Paul Tonko

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois, Representative Jackson, for bringing us together for a discussion and dialogue on what is an essential wrongdoing of late by this administration: denying the opportunity, the concept, of DEI. Across our great country, we are witnessing an onslaught of dangerous policies, executive actions, hateful legislation, and vile rhetoric, all designed to strip away rights, sow fear, and erase hard-fought progress. The Trump administration has engaged in a calculated and relentless assault on diversity, equity, and inclusion across the Federal Government and beyond. These harmful policies would eradicate programs that address persistent inequalities in American life. They would worsen systemic disparities in access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity. They would restrict the right for Americans to exist as they are. Our STEM education workforce has suffered because of sweeping cuts to DEI initiatives. Since January 2025, the Trump administration has made dramatic cuts to NSF programs, many aimed at broadening opportunity for underrepresented students in STEM education. Of the 1,500 grants that NSF has canceled, nearly 90 percent had references to DEI. One of those terminated grants was an NSF award at the University at Albany, which I represent in the 20th Congressional District of New York. Called Striving to Achieve Gender Equity in STEM, this program is essential. It aims to increase the number of women in STEM fields. Just last month, the Department of Justice declared three Federal educational programs aimed at diversifying STEM as unconstitutional. University at Albany has done great work with funding from the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation programming to develop inclusive teaching practices and increase participation by underrepresented students in STEM. Terminating programs like this sends a clear signal by this administration of who is allowed to participate in science. Upholding scientific integrity means protecting the independence of science and the civil rights of our scientific workforce. Beyond attacks on our scientific education system, we have seen attacks on our historical institutions and museums in the name of anti- wokeness: from policing content at national parks and monuments, to removing artwork and displays referencing slavery, to attacking the independence of the Smithsonian and how stories are told. This manipulation of history serves to consolidate political power by erasing marginalized voices and experiences and limiting whose humanity is considered valid. DEI is not radical, wasteful, and certainly is not just an acronym or a policy. It means our histories, our stories, no matter how uncomfortable and challenging, continue to be shared. It means first- generation college students can join programs that connect them to research and open doors to new career paths. Mr. Speaker, it is a commitment to removing barriers and expanding opportunity so that every person can succeed. It is a commitment we must continue to fight for, making certain that there is equity, inclusion, and diversity that brings the great diversity of this Nation into a celebratory moment, one that speaks to fairness and justice, to opportunity, to make certain that all people, no matter what their background, have a chance to succeed and share their talent with the American experience. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for bringing us together this evening. He is an awesome voice for fairness.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Health Center Week and celebrate the vital role Community Health Centers play in improving the health and well-being of millions of Americans. This week, we honor the dedicated health professionals, staff, and leaders who make these centers a trusted source of care for communities across the United States. For nearly 60 years, Community Health Centers have been a cornerstone of our Nation's health care system, delivering high-quality, comprehensive care to 52 million patients across more than 17,000 communities. These centers are a critical part of New York's primary care safety net, serving more than 2.5 million patients across 900 sites. Nearly 60 percent of New York's Community Health Center patients are enrolled in Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, or are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. These centers, which include our Capital Region's own Whitney Young Health Center and Hometown Health Centers, deliver integrated, whole- person care to patients and families who need it most. This includes primary and preventive care, behavioral health services, substance use disorder treatment, dental care, vision care, and other essential services. With more than $9.2 million in federal investments, these sites serve more than 36,983 patients, providing life-saving care that builds healthier communities throughout the Capital Region. I have been proud to help deliver federal support for these Community Health Centers, including funding to create a new dental clinic at Hometown Health Centers and establish a community-based dental residency program at Whitney Young Health Center. These investments ensure more Capital Region residents can access the care they need close to home. As we recognize the vital role of Whitney Young Health Center and Hometown Health Centers, we celebrate their longstanding commitment to deliver equitable, accessible care to patients in our region and beyond.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and the legacy of Bishop McKinley B. Johnson, who passed away last week after seven decades of service to the Albany community as a faith leader and a powerful moral conscience. As his family said last week, Bishop Johnson always believed that ``the work of the Gospel and the work of justice were never separate errands.'' Through every step of his long and transformative career, Bishop Johnson personified these powerful ideals of justice and faith. From the pulpit of the Greater Saint Johns Church of God in Christ in Albany's South End, Bishop Johnson never hesitated to speak truth to power. Time after time, he and his wife, Sue, advocated fiercely for their beloved community and stood at the forefront of decades of struggles for civil rights and equality. While I join Bishop Johnson's many loved ones in mourning this tremendous loss for our community, I also know that his legacy will live on forever in the battles he fought, the changes he spurred, and the people he inspired. May his memory continue to be a blessing.