Max Rose

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Tottenville Pirates football team on an incredible season that took them all the way to the New York PSAL championship game at Yankee Stadium last week. Now, although they came up just short of their ultimate goal, the Pirates should be incredibly proud of what they accomplished this season. After a loss in their season opener, the Pirates bounced back with a remarkable 11-game winning streak, including a dramatic last- second victory in their first matchup with the eventual champions, Erasmus Hall. In the championship game, their star running back, Roland Dempster, battled through a hamstring injury until he literally couldn't run anymore and had to be helped off the field by his teammates. I think I speak for all of Staten Island when I say how incredibly proud I am of Coach Brian Neville and the entire Pirates team for putting up a hell of a fight. Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in congratulating them, particularly the graduating seniors, and wishing them well in whatever comes next, both on and off the field.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mohammed K. Chowdhury, a Staten Island resident. Mr. Chowdhury is an activist, community organizer, and civil servant who has spent his life fighting to make the world a better place. Mr. Chowdhury was born in rural Bangladesh. Beginning as a college student, he fought to better the lives of rural Bangladeshis in a whole host of areas, including education, infrastructure, healthcare, and communications. He also pushed for democratic reforms, fighting against autocratic government and ensuring that everyone would have the right to vote. Upon moving to the United States, Mr. Chowdhury did not stop trying to better his communities. He has served as a civil servant in both the New York City and New York State systems. In both jobs, he was an active union member. He currently serves as the Council Leader for the New York State Public Employees Federation (PEF) Division 349. Mr. Chowdhury has consistently fought on behalf of Staten Island's South Asian community. In 2015, he became the Staten Island Chapter Secretary of the Alliance of South Asian American Labor (ASAAL) in 2015. By 2016, he had risen to become the National Secretary of the ASAAL. Under his leadership, ASAAL has grown to include 12 chapters across five states. Mr. Chowdhury's work to raise the voice for the voiceless and build coalitions between labor and community organizations should serve as an example to all of us. With a vision for the future, a desire to bring people together, and a tenacious work ethic, we truly can enact change. So, Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House to join me in honoring Mohammed Chowdhury's work to make communities across the world, from Staten Island to rural Bangladesh, a better place

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my dear friends, Mendy Mirocznik and Scott Maurer, and the Staten Island Council of Jewish Organizations. Every year, COJO puts on incredible events that celebrate Jewish tradition and bring together the Jewish community with other communities of faith from across Staten Island. Now, more than ever, this work is essential to maintaining and building upon the fabric of our great borough. All too often, though, external forces work to separate communities and isolate them, which leads to polarization, misunderstanding, and fear. Not with COJO, though. COJO works to build bridges between communities so that we can come together. Most importantly, COJO ensures the security of the Jewish community on Staten Island, which, unfortunately, feels more and more at risk due to recent events. Across the country and around the world, we see a rising tide of anti-Semitism, from hate speech and graffiti in my district to terror attacks at synagogues across the country. Now, more than ever, COJO's work is necessary, and I am proud to work with them each and every day to build a safer Staten Island for all.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Susan Miskin on the occasion of her upcoming retirement from a career of dedicated service to her fellow Staten Islanders, particularly those with special needs. Throughout her 26 years as a speech therapist in New York City's school system, Susan has impacted the lives of countless students, and most recently, families of children with special needs. Susan started her career in Brooklyn, working with students in grades 6 through 8. Since 2006, she has worked on Staten Island at Susan E. Wagner High School. There, she began working with students on the Autism spectrum. As many of these students stay in high school for a longer period of time, Susan got to know her students over the course of many years and help guide them into adulthood. Susan went above and beyond to help these students. She has always thought of new and innovative ways to ensure that her students' needs were met. For example, she created a buddy program at Susan E. Wagner, pairing incoming freshmen who have special needs with a senior student at the school. This program is designed to ensure a smooth transition to the high school for these students and has been a great success. In fact, even in retirement, Susan's commitment to serving these students is not going anywhere, as she has promised to continue working as a volunteer with this buddy program. Susan represents the best of Staten Island and South Brooklyn. She is a hardworking individual who has dedicated her life to helping others. We all would do well to follow her lead. So, Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the career of Susan Miskin, for all of the hard work she has done and will continue to do to help her students, and to wish her the best in her upcoming retirement

