Haley Stevens

Ms. STEVENS

Ms. STEVENS. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the motion to recommit.

Ms. STEVENS

Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

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

Ms. STEVENS

Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about my colleague, Mr. Jamaal Bowman, who I have the privilege of serving on two committees within this very Congress: the Education and Labor Committee and the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. I have seen Mr. Bowman fight for disability rights, childcare, affordable prescription drugs, and affordable housing. He has stood up to racism. He has stood up to the attacks on public education, attacks on teachers, and cuts to school nutrition. There is a unique and vital perspective Mr. Bowman brings to education issues in this Congress. In his freshman term, he served as a subcommittee chair for Energy. He was a Conference committee member on the Chips and Science Act, advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion, so that the jobs and profits could go to everyday Americans. This man does not deserve to be reprimanded. We should heed the leadership that he brings to education issues. He looks at AI and he asks: How can we solve the problems of tomorrow? If we could all do such a thing.

Ms. STEVENS

Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Lofgren for her very kind and generous words. I can only hope that my constituents in Michigan hear the praise from the ranking member from the great State of California for the work that we do together on the Science Committee. Certainly, it is a sincere privilege to be also joined on the floor today with our chairman, Mr. Lucas, as he reminded us with the TRANQ legislation that Ms. Caraveo and Mr. Williams will be the first Members of the freshman class to get a bill signed into law for this term in Congress. It wasn't all too long ago when Dr. Baird and myself shared that same distinction for the Building Blocks of STEM Act, the bill that we passed through the Science Committee, through the House floor, and alongside our colleagues in the Senate, getting it signed into law on December 24th, 2019. Suffice it to say, Dr. Baird and I were not at the White House for the signing of the Building Blocks of STEM Act. Today, Dr. Baird and I are pleased to offer the DOE and NSF Research Interagency Act to the House floor, a bill that has already passed through the Science Committee. The Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation represent some of our Nation's most cutting-edge research activities, as has been shared by our committee leadership, supporting the innovation that we require to solve our most pressing issues and remain competitive on the world stage. The DOE and NSF employees, in particular, are not necessarily in two buildings that are right next to each other. They are in a similar geographic area, but they do not share building space. The employees and the funded researchers are world-renowned scientific minds, and they are pushing on the door of what we think is possible. They are making science fiction a reality every single day, and we encourage and implore their activities to proliferate, to manifest, and to continue to come together, particularly on the heels of the CHIPS and Science Act, a bill that many of us, including myself on the Science Committee, helped to author and pass through into law just a little over a year ago. If we are going to achieve the goals of the CHIPS and Science Act without the full funding, particularly for the NSF, we need this legislation. We need the interagency efforts of DOE and NSF to come together. We will continue to promote cross functionality of research if it is with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in fusion science, or if it is combining the DOE's expertise in computational sciences, including the scientific potential of the fastest supercomputers in the world. What NSF is doing with artificial intelligence and machine learning will continue to be key to unlocking the metrics needed to create safe and trustworthy AI applications so the United States can continue to lead in this innovation sector. Combining NSF's material science expertise, which the United States is in a phenomenal race to lead on, with the work being done across the Department of Energy and the Ames National Laboratory on critical minerals will be key not only to untangling our supply chains but in creating a circular economy that promotes worker safety and environmental protections while securing our economic prosperity, energy independence, and national security for decades to come. Lastly, combining the work that both agencies are doing with quantum technologies will be key to unlocking the potential of this revolutionary emerging technology, including for our manufacturers and applications for cybersecurity. These are just some of the examples of the amazing potential that fostering a partnership between the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation will mean for our Nation and the next generation, proving once again that Federal sciences are the key to our Nation's future. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill to push forward our Nation's scientific ecosystem and bolster our competitiveness on the world stage.

Ms. STEVENS

Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Florida for her leadership in the House of Representatives during this incredibly sobering and trying moment. When the Congressional Task Force on American Hostages and Americans Wrongfully Detained Abroad was created, we never envisioned a moment like the one that we found ourselves in on October 7. As Americans, as Members of the House of Representatives, we don't just call for the release of the American hostages in Gaza, but we call for the release of all the hostages, for what took place on October 7 was an attack on innocent people. It was an attack on all of humanity, an attack on those living freely and peacefully, going about their daily business in free society. They were attacked by terrorists. They were attacked by those who seek to do evil. They were attacked because of what Israel means to the world. That cannot stand. Behind me is a picture of a woman, Karina Ariev, age 19, a surveillance soldier who was taken captive on October 7 when Hamas terrorists attacked the base at Nahal Oz, where she was stationed. Her family is still eagerly waiting for her release, including her parents and her 24-year-old sister, Sasha. Sasha's plea for the return of her sister has been heard around the world. As I join my colleagues this evening in bringing attention to the individuals like Karina and the remaining hostages, it is incredibly sobering. Sasha's words, which I would like to read, about her beloved sister are as follows: ``She called us in the morning [of October 7], and she said that the base had been raided and attacked. She basically called to tell us good-bye. And so, if she won't live, she asked us to continue our life. The last message was: `The terrorists, they are here.' ``A few hours later, we identified her in a video. This was a video that the terrorists took and then published on their Telegram channels. This is our last confirmation that she is alive. She is alive on the video, but we don't know what is going on now. ``We know that they probably took her. She was in their jeep, with other girls. We went to the police to show them the video and to say that we identify my sister so they can do something. ``The same evening, military officers came to our door, and they said to us that my sister, Karina, is held in the hands of a terror organization. From this moment, we do not know any other information. ``We sit, watch TV, and hope for the best.'' She continues: ``She is all I have, you know. I love my parents and all, but she is the one my heart belongs to. She is the only one I love in this world and the only one I want to be with me. She always comforts me. ``Even [though] she is my little sister, I can always come to her, and she will be logical with me and make me come together. She is very lovely. She is very innocent. She is very childish, although she is now a teenager. She likes to decorate her room. She likes stickers and the fluffy dolls of the animals. She loves to paint. She loves cosmetics; she is always doing my makeup. I do not understand anything about it. ``I remember the day she was born because the gap between us is 5 years. I was in the hospital, and I saw her. All this life, since the moment she was born till now, is just rolling in my head like a film.'' Hamas, release the hostages now. Bring Karina home to her family.

Ms. STEVENS

Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I cannot in my allotted time name those who are remaining in Gaza, but we are making progress, and we will come together united as a House of Representatives to condemn this evil.

Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina for yielding. She is a true leader in this country on Middle East issues. I also thank the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. McCaul, for his steady hand and dedication to leading the Foreign Affairs Committee during this pivotal moment in world history and for moving this resolution forward alongside the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the indefatigable former Chairman Meeks. Congressman French Hill and I chair the Congressional Task Force on American Hostages and Americans Wrongfully Detained Abroad, and I thank him for being my lead sponsor on this bill. It is an honor to work with him in that capacity. This resolution speaks to our collaboration and dedication to the hostages taken by Hamas on October 7. On October 7, a day that will live in infamy, 1,200 were killed in a surprise attack during a Jewish holiday. The attack didn't stop there because over 200 were taken hostage in one of the greatest hostage takings in world history. We are now in a moment when the House of Representatives is called to speak, to demand on behalf of our government the return of all the hostages held in Gaza. Mr. Speaker, I thank the hundreds of cosponsors and supporters of this resolution. It is worth noting that fellow Members of Congress who span the country and the political spectrum have joined together to call out Hamas. Mr. Speaker, the time is more than now. We have seen some hostages in the last handful of days being returned, and now we have learned of their harrowing time held in tunnels, nearly starved, with no beds. Right now, too many are left in those tunnels injured, uncared for, and victimized at the hands of those who killed their fellow countrymen and -women. Introduced on October 17, a week-and-a-half into this hostage nightmare, this resolution, H. Res. 793, called out Hamas and demanded the return of the innocents--women, elderly, children, infants. Over the weekend, Israel and her allies secured the release of 58 hostages at 7 weeks into captivity. On Monday, 11 more hostages were released. Just moments ago, we have learned of more, for a total of 85. Among those are Aviv Asher, age 2; her sister Raz, age 4; Emma Cunio, age 3; Yuli Cunio, age 3; Avigail Idan, age 4; and Oria Brodutch, age 4-- toddlers, children, preschoolers, the most innocent people on planet Earth. Those freed also included senior citizens: Yafa Adar, age 85; Elma Avraham, age 84; and Channa Peri, age 79. Why on Earth did Hamas take these people? Why did they force them to watch the murder of their loved ones? This is absolutely unconscionable, and it is an attack on all humanity. These people have been used as pawns. We are relieved that some are home, but we must condemn those who have kidnapped. We must condemn the terrorists who seek to attack the Jewish state. They have brutally killed relatives, neighbors, and fellow Israelis. We must continue to push to return the remaining hostages. Let us not forget that over 150 remain in Gaza, and many of those released still have family members held--nearly 200 people held for 52 days at gunpoint. Nine Americans continue to be held. Hundreds of families are waiting with bated breath for the return of their precious loved ones, waiting for relief and joy or the worst pain known to humankind. We cannot even imagine their anguish. It is unfathomable. What Hamas did was evil, and it was an attack on the Jewish state.

Ms. STEVENS

Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I rise today to recognize Colonel Walter L. Moddison, call sign ``Gromit,'' upon his retirement from the Air National Guard after 39 years of distinguished service. Colonel Moddison is from Great Falls, MT. He joined the Air National Guard in October of 1984 and completed Basic Training in June of 1985. After serving fourteen years as an enlisted member, he received his commission in 1998. He began his career as a Drill Status Guardsmen and was then hired as a full time Technician/Deputy Base Civil Engineer in 2001 following a career as a practicing architect. After serving at the Wing level for several years, including deployment to Ground Zero on 9/12, he accepted a headquarters position at the National Guard Bureau where he served the field units and filled many key Civil Engineering and leadership roles. He assumed his current position in January of 2021 as the Deputy Director, Engineering, for the Air National Guard Director of Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, and The Air National Guard Civil Engineer. In this capacity, Colonel Moddison oversees the policy development and programs that support over $19B in world-class infrastructure and the 18,800 personnel who build, manage and protect those assets. In addition to his numerous awards and decorations, Colonel Moddison is particularly proud to have once shot 79 on the Old Course at St. Andrews and my understanding is that he plans to devote a material portion of his retirement to his passion for golf, along with spending more time with his wife, Georgia and their dog, Maximus. I thank Colonel Moddison for his service to this Nation. He is a Great American and will be missed in the Guard.

Ms. STEVENS

Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to make a few things clear. Our environmental groups are opposed to this legislation. The UAW, for those who don't know, the United Auto Workers, are opposed to this legislation. This is not States' rights, and, frankly, it is absolutely mind- blowing that after the hottest summer on record, this is what the majority party is pushing forward amidst talks of a government shutdown and the need to take on climate. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Ms. STEVENS

Ms. STEVENS. Madam Speaker, organized labor is a beautiful thing, and it is incredibly evident today in the final hours of the UAW contract negotiations. I want all of my UAW friends, neighbors, and hardworking men and women of Michigan to know that I have their back from the Halls of Congress to the well of this very floor. While working in the Obama administration during the auto rescue, while working on that auto rescue, we saw the union take concessions. Madam Speaker, 14 years later, the companies have rebounded. They have record profits, and now is the time to deal workers back in. That is what is being negotiated. That is what our friends in organized labor are pushing for--dignity and justice. I stand with them today, tomorrow, and the tomorrow after that. We will see you in Michigan, friends.

Ms. STEVENS

Ms. STEVENS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of a bill I authored that is included in the FAA package to research severe turbulence and the impact of climate change on the flight forecasts. Turbulence is the top cause of injuries to both passengers and crew. My bill improves the FAA's understanding of turbulence to better inform safety measures for flight crews and the flying public. Last month, a scientific study analyzed 40 years of high-quality atmospheric data. The researchers found severe clear-air turbulence increased 55 percent from 1979 due to climate change. Further, other recent studies have shown that turbulence will increase significantly as the climate changes, with the most severe turbulence increasing by 149 percent over the next several decades. We should all be concerned about the rise of turbulence and the projected increase in the years ahead. Unfortunately, scientists and researchers have reported their difficulty in calculating turbulence due to limited data coverage. That is why the FAA needs better tools and research to address passenger safety amid this threat to air travel. The FAA research we support today means that tomorrow, Americans will fly safer.

Ms. STEVENS

Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of our collective experience of seeing in real time the impacts of climate change unfold. This past month we have seen temperatures rise and air quality worsen. The smoke from the recent Canadian wildfires led Michigan to issue their first-ever statewide air quality advisory. Instead of being outside enjoying the Great Lakes, my constituents were filling up emergency rooms in Beaumont of Farmington Hills, struggling to breathe. These impacts are not just hitting us locally in Michigan. July 3 and 4 saw some of the highest global average temperatures in recorded human history. This is why last year I worked so hard with my Democratic colleagues to pass the Inflation Reduction Act. The IRA is the single largest investment in combating climate change. We are already starting to see the benefits coming from these Federal actions. Michigan's clean energy jobs grew by 3.8 percent in 2022 alone. Mr. Speaker, we can turn this challenge into an opportunity, our 21st century moon shot: create jobs, renovate, address, and be resilient.