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Chair, Republican leadership has claimed that this proposal will address our Nation's most immediate priorities. That could not be further from the truth. This budget gives this administration a blank check to continue their war of choice with Iran. It makes it harder for Americans to exercise their fundamental right to vote. Most importantly, it fails to meaningfully improve the lives of everyday Americans. Those are certainly not the priorities my constituents have asked me to fight for. My constituents worry about their ability to go to their doctor, yet this budget doesn't have a dime for healthcare. They worry about their ability to put food on the table, yet this budget will do nothing to lower the cost of groceries. They worry about their utility costs and how much it might cost to fill up their car with gas, yet this budget makes no effort to lower energy costs and will keep gas costs high by continuing President Trump's senseless war with Iran. They worry about Presidential overreach, yet there is nothing to rein in this lawless administration. This budget does not have anything for the people of New York's 20th Congressional District, so I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this farce of a budget. Let's stop the pain. Let's stop the consequence. Let's go forward with progress. Defeat this resolution.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Colorado for yielding. I rise in strong support of the DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act and applaud my colleagues, Representative Diana DeGette and Richard Hudson, for championing this critical piece of legislation. The DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act will help ensure the NIH INCLUDE Project continues advancing research that improves health outcomes, expands scientific understanding, and enhances quality of life for individuals with Down syndrome and their families. This legislation builds upon one of our Nation's most successful investments in Down syndrome research. Already, these investments have led to major breakthroughs in how Down syndrome interacts with other health conditions that have a high incidence in the community, such as immune system disorders, cancer, Alzheimer's, and more. Every one of these breakthroughs carries the hope for a brighter tomorrow for individuals living with Down syndrome. I would also like to recognize that this progress doesn't happen without sustained advocacy. In particular, I would like to highlight the role of the Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award and its founder, Michelle Sie Whitten, for their tireless advocacy to make this happen today. I again thank our co-leads, Representatives DeGette and Hudson, for their outstanding leadership. I look forward to supporting this measure on the House floor.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the AADAPT Act, legislation I am proud to be co-leading along with my good friends and colleagues Representatives Troy Balderson, Nanette Barragan, and Darin LaHood. Alzheimer's is a devastating disease that impacts nearly 427,000 individuals in New York State alone. I would imagine that everyone in this room has been impacted in some form by Alzheimer's at some point. It is, first and foremost, a human crisis, but it is also a Federal budget crisis. That is why I have been proud to be a champion of Alzheimer's-related issues during my time in Congress and why I feel so strongly about advancing the AADAPT Act today. The AADAPT Act represents an investment in our provider workforce as we enter a new era of dementia care, with emerging tools like blood- based biomarker tests making earlier, more accessible diagnosis possible and increasingly shifting diagnosis into primary care. This legislation is designed to close the gaps in dementia training by ensuring providers are prepared to responsibly adopt and apply these innovations in everyday practice. One proven way to address this issue is with the Project ECHO training model. In my district, in the capital regional of New York, health systems like St. Peter's Health Partners in Albany County are already using the ECHO model and working to improve dementia care. Mr. Speaker, I am indeed proud to have worked on the AADAPT Act and urge all of my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation that addresses advancements in this field of dementia care.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Kay Hagan Tick Act legislation that I am leading along with my colleagues, Representatives Chris Smith, Lloyd Doggett, and Tom Kean. The Kay Hagan Tick Act would reauthorize key programs at the CDC that fund both research and support for local public health agencies to address tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease. Tick-borne diseases are a large and growing problem in New York, with more than 18,000 cases of Lyme disease reported in New York State in 2024. Lyme can cause serious health consequences, and for some, long- term complications persist after treatment. With a warming climate, tick populations and ranges are on the rise, leading to fears that tick-borne diseases will continue to increase in frequency in the years to come. Already, warning signs are blaring that 2026 could be the worst year for tick exposures since 2017, based on CDC tracking data. In this backdrop, research investments and public health resources are more vital than ever. That is what the Kay Hagan Tick Act will deliver. I am proud to have worked on this commonsense bipartisan bill, and I would urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Takano for yielding and for bringing us together for this Special Order hour. Mr. Speaker, this Pride Month we are at a pivotal moment, a moment that demands our attention, outrage, and, yes, action. Across the country, we are witnessing a barrage