Suhas Subramanyam

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose the Department of Homeland Security's termination of temporary protected status for Afghans. TPS has provided a lifeline to Afghans who supported U.S. national security efforts and risked their lives to support our missions. We offered them protection here because when allies stand with us, we have a responsibility to stand with them. This principle is a national security imperative. It helps build trust and helps build more allies. That trust gets undermined when we turn our back on those who protected us. Now, with the termination of TPS, we are sending our Army's allies back to the Taliban. These individuals and families were given just weeks to make an impossible choice: face deportation to return to Afghanistan under Taliban control where they will likely be suffering or even die. Many of these families live in our community here in Virginia. Take the story of a former captain in the Afghan National Army. He worked with the U.S. military, and his brother was shot by the Taliban. His entire family now fears for their lives. Abandoning Afghans now not only turns our back on those who risked their lives to protect us but puts our current and future global partnerships on the line. We have an incredible Afghan-American community in Virginia, and we have to stand up for them and stand up for the Afghans who have come here and who served us there. I urge the administration to reverse course. Celebrating Rajdhani Mandir

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, from celebrating holidays to hosting community events, the Rajdhani Mandir temple is a cornerstone of the Hindu community in our region. This year, we will mark an important milestone of the temple's 25- year anniversary, years of bringing people together at events, festivals like Holi, Diwali, and Navratri, and for children's programming, too, including regular Sunday classes. The temple also puts out programs for seniors and does incredible philanthropic work to provide food and resources to our community. I am honored to celebrate this milestone with the temple this weekend. I congratulate the Rajdhani Mandir temple on a successful 25 years, and I am looking forward to the next 25 years of work. Congratulating Stone Hill Middle School Students

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the students of Stone Hill Middle School, in Ashburn, Virginia: Avee, Neil, Vibhav, and Aarav; and their teacher, Pardeep, for placing third in the National Space Sustainability Competition. This competition allows students to address the need for sustainable practices in space by developing an engineering solution, creating a business plan, and submitting a video pitch for consideration. Their project, the Orbital Ecosystem Engineers, was pitched as an aerospace technology company to manage and remove space debris, which is a big problem right now. The technology used includes satellites, drones, and AI to find the best route to locate debris and the focus of the power of the Sun's rays to destroy the debris. I am eager to see what our students continue to do with their company in the future, and I wish them the best of luck in tackling sustainability in space.

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the more than 28,000 farms that engage in agritourism across the country, 1,500 of which are in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Agritourism, for those who don't know, is exactly what it sounds like. We are bringing tourists to farms or agricultural venues and offering experiences related to farming, rural life, and food. From wineries like Stone Tower in Leesburg, farm breweries like Wheatland Spring in Waterford, you-picks like Great Country Farms in Bluemont, and llama and alpaca farms like Double 8 Alpaca & Llama Ranch in Purcellville, agritourism offers growing opportunities for farms to diversify their revenues, connect with our communities, and become more resilient. Agritourism isn't just a trend or fad. It is an economic imperative for many farmers. In Virginia alone, agriculture is our number one industry, but the majority of farmers are not full-time farmers. They need ways to pay for taxes and maintenance of their land, and agritourism has helped families across Virginia do just that. This isn't just happening in Virginia. Agritourism is now a billion- dollar industry across the country, and it keeps growing. It is revitalizing local, rural, and small-town workforces. The tourist dollars are also expanding hotels, restaurants, and businesses nearby. These farms also offer unique educational and recreational opportunities for children and families and help connect the public to our food systems. That is what I love about agritourism. It is a win- win for everyone. Farmers get to share their work and support their farm, and visitors learn about where their food comes from, who grows the flowers they send on Mother's Day, and so much more. This year, my family picked tulips from Burnside Farms in Nokesville. We ate strawberries at the Strawberry Festival this past weekend at Wegmeyer Farms in Lincoln. We visited Cox Farms for their delicious cider donuts. For many farmers, there is a lot of uncertainty about Federal resources available to them and where they should go to ask questions about agritourism. Since agritourism is a form of nontraditional farming, the Federal Government simply hasn't done much to help the industry, which is why I am proud to work with Congressman Newhouse to introduce the bipartisan AGRITOURISM Act, which will ignite the industry and provide a one-stop shop of resources like grants, loans, and technical assistance for farmers who want to participate in agritourism. These resources will attract private investment not only in agritourism but also support tourism and hospitality industries in rural areas, which will keep our farms and rural communities strong, resilient, and thriving. I also plan to relaunch the bipartisan Agritourism Caucus with Congressman David Rouzer to highlight the progress of this industry and how we can continue to promote it. This was first championed by my predecessor, Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to sign on to this bill and join the caucus when we relaunch it so that we can champion agritourism for farmers and rural communities across America. Effects of Moody's Downgrade

