Brad Schneider

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today regarding a vote I missed on April 28, 2023. I was traveling outside of Washington, D.C. to attend a longstanding personal obligation (specifically a wedding out of state). Had I been present in the House for Roll Call No. 202 on H.J. Res. 39, I would have voted ``Nay.'' As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, I voted ``Nay'' on this resolution during the committee markup on April 19, 2023. Prompted by the Inflation Reduction Act, companies around the country are making historic investments to expand domestic manufacturing capacity for renewable energy technology. As these projects come online, we must continue the deployment of solar energy technology across the U.S. in order to meet our climate goals. The Department of Commerce is conducting a serious investigation to inform U.S. trade policy and protect American jobs. Once Commerce completes this investigation, we must use its findings to inform future policymaking. The passage of House Joint Resolution 39 would stymie our renewable energy deployment, cost jobs in Illinois and around the country, hinder our progress on combating the climate crisis, and slow the U.S. economy from transitioning to the green energy economy of the future.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this unserious bill that cuts lifesaving and life-sustaining programs, hurts our economy, guts historic action on climate change, and needlessly adds to our deficit by carving out loopholes for the wealthy. The Republicans' cut, slash, and shrink default on America bill will devastate America. First, it guts the landmark Inflation Reduction Act, which is not only addressing inflation but is the largest ever effort in our Nation's history to combat climate change and lower the cost of prescription drugs. Second, it grows the already large tax gap and irresponsibly adds to the deficit. The bill, seemingly with bad intention, guts tools at the IRS to be both more responsive to responsible taxpayers and stronger in the face of wealthy tax cheats. Finally, this bill would make extreme cuts to discretionary spending, cuts that could amount to as much as 59 percent by the year 2025. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record this report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities titled: ``Roundup: Analyzing Speaker McCarthy's Harmful Debt-Ceiling-and-Cuts Bill.'' [From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Apr. 26, 2023] Roundup: Analyzing Speaker McCarthy's Harmful Debt-Ceiling-and-Cuts Bill (By CBPP) Last week, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy released a debt- ceiling-and-cuts bill that would use the need to raise the debt ceiling as a bargaining chip to force a set of unpopular, harmful policies. We've collected our analyses of the bill here: McCarthy Bill Uses Debt Ceiling to Force Harmful Policies, Deep Cuts. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's debt-ceiling-and- cuts bill puts the U.S. economy at grave risk by using the need to raise the debt ceiling as a bargaining chip to force a set of unpopular, harmful policies--policies that would make deep cuts in a host of national priorities; leave more people hungry, homeless, and without health coverage; and make it easier for wealthy people to cheat on their taxes. The bill would also repeal the Inflation Reduction Act's funding to address climate change and would undertake harmful changes that would undermine how regulations are crafted . . . CBPP President Sharon Parrott tweeted about the ten years of deep cuts that the bill would exact in exchange for raising the debt ceiling. Parrott also detailed our cross- cutting analysis of the bill. Vital Government Services Would Take a $3.6 Trillion Hit in McCarthy Bill. The bill containing House Republicans' demands for raising the debt ceiling would impose severe cuts amounting to $3.6 trillion over the next ten years, along with the many other harmful changes it would make. The funding cuts would hit a wide swath of vital programs and would grow from bad to beyond extreme--reaching between 24 and 59 percent in 2033, depending on whether programs such as defense and veterans' medical care are protected from cuts, as many House Republicans propose . . . David Reich tweeted about the cuts to annual appropriations in the bill. Michael Leachman explained the bill would make deep cuts to discretionary federal aid to states, local governments, tribal nations, and U.S. Territories, and his analysis included a state-by-state table. And Zoe Neuberger pointed out that the bill includes billions in cuts that would harm families with low incomes, including WIC participants. McCarthy Medicaid Proposal Puts Millions of People in Expansion States at Risk of Losing Health Coverage. A Republican proposal led by Speaker Kevin McCarthy would take Medicaid coverage away from people who do not meet new work- reporting requirements. The proposal would apply to all states, but in practice it would heavily impact people covered by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion. Of this group, more than 10 million people in Medicaid expansion states would be at significant risk of losing coverage under the McCarthy proposal. This group would be subject to the new Medicaid requirement, and they are not part of a group that states could readily identify in existing data sources and exclude from burdensome reporting. The McCarthy proposal could jeopardize coverage for millions more, by prompting some states to drop the ACA Medicaid expansion or dissuading states that have not yet taken the expansion from adopting it . . . Gideon Lukens tweeted state-by-state numbers of Medicaid expansion enrollees whose coverage would be at risk under the McCarthy proposal. Lukens also tweeted the Department of Health and Human Services' estimates of Medicaid enrollees at risk of losing coverage under the bill. Sarah Lueck tweeted about the Congressional Budget Office's estimate of Medicaid coverage loss. Taking Medicaid Away for Not Meeting a Work-Reporting Requirement Would Keep People From Health Care. Led by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, congressional Republicans have revived harmful proposals to cut federal spending on the Medicaid program--the Nation's single largest source of health coverage--by taking Medicaid away from people not meeting new work-reporting requirements. Adding such requirements to Medicaid would cause many low-income adults to lose coverage due to bureaucratic hurdles that don't reflect the complexity of people's circumstances, as failed experiments in several states show. These requirements would leave people without the health care they need, including life-saving medications, treatment to manage chronic conditions, and care for acute illnesses. Laura Harker tweeted about how the bill would resurrect this failed policy. Speaker McCarthy's SNAP Proposal Would Take Food Away From Older Adults for Not Meeting Work Requirements. Speaker McCarthy's bill would expand SNAP's already harsh policy that takes food assistance away from many people aged 18 through 49 who don't have children at home and can't secure an exemption. Such individuals can receive SNAP for only three months (in a 36-month period) if they don't document that they meet a 20-hour-per-week work requirement. The bill would expand that policy to include people aged 50 through 55. About 1 million such individuals participate in SNAP and meet those criteria in a typical month. (The figure was 900,000 in 2019, the most recent year for which a full year of data are available. A larger number participate in SNAP over the course of a year.) Ty Jones Cox tweeted about how the bill would worsen SNAP's work requirements. TANF Provisions in McCarthy Bill Give States Incentives to Take Cash Benefits Away From Families With the Most Significant Needs. