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/mccollum. house.gov/files/evo-media- document/sept-2018_fs-ea_fully-redacted.pdf. The complete environmental assessment can be found at: mccollum.house. gov/sites/evo-subsites/mccollum.house. gov/files/evo- media-document/02-rainy-river-withdrawal-ea.pdf. Mr. Speaker, I also include two letters. The first letter is a letter dated January 16, 2026, from a group of hunters and anglers opposing this legislation; and the second letter is a letter dated January 20, 2026, from a group of environmental organizations opposing this legislation. January 16, 2026. Hon. Mike Johnson, Speaker, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Leader, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, and Members of the House of Representatives: On behalf of the 80 undersigned organizations and their millions of members, we respectfully urge you to vote NO on House Joint Resolution 140, which would revoke critical protections for the watershed of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness--one of the nation's most visited and expansive wilderness areas. The Boundary Waters and downstream Voyageurs National Park are currently protected by Public Land Order 7917, the 20- year mineral withdrawal banning copper mining on federal public lands in the headwaters of these beloved wild lands. This mineral withdrawal was based on the U.S. Forest Service's comprehensive Environmental Assessment, which concluded that sulfide-ore copper mining near the Boundary Waters would cause irreversible harm to the ecosystem and downstream Voyageurs National Park. The analysis completed by the Forest Service in 2022 included 675,000 public comments, over 95% of which favored protecting the Boundary Waters and Voyageurs from sulfide-ore copper mining. In early January, this Public Land Order (7917) was challenged under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), despite Public Land Orders having never been deemed a rule subject to the law. Instead, statutory requirements for Public Land Orders have always been dictated by the Federal Land Management and Policy Act of 1976. Using the CRA to attack these protections also creates a reckless precedent that would allow Congress to retroactively target virtually any public land action as a `rule.' Beyond setting a dangerous precedent, removing Boundary Waters protections by passing this CRA would blatantly ignore the voices of the American people and prioritize the profits of a foreign mining company--Chilean conglomerate Antofagasta--over the interest of this nation's citizenry and beloved public lands. Once compromised, the Boundary Waters cannot be restored. This region is much more than a beautiful place. It embodies the best of our public lands: clean water, expansive habitat, world-class recreation, and a strong, sustainable local economy. Generations of Midwesterners and Americans from across the country have formed deep connections to nature through hunting, fishing, camping, canoeing, and hiking in the Boundary Waters. Allowing copper mining to proceed by overturning the mineral withdrawal puts at risk not only the environment but also the regional economy. The outdoor recreation economy in northeastern Minnesota supports over 17,000 jobs and contributes more than $1 billion in annual sales. Studies consistently show that protecting the Boundary Waters generates stronger and more sustainable economic benefits than short term and toxic sulfide-ore copper mining. We urge you to vote no on H.J.R. 140. Do not sell out our wilderness and public lands against the will of Americans who want these special places preserved. Sincerely, Alaska Wilderness League; Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance (ABRA); American Bird Conservancy; American Hunters & Anglers; Big Mountain Dreams; BlueGreen Generation; Bolder Options; Californians for Western Wilderness; Cascade Forest Conservancy; Center for Biological Diversity; Change the Chamber; Clean Water Action Minnesota; Colorado Mountain Club; Colorado Wild Public Lands; Conservation Colorado; Conservation Lands Foundation; Conservation Minnesota; Conservation Northwest; Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship; Crow River Trail Guards. CURE; Earthjustice Action; Earthworks; EcoFtight; Elders Climate Action; Endangered Species Coalition; Environment America; Environment Minnesota; Environmental Action; Environmental Law & Policy Center; Environmental Law & Policy Center; Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness; Giniw Collective; Great Old Broads for Wilderness; Healthy Ocean Coalition; Inland Ocean Coalition; Izaak Walton League of America; John Muir Project; League of Conservation Voters; Living Rivers Colorado Riverkeeper; Lutefisk Technologies, Inc. MN Center for Environmental Advocacy; mtn bio; National Parks Conservation Association; Natural Resources Defense Council; Nebraska Division IWLA; New Mexico Wild; New York State Division IWLA; Next 100 Coalition; Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment; Ocean Defense Initiative; Ohio Division IWLA; One Mississippi; Outdoor Alliance; Presbyterians for Earth Care; Quiet Use Coalition; Rivers Without Borders; Rocky Mountain Wild; San Juan Citizens Alliance; Sanitas Sales Group; Save Lake Superior Association; Save Our Sky Blue Waters. Save the Boundary Waters; Sheep Mountain Alliance; Sierra Club; Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance; Standing Trees; Student Public Interest Research Groups; The Conservation Alliance; The Wilderness Society; Vet Voice Foundation; Voyageurs Conservancy; Washington Wild; WaterLegacy; West Virginia Division IWLA; Western Slope Conservation Center; Western Watersheds Project; Wild Montana; Wilderness Watch; Wilderness Workshop; Wisconsin Division IWLA.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the FY2026 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill, division B of H.R. 6938. This bipartisan agreement protects funding for Democratic priorities, reasserts Congress's power of the purse, and rejects Republicans' poison pill riders. Due to the perseverance of my colleagues, Ranking Members DeLauro and Kaptur, the legislation before us today provides a critical $2.4 billion increase over FY2025 to address rising energy costs for American families, strengthen our water infrastructure, and improve climate resilience. This bill represents a stark contrast to the dangerous proposal that passed the House in September. House Republicans previously advanced H.R. 4553, a fiscal year 2026 Energy and Water bill that would have devastated Minnesota families, Minnesota's clean energy economy, and advanced President Trump's attacks on clean energy. I voted against that harmful legislation, which would have raised energy costs and weakened our national security. The contrast is especially stark when it comes to programs that help vulnerable Minnesotans. Last year, House Republicans voted for a 44 percent cut to the Weatherization Assistance Program, which helps low- income households lower their utility bills by improving home energy efficiency. Thankfully, the bill before us today provides more than $3 million for this program