Ms. STEVENS

Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to look back on Gun Violence Prevention Month. During this time of mourning and remembrance, I have had near constant nightmarish images in mind. Images of human carnage in the aftermath of shootings involving military-style assault weapons like the ones we now witness on a regular, predictable basis. Families are unable to simply run errands on the weekends or interact with their neighbors without fear of losing their lives. And yet, most of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle tolerate this uniquely American carnage without hesitation. We know that the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban was effective at reducing crime and getting these military-style weapons off our streets. And we know that after the ban was dropped, between 2015 and 2022, mass shootings where an assault weapon was used accounted for a third of all mass shooting deaths and more than 80 percent of all injuries. AR-15s and other assault weapons are the tool of choice by gunmen in nearly all of the 10 deadliest mass shootings since 2015, including the gunman in Uvalde, Texas, who shot and killed 19 children and 2 teachers in their elementary school. This is a crisis of law and order. We must return safety to our streets. Gun violence leaves a mark on each individual and community it impacts, and it spares none of our constituents. It also spares none of our minds these days as we await news of the next atrocity. May we find the political courage to do better for you. For our brave first responders and law enforcement officers. For our kids. For our devastated communities across this nation. By using our power as legislators, we can create a safer society where individuals can exercise their rights responsibly, while also curbing the senseless loss of innocent lives. It's time to prioritize human lives over political divisions and enact the change that our communities so desperately need.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, last month, I joined my Equality Caucus colleagues in recognizing Pride Month--an opportunity to honor the LGBTQ+ community, celebrate the developments we have made, and acknowledge the work that has yet to be done. We have made remarkable progress towards full equality since LGBTQ+ patrons fought back against discrimination and police harassment at the Stonewall Inn in June of 1969. Acceptance of this community has reached important heights, marriage equality is the law of the land, and the Supreme Court has made clear that workers cannot be fired because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Since entering Congress, I have had the distinct privilege of voting to pass the Equality Act to prohibit discrimination, the NO HATE Act to respond to hate crimes, the Global Respect Act to deny visas to those who commit human rights abuses against LGBTQ+ folks, and much more. As a lifelong friend of the LGBTQ+ community and a Member of Congress committed to the pursuit of global tolerance, I know we still have so much work to do. Hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in the states in recent legislative sessions, and many have been signed into law. Many of these laws target young people, and especially trans and nonbinary youth. Furthermore, I have been disgusted and infuriated by comments that I have heard from some of my colleagues across the aisle on the House Education and Workforce Committee during recent activity--those who wish to delegitimize the gender identities of our youth and strip LGBTQ+ students of their rights, resources, and humanity. Our kids are suffering, and I will not stand for it. To everyone in this beautiful community: know that I see you, I love you, and we have a big circle over here on Capitol Hill that will never let intolerance--even and especially in the highest levels of government--go unchallenged. Too many of our LGBTQ+ family, friends, coworkers, and loved ones face discrimination every day, all across the nation. Continuing to pass pro-equality legislation sends a powerful message to members of the LGBTQ+ community that they are not second-class citizens. Every human deserves to live as their most authentic self, and every American requires equal treatment under the law. You deserve to feel safe when on public transportation, in the workplace, in the doctor's office, and in the classroom. No exceptions. Going forward from this year's pride month, I will continue the fight to ensure that LGBTQ+ Americans are safe, secure, and free from discrimination.

Ms. STEVENS

Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Dr. Dennis Carlton Woods, an inspiring and influential member of the Southeast Michigan community who passed away on May 26th of 2023. As Dr. Woods' family reflected upon their loved one's magnificent life, they affectionately recalled him as a persistent, creative, and intelligent father and community member. While Dr. Woods will be deeply missed by the many people he impacted, there is no doubt that these qualities have been passed on to his family and friends and will continue to positively influence his community. On December 3, 1943, Dr. Dennis Carlton Woods was born in Detroit, MI, to Flavia Bell Taylor and Meldon Hubert Woods. Welcomed into a large, loving family, he was the third of seven dedicated and energetic children. After losing his father, Meldon, early in life, Dr. Woods sought new opportunities for himself and was determined to fulfill his intellectual curiosity. This determined spirit led him to Tennessee State University as a student athlete studying biochemistry with the intention of going to medical school. As a true Michigander, he still managed to return to Detroit during his summers to work at the Ford Motor Company foundry. Working hard to support himself and explore any opportunities that came his way, he sincerely believed that hard work is what is required to make something out of your talent. These values took Dr. Woods to Meharry Medical College in 1967, where he was incredibly involved in his campus community and pursued his medical degree, specializing in ophthalmology. Outside of his academic career, Dr. Woods tried as many different activities as he could while at Tennessee State University and Meharry Medical College. During his undergraduate career, he pledged Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. While in medical school, he was Editor-in- Chief of the student newspaper, the Meharrian, Class Treasurer, Pre- Alumni Association Treasurer, captain of the Meharry basketball team, and member of the Urology Club. His time as a student was also when he developed a passion for civil rights. His drive to try new things didn't stop when he came back home to Detroit. Even when he co-founded a private practice, the Detroit Medical Group, he continued to lead an adventurous and well-rounded life. Dr. Woods became politically active in the area, hosting multiple political fundraisers at his home for multiple candidates, including the first African American mayor of Detroit, Mayor Coleman Young. These acts of social service included volunteering regularly at Plymouth United Church of Christ. Throughout his lifetime, he enjoyed fine art, photography, gardening, genealogy, travel, and more. His hobbies allowed him to bring his community of family and friends together to enjoy the activities as a group. Above all, Dr. Woods was a family man. He was a loving father to his three children--Delisa Chimene, Dennis Jr., Krystle Charon--and was married to his wife--Polly Ann--for almost 55 years before his passing. He was heavily involved in his children's upbringing and encouraged them to pursue several opportunities and find their passions early in life. He spread his life experience, kindness, and zest for life to his children throughout their upbringing by showing them what they could achieve and supporting them in their individual pursuits. He remained close to his family and was even fortunate enough to spend time with his nine grandchildren. Dr. Woods had an impact on everyone around him--he took photos of families at every community gathering, participated in shared gardens, spread his scientific teachings, and connected people across his lifetime. Dennis Carlton Woods was truly a unique man--he was driven, brave, intelligent, curious, and above all, he was kind. His loss is one that leaves a community not only with irreplaceable memories, but also with valuable life lessons and love that will never leave them. He was a loving husband, father, and community leader who never failed to teach those around him. His legacy of hard work, dedication, and belief in his peers to succeed will live on for years to come. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor to recognize the life of Dr. Dennis Carlton Woods today, and I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating his remarkable impact on his community.

Ms. STEVENS

Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the city of Farmington Hills, and to recognize its contributions to the state of Michigan. Farmington Hills is a haven for a diverse community, for children of all ages, and for growth and justice. Over a hundred years before it became a city, Farmington Township and the Village of Farmington lived next to each other in harmony as a farming community that made its mark on Michigan history. Farmington received its name from its first settler, Arthur Power, who hailed from Farmington, New York. Power and Dr. Ezekiel Webb helped develop the community by starting families and creating a post office, a physician's office, and school. Together, they developed a small, strong farming community that slowly grew more businesses and traditions. Power spread his Quaker religious teachings to his son, Nathan, and imbued in him respect for all humans regardless of race. Nathan Power went on to serve as President of the Oakland County Antislavery Society. As a result of Nathan Power's leadership, Farmington became a key stop on the Underground Railroad and a channel for formerly enslaved individuals to travel to Detroit and Canada. Other famous abolitionists that spent time in Farmington in the 1800s include Laura Haviland, J.S.T. Milligan, and Sojourner Truth. The city was also a part of a secret attack by the Japanese during World War II known as Operation Fu-Go, which launched over 9,000 hydrogen balloons that failed to explode over the U.S. and Canada. One of these balloons was found near 8 Mile and Gill roads in Farmington in 1945. The balloon started a small, short-lived fire in an open lot near the home of the Hedt's family and looked like a bonfire. At the instruction of the American government, the Farmington community and media stayed quiet about this attack until a few months later. In true patriotic fashion, Farmington contributed many of its dedicated community members to the war effort, including Army Private Alfred Ricke who was recently identified after being considered Missing In Action for the past 78 years. Farmington Township and the Village of Farmington began on their journey to join together and become a city in the 1970s, and the Township incorporated in May of 1973 to become the City of Farmington Hills. Becoming a city put Farmington Hills on the map, literally and figuratively. It brought in new business, more people, and inspired development. In the last fifty years, the City of Farmington Hills has grown from a simple farming community to one of the most diverse, populous, and safe cities in the state of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor to represent the City of Farmington Hills, Michigan, a community that represents true Michigan spirit and unique culture. This city's strong history represents the core values that make this a wonderful place to live, and it makes the 11th Congressional District proud. Their contributions to this state and this country have not gone unnoticed, and I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating their 50 years of being the city of Farmington Hills, a place and a people that make us a stronger nation.