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, Moody's, a credit rating firm, downgraded America's credit rating this past weekend. What does this mean? It is like when your credit score goes down. It will make it more expensive for a country to borrow money, and the interest rate on our $36 trillion debt will go up. How much do we spend on interest right now? In 2024, we paid $892 billion in interest payments. That is 13 percent of our budget. That is more money than we spent on law enforcement, education, science, and transportation combined. Now, it is going to get worse because this one big, beautiful bill coming up is going to explode the deficit so we can give tax cuts to billionaires and the largest corporations while also slashing Medicaid, food assistance, and other programs American families depend on. There is no fiscal responsibility in this bill, and this bill will add $5 trillion to the Federal debt. This credit downgrade should be a warning to reverse course. Instead, we seem to be heading straight for fiscal disaster, and we need to stand up to this.

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize National Police Week, which was this past week. We celebrated it by supporting and honoring the brave law enforcement officers who serve our communities across the country and the great work that organizations do to support them. That includes Federal law enforcement, like the U.S. Capitol Police, who keep the entire Capitol Hill complex safe, and law enforcement personnel in my community, including the Fauquier County Sheriff's Office, the Fairfax County Police Department and Sheriff's Office, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, the Prince William County Police Department, the Rappahannock County Sheriff's Office, the Manassas and Manassas Park Police Departments, and the Haymarket, Leesburg, Middleburg, Purcellville, and Warrenton Police Departments. In addition, there are the airport, Metro, university, and State law enforcement officers, who help protect our community. It takes all of them to keep us safe. I thank all of those departments for all they do. This is also a time to honor law enforcement that we have lost, officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Earlier this year, the Commonwealth of Virginia mourned the loss of Officers Girvin and Reese. Their courage and sacrifice will never be forgotten. Every year, an average of 57 police officers are killed by suspects. Far too many--at least 184 public safety officers--die by suicide each year. As we honor and remember the servicemembers we have lost, we must continue our commitment to support law enforcement officers and their families. This month, I visited the Boulder Crest Foundation's headquarters in my district. They do critical work to support the post-traumatic growth of law enforcement officers, ensuring that those who protect us have access to help. I am proud to support Boulder Crest with a budget request to help them further develop their peer-led mental wellness training program tailored to support law enforcement officers. As we recognize National Police Week, let's honor the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers. Together, let's continue the work of building a safer, stronger, and more prosperous community with them. congratulating winners of 2025 leesburg business awards

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Madam Speaker, I also rise to congratulate the winners of the 2025 Leesburg Business Awards. These businesses have gone above and beyond to serve and benefit our community. The winner of the Arts and Cultural Award was BENEFIT, a nonprofit of musicians and community leaders who donate the proceeds of their events to local charities. Pawsitivity Pet Services received the Community Ambassador Award for volunteering their time and resources to cultivate a positive image of Leesburg. The George C. Marshall Award was given to the owners of Cowbell Kitchen for their dedication to community service and partnership with Love, KK to reduce food insecurity. The food there is great, as well. Wonder Childhood Discovery received both the New Business Award as well as the People's Choice Award for promoting early childhood development. My kids are big fans of them, as well. Finally, the Nonprofit Award went to the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties for their grants and partnerships that help improve the quality of life in our community. We were actually honored to visit them both this past year as well as the year before. I congratulate the Leesburg Business Award nominees and winners. I thank them for all they do for our community.

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Willing Warriors and the upcoming 10-year anniversary of the Warrior Retreat. Willing Warriors is an organization in Haymarket, Virginia, that supports wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers. They provide cost- free, nonmedical respite stays in a supportive environment. Since opening in 2015, they have hosted over 2,800 Warriors and family members, where they can escape hospital settings to relax, rejuvenate, and reconnect with their families and support networks. Through vital partnerships with Walter Reed, Fort Belvoir, and countless community organizations, their impact stretches far beyond the retreat's 37 peaceful acres. Their newest addition, the PenFed Grand Lodge, offers group stays, resiliency training, and PTSD counseling. I commend the Willing Warriors for their dedication to those who have sacrificed for our Nation. Congratulations on 10 years of the Warrior Retreat.

