Zachary (Zach) Nunn

Mr. NUNN of Iowa

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and celebrate Wacker Chemical of Eddyville, Iowa. Wacker Chemical established its Eddyville plant in 1999 and recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. Wacker Chemical has been at the forefront of cyclodextrin production since it was first built. The Eddyville plant plays a central role within our global network of Biotech and Biopharma sites. From Iowa alone, Wacker produces all the cyclodextrin it sells. Eddyville is an important pillar of the BioSolutions portfolio and Wacker's growth strategy. I extend my sincerest congratulations to Wacker Chemical on a tremendous 25 years of business in Iowa and honor its dedication to manufacturing for Iowans. Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in congratulating Wacker Chemical of Eddyville, Iowa for its 25th anniversary. I wish nothing but the best as they continue their great work in Iowa.

Mr. NUNN of Iowa

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of retired Brigadier General Travis Acheson who passed away this week after battling brain cancer. Ever the patriot, Travis was born on July 4, 1968 in Des Moines, Iowa to Douglas and Margaret Acheson. He grew up on Army Post Road in West Des Moines and graduated from Valley High School in 1986. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Iowa in 1990, where he began dating his future wife. After five years together, Travis married Brooke in June 1995. Travis spent much of his working life following his passion: flying airplanes. He retired from the military in September 2022 as a brigadier general after 33 years of service. Travis was a command pilot with almost 3,000 flying hours in the F-16 fighter jet. He was deployed overseas five times and flew over 500 combat hours during his military career. Travis was also employed as a commercial pilot with American Airlines for over 20 years. He was a captain on the Airbus at the time of his diagnosis. Travis was an incredible pilot, a great Iowan, a loving husband to Brooke, and a doting father to daughters Isabelle, Emma, and Gretta. I thank Travis for his service to our community, state, and country. Fly high.

Mr. NUNN of Iowa

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Chair, I thank my colleagues for their work on H.R. 8774. Mr. Chairman, as a counterintelligence officer who operated against China, I have witnessed firsthand how the Chinese Communist Party can threaten our national security. Therefore, this bill is critical to our Nation's security. The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2025, will fight against Communist China by strengthening our military deterrence efforts and investing in the next generation of military technology, innovation, and our workforce. I thank Chairman Calvert for including my amendment to increase research and development of cutting-edge drone technology. Wireless power transfer for U.S.-made drones allows for providing endurance, long-range capabilities, and dual-use technology to help protect America both at home and abroad. This includes our border security, counter-drug operations, extensive terrain mapping in the case of natural disasters, even air-to-air refueling, and, certainly, extending communications networks in contested environments. Most importantly, they are highly effective, low-cost capabilities with a high-yield impact when it comes to kinetic conflict. I appreciate the work and leadership of the chairman and the work of the committee, and I urge Members on both sides of the aisle to continue to support our advance in drone technology made domestically, independent of China, for a safer, stronger America.

Mr. NUNN of Iowa

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, on Roll Call No. 269, I mistakenly voted YES when I intended to vote NO.

Mr. NUNN of Iowa

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Rogers for his leadership on the National Defense Authorization Act. I rise in support of four amendments today included in this en bloc. I offer my first amendment in memory of Corporal Adam Lambert, a proud marine from Adel, Iowa. He returned home and, unfortunately, lost his life to suicide shortly after his combat tour of duty. Today, America loses 22 of its veterans to suicide every single day. We must do more to stop this silent epidemic. Amendment No. 980 aims to reduce the number of veteran suicides by improving our Transition Assistance Program, or TAP, and the Solid Start program to alert transitioning veterans of the mental health services available to them today through the VA. Second, fighting Communist China requires America be a leader in cybersecurity. My amendment No. 1012 bans the Department of Defense from acquiring, procuring, or utilizing blockchain technology created by our foreign adversaries. The CCP is developing new technology to manipulate America and infiltrate our national security by rewiring our hard infrastructure. America is investing heavily in blockchain technology today, developing cloud storage technology. This technology is the future of data management, with worldwide adoption expected in the next decade. Let me be clear: Failure for America to be able to act or for the Department of Defense to become a subsidiary of a Chinese blockchain is a thousand times worse than anything even TikTok could present today. This is a critical step to stop this crisis before it is too late, Mr. Chair, and protect Americans. Last, innovation in America's defense demands a public-private partnership, particularly with our most strategic allies. Amendment Nos. 1038 and 1055 will counter near-peer adversaries in the Middle East and tackle the tech advances that Communist China has made. As Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah rain down terror on Israel, we must support our strongest ally in the Middle East as she defends herself. With these strategic partnerships, we can support not only our allies but also learn from the innovations being created by our allies, create new pathways and new markets for our defense tech startups, and continue to leverage America's dominance and spirit of innovation to shape a safer world. These amendments will establish a key strategic partnership between the Defense Innovation Unit, where I have worked, with our allies in Israel and Taiwan. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this en bloc in a bipartisan way across both sides of the aisle, and I thank the chairman for including this in his overall package.

