Bryan Steil

Mr. STEIL

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 9487, the House Office of Legislative Counsel Modernization Act. Originally called the Legislative Drafting Service, the Office of the Legislative Counsel has been providing legislative drafting services to the House for over 100 years. Since its inception, the office has helped countless Members of Congress turn their legislative ideas into thoughtful, meaningful bills and amendment text. This legislation addresses a need raised by the Legislative Counsel team to help manage their team of experts. It would allow the designation of more than one Deputy Legislative Counsel to help manage their office. Passage would give the Legislative Counsel flexibility to meet staffing needs and handle vacancies as they arise. This small change would allow the Legislative Counsel to name one deputy to fulfill leadership responsibilities for the office upon a vacancy or any other issue. A well-equipped Legislative Counsel Office helps us as Members deliver for our constituents. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have worked with Ranking Member Morelle on this effort to assist our Legislative Counsel. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 9487, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this piece of legislation. As my colleague said, it may be modest in scope, but sometimes you take a small step forward when you can get it. I am appreciative of all those who work in the Legislative Counsel's Office. My colleague recognized a few by name, and I second that comment. I think it is important to recognize the hard work that goes on inside the Office of the Legislative Counsel. This opportunity to modernize it to allow it to operate a little more efficiently is well worth our support. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. STEIL

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9489) to sunset the Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress, and for other purposes.

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill, H.R. 9489.

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 9489, the Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress Sunset Act. This measure will sunset an outdated advisory committee and replace it with meaningful reporting requirements. The Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress was created in 1990 to assist with management and preservation. Since then, the advisory committee has released six detailed reports and continues to meet semiannually. This advisory committee has successfully met its purpose of advising Congress on records management and preservation. Today, the House Clerk, Secretary of the Senate, and National Archives representatives regularly connect on records management. This close working relationship renders the regular convening of the advisory committee as a check-the-box exercise. Based on feedback we received from House officers and advisory committee members, this legislation sunsets the advisory committee and replaces it with reporting requirements of the House, Senate, and Center of the Legislative Archives. This will ensure records management and preservation while saving taxpayer dollars on repetitive convenings. I would like to take a moment to thank the House Clerk and their team for their work on this advisory committee. I also would like to recognize the service of Danna Bell, the House Clerk's appointee to the advisory committee, who passed away earlier this year. Ms. Bell was a librarian, archivist, former president of the Society of American Archivists, and a helpful resource for our team as we learned more about this advisory committee. She was a dedicated public servant committed to service. I offer my condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 9489, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Mr. Morelle, for his work on this. As we all know, in the United States House of Representatives, actually sunsetting almost anything is one of the most challenging projects you can do, and I am proud to say that we have accomplished that with this piece of legislation. The process involved a lot of work from the Clerk and others to make sure this was done. A little bit of efficiency in the House can go a long way. Take the wins where you get them. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of sunsetting this advisory committee, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. STEIL

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6394) to provide for the creation of a Congressional time capsule in commemoration of the semiquincentennial of the United States, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill, H.R. 6394.

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6394. This bipartisan legislation would authorize a time capsule to be buried on the Capitol grounds to mark the Nation's semiquincentennial. America is turning 250 on July 4, 2026. This time capsule represents one way that Congress will participate in the Nation's yearlong celebration of democracy and freedom. The contents of the capsule will be sealed by the Office of the Speaker of the House, Office of the Minority Leader of the House, and Offices of the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Senate. The contents of the capsule will remain sealed until July 2, 2276, the Nation's 500th anniversary. Representative Watson Coleman introduced H.R. 6394 as a member of the commission, together with an additional 54 cosponsors. The Architect of the Capitol has provided technical input to the commission and would work with the congressional leadership to implement the capsule. I am pleased to have Ranking Member Morelle's efforts and support on this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support this and vote in favor of H.R. 6394. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I echo my colleague's remarks. It is true, we don't always agree on every policy issue of the day, but it is an honor to work with him. As is shown by these five pieces of legislation, this is a real opportunity for us to work together to move this institution and this country ahead. As noted by my colleague, this would not be possible without the hardworking staff of both the majority and minority side, navigating through thorny issues at times. I thank my colleague and all the members of the committee as well as the staff for their hard work over the course of this Congress to make sure that the important work of this institution, but more importantly of the American people, is getting done. I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation before us, as we have done with the previous four. As my colleague jokingly said he does not suspect he will be here in 250 years when this capsule is opened in 2276. May the Record reflect I know I won't be here in 250 years, but I do think those that are here and open this capsule will be able to reflect back at the time we have spent working on behalf of our country here. Mr. Speaker, I support and urge its passage, and I yield back balance of my time.