of dangerous policies, executive actions, hateful legislation, and vile rhetoric, all designed to strip away rights, sow fear, and erase hard-fought progress. This administration and its supporters have continued a calculated and relentless strategy to erase, stigmatize, and endanger LGBTQ+ people, especially trans youth. Today, the Supreme Court issued an incredibly disappointing ruling, upholding discriminatory anti-transgender sports bans in West Virginia and Idaho. This decision is dehumanizing and has nothing to do with fairness or safety in sports. Trans kids deserve to have access to the same opportunities as their peers. Trans kids deserve to feel like they belong. When recognition of existence is pulled back, people cannot love freely, and histories are erased, our country is worse off. Kids trying to live safely and authentically are not a threat. Transgender servicemembers deserve to serve openly. Families seeking care and support are not political pawns. The providers committed to do no harm are not extremists. I stand with the LGBTQ+ community in my district and across our great Nation. I will fight any actions that limit their right to live safely, freely, and fully as oneself. Pride is more than a celebration. It is a declaration, a declaration of resilience and a reminder of the power of community. Pride reminds us that joy itself is an act of resistance. Pride is about visibility, solidarity, and, yes, the unapologetic truth that LGBTQ+ people belong, belong everywhere, always. This Pride Month and every day onward, we must recommit to standing against these attacks and ensuring that freedom, justice, and equal opportunity are guaranteed to all--to all people under the law.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I have spent my career fighting to improve mental health care in our schools and communities. I believe that every single child should grow up in an environment built around love, learning, and safety, which is why I am so disgusted by the actions of this administration that are terrorizing an entire generation of children. These are children who are seeing their friends and teachers taken by ICE, children who are being held at gunpoint by masked agents, children who are living in fear that their parents will be picked up by ICE, children who are being detained for months on end, and children who are being used as bait so ICE can detain their family members. Those experiences do not fade easily. Our government is inflicting trauma on our kids. We should all be ashamed of these actions, yet instead of stopping ICE's reign of terror, Republicans are pushing legislation that provides this out-of-control agency with tens of billions more in funding, billions of taxpayer dollars to terrorize our children and our neighbors instead of supporting our schools, our hospitals, or our communities. My choice is clear. I urge my colleagues to join me and reject this cruel bill. Our children and their families demand it.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a man of unyielding faith, compassion, and love, Reverend O. Robert DeMartinis, known to New York's capital region as Father Bob. This year celebrates the 40th anniversary of his ordination as a priest. Born in Amsterdam, New York, on November 11, 1956, to Filomena Sasso and the late Tullio DeMartinis, Father Bob, guided by the deep faith of his parents and service as an altar boy for Fathers Robert Baltch and Joseph Beck, sensed his calling at an early age. He was ordained in Florida in 1986 and returned home to Amsterdam on Trinity Sunday to celebrate his first mass that year at St. Casimir's Church. He permanently returned to the Albany Catholic Diocese in 1990, serving at several parishes within the diocese. It was in 2010 that Father Bob was welcomed for service in his hometown of Amsterdam to shepherd the congregation of St. Stanislaus. Today, as pastor of both St. Stanislaus and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Churches, his devotion and spirit of service shine through every mass he offers and every religious assignment he assumes. As we honor his four decades of faithful service, a hearty ``for many more years''; ``ad multos annos,'' Father Bob, is rendered. I congratulate Father Bob on his many years of service.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I have concerns about how this bill is being considered today. The Environment Subcommittee has not held a single hearing on the Renewable Fuel Standard in the 119th session of Congress. CBO has said that this bill will have a significant impact on our budget. Yet, there has not been any legislative record, independent analysis, or technical assistance from EPA that could help us better understand its consequences. We know that this bill will affect USDA programs, the highway trust fund, and vehicle fuel economy to some extent. We also know that it will have consequences for the RFS RIN market. Reducing demand for RINs by not reallocating small refiners' gallons will affect RIN prices, and it seems likely that producers and retailers of advanced biofuels will be the ones who suffer the most. Mr. Speaker, this might just be assumptions on my part, but that is all we have to go on because this bill failed to have any legislative process to help us best understand these complex issues. I hope our counterparts in the Senate will take the time to do a proper review of this proposal. I also hope that EPA does not interpret this bill as having any sort of congressional intent that would lead to increasing the annual volumes of conventional biofuels beyond its historic 15 billion gallons per year. Despite my serious concerns with this bill's process, I will acknowledge that administrations have been granting year-round E15 waivers for years. If that is going to continue to be the case, it simply makes sense to codify. I also acknowledge that the RFS' small refinery exemptions have been a source of uncertainty and litigation, and that process should be reformed. While I have reluctantly supported this bill, it is such a huge missed opportunity. For one, it does nothing to recognize a significant and growing segment of the fuel pool, that being electricity. We should be providing certainty for e-RIN pathways. There