Mr. NUNN of Iowa

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, due to a natural disaster event in the district, I made an emergency trip back to Iowa to provide assistance to my constituents who have been left devastated by the tornado. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 221, ordering the Previous Question on H. Res. 1243 and YEA on Roll Call No. 222, Adoption of H. Res. 1243.

Mr. NUNN of Iowa

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Madam Speaker, due to a natural disaster event in my district, I made an emergency trip back to Iowa to provide assistance to my constituents. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 223, Casar Amendment No. 1 to H.R. 4763, YEA on Roll Call No. 224, Norman Amendment No. 3 to H.R. 4763, YEA on Roll Call No. 225, Perry Amendment No. 4 to H.R. 4763, and YEA on Roll Call No. 226, H.R. 4763.

Mr. NUNN of Iowa

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Houchin).

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Chairman, the administration's failure to secure our southern border has turned all of our States into border States. The administration's open-border policies have allowed an influx of over 8 million illegal migrants and more than 27,000 pounds of deadly fentanyl, and that is just what we know of, to enter our country. Earlier this year, fentanyl hurt so many of our families, so I invited folks from my district. Deric and Kathy Kidd joined me to hear what our country could do during the State of the Union to help fight the fentanyl crisis, the synthetic drug made in China that enters our country illegally, primarily through our southern border, which has so far been left completely unprotected. We honor the loss of their son. At 17, he lost his life and became one of 150 Americans every day dying from the fentanyl crisis. We looked for answers from the administration to close the border that they could do on day one, to be able to stand up and make sure that catch and release is ended, and to reinstate remain in Mexico. The administration chose to do none of those things, and they have put our law enforcement on the front lines of defending our communities not just from local policing but from the threat posed by this deadly drug. Mr. Chair, no family should experience what the Kidd family did. This, in their own words, could and should have been prevented but, unfortunately, it remains. Most recently, Interstate 35 that extends from Mexico north right into my district in Iowa was the site of the largest seizure of fentanyl near Des Moines. A 35-year-old male traveling from the southern border was intercepted not by Border Patrol or Federal law enforcement but by local police. They seized 30,000 fentanyl pills in his car. Let's not forget one teaspoon is more than enough to kill an entire community. Luckily, our law enforcement officers were able to intercept these drugs and made sure they did not make it to our State and were not on our streets. There is no doubt that we must secure our border to prevent drugs from flowing into our country, but we also need to address the strain that this places on families and our local first responders. In conversations with sheriffs at the police departments in my district, I have talked with too many officers who shared their work and how it is being consumed in the fight against fentanyl. The bottom line is that local law enforcement officers should not be overloaded with these issues when we have a Federal responsibility to assist them. To better understand how big of an impact fentanyl is on our communities, my amendment would require the Department of Justice to detail how much States have spent on local law enforcement efforts to investigate, intercept, and process fentanyl that has been trafficked across U.S. borders. By understanding the root of this challenge, we can better allocate resources and make sure our local law enforcement has the support they need. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and the underlying bill by Representative D'Esposito, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Chair, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from New York (Mr. D'Esposito).