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) provisions in Speaker McCarthy's bill double down on TANF's already expansive, rigid, and ineffective work requirements. The bill would so severely limit states' flexibility in how they provide assistance and employment services to families with children that some states could decide to stop providing cash aid to large numbers of families, with devastating results. Aditi Shrivastava tweeted about how the bill would further restrict TANF's reach. Samantha Jacoby explained that the bill's proposal to rescind the Inflation Reduction Act's IRS funding would add to the deficit because it would let wealthy tax cheats off the hook. Jacoby also noted that while giving billions to high-income tax cheats, the bill would take health care, food, and cash assistance away from people who need it.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, 25 years ago, I proudly joined many fellow Chicagoans in Kiryat Gat, Israel, celebrating the 50th jubilee anniversary of the establishment of the Jewish State in the land of the Jewish people. Today, I proudly stand in the well of the House of Representatives marking the 75th anniversary of that remarkable event. I am beyond proud that the United States was the first Nation to recognize the nascent State of Israel in 1948. In the 3 score and 15 years since, our shared values have been the bedrock of an extraordinary relationship, strengthening our ties along cultural, economic, technological, and security lines, and in so many more ways, as well. Throughout my life, I have prayed for a just and lasting peace for Israel and all the people of the region. I have joyously celebrated each of the peace agreements between Israel and Egypt, Israel and Jordan, and the Abraham Accords between the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco. I know in my heart that peace can one day be achieved with the Palestinians with a negotiated two-state solution that would give us a Jewish democratic Israel and a demilitarized democratic Palestinian state living side by side in peace, security, and prosperity. Again, we celebrate with Israel 75 years of independence; 75 years of partnership; 75 years of scientific and medical research and innovation that gave us cell phones, Waze directions, the PillCam, and drip irrigation, revolutionizing agriculture around the world. We celebrate with Israel 75 years of cultural exchange; 75 years of economic growth with a start-up nation; 75 years of security cooperation. We celebrate 75 years together of pursuing peace; peace with Egypt in 1979, Jordan in 1994, and with the Abraham Accords, again, UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco. Mr. Speaker, I wish the Israelis and the Israel people, the State of Israel, congratulations on 75 years, and we all look forward to building together toward a better future for Israel and the region for years to come.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to declare that our calls for gun violence prevention will not stop until we see real action to keep our kids and communities safe from senseless shootings plaguing our Nation. Madam Speaker, ten years ago, after Sandy Hook, grieving parents came to this place and called for urgent action. Five years ago this Friday, student survivors of the shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School led millions of fellow students in the first March for Our Lives calling for urgent action. Yet still here we are, after Pulse, after Las Vegas, Buffalo, Uvalde, Highland Park, Monterey Park, and literally countless other shootings and so many beautiful lives cut short. This morning, my sister texted me, ``two teachers shot'' at the Denver school my niece and nephews attend. It was their second shooting this year, in addition to four other lockdowns. Enough is enough. Together with March for Our Lives, Moms Demand Action, Everytown, Sandy Hook Promise, Giffords, and every other concerned American, we will not stop our calls for action until our families feel safe in our schools, in our pews, at our stores, at our Fourth of July parades.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, this week is National Gun Violence Survivors Awareness Week. A decade ago, in this spot, I gave my first speech in the House about the epidemic of gun violence in our Nation. I could not then have imagined two things: First, that Congress would fail to take significant action to address gun violence in our Nation; and second, that mass shootings would continue to grow as an epidemic. Last year alone, there were 647 mass shootings in our country, including in my community of Highland Park. For all the hundreds of communities that are affected and part of this tragic union from the devastation of gun violence, the effects are permanent. Seven months ago, in my community, at 10:14 a.m. on July 4 at the Independence Day parade in Highland Park, a monster with an assault rifle climbed a ladder and fired 83 bullets in less than a minute into the festive crowd below. He murdered seven wonderful people, wounded dozens more, and traumatized an entire community. The devastation and damage to a human body from these weapons are inconceivable. We have to address gun violence. We have to pass an assault weapons ban that was introduced this week. I call on our communities to act.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk, No. 131.

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Chairman, the Great Lakes are a national treasure and a regional economic driver for all of us in the Midwest. The lakes account for more than 90 percent of our Nation's surface water and 20 percent of the surface freshwater on the planet. More than 30 million Americans rely on the Great Lakes for their drinking water. For generations, there has been a deeply held bipartisan consensus on the need to protect the Great Lakes: from invasive species, from environmental challenges, and from irresponsible development. Look no further than the broad bipartisan support for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. I want to work with my colleagues in making progress to protect our Great Lakes, not to open the door--even the slightest crack--for dangerous development. That is why today I offer an amendment to clearly reiterate our vital protections of these Great Lakes. My amendment ensures that H.R. 21 would continue the bipartisan consensus that there will be no exploration, development, or drilling for oil and gas in the Great Lakes. With nearly 1 in 10 Americans relying on the Great Lakes for drinking water, we must ensure that a disaster like the Deepwater Horizon ever happening in Lake Michigan is not only unfathomable, but impossible. This amendment ensures that that is the case. Today, we must say with one unified bipartisan voice that there will never be drilling in the Great Lakes. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today regarding votes I missed on January 24 and 25, 2023. I was not in Washington, D.C. on these dates due to the death of my father and subsequent mourning period. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: Roll Call No. 32 on H.R. 159, the Chance to Compete Act of 2023, I would have voted yes. The bill enjoys strong bipartisan support to make our federal government more efficient. Roll Call No. 33 on H.R. 300, the Settlement Agreement Information Database Act of 2023, I would have voted yes. The bill enjoys strong bipartisan support to make our federal government more transparent. Roll Call No. 34 on H.R. 346, the NOTAM Improvement Act of 2023, I would have voted yes. The bill enjoys strong bipartisan support to make American aviation stronger, safer, and more reliable. Roll Call No. 35 on H.R. 400, the Investing in Main Street Act of 2023, I would have voted yes. The bill enjoys strong bipartisan support to make American businesses stronger. Lastly, Roll Call No. 36 on H. Con. Res. 7, Commending the Bravery, Courage, and Resolve of the Women and Men of Iran Demonstrating in More Than 133 Cities and Risking Their Safety to Speak Out Against the Iranian Regime's Human Rights Abuses, I would have voted yes. I am a cosponsor of the resolution, which enjoys strong bipartisan support.