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today in solemn memory of Ms. Verna Campbell, a constituent, beloved mother, grandmother, and eternal fighter for the working class. Ms. Campbell left us on October 22 but leaves behind a powerful legacy in my community. She was a loving mother to 10 children and step-children, and always worked to support her second family, 1199 SEIU. Ms. Verna was a long-time delegate for 1199, where she fought for labor rights, fair pay, and dignity for all workers. She devoted herself to the Staten Island Democratic Association, the Staten Island NAACP, the Staten Island Women's Political Caucus, and the 120th Precinct Council. Ms. Verna was a founder of the Staten Island African American Political Association and, over the years, has worked to bring African Americans into Staten Island politics. Ms. Verna also played key roles in electing numerous African Americans to public office throughout her life. Staten Island and all of New York City will deeply miss Ms. Verna Campbell, but we are all blessed for her membership in our community throughout her lifetime.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in commending the Denmark family of Staten Island for their hard work to raise awareness of Phelan-McDermid syndrome. Back home in New York, we recognized their efforts on October 22, which Governor Cuomo proclaimed ``Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Awareness Day'' in the state, and now I ask my colleagues to join me in giving them the same recognition here in the House. Drew Denmark suffers from Phelan-McDermid Syndrome, as well as Autism. In many cases, including Drew's, individuals struggling with this disease are non-verbal and are afflicted with cognitive disabilities. Phelan-McDermid is often misdiagnosed as another ailment, resulting in this syndrome being very under-diagnosed. After Drew's diagnosis, the Denmark family got to work ensuring that Phelan-McDermid Syndrome received the recognition it deserves, in hopes that more families will now be able to receive a proper diagnosis. I am honored to have walked with Drew and his family a few of weeks ago at the Autism Speaks Staten Island Walk and am proud to be on Team Drew each and every day. As more and more patients struggling with this disease receive accurate diagnoses of Phelan-McDermid Syndrome and families are able get their loved ones the care they need, they will in no small part have the Denmark family to thank for it. This family embodies what it means to be Staten Islanders and New Yorkers: when we want change to happen, we go out and fight for it. So, Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House to join me in honoring Drew and the rest of the Denmark family for the courage, and tenacity they have displayed.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of Imam Tahir Kukiqi, a public servant and community leader who continues to be denied fair consideration in his immigration process. This summer, Imam Tahir received notice that USCIS intends to deport him from the country he has called home and raised his family for years. The loss of Imam Tahir would be a blow, not only to Staten Island, but to all of New York City and the United States. He has dedicated his life to uniting diverse communities in solidarity and common understanding. He hosts interfaith dialogues with mosques, synagogues, churches, and temples all across New York State. He serves as the first Muslim chaplain to the New York City Police Department and has worked to build relationships between the Muslim community and law enforcement. He has lived a life of public service and represents the best of what it means to be an American. He has overcome incredible diversity already. Imam Tahir survived the war in Kosovo and built a life for himself and his son, Adem, right here in America. He lost his wife and Adem's mother some years ago, and now Citizenship and Immigration Services has threatened to take away Adem's father as well. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues not to sit idly by while this wonderful man, this public servant, is removed from our country. I urge them to join me in insisting that USCIS give Imam Tahir a fair hearing and grant him authorization to remain in this country. God bless Imam Tahir, and God bless the United States of America.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask all of my colleagues to join me in honoring the extraordinary courage and sacrifice of Egon J. Salmon, a veteran of World War II, on the 80th anniversary of his first attempt to flee Nazi Germany to the United States. Egon J. Salmon was born on June 4, 1924, in Rheydt, Germany, near the borders of Holland and Belgium. When Egon was nine years old, Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, leading Egon to face mounting anti-Semitism throughout his schooling, particularly with the passage of the 1935 Nuremberg Laws. On Nov. 9, 1938, Egon was an eyewitness to Kristallnacht, the night of broken glass, when more than 250 synagogues in Germany were destroyed. Egon's father Paul, who fought in the cavalry for the Kaiser in World War I and owned a major textile firm, was rounded up and arrested along with 30,000 Jewish men. He was taken by the Nazi SS to Dachau, the first Nazi concentration camp, and was released four weeks later on the condition that he immediately leave Germany. Paul entered the United States on a visitor's visa but was placed on a waiting list for a permanent visa. He then left for Cuba to await the arrival of his wife and two children in hopes of returning to the United States. While Paul waited in Cuba for the family's U.S. quota number to be called, Egon, his mother Erna and 9-year-old sister, Edith, booked passage on the SS St. Louis to Havana on May 13, 1939. They were not permitted to disembark and on June 4th, Egon spent his 15th birthday watching the lights of Miami while the ship was sent back to Nazi Germany. No country, including the United States, would