Mr. STEIL

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, currently in the United States, some municipalities have ZIP Codes that don't match the municipal boundaries, and it is a real problem. Communities across southeast Wisconsin, including Somers, Mount Pleasant, Caledonia, and Franklin have dealt with this unnecessary difficulty as a result, so I rise in support of H.R. 8753 to fix this problem. H.R. 8753 will direct the United States Postal Service to designate single, unique ZIP Codes for certain communities. When physical mailing addresses differ because multiple ZIP Codes converge within one municipality, it causes real confusion. Besides mail delivery issues, inaccurate address listings can cause delays in service response times, higher insurance rates, problems with tax rebates, confusion over polling places, and incorrect jury summonses. ZIP Codes play an important role in community identity. The consequences of inaccurate address listings have been a constant frustration for many local officials and the people they serve. In fact, Dave DeGroot is the one who brought this to my attention. This bill directs USPS to create ZIP Codes that align with municipal boundaries. It is a commonsense solution, and I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation. ActBlue Investigation

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I think we can all agree foreign funding has no place in American elections. Over the past year, my Committee on House Administration has investigated multiple situations, and in particular the Democratic online fundraising platform of ActBlue, identifying and showing the vulnerabilities that exist that could be exploited by foreign actors. We have uncovered that the platform previously wasn't requiring the use of a CVV code. That is the three or four digit number on the back of your credit card. It is a simple financial safeguard most online companies use to deter bad actors. The Committee on House Administration has recently subpoenaed ActBlue for documents related to potential foreign influence in campaign funding. As chairman, I have introduced legislation to require the CVV number and prohibit prepaid cards from being used to make contributions, a pathway for foreign entities, including drug cartels, to launder money. The SHIELD Act would prohibit political committees from accepting online contributions unless the contributor provides the CVV number and the billing address associated with the card and also prohibit them from accepting online contributions from prepaid cards. It is imperative that we are increasing trust and transparency in our elections. All parties should be complying with Federal election law, including campaign finance laws. Foreign actors have no place contributing in American elections. They have no place in contributing to American political campaigns. I will continue working to prevent foreign funding in our elections.

Mr. STEIL

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, every Member here loves the United States of America. There are three loves that Kelly Armstrong has that sets the man apart. The first is his love for his family, for his wife, Kjersti, and his children. In this job, as we all know, there is a lot of travel and a lot of time away, but Kelly Armstrong would always take the flights home to North Dakota to make sure that he was there for his kids and his wife. As he leaves us in this capacity of public service and becomes the Governor of North Dakota, he is a little bit closer to the family that he loves. Kelly Armstrong loves hunting. One time, he showed up with a black eye where the scope caught him. We also had a conversation one time, and it was with the chicken circuits and the amount of time we spend traveling, how do you stay in shape? Kelly Armstrong said: Bryan, if I ever feel like I am out of shape, I go bighorn sheep hunting. I climb a mountain, and I will come back and be 20 pounds smaller. Kelly, while you are Governor, if you ever come back and you are a little bigger, we know you are not spending enough time hunting. We do know that when you become Governor of North Dakota, you will be a little closer to good hunting land. Kelly also loves North Dakota. I had the pleasure of going to visit him in his home State. As we drove across, he pointed out absolutely everything in the State of North Dakota as if he knew every blade of grass, every crop that was being grown, every potential animal that you could hunt on some other farmer's field--and he may have done that--but that man loves the State of North Dakota. Although it is a loss for this institution, the United States House of Representatives, that he will be leaving us for his wisdom and his counsel and the passion that he puts forward to the job, Kelly Armstrong will be a little bit closer to the State of North Dakota. Kelly, we thank you for your friendship and your commitment to this country.

