Betty McCollum

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the death and honor the legacy of Washington Post journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, and to support my bill, the Jamal Khashoggi Act. The murder of Mr. Khashoggi was not only a gross human rights violation, but a brutal crime. It is imperative that Congress send a message to the Executive Branch--and the world--that we will not condone those countries that target dissidents of any kind, including journalists seeking to report the truth. As reported in David Ignatius' September 28 column in the Washington Post, Mr. Khashoggi's final column was about the need for ``free expression.'' Mr. Khashoggi built a career on exposing assaults against press freedom and consistently reminded his readers that all of us hold a stake in an open press; from here in the United States to Saudi Arabia, Turkey, China, and beyond. Mr. Khashoggi's legacy must be honored. I am introducing this bill to demand the U.S. government do the right thing and impose accountability for those who attack democratic voices. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and show the world that the United States will defend the global right to a free and open press.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, today, I rise in support of my bill, the Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2022, a bipartisan bill, which I worked on with Mr. Smith to reaffirm the United States' commitment to fighting hunger and poverty worldwide. It truly has been a bipartisan effort. This bill builds upon the landmark Global Food Security Act of 2016. It reauthorizes the incredibly successful Feed the Future initiative, which has carried out lifesaving programs and helped millions of people break the cycle of poverty and hunger. This legislation reauthorizes GFSA to 2028 and makes commonsense updates to reflect the changing landscape of global hunger. Specifically, this bill emphasizes agriculture-led economic growth and strengthening resilience against climate change and the global COVID-19 pandemic. This will help reduce malnutrition in women and children. By supporting small farmers and women farmers, in particular, we can increase food production and incomes so that families and communities around the world may improve their way of life. This legislation will also help to create a more stable world, as has been mentioned, by helping millions of people in the world's poorest countries become self-sufficient in feeding themselves. As chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, I know all too well the human, economic, and national security costs of global food insecurity, and it is just too high for Congress to ignore. The passage and enactment of this bill today truly cannot come soon enough for our national security. I am proud to have worked on this legislation. I have worked on this legislation for over 14 years, starting with Senator Lugar, after being in Africa and watching how lack of food and clean water affected our ability to really make the HIV/AIDS program move forward. From that, the more I learned about malnutrition, the more passionate I became. I am proud to have worked on this with experts in the field of global food and nutrition security, such as InterAction, Bread for the World, 1,000 Days, CARE, Save the Children, The Alliance to End Hunger, and so many more. Madam Speaker, I thank them for their expertise, for helping to lift up this legislation. Madam Speaker, I also thank our co-leads, Chair Meeks and Ranking Member McCaul, and a special thank-you to Representative Smith, for their work on this legislation. Their enduring commitment to end global hunger is important work that we do together. Madam Speaker, I urge the passage of this bill.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Pfluger) as cosponsor of H.R. 8446.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Regions Hospital in Saint Paul, Minnesota on the momentous occasion of its 150th anniversary of service to the East Metro area. The dedication of the entire staff--nurses, doctors, technicians, support staff, administration and more--has made Regions a pillar of quality and innovative care in Minnesota. Established as ``City and County Hospital'' in 1872 by the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners, the hospital's history began in a stone mansion with only two doctors in Saint Paul's West Seventh neighborhood. In 1965, it moved to its current location in downtown Saint Paul, and twenty years later it was renamed Regions Hospital. Throughout its 150 years, Regions has come to play a unique and life- saving role in our community as the East Metro safety net hospital and the only Level 1 Trauma Center. There are more than 26,000 hospital admissions per year, and more than 13,000 cases at the Surgery Center. Regions focuses on leading-edge treatments and ongoing research to continue to provide the best innovative care for their patients. The hospital is nationally recognized for many programs including the Approved Emergency Residency Program that is educating the next generation of emergency medicine physicians, the Cancer Research Center, which leads the way in equitable clinical trials and seeks to reduce barriers to clinical research opportunities to better serve the diverse Twin Cities community, and the Bum Center where patients receive the highest level of specialized care and the physical and emotional support needed to heal. And in 2020, the Regions Hospital Family Birth Center opened as a 160,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility for labor and delivery. Regions is a hospital that consistently shows up for communities in need. One example of this is the Lee and Penny Anderson HeroCare Program which honors military families by providing medical services for veterans, members of the military and their families, connecting them to mental health services and medical resources specific to their needs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Regions answered the call to serve by researching possible treatment options to offer hope and improve patient care. Madam Speaker, please join me in paying tribute to the incredible health care professionals and support staff of Regions Hospital as they celebrate 150 years of quality care, and as they continue to work to fulfill their mission of improving health and well-being in partnership with their patients and the community.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Minnesota, the Honorable Brad Finstad, be permitted to take the oath of office today. His certificate of election has not arrived, but there is no contest and no question has been raised with regard to his election.