which will help roughly 1,200 Minnesotans weatherize their homes each year, saving families about $372 annually on their energy bills. Our global competitors like China are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in clean-energy development. We must do the same. The bill before us today makes the United States competitive by investing $3 billion in energy efficiency and renewable energy programs at the Department of Energy, rejecting President Trump and Congressional Republicans' crusade on clean energy. As more than 62,000 Minnesotans work in clean energy, I am glad to see that this bill protects Minnesota's clean energy economy. The clean energy sector in Minnesota has been growing five times faster than Minnesota's overall job growth and Federal investments in clean energy and energy efficiency will directly support these good-paying jobs. Since taking office, Trump has been jeopardizing clean-energy jobs in Minnesota by terminating clean-energy incentives in his so-called ``One Big Beautiful Bill,'' canceling grants, and illegally withholding funds from state, local and tribal governments. These actions are stalling clean-energy projects and eliminating high-wage jobs. We cannot afford to abandon these investments during a worsening climate crisis. American families are already struggling with high energy bills. But the need to develop our own homegrown clean and sustainable energy isn't just a matter of economic security; it's also about our national security. The Department of Defense considers climate change to be a top national security concern. Climate change is making nations around the world more unstable and less safe. It's also hurting our military readiness here at home, with sea-level rise and extreme weather flooding our bases. Permafrost thaw is making Alaskan runways unusable. Radar stations are at risk of falling into the sea. America can, and must, meet the new age frontiers of energy and water, and invest in our workers, protect our water, and power our future. I thank my colleagues for their overwhelming bipartisan support for this bill, and I urge the Senate to move with haste to get this legislation to the President's desk to be signed into law. We don't have the luxury of ignoring the very real effects of climate change happening around us--especially when they're affecting our lives and livelihoods and our national security. Future generations will pay the highest costs if we fail to act. As your representative, I will continue to fight for these critical investments because Minnesotans deserve better. Our children and grandchildren deserve better. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan agreement.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member DeLauro and Chairman Cole for their work in bringing this bipartisan package to the floor. I especially thank Ranking Member Pingree and Chair Simpson. I serve on the subcommittee with them. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation that secures funding for public safety, public infrastructure, public lands and, yes, public health. This bill will help reassert Congress' Article I power of the purse and provide clear funding direction to this administration. I want to highlight how this bill maintains funding to our trust and treaty responsibilities to Indian Country. It continues to support education, healthcare, public safety, and human services for our Native American brothers and sisters. This bill maintains Indian Health Service advanced appropriations, which is targeted for elimination by President Trump's budget. I thank the leaders for their work on making this part of the bill. The Tribal leaders fought hard to establish this advanced appropriations security, and I am glad it is included. I am so proud of our bipartisan ranking members working hard to get this provision and this bill across the line. I am pleased this bill includes nearly $9 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency, a significant increase over the House position and twice that of what the White House had proposed for the EPA. This bill also fully funds the National Endowment for the Arts and the Humanities at $207 million each. This bill, as has been pointed out, rejects all the poison pill riders. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this appropriations bill.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise to voice my opposition to H.R. 6703, the so-called Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act. This bill does nothing to address the health care affordability crisis and is full of tired, failed ideas from previous GOP efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Donald Trump and House Republicans have never had a health care plan for the American people. Despite having fifteen years to plan and come up with ways to improve or replace the ACA, they've only tried to repeal it--over 50 times. Republicans' failure to extend the ACA tax credits means that more than 20 million Americans will be paying twice as much on average to buy the same health care plan they have today. President Trump had no problem extending tax cuts for millionaires, billionaires, and large corporations in his Big Ugly Bill--yet he and his GOP cronies won't even extend temporary tax credits to help Americans afford their health care. This did not need to happen. We're here because Republicans refused to work with Democrats and allowed for the longest government shutdown in U.S. history rather than come to the table and negotiate. The clock is ticking, and while I'm pleased that a few Republicans joined Democrats in an effort to extend the tax credits, this effort came too late. Americans are receiving notices about their premiums doubling and are making decisions right now to either pay exorbitantly higher rates, opt for a plan that offers less coverage, or go without health coverage altogether. President Trump has put forward a fake alternative--junk health care plans and a $1,000 HSA that will keep folks paying more for less. Do not be misled. This proposal will put millions of Americans health coverage at risk and will leave as many as 4 million Americans uninsured. Mr. Speaker, Democrats have been sounding the alarm about the ACA tax credits for months, yet Republicans spent their time cutting a trillion dollars from the health care system instead. It is insulting to the American people that they waited until two weeks before the tax credits expire to introduce a half-baked plan that doesn't help anyone afford the skyrocketing prices and that they knew Democrats would not support. I oppose this legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, 'tis the week before Christmas, and here on the Hill, to keep health insurance premiums from skyrocketing, we have just the bill. A majority of the House is ready to vote ``yes,'' but the Speaker is sending us home. Why? It is anyone's guess. ACA enhanced premium tax credits expire at the end of the year. Without them, millions will not afford healthcare, I fear. Small business owners and employees, gig workers, farmers, and the self-employed, too, without those tax credits, they don't know what they will do. The Speaker shrugged, saying our work for the year is done, but there is one bill we should pass before heading home--just one. Two hundred eighteen House Members signed a petition to bring a 3- year tax credit extension to the floor. We should vote on it now before we head for the door. We will vote in January, so don't give up the fight. In the meantime, may your holiday season be merry and bright.