accept the Jewish refugees. They were finally given haven in Brussels, Belgium, until a U.S. visa arrived in March of 1940. The family left for the United States just before the Nazis invaded Belgium. With much persistence and against all odds, the Salmon family joined a small group of German Jewish refugees on Staten Island. To support his family Paul became a door-to-door salesman and went into the import-export business. Egon attended New Dorp High School on Staten Island and was drafted into the U.S. Army upon graduating. He trained for combat duty in South Carolina and was granted U.S. citizenship before being sent overseas to North Africa and then to Naples, Italy, in 1943. Egon served in the U.S. Army in the Italian Campaign until 1945, overcoming great prejudices against Germans and Jews in his unit. He was placed in a unit that occupied Austria for nine months, using his ability to speak German to benefit his new country. He was awarded the combat infantry badge and three battle stars for his service. After he returned to Staten Island, Egon joined his father's business and then established Salmon Real Estate in 1956, which continues to operate to this day. Egon served as president of the Staten Island Board of Realtors and was a New York City Tax Commissioner. With his wife Marie, a native Staten Islander, Egon took an active role in the Jewish Community Center of Staten Island. In 2016, Egon and Marie established the Egon J. Salmon and Family Commemoration of Kristallnacht and the St. Louis at Wagner College in New York to strengthen Staten Island's first Holocaust Center and to remind those of all faiths in his beloved borough to ``Never Forget.'' The story of Egon Salmon and his family is the epitome of the American dream. He fled persecution in search of a better life and sacrificed for his new home in the United States Army. He gave back to his community by starting a business and creating jobs, and his family continues to serve our community to this day. So Madam Speaker, today I ask my colleagues in the House to join me in commending Egon Salmon and his family and thank them for their heroism and service to the United States.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Frank ``TowKar'' Appice, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, avid motorcyclist, and active member of our community. He passed away in 2017, but he is not forgotten. I am so proud that we recently named a street after him on Staten Island. Frank was the founder and chairman of the board of Rolling Thunder, Chapter 2 New York, as well as an integral part of creating two chapters in Brooklyn. Frank always wanted to use motorcycling to give back to our community, particularly our veterans. Every year, he oversaw the Disabled American Veterans support run for Chapter 2 New York, raising over $75,000 for disabled veterans. It is a fitting honor that his wife and children have formed a scholarship fund in his honor. This fund will continue Frank's passion for supporting veterans, ensuring that children of veterans or students who volunteer with veterans organizations can afford an education. This scholarship ensures that we will always remember and learn from Frank and his legacy of service. Frank, we will continue to honor you and your work. God Bless Frank, and God bless the United States of America.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this blatant attempt to help foreign agents subvert our democracy. Madam Speaker, we stand at the crossroads of history. Foreign enemies have attacked our elections in a sweeping and systematic fashion, and they are continuing to do so. We are faced today with a very simple question: Should Iran, Russia, and China be allowed to interfere in our elections? Should they have more of a say in who gets elected than our constituents? Let me tell you my answer. Our soldiers did not fight our enemies overseas just to watch them try to corrupt our democracy here at home. I am not sure when that became a controversial position, but it is a damn shame that it has. Protecting America should not be a one-party issue. It should be what unites us, not a cause for petty games. But once again, the minority party has decided it is more important to practice the kind of politics that put them in the minority in the first place. They have decided, yet again, to play another political stunt, just like they played this morning in the SCIF. It is the same exact thing. That is your choice. My choice is to stand up to say American elections are for Americans only. The SHIELD Act puts forward critical reforms to improve our defenses against foreign influence and interference. The bill strengthens reporting requirements, closes loopholes, and deters illegal foreign activity in our elections. I can understand if some of my colleagues are worried that they cannot win on a fair and level election playing field, but for all those who believe in free and fair elections, who swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution, I urge you to reject this MTR and stand with the United States of America.