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, on behalf of myself and the entire delegation from Minnesota, I would like to welcome Representative Brad Finstad to the House of Representatives. Hailing from New Ulm, Minnesota, Representative Finstad continues a proud tradition within the Minnesota Congressional Delegation of a life of public service and a commitment to agricultural issues and rural development. From 2003 to 2009, he served as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, including a term as assistant minority leader. In the previous administration, Representative Finstad served as Minnesota's Director of USDA Rural Development. He has also held leadership positions in the Center for Rural Policy and Development and the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association. And I will brag for a second that Minnesota is the largest turkey producer in the United States. You don't have Thanksgiving without us. Today, Representative Finstad continues a proud generational tradition with his wife, Jackie, of running their family farm in the New Ulm area, and I am sure all the children pitch in and help with chores. We look forward to warmly welcoming Representative Finstad and his family to Congress. Madam Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Emmer), my colleague.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the congregation of Hamline Church on the momentous occasion of the 125th anniversary of the Hamline Church Dining Hall at the Minnesota State Fair. The dining hall is the oldest continuous food concession at what we like to call ``The Great Minnesota Get-Together.'' Back in 1897, a small group of women from the Hamline Methodist Episcopal Church Ladies Aid Society decided to try selling cold drinks and sandwiches at the fair to raise money for the church. This humble fundraising effort quickly grew into a dining hall with a full menu that is a staple of the Minnesota State Fair. Unlike those early days, the Hamline Church Dining Hall at 1667 Dan Patch Avenue is now owned by the church and boasts modem conveniences of plumbing and electricity, which are appreciated by patrons and volunteers alike. Over the' years, there have been a few other changes. In 1935, for a dinner of meat or ham loaf, boiled potatoes, coleslaw, beet pickles; pie, ice cream and a beverage, plus free second helpings, a patron at the Hamline Dining Hall paid only 35 cents. This value and the homegrown hospitality helped the hall survive the Great Depression when many others closed down. World War II food rationing forced more flexibility and adaptation. As the menu has grown and changed over the many years, a perennial favorite is ham loaf topped with honey-mustard sauce. In 2012 they partnered with local small business Izzy's Ice Cream and began selling ice cream and other take-away items, including their very own flavor of Church Elderberry Ice Cream. An adaptation of their traditional Swedish meatballs to Cranberry Wild Rice Meatballs served with lingonberry sauce earned them a spot on the highly acclaimed New Foods list for the fair in 2017. With more than 300 food vendors at the Minnesota State Fair, the Hamline Church Dining Hall remains popular for its high-quality food and generous hospitality. During each of the past 125 years, the Dining Hall has been largely volunteer-run, 25 of whom have been specially recognized by the fair for 50 years of service. Their hospitality extends well beyond fairgoers--a portion of each year's proceeds goes to provide meals for organizations like The Sheridan Story, Emma Norton Services and Feed My Starving Children. Madam Speaker, please join me in paying tribute to the congregation and many incredible volunteers of the Hamline Church Dining Hall as they celebrate 125 years of serving up delicious homecooked meals and generous hospitality to hungry Minnesota State Fairgoers.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall no. 393. Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress Babin (Sessions) Blumenauer (Beyer) Brown (MD) (Trone) Bush (Blunt Rochester) Carter (TX) (Weber (TX)) Cherfilus-McCormick (Bishop (GA)) Crist (Wasserman Schultz) Curtis (Garbarino) DeFazio (Pallone) Demings (Soto) DeSaulnier (Beyer) Duncan (Norman) Evans (Beyer) Fulcher (Johnson (OH)) Gottheimer (Neguse) Graves (MO) (Fleischmann) Guthrie (Barr) Jones (Blunt Rochester) Kahele (Correa) Kelly (IL) (Blunt Rochester) Khanna (Neguse) Kind (Beyer) Kirkpatrick (Pallone) McBath (Blunt Rochester) McCaul (Reschenthaler) Meeks (Jeffries) Meng (Kuster) Moore (UT) (Garbarino) Moore (WI) (Beyer) Murphy (FL) (Rice (NY)) Ocasio-Cortez (Tlaib) Omar (Blunt Rochester) Owens (Garbarino) Rice (SC) (Meijer) Ruppersberger (Trone) Rush (Blunt Rochester) Ryan (Kuster) Salazar (Dunn) Sarbanes (Beyer) Scott, David (Correa) Simpson (Johnson (OH)) Sires (Pallone) Smucker (Joyce (PA)) Stevens (Kuster) Stewart (Garbarino) Taylor (Fallon) Thompson (CA) (Beyer) Thompson (MS) (Bishop (GA)) Vargas (Correa) Walorski (Banks) Waltz (Dunn) Welch (Pallone) Williams (GA) (Neguse) Wilson (FL) (Neguse) Wilson (SC) (Norman)

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Minnesota Humanities Center as they celebrate their 50th anniversary of ``sparking change'' in our communities using the power of the humanities to explore, interpret, and engage. The Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC) is a collaborative non-profit working with individuals, organizations and communities to bring humanities programming to all Minnesotans, and is rooted in the belief that the humanities have the power to connect, bridge differences, interpret the complexities of the world and positively shape our future. Founded by the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1971, MHC was one of the very first humanities councils in the nation. In their first few decades they focused on a range of education initiatives that explored Minnesota's people and their history, and used televised or in-person programs to enhance the way that educators taught about these subjects in their classrooms. As MHC continued to grow they expanded by creating traveling exhibits and public events, bringing in international speakers and publishing books. Their burgeoning programming in the 1990s eventually led to the opening of their full- service event center in the former wing of Gillette Children's Hospital in Saint Paul in 1996. This center on the east side of Saint Paul is still the home of the Minnesota Humanities Center today, and houses a full-service meeting and event center, 15 administrative offices and 15 overnight guest rooms. As MHC moved into the 21st century, their programming continued to expand and shift to serve the needs