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 61 and H. Con. Res. 64, War Powers resolutions that direct President Trump to remove the U.S. military from hostilities in the Caribbean and against Venezuela unless explicitly authorized by Congress. Since September 2, 2025, the Trump administration has conducted 25 military strikes on vessels in the Western Hemisphere, which they state to be carrying narcotics. At least 95 people have been killed in these strikes. Not one of these strikes has been authorized by Congress and I have publicly called for them to cease because I believe them to be unlawful extrajudicial killings. The footage of the strike on September 2, 2025, which I have viewed in a classified setting, is deeply alarming and calls into question the Trump administration's respect for the laws of armed conflict. I have called on Secretary Hegseth and Secretary Rubio to immediately release the strike video in its entirety, so that the American public understands what President Trump has ordered in the Caribbean without any authorization from Congress. Congress has a responsibility to fully investigate not only the September 2, 2025, strike but the Trump administration's entire operation in the Caribbean and should take testimony from Secretary Hegseth, U.S. Special Operations Commander Admiral Frank Bradley, and retired U.S. Southern Commander Admiral Alvin Holsey. Beyond these strikes, the Trump administration has spent months conducting a large-scale military buildup in the Caribbean but has completely failed to explain the rationale to Congress. A military posture that includes a carrier strike group is wildly disproportionate to the goal of prosecuting counter-narcotics missions. The financial costs of Operation Southern Spear are significant and will likely run into billions of dollars. Keeping a carrier strike group on station longer than planned will result in additional maintenance costs, as well as unforeseen accidents, as we just saw with the USS Harry Truman's high operational tempo while deployed in the Middle East. It is unfortunate that the Department of Defense has failed to provide the Appropriations Committee with a full account of operational costs in SOUTHCOM and a projection of what future costs may be incurred. Military units supporting Operation Southern Spear are incurring a different type of cost, lost time training for missions that they would have undertaken had they not been diverted to the President's unauthorized activities in SOUTHCOM. President Trump has also made several public comments about the potential for U.S. military forces to be used to remove Nicolas Maduro from power in Venezuela. President Trump has even directed the seizure of oil tankers in the region to apply pressure in Venezuela. As a Member of Congress who voted against authorizing the disastrous Iraq War, I believe that a war to enact regime change in Venezuela would be a catastrophic decision. That is why these two war powers resolutions are so critically important, President Trump and his administration are out of control. The Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war and authorize military action. Because Congress has not done so in this case, the military activities directed by President Trump in SOUTHCOM are unlawful. Congress must prevent President Trump from dragging the United States into another disastrous regime change war that the American people do not support. It is time for every Member of Congress to go on record and stand with the Constitution instead of President Trump's executive overreach. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of these two war power resolutions.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mebal Kaanyi for her extraordinary and courageous act. On November 20, 2025, she saved a missing 4-year-old child from drowning in Lake Owasso. We are so grateful to recognize Mebal Kaanyi for her extraordinary courage, compassion, and selflessness. Ms. Kaanyi is a Roseville Area School District bus driver. On November 20, 2025, she was completing her route in Shoreview when she noticed a young boy running down a hill towards Lake Owasso. She tried to interact with the child from her bus, but he did not respond. The boy passed through a gate and continued running towards the lake, entering the frigid water. Ms. Kaanyi leapt into action. Even though Ms. Kaanyi didn't know how to swim, she followed the child into the lake, risking her own safety to pull the child to shore. Ms. Kaanyi's quick reaction to this emergency saved the 4-year-old boy's life. Unbeknownst to Ms. Kaanyi, the child's aunt had reported her nephew missing to the Ramsey County Sheriffs Office that same day. Following the incident, the sheriffs office contacted Ms. Kaanyi to let her know that the young boy had been reunited with his family. Ms. Kaanyi's actions will be recognized with a Life-Saving award from the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office. Ms. Kaanyi exemplified what it means to be a good Samaritan and a leader in our community. Thanks to her heroic and selfless actions this story had a happy ending. In Ms. Kaanyi's own words, ``we need to live in a society, whereby we care for one another.'' Our community is safer and stronger because of people like Ms. Kaanyi who embody compassion in their daily lives. May we all follow her example and stand ready to help our neighbors when they need us most. Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing and honoring Mebal Kaanyi for her remarkable courage and her outstanding dedication to the well- being of our community.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, impeachment is the most consequential tool Congress to has protect our Nation from a president or other public official who has betrayed their oath, abused their power, and committed high crimes and misdemeanors against the American people. Impeachment necessitates a deliberate process of investigation and a thorough documentation of crimes committed against the American people. I voted present on the motion to table this impeachment resolution because it does not meet that high standard. It is clear that many members of the Trump Administration, including President Donald Trump himself, are violating the law and the public's trust in ways that should lead to an investigation on potential high crimes and misdemeanors by the House Judiciary Committee. But bringing an impeachment resolution to the floor mere hours after it has been introduced and without any investigative report--as Congressman Green is doing for the second time this Congress--sets a harmful precedent. It undermines the ability of Congress to make a serious and well- documented case for impeachment against this or any future president. President Trump was impeached twice during his first term, and I voted