is no good reason to keep electricity produced from qualified feedstocks out of the program. Frankly, that is not even enough. As long as we continue to have a volumetric approach to our national fuel program, it will be filled with uncertainty, unnecessary litigation, and worse outcomes for both consumers and, yes, for our environment. We should embrace a performance-based clean fuel standard that rewards fuels of all types for their pollution reduction. While this bill is a missed opportunity, I can at least recognize that E15 is about 30 cents per gallon cheaper, and we know that Americans are feeling a lot of pain at the pump due to President Trump and his disastrous, illegal war with Iran. Today, the average gas price is $4.51 per gallon. Compare that to under $3 a gallon before the war started. The $200 billion that the administration has previously said was necessary for this war could have been better used to incentivize more than 26 million people to buy an American-made electric vehicle. Instead, Republicans have repealed the tax credit that was allowing people to take back some control and end their dependence on volatile oil markets. While I support this bill today, I hope that Republicans will get serious about what it is going to take to lower energy prices for Americans and enact a sensible, long-term fuels policy for our country.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor the tremendous contributions of Andy Marsh as former CEO, and now Chairman of the Board of Plug Power. I have had the pleasure of working c]osely with Andy for many years, and I have had a front row seat watching Plug Power grow in Latham, New York and beyond under his leadership. For decades, Andy's leadership has shaped the hydrogen industry, helping to usher in America's embrace of a clean hydrogen economy. I have long admired his deep appreciation for public policy and his recognition of the power of government to create economic opportunities and drive innovation. Andy understood early that building a hydrogen economy would need more than breakthrough technology--it would require advocacy, partnership, and a willingness to engage in the difficult work of shaping policy. Andy championed the importance of hydrogen as a tool for decarbonization, energy security, domestic manufacturing, and job creation. His leadership was instrumental in some of the most significant policy achievements for clean hydrogen in our Nation's history, including the development of the Section 45V Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit. Thanks in large part to Andy's leadership, the United States has become a global leader in clean hydrogen development. Through strategic partnerships, expanded domestic manufacturing, and a steadfast commitment to American energy leadership, what was once seen as an emerging technology has become another tool to secure our Nation's clean energy future. Andy has inspired colleagues, industry leaders, labor partners, and public servants alike with his belief that innovation and economic growth can--and must--go hand in hand. I congratulate Andy for his decades of contributions to our Nation's energy future and the lasting legacy he will continue to build as Chairman of the Board of Plug Power. I am confident that because of his leadership, clean hydrogen will play an important role in moving our Nation closer to a cleaner, more prosperous future.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, it is a bittersweet moment as I rise today to honor my deputy chief of staff and legislative director, Emily Duhovny Silverberg. Born in the Bronx and raised in New Jersey, Emily joined my office in 2012 as an intern and will leave Capitol Hill this week after 14 years on our team. As my adviser on mental health and addiction policy, she has worked tirelessly to increase Americans' access to behavioral health treatments. She has helped grow the bipartisan Addiction, Treatment, and Recovery Caucus, which I co-chair, to more than 100 members. Among the more than 20 bills Emily has helped pass into law are the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment, or MAT Act, which dramatically expanded treatment for opioid use disorder, bills to reauthorize the national plan to address Alzheimer's, and to establish the first-ever national plan to end Parkinson's. Emily is here in the gallery today with her family. I thank Emily for her many years of dedicated advocacy and public service. Mr. Speaker, from her start as an intern, her curiosity led her to involve herself in many, many issue areas. She filled her heart with passion. She has made a difference, a difference for those that she may never ever meet. For that, I am eternally grateful.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I completely understand that many State and local governments are dealing with severe air pollution related to wildfires, but as we approach Earth Day, it is important for us to recognize that efforts like the Clean Air Act should be continued to be implemented to the fullest and even enhanced where necessary. I will be crystal clear: The Clean Air Act already allows States to submit data for air pollution caused by exceptional events, preventing these emissions from penalizing them when determining compliance with air quality standards. Now, exceptional events are events that are typically uncommon and not easily within the State's control. Air pollution due to wildfires, including prescribed burns for wildfire mitigation, can definitely count as exceptional. In 2019, EPA issued guidance addressing how prescribed fires can satisfy the statutory definition of ``exceptional events.'' In 2024, EPA issued a number of other tools to assist States in meeting the regulatory requirements. Mr. Speaker, it is true that this guidance does require States to take steps to allow prescribed burns to qualify as an exceptional event, including making certain that appropriate mitigation and monitoring measures are taken to reduce risks to people in a given area. If Members of the majority stop to think about this for a moment, they would appreciate the need for such guidance. Not every man-made fire should be able to qualify automatically as an exceptional event. EPA's requirements ensure