Ms. STEVENS

Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote on the Legislative Day of June 20, 2023 on H.R. 1606--the Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 272.

Ms. STEVENS

Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I am calling this Special Order hour the 40-year address, not to self-aggrandize, although I am marking that milestone year on Saturday when the House Chamber is not open and I will not be able to make such an address, but more so to reflect, to look back, to comment on how we got here, and on what it means as Michigan's 11th District has only had in the 187 years of our State's existence 25 Members of Congress. I happen to be the 25th Member of Congress to hold Michigan's 11th District, and I happen to be the first woman to ever represent Michigan's 11th District and, therefore, the first woman to ever turn 40 in Michigan's 11th Congressional District. By right, I also claim that I am the first millennial whom Michigan ever sent to Congress in the year 2018. It was that magnificent year when many men and women stood up to run for Congress. A lot of us called ourselves the never evers. We had never ever run for office before, but we felt a call to serve in the face of what we saw as leadership taking this country backwards, leadership in the Oval Office, leadership that was putting forward terminology that was dubbed the Muslim ban in the early 21st century which was almost inconceivable particularly for me representing and coming from southeastern Michigan, a place of great Arab-American presence and all the frustration that we felt with governance by Twitter and anti-democratic principles, but more so because of love of country. I could start with when I got to Congress, but I don't think that would be totally appropriate because there was a journey to getting here, and it is a journey we are sharing in this largely empty Chamber before the C-SPAN cameras and before the folks watching at home of what brought us here and what brought me here. I did not come from a family that was preordained to send a daughter to Congress. I was born in the eighties, a decade I barely remember, partly because a person doesn't gain full consciousness as a human being until age 5, so largely the eighties were not that memorable. Of course, my parents have great memories of that decade and the decade prior to it. My parents are surely incredible people, incredibly hardworking Michiganders. My mom came to Michigan by way of Oakland University. She graduated a year early. She was always ahead of her time. She worked her way through school. In the school cafeteria she was washing dishes. I think she finished school 3 years early. She probably wanted to do something in the STEM field but, interestingly, the woman who went on to Congress and founded the Women and STEM Caucus is the daughter of a woman who was told the only thing she could study in school was either education or art history. So she studied art history, and she is to this day, obviously, a masterful painter. More than that, my mother's life is determined by very hard work and exceptional brilliance, tinkering around with electronics and masterful woodcarving. I have one of the lifelike carved eagles that she did in the nineties in my office in the Rayburn House Office Building. She met my father at Oakland University. He was still working on school, and my dad had started a landscaping business right when he was out of high school. Again, he was so dogged at that practice of working with the earth and working with the soil and planting the trees and knowing every type of plant, bush, and shrub out there, how to design it and make it look good. Of course, my parents ended up going into business together. They were just kids in the seventies. Oh, gosh, they were hippies. I know my mom has stories, of course, of hitchhiking the country. We do not do that really today; there is Uber. She hitchhiked the country. She also marched for women's rights and protested against the Vietnam war and went on to this endeavor called Nitro Feed with my father. They had multiple acres of land out in Macomb County in Utica for this endeavor of theirs, this landscaping business that became the first tree spray company in Michigan. In the winter when we couldn't landscape in Michigan, they would plow snow. My dad would plow the snow. The inside joke in my family was that my dad would wake up at any hour to the sound of the snow falling to make sure that people could get to work and that they could park in their parking lots. They employed a lot of people, and they had a lot of fun. Like folks were doing in the eighties and nineties, they were making a little bit of money. Of course, my mom went into business with her sister. These are two female trailblazers. We always say that my Aunt Marcie is sort of the third parent and matriarch of our family. These two sisters are daughters of a woman who had four sisters and Italian roots that trace back to Cleveland, Ohio. Interestingly, as I am making this address on the eve of my personal anniversary, my colleague, Congresswoman Shontel Brown who hails from Cleveland, Ohio, and represents the 11th District of Ohio, and we call ourselves twin sisters because we share a birthday and we share a district number. Then I say: My family came from Cleveland, in Mayfield Heights, in an old Italian neighborhood. Of course, this is something that sisters from the Midwest know about hard work and communication. The business that my aunt and mother got into was communications. They were in advertising. And, again, a lot of hard work and trials and tribulations but a whole heck of a lot of fun transforming our State and the dialogue of healthcare and how women talk about healthcare, talking about menopause, mammograms, and things that were taboo in the nineties and that great awakening that we had around mental health. So some of these life reflections of my family and the things that they exposed me to are something that is very humbling to share on this House floor. I was born in Rochester Hills, Michigan. I like to say that I took my first breath of air from ZIP Code 48309 at the old Crittenton Hospital. Of course, Rochester Hills' claim to fame is that is where Madonna, the singer, the 1980s phenomenon, was from. Her mother, Joan Ciccone, ran a small daycare that I attended as a toddler and a little bit into elementary school. Again, family business, good Italian family business, and there are stories from the neighborhoods of friends, mothers, or parents who knew Madonna in high school. We, of course, remember Mrs. Ciccone picking up the phone and saying: Hello, Madonna. My brother, who doesn't like any attention, remembers one time that Madonna came to visit. He swears Madonna came to visit. That was growing up in Rochester Hills, what was largely known as exurban, the suburbs outside of the suburbs. Now it is a little more populated and built up. My mother can certainly remember stories of sledding down Rochester Road before all the businesses moved in. Of course, I remember walking down Alston Street with my good friend, Rachel, to elementary school. She is my dearest--I like to call her my oldest friend but sometimes oldest feels disparaging, but she is my longest friend in life. We would walk down Alston together, and there are a lot of funny stories about me being fearful of her family dog who barely could move and me not wanting to ring her doorbell. The reason I share these personal reflections and these stories is that I certainly was not afraid to put my hand up and get involved in student activities and student governments or theater or performances or things like that, but I also share these stories because nothing in life is fully ever determined. We know that we make our own destiny. My running for office eventually one day in life was not something preordained. It was not a given that I was going to come to Congress. I know so many of my colleagues through so many of their personal trials and tribulations join me in sharing this message to the next generation which is that life is uncertain and growing up is tough. This new generation, our Generation Z, who is racked with the unique challenges of this century, a global pandemic--we just saw the headline this morning about test scores still being behind--and certainly the challenges of climate change and gun violence, that compels us. When you are young and you are still dependent and you are maybe just getting out of those teenage years, Mr. Speaker, into early adulthood and wondering how you are going to make your way in the world, it is important to recall and to look to those who have done what no one called to ask them to do, but just what they felt compelled to do and to make a difference. I firmly believe that we still need to believe in this place. We still need to believe in this institution. I could be doing something else this evening, but I have really believed and thought that it would be important to give this address in the House Congressional Record spoken verbally. Sometimes you can write these addresses and just submit them for the Record, but I wanted to take the time to speak these words. It just so happens that speaking these words on this day, June 21-- the solstice--is really actually quite remarkable. The solstice is a day that comes twice a year. It either comes when it is today when the sun is reaching its maximum destination or its maximum declining and the longest or shortest day of the year. My mother was actually born on the shortest day of the year. Today is the longest day of the year, and, of course, then it begins the reaching toward the shortest day. It also marks summer. I haven't spent too much time outside today here in Washington, D.C., in the Nation's Capital. It has been a very unusual late spring, now first day of summer. It is cold in Washington. It is 60-some degrees and raining. One reaches for a shawl on weather like today. I have a friend back home in Michigan whom I asked: What is the weather like at home? He shared that it is 80 degrees in my beloved Michigan, and it is the perfect ringing day to summer. It is, of course, also unique and special in all of these hyper- partisan times to reflect on the solstice and the marking of summer because it is man's and human's experience in nature and this recognition that something exists beyond us and something that got done right in Washington a long time ago is the House on the hill, the Capitol on the hill, it is surrounded by nature. It is surrounded by beautiful trees and green and the Mall that you can walk out on, Mr. Speaker, and go see the monuments. Of course, some of us remember the wild fox that was scampering around. That was last term. We can see some wildlife. I believe just as many who have been in this Chamber from centuries ago likely recognize the importance of the role that nature plays in our life. The words of the poet William Wordsworth who was not an American but an English poet speak out: I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. I am not the only one who speaks poetry in this Chamber, of course. Mr. Steny Hoyer, our former majority leader emeritus is one to quote Tennyson on occasion. It is certainly quite grounding as people of this great country, and it is elected officials who use our words, who use our words to move, make change, and bring this Nation to a new place. Sometimes those words can feel contentious or bottled up on competition or trying to win something. In other times, the words can bring us together, the words can call upon us to reflect. The words can call upon us to look above and look at the beauty all around us even on a cloudy solstice- beginning summer day here in Washington, D.C. As I have taken some time to reflect a little bit on my life--and I really can't tell you all how deeply humbling and somewhat uncomfortable it is to even talk about yourself in this body, this well of democracy. I purposely chose to come to the center, the floor of the House, what I believe is the House floor, the center of gravity of our democracy. When we have been waging great debates in the Congress over many years, I have long implored my colleagues to take it off cable news because that is somewhat filtered, and, of course, doctored. Our journalists play a great role, but take your discourse to the well, to the floor of the House, to the center of democracy. Engage in the great debate of this institution for Americans to see unfiltered. Somebody at the Juneteenth event in Huntington Woods pulled me aside, and they said, I am just so exhausted with how polarized it feels, with how partisan it feels. I can't take it. I said, well, are you watching the news? And she said, no, I am not watching the news. I said, well, tune in to C-SPAN because maybe you can't come to Washington and join us in the gallery, but come to C-SPAN and watch your government in action. Of course, sometimes there is tough debate. As we just saw with my colleagues passing the suspension bills, one that just passed unanimously, it is bipartisan. It is coming together to solve problems and coming together to make a difference. I certainly do not ever seek to undermine or doubt the intentions of any of my colleagues, although on occasion, their approach may frustrate me. We are all equal as