to impeach him both times. We conducted a formal inquiry during the first impeachment, where we subpoenaed witnesses and held public hearings to demonstrate that the President had abused his power and obstructed Congress. When President Trump was impeached a second time for inciting an insurrection, the House Judiciary Committee completed an investigative report that documented what Members of Congress and our entire Nation witnessed on January 6, 2021. When the articles of impeachment were brought to the floor a week later, almost every House Democrat was a cosponsor. I presided over that vote in the House of Representatives, with full confidence in the case we were presenting to the American people. The House of Representatives is currently controlled by President Trump's Republican party, and their majority is unwilling to take even the most basic step to hold Trump or anyone in his cabinet accountable for illegal and unconstitutional actions. To be clear, the House of Representatives has a duty to uphold our oath to defend the Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic. This obligation includes the open, transparent process of Congressional hearings, investigations, and subpoenas into potentially impeachable offenses. The Republican majority controlling this Congress will not allow that work to move forward. In the face of this obstruction, I will continue to work with my Democratic colleagues to document violations of the law by this administration, submit briefings to the court to rein in their abuses, and collect evidence to hold the President of the United States and his officials accountable.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the slate of permitting bills that the Republican majority has brought to the House Floor this week. These bills roll back vital protections that ensure our constituents have access to clean air and water, and can weigh in on projects that will affect the health of their selves, their families, and their community. Make no mistake, the six bills before the House this week are not a commonsense, bipartisan permitting package. They are the latest attempt for President Trump and Congressional Republicans to roll back protections for our environment so that their big oil and gas friends can ``drill, baby, drill'' without consequence or punishment. Republicans claim that H.R. 3893, the PERMIT Act, just cuts unnecessary bureaucratic red tape. That is false. In reality, the PERMIT Act is a partisan package of over a dozen bills that roll back the Clean Water Act, further weakening protections on our rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands. This bill protects polluters from responsibility for treating toxic pollution in their waste stream like lead, mercury, selenium, PFAS, and arsenic. If enacted, the PERMIT Act will lead to an increase in the unregulated discharge of these harmful chemicals into local bodies of water. In addition to the PERMIT Act, House Republicans have brought five additional bills forward that will raise prices for consumers and prioritize polluters over the American people. Let me tell you just how bad these bills are: H.R. 3668 would strip states of their ability to enforce their own clean water laws concerning natural gas pipelines. H.R. 3628 would force states to show arbitrary preference for fossil fuels over clean, cheap energy. H.R. 3638 would require the Department of Energy (DOE) to issue a supply chain report, asking DOE to do more with less after Elon Musk and DOGE forced out 3,500 DOE employees and put the agency's capacity to write such a report in doubt. If Republicans are concerned about energy supply chains, they should start by repealing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which attacked tax credits and programs designed to strengthen our supply chains. H.R. 3616 would grant the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) unprecedented power to veto or demand changes to any federal agency action, including environmental rules. H.R. 3632 would force old, expensive power plants to stay online for up to five years after their scheduled retirement date, sending already-high electricity bills through the roof. Mr. Speaker, these bills do not exist in a vacuum. We are considering these bills in the wake of Trump Administration actions to cancel and stall clean energy projects. In October, President Trump canceled over $7.5 billion in grants for 223 clean energy projects. President Trump canceled over $714 million in funding for Minnesota. These grants would have funded battery storage for a more stable grid, modernized transmission lines, and funded a battery recycling education program at Macalester College. My Republican colleagues want to talk about permitting reform? Let's talk about how President Trump is weaponizing the existing permitting process to freeze the approval of permits for onshore wind and solar projects, leaving thousands of megawatts of clean power in limbo at a time when demand for electricity is sky rocking. If Republicans succeed in passing these bills and gutting protections for our communities and environment, it will mean that oil and gas companies have an easier pathway to polluting the land, air, and water we all rely on. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose all six of these bills. I once again urge the Republican House Majority to stop bringing these harmful bills that fast-track fossil fuel projects, restrict communities' ability to challenge harmful development, and work to undermine clean energy development. This is not the way to improve Americans' lives.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (NDAA). The National Defense Authorization Act is an important piece of annual legislation that governs the policies of the Department of Defense and authorizes our common defense. It is deeply unfortunate that Congress considers this year's NDAA amongst a steady stream of alarming misuses of the U.S. Armed Forces by President Trump. While in office, the President has issued unlawful orders, directed unlawful deployments, and has unlawfully misused Congressionally appropriated funds. President Trump has chronically abused his executive authority as Commander in Chief, and I do not believe that Members of Congress can divorce our consideration of this NDAA from the context of his actions in the Oval Office. Let me provide just a few examples. First, President Trump has ordered the U.S. military to strike maritime vessels in the Western Hemisphere that the Trump administration claims are carrying narcotics. These military activities in the Caribbean have not been authorized by Congress, and the administration has deliberately withheld information from Congress on the nature of these strikes. I believe these to be extrajudicial killings and they should end immediately. These strikes are occurring amongst a large-scale military buildup in the Caribbean, the goals of which have also not been adequately explained to Congress. Second, the President has circumvented the authority of several state governors and federalized the National Guard for the purposes of deploying them in support of domestic law enforcement activities. Domestic policing is