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to oppose this bill. It not only increases our national deficit by $114 billion, but it does so by helping the wealthiest avoid paying taxes and transfers that burden onto the backs of hardworking Americans and small businesses that follow the law and pay their taxes on time. Here is my question: Why, on their very first day legislating with their new majority, with their very first bill, is the top Republican priority rewarding tax cheats with what is estimated to be nearly $200 billion in uncollected taxes over the next 10 years, $200 billion in taxes not paid by the wealthiest, meaning additional debt for everyone else? The Inflation Reduction Act dedicated $46 billion to enforcement to make sure corporations and wealthy individuals pay the taxes they owe, not new taxes, not higher rates, simply ensuring everyone pays what they owe. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to oppose this outrageous tax scam.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, I rise today regarding a vote I missed on December 8, 2022. I was on my way to the House Floor to cast my vote when the vote was closed with 75 members not having voted. Had I been present for Roll Call vote 515 on the motion to adjourn offered by Rep. Roy, I would have voted no. I believe that it is essential that Congress finish the business it came here to do this week and pass the National Defense Authorization Act to support our service members and their families.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, I proudly rise today in support of the Inflation Reduction Act. This historic bill will lower the cost of energy and healthcare for millions of Americans. Just as important, it makes the largest ever investment in tackling the climate crisis, helping us cut carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030. These historic investments will improve the lives of hardworking Americans, all while reducing our deficit by $300 billion. This bill will allow the HHS Secretary to negotiate the prices of some of the most expensive drugs. It caps the price of insulin at $35 for Americans on Medicare. It also includes expanded coverage for low- income Medicare beneficiaries, which I have championed for years. On climate change, I am particularly proud that this bill includes my legislation, the Sustainable Skies Act, that will help dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from aviation, which today accounts for 2 percent of the world's annual emissions. The bill also tackles the high energy costs that Americans face with investments in consumer home energy, from rooftop solar panels to electric HVAC systems. Let me repeat: this bill is entirely and responsibly paid for and then some. Again, our deficit will be cut by more than $300 billion by the action Congress is taking today. Madam Speaker, Americans have been hard hit by a once-in-a-century pandemic and then by the consequent effects of global inflation and supply chain crises. And every year the impacts of climate change become more severe and more costly. Americans need relief. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for the Inflation Reduction Act and give our fellow citizens the relief they deserve.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in emphatic support of H.R. 1808, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022. Over the past few weeks, survivors of the horrific shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, came to D.C. determined to make change. They teamed up with Uvalde, Parkland, and Newtown to demand an assault weapons ban to reduce the chance of other communities experiencing the trauma they all tragically bear. Today, thanks in no small part to their efforts, the American people will get that recorded vote. The world is watching. No other nation experiences the grotesque number of murders from deranged individuals turning weapons of war on kids in school, families at prayer, and people watching a parade. The vote we are taking today will show the families of those murdered exactly who is on their side--who is protecting our children and putting people over politics, and, conversely, who is on the other side voting for their own power. Mr. Speaker, I thank Speaker Pelosi and Congressman Cicilline for working tirelessly to secure a timely vote, and I urge passage of this bill.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about mental health in general and the need for a different mindset about mental health and care in this country specifically. I stand up tonight for the countless family members, friends, and neighbors across the country as they endure struggles with mental health, either for themselves or for a family member. The number of Americans battling mental illness or disorder is not small. In fact, over one-half of adults will deal with mental health issues, and one in five children has or will have a debilitating mental illness. Suicide is now ranked as the second leading cause of death among children ages 10 to 14. Think about that: Suicide is the second leading cause of death. This is more than simply heartbreaking. We have a problem. That is nearly one death every 11 minutes. Suicide is a tragic outcome for people dealing with mental crises, but across the country, there are so many dealing in other ways, especially in the midst of this pandemic: working parents trying to make it through the day juggling; parents not working, trying to find ways to make ends meet; kids in remote school losing the opportunity for the social-emotional learning that is so critical for their development; and families juggling remote work and remote school at the same time. All of these have contributed to what is truly a mental health crisis in the country. In fact, as we think about it, in the same way that young kids and babies born during the Depression were forever known as Depression babies, it is very likely that this generation enduring the pandemic will be COVID babies throughout their lives. It will have an impact. Beyond that we have the issues of mass violence. I live in Highland Park. Two weeks ago, we experienced something that no community should ever have to go through, but, unfortunately, too many communities have and continue to do so. Highland Park, Uvalde, we can go back to Sandy Hook, and so many others, it is too long a list to give a comprehensive naming of every single community that has suffered from mass violence. But, at its core, there is something about these kids committing and perpetrating these heinous crimes, monstrous crimes--if we can reach them at an earlier age, maybe we can reduce some of that violence. Nor is this an exhaustive list of all the things, all the aspects of mental health that affect people. We know that the pandemic has made all of us painfully aware of the inadequacies and inequalities of our mental health system. Too late in the process, our system steps in to deal with crises, rather than working on helping people have a strong and confident, healthful life and tackle challenges as they occur. We should be providing holistic mental healthcare and provide support early and often. At the baseline, Americans are experiencing anxiety and depression at higher rates, and the number of services available just aren't keeping up, putting a crisis on top of a crisis. For those already suffering from mental health issues, the pandemic has increased their symptoms, and experts worry that we will deal with the stressors and effects long after the official end of this pandemic. Everywhere I go, in my district, and around the country, I hear stories, some heartbreaking, some just simply frustrating, about people's struggles getting care for themselves and their loved ones. It is not a new problem. In fact, sharing just a couple of personal stories, my first experience of tragedy in the context of mental health, my best friend as a young child in elementary school, was a boy named David Segal. He was special, kind heart, a brilliant young man. As he aged, we moved apart in middle school. And then I learned that, at age 21, he took his own life. His parents were told that he felt as if he was