of Minnesotans. They began to focus on providing culturally responsive and linguistically relevant literacy initiatives in White and Green Hmong, Somali, Dakota and Ojibwe, and they broadened partnerships with school districts while engaging new audiences in a deeper understanding of history, culture and identity. One example of this programming is a documentary they co-produced with Twin Cities Public Television called ``Iron Range: Minnesota Building America'' that highlights the history and future of the Iron Range in northern Minnesota and won an Emmy Award for Best Cultural Documentary in 2009. Another example of their important work is their Veteran's Voices program which began in 2013 and honors Minnesota Veterans by celebrating their written and spoken stories about their experiences serving their country. Grant-making is also central to the work of MHC. For 50 years they have worked hard to champion the work of individuals, nonprofits, schools and other collectives across Minnesota through their own competitive grants and by administering grant funds appropriated by the Minnesota Legislature. In the last year, MHC distributed over $4.7 million through 180 grants across Minnesota, and through the CARES Act were awarded an additional $538,500 to support COVID-19 relief efforts. I was proud to vote in favor of those funds, and I continue to support funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities through my role as Vice-Chair of the Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee. Led today by CEO Kevin Lindsey, MHC continues to be a beacon for learning and positive change in Minnesota, seeking to fulfill their vision of a just society that is connected, curious, and compassionate as they look to their next 50 years of service to the community. Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing the Minnesota Humanities Center and their excellent humanities programming as they celebrate their 50th anniversary.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Chief Todd Axtell, upon his retirement on June 1 after more than 30 years of service to the City of Saint Paul Police Department including six years as Chief of Police. A dedicated and respected public servant, his leadership carried the department through many tumultuous times as he worked to build trust and transparency between the police and the Saint Paul community. Chief Axtell grew up in Northfield, Minnesota, and after pursuing a law enforcement degree landed a job with the Saint Paul Police Department in 1989. Throughout his time with the department, he worked in all three patrol districts, the gang unit, narcotics and special investigations. After 26 years with the department, Axtell was appointed Chief of Police by then Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman in June of 2016. As Chief, and throughout his prior leadership positions in the department, he worked toward three priorities--community engagement, diversifying the police department and addressing gun violence. He launched the Law Enforcement Career Path Academy to recruit a more diverse group of young people who would normally face obstacles to becoming a police officer, and started the Community Outreach Stabilization unit which pairs social workers with specially trained officers to work with people who are mentally ill, homeless or chemically dependent. He has been a consistent advocate for his officers but also held them to a high standard, overseeing increased training and transparency programs, and always being quick to acknowledge and respond to cases of misconduct. Well known for his desire to get to know the community he served, Chief Axtell is spoken of highly by the city's religious leaders, elected officials, and many local community groups representing the diverse population of Saint Paul. He has been a steadfast partner to many, and our community has benefited greatly from his steady leadership. Madam Speaker, please join me in rising to pay tribute to Chief Todd Axtell as he retires from the Saint Paul Police Department after more than three decades of public service, and in honor of his ongoing commitment to improving public safety.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5129, the Community Services Block Grant Modernization Act of 2022. This legislation renews the nation's commitment to reducing poverty through an established network of more than 1,000 local Community Action Agencies. Having authored previous iterations of this legislation, and now being an original cosponsor with my good friend Congresswoman Bonamici, I could not be more excited to advance this bill today. At a time when it seems like Congress can't agree on anything, I am glad that we can show people that there are still issues that bring Democrats and Republicans together. And that's exactly what CSBG has been doing for more than 50 years--bringing Americans together. For years, these agencies have served as incredible resources to help low-income families escape poverty and better their surrounding communities. These agencies served on the front lines against COVID-19, helping millions of Americans get through the pandemic. Just this past week, I visited the Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties where I saw first-hand the amazing work these people do for my constituents. H.R. 5129 builds on this success by reinforcing existing efforts to improve the performance and management of Community Action at the federal, state, and local levels. I would like to thank my friends Congresswoman Bonamici and Congressman Glenn Thompson for advancing this essential legislation. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act. The Biden administration, Congress, and the American people have been unflinching in our support for the people of Ukraine. Under desperate circumstances, the Ukrainian people have valiantly resisted Vladimir Putin's illegal, unjust, and unprovoked invasion of their country. Today, the House of Representatives has another opportunity not only to stand with the people of Ukraine but to stand together with our fellow democracies against this authoritarian aggression by passing this supplemental. As chair of the Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, I know how critical it is to continue our commitment to provide Ukraine with robust security assistance. At the same time, we must provide the Department of Defense with additional tools to respond to the Russian aggression. That is why we have included $20.1 billion in this legislation, including $6 billion for the Ukrainian Security Assistance Initiative to provide equipment, weapons, and training to the Ukrainian military. We have included $9.1 billion to replenish stocks of the U.S. military equipment that has been donated to Ukraine. Last month, I had the opportunity to travel to Germany and Poland and visit with our deployed servicemembers. Today, I am pleased that we have included flexibility for the Department of Defense to provide hardship pay for those deployed in the EUCOM region. This legislation also includes funding for desperately needed humanitarian relief for Ukrainian families who have been displaced within Ukraine or have fled to neighboring nations. Mr. Speaker, I urge our Republican colleagues to join us in a show of bipartisan unity. Let us stand together. Let us pass this bill. Let us defend democracies everywhere from Russian aggression.