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the ANCHOR Act. The U.S. Academic Research Fleet, the ARF, is made up of an impressive array of marine research assets and even more impressive than this fleet is the invaluable research that it conducts. This diverse fleet is managed and operated by a diverse group that includes the NSF, the Office of Naval Research, Federal research laboratories, and U.S. universities. These fleets have unique cyberinfrastructure and networking challenges and vulnerabilities. This bill would require assessment of equipment and personnel costs and time requirements needed to upgrade the fleet and develop a proposal for funding these upgrades. The House already passed this bill by a voice vote last Congress, and I hope it will do so again. This technological struggle has been a real detriment and had a real impact on these fleets. Mr. Speaker, I thank the sponsor of this bill as well as Ms. Stevens, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter dated January 30, 2024, titled: ``Institutional Support for U.S. Academic Research Fleet Cyber Infrastructure.'' January 30, 2024. Institutional Support for U.S. Academic Research Fleet Cyber Infrastructure The U.S. Academic Research Fleet (ARF) is critical in the exploration and understanding of our planet. The ARF consists of 17 oceangoing research vessels that serve multiple federal agencies, coordinated under the auspices of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS). These ships are fundamentally important to America's global research objectives, and conduct federally-sponsored basic research addressing urgent societal issues involving human health and safety, offshore energy and resources, national security, ocean hazards, biological and physical ocean processes, and all scientific endeavors requiring observations at sea. As directors, deans, and presidents of academic institutions with students, faculty, and staff that use ARF oceanographic research vessels we urge Congress to ensure the ARF has ongoing support to enable satellite communications, shoreside and shipboard digital infrastructure, and technical support for the safe, secure, and effective operation of our research vessels. As globally-ranging laboratories that operate in the most remote areas of the world, research vessels face unique challenges in providing capable networking and require specialized infrastructure. Scientists and their sensors must communicate in real-time with others on board, as well as with scientists, services and devices in the cloud or on shoreside networks. 21st century oceanographic science and vessel operations require mission-critical cyberinfrastructure to meet operational objectives and enable scientific innovation in seagoing research. Additionally, as U.S. strategic assets increasingly become targets for cyberattacks (including the ARF), robust cyber- infrastructure is critical. The sensitive research conducted on these ships ensures the nation remains a world leader in innovation and national security, and foreign competitors, such as China, are seeking opportunities to acquire it via offensive cyber operations. Our analysis indicates that ARF funding must be increased $53M annually (roughly 50% over existing levels) to support capabilities required for robust, performant and secure networking. Our assessment is rooted in findings by the JASON advisory group study (2021), which was commissioned by NSF to evaluate and make recommendations regarding the ability of NSF's major facilities to provide high-quality data to the research community while mitigating cybersecurity threats. The ARF is unique among large facilities because of its geographical diversity, mobility, global reach, and distributed administration. These factors all contribute to the scope of resources required to meet research needs. Sincerely, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences/Oregon State University College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences/University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University Large Lakes Observatory, University of Minnesota Duluth Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science/University of Miami School of Ocean, Earth, Science and Technology/University of Hawai'i Scripps Institution of Oceanography/UC San Diego University of Rhode Island--Graduate School of Oceanography University of Washington--School of Oceanography Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, again, I thank Mr. Fong and Ms. Stevens for their leadership on this bill. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1223, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Clean Energy Demonstration Transparency Act, as well. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, as mentioned, established a first-of-its-kind Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, and this new office was tasked with coordinating the Department of Energy's large-scale clean energy technology development. This office is now managing more than $25 billion in funding to help scale emerging energy technologies that will help us tackle our most pressing climate challenges and achieve net-zero emissions as quickly as possible. Last October, one of the initiatives supported by the office awarded $1.1 million to a Virginia company, Roanoke Cement Company. They are working on a project for the use of clays to minimize the use of carbon-intensive components in cement production. This project has the potential to decrease carbon intensity of cement production by around 83 percent. Cement production is responsible for 2 percent of energy- related CO2 emissions in the United States, so an 83 percent reduction in cement carbon intensity is very valuable. This bipartisan bill authorizes simple and streamlined reporting requirements on the activities of the office, and it is a great transparency bill. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Carey) as well as the gentleman from New York (Mr. Riley) for their work on this bill. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1453, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and memory of Nihaal Grandhi, a brother, son, and student from Loudon County who tragically passed away in an accident over the weekend. At just 19 years old, Nihaal was a proud graduate of Rock Ridge High School and a freshman at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. He was known for his joyful smile and ability to inspire a sense of community wherever he went. As a volleyball team captain and a STEM competition coach, Nihaal was always attuned to the needs of those he led. Whether mentoring a teammate through a difficult challenge or calmly navigating high-stakes competitions, he knew when to guide or be a reassuring presence. Above all, he was a man of deep principles and kindness. Mr. Speaker, I and so many in my community are sending prayers to his family and friends and all who had the privilege to know him. May he rest in peace.