locked in a box. He was so smart, and he could see the possibilities available to his friends. He wanted more than anything else what he saw everyone else had, but he knew that it would never be available to him because of the box in which he was locked in. His pain was unbearable and, at 21, he took his life. Years later, I lost a cousin, Jeff, whose pain was also all- consuming. He tried many times to escape his pain. His family tried to help. We all tried to help. He sought therapy, but, again, that pain was so all-consuming that, ultimately, as a relatively young man, he died by suicide. Let me come back to the present moment. I have heard from the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago that the pandemic has increased the severity of the mental health crisis in children. During the pandemic, suicide attempts jumped from a pre-pandemic level of two to three per month to two to three each and every day. Before the pandemic, Lurie Children's would get maybe 50 calls a week for new appointments. At the height of the pandemic, they were receiving 50 calls every single day. A third of clinicians are reporting a 3-month wait time for an appointment, if they even have the room to begin with. In many places, the wait is much, much longer. This massive mismatch of supply and demand impacts the quality of care those with appointments are able to receive. Providers have empathy and compassion fatigue, emotional exhaustion, and are less personal and less connected with their patients. Older Americans, some of the most vulnerable in our society, are at an increased risk. High levels of isolation increase their risk of depression, cognitive decline, and dementia. Already, 20 percent--20 percent of those 55 or older typically experience some form of anxiety and depression to severe cognitive impairment. Additionally, mental health does not only afflict those who have been diagnosed, it touches many other parts of our society. In 2008, Thomas R. Insel, then the leader of the National Institute of Mental Health, estimated that mental illness costs our economy about $193 billion-- $193 billion each year in lost earnings. 8.4 million Americans are providing about 32 hours of uncompensated care per week to those with mental healthcare needs, whether family or friends. Leaving mental illness unaddressed results in the increased incarceration of people with unmet mental health needs. Those dealing with stressors related to mental health are left more susceptible to the overuse of drugs and alcohol. Despite the pervasiveness of mental health issues, less than half of adults with any mental health condition received treatment in 2020. For Americans of color, the rate of those getting treatment is even less than the national average. I find the current landscape of mental health in America simply unacceptable. Every day we fail to take strong action to bolster mental healthcare services is another day closer to failing our friends, our family, our neighbors. That is why making access to the appropriate mental health resources cheaper and easier is critical. I want to share with you one example of how the mental health crisis affects one of our most important population groups, our youth. Last year, I received a letter from a high school senior outlining her findings about the disparities in mental health resources at her school. She highlighted the value placed on new gym flooring and new scoreboards, but the lack of investment in mental health counselors. She shared that they lost a classmate early in the year to suicide. She had also become more aware of so-called suicide websites and social media's influence on our children's mental health. I applaud the initiative of that high schooler writing to me and voicing her concern. Each of us has a responsibility to not only reach out for help, but to advocate for our neighbors who feel powerless and are left to struggle. Another story I want to share is that of a dear, young, beautiful woman, 19-year-old Orli Sheffey from my town. Orli was a light that shined brightly. In fact, her name means, my light. She was a tenacious journalist and beloved friend with a passion for the pursuit of truth and justice. She strongly believed in the need to provide mental health services, to the point where she was training to provide confidential peer counseling services to her classmates. Sufficient mental health services possibly could have saved Orli's life. Orli's time with us is not about how she left us, but it is about the impact she made while she was here, an impact that is still felt by so many today. No parent should lose their child at such a young age. We also lost Brian Kroeter's younger sister, Katie, who died by suicide at 25. She was completing her master's degree in social work and was active in the community with programs like Meals on Wheels. The family has carried on Katie's memory through their suicide prevention advocacy work and Brian's participation in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in honor of his sister. Our unmet health needs reach from our youth to our Nation's heroes. When it comes to veterans who defend our Nation and our freedom, we are losing 22 to suicide every day. When it comes to our cops and firefighters, we fail to recognize that their on-the-job trauma is crushing to their mental health and well- being. Jeff Smith was a Metropolitan police officer whose family lives in my district. He was dispatched to the U.S. Capitol on January 6 and suffered injuries, both visible and not, in defending us, in defending me that very day. His father shared with me that those injuries and the combination of the stigma around mental health and the lack of access to care contributed to his terrible loss. We must do better if we want to honor Officer Jeff Smith. We must do better if we want to honor our veterans, if we want to honor Orli Sheffey, and if we want to honor all those we have lost to terrible mental health issues of all stripes. Fortunately, I have some positive news to share that is giving me hope and optimism about this mental health crisis. Here in the House, we passed the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022 to holistically address American's mental health and crisis care needs. One program I am glad this legislation will help strengthen is the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, which is now 988. Moving to the 988 phone number is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for America to strengthen and expand an existing lifeline to everyone and ensure that everyone is aware of this new service. The nationwide number will allow people to call or text a trained crisis counselor who can provide critical help, whether it is thoughts of suicide, mental health, or a substance use crisis. No matter where you are in the country, a well-resourced 988 line will be able to: Connect a person in a mental health crisis to a trained counselor who can address their immediate needs and help connect them to ongoing care. Mitigate healthcare spending with more cost-effective early intervention. Help reduce the use of law enforcement to treat mental health issues. Meet the rising need for crisis intervention on a grand scale and, importantly, help end the stigma toward these seeking or accessing mental healthcare. The creation and launch of 988 fills me with hope and optimism that this will not be the last action we take. We will have to make sure that mental health resources are adequately funded for Americans and our healthcare providers, and properly managed if we want to see proper success. I will continue to fight for the belief that access to affordable quality healthcare is our right for every American, not just a reserved privilege for a select few. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Wild), a dear friend and colleague.

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Thank you for your remarkable words, for sharing your perspective and expressing compassion I think we can all share. It is now my privilege to recognize my friend from Michigan, Representative Elissa Slotkin.