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Greg Lais, upon his retirement after more than 40 years as the founder and executive director of the nonprofit Wilderness Inquiry. Greg is a visionary leader whose disability advocacy, commitment to equity and enthusiasm for nature has opened a gateway to the outdoors for Minnesotans and people across the country of all backgrounds and abilities. Shortly after graduating from college in 1978, a lifelong passion for the outdoors led Greg Lais and his fellow graduate Paul Schurke to start organizing outdoor trips, What seemed like a somewhat ordinary idea became a trailblazing endeavor. Building on the success of a week- long trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness with a group of people with a variety of physical abilities, Greg and Paul began ``Wilderness Inquiry''--a transformative nonprofit dedicated to providing access to the outdoors through world-class wilderness experiences to anyone, regardless of abilities. Under Greg's leadership over more than 40 years, the nonprofit has grown to offer a wide variety of trips and experiences, both across the nation and around the world, that welcome people from all walks of life and all abilities. Whether it's a first canoeing trip down a local river, camping in a national park, or exploring the farthest reaches of the world, Wilderness Inquiry empowers everyone to access adventures. Their amazing team of staff and outdoor leaders create trips that are fun, memorable and life-changing for students, families and business teams alike. Greg knew early on that the strength of Wilderness Inquiry was its valued partnerships with many different organizations. Today, Wilderness Inquiry fulfills their mission to share the outdoors with everyone with the help of more than 100 different entities. Collaboration with U.S. Interior Department agencies like the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on its Canoemobile initiative is one of its most successful endeavors. The Canoemobile ``floating classroom'' experience works with urban cities and school districts, countless volunteers and other organizations to bring students from all backgrounds out on waterways around the country in beautiful, hand-crafted 24-foot Voyageur canoes to learn about science, history, geography and culture. Based on his own outdoor experiences, Greg understands how powerful interaction with the natural world is to our health, happiness and desire to protect our natural resources. Through these shared adventures, presumptions are challenged, people grow, and community is strengthened. I can vouch for the fact that these adventures are fun and inspiring. But the best proof is in the smiling faces of the more than 40,000 people that Wilderness Inquiry serves each year. Even as he approaches retirement, Greg continues to offer his expertise and energy to help nurture the next generation of outdoor leaders. This week, Greg's family, coworkers and many friends will join him to celebrate a remarkable career with Wilderness Inquiry. Madam Speaker, please join me in rising to pay tribute to the leadership of Greg Lais as he retires from Wilderness Inquiry after more than 40 years, and in honor of his ongoing commitment to conservation, equitable access to the outdoors and vision to create positive change.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my constituent Ms. KaYing Yang for being appointed to the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders by President Joseph R. Biden. On February 14, 2022, Ms. Yang was sworn in as one of 25 commissioners, bringing a variety of personal and professional experience and expertise to the President's commission. The daughter of May Yia Yang, a farm girl, and Chia Chu Yang, who was a Lieutenant Colonel in the CIA's Special Guerilla Unit (SGU) during the Secret War in Laos, Ms. Yang was among the first Hmong women to graduate from college in the United States in the mid-1980s. She earned her B.A. in Sociology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. For more than two decades, Ms. Yang has been a passionate advocate for social justice who has built and led campaigns to address community issues locally, nationally and globally including her very important work to support gender equity, education opportunity, and advocacy for refugee families. When she was just 25 years old, Ms. Yang became the executive director of the Women's Association of Hmong and Lao (WAHL), one of the first two women's organizations founded by Hmong-American women in Minnesota. Later she served as executive director of the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), the oldest national advocacy organization for refugees who resettled in the United States from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam after 1975. During this time Ms. Yang worked with various international development groups in Laos including the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to resettle 15,000 Hmong refugees to the United States and other countries, and later aided Karen refugees with resettlement on the Thai-Burma border. In 2008, she began working for the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to advance policies to improve the investment climate for private sector investment in Laos. While in Laos, she founded the first Hmong women's organization to ensure development resources reached minority women and people who moved from remote areas to urban areas. After her return to Minnesota, Ms. Yang worked for the Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL), and led a broad cross-racial coalition to pass the All Kids Count Act in Minnesota in 2016, a bill which requires that students' ethnicity be included in data collected to enable policy makers to direct resources to the most impacted communities. She was also instrumental to passing legislation in 2017 that created a nonprofit grant program for small nonprofits led by leaders of color that serve historically underserved communities. Ms. Yang and her fellow commissioners advise the President on ways the public, private, and non-profit sectors can work together to advance equity and opportunity for every AANHPI community. The Commission also advises on policies to address anti-Asian hate, xenophobia and violence--timely work given the recent rise in violence against our Asian-American neighbors. Further, they will find ways to build capacity in AANHPI communities through federal grantmaking and policies to address barriers facing AANHPI women, LGBTQ+ people, and people with limited English proficiency and disabilities. Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing the phenomenal work Ms. KaYing Yang and congratulating her on this appointment to the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Since finding refuge with her family in America at the age of 7, Ms. Yang has exhibited outstanding devotion to improving the lives of members of the Hmong and Asian-American communities.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate Mary Dierich on her recent selection as a 2022 Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). AANP Fellows have a direct impact on the communities they serve by engaging with nurse practitioners (NPs) from around the country to lead new initiatives while also supporting the mission of AANP. Additionally, these Fellows play a critical role in the mentorship and development of other NPs. At a time when every level of our health care sector is struggling with recruitment and retention, this cultivation of talented NPs is absolutely essential to our entire health infrastructure. Mary is a stellar embodiment of what an AANP Fellow should be. A proud holder of multiple degrees from the University of Minnesota, including a PhD from the School of Nursing, Mary was a Clinical Associate Professor at her alma matter for over sixteen years. She has also worked on the frontlines at HealthPartners for the last fourteen years serving as a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner. In the early days of the pandemic, Mary was a critical resource to me and my office as we sought real-time analysis from frontline workers who saw COVID-19 unfold. This was helpful to understand the PPE shortages facing health care professionals and the resources they needed to keep our communities safe. We all owe a debt of gratitude to Mary and her fellow frontline workers for the amazing selflessness they have exhibited over the last two and a half years. It is no wonder why Mary Dierich has been selected for this prestigious opportunity at AANP. I look forward to AANP's Induction Ceremony which will take place in Orlando, Florida on June 23, 2022. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring the achievements of a great nurse practitioner and a beloved member of my family.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, the actions of Justice Thomas and his wife, Virginia, have undermined the Constitution. Ms. Thomas was in direct communication with the Trump White House in a conspiracy to undermine the peaceful transfer of power between Presidents. Justice Thomas should recuse himself from cases related to his wife's involvement. Yet, he took part in Court rulings and voted to prevent the disclosure of White House communications. Justice Thomas failed to disclose his wife's nearly $700,000 in income from The Heritage Foundation, an organization working to stop the January 6 investigation. Justice Thomas has repeatedly failed to meet his ethical obligations of recusal and disclosure that are expected of a Federal judge. The American people entrust Members of Congress and the Supreme Court to defend our Constitution, our laws, and our democracy. His wife's involvement in the attempt to overthrow the 2020 election, and Justice Thomas' failure to recuse himself, have made him ethically compromised. He is unfit to be a natural arbiter of justice. Justice Thomas should resign from the Supreme Court.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember Shar Knutson, former president of the Minnesota AFL-CIO, who passed away last month. Shar was a bridge-builder, trailblazer, and mentor. Shar was a lifelong advocate for workers in St. Paul and across Minnesota. A trailblazer herself, the first woman to lead the Minnesota AFL-CIO, she mentored women in the labor movement and urged them to run for leadership. She was a strong booster for pro-women labor supporters seeking public office. Her early and steadfast support and encouragement was instrumental to me in helping to run for Congress and advance our common values together. Hosting Shar as my guest for President Obama's first official State of the Union address in Washington, D.C., was a privilege. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a February 22, 2022, article from the Union Advocate newspaper in St. Paul paying tribute to Shar Knutson's life and work. [Feb. 22, 2022] Remembering Shar Knutson: `Her Presence Will Be Missed, but Her Legacy Lives On' (by Union Advocate) Shar Knutson ascended the ranks of Minnesota's labor movement, starting as a member of AFSCME Local 1842 in St. Paul and retiring after six years in the state's highest union office. Remembered by colleagues and friends as a bridge-builder, trailblazer and mentor, Knutson died Feb. 2 at the age of 72. A native of Fridley who made St. Paul her home, Knutson made history in 2009 as the first woman elected president of the Minnesota AFL-CIO, the federation of over 1,000 affiliate unions representing 300,000 working people statewide. Knutson held the office until 2015, during a tumultuous time for American unions. Efforts to weaken workers' bargaining power and roll back labor standards succeeded in other states, but not in Minnesota. Under Knutson's leadership, Minnesota unions not only kept ``right to work'' and other anti-union measures at bay, but they lobbied to expand collective bargaining rights and pass the first statewide minimum-wage increase in a decade. ``Shar played an active role in the successful campaign to increase labor's voice in national, state and local issues, including raising awareness and promoting community debate about social and economic justice,'' U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum said. ``This shift laid the groundwork for important progress being made today that benefits all Minnesotans.'' Labor leaders who worked with Knutson recalled her attention to detail, quiet resolve and ambition. ``She got her facts, and she moved forward,'' said Ray Waldron, Knutson's predecessor as president of the state AFL- CIO. ``She was very decisive.'' It showed, Waldron remembered, when he approached Knutson in 2009 with the news that he planned to retire. Knutson had been serving as president of