Mr. STEIL

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of myself as Chairman and Ranking Member Joe Morelle of the Committee on House Administration to congratulate Congressional Research Service (CRS) Deputy Assistant Director Stephen Redhead on his retirement, and to thank him for his thirty-three years of dedicated service to Congress. Mr. Redhead is a graduate of Cambridge University, where he received a bachelor's degree and a Master of Arts in Biology, and Aberdeen University, Scotland, where he received a Master of Science in Biology. Steve conducted predoctoral research in the Ecology and Evolution graduate program at SUNY Stony Brook. After moving to the Washington, D.C. area, he taught for 13 years in the Department of Biology, George Mason University. In 1980, he became a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) in honor of his service to the Society on the International Karakoram Expedition to mark the 150th anniversary of the RGS. Steve joined CRS in 1991, and came to serve as a biomedical policy analyst, specializing in the health effects of tobacco and cell phones, among many other topics. He established himself as an invaluable resource for Congress as he helped to lead CRS's work on critical issues such as pandemic flu planning and response, health information technology, electronic health records, and telehealth, among many others. As an analyst, he authored an impressive portfolio of more than 500 products and memoranda for Congress. Since 2017, Steve has served as Deputy Assistant Director of the Government & Finance Division. In that role, he has helped to hire and cultivate a workforce of more than 80 staff, provide painstaking and timely review of nearly 3,000 public and confidential written products written by the division's workforce during his tenure, and steer the division through the COVID-19 pandemic and shifts in agency leadership. We understand Steve has committed himself to mentoring staff, new and established; he's known for demonstrating genuine interest in the work of his employees as well as their lives and obligations outside of the office. CRS relies on civil servants like Steve, whose patience and kindness towards his employees is matched only by his focus on how best to serve Congress. Congress is better informed because of Steve's dedicated service, and we are grateful for his longtime commitment to the institution.

Mr. STEIL

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Ernest Wade Ballou on his retirement as House Legislative Counsel, after over forty years of service to the House of Representatives. Wade joined the Office of Legislative Counsel after earning his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1983. Throughout his tenure Wade has provided nonpartisan, expert support to members of Congress, committees, and staff on matters related to foreign affairs, Native American issues, federal land, intelligence, veterans' affairs, federal tax law, public debt, health care, Social Security, and more. I am pleased to have worked with Wade in his capacity supporting the Committee on House Administration. Since 2016, Wade has served as the House Legislative Counsel, leading the office and managing a committed team of legislative experts to provide the House with impartial and confidential drafting and counseling services for bills, amendments, resolutions, and laws. Wade has also been a key partner on the Congressional Data Task Force, a group united in their efforts to modernize and improve data accessibility for the public. He played a critical role in developing the Comparative Print Suite tool for Members and staff and has worked closely with the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, as well as the Subcommittee on Modernization, to implement innovative ideas and recommendations that will help Congress work better for the American people. Wade's many accomplishments were recently recognized by the Congressional Management Foundation's Democracy Award for Lifetime Achievement. Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that before going to law school and joining the Office of Legislative Counsel, Wade was a fire fighter, an experience that likely prepared him well for a career in the House. Wade began his career serving under the fourth House Legislative Counsel and now he leaves as the eighth House Legislative Counsel. His expertise and dedication to helping us turn our policy ideas into concise legislative text will be sorely missed. On behalf of my colleagues and the entire House community, I thank him for his leadership and longstanding commitment to serving the People's House.