not among the National Guard's core missions, and the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 prohibits the President from deploying the U.S. military for domestic law enforcement missions unless the Insurrection Act of 1807 has been invoked, which President Trump has not done. These unlawful deployments are a serious misuse of the National Guard for political purposes by President Trump and they should end. Finally, President Trump's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) repeatedly violated Article 1 of the Constitution and appropriations law. OMB has frequently directed the Department of Defense to withhold funding to authorized programs against Congressional intention and direction. During the longest federal government shutdown in history, OMB directed the Department to unlawfully use money appropriated for national security research and development projects to pay military personnel. I support paying our troops in the event of a shutdown, but the way OMB and the Department moved this funding was not legal. These are just three examples in a very long list, but the fact is that President Trump has a record of chronic unlawful misuse of our military and national security assets. This is dangerous to our national security, the future of our democracy, and this behavior is directly relevant to whether Congress should endorse an NDAA that, in my opinion, does not do nearly enough to reign in an Administration that is increasingly out of control. Let me lay out several of my concerns with this legislation. First, this NDAA authorizes $890 billion in funding for the Department of Defense, National Nuclear Security Agency, and other national security agencies. This is approximately $8 billion above what the President requested in his Fiscal Year 2026 Budget for national security agencies. Additionally, the Trump administration received $156 billion in new mandatory defense funding through the Republican reconciliation bill. I voted against providing the Administration with that funding, and I believe it will give them too much flexibility in supporting a broad range of the Administration's national security priorities. However, Congress has yet to receive a final spend plan from the Department that accounts for the full amount of that funding. Given the broad increase in defense funding provided through reconciliation, and my previously stated concerns about OMB's unlawful approach to appropriations law, I do not believe that Congress should authorize additional defense funding in the NDAA above the budget request. Second, I am concerned that this NDAA will enable the Trump administration's continued misuse of the National Guard and active-duty military for domestic law enforcement purposes. The bill codifies portions of several of President Trump's executive orders regarding U.S. military activity on the Southern Border, including the administration's establishment of new National Defense Areas. It does not provide clear statutory limits on the use of lethal military force on U.S. soil, including narrow definitions of pressing circumstances, judicial oversight where practical, immediate Congressional notification, and independent after-action review. This NDAA needed to provide clear limits on the President's border operations including sunset provisions and reauthorization requirements. It fails to do so. The NDAA also provides no restriction on the increasingly routine federal use of the National Guard and active-duty forces. At the very least, it should limit any domestic support in policing to requests by the governors or narrowly tailored, time-limited federal authorizations with mandatory training and Congressional reporting requirements. Third, while this NDAA repeals the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF) related to U.S. military actions in Iraq, the bill does not repeal the 2001 AUMF that was passed following the terrorist attacks September 11, 2001. I have long supported a repeal of the 2001 AUMF because it was intended to authorize military action against Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, a mission that has long since ended. The legal authorities provided in the 2001 AUMF are now being twisted by the Trump administration to justify military strikes in the Western Hemisphere on drug traffickers, who are international criminals, but that the Administration has defined as ``terrorists.'' As I stated previously, I believe this to be unlawful. These actions are dangerous mission creep that I fear may lead to another catastrophic war of regime change in Venezuela. If the Trump administration needs new legal authorities to conduct strikes on terrorist groups in the Middle East, then they should seek new authorization from Congress. If they feel that military action in the Western Hemisphere is a national security priority, then they should seek authorization from Congress as well and let the representatives of the people decide as our Constitution states. Fourth, this bill continues to embrace the Trump administration's culture war attacks on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility programs that undermine recruitment, retention and unit cohesion. Americans have watched President Trump turn the Defense Department into an ideological battleground for imposing a right-wing ideology that politicizes personnel policy and damages the readiness of all our service members. While this conferenced version of the NDAA does not include all the culture war related provisions from House version, it does retain some. That includes a provision prohibiting transgender Americans from participating in sports at the U.S. service academies, which is an unnecessary attack on transgender Americans who are already prevented from serving in the military by President Trump. Republicans must stop injecting partisan politics into the NDAA because these provisions promote only division and will continue to discourage Americans from serving our Nation. Fifth, this NDAA authorizes expanded military cooperation between the United States and Israel that, considering the Israeli military campaign in Gaza that has killed approximately 70,000 Palestinians, I do not support. To be clear, I have always supported and continue to support cooperative missile defense programs like Iron Dome because I believe that no child--Israeli or Palestinian--deserves to have missiles fall on their heads. However, this NDAA goes beyond support for missile defense and includes provisions that strengthen the defense production relationship and technology sharing, including unmanned systems, between the United States and Israel. As a strong critic of Prime Minister Netanyahu, I am appalled at the way he has prosecuted the Israeli military campaign against Hamas terrorists that has led to catastrophic death and destruct in Gaza. With a fragile ceasefire in place, we should be focused on ensuring the continuation of a peace process that ends the war for good, not expanding our military cooperation with Prime Minister Netanyahu's government. Finally, this NDAA contains a provision that allows the Department of Defense and the Services to move funds between several different accounts of appropriated