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Stevens and all the Members here today who stand up for science and innovation. This is a matter of profound significance for many Americans. It is a matter of life or death, whether they realize it or not. It is the responsibility of this body to be stewards of our country's future and leave this country better than how we found it. That means recognizing the pivotal role of science and innovation for the people, as well as the funding, and how it plays a role in making our country great now and in the future. Standing up for science is more important than ever right now because the reality is this administration has declared a war on science with DOGE, funding cuts, firing contractors, firing scientists and innovators, and trying to chase others out. For decades, America has been a leader in science and innovation, but this leadership is not our country's birthright. It has been earned over the years through an unwavering commitment to science and innovation. Make no mistake, our adversaries are watching closely the work we are doing and everything that is happening right now. They want to undermine and replace our leadership in science and innovation. We are at risk of being outrun on AI, quantum, and so many other critical technologies and innovations. Instead of helping us maintain our global leadership, this administration is slashing funding to our science agencies and firing Federal scientists. The President is proposing a $4.9 billion cut to the National Science Foundation. That is on top of over $1 billion in grant funding that this administration has already terminated. At least $100 million in grant funding was cut from universities just in my State of Virginia alone. Investments in science and innovation have fueled our economy and started entire industries, given us healthcare breakthroughs, fortified our national defense, and reinforced our leadership in the world. Make no mistake, these firings and cuts to science and innovation will hurt every single American. They will make us less safe, less healthy, and less prosperous. I have the honor of representing in northern Virginia one of the most scientifically advanced communities in the country and many of the folks who have been cut, fired, or have seen their funding subject to these cuts. They have seen harassment, intimidation, and firings. They are losing the ability to help Americans stay safe and healthy. What is happening is that there is a brain drain of science and technology innovators in our country because of these cuts. One of my constituents is a graduate student in astrophysics. She is pretty smart. Their research funding is at risk of being cut right now. Folks like her are wondering whether they should stay in the science field. These cuts are destroying our Nation's pipeline of scientists, technologists, and innovators. A teacher from my district has been dismayed that the President plans to cut the NASA budget by 24 percent. This will end educational programs that get students excited about the sciences. Do we want to go to Mars? Who is going to take us there? It is going to need the ingenuity and expertise of the American people. The cuts are not just limited to NASA and the National Science Foundation. They are cutting healthcare research, as well. A woman in my district said her son has a disease for which NIH was researching a cure. Mr. Speaker, with recent cuts, you can kiss that cure good-bye right now or any hope of her son getting that cure. Right now, there are so many cuts that we are not solving the problems in healthcare that we need to, to keep our country healthy. For another woman, her son had congenital blindness, and NIH was searching for a cure for that. That funding is on the chopping block, as well, and also the people who are doing that research. Another biomedical researcher in the district said it perfectly when he said that the NIH, FDA, CDC, and NSF are making discoveries now that will be the foundation for solutions needed in the years and decades ahead. We won't even know what we missed with some of these cuts. We won't know what innovations we could have made but for these cuts. I want to end by saying that I am pretty sure these firings and cuts to science and research aren't about waste, fraud, and abuse or government efficiency. If they were and if this administration actually cared about efficiency, they would know that funding to science, technology, and innovation doubles or triples the investment back in economic activity, not to mention all the lives that research saves and all the people who are kept healthy and safe by this research. This does not have to be partisan. This does not have to be controversial in any way. Mr. Speaker, I call on all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand up for science, research, and innovation because standing up for science means standing up for the health, safety, and prosperity of every American.