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Thank you, Representative Slotkin. Thank you for those beautiful words. Thank you, Representative Wild. We have a national crisis. It needs a national response. We are a caring Nation. It is reflected in the outreach across the Nation when a community is struck by tragedy, whether it is a mass shooting or a flood, hurricane, whatever the case may be. We see it in the response of individuals lending a helping hand when they see someone fall on a curb or down a stair. It is who we are as a people. We need to extend that when we think about our mental health crisis and mental healthcare. We have to do so much to try to address the stigma. In the same way, if you think of a world-class athlete who is trying to achieve their highest potential, no one says going to seek assistance of a coach or advice of a friend is a shortcoming. When it comes to dealing with the challenges of life, too often that outreach for assistance, that simple ask, help me get through this moment, isn't made because people are afraid of how they will be judged. Yet, even if we address the stigma, we still have the challenge of access as we talked here tonight--not enough providers, not enough quality services. Everyone in this country deserves access to quality, affordable, and available care. We need to make sure that we are investing in training providers to provide services across our country and making sure that those services are available at a price that people can truly afford. We need to recognize that care for our mental health is every bit as important as care for our physical health. Think about it. If a child is diagnosed with cancer at a young age, we have poured billions of dollars into research to try to cure those cancers, and we are investing thousands, if not millions of dollars, in treating individuals and having great results. Kids with cancer today have a much higher likelihood of beating that cancer back and reaching their full potential. The same is true for diseases we might face in middle age or even treating our seniors. We are working so hard to address that. We need to do the same for mental health and mental healthcare. We need to recognize that the care for a challenge, a mental health challenge, is every bit as real and deserves every bit as much investment as the care for a physical health challenge. We are a caring Nation. We know we have a crisis. I am hopeful that this body will continue to do its work to try to address this crisis for the people we represent. I am grateful for the great words, kind words, insightful words, compassionate words of my colleagues, and I am thankful for the work of this body. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the brave men and women of Highland Park. Independence Day in Highland Park, as it is in so many other places around our country, is a special day. Today families gather--whether it be at a barbecue or a park or wherever it might be--and they celebrate the birth of our country and the ideals of who we are as a nation and all that we aspire to be. The Highland Park parade is a very, very important centerpiece of our community. Prior to COVID, families would gather, putting their chairs out sometimes the day of or even 2 days before planning exactly where they would sit to have the best view knowing that their kids or maybe grandkids, their classmates, and members of their church or synagogue or their service organization would be marching in the parade, and they would want to be able to look, wave, and say hello. This year was different though. This year was the first parade since 2019 because in 2020 and 2021 the parade was canceled due to COVID. There was a special excitement, and there was a special feeling in anticipation of the parade this year. Finally, we were back together as a community. Highland Park is a special community. It is a city of roughly 30,000 people but with a small-town feel. Neighbors look after each other. People know each other. The restaurants in the community are frequented by the locals. Everyone has their favorite, and you are seeing old friends every time you go in. This year the parade was going to be special. At 10 o'clock, the time the parade starts every year, the excitement swells. Groups start walking along the path up St. Johns Avenue and up the hill to Central where everyone takes a left turn. They walk across the train tracks, proceed past 1st Street, then 2nd, all the way through the downtown to Green Bay, and then down the hill toward the Post Office reaching Sunset, and turning into Sunset Park at the end of the parade. The parade started on time at 10 o'clock. The first groups walked up the hill and made that left turn. People were cheering, celebrating, and smiling. The first groups made the left turn, crossed 1st, crossed 2nd. The second group passed, the third, and the fourth. At 10:14 everything changed. What initially sounded like firecrackers--and sure, why not? it is the Fourth of July--people quickly realized it was a different sound altogether. Those who were right there at the corner of 2nd and Central looked and saw that people were falling and people were bleeding. At 10:14 a.m. on July 4th, 2022, the Independence Day parade was shattered when a monster with a high-powered military-style assault weapon, having climbed a roof dressed as a woman to hide himself as he would leave, leaned over the edge and fired 83 shots in 1 minute. Eighty-three shots struck the parade goers below killing seven, wounding dozens, and changing a community forever. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my community. I rise today to talk about those who were murdered, to talk about the survivors, and to share their stories. It is important to share their stories, and it is important that these stories are told and are heard. Let me begin by talking about the seven wonderful people, the precious lives that we lost: Stephen Straus, Katherine Goldstein, Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, Jackie Sundheim, Eduardo Uvaldo, Irina McCarthy, and Kevin McCarthy. Stephen Straus, an 88-year-old longtime resident of Highland Park, still commuted by train to work in downtown Chicago to his office 5 days a week working as a financial adviser. His niece described him as ``a big, big oak tree, an umbrella of well-being for all of us.'' Stephen is survived by his wife, Linda, with whom he had been married for almost 60 years, 60 wonderful years. He leaves his brother, his two sons, his four grandchildren. On that tragic day, Stephen's son was in San Francisco. He had called to wish him a happy Fourth of July, but Stephen didn't answer the phone. Of course, as the news from Highland Park started coming out, his son soon realized that his father would not be calling him back. Katherine Goldstein was the best mom in the world to her daughters. Neighbors described her as a welcoming and lovely person, bringing them baked goods during the holidays. On July Fourth, Katherine and one of her two daughters decided to leave the house and have fun because Katherine had been mourning the recent passing of her mother. As the bullets started raining down, her daughter turned and said to run. But Katherine fell to the ground. Her daughter Cassie shared this on the news in an interview. She turned to her mother, saw that her mother was gone. She knelt down beside her mother and said good-bye, but, Mom, I have to keep running, as the bullets continued to fly. Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza was a 76-year-old retiree from Morelos, Mexico. He spent many years in the Chicagoland area. He had returned to the United States to spend time with his family before fulfilling his desire to rest in his beloved homeland of Morelos. Nicolas was a loving father to eight children and 25 grandchildren. On the day of the parade, Nicolas was smiling in his wheelchair as horses marched down the street when his family began to live a nightmare with sounds of gunshots. Nicolas was suddenly struck and killed. Members of his family were also wounded. Now, Nicolas' family looks to him as a guardian angel as they work together to hold their family united in their grief. Jackie Sundheim was 63 years old. She loved to rescue dogs and was a lifelong employee, member, and centerpiece of North Shore Congregation Israel. Her kindness and work touched everyone in her congregation and even those beyond. She was the events coordinator. She worked with everyone in the congregation who celebrated bar and bat mitzvahs, weddings, events that were celebrations to bring family together. But she also worked with the caterers and the florists, many of whom came to her funeral. Jackie never lacked a smile or a hug for anybody. In fact, she was there for everybody. She is survived by her husband, her daughter, and an entire community devastated at the loss of