funds including the: Military Construction, Operations and Maintenance, and Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation accounts, without seeking approval from Congress. I understand that the intent is to expedite the construction of the new headquarters for U.S. Space Command, but the authority provided by this provision is broad, permanent, and will likely be used beyond this one instance. The Appropriations Committee meticulously considers how funds from these accounts are to be used, and this authority offers too much room for abuse by the Administration. Given OMB and the Department's repeated abuse of appropriations law this year, the idea of providing the Department with new authority to move funds absent Congressional approval should be a non-starter for the Appropriations Committee. This provision must be rescinded in the Defense Appropriations Act. As the Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, I completely agree that the United States must maintain a strong military force that can deter wars and win them if necessary. I appreciate the work that has been done by my Democratic colleagues on the Armed Services Committee to improve this bill. They have worked hard and I will have a similarly difficult task in negotiating the conference agreement for the Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Appropriations Act. My colleagues have given their best efforts and put forward a product that attempts major reforms to a clearly broken defense acquisition process, many of which I support. But America must be both strong and principled, and the National Defense Authorization Act must reflect that spirit. We can modernize our forces and protect our homeland without eroding the Constitutional safeguards that make our democracy worth defending. It is with deep regret that, in my opinion, this bill does not do enough to meet that standard. I oppose this legislation and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the distinguished career of St. Paul Fire Department Chief Butch Inks on his retirement after than more than 40 years of steadfast service to the City of Saint Paul, including 31 years of dedication to public safety as a Firefighter and Chief of the Saint Paul Fire Department. Chief Butch Inks grew up in Saint Paul's North End, beginning his public service journey in 1985 when he was first hired by the City of Saint Paul through a youth employment program. In 1994, he joined the Saint Paul Fire Department, beginning what would become a decades-long commitment to protecting and serving his hometown. Alongside his municipal service, Chief Inks dedicated 26 years to the United States Air Force Reserve, deploying multiple times and retiring as a master sergeant in 2012. Chief Inks' history in military and municipal service shaped him into the steady, principled leader the department and community have relied upon. Since his appointment as Fire Chief in 2019, Chief Inks has overseen a period of progress and modernization for one of Minnesota's busiest urban fire and emergency service agencies. I was proud to partner with Chief Inks to secure over $1.6 million in federal funding towards the complete rebuilding of Saint Paul Fire Station 7 on the East Side, replacing a nearly century-old facility in the city's highest call- volume area. Chief Inks also placed into service Minnesota's first all- electric fire engine, Engine 7, leading us towards a cleaner and healthier future for our fire department and for our community. Chief Inks's leadership--along with all the distinguished individuals of the Saint Paul Fire Department--has made a notable impact on the City of Saint Paul. He increased EMS and fire staffing to the highest levels in department history through an innovative scheduling model that simultaneously reduced overtime costs. He implemented both Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support emergency medical response models, shortening response times. During the COVID-19 pandemic and the civil unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd, he coordinated 200 emergency responders, managing more than 50 incidents in a single 12-hour period and preventing millions of dollars in property damage. He expanded firefighter health protections through comprehensive cardiac screenings and enhanced physical exams. He also championed community- first public safety strategies, workforce inclusion, and operational models that prioritize equity, readiness, and compassionate service for all Saint Paul residents. Although retiring from his role as Fire Chief, Butch Inks is not retiring from public service. He will continue to shape the future of Minnesota's fire service as the next executive director of the Minnesota Fire Service Certification Board. In this role, he will help ensure that future firefighters meet the highest standards of training and professionalism by overseeing the examinations and certification processes that prepare them for licensure and service. It has been my honor and a privilege to work with Chief Inks. His commitment to serve not only the citizens of Saint Paul, Minnesota but our entire Nation has left an indelible mark. As he retires from service to the City of Saint Paul, I wish him well, along with his wife Erica and their four children. Mr. Speaker, please join me in this well-deserved tribute to St. Paul Fire Chief Butch Inks on his retirement after more than three decades of steadfast dedication to public safety.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, the House already passed an identical resolution to this last Congress. I voted against it then, as I will do again today. I expressed my serious concerns with how this resolution was written then, but nothing has changed. Once again, the Republican majority has thrown together a poorly written, ill-conceived resolution that is so sloppy that it condemns socialism in all its forms, including democratically elected officials and governments. That includes important allies and friends of the United States that have mainstream socialist political parties like Albania, Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Luxembourg, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, and Sweden. With this resolution, House Republicans are sending a message to many proud democracies, including multiple members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), that we condemn the domestic political process within their nations. As Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, I know just how crucial it is to maintain relationships with our NATO allies who have come to our aid. This resolution is an insult to them. Mr. Speaker, it is telling that on the first week back to regular order after shutting down the House floor for seven weeks, House Republicans are continuing to waste the American public's time with political messaging stunts like this. It should be rejected.