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Stevens for yielding, and I will keep it very short. A study a few weeks ago said that a 25 percent reduction in public support of science and research would correlate to a 3.8 percent drop in economic output. That is the same as the Great Recession. That is how bad it would be. Protecting science funding is not just about labs or some agencies. It is about preserving hope for families across the country. These cuts are bad for our economy, small businesses, parents, children, teachers, patients, you name it. Our country cannot afford these massive cuts to science and innovation. We must reject these cuts and stand up for the health, safety, and prosperity of every American.

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and there are so many groups in Virginia that do incredible work for our community in this space. One I want to recognize today is Loudoun Serenity House which champions affordable, peer-based services for people living with mental health conditions or who are on the road to recovery from substance abuse. Serenity House started as a shared dream of two sisters, Melissa and Rachel Hinton, and they established their first recovery house in October of 2020. It has since expanded to serve so many people in our community. This past weekend, I had the honor of joining them for their annual 5K race. I didn't run, but I did shoot the starting gun. Most importantly, we raised a lot of money, and it was a beautiful day. We must remember that nearly one in four American adults live with mental health conditions, yet the majority do not receive the care they need. Peer-based programs have been really successful. They are a very affordable way of getting that care. Happy Mental Health Awareness Month to everyone, and I am grateful for groups like Loudoun Serenity House.

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the month of May as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Virginia is home to a dynamic and growing AANHPI community, a community that across the country and in Virginia contributes in every field, including business, education, science, technology, and, of course, government. Many leaders in our community emigrated from Asian countries in pursuit of the American Dream, like my family. Their stories and success are a testament to the founding ideals of our country. Mr. Speaker, I wish a happy AANHPI Month to everyone. Mr. Speaker, I also rise today to recognize the month of May as National Cancer Research Month. Every day, 5,000 Americans will be diagnosed with cancer. More than 1,600 will die from it every day. Now more than ever, we must support our dedicated scientists and doctors across the country who work to treat and care for patients. I urge everyone to support robust funding for medical research for cancer so we can find a cure and stop the cuts to cancer research. Mr. Speaker, I wish a happy National Cancer Research Month to everyone.

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the grand opening of the Tree of Life's new Ashburn location. This nonprofit provides critical services to our community, including weekly meals and grocery deliveries; ESOL classes and job search assistance; free clothing and transitional housing support; and free health education, vaccine clinics, and activities for seniors and individuals with disabilities. Their opening, which I believe was this morning, is a combined Ashburn location, which was once the Sterling and Leesburg locations. It will now be centralized in Ashburn, which means the services will be easier to access. It will also be closer to my house, which is great. Madam Speaker, I congratulate and thank the Tree of Life and nonprofits across our region for the critical work that they do to serve those in need.

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because I have been hearing from so many constituents in northern Virginia about the Office of Personnel Management. That is because there are 16,000 retirement claims pending at OPM, and a lot of them are my constituents. We were making progress towards reducing that backlog. Then what happened? DOGE and this administration came in and started indiscriminately firing OPM employees. This even included the congressional liaisons who help our offices resolve retirement issues for Federal retirees. I have heard directly from my constituents who spent their careers serving this country. These folks are now waiting months or even years for their retirement benefits that they earned. This backlog directly impacts their ability to pay their bills, remain financially stable, and live with dignity. Our constituents are paying the price, and we are hearing about it. Let's inject some common sense and fix this process instead of firing key staff for short-term savings.