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask all of my colleagues to join me in honoring four outstanding Staten Islanders and veterans of the United States Military, the Petosa brothers: Mario Sr., Joseph, Michael, and Angelo. Mario Sr. served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1947, fighting in the Pacific theater during World War II from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska to Okinawa in Japan. Mario received numerous decorations for his service including two Purple Hearts and six Bronze Battle Stars. Joseph served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1946, reaching the rank of Metalsmith Third Class and receiving the Asiatic Pacific Theatre Ribbon and 4 Bronze Battle Stars. Michael served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1946 and was awarded the American Service Medal for his actions during the occupation of Japan. Angelo's service in the U.S. Navy began after World War II and he remained in the U.S. Navy from 1952 to 1972, eventually achieving the rank of Lieutenant. These brothers represent the best among us: a family dedicated to this country. They served America, fighting for our freedom during World War II and during the Cold War. With every day that passes, it becomes more and more important that we all work to recognize their accomplishments and preserve their stories for future generations. Our children and our children's children must know the sacrifices they made so many years ago so that we may be free today. The Petosa brothers are proof not just of the greatness of our community on Staten Island, but of the entire country. They came here as immigrants from Italy, making tremendous sacrifices not just to call this country home, but to put their lives on the line to defend it. This is a testament not only to the character of these men, but to the country they chose to live in and serve. That spirit lives on in the United States military today, in men and women like the ones I served with in Afghanistan who were willing to risk it all first to become an American, and then to protect that right for others. So Madam Speaker, during this Italian-American Heritage Month, I ask my colleagues in the House to join me in recognizing Mario Sr., Joseph, Michael, and Angelo Petosa, four Italian-American heroes who dedicated their lives to serving to this country and who represent the best of Staten Island.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask all of my colleagues to join me in honoring two of my constituents--siblings Rita and Steven Jerome. Their family represents the best that Staten Island has to offer, and now they are continuing their family's legacy of service, not just their fellow Staten Islanders, but the entire country. On Staten Island, a passion for public service is part of our DNA, and the Jerome family is the perfect example of that. Rita and Steven's father serves as a NYPD lieutenant and their uncle is a pastor. Their paternal grandfather acted as a judge in the New York State Compensation Board and ``in 1978 single-handedly apprehended a man threatening to blow up his courtroom in the World Trade Center.'' Now, Rita and Steven are choosing to follow in those family footsteps by joining the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academies (USMMA), respectively. Rita isn't just any Air Force Academy cadet, she's making history as part of an increasing percentage of women serving in the Air Force. According to the USAFA Admissions Office, Rita, who is majoring in astronautical engineering, is among the 28.2 percent of women in the Class of 2023. She is also the first alumna from her high school along with the first Staten Island women to be admitted to the USAFA. Her brother, Steven, recently completed a rigorous regime of academic, military, and physical training at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy after his graduation from Monsignor Farrell High School. Steven, who is earning a four-year degree in maritime logistics and security, will be completing almost three years of classes along with spending a year at sea away from his family. As Rita and Steven embark on their new careers in service, I know that their entire family will be right there with them. So, Madam Speaker, today I ask my colleagues in the House to join me in commending Rita, Steven, and the entire Jerome family for the sacrifices they have made, and will continue to make for our nation.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Devin McQueen, who loved baseball and his friends, but loved his family more than anything. I am here to honor his mom, Colleen McQueen; his dad, Derrick McQueen; his uncle, Michael McLaughlin; and all of his family. Devin was only 15 when he passed away after battling multiple rare diseases and chronic illnesses. I am so glad that our community came together and honored his life and spirit when we recently unveiled a beautiful sculpture in his memory. The sculpture in his honor is called ``The Strength of a Giant.'' It is a sculpture by artist Scott LoBaido of a boy pushing a large boulder towards a blue sky. Ever upward and ever forward, with the strength of a giant: that is what Devin's life was all about. Mr. Speaker, I want to say to Devin: We won't forget you.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, in our first 200 days in this Congress, we have passed an incredible amount of legislation to root out corruption, protect healthcare, and combat the opioid epidemic. Unfortunately, most of it, though, has died in the legislative graveyard of the Senate at the hands of Mitch McConnell. Now, there have been rare moments, like the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, where we have managed to do the right thing. But as we prepare to go back for a month of work outside of these Chambers, I ask one simple question: Where is our infrastructure bill? Because my constituents at home are sick and tired of their commute; sick and tired of their bridges and their roads that are falling apart. So I put this question to each and every Member of the House, leadership in both parties, and the President himself. Let's get the job done. Let's pass a real infrastructure bill. And you know what? If the Republicans do not want to play ball, if they don't even want to sit at the table with us, then let's pass something out of this Chamber and put a very simple question to the Senate, a very simple question to the President of the United States: Whose side are you on? Are you on the side of the lobbyists, the corporate PACs, the wealthiest amongst us? Or are you finally on the side of the hardworking Americans that you try to speak to every few years during election season?