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Chair, I think this can be a bipartisan solution. It impacts all of our communities, all of our cops, and all of our families. Mr. Chair, I urge passage of the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Chair, the influx of fentanyl at the southern border has truly impacted every American community. Since 2021, overdose losses due to fentanyl have exceeded 200,000. We are losing over 150 neighbors, community members, and children daily due to this deadly drug. It is truly a weapon of mass destruction, produced in China, and sent to the United States with a clear result of killing our country. This crisis has persisted due to the open-border policies of this administration. The mass importation of fentanyl that is being created is resulting in more and more of not only Communist China's ability to influence but Mexican-based cartels to enter and terrorize every American community. It is a flood of illicit drugs, and it is costing every single community more. The lack of enforcement on our southern border to deal with this flow of fentanyl is being felt, most poignantly, by our frontline defenders, the brave men and women in uniform, our first responders, many of whom are already facing staffing shortages back home. Mr. Chair, I thank the men and women who are both the front line and now the last line in the battle against fentanyl in our communities. I do a lot of ride-alongs with my sheriffs and my local law enforcement, and I have seen firsthand how fentanyl has hollowed out communities and created great pain for so many. There is more that we can do. Our officers are left thinly spread out, our constituents are under siege, and our communities are literally dying as a result of failed policy. We need to better understand the full scope of the fentanyl crisis, including the impacts that are occurring to our local law enforcement. My amendment to this bill would require the Department of Justice to report to Congress on how many law enforcement officers have been reassigned, how many local resources have been reallocated, how many community policing programs have been reprioritized or, in some cases, not prioritized because fentanyl has become the number one issue that so many of our local law enforcement has had to address. Gaining visibility on where our local officers are spending their time, prioritizing the threat, and appropriately separating and addressing the issues at the State and Federal levels, respectively, is not only imperative; it is simply prudent. I am proud to offer this amendment and urge my colleagues to support it, along with the underlying text. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague on the other side of the aisle. I think we can all agree that fentanyl is a challenge and that it is killing Americans at an unprecedented rate. Fentanyl now kills more Americans from my daughter's age to my age, and I am getting to be an old man. We should not be in this position. The reality is that our frontline defenders have become our local law enforcement, and collectively I think we absolutely agree that this should never have happened. This amendment moves forward with the ability to identify this and to help to prioritize these resources. I will say to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle: There is a way to end this. We recognize immediately that fentanyl comes largely from China. We recognize immediately that it is coming across our southern border, and in this there is no dispute. ``Shut down the border'' should be a great mantra for all of us to be able to save lives. Today, the administration can do that. It can end the catch and release program; it can reinstate a remain in Mexico policy; it can ensure that the drugs flowing across our southern border are intercepted there, so they don't end up being intercepted on our streets, in our hometowns, in the heart of the heartland in communities like mine in Iowa. Mr. Chair, I don't want to see another child, friend, or neighbor die because we at the Federal level have failed to do our job. By prioritizing these resources, we can better identify what other services are being left behind and what other communities are endangered because their first priority has to be intercepting fentanyl. Mr. Chair, I encourage passage of the amendment and the underlying bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NUNN of Iowa

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be present for the following floor vote today. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 211, H.R. 6571.

Mr. NUNN of Iowa

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ann Mincks of West Des Moines, Iowa, who was recently selected as Iowa's 2024 Teacher of the Year. Ann has taught with Des Moines Public Schools for nearly 16 years and currently teaches English Language Learners at Hoover High School. She has helped to increase literacy proficiency at her school through the use of evidence-based, effective literacy instruction grounded in the Science of Reading. With many of her students new, not only to Des Moines but to the United States, Ann strives to connect them to their curriculum and to the community. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to present Ann with the Iowa Medal of Merit for her dedication to her students. I thank Ann for her work to support new members of our community and her dedication to students. Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in thanking her for her service to Iowa and her achievement as Iowa's 2024 Teacher of the Year.