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, our kids, our seniors, and constituents deserve to live healthy, prosperous, and independent lives. That is why I spoke with hundreds of my constituents at a Medicaid townhall this past weekend, since most of them depend on Medicaid to live fulfilling lives with dignity. The impacts of the $880 billion in cuts being proposed to Medicaid are not statistics. They are children, parents, educators, and grandparents. They are our neighbors and our friends. I heard from a father whose son was almost institutionalized. He was getting ready to quit his job to take care of his son full time. Instead, his son got access to care through Medicaid, which allowed the father to continue running his nonprofit, which was helping adults with intellectual disabilities. I listened to a grandparent of two intellectually disabled kids who has been their legal guardian for 15 years now. With the help of Medicaid, both children are living independently. Yet, with these cuts, they may face medication bills of $7,000 per month and be forced to move back in with their grandparents. I heard from a nurse who shared that 40 percent of the births in her hospital are covered by Medicaid, including prenatal, maternal, and postpartum care. That is what supporting families and family values looks like. A speech language pathologist at a title I school told me that most of her students are on Medicaid. They rely on it for free and reduced school lunches, and students with disabilities rely on it for their education. Mr. Speaker, let's look at the facts. Medicaid supports 1.8 million Virginians, and hundreds of thousands of them would lose their Medicaid access because a 1 percent cut in the Federal Government's contribution to Virginia's Medicaid program will mean everyone from Medicaid expansion loses their Medicaid. There are 3 in 10 children who are on Medicaid, 2 in 7 working-age adults with disabilities are on Medicaid, and 5 in 8 nursing home residents are on Medicaid. Medicaid is also the fourth largest Federal funding source of our public schools. It provides mental health services. It ensures kids with disabilities get what they need. In 43 States, including Virginia, it also provides access to free and reduced-priced school meals. There are over 37 million children enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, in the United States. These are the most vulnerable people in the country who stand to lose the most from these deep funding cuts. If my colleagues want to talk about fiscal responsibility, cuts to Medicaid will mean less preventative care, more costly emergency room visits, and much higher costs for treating preventable diseases and illnesses. That will increase premiums and costs for every single American, even those with private insurance, those who are not on Medicaid. Everyone will be affected by these cuts. Yet, we hear that these cuts won't touch Medicaid, but that is not true. Just look at the math. It is the only way to make these cuts. Medicaid is a lifeline. It is not a line item that can be blindly chopped to pay for a partisan wish list of bad ideas and tax cuts for the biggest corporations. In the richest country in the world, we should be working to cure diseases, explore new medical technologies, and expand Medicaid, not cutting off basic care. Mr. Speaker, our kids, our seniors, and our communities deserve better.

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, to the more than 3.8 million educators across the country, I wish you a happy National Teacher Appreciation Day. I know our teachers work tirelessly to provide our students with an education that opens the door to opportunity, and I am sure everyone in this body can think of a teacher that profoundly impacted their lives. Despite working long hours, without a salary that reflects the work they do, our teachers in Virginia have made sure that Virginia schools consistently rank high in the country for K-12 performance, test scores, and even safety. Over 92 percent of our students here in Virginia graduate high school in 4 years, and we have amazing teachers to thank for that. We need to make sure our teachers are being paid what they are worth, have the support they need in the classroom, and have access to all the resources they need to do their jobs. Happy National Teacher Appreciation Day to all the teachers out there.

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Madam Speaker, I regret that I was not present to vote on Roll Call No. 115. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 115.

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of International Firefighters Day to honor the brave firefighters in Virginia and around the world. Virginia is home to thousands of dedicated firefighters who put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe. Whether it is battling wildfires, responding to plane crashes, or kitchen fires, firefighters are always there to answer the call. International Firefighters Day is also a solemn reminder of those we have lost in the line of duty. Just last year, our community lost one of our own, Firefighter Trevor Brown, a husband and father of three from Sterling. He passed away responding to an emergency gas leak call. His sacrifice, like that of many others, is a testament to the courage that firefighters display daily, running into danger to keep us safe. Mr. Speaker, I thank the fighters in Virginia and around the world for their service. Because of them we are safer and stronger and our communities are more prosperous.

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM

Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the recent Valor Award winners and honorees from Fauquier County, individuals who embody courage and service. Sponsored by the Fauquier Chamber of Commerce, the Valor Awards highlight the critical work local law enforcement and first responders do every day to keep our communities safe. Among this year's Lifetime Achievement Awards was Warrenton Police Chief Tim Carter. A native of Fauquier County, Chief Carter has served his hometown as a police officer, corporal, detective sergeant, lieutenant, and deputy chief before becoming police chief in 2023. Also recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award was retired fire chief Dale Koglin. Chief Koglin served the Warrenton Volunteer Fire Company for 62 years, first joining when he was only 14 years old. Another award went to Sergeant John Larson, who donated a portion of his liver to a child after screenings said he was a good match. George Scheulen was honored for his courageous service as a platoon leader in the Army. To the Valor Award winners and honorees, and to those who work to keep our communities safe every day, I thank them for their service.