such a caring person. Eduardo Uvaldo is survived by his wife, Maria, 4 daughters, 12 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren. Actually, I think he has 13 grandchildren. He was born in Mexico and was loved as a jovial bowling champion. I talked to his kids about his love for bowling. Eduardo happily attended the parade with his children and grandchildren. Later that day, after the shooting, his daughters were pleading with the entire community on social media to join them in prayer as Eduardo fought valiantly to survive. The family began to pray for strength. The community prayed with them. Eduardo was incredibly affectionate with everyone in his family but especially his grandchildren. He loved seeing and spending time on these special occasions and would take a photo with his grandson every year. On that Monday, that fateful Monday, his daughter couldn't take a photo, and now she believes that God did not want her to have a reminder of that day. Irina and Kevin McCarthy met while working together. They married about 5 years ago and moved to Highland Park in 2018. The couple had a 2-year-old son named Aiden, whom Irina and her husband, Kevin, were obsessed with. On July Fourth, they joined together and went to the parade. They were right at the corner. When the gunshots started, Kevin and Irina did what all parents do; they covered Aiden's body to protect him. In defending their son, they sacrificed themselves. Aiden was found wandering the area, covered in blood after the gunfire. The Ring family took Aiden to their home. He played with their 2-year-old daughter after they cleaned him up and watched TV with the Ring grandfather. Eventually, Aiden was reunited with his grandfather, of course, because Aiden was now an orphan. His parents had been murdered. When Aiden's grandfather picked him up, Aiden had a single question: Are mommy and daddy coming soon? Irina was 35 years old. Kevin was 37. They were deprived of the most precious thing, being parents to their child, being able to raise him, to celebrate his birthdays, his adulthood, wedding, and maybe children of his own. The community is united behind Aiden. The community struggles to fathom how this is possible. Aiden will now grow up having only the memory of his parents, not the hugs and not the love that he deserves. Aiden is not the only innocent child whose life has been changed. Many have been injured and wounded. Among them, most grievously, is Cooper Roberts, a vibrant, beautiful 8-year-old boy who, as I speak, is fighting for his life in the hospital. Cooper was at the parade with his family, his twin brother, his parents. His mother was also shot. His brother was wounded. When his mother learned, after her surgery, that Cooper's spinal cord had been severed, she demanded to be immediately released from the hospital so she could be by his side, as every mother would do. Cooper's injuries, besides the severed spinal cord, continue. He has had a torn esophagus, infections, and a collapsed lung. Already, Cooper has had seven surgeries and is kept sedated because of the pain. During a brief moment of consciousness, Cooper asked to see his twin brother and his dog. The family continues to keep the community updated, and our entire community and I are praying for Cooper's recovery. Cooper's life and the lives of many others have been saved because of the work of emergency medics, police, firefighters, nurses, and doctors, who have gone to extraordinary lengths to meet the needs of our community. I would like to take some time to reflect on and celebrate some of those heroes. I mentioned the parade had just started. Many groups had gone by. One of the groups that had just crossed over Second Street were the firefighters on the truck celebrating. Because in Highland Park, as I mentioned, we are, like everywhere around the country, a small town where it is home for so many people, the fire truck wasn't just the firefighters on the truck. It was their families, their wives, and their kids because they are all a part of our community. As the shots rang out, firefighters realized what was going on. Concerned for their kids, they rushed the truck ahead to keep their kids safe. But those firefighters, without hesitation of a second, turned around and ran back to the corner into the fire to make sure that everyone was safe. The Highland Park Fire Department transported 24 patients and administered CPR to many more. Highland Park Fire Chief Joe Schrage recalls one man, on his own, tied 15 tourniquets that day--one man, 15 tourniquets. It is more than just the firefighters. I will come back to the police in a second. These are trained professionals. They behaved the way they were trained, and they were extraordinary. There are also many people who may have been medically trained, but not for a situation like this. They responded as true American heroes do. Bobby Shapiro is a tech salesman. In fact, he has no medical training. But suddenly, in the flash of a moment, he became a first responder and began doing whatever he could to help. He found an elderly man with a gunshot wound to his thigh and abdomen. Bobby and another bystander gave the man chest compressions. They applied pressure to his wounds as Dr. Wendy Rush, an anesthesiologist at the parade, helped the man to breathe. After 30 minutes, Bobby boarded an ambulance with the elderly man and stayed by his side all the way to the hospital. The man Bobby stood by was Stephen Straus, one of the seven victims that day. Bobby wasn't alone, though. Police Commander Gerry Cameron also attended to Stephen Straus. He made sure that Stephen Straus wouldn't be alone because, as I said, Highland Park is a community that many of us call home, and we treat each other as if they are family. David Baum, Dr. David Baum, a fixture of Highland Park, who has been there so long--I shouldn't say ``so long.'' Dr. Baum delivered our two sons, nearly 30 years ago, our oldest son, and then less than 2 years later, our younger son. I have seen Dr. Baum under pressure. I have seen Dr. Baum perform with care and compassion. Dr. Baum, after the shooting, after sheltering initially behind a bench with David Saleck, rushed to treat bodies he could only describe as having wartime injuries. He didn't know where the shooter was. He didn't know if the shooting had finished. In fact, he didn't know that the shooter wouldn't be caught for 8 hours. But he knew he had to help, and that is what he did. Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg was waiting to start the parade. I walk in many parades with John. I know him as a wonderful person. My group was in the same location, and as soon as the firing started, the people who were waiting all immediately cleared out of the area. Not John Idleburg. John Idleburg, as he stepped onto the parade route, saw a group of people running toward him in the wrong direction, shouting: Shots fired, shots fired. Instinctively, as the marine and longtime law enforcement officer that he is, he ran the other direction, toward the gunshots, unarmed. Sheriff Idleburg remembers seeing a lot of blood on the sidewalks and street when they arrived at the corner of Central and Second. He immediately, with the assistance of another officer, ordered all available resources to the scene. As he watched victims being attended to, he noticed a woman on her stomach with blood coming from her back. Sheriff Idleburg immediately began to apply pressure to her wound with gauze that was provided by an emergency worker. As he applied the pressure, the sheriff comforted the woman. ``I am here for you,'' he said. ``I am not going anywhere,'' he told her. He stayed with that woman for 30 minutes as they waited for an ambulance while her husband coordinated care of her daughter who they had brought along. These are the stories of my community, of my friends. I mentioned the police and fire departments. I mentioned that the police or the fire department transported 24 patients, administered CPR, and applied tourniquets. The police, who were also a part of the parade, were there in the blink of an eye. Without hesitation, relying on their training and instinct, they immediately responded to the needs of our community. An incredible story is Highland Park Officer Ginger Stokes. Officer Stokes had been with the police department since 1997, working in the Juvenile Investigation Unit, the Patrol Division, the Crisis Intervention Team. During the attack, Officer Stokes had in her car--in addition to her vest she wears every day that would not stop a rifle round, she grabbed her rifle-rated vest, a second vest. As she saw the injured, she saw one in particular, an injured woman, she took off that rifle-rated vest and put it over the woman. Then, despite not having that protective vest, she ran back into the line of fire. Officer Stokes' astounding heroism, Commander Gerry Cameron's