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, each November, our Nation recognizes the ongoing contributions and resilience of the First Americans during Native American Heritage Month. This is a time to celebrate the vibrant and diverse cultures of Native people across this country and to honor the role that sovereign tribal governments play in making the United States of America great. Minnesota is home to eleven Ojibwe and Dakota nations, and those nations and their people are a vital part of our state's heritage and our future. This year Minnesota's tribal leaders raised the flags of all 11 nations for the first time on our state capitol grounds, where they will fly permanently at the new Tribal Flag Plaza. I am incredibly proud of this historic commitment to recognizing the original governments of this land and the thriving nations they still represent. Governor Walz and our state legislature have worked hard to improve and strengthen tribal-state relationships, and this plaza is an enduring symbol of that respect and partnership. American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians have played a foundational role in America's success. Native Americans formed the first participatory democracies that inspired the U.S. Constitution, and they are the population with the highest rates of service in our country's armed forces. The government-to-government relationships between the United States and the 574 diverse, federally recognized tribal nations have shaped our Nation since its founding. Native communities have continued to contribute to our national fabric over the last 250 years through their traditions, indigenous environmental knowledge, languages, and countless other ways. Native cultures and nations have endured despite centuries of violence, injustice, and discrimination. That legacy must never be buried or ignored, but I am committed to working with tribal leaders to moving forward in a new era of respect and self-governance throughout Indian Country. I am honored to have collaborated with tribal leaders throughout my career on local issues like restoring trust land and upholding treaty rights to fish and gather, and on major national legislation to better meet our federal trust responsibility, uphold tribal sovereignty, and support Native families. Yet even with the progress we have made, tremendous work remains to fulfill our trust and treaty obligations to Indian Country. Meeting the needs for health, education, public safety, and food security of Native Americans is our federal responsibility and a treaty commitment. As we come to the close of this month that celebrates the heritage and resilience of our Native American brothers and sisters, we must carry forward the commitment to strengthen our nation-to-nation relationship, honor our treaty commitments, and ensure that tribal sovereignty is respected.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, Donald Trump and Republicans control the entire government. For 42 days, Republicans shut it down. Why? It was because they refuse to extend tax credits to help millions of Americans afford their healthcare. If that wasn't bad enough, President Trump even withheld food assistance during the shutdown. Hunger should never be used as a weapon. The CR continues the Republican healthcare crisis. The Speaker has already said he won't hold a vote to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits to reduce healthcare costs for Americans. Now my constituents are going to have to choose between heating their homes, feeding their families, or taking their children to the doctor. It is a terrible deal for the American people. Americans deserve an open and transparent government that works for them. They deserve access to affordable healthcare and nutritious food for their families. That is what Democrats are fighting for. I wish the President and Republicans would join us in this fight and share our priorities.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my constituent, Sister (Mary Roman) Florence Steichen, a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet (CSJ), and her lifelong advocacy for peace, justice, and compassion. Born in South Minneapolis, Minnesota near Lake Harriet in 1928, the third child of five children, Sister Florence Steichen grew up in a family deeply rooted in social justice. Her parents instilled in her a strong belief in what she later described as ``the two feet of justice'': direct service and action for systemic change. Florence graduated from the Academy of the Holy Angels in Richfield, MN, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Food, Nutrition, Chemistry, and Biology from Saint Catherine University, in Saint Paul, MN in 1950. She pursued her calling in faith and justice, by entering the novitiate on September 8, 1950, and professing her final vows on August 15, 1958. She further deepened her theological understanding with a Master of Arts in Theology from the University of Notre Dame in 1966. She had a long teaching career in several Province high schools including the Academy of the Holy Angels in Richfield, MN; Saint Mary's Academy in Graceville, MN; Saint Mary's High School in Waverly, MN; Saint James Academy in Grand Forks, ND; St. Margaret's Academy, Minneapolis, MN; and St. Mary's Junior College in Minneapolis, MN. Florence also served her CSJ Community as General Councilor in Saint Louis, MO from 1978 to 1982. In 1987, Florence moved to Bethlehem, Palestine where she worked at Bethlehem University and became an outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights, supporting a One-State solution with equal rights for both Palestinians and Israelis. Upon returning to Minnesota from Bethlehem almost six years later, Florence worked for the Dispute Resolution Center in Saint Paul, MN and the Citizens Council in Minneapolis, MN. After retiring, she volunteered at Saint Catherine University in Saint Paul, MN, which was her alma mater. In 2017, Florence fully retired and moved into Carondelet Village located in Saint Paul, MN near the campus of Saint Catherine University, where she remained a strong and active voice of peace and compassion until her recent passing at the age of 97. Sister Florence Steichen was very special to me and to the constituents of Minnesota's Fourth Congressional District. Over the years, I enjoyed many visits with Florence at St. Catherine University, my alma mater and the Carondelet Village. Florence exemplified ``the two feet of justice'' by dedicating her life to direct service and action for systemic change. Her passionate and unrelenting advocacy for peace and justice, along with her deep faith and respect for humanity, will live on through all those she taught, mentored and inspired. It was an honor and a privilege to call Florence a friend. She will remain an inspiration to me and her legacy will continue to inspire many for generations to come. Mr. Speaker, please join me in celebrating the remarkable life and the dedicated work of Sister (Mary Roman) Florence Steichen, CSJ.