Mr. STEIL

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Ranking Member Morelle and myself, please join me in congratulating Susan M. Kozubski who is retiring after 21 years of service to the People's House and with more than 30 years of overall federal service. Susan currently serves as the Assistant Chief Administrative Director for Finance and Administration in the Office of Inspector General. Ms. Kozubski began her service in 1984 working for the European Special Activities Area of the Department of the Air Force in Germany. During her time in Germany, Susan also worked in the 18th Military Intelligence Battalion of the Army, was the executive secretary to the Battalion Commander of the 6-40th Armor Battalion, Berlin Brigade, U.S. Army Berlin, and the executive secretary to the Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Berlin. Susan returned to the United States in 1993, started working in the Defense Finance and Accounting Service and then as the executive secretary for the Director of the Non-Developmental Airlift Aircraft System Program Office. For her work in the Program Office, she was awarded the Air Force Award of Excellence in Acquisition Management. Ms. Kozubski joined the House Inspector General's Office in 2000 as the administrative assistant. She advanced into higher-level positions in the Office as the secretary, executive secretary, and administrative director. Susan worked on several special projects, including representing the Office on the House Officers' and IG's Human Resources Task Force. In 2007, Ms. Kozubski returned to Europe and worked for the U.S. Embassies in Poland and Montenegro. In Warsaw, Susan worked in the Visa Fraud section as a consular associate. During that time, she exposed a visa fraud ring operating between New York and Belarus, earning her the State Department's Benjamin Franklin Award. In Montenegro, she was the Community Liaison Officer, helping acclimatize new embassy staff and their families with aspects of living in the host country. Susan returned to the United States in 2010 and re-joined the House Inspector General's Office in 2010 as the Assistant Director for Finance and Administration. During this time, she worked on several projects and implemented programs and procedures to increase efficiencies in the administrative functions and operations. For example, she led the team to revise the Performance Management Program, led the team that developed the first Succession Planning Program, and chaired the House Officers' and IG's Human Resource Task Force several times. Notably, Susan is the first, and currently only person to be awarded the Employee Excellence Award twice, first in 2019 and again in 2023. Congratulations and thanks to Ms. Susan M. Kozubski for her dedication and leadership serving our Nation for over 30 years.

Mr. STEIL

Mr. STEIL. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Staff Sergeant Ralph H. Bode, from Racine, Wisconsin. On September 27, 1944, Staff Sergeant Bode's aircraft was shot down over the skies of Kassel, Germany. After the crash, three crewmembers were taken prisoner. Staff Sergeant Bode was not among them. He was declared missing in action. At the time, Staff Sergeant Bode was 20 years old, serving as a World War II tail gunner. He played a vital role in the bombing mission aimed at disrupting Nazi operations over Kassel, Germany. For 80 years, no one knew what actually happened to Staff Sergeant Bode, but recently, his remains were identified. This Friday, 80 years to the day of his last mission, he will be returning home to Racine, Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, I welcome home Staff Sergeant Bode. We are a nation forever grateful for those who gave their lives defending our freedoms.

Mr. STEIL

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 6513) to amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to confirm the requirement that States allow access to designated congressional election observers to observe the election administration procedures in congressional elections.

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the Senate amendment to the bill, H.R. 6513.

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Senate amendment to H.R. 6513, the Confirmation of Congressional Observer Access Act, or COCOA Act. Ensuring the fairness and accuracy of our elections is of utmost importance for me as chairman of the Committee on House Administration, which has broad oversight for our Nation's Federal elections. The Election Observer Program is one of the key ways the committee has worked to strengthen our election administration practices. Since 1933 there have been 110 contested election cases considered in the House. This averages to two contests per Congress. Congressional observers collect on-the-ground factual information for Congress and my committee for these potential election contests. During the 2020 election cycle, House election observers were deployed to Iowa's Second District to oversee the administration of the election of our now-colleague, Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks. She went on to win the contested race by only six votes, and trained House election observers were instrumental in gathering the information the committee needed to seat the rightful winner. The Constitution grants Congress the authority to ``be the judge of the elections, returns, and qualifications of its own Members.'' It is under this constitutional authority that the House established the nonpartisan Election Observer Program. In the 2022 election cycle, observers were deployed to roughly 25 sites across the country. Dozens of offices have already signed up to participate in this year's program for the election that concludes in just 41 days. With the help of our colleagues in the Senate, this election is now expanded to encompass a Senate program similar to the one we run in the House. I am working to ensure election observers can be deployed across States as needed. At a recent committee hearing, six secretaries of State from both parties testified they would provide unimpeded access to our Election Observer Program in the upcoming election. I will continue to work to ensure every State and locality across the country will welcome our observers. Strong election integrity increases confidence and participation in our elections, which is a good thing. Providing a Federal statutory citation for these election observers to monitor election administration practices will achieve that goal. Elections are partisan, but the administration of our elections should never be partisan. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the ranking member of the Committee on House Administration, for his work on this important legislation, as well as the staffs of both the minority and the majority for coming together in a timely manner to get this across the line as well as our colleagues in the Senate. Mr. Speaker, having no further comments on the bill, I urge everyone to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. STEIL