astounding heroism, in fact, the heroism of all the first responders, police and fire, in Highland Park, is nothing short of amazing. There are no words I or the community can fully express to convey the appreciation and gratitude we have for them. Without the immense work taken on by first responders that day, I fear that the tragedy could have been far, far worse. The first responders and the civilians who went to help, I thank and praise all of these people and am grateful for them, and I pray for their well-being. I ask you to keep them in your prayers as well. Our community is in pain as we think about the loss we have experienced, the members of our community who are gone. Our first responders share that grief with us. The pace of their work doesn't slow down. In fact, for an entire week, the blocks around the shooting were cordoned off as a crime scene. The police were searching the area, collecting evidence. Other police officers were making sure that it stayed secure, protecting the area. If you looked at the police cars or the names on the police cars, it didn't say Highland Park. It said Glencoe, Deerfield, Niles, Morton Grove, Prospect Heights, and so many more because first responders from the entire area around Highland Park came to help us. It wasn't just in the days after, keeping the area safe and secure; it was at the immediate time of the event. First responders from around our community as well as the State Police and Federal agencies, FBI, ATF, all descended immediately onto Highland Park. I had a chance later in the day to see the command center where they were focused. With incredible professionalism, incredible focus, and amazingly swift action, they identified the shooter, located the shooter, and apprehended him. If not for all these people, their work, their diligence, their professionalism, their excellence, I don't know that the shooter would be captured today. Following the shooting, the community has united in an extraordinary way. Others have come to help. This is my community. These were my neighbors. All of the people at the parade who experienced this shooting, who will be forever affected by this shooting, are the people I live with and I see every day. I know their grief, their struggle, their anger, and that is one of the reasons why I am so grateful for all of the people from areas around who have come to support us. One example is at the high school. They set up a response center to provide counseling services for anybody who might need it. I believe there are 800 counselors that have come already to the high school to talk to residents, anyone who stops by. Already, in just a matter of 10 days, more than 3,000 people have received comfort and counsel, trying to get through a very difficult time. There are other stories. After the shooting, as the police gathered and the first responders, food trucks started serving meals to the responders for free. Soon, customers made donations to cover the costs of those meals. A generous family called the owners of the food truck and said they would pay for every meal provided to first responders on Friday. Highland Park is strong. Highland Park will get through this time, in no small part because of the care, love, and compassion expressed by our friends and neighbors. We will lean on each other. We will lift each other up. We couldn't do it without the love that came into our community. But as Rabbi Wendi Geffen said at the funeral for Jacki Sundheim, we shouldn't have to be here. We shouldn't have to be here. No one should be able to get a weapon of war, a gun designed for one purpose, to kill human beings with extreme efficiency, ultimate devastation, to kill others as quickly and rapidly as possible. I hope that no one ever has to come back to this podium and share stories of a mass shooting in their community like I have today, like what we saw in Uvalde or in Buffalo. That is why I have called for a ban on assault weapons. Gun violence is a scourge in our country that takes many forms. Every day, 111 people die from gun violence, whether from shootings in the street, gang violence, or domestic violence. Two-thirds of the deaths by gun violence in this country are suicides. There are far too many accidental shootings, of guns left carelessly on a coffee table or some other accident that would be so easy to avoid. I hope my colleagues will work to try to reduce the gun violence we have in this country, which is unlike anything in any other country in the world. But today, today, I stand to honor the memories and lives of the loved ones we lost, people who truly were the center of the universe for their families and pillars of strength in their community; to honor people like Bobby Shapiro, Sheriff Idleburg, Officer Stokes, Commander Cameron, and it is moving to hear the stories of so many others. I express my sincerest thanks to all those who played a role in saving lives on July 4, but also thanks to the many people who have spoken up and shared their stories, people at the vigils in churches and synagogues in Highland Park, at Sunset Park. On Wednesday night, people gathered together in a moment of silence-- as we did here in this very body at the same time--at City Hall in Highland Park. The people who came to Washington with March Fourth, a group that, on Wednesday, rallied for changes in our gun laws to make a difference in lives and fight to make sure no other community experiences what we have in Highland Park, in Uvalde, Buffalo, El Paso, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, Orlando, Denver. The list just goes on and on. We can't wait any longer to take meaningful action on this violence. Our grandkids can't afford to wait. Our kids shouldn't be made to wait. Our entire country deserves better. Madam Speaker, I close by saying this: The last 11 days have been incredibly painful for my community. Highland Park will recover. We have experienced something that no other community should ever experience and too many communities suffer from each and every day. It breaks my heart to realize that in all likelihood, I will not be the last Member of Congress giving this speech. It is possible--it is possible-- that, in fact, this may not be the last time I have to give a speech like this. Enough is enough. I hope the Members of this body will find the courage to take action and save lives. Let's start by getting the assault weapons ban in place, these military weapons of war designed to kill and devastate off our streets. Let's always honor the memory of those who should be with us here today but were murdered in the primes of their lives. May their memories and the memories of all lost to gun violence forever be a blessing. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, we are hearing a lot of arguments today. My colleague on the other side talked about America at its best. Let me tell you about America at its best. Last Monday on July 4 in Highland Park, Illinois, thousands of people gathered together. Families, parents, grandparents, and children lined the road for a parade. Many of them came there year after year, generation after generation, to celebrate the birth of our country, the values of our Founders, and the belief that this is a Nation for us all. I saw America at its best. At 10:14 on July 4 last week, a shooter who had climbed a roof with an AR-15 fired 83 bullets in less than a minute, killing seven people and wounding dozens of others. Thousands of people fled that parade, the best America has to offer, not knowing where to go, not knowing what to do. They heard there was a shooter. Was it one? Was it two? It could have been many. Should they go home, or should they go somewhere else? Nobody knew. Imagine if on their phones they had been told of an active shooter at the corner of Second and Central. Imagine if on their phones, they had been told, go and seek safety in your home. For 8 hours, people watched, people talked, rumors swirled. An entire community of 30,000 people was left to grieve and to fear. That is what this bill is about. That is why we are here. We are here to give the people of Highland Park or of the many communities around our country that have experienced an active shooter, or will experience an active shooter, a little bit of security. According to the FBI, last year, there were 61 active shooting incidents in the country. That was last year alone and double the year before. We are seeing more violence in our country. We have to do something about this violence. I know the people who are arguing against this bill aren't willing to do that. They are not willing to stand up and defend our communities, to keep our children safe from this kind of violence. They are not even willing to give our communities the information they need to seek safety on their own. We have to take action to stop these killings in our communities, but that is not what this bill is about. This bill is about getting people the critical, potentially lifesaving information in a quick and efficient way in the event of a shooter. That is what this bill is about. That is why I am asking people to vote for it.