that States are doing everything possible to follow best practices and limit health risks from prescribed fires that cause unsafe air quality. Yet, despite the bill's name, eliminating these safeguards for prescribed burns isn't the only change to the Clean Air Act included in this order of legislative change. The FIRE Act allows and greatly expands what could be considered an exceptional event in the first place, including meteorological conditions that are commonly occurring, such as high-temperature days and drought, which tend to have worse air quality. We know that these types of days are becoming more common due to climate change, meaning that this bill would make it much easier for States to essentially write off air pollution on days with increasingly normalized conditions. It is just a poor sense of timing for this bill to arrive on the scene. Exceptional events should be limited to things that are truly exceptional. It is critical that during high-temperature and low- precipitation times, days that are more likely to experience poor air quality, we are still seeking to protect people. Exempting prescribed fire activities from air quality standards, not to mention the other commonly occurring conditions that would be considered exceptional under this bill, simply does not protect public health. This bill is seeking to legislate a quick fix that papers over legitimate pollution-reduction issues. Instead, we should build upon the existing law and EPA's efforts to bring together partners from the Federal, State, and local levels to work together to reduce wildfire risks, including addressing climate change, while also mitigating risks to public health. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to oppose this bill.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. It is worth reiterating just how effective the Clean Air Act has been at protecting our public health. In the past 50-plus years, the Clean Air Act has proven time and time again that environmental protections and economic growth can, indeed, go hand in hand. Between 1970 and 2022, major air pollutants dropped by 78 percent, while the U.S. gross domestic product nearly quadrupled. However, despite this progress, there is still much more work to do to ensure that all Americans can breathe healthy air. More than 156 million Americans are living in places with unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution, and that air pollution is associated with over 100,000 premature deaths in the United States each and every year. I find it disheartening that the majority continues to advance bills that would make the Clean Air Act less effective at protecting people from dangerous pollution. The RED Tape Act is the latest Republican effort to claim that the rules are too burdensome on industry. This bill amends section 309 of the Clean Air Act to eliminate the requirement for EPA to review and provide written comments on major Federal construction projects and actions in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. This could allow major Federal projects and actions to be approved without proper consideration of their impacts on air quality and public health. The bill also removes the ability for the public to be informed of potential public health concerns stemming from these projects. I really do not think Americans are opposed to the Federal Government considering the potential health, economic, and environmental impacts of major decisions before they are made. Yet, this bill would limit that consideration while making it harder for the public to understand the consequences of major projects. I know some Members will claim this review is duplicative of NEPA, but many of these same Members are also pushing parallel efforts to gut NEPA, claiming that NEPA isn't necessary because our underlying environmental laws will sufficiently protect public health and the environment. You can have it both ways. You cannot end both parts of a supposedly duplicative process unless the goal of this effort is to severely limit environmental reviews of projects entirely. That is not about cutting red tape. That is about ending decades-old public health protections so that industry doesn't need to worry about how pollution mitigation might cut into their profits. The bottom line is that the EPA is our Nation's foremost expert at assessing projects' impacts on air quality and is responsible for protecting the air that we breathe and the water that we drink. I cannot support efforts to undermine EPA's expertise and eliminate the agency's efforts to carry out reasonable environmental reviews, and so I encourage my colleagues to join me in opposing this legislation.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. Mr. Speaker, when we debated this bill in committee, I was reminded of the environmental history of the Adirondack Mountains, which are located just to the north of my district in upstate New York. The Adirondacks are known for their beauty as well as the ecological damage they suffered from acid rain. That acid rain was caused by polluting power plants in the Midwest, and that pollution didn't stop in upstate New York. It also harmed people and the environment in eastern Canada. The international pressure brought by the Canadian Government helped motivate the Bush administration and Congress to enact the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments, which included a program to control sources of acid rain pollution. In that case, American industries were the polluters, but it demonstrates how international cooperation in pursuit of our common environmental goals is, indeed, possible. States and counties burdened by foreign pollution sources should be able to rely upon their Federal Government to address these issues through bilateral discussions with the polluting country. We should be able to have a bipartisan consensus in Congress that we would like our environmental and diplomatic efforts to prioritize these issues in our international relations. Of course, it should be a national imperative that we collectively demand polluters in Mexico, China, or any other country that may be proven to be contributing to an area's nonattainment of a Clean Air Act standard, to do something to control