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chair, I rise in support of my amendment to H.R. 3494. Our law enforcement officers stand on the front lines of defending the American people from domestic and international terrorist threats. It is our job as Congress to make sure that they have the most up-to- date information about the evolving threats posed by terrorism, including the use of advanced conventional weapons. One such evolving threat is the danger posed by terrorist use of conventional and advanced conventional weapons, including unregistered weapons that lack serial numbers. To address this issue, my amendment to the Intelligence Authorization Act will require the Department of Homeland Security to conduct an annual assessment of the domestic and international terrorist threats posed by conventional weapons as well as advanced conventional weapons. This is a simple, straightforward amendment that seeks to put important information about terrorist threats in the hands of our law enforcement officers. Madam Chair, law enforcement needs to have the information they need to understand these threats. The assessment of the terrorist threat posed by conventional weapons and advanced conventional weapons that I call for in this amendment will do just that. Additionally, this assessment will then be shared with Congress and with law enforcement so that our frontline officers have the information they need to understand these evolving threats. Madam Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to support my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chair, I rise to offer an amendment to title VII of H.R. 3494, entitled, ``Reports and Other Matters.'' As a combat veteran, I can tell you firsthand that intelligence drives operations, and it is imperative to the security of our homeland that the U.S. maintains its superiority when it comes to intelligence. However, a growing concern I have is when our former or retired intelligence professionals choose to later work for a foreign government. We saw it with former NSA employees working as hackers for the United Arab Emirates' Project Raven. Interviews and documents showed that the NSA's surveillance techniques were central to the country's monitoring efforts. Reporting showed that American ex-intelligence personnel would target the UAE Government's opponents online. This information, provided to them by the country's NSA equivalent, didn't just target terrorists, but also human rights activists and journalists, those whom the UAE deemed unfavorable. It is concerning when our best and brightest go off to conduct or advise on intelligence operations for foreign governments that, in some cases, are against the very people our American ideals protect. We need to understand the nature and impact of this expertise in the hands of a foreign government. What are the homeland security implications of this? My amendment will do just that. It requires the Director of National Intelligence, in coordination with other intelligence community partners, to conduct an annual assessment of the homeland security vulnerabilities associated with former intelligence community employees providing intelligence assistance to a foreign government. Madam Chair, the invaluable training, tradecraft, and expertise developed by former or retired intelligence professionals to keep our country safe, to keep Americans safe, now in the hands of a foreign government for their benefit is absolutely chilling. My amendment will tackle these concerns head-on with an annual assessment of any homeland security vulnerabilities that may be associated with this capability, cultivated from years of service to our country, now being provided to foreign governments. Madam Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to support my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my distinguished colleagues to join me in honoring my constituent Megan Poser for her efforts to dispel the stigma of addiction and to congratulate her on receiving the Girl Scout Gold Award. No community has been hit harder by the opioid epidemic than Staten Island. And at just 17 years-old, Megan decided that she wasn't going to just sit around and wait for others to do something about it. She decided she'd take it upon herself to change the perception and the stigma surrounding this crisis. Beyond her research of the drug epidemic on Staten Island, she took the initiative to become trained in the use of naloxone, a drug that has saved countless lives in our borough. She also surveyed young people in our community about the dangers of this crisis, because she recognizes that the first step in overcoming the opioid epidemic is addressing the perception of the issue. She built on her findings to create a presentation that she then used to educate her fellow young Staten Islanders about the nature of the drug epidemic. She became certified in Mental Health First Aid which gives people the tools to help someone experiencing a mental health or substance use-related crisis. The Girl Scouts have already recognized Megan's hard work and dedication to the Staten Island community by presenting her with its Gold Award, and it is my honor to do the same here in the Halls of Congress. She has successfully set herself up on a foundation of service to her community that is already having an impact on Staten Island, and I am confident that she will continue to build on these accomplishments to make the world a better place. So, Madam Speaker, today I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in recognizing Megan for her selfless and compassionate service to the Staten Island community. Megan's commitment to extend this project beyond receiving the Girl Scout Gold Award shows a continued love for learning and educating her peers. Ms. Poser is already an inspiring leader and I look forward to seeing her other projects unfold.