Claudia Tenney

Ms. TENNEY

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

Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York also for his compassionate remarks in support of this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Speaker, I thank Speaker McCarthy, Majority Leader Scalise, Whip Emmer, and the new chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. McCaul, for prioritizing this important resolution and bringing it to the floor. The fact is that this resolution was brought to the floor so quickly this week because the House majority demonstrates the importance of this issue. I want to thank Mr. Meeks for his continued support and help in ushering through unanimous support for this resolution in the last Congress. We are finally here getting it through, and I am grateful to the gentleman for his leadership and also for being so supportive. Again, I thank Mr. Gottheimer, especially, and Mr. McCaul for cosponsoring this resolution with me and all the speakers and everyone who have spoken in support of this resolution. It is important that we stand as a united voice against the Iranian regime and in support of the people of Iran. I say to the people of Iran: We commend your bravery, we mourn your losses, and the American people are with you as you stand up for freedom. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. TENNEY

Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 3, condemning the recent attacks on pro-life facilities, groups, and churches. New York is home to so many compassionate and committed pro-life pregnancy centers, such as CompassCare in Amherst, New York, and CareNet Centers dotted around New York State. Pro-life pregnancy centers across our State and our country provide women with critical care, such as free pregnancy tests, pre-natal care, referrals, education, mentoring, and material support, including diapers, car seats, and clothing. They also provide love and support to these women in a time of need. From 2016 to 2020, these pregnancy centers saved over 800,000 lives by providing a compassionate alternative to abortion. Tragically, on June 7, 2022, a CompassCare facility in western New York was maliciously firebombed by a violent anti-abortion group called Jane's Revenge. The perpetrators left graffiti: ``Jane was here.'' Those responsible have still not been held accountable. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident. Over 100 pro-life facilities and churches were attacked in 2022 alone. I was honored to join CompassCare's CEO, Reverend Jim Harden, and the CompassCare team at its reopening just a few months after the violent attack. As Reverend Harden said best, CompassCare now has 21st century telehealth tools to compete head-on with the billion-dollar abortion empire by reaching and serving every woman in America. Pro-life pregnancy centers play a key role in helping pregnant women all across the country, but Democrat leadership has been silent on the unprecedented amount of violence leveled against these compassionate advocates for life. House Republicans are united in our condemnation of the political violence these wonderful caregivers and those who choose life have always faced. I am proud to support H. Con. Res. 3, condemning the recent attacks on pro-life facilities, groups, and churches; and I will not back down to violent extremists.

Ms. TENNEY

Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and thank Buffalo Bills assistant athletic trainer Denny Kellington for his heroic actions saving the life of Bills safety Damar Hamlin during the Bills' January 2 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Kellington graduated from Oklahoma State in 2000 and spent time working for the Denver Broncos, Ohio State, and even working for upstate New York's very own Syracuse University. After Hamlin collapsed, Kellington jumped into action and began performing CPR, continuing this lifesaving treatment for 9 minutes, saving Hamlin's life and opening the door for his speedy recovery. Mr. Speaker, Denny Kellington is a hero. All of New York's 24th District, the Bills Mafia, and America are forever grateful for his heroism and leadership during a truly terrifying moment. Due to his valiant actions, I support the calls for the National Football League to make Denny Kellington the first athletic trainer to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. There is power in prayer, and we are so grateful for Damar's promising recovery. Go Bills.

Ms. TENNEY

Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act. I am a small manufacturing businessowner, and I have also worked as a tax attorney, so I know firsthand the kind of power that the IRS has over our small businessowners and lower- and middle-income taxpayers. Last year, to fund their leftwing agenda, the Democrats in Congress decided to spend your hard-earned tax dollars on 87,000 new IRS agents, making the IRS nearly the size of the U.S. Marine Corps. The Biden administration claims these agents will not set their sights on hardworking Americans. The facts reveal the opposite. The Democrats claim these new audits will only affect Americans making over $400,000. The facts prove otherwise. However, the investment of $80 billion with over $40 billion being spent for enforcement will exact just a fraction of the revenue they hope to get to fund their spending sprees. The American taxpayers deserve better. The truth is their plan will target middle- and lower-income taxpayers. The CBO agrees, and it released a finding that said additional agents will lead to as many as 700,000 more audits on Americans making less than $75,000 a year. The core principle of our system of government is innocent until proven guilty, not guilty until proven innocent as the IRS attempts to do. I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 23.