the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation and, previously, the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly for more than a decade. ``I walked into her office and said, `How would you like to run for president of the Minnesota AFL-CIO?' '' Waldron said. ``Shar didn't hesitate. She just said yes, reached across her desk, shook my hand, and I walked out.'' Though self-assured, Knutson ``was never a bully,'' said Harry Melander, former head of the St. Paul and statewide Building Trades councils. Rather, she built her career on a knack for bringing people into the decision-making process and working in coalition. ``We all love each other, we're family,'' Melander said. ``But families have fights. Shar made a point to make sure everyone, whether you got along within the labor family or not, was at the table when we had a big item to discuss, so we could figure this out together.'' Knutson grew up in a union household, but her ties to the labor and political communities deepened after leaving a public-health job with the City of St. Paul in 1990 to work for Mayor Jim Scheibel. At City Hall, she shared an office and a budding friendship with Molly O'Rourke, who said the two ``bonded over that experience of working in a very fast- paced and energized office.'' Knutson was the mayor's liaison to organized labor and other constituent groups, including the emerging immigrant and refugee communities. It was a good fit, O'Rourke said, given Knutson's ``belief that everyone, no matter their station in life, needed to be treated with dignity and respect.'' Scheibel declined to run for re-election in 1993, and Knutson went to work for the Trades and Labor Assembly. Delegates elected her president in 1998, and within weeks of taking office, St. Paul's new mayor, Norm Coleman, stunned the city's unions with a proposal to privatize a swath of city services, from golf courses to the water department. Coleman's ``Compete St. Paul'' plan threatened hundreds of city jobs, and union leaders looked to the Assembly to fight back, said Barb Kucera, then editor of The Union Advocate newspaper. Knutson worked quickly to convene the St. Paul Works Alliance, a coalition of groups that would oppose the privatization scheme. ``Right away, Shar brought in as many stakeholders as possible to be part of the discussion, leading with the unions but inviting other organizations too,'' Kucera said. ``She really decided to mount a public campaign, and that's what eventually stopped the whole idea in the fall of 1999. ``Shar really pushed the organization to focus and get a clear message across, and she did a lot of media appearances and events and public speaking. They talked about jobs, but they didn't make it about jobs only. They very wisely chose to make it clear this was going to be a real threat to public services in the city, particularly the water service.'' Defeating Coleman's plan drew national attention, and Knutson was among a handful of local labor council presidents invited to serve on an advisory committee to the AFL-CIO Executive Board. ``She was willing to try to do some things differently, and she projected a different image, being the first woman and first public employee in that job,'' Kucera said. ``She surprised a lot of people in Washington, D.C.,'' Waldron added. ``She was courageous.'' Knutson's profile continued to grow after another successful, coalition-based campaign in 2006, this time to save 500 jobs at a paper recycling plant in the Midway. The plant, then owned by Rock- Tenn, needed a new power source after Xcel Energy stopped burning coal at its High Bridge plant. But opposition from neighborhood groups put Rock-Tenn's future--and the jobs of Steelworkers like Bob Ryan--in doubt. Ryan, who now works as the rapid response coordinator for his union, called Knutson ``instrumental'' in keeping USW Local 264 members working in St. Paul. ``It was a lot of public meetings, and Shar was at a lot of them with us, speaking on our behalf,'' he said. Both Knutson and her father had worked at the facility, he said, ``so Shar could talk to people with true emotion about how long the plant had been there and its connection to the city. She just delivered.'' By then, the Assembly had merged with surrounding labor councils to form the Regional Labor Federation, with Knutson as president. She won a three-way race for president of the state AFL-CIO in August 2009, and guided the union campaign to elect Minnesota's first labor-endorsed governor in 20 years, Mark Dayton, a year later. As her list of accomplishments grew, Knutson continued to prioritize her work to mentor women and young workers pursuing leadership roles in the labor movement and in politics. Those fields were even more male-dominated 22 years ago, when McCollum became just the second Minnesota woman elected to federal office, than they are today. The 4th District congresswoman remembered Knutson and longtime friend Robin Madsen, an AFSCME leader who died in 2017, teaming up to host a ``Working Women for Betty'' campaign-kickoff event after McCollum announced her first run for Congress. Knutson and McCollum remained friends as their careers progressed. Knutson attended President Barack Obama's first State of the Union address as McCollum's guest, and the congresswoman presented her friend with a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol upon her retirement from the Minnesota AFL-CIO. ``I am thankful I had the opportunity to know and work with Shar Knutson,'' McCollum said. ``Her presence will be missed, but her legacy lives on.'' Jennifer Guertin, president of AFSCME Local 2508, called Knutson a source of ``quiet support'' going back to the days when delegates to the Trades and Labor Assembly were ``75 to 80 percent men.'' ``There were times when I was so frustrated by the guys that I was like, `I'm done, I can't do this anymore,' '' said Guertin, now the federation's sergeant at arms. ``Shar would take me aside and say, `You have to learn how to deal with people that don't know what you're capable of. You can't let them win.' '' Current Regional Labor Federation President Kera Peterson counts herself among the countless other union members Knutson took time to mentor. ``President Knutson helped us grow as people, advocates and leaders, and she fostered connections among us,'' Peterson said. ``I don't know that many of us realized it at the time, but Shar was building a network of union and community activists with an eye towards our future. ``I'm grateful that she took a long view on what our labor movement can accomplish together, and for the investments she made in all of us.'' Knutson was also quick to remind young activists about the importance of work-life balance. ``A lot of times during campaigns, when I was pretty much living at the Labor Centre because that's what we did, she was the one to tell me that I needed to go home sometimes, too,'' Guertin said. Knutson, who raised two daughters as a single working mother, ``was really dedicated to her family,'' O'Rourke said. ``I think they gave her a lot of strength.'' Although Knutson spent more time with family and friends after retiring in 2015, Alzheimer's disease progressively limited her independence. ``It was hard to see such a strong and powerful and articulate woman not really know the amazing impact she had on people around her,'' O'Rourke said. ``She was a friend of mine, a good friend to me and to a lot of people,'' Melander added. ``It's hard because she didn't have enough time to enjoy the fruits of her labor.'' Knutson's family has published an obituary at BradshawFuneral.com. They plan to hold her memorial service later this spring.