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, in September of 2020, FBI Director Christopher Wray, while testifying to Congress, stated that the greatest threat to the homeland were lone actors radicalized online. He went on to talk about domestic violent extremists, homegrown violent extremists, and racially motivated violent extremists. The fact of the matter is that in our Nation, we are seeing an increase in extremism and the threat of domestic violence extremism across the country. From Charlottesville to the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue, we are seeing this increase in our communities. No community is free from it, and no segment of our society is immune from the threat. In May of this year, in an unclassified presentation by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency titled ``Insider Threat and Extremist Activity Within the DOD,'' they laid out a very clear presentation defining what is domestic violence extremism, laying out the stages of development, and highlighting seven cases of extremism in Active-Duty and former military servicemembers. They went on to describe for commanders steps they could take in prevention and reporting: alertness, early intervention, communication. My amendment would require the Department of Defense, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security to report on extremism or threats of extremism within our military or within our uniformed services. Threats of neo-Nazi, white supremacist activity, or any other extremist activity that could be a threat not just within the services but including servicemembers separated from the service or Federal law enforcement, whether it is due to white supremacist or neo-Nazi incidents. The amendment requires the agencies to develop a plan to prevent those incidents in the future. Such behavior, such extremism is a threat to us in all segments of society. There is no reason to believe that our military is any different. These are exceptions. They are rare. But we must do everything we can to identify them and to thwart them before risks become reality. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This amendment in no way denigrates the many fine, overwhelming in number, vast, vast majority of fine people who serve in our military and uniformed services. But the fact is, we have had incidents, and this is, again, from that report I mentioned earlier: a mass casualty attack, a uniformed officer killing fellow soldiers, threats against religious communities, threats against media and government communications, and bomb-making instructions, material support to terrorists. These are not made-up examples. They are real examples. They are exceptional. They are exceedingly rare, but it is incredibly important, critically important that we identify these threats before they become incidents, before lives are lost. We need to make sure we are getting this information and taking the appropriate action. It is something we can do together. I hope we can do it in a bipartisan way. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of representing Naval Station Great Lakes. Every single recruit to the Navy--whether they enlist in California, in the Carolinas, or even from overseas--comes to Naval Station Great Lakes for basic training. I have had the privilege of speaking to them at their graduation from boot camp. I see the exceptional character of all the people who go through. The men and women who put on the uniform to defend our Nation are the best our Nation has to offer. I am exceedingly proud of them. The presence of even one person embracing extremism, embracing racism, embracing hatred denigrates our entire military forces. Our forces represent us as a Nation and, again, they are the best we have to offer. This amendment doesn't denigrate but celebrates our Armed Forces by asking our Armed Forces and uniformed services to report to Congress. It looks to us as Representatives to do our job in oversight, making sure they have the resources they need to ensure that everyone in our military represents the best values we have as Americans. This is not a denigration; it is a celebration. It is an important amendment. I urge all my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, I rise with my colleagues from Illinois to honor the lives and bless the memory of the seven precious people murdered in a heinous act of evil on July Fourth in Highland Park at our Independence Day Parade. As I speak now, the residents of Highland Park are also gathering to honor the victims: Katherine Goldstein, Irina McCarthy, Kevin McCarthy, Stephen Straus, Jacki Sundheim, Nicolas Toledo Zaragoza, and Eduardo Uvaldo. There are no words to describe the heartbreak of our community, the grief, but also the anger. These beautiful people were the center of the universe for their families and pillars of strength for their communities. They were loving parents and grandparents, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters. They had personal passions and diverse interests. And all loved life. Each one had a special spark that will still burn bright within the people who knew and loved them. In standing and honoring them, we also confront the fact that, as Rabbi Wendy Geffen poignantly said at one of the funerals: ``We should not have to be here.'' Yet, here we are, giving sorrowful remarks and moments of silence time and time and time again. Every day, in communities across America, we needlessly lose 111 lives to gun violence. No community is left untouched. Today, we unite and stand with Highland Park as they mourn. Tomorrow, I pray that we can unite in this body to stand up and work together to bring this awful violence to an end. I ask now that my colleagues in the House join the Illinois delegation in a moment of silence in honor of the victims in Highland Park. Before we lift our heads, may we take an extra moment to reflect on the many more lives lost to gun violence in the 9 days since. May their memories forever be a blessing.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of Jon Boughtin, the long-serving and committed member of the New Dem family. Jon is leaving Capitol Hill this month after working for more than a decade in public service, including for Rep. Bill Owens, Rep. Lincoln Davis, and the New Democrat Coalition under Chairs Suzan DelBene and Derek Kilmer. Jon's meaningful member engagement will leave a lasting impact on the Coalition for years to come. As New Dems, we have 98 members focused on advocating for common sense policies to grow our economy, educate our kids, and lift up Americans from every walk of life. We cut across the gridlock and political division to deliver real solutions to some of the toughest challenges facing American families. The work is hard and unrelenting, but Jon faced every challenge with optimism and integrity. Our members are better for having worked with Jon for the last five years. More important than his daily work, Jon was a kind colleague to his peers and a dedicated advocate for all Americans throughout his career. His presence at the New Democrat Coalition will be sorely missed. On behalf of our entire Coalition, I want to thank Jon for his hard work and wish him and his family nothing but the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, I rise today resolved to continue to stand against anti-Semitism wherever it appears. Sadly, in this country, incidents of anti-Semitism, according to the ADL, are up 34 percent, more than 2,700 incidents reported just last year. More specifically, according to ADL numbers, attacks on synagogues and community centers were up 61 percent; incidents at K through 12 schools are up 106 percent; incidents on college campuses, which were already suffering from large increases in anti-Semitism, were up 21 percent. These include 88 incidents of assault, 1,776 incidents of harassment, and 853 reported incidents of vandalism. This is only what was reported. We know that there are more than what is reported from every State and the District of Columbia. This past weekend, a white supremacist, who espoused racist and anti- Semitic views, murdered 10 people simply because of the color of their skin. His rage was fueled by the anti-Semitic great replacement conspiracy theory that is being spewed by so many people in so many places. Congress and America as a whole must stand strong against anti- Semitism. As leaders, those of us here, we must speak up and call out anti-Semitism wherever it is. I am grateful for my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who join in this resolution today. I call on everyone to support this.