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of my bipartisan amendment in both the House and Senate to the National Defense Authorization Act, a necessary leap forward in combating the opioid crisis by cracking down on illegal fentanyl from China, Mexico, and other countries. I would like to acknowledge and thank the cosponsors of this amendment, my colleagues French Hill, Anthony Brindisi, Brian Fitzpatrick, David Trone, and Conor Lamb. This amendment will place sanctions on drug manufacturers that knowingly provide fentanyl to traffickers, on transnational criminal organizations that mix fentanyl with other drugs and traffic them into the U.S., as well as financial institutions that assist these traffickers. Critically, my amendment also authorizes new funding to U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies to go after fentanyl traffickers while establishing a commission on fentanyl and opioid trafficking to ensure that we make progress here. Kids are dying in my district, in Staten Island, south Brooklyn, and New York City, and they are dying around the country because of deadly fentanyl. We know where it is coming from. It is about time that Congress does something about it. The days when a person or a company could find safe harbor in another country, flood our streets with drugs, and face no consequences have to be over. Madam Chair, I strongly urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this amendment. We have to get this done.

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Chair, I want to thank my good friend, Congresswoman Lee, for introducing this amendment and, just as importantly, for her, as our colleagues on the other side of the aisle noted, consistency and leadership on this issue for the last 18 years. Madam Chair, it will be 18 years this coming September. Men and women will enlist in the United States military who were not born on 9/11. They are enlisting in the United States military, and they will likely go to fight in a war in Afghanistan that is currently being fought based off an authorization that was signed before they were born. In the last 18 years, three different Presidents from both parties-- yes, this is a Democratic and a Republican problem--have conducted countless military operations in 19 different countries against groups entirely unrelated to those who attacked our country. I don't want to hear that we don't understand. I fought in Afghanistan. I am a New Yorker. I was in New York City on 9/11. We understand the severity of this problem. We understand that, in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, we had to kill those people who had killed innocent people in this country. But that is not what this is about today, and we refuse to make that the focus of this discussion. This is about Congress doing its job. This is about the fact that we are still waging war, and 80 percent of this institution has never voted to declare war. This is about the fact that, right now, we are unwilling to enact a piece of legislation that requires Congress to do its job in 8 months. So I say to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, we accept your invitation.

Mr. ROSE of New York. We accept your invitation, and we would love to work out a way for Congress to----

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support the appropriations bill on the floor this week that would implement split tolling on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. This legislation is common sense. It is nonpartisan, and it represents a massive win for all New Yorkers. It addresses the unintended consequences of an archaic 30-year-old piece of legislation that singled out Staten Island and South Brooklyn with the only bridge in the country whose technology is controlled by Congress. Split tolling removes an obsolete mandate that cars on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge only be tolled as they arrive in Staten Island, meaning that eastbound drivers across the bridge move across toll-free. Thousands of cars each day take advantage of this free ride and cause unnecessary congestion on Staten Island, in Brooklyn, and in Manhattan. Split tolling cuts the toll in half and collects it in both directions, closing the loophole, and at no cost to commuters in Brooklyn or on Staten Island. Cutting down on out-of-State toll shopping will also generate revenues for New York to invest in mass transit projects on Staten Island and in South Brooklyn, two places that all levels of government have consistently ignored or ripped off for a generation now. Finally, my constituents are starting to see a new day after a long commuting nightmare: fewer cars on our streets, better buses, more mass transit options, and credible alternatives to reach the other boroughs. This is commonsense legislation, and we are going to get it done.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, during Roll Call Vote number 341 on H.R. 2740, I mistakenly recorded my vote as No when I should have voted Yes.