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to work with Shar Knutson and to call her a friend. Her presence will be missed, but her legacy lives on.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Consolidated Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2022. As chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, I want to thank Ranking Member Calvert for his partnership and Chair DeLauro and Ranking Member Granger for their leadership. For fiscal year 2022, the Defense bill provides a total of $728.5 billion. That is $32.5 billion above the 2021 level. The House bill that I wrote was a much lower number, but this is the number I was instructed to mark up to. We prioritized critical investments and our most important national security asset, our servicemen and -women and their families. Here are a few examples: a 2.7 percent pay raise for over 2 million uniformed servicemembers and 750,000 DOD civilian employees; an additional $167 million so all DOD personnel can earn at least a $15 minimum wage; an additional $397 million for basic housing and subsistence allowances so that our servicemembers can feed their children properly; $97 million to enact the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military; $37 billion for Defense Health and medical research programs, including $577 million for cancer research; historic levels of DOD investments in clean energy, climate adaptation, and facility resiliency; a $486 million increase of environmental restoration activities, including $210 million for PFOS/ PFOA cleanup; and an additional $686 million to respond to the Red Hill fuel spill in Hawaii. This bill confronts Vladimir Putin's illegal and unjust invasion of Ukraine by providing robust funding for the Ukraine Security Initiative and NATO's partners and allies. Mr. Speaker, this bill is long overdue. It is time for Congress to do our work to pass this omnibus bill and fund our government.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I rise on behalf of the Minnesota delegation as we honor the life and mourn the passing of our colleague, Jim Hagedorn of Blue Earth, Minnesota. Public service was a defining feature in the life of Representative Hagedorn. As a young man, he worked here in the House for 7 years as a legislative assistant with Congressman Arlan Stangeland. He then served as a legislative and congressional affairs officer for two U.S. Department of Treasury agencies, the Financial Management Service and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Since 2019, Congressman Hagedorn represented the cities, towns, and farms of southern Minnesota's First Congressional District. On the Small Business and Agriculture Committees, Jim worked to expand broadband access to rural communities, as well as provide additional support for farmers and ranchers during the pandemic. Even as Jim bravely endured the personal challenge of cancer treatment, he did so with dignity and grace. Jim continued to serve our country and his constituents. Despite our policy differences on many issues, Jim and I were united in the common goal of achieving greater opportunities for future generations of Minnesotans. I offer my deepest condolences to Jim's family, his friends, his staff, and the people of the First Congressional District during this difficult time. Minnesota's Congressional district delegation is grateful for Congressman Hagedorn's service to our country. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Emmer).

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Minnesota delegation and on behalf of the great State of Minnesota, I respectfully ask that we recognize the life of Congressman Jim Hagedorn with a moment of silence.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, it is unfortunate that we are here again today to pass another continuing resolution. I know that the appropriators on both sides of the aisle want to get a full fiscal year 2022 omnibus done as soon as possible. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Chairwoman DeLauro for her tireless efforts to negotiate a bipartisan agreement with the Senate. We have to pass this CR today because America simply cannot afford a shutdown. A shutdown would have a disastrous impact on our continuing economic recovery. It would diminish our ability to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. And Europe is facing one of the greatest threats since the end of World War II. Our Federal Government should be sending a strong, unified message to Vladimir Putin that we stand united with our European allies. As chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, I want to highlight a critical life, health, and safety provision in this CR for our brothers and sisters in Hawaii. The fuel leak that occurred at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Hawaii last November is nothing short of an environmental catastrophe, one that has impacted thousands of residents. This spill should have never happened. Congress will hold the Department of Defense accountable to make this right. Today, we provide an additional $350 million for the Department and the services to continue their efforts to address this crisis. I want to thank my colleagues from Hawaii for leading on this issue, especially Representative Case, who also joins and serves with us on the Appropriations Committee. You will hear from him later, Madam Speaker. You have my commitment that our subcommittee will do everything we can to stay on top of this. The people in Hawaii impacted by the spill deserve clean drinking water. They deserve to know that their drinking water will be secure. It is just one more reason to support the CR today. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote ``yes.'' Let's keep the government open and get the full omnibus across the finish line.