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I join all my colleagues in this body, my constituents, and the American people at large in denouncing all forms of political and ideological violence. Democracy relies on the core principle of nonviolence. We settle our disputes with ballots, not with bullets. But as a social studies teacher, I can also recount a dark history of times when we lost our way as a Nation, and violence was used to silence the voices of debate and sow division. The political violence that led up to and followed in the wake of the Civil War included a violent assault between Members of Congress and the assassination of President Lincoln. The assassinations of President Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy--and the shooting of George Wallace--took place during a brutal response throughout the Nation to the organized, nonviolent Civil Rights Movement. This year we have seen a resurgence of horrifically violent attacks that have targeted politicians and community leaders on all sides of the ideological spectrum. My vote for the resolution before us today is a vote to roundly condemn these attacks. I condemn the assassination of Charlie Kirk. I condemn the assassination of Minnesota Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and the shooting of Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. I condemn the attack on Governor Josh Shapiro and his family whose home was lit on fire while they slept inside. I condemn the assassination attempts on President Trump during last summer's campaign. All of this has happened within little more than a year. But since I was elected to office in 2000, I have witnessed a building wave of political violence. In 2011, my friend and former Representative Gabby Giffords was shot at a community event, and one of her staff members and five other bystanders were killed. In 2017, a shooting at the Republican Congressional baseball team practice severely wounded Leader Steve Scalise. In 2020, extremist militia members attempted to kidnap Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer. And on January 6, 2021, this institution and its Members--on both sides of the aisle--were targeted by violent and antidemocratic insurrectionists who attacked the Capitol. These attacks against our leaders and institutions do not exist in a vacuum. America's crisis of political violence comes in the context of a rise in hateful rhetoric used against our neighbors and the normalization of gun violence in our communities. This Congress has failed to act on common sense gun control measures that could make us all safer and decrease the likelihood of political assassinations, school shootings, and the tragedy of everyday gun violence in this Nation. I know that we are divided on this issue, as we are on many others. But we cannot continue to ignore the danger posed by the proliferation of weapons of war in our society. We must come together on solutions to protect our communities and de-escalate the violence in our society. Today as I vote for this resolution to condemn the assassination of Mr. Kirk, I must express how disappointed I am that we still have not brought to the House Floor, the resolution that honors the victims and survivors of the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School that took place three weeks ago. I equally condemn that violence, which took the lives of two children as they sat in church pews that day celebrating the start of a new school year. If there is a Biblical truth that we seek to be inspired by today, let it be the principle of nonviolence espoused by Christ and embodied in Saint Paul's letter to the Romans: Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21) Let us then pursue what leads to peace and to building up one another. (Romans 14:19)

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I strongly object to this censure resolution which does not include a single quote from Representative Ilhan Omar (MN-05) and seeks to punish her for comments she never made. After the unconscionable act of gun violence that took the life of Charlie Kirk, Representative Omar clearly and immediately condemned this assassination. She expressed her profound shock, sadness, grief about this despicable act of political violence. She expressed sympathy and empathy for Mr. Kirk's wife and young daughters who are enduring unimaginable pain and sorrow. Sadly, Republicans are misleading Americans and deliberately using this resolution to further divide Democrats and Republicans at a time when all Americans need to come together to condemn acts of political violence, which are becoming all too commonplace in our Nation. Censure is a serious tool that should be reserved for holding Members of Congress accountable for unethical or criminal behavior, like committing assault or accepting bribes, or for specific categories of speech that are not protected by the First Amendment, including direct threats against individuals, inciting treason or insurrection, or the use of aggressively insulting ``fighting words'' against another Member on the House Floor. Mr. Speaker, I voted against this censure and will continue to defend our right to free speech to represent our constituents and voice our conscience as Representatives in this great democracy.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the City of Lake Elmo, Minnesota. On Saturday, September 13, 2025, residents of Lake Elmo kicked off a month of celebrations with family, friends, and neighbors at Lions Park, including a flyover from the Commemorative Air Force of South St. Paul, Minnesota. Natural beauty, clear waters, and good fishing have long attracted people to the waters of what was then called Bass Lake and neighboring lakes. In 1848, it is believed that two Virginians, Bernard and Maria Cyphers were the first white settlers to the area. Just south of Sunfish Lake, the Cyphers built a hotel and tavern called the Lake House. In 1850, Stillwater Road was built through the community, which served as the main route for stagecoaches taking passengers between Saint Paul and Stillwater. By 1872, the Saint Paul, Stillwater and Taylor's Falls Railroad-- later the Omaha Road--was built, making it easier for tourists to reach the lake from Saint Paul. A post office was established at Bass Lake Station, with the Lake House being used as a town meeting site. In 1879, a prominent Saint Paul businessman and railroad promotor named Alpheus B. Stickney was prompted by his wife Kate to pick Lake Elmo as the new name for the growing village and its largest lake, which was a name believed to be based on a popular character in literature at the time. Utilizing the city's nearby environment and valuable natural resources, Lake Elmo quickly became a popular summer resort. With the railways in place, Lake Elmo also became a bustling commercial hub for agriculture and industry, supplying farmers with grain houses, blacksmiths, and repair shops. After Stillwater Road was fully paved and completed in 1920, the village underwent rapid development. In 1925, supported by economic activity, the downtown was formalized as Lake Elmo Village. While no longer an agricultural hub, Lake Elmo continues to share its natural wonders with surrounding communities. Lake Elmo Regional Park Reserve and Sunfish Lake Park offer our community access to the outdoors with modern and equestrian campgrounds, fishing piers, a boat launch, and trails for hiking and bicycling. Lake Elmo has played a special role in Minnesota as a place of historic significance and great natural beauty. Mr. Speaker, please join me in celebrating the 100th anniversary of Lake Elmo.