their pollution. I understand that States and counties may be frustrated by pollution sources from outside their jurisdiction, but the lungs of the people living and working in those areas don't care from whence that pollution originated. It affects their health all the same. I don't think the answer can be to simply ignore the problem of Americans breathing unsafe levels of air pollution. States and local air agencies should continue to work with EPA to find ways to better protect people by also allowing for opportunities to prove when emissions originate from outside their borders. Thankfully, that is already how the Clean Air Act works, making this bill unnecessary. Section 179B of the Clean Air Act currently gives States that opportunity to prove emissions came from an international source and provides regulatory relief when an area would have otherwise achieved the National Ambient Air Quality Standard. Instead, this bill allows States to completely ignore international pollution in their State implementation plans, and it provides free passes on pollution that comes from outside the area, from exceptional events, and from mobile-source pollution. The bill blocks EPA's ability to impose sanctions on States that fail to make progress toward reducing air pollution, including States that are not even trying to improve air quality. Mr. Speaker, I agree that we should be working to better protect our constituents from having to breathe pollution from foreign sources, but pretending that pollution doesn't exist simply cannot be the answer. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to oppose this bill.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, again, I appreciate the opportunity for all of us to share our thoughts here this afternoon. I am reminded that ICE has been re-detaining children who were previously approved to stay with family members. It seems as though cruel has to be the additive to all of these actions. It is not enough to take that first step and then re-detain and then sponsors are being asked to provide additional information, including fingerprints and DNA. So there is an all-out attempt to dismantle the peace and tranquility of so many families and to make, again, children, pawns in this process. Discharges to sponsors have declined dramatically. Over 5,000 unaccompanied children were released to an individual sponsor back in January of 2025. What does that number look like now? In April, that number dropped to just 45. So, again, the cruelty continues. We see on the news every day the plummeting of the Trump administration's popularity, and that is pretty much earned. America disrespects the kind of behavior that is the hallmark of this administration--creating trauma amongst children and parents. They must end cruel immigration enforcement against kids now. I know that we have been joined by our colleague from Texas now to hear his story.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to cohost this Special Order with Congresswoman Dexter. Again, I thank the gentlewoman for her caring voice. Obviously, listening to these horrific stories that are impacting our children in this Nation is very difficult to absorb. The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement has increased its coordination with ICE. That partnership is very troublesome. It bothers me to think of what can happen. ORR is sharing data on prospective guardians for unaccompanied children with ICE, and then ICE is increasingly using these children as lures to detain family members. Our children should not be used as pawns. This, as a civilized nation, has an image cast to the entire world. A civilized nation nurtures its children. A civilized nation respects its children. A civilized nation loves its children. Where is our moral compass here? Beyond the impact on these children and families, beyond the hurt and the physical and mental damage, there is an image cast to the entire world. This uncivilized behavior is a scar on our history. It is one that indicates that unaccompanied children are now waiting an average of more than 200 days in ORR detention, despite the many, many family members who are ready and able to care for them. That is more than double the highest average seen during the first Trump administration of some 93 days and, yes, more than six times as long as the 30-day average seen under the Biden administration. The Office of Inspector General found that the longer that children remain in ORR custody, the more likely they are to exhibit mental health or behavioral issues. Think about that. We are inflicting damage on children, innocent children escaping harm in their native land, perhaps, or asking just to live their version of the American Dream. Longer stays in ORR detention are leading to more instances of self-harm and suicidal ideation. We can, and we must, do better. Mr. Speaker, it is so important that these stories are shared this afternoon with the American public because they challenge us. They inspire us to respond, to reach out to our Representatives, and to speak to this government about the way that it is conducting itself in regard to children. They are not pawns. They should not be impacted so severely and have lifetime damage. We are a better people than that. We are a better nation than that. We are proud as a country and should maintain that sense of pride by doing right, by doing just, and by doing fair by all children, our children. With that, I see we have been joined by another colleague.