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, it has been 342 days since the House of Representatives passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. For 11 months, Senate Republicans have filibustered this bill, blocking meaningful change and accountability to address systemic racism and the use of excessive force. One critical reform that can wait no longer is restricting the use of no-knock warrants. These extreme warrants too often create dangerous situations for innocent bystanders as well as for suspects and law enforcement. That is why the Saint Paul Police Department has not issued a no- knock warrant since 2016. But the Minneapolis Police Department continues to insist on using these no-knock warrants. The irresponsible choice that they are making has resulted again in a death, the killing of Mr. Locke last week, another life cut tragically short during a no-knock search, a headline that we have become all too familiar with. That is why we need Federal reforms now. The House has done its job. The Senate must do its job, stop stalling, and pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I rise to call attention to correspondence I recently received from Todd Axtell, Chief of the St. Paul Police Department. Chief Axtell and the men and women in uniform of the department who serve my constituents are extraordinary public servants who operate with a level of professionalism that has been consistently demonstrated during the difficult circumstances of the past two years. Therefore, I include in the Record Chief Axtell's letter to highlight the increasing challenges being placed on St. Paul police officers. At this moment, the City of St. Paul is the venue for the federal trial of three former Minneapolis police officers involved in the murder of Mr. George Floyd in May 2020. This trial has been brought by federal authorities, regarding federal civil rights charges, and concerns a crime that occurred in Minneapolis, not in St. Paul. By selecting St. Paul as the venue for this federal trial, extraordinary security and financial burdens are being placed upon the City of St. Paul, Ramsey County, and our local taxpayers. It is my belief that the federal court and Department of Justice must not be allowed to shift security related costs onto local government and taxpayers. This is simply unacceptable. Therefore, I am exploring funding options that will ensure the federal government covers all costs associated with security for this federal trial and the City of St. Paul, the St. Paul Police Department, and the property taxpayers of St. Paul are held financially harmless. Though I cannot guarantee funding, my office will make every effort to achieve this goal. Madam Speaker, I remain committed to working with both local and federal counterparts to achieve a positive outcome for the people of St. Paul. I would also like to recognize Chief Axtell for his leadership and the day-to-day commitment of the St. Paul Police Department to meet the needs of our constituents. Department of Police, City of Saint Paul, January 21, 2022. Hon. Betty McCollum, House of Representatives, Saint Paul, MN. Dear Representative McCollum: The murder of Mr. George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police officers on May 25, 2020 sparked unprecedented civil unrest in the State of Minnesota and across the globe. For several days, an outpouring of frustration sparked reactions ranging from massive demonstrations, to looting, to widespread destruction of property. In the Twin Cities, two people were killed and our community suffered millions of dollars in property damage, including 330 buildings in Saint Paul that were damaged or destroyed. The past two years have brought dramatic changes in law enforcement staffing; police officers are leaving the profession in numbers that haven't been seen before. The Saint Paul Police Department is currently down 80 sworn officers, our lowest staffing level since the 1990's. Additionally, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic offers daily staffing challenges as members of our department contract the highly contagious virus and are required to quarantine. While short-staffed, Saint Paul officers are being pushed to the brink while continuing to deliver the high level of service expected by our community. In 2021, Saint Paul experienced a record high number of homicides and saw dramatic increases in other violent crimes. While struggling to meet the day-to-day challenges of maintaining public safety, our department was notified at the end of November 2021 that the federal civil rights trial for the four former Minneapolis police officers involved in George Floyd's murder would be held in downtown Saint Paul at the federal courthouse--even though the tragic incident occurred in a different jurisdiction. As the murder of Mr. Floyd took place in the City of Minneapolis while in custody of Minneapolis police officers, no one anticipated the federal trial being held in Saint Paul. Law enforcement organizations are typically given six to twelve months to plan for a trial of this magnitude. However, we were given fewer than two months to plan and prepare with our federal and local partners for the upcoming federal trial. Tensions in the community remain high. Protests and calls for systemic changes continue. The upcoming federal trial has been highly publicized and may inflame intense emotions for individuals across the country. While we have worked diligently to prepare, it will come at a steep price to our community, our financial bottom line and our officers' wellbeing. Preliminary budget numbers show this trial could cost the City of Saint Paul $2 million and up to an additional $2 million in mutual aid costs for our East Metro partners. These estimates cover items such as training, equipment, protecting critical infrastructure and fencing, personnel costs, and other needs that arise as a result of the trial being held in our city. With staffing levels critically low, personnel working during an ongoing pandemic, and officers working a great deal of overtime just to maintain minimum staffing levels, having this federal trial in our city is an extremely heavy lift for our department. I respectfully seek assistance from the FY22 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) funding bill to reimburse the City of Saint Paul. It is our hope that this will ease the financial strain that the upcoming federal trial will place on our department. The Saint Paul Police Department's point of contact for additional information is Deputy Chief Stacy Murphy. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Todd Axtell, Chief of Police.