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dalvinder Multani, who recently retired after 20 years of serving the House, five years as a Software AG contractor and fifteen years as the Director of Legislative Information Management Systems (LIMS) in the Office of the Clerk. In his job as the director of LIMS, Dal lead a team of highly skilled professionals responsible for developing, maintaining and supporting one of the most important applications used in the House, a system that records and tracks all legislative activities, creates official records, and disseminates legislative data to our partners, the Senate, the Government Publishing Office, and the Library of Congress's Congress.gov platform. As the one in charge of LIMS, it was his duty to make certain that LIMS was operational and fully supported each and every day. Dal's depth and breadth of expertise in the products he managed as well as his understanding of the legislative process was invaluable in navigating multitudes of complex changes required of LIMS over the years of his tenure. He could always be counted on to respond to support requests in a timely and accurate manner, often during late nights and weekends. Dal was and is a consummate professional, exceled at his craft, and understood the importance of his mission to serve the House. He was always proud to serve this great institution. Dal looks forward to retirement and spending time with his wife and family, traveling to our national parks, and dedicating more time to his second passion: performing arts and theatrical work. I wish Dalvinder Multani many years of health and a well-earned retirement. Congratulations to Dal.

Mr. STEIL

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, since July 3, 2023, Robert R. Newlen has faithfully served as Interim Director of the Congressional Research Service (CRS). Today, I want to recognize Newlen for his exemplary service and leadership during this time. Newlen has been an excellent partner to Congress and a laudable leader of CRS. Newlen has had a long career of public service and as a servant to Congress. Newlen served at the Library of Congress for 42 years, including serving as the Deputy Librarian of Congress. Newlen served within CRS from 1975 until 2010, starting as a temporary clerk and rising to multiple senior leadership positions including Assistant Director of Knowledge Services Group. In 2017, Newlen left the Library of Congress as the Deputy Librarian of Congress. Before agreeing to serve as Interim Director, Newlen was the Executive Director and Director of Strategic Initiatives of the Dwight D. Opperman Foundation in Phoenix, Arizona. CRS serves as an essential resource that strengthens our capacity to legislate every day. Yet CRS is beset by many of the challenges that have risen in today's diverse and complex media and information environment. As Interim Director, Newlen acted as a perceptive leader who was quick to identify the challenges that the agency faces and was responsive in his immediate work to address them. From day one, Newlen recognized the need for robust leadership and effective communication throughout the agency. To that end, we have witnessed Newlen's efforts to empower CRS experts and incorporate the feedback and perspectives of every employee of the agency. Newlen recognized the information technology challenges that CRS faces and has diligently partnered with key stakeholders to effectively address these challenges. Newlen's leadership during this time has been essential to turn the agency to face the modern needs and challenges of Congress. He has been a transparent and collaborative partner to me, Congresswoman Bice, the Committee, and to Congress. I want to express my gratitude that Newlen has agreed to temporarily continue his service to this institution as an advisor to the new Director, Karen Donfried to support and assist her in her new role. While more work remains to improve and modernize the Congressional Research Service, we are appreciative of Interim Director Newlen's efforts. On behalf of the Committee on House Administration: Robert Newlen, we thank him for his service to improving Congress.

Mr. STEIL

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of H. Con. Res. 127 and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.