duly elected Members of this Chamber when we come here to vote. Our Founding Fathers in the era of the Founders and those who maintained this institution, America, as a fledgling--and we are still a fledgling democracy, in my opinion. Our country is about to turn 247 years old. We can look to some of the most ancient societies, the longest-standing countries in this world, this world that is also 4\1/2\ million years old, and wonder what they think and how they are looking to us. Yet, we can look inward. We shouldn't exclusively look inward, but we can look inward and reflect that we have accomplished a lot in these 246 years; the governing doctrine of this very Nation that still determines how an individual like Haley Stevens can get to Congress every other year. The incredible voting electorate of Michigan's 11th District, that is now comprised exclusively of the great Oakland County, in Michigan takes a vote. They take a vote, and they determine who is going to be their representative voice in the Congress. That is why when we have the privilege of being here in Washington, and, of course, people come and visit--we had a great day, which I will share a little bit about our day in a moment. When people come to Washington, and they share their needs, or when I am home in Michigan, so joyfully visiting the farmers' markets, visiting the small businesses, doing the manufacturing Mondays--I call them manufacturing Mondays, by the way. I visit our manufacturers. I see the innovation, the continued hard work of our small businesses; men and women who are dedicated to the production value of this Nation, made in the USA, something that is demanded and called for throughout the world. It is something that I am so ever committed to as an elected Representative and as a former Obama administration official and as somebody who once worked in a manufacturing research and development institute. Today, to share with anyone who might be watching, and to just give a glimmer of what happens in a day for a Member of Congress, but there's so much jammed in a day that it is, again, a real privilege to be able to share and speak from this well of the House floor about what occurred today. I went to my beloved Committee on Science, Space & Technology markup. We marked up three great bills on fire safety, on the utilization of a mist for fire safety, and construction and management standards for rebuilding after fires. We are saying the words climate change in the hearing, in the markup. We are saying the words climate change. We are recognizing. These are bipartisan bills. Again, you might recall that I am a Democrat, and I am in the minority party, so I am at the whim of the chairman from the Republican Party for the Committee on Science and Technology. Yet, there we sit, chairman and ranking member and participating members of the committee marking up bipartisan bills. Of course, I spoke exuberantly on behalf of the bills and am looking forward to their being passed through committee tomorrow. We take our votes in committee, and then we are going to have a hearing on artificial intelligence, which is certainly a topic that has motivated and compelled the work of the Committee on Science and Technology ever since I joined the Committee on Science and Technology in my first term in Congress. I am very fortunate to have served as the vice chair of the committee when we were in the majority and the chair for the Subcommittee on Research and Technology. Folks might recall that when I helped lead the Congress through the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, industrial policy for this great Nation. Let's make semiconductor microchips in this Nation again because we innovated these things, and we let some people beat us at our own game for a little bit. Then the pandemic hit, the tide rolls out, and we don't have enough chips. We decided to make chips in this country again by investing $50 billion that since the passage and signing of the bill in August of last year, $50 billion has already beget $200 billion of private sector invest. Astronomical job creation, supply chain value for my State of Michigan, and it is enormously exciting that we got that bill done. I am so thrilled to have been a part of that committee, but that was last year's activity. Of course, we carry the words of the things that we have done into today. As I was marking up the bills in committee, I was reflecting on the bipartisan achievement of the CHIPS and Science Act last term, and we have more to do on that. I will certainly get to that in a moment. I also had the privilege of sitting down with a--I believe he calls himself a president of a company. I don't know if he would want me sharing this, but of course, I am sharing it. He did come to visit me. He runs this company called Qualcomm. They are in this chips business. I think this executive was in Washington today. Well, he knew I was involved with this CHIPS Act, but they wanted to share about this competition that we are in with China and the Chinese Communist Party. This is something that I am very keen to as a Representative of Michigan and as someone who served in President Obama's administration as the chief of staff on the U.S. auto rescue, the initiative that was responsible for saving General Motors and Chrysler from liquidation and countless, hundreds of thousands of Michigan jobs and certainly millions throughout this country. We know the meaning of being able to make products here in the United States of America and sell them all over the world. That is the deal, right. That is why the day after the first impeachment of President Trump in the year 2019, before the word COVID ever entered our verbiage--true story--we impeached President Trump. It was really kind of a sad day in this country, and we didn't get justice that day. The following day we came back into this very Chamber after it being so contentious and so divisive and so emotional. Democrats and Republicans came back into this Chamber and passed the trade deal, USMCA, a renegotiated NAFTA so that we could have a framework for competing in the 21st century with the rest of the world; strengthening by American content, plussing up our production value in a State like Michigan. By the way, it was endorsed by the critical stakeholders from both organized labor, AFL-CIO, and UAW, to the automakers because 21st century challenges beget 21st century solutions of coming together. Of course, I am still talking about today. I am still talking about why Qualcomm and maybe some other chip manufacturers are saying, hey, we need to be able to sell to the world, all right, and we can't cut ourselves off because some are chest thumping as we have done throughout this century and the century prior for war. We can call ourselves hawks. I don't call myself a hawk on China. I am serious about the competition and the consideration and the frustrations with the CCP. I know that the Biden administration is attempting to lead just as the administration prior and the administration prior did. Of course, the dynamic has changed in the year 2023, but America has got to be in the business of de-risking, and America has got to be in the business of leading through smart power and strong power as an open, democratic, capitalist society that says every person can succeed and that we are working toward a more perfect union and the plight of equality and justice. I founded the Women in STEM Caucus because we want to bring more people into the STEM field. It can't be acceptable that 5 percent of women in STEM careers are Black and Brown. It needs to be more. It cannot just be a talking point. It needs to be a way of life. When we talk about expanding and when we work on expanding the middle class, which had been shrinking, we talk about uplifting people out of poverty. It is not because anyone is looking to be endemically poor. That is not the case. My great mother has shared many times over her thoughts on this to me, which is that it is expensive to be poor. It certainly is expensive in this day and age when you go to the grocery store and when you pay your insurance bill and when you pay your housing bill and when you pay to clothe and feed the kids and all of this and that. It is like you can't catch a breath. We are being squeezed. Instead of finger-pointing, we need to be committed to the creation of good jobs. Good jobs means selling American-built, made, innovated, shipped products to the world. You can't cut us off. It is not going to work, right. The automakers will tell you that as well. The suppliers will tell you that. We need to be realistic. I am not going to overlook what has gone on with Russia and Ukraine because I have been battling Putin since I got into Congress, before I was sworn in. Paul Whelan, the Novi resident in his fifth year in a Russian prison, the canary in the coal mine for the lawlessness that Putin has pursued on a global scale with this unbelievably outrageous, illegal, ongoing war in Ukraine. Russia isn't China. We were able to decouple. We brought the West along with us. We are having the conversation on energy security and what we need to do. I am pragmatic and I am realistic about that. I am proud to have voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, otherwise known as the largest climate bill in history, clean energy incentives, which are unbelievably impacting Michigan's economy right now; making batteries, seeing our manufacturers rise as they do over and over again to the charge of our time. I mention Mr. Whelan today because his beloved dog Flora, 15 years old, as announced by his brother, has passed. So as Whelan is in prison, we just passed the resolution calling on the Russian Federation to release Whelan, condemning it. He will come home. I will not lose hope. I stand by his family every day on this. He will come home, but he is not coming home to his dog. These are some of the things that have happened today. The other thing that happened, which was really quite profound, and I think I am allowed to show a prop, is that we held a ceremony honoring the debut of the postage stamp of the Honorable John Lewis. It was incredibly moving. Speaker McCarthy had a reception afterward in the Rayburn Room. We had biscuits and conversation. The minority leader of the Democrats, the very eloquent and brave leader Hakeem Jeffries, spoke, as well. Mr. Lewis' former chief of staff remembered him. It was such an honor to be in one of his favorite places in the Capitol, Statuary Hall, seeing the new postage stamp for John Lewis, a man I was so privileged to serve with in his final term in office in the 116th Congress and to be there with so many of my colleagues. Of course, some other things happened today. We took more votes on the House floor. Bizarrely, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle censured--we are still trying to figure out what censuring means--but they have condemned my colleague from California, Mr. Schiff. It was really quite emotional for some. I mean, I don't think people were tearing up, but it was emotional because a good portion of us serving in the 118th Congress were here on January 6, 2021, and we would just like to have some basic agreement about facts, right? Look, you can't dwell and dwell, but we have to have some basic agreement of facts that those who are seeking to censure, many of them--and I do not speak disparagingly--I don't think any of them really joined in the effort to condemn a man in the Oval Office who, as Commander in Chief, watched this Capitol, a branch of his government, be attacked. You take an oath as the Commander in Chief to protect and serve. I am not out here on what to some is known as or dubbed a witch hunt. I am here for the truth. I am here for an honest conversation. Of course, I am also here to make sure that we put into place the policies that lead to good and great job creation, good and great futures, because one thing that I have seen campaigning out in the field in these incredible neighborhoods that comprise Michigan's 11th District is that people are busy, and they often do not have time for the blood sport of politics. They are relying on a government that needs to make sure that they are succeeding and getting out of the way to make sure that they are succeeding by putting into place policies that build toward a more perfect Union. This is what fires me up. This is what motivates me in the charges of our times. I know so many who do engage in the civil discourse and the public discourse and show up at townhalls and show up at community meetings, those who have become a part of the activist organization Moms Demand Action, calling for more commonsense gun safety legislation. Outside my office in the Rayburn Building, I have decided because of my frustration over and outrage of gun violence in this country that I have known my whole life, and even my parents have known in ways that have been unimaginable--and I say ``my parents'' as in their generation. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated. My father, who was also an educator, was doing his student teaching in Pontiac, Michigan, at Bethune Elementary when Martin Luther King, Jr., was taken from us, as were John Lennon, John Kennedy, RFK. President Reagan was shot. Is this part of some sort of dramatic story of our Nation, or is this a problem that we must fix? Outside of my office are now the orange ribbons that have marked every mass shooting just this year alone, and I am running out of space on the wall for the ribbons. I am running out of space. We are almost at 300. If you choose to feel, it is unimaginable. I am on the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, and I don't want America to appear weak, but this is not happening in China. When we met with our counterparts in the British Parliament, they looked at us and said: We had 40 people die from guns--4-0, not 40,000, 4-0 in the last year. We are at tens of thousands. This is human capital. We can talk about gun violence and talk about the opioid epidemic, and we can talk about people dying from auto accidents, and certainly the million people we lost from COVID-19, and say every life matters, and we have to be committed to preserving life's existence. We have to be committed not from a place of despair or frustration, but from a place of motivation and dogged determination that we will address and fix the scourge of gun violence in America. It is clear that shame is not working. Calling out and calling out is not working. Presenting the facts isn't working, but what will work, in my opinion, is the arc of time. Standing here as a woman, as I mentioned at the beginning of this address, the first woman to represent Michigan's 11th District, it took 100 years to get suffrage achieved, to address the enfranchisement, enfranchising women to be able to vote, when Congress had the most number of women ever in history serving in its Chambers, both the House and Senate. Now, mind you, I want to concede this: We haven't even ever had 500 women total yet in the whole history of the body. In the 247 years of America's existence, we have not had 500 women yet serving in the Chamber, but we had over 100 in the year 2019, for that term, 2019 to 2020, marking 100 years of women's suffrage. Of course, in 1920, when women's suffrage was achieved, you look back and squint because 1848 was Seneca Falls. How many women who were at Seneca Falls got to live to see their right to vote? I reflected on my colleague who we honored today, Mr. Lewis. His words that we go back to so many times as a Democratic Caucus ring forward in this plight to ban assault weapons, to pass universal background checks, to stop gun violence in America, to change our culture, which I firmly believe we do by passing laws, not by seeing children in Sandy Hook taken from us and not doing anything. Mr. Lewis' words ring out: ``Do not get lost in a sea of despair.'' Let me say that again: ``Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful. Be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year. It is the struggle of a lifetime.'' Think of the women at Seneca Falls. Think of our country recognizing and celebrating the second anniversary of the now-official Federal holiday of Juneteenth that marked the end of slavery in this Nation. Think of these long trials and tribulations that our young country has gone through. Before we were even erected as a nation, 400 years of slavery, and only 158 years since it ended, something that was debated in this Chamber. Can you even imagine today? Then think of in the 21st century Mr. Lewis' words. ``It is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.'' Why take to the floor of the House to speak these words? Why take to the floor of the House in recognition of a personal milestone and the achievements that we have made on behalf of Michigan's 11th District? Why take to the House floor during Pride Month, Equality Month? I remember coming here in one of the first floor speeches I made for marriage equality and fairness, letting people just love who they want to love and be who they are. We have made so much progress that now it has become another targeted issue for those who do not agree. They are trying to twist it on its head. I have so many colleagues this evening at the Equality PAC celebration honoring Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi, one of the original trailblazers in this body for LGBTQ rights, and we are still going to have the joy and the pride that comes with Pride Month because love is louder and joy is more inclusive. Of course, in Michigan, we are delightfully blessed with the first statewide elected openly gay official, Ms. Dana Nessel, our attorney general, who alongside the speaker pro tempore of the senate, Mr. Jeremy Moss, one of Oakland County's finest, they declared loudly this month in Michigan that we are the gayest State in the Union and that all are welcome in Michigan because, again, we thrive when everyone succeeds. Of course, for some, this may not be your words or your declaration, but I speak for so many. I speak for Ferndale. I speak for affirmations. I speak for those who are watching and listening and wondering what they are going to do with their lives and what it means. I represent and speak for disabled individuals and folks who I am fighting for on the Education and the Workforce Committee to fully fund IDEA so that our school districts do not need to rob Peter to pay Paul, so that we can properly educate every student in this country regardless of ability. That is the purpose of public education. If you want something else, you can pay for it and go do it, but gosh darn it, we want everyone to have access to a good, quality education. That is what pays dividends to our country. That is what pays dividends back into our Treasury. Speaker Pelosi once shared that, and I certainly join her in recognizing that point. Cost, indebtedness, hard work, how to get ahead, how to catch our breath, and how to remain optimistic. Sometimes it feels, to the outside world, maybe because they are not watching C-SPAN, and they are only watching the news that flies off of anger politics or divisiveness or red meat, but so much gets done here. Now, in my fifth year here, I have mentioned a couple of times I founded the Women in STEM Caucus. I also founded the Plastic Solutions Task Force, alongside my colleague, Kim Schrier. I formed the Democratic Manufacturing Working Group, alongside leader Jim Clyburn, the great statesman from South Carolina, showcasing delivery and dedication to the manufacturing economy of America. Of course, I am also working on the bipartisan Manufacturing Caucus, alongside a colleague from Ohio. I passed my first bill within my first year in Congress, the Building Blocks of STEM Act. It was signed on Christmas Eve. I wasn't at the White House for the signing, but it got signed. It was about STEM equity, making sure that more girls and girls of color can get included into the STEM field. Will our work ever be done in this Chamber? I hope not, because democracy thrives when people choose to participate in it. Democracy thrives when people choose to tune in during the middle of the week, on a rainy solstice day, maybe to listen, maybe to think, maybe to input. The tens of thousands of correspondence letters that we reply to in my office, the people writing in. The ideas that come from knocking on the door in our neighborhoods. The Alleviating Intergenerational Debt Act that I introduced because I knocked on the door of this incredible family in Hazel Park, and mom and dad introduced me to their kids who were going off to Michigan State. Dad said, Haley, it is really expensive. I said, I know, college has gotten unbelievably expensive. And we are applying for financial aid. He said, you know, Haley, it's outrageous, we didn't qualify for financial aid. I am a UAW worker. My wife here is a UAW worker. I have $90,000 student loan debt myself as a parent and I don't qualify for financial aid. Why is that? So I went back, with a very hardworking member of my staff from Oakland County, Sammi Goldsmith, and we looked at this very diligently, and we found that this is a loophole in the financial aid formula. So we introduced legislation to change it so that that family's daughter doesn't have to have the debt that dad has. Commonsense solutions, expand Pell grants, expand access to apprenticeship training programs, showcase our unions which allow you to earn as you learn. There is so much to be proud of, by the way. So I am not just hemming and hawing. I am feverishly working on the solutions for tomorrow. I am feverishly working alongside my colleagues, even on tough days or tough moments, like with what happened with the censure earlier today, we remain committed. We passed the CHIPS and Science Act. We know we need to do more. We need to fund basic scientific research. I was so proud, as the chair of the Research and Technology Subcommittee, to pass the National Science Foundation for the Future Act, that doubled basic scientific research funding in this country. Except it was just an authorization; it wasn't an appropriation. I don't know what the rest of this year has in store. I don't have a crystal ball. We didn't default on our debt. Some who sought to undermine the fiscal integrity of our Union by allowing America to default on its debt, it didn't happen because a bipartisan group of commonsense lawmakers came together to say, no, we won't do that. Now we have to pass a budget. The Federal Government needs to be funded by September 30. So as the end of the year comes up, we are going to talk about basic scientific research funding. We are going to talk about food assistance. We are going to talk about making sure that students can go to school and get access to food, free and reduced lunch, a guarantee. John Kennedy, President John Kennedy, gave an address 60 years ago this month at my alma mater. He gave a speech about peace. Mr. Kennedy, President Kennedy, comes from a time when it feels like there were fewer spoken words. There were certainly less tweets. There was certainly less cable news. Those words and the quotes, they carried movement. They carried action. I think sometimes that is what feels so frustrating about dealing with this scourge of gun violence. It is also Gun Violence Prevention Month here in June. We can give the best speech. We can write the most eloquent, smartest tweet. We have made some change. We passed a bipartisan bill to award funding to States that have passed red flag laws, extreme risk protection order laws. Michigan just did it, under the leadership of our great Governor, Gretchen Whitmer, in the wake of tragic shootings at Michigan State and at Oxford and the nearly everyday gun violence in too many neighborhoods across Michigan. So we did pass that law. Again, words, the words that I go back to, the words of Mr. Lewis, to not despair, to be optimistic, because to be optimistic is to stay active. It is to stay engaged. It is to stay agitated. It is to stay feverish toward the work that we must do. Yes, I will speak until my throat runs dry because this moment and this activity, and my commitment to this democracy and being afforded this time in this Chamber is too serious to pass it up. But Mr. Kennedy, 60 years ago this month, you know, as we think of other trying times, the Bay of Pigs, avoiding nuclear war, engagements in Vietnam--a war that we did not win, that took too many American lives, and we are so proud of our veterans and those who served. Mr. Kennedy stood before American University and he said: ``I speak of peace, therefore, as the necessary, rational end of rational men. I realize that the pursuit of peace is not as dramatic as the pursuit of war--and frequently the words of the pursuer fall on deaf ears. But we have no more urgent task.'' It is certainly important and symbolic to reflect on those words today and in these moments that are upon us as a Nation. I look out and I use that as a rallying call for our work on the Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, how to bolster American manufacturing, American competitiveness, how to strengthen southeastern Michigan and Oakland County, under the leadership of Dave Coulter, someone I am so proud to work alongside. Mr. Speaker, it has been 40 years of unimaginable innovation and activity that has taken place in this Nation: In 1983, Sally Ride is the first woman into space. 1985, has Microsoft Office first hitting the stage. 1991, is the time when the world wide web hit our keyboards. I remember my mother and my aunt taking me to a meeting. What is a website? If only we could imagine what we would be in now; smartphone devices connecting us at rapid speed. The way in which humanity evolved and changed and then yet again, as technology drives us to be together. The elixir of our alive experience here on planet Earth, and as Americans, through love, through connection, and through ability. Those things don't change. The meaning of family doesn't change. The meaning of friendship doesn't change. In the 1980s it was a race with the Japanese. Now it feels as though it is a race with the Chinese. Open society, willingness to change, commitment to action. Ben Franklin once said: ``A long life may not be good enough, but a good life is long enough.'' May we all commit to living the good life. May we, as public servants, commit to goodness, to one another, to our fellow Americans, and to this unbelievable and magnificent trajectory our beloved Nation is on. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. STEVENS

Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I am so grateful to the exceptional leadership of the House Foreign Affairs Committee for shepherding this resolution to the floor and calling on the Russian Federation to immediately release Paul Whelan. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman McCaul, Ranking Member Meeks, our subcommittee leadership, Chairman Kean, and Ranking Member Keating for their steady bipartisan urgency in the consideration of H. Res. 272. Paul Whelan has been wrongfully detained by the Kremlin since I was first elected to Congress in the winter of 2018. The first time I introduced this legislation demanding that Russia release my constituent, I was eager to assure Paul and his family that his government was behind him. The second time, I was heartbroken that he was still waiting for justice. Now, during the third Congress of Paul's detention, I am furious. Throughout Paul's detention, the Russian Government has repeatedly violated his rights, denied him proper medical care, and refused to provide any evidence to substantiate the charges against him. Paul was held in pretrial detention for over 18 months in the notorious Lefortovo Prison. Then his trial was held behind closed doors, and his defense was prohibited from calling witnesses--a sham trial. Paul now serves a 16-year sentence of hard labor in a prison camp where he has been since August of 2020, facing unbelievably harsh conditions, injury, and illness. Here in the United States, we can't even fathom the conditions that he faces on a daily basis. Today, we have the opportunity as a Congress to denounce Paul's wrongful imprisonment and to stand up to Vladimir Putin and his Kremlin cronies. We will continue to come together as a Congress to make it clear that American citizens will not be used as political pawns by Mr. Putin, period. End of story. I have said before that Paul's detention was the canary in the coal mine for the lawlessness that we now see on a global scale from Mr. Putin. Since Paul's detention, Mr. Putin has seized marine veteran Trevor Reed, basketball star Brittney Griner, and most recently, The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, the first reporter to be unlawfully detained by Russia since the Cold War. Today, I am also proud to recognize the citizens who have taken up the fight to return their loved ones hand in hand with the United States Government. As co-chair of the Hostage Task Force alongside Mr. French Hill, we are standing up to these attacks on Americans for simply being Americans. I thank Mr. Hill for helping to fight for Paul. I have spoken several times on this House floor about my deep admiration for Paul's sister, Elizabeth Whelan, who has become a true partner to my office and the people of Michigan's 11th District. In late April of just this year, Elizabeth joined America's U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield in a session of the U.N. Security Council that was being chaired by Russia's Foreign Minister. In stunning testimony, she called on him directly to release her brother. Looking him straight in the eye, Elizabeth stressed that she didn't even know what her brother looked like anymore. Coverage of this event made it all the way to Paul's prison in Russia, strengthening his resolve and reflecting the bravery of his sister. That is the incredible family that Paul comes from. The fortitude of the Whelan family should be an inspiration to all Americans. Every single day I see them stand up for freedom, democracy, and justice. They are fearless, and they are the reason Paul will come home. This is deeply personal to me, and it should be to all Americans. Not a single day goes by that I do not think about Paul and his family. Their pain is unimaginable, and no family should endure what the Whelans have. It has been my mission to see Paul returned to Michigan and be reunited with his family and his beloved dog, Flora, a golden retriever who has outlived her breed by many years and is now 15. She is waiting for her owner to come home. I thank my fellow Members of Congress for their continued advocacy on behalf of Paul, as well as all the families of hostages and wrongful detainees who are facing the unthinkable every single day. If Paul is watching, he knows we are praying for him, we are rooting for him, and we will not stop fighting for him. If Vladimir Putin is watching, he knows that the world's strongest democracy and the seat of the world's power is united against him today.

Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, if Vladimir Putin is watching, he should know that the United States will not stand by and watch as his lawless regime continues its reign of terror. Release Paul Whelan now. Release Evan Gershkovich. Mr. Putin should end his years of human rights abuses and his illegal war against Ukraine. Enough is enough.

Ms. STEVENS

Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the very significant resolution of the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), one of our leaders in the Congress, calling on elected officials to identify and educate others on the contributions of the Jewish community as we condemn the rise of anti-Semitism. History's oldest hatred is on the rise. Synagogues, children, and neighborhoods are being targeted. This is tragically and palpably present in Oakland County, Michigan. At the end of last year, when I gathered at the menorah lighting in Detroit, lovingly known as Menorah in the D, we gathered to call for our love of neighbors, to call for our love of the Jewish community, and to call on the Jewish community to say: Be proud of who you are. That is exactly what this resolution accomplishes: celebrating Jewish heritage just as we call out the evils of anti-Semitism.

Ms. STEVENS

Ms. STEVENS. Madam Speaker, around the world, our adversaries are watching a manufactured crisis play out. This is the chaos dictators like Xi and Putin have been hoping for: The leader of the free world on the brink of default is facing the very real possibility that we won't even be able to pay our own troops. My question for the majority party is simple: Haven't the American people been through enough--over 1 million Americans are dead from a pandemic that hit us 3 years ago, rising costs due to supply chain disruptions, stresses on our education system, George Floyd murdered 3 years ago today, and January 6 that saw our Capitol under siege. Americans do not need more pain, especially manufactured pain. The GOP needs to come back to town, deliver for the American people, and end this debt crisis.

Ms. STEVENS

Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I rise because earlier today in Royal Oak, Michigan, our Governor, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, alongside our Attorney General, Dana Nessel, Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist, our State house judiciary chair Kelly Breen, and a former Member of Congress, Gabby Giffords, stood today as the Governor signed into law a suite of bills that would allow families, healthcare providers, law enforcement, and other stakeholders to petition courts to remove guns from those judged to be an imminent threat to themselves or others. Michigan now joins more than a dozen other States to implement red flag laws, sometimes known as extreme risk protection orders. Our State has been rocked by each gun death earlier this year: a mass shooting at Michigan State, as well as at the end of 2021, a mass shooting at Oxford High School. Moms Demand Action, and so many others in our community, for gun safety, the number one killer of children in the United States of America. I am so pleased to see Michigan take this step.

Ms. STEVENS

Ms. STEVENS. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Maine (Ms. Pingree).