Mr. NUNN of Iowa

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share the story of Adam Lambert, a proud marine from Adel, Iowa. Adam brought joy and laughter to his mother, Jill, and his father, Dean. He was a protective brother to his sisters, McKenzie and Anna. Adam put himself before his country, his friends, his family, and his service. During boot camp, Adam met a fellow marine named Daniel Harvey from Rhode Island. Together, these two became friends and stayed connected through their deployments and return to civilian life. At 22 years old, sadly, Daniel died by suicide just a year after he left the Marines, and tragically, as was noted, Adam followed him less than a month later. Unfortunately, Adam and Daniel's story all too often is becoming more common among our veterans. Veteran suicide is a casualty of war, one that demands immediate attention and action by this Congress. The truth is that when our men and women in uniform leave the service, that transition to civilian life can be extremely difficult and often leaves servicemembers feeling very much left alone. This is something I have witnessed firsthand as a 20-year combat veteran--as others have highlighted here from their military service-- and as a squadron commander in the Air Force. You saw airmen struggle with the realities of life when they transitioned from service in defense of this Nation. The pressure of employment, lack of fellowship, substance abuse, and finding a purpose weigh on all of our veterans as they return to civilian life, and many of our brothers and sisters sadly do not make it. We need to do more to ensure that veterans are aware of the resources available to them as they leave the Armed Forces. In honor of Adam and Daniel, as well as countless other servicemembers, I introduced the Daniel J. Harvey, Jr. and Adam Lambert Improving Servicemember Transition to Reduce Veteran Suicide Act. This bipartisan legislation led by veterans makes critical improvements to the Transition Assistance Program to provide servicemembers who are returning home with access to mental health resources, more frequent VA check-ins, and clear communication about available assistance programs as they navigate their return from the battlefield and before it is too late. I thank all who have served our Nation for their service, and I strongly encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support and pass this critical legislation.

Mr. NUNN of Iowa

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Iran is the largest sponsor of state terrorism. Their tactics of terror know no bounds, and they will stop at nothing to destroy our strongest allies in the Middle East. Indeed a week ago today, we saw them unleash a barrage of weapons intended to kill thousands: Christians, Jews, Muslims. No discretion in between, but for a 99 percent repulse rate by Israel, America, and our allies, we stood firm. This isn't a kinetic world. As an Air Force officer, we have done this many times, but we must also combat terrorism at its source: its funding. As a counterintelligence officer, I know the enemy must be fought on the battlefield. But behind the scenes, we must also commit to crippling them with their lack of ability to gain financial services that they then supply the funding for Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthi rebels, and the IRGC. My amendment will require the U.S. Government to diligently review all of Iranian assets above $5 million to accurately understand where their funding is coming from, where it is going, and who is benefiting from it. Right now, Congress lacks critical information surrounding U.S. Treasury's nonenforcement of current sanctions. It will allow more than $80 billion in illicit oil sales alone to come into this country. This amendment requires transparency so Congress and the American people never have to hear about billions potentially being transferred to Iran through the press and not through this administration. This amendment also gives Congress knowledge that we require to effectively ensure oversight and draft targeted legislation to ensure the Iranian regime doesn't have access to the funds necessary for it to finance terror. Finally, this amendment holds Iran directly accountable for their direct funding of terrorism, ensuring that Iran does not have access to the financial assets to enable their reign of terror throughout the Middle East and to those right here in the United States. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. Congress must be aware of Treasury Department's relaxation and nonenforcement of current sanctions on Iran today, and this amendment should be implemented immediately. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Madam Chair, I appreciate the gentleman's comments. I would state the Constitution establishes Congress as a coequal branch. Time delays alone cannot be the reason to not move forward immediately. Madam Chair, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) for his great work in defending Israel and supporting a sanction regime in Iran.

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Madam Chair, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill).

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Madam Chair, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Lawler).

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Madam Chair, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon), my colleague and wing commander.

Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Madam Chair, today we stand at a crossroads on a precipice. The result is the effect of an Iranian regime that is directly threatening not just our allies in the Middle East, but has access to funds that directly threaten us. While I respect my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, I would ask that they come forward at this important juncture to make sure that these funds are restricted from the use of terrorism that flows directly to harm those American soldiers who lost their lives just months ago, fellow veterans and combat in arms. I thank the 9/11 Families, the Foundation for Defense Fund, and all of those who have come forward to support this very important measure. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.