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I thank Congresswoman Dexter for being such a strong and bold voice for justice and fairness in this House. She is such a great, welcome addition to the Caucus and to the House, and we appreciate her work. We are convening this effort because of the urgent discussion that is necessary to bring very strong, laser-sharp focus to this issue. The Trump administration has repeatedly shown that it is willing to use any method in its brutal and inhumane immigration agenda. That includes detaining kids like 5-year-old Liam Ramos on his way home from school in January in Minnesota or ending longstanding guidance that banned immigration enforcement activities at sensitive locations like our hospitals, courthouses, or schools. It includes putting a former ICE official in charge of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement, or ORR, the agency responsible for unaccompanied children. It is no surprise, then, that this administration is treating unaccompanied children like criminals. Often, these children arriving in the United States without a parent or guardian are fleeing persecution, violence, and trafficking. Congress expressly authorized the ORR to care for unaccompanied children with a separate charge from immigration enforcement. However, tragically, over the past year, the ORR and ICE have become one and the same, and it is traumatizing our children. Unaccompanied children are now being held by ORR for an average of over 200 days. Let me repeat that. Kids who are alone who have fled all that they have ever known are being held by our government for over half a year of their life. They thought they were coming to America for a better life. In many instances, these facilities are failing to provide basic care to these children. Yet, they continue to hold these kids even when they have a family member who is ready to care for them outside of ORR custody. Take Diego. His father was approved to care for him after he arrived unaccompanied in 2024, but he was re-detained in November of 2025 and held for 4 months because of a new DNA requirement by ORR. To make matters worse, ORR is now sharing data and information on potential sponsors with ICE, so many parents and family members who want to care for these children are frightened to provide any information that could lead to their arrest or their detention. On several occasions, ICE has used these kids as a lure, a lure to detain family members. Carlos, a father with temporary protected status, was detained during a December 2025 appointment with ICE in New Mexico that he thought was a regular step in his effort to reunify with his 14- and 16-year-old children who had been held in ORR custody for almost a year. While Carlos was released on a judge's order, his children are still in ORR custody. His son is now 15 and regularly has panic attacks. His daughter is afraid that she will wait for her father forever. That is despicable. These draconian tactics are creating lasting trauma for these kids and their families, and we are already seeing the effects. No child should have to worry about whether they will be used as bait by the government. No child should sit in detention for months on end. No child should face additional trauma here in our United States. This issue is deeply personal for me. As a once-New York State legislator, one of my proudest accomplishments was passing Timothy's Law, which enacted mental health care parity across the State of New York. The law was named after a young constituent of mine, Timothy O'Clair, who, after suffering with mental illness and not receiving the care that he needed, took his own life at 12 years of age. We must take the mental health of children seriously. They are not pawns. They are not bait. They are not criminals. They are children who deserve care. Stop traumatizing children. Stop the cruel immigration enforcement against our kids.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Congressional Progressive Caucus for convening this very important discussion this evening. Over the past year, the Trump administration has pursued immigration enforcement actions, actions that are deplorable, inhumane, and, indeed, deadly. Last month, in my district in New York's Capital Region, a family of five, including an 8-month-old who was reportedly a U.S. citizen, was detained and deported after ICE entered their apartment without-- without--a judicial warrant, a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment. In December, our Afghan community was repeatedly targeted, including ICE arresting a father and son after they exited a mosque following morning prayer. People who fled the Taliban, fearing for their lives and their families' lives, are now wondering if they will be picked up next by ICE. This is not who we are as a nation. We are supposed to uphold the values of freedom, the values of democracy, and the American Dream. Instead, the very people who came here in pursuit of that dream are afraid to attend school, go to their jobs, go to church, and even leave their homes for fear of being hunted down, detained, and deported. Nowhere have the effects of ICE's operations been clearer than in Minneapolis. The murders of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, both U.S. citizens and both shot multiple times by U.S. agents, were senseless and horrifying. Two people who should be in the arms of their families today have instead been killed in the streets. In their brutal and deadly campaign, ICE has lost all public trust and credibility. This agency as it exists and operates cannot continue. ICE must be abolished.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for yielding time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill. Critical minerals are essential building blocks for a clean energy economy and many other technologies central to our everyday lives. I do not dispute that, but how we source and process these materials matters just as much as how quickly we deploy them. We must pursue critical minerals in a way that is responsible and in a way that is sustainable. Demand for these minerals is growing rapidly. Yet, global supply chains remain highly concentrated and often linked to serious human rights abuses and environmental harms. This should push us toward thoughtful policies that strengthen domestic supply chains and not reckless ones that endanger our environment and communities like H.R. 4090. One underutilized source of critical minerals is recycling. By recovering and reusing already mined resources, we are tapping into a new domestic supply. While recycling alone will not meet all of our projected demand, it can significantly reduce pressure on primary extraction if we invest now. This bill completely ignores the role of recycling to strengthen our supply chains. Another way to strengthen these supply chains is through enhanced transparency. Last Congress, I introduced the bipartisan Critical Materials TRACE Act to improve supply chain visibility. Transparency can help drive responsible sourcing and innovation and reduce environmental, labor, and human rights abuses, ultimately making our supply chains more secure. These are areas where bipartisan agreement is indeed possible, but H.R. 4090 is not that answer. This bill would make it easier to sell off public lands to polluting mining companies and weaken key protections that safeguard our drinking water and protect communities. We can meet our critical mineral needs without sacrificing public lands, environmental laws, or, yes, public health. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I was participating in an Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 51.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, in just 1 short year, our constituents have already begun to suffer the consequences of the Trump administration's agenda to undo lifesaving environmental protections. The latest rollback is expected to target key parts of the EPA's 2015 and 2024 coal ash rules. Coal ash, a byproduct of coal combustion by power plants, contains hazardous heavy metals that if left unregulated can pollute our land and our water. The effects of these toxins on the human body include increased risk of heart disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Certainly protections, like monitoring ground water and lining legacy coal ash ponds to prevent contamination, are common sense, but these requirements are at risk of being weakened. Delaying coal ash cleanup puts public health in danger. Make no mistake who those rollbacks are for: Polluters who would rather poison ground water than pay a little bit more to protect the public. We should be accelerating cleanup, not creating loopholes that allow toxic waste to sit leaking and unregulated for years to come. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to join me in speaking out against this attack on the rules protecting us from coal ash.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and congratulate Abigail Ross Hopper, who is retiring from her role as president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association. For nearly a decade, Abby has led efforts to develop, to enact, and defend policies to support solar energy and energy storage. During this time, the solar industry has been massively successful. Costs have come down dramatically. Some 250 gigawatts of installed solar capacity nationwide now exist. That is enough to power 45 million homes, making solar an important and rapidly growing part of our electricity mix. As of 2024, the industry employed 280,000 Americans across thousands of companies including a recent boom in domestic manufacturing jobs. One of the greatest developments over the past few years has been the huge growth in American-made solar panels and components. Thanks to policies championed by Abby and SEIA, the United States has become the third largest solar module manufacturer in the world. While I am saddened by Abby's departure, I am confident that because of her leadership, the solar industry is well-positioned to continue playing a leading role in delivering the affordable, reliable, and pollution-free electricity that Americans are indeed counting on.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentlewoman yielding and thank both Congresswoman Luz Rivas of California and Congresswoman Emily Randall of Washington State for hosting us with this Special Order hour. I know with them being two freshmen Congresswomen, and I know at least one other freshman Congresswoman that will be joining in the discussion, that it just reflects the tremendous amount of talent and passion to make a difference in this freshman class. We are so blessed to have them in the Caucus. It is so important to witness the efforts that the two congresswomen hosting us have made in regard to accessibility and affordability. It is most appreciated. After months of pushing, Democrats succeeded in forcing a vote to extend ACA subsidies that offer lifesaving healthcare benefits to millions of families. That extension passed the House just hours ago, but the fight isn't over to secure these benefits and meaningfully lower costs for Americans. The Senate must act at once to restore these benefits and ease the burden of rising costs for people like Mekhiya, one of my constituents from New York's 20th Congressional District. Mekhiya was born and raised in Schenectady, New York. She recently turned 26 and was bumped off of her parents' health insurance plan. She made the smart and responsible choice to switch to an ACA plan. Because Republicans let vital ACA subsidies lapse last year, she no longer knows how she will afford coverage. This is at a time when she and her wife are thinking about starting a family together. So often I hear the reaction from those on the right saying: Just get a job. Well, Mekhiya already works at a job, in fact two jobs; one for her local school district and one as a manager at McDonald's. All told, between both jobs, she works some 16 hours a day. Neither position offers affordable or comprehensive enough healthcare, so an ACA plan is her only real option. In this, the richest country in the world, the richest country in the history of the world, this is simply unacceptable. No one should be spending nearly all of their waking hours working multiple jobs and still unable to afford basic healthcare coverage for themselves and their family members. Yet this is the painful reality for millions of Americans. Faced with this impossible scenario, Mekhiya said that she may try to work even more hours to make ends meet, but there are simply not enough hours in the day to work much more than she already does. We have the chance here in Congress to ease the immense burden being carried by Mekhiya and the tens of millions more seeing a spike in healthcare premiums. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to do right by families and act without delay to lower healthcare and help working family people breathe a little easier. Make no mistake, the fight to lower costs is far from over. We have got to put our foot on the gas when it comes to driving down those healthcare costs and making life much more affordable for the American people.