Ms. TENNEY

Ms. TENNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my dear friend, Staff Sergeant Lewis Smith, affectionately known as Slugger and also very affectionately known as the Mayor of Washington Mills, who recently passed away at the age of 99. Lew was born in Washington Mills, New York, in 1922 and graduated from Sauquoit Valley Central School in 1940. After the terrible attacks on Pearl Harbor, Lew immediately signed up to fight for our country in the United States Air Force, with what at the time was known as the 13th Army Air Corps 307th Bombardment Group in the South Pacific. A member of the Greatest Generation, Lew honorably served our country in World War II, completing 50 combat missions in the South Pacific with, as I said, the 13th Army Air Corps 307th Bombardment Group. He wrote a wonderful book chronicling his experience in the war, which I highly recommend to everyone who is interested in finding out what it was really like to just be an average member of the Air Force, enlisting and learning and growing and sacrificing. After the war, Lew came home to Washington Mills and married the love of his life, Jane, on May 5, 1945, after moving to Denver to complete Lew's military service. The couple moved back to Washington Mills, where they would live together for 76 years until Jane's passing in 2021. Upon moving back to Washington Mills, Lew worked as a welder for Utica Structural Steel before taking over his father-in-law's service stations with his two sons. Later, Lew would take on positions as a maintenance man for the town of New Hartford highway and police departments. On top of his service as a mechanic, Lew also served our community as one of the founding members of the Willowvale Fire Company Inc., serving since 1950, and as the leader of the Clonan Post 1000 American Legion. Lew was a wonderful person, a dear friend, and a tremendous community servant. I thank him and his family for their friendship and for the lifetime of service and commitment to our community by the entire family. He was truly a special gem in our community like no other person. Probably my greatest inspiration, other than my own father, Lew was a person of great integrity, great honesty, who gave wonderful, sage advice to everyone he met. He was also one of the kindest people and one of the most caring, giving people I have met in my life. I thank him and his family and his wonderful wife, Jane, for all the wonderful times and, actually, great experiences I had and their support of our community and all those people who serve in the fire service and police service and serve our Nation in uniform. He truly embodied our Greatest Generation, and he is sorely missed by our community. Honoring Edward Bradley

Ms. TENNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Edward Bradley of Chadwicks, New York, who passed away earlier this week. Edward was a lifelong resident of the Utica area and dedicated his life to serving our community and his family. He worked for several companies in the area, including James Donovan Roofing and Mohawk Containers, where he worked for 40 years. Incidentally, James Donovan was one of our New York State senators from our region. On top of his work, Edward was also a 50-year member of the Willowvale Fire Company, where he served previously as president and vice president. He also served as a member of the Oneida County Fire Police and the State director of the New York State Fire Police Association, and he was honored by the Willowvale Fire Company with the very prestigious Ironman Award. Edward was also a member of the Utica Elks Lodge and was nominated by the United Way of the Mohawk Valley for the 100 Heroes of the Mohawk Valley, recognizing his tremendous and honorable, dedicated service to our community. Edward, thank you for your lifetime of service, and may your memory continue to be a blessing to all of us and the new generations of people that come after us. We will never forget your commitment to our region, and your family remains in our thoughts and prayers. Your department is in great hands. They learned from truly the best.

Ms. TENNEY

Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Chief Master Sergeant John Jones of Utica, New York, who retired in October of this year after nearly 30 years of full-time service in the Air National Guard. Chief Master Sergeant John A. Jones entered the Air Force in August of 1993, serving in ever-increasing positions of responsibility over the next 29 years, culminating in his most recent position as superintendent of the 174th Maintenance Operations Flight at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, New York. Chief Jones started his career at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware as an airlift aircraft maintenance specialist, where he maintained the C-5 Galaxy. He accumulated hundreds of flying hours in both peacetime and combat missions. He transitioned to the 174th Fighter Wing of the New York Air National Guard in 1997, serving 9 years as an attack controls systems specialist and electronic integrated systems specialist. In those roles, he maintained critical electronic systems of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. In 2006, Chief Jones moved to the Maintenance Group Quality Assurance office as the avionics inspector, eventually serving as the chief inspector and superintendent. Chief Jones deployed multiple times to the European and Middle Eastern theaters of operation in service of our country to support Operations Deliberate Force, Southern Watch, Noble Eagle, and Enduring Freedom. Chief Jones was also instrumental in the modernization of New York's Air National Guard fleet, including playing a pivotal role overseeing the aircraft conversion from the F-16 Fighting Falcon to the MQ-9 Reaper. I have come to personally know Chief Jones through his dedicated work as the New York Wing commander of the Civil Air Patrol, a program I care deeply about and have consistently supported as a Member of Congress and also as a member of the New York State Assembly. My son, Trey, who is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a Marine officer, was once a young man in the Civil Air Patrol's cadet program. I saw firsthand how Civil Air Patrol's educational program and leadership training lit a spark within him that played a role in propelling him to serve our Nation. CAP continues to do the same for young men and women across our country. I had the opportunity recently to explore just how the Civil Air Patrol's New York Wing conducts disaster relief missions when I joined Chief Jones and his cadets for a training session in Rome, New York. I saw young cadets experience their first flights and was able to ride in a Civil Air Patrol plane myself. Thank you to Chief Jones for his experience as well as decades of service to our community and our Nation. I wish him the very best in retirement, and I am confident he will continue to find ways to give back to our region and continue to empower and inspire leaders of the next generation. Supporting Delphi Salaried Retirees

Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call upon the Senate to quickly pass the Susan Muffley Act, which you may remember passed this body earlier this year with strong bipartisan support. Under the Obama administration, the Delphi salaried retirees had their pension benefits slashed, while unionized hourly workers received their full benefits. This was an injustice to the Delphi salaried retirees that must be remedied, and it was the fault of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, a Federal program. The Susan Muffley Act, led by Congressman Dan Kildee and Congressman Mike Turner, would fully restore the Delphi salaried retirees' full pension benefits with backpay. I was honored to support this legislation when it passed the House of Representatives in July. Thank you to all of my colleagues across the aisle and everyone who recognized this grave injustice and supported these hardworking people who deserve these benefits restored. Now, the Senate must pass this legislation before it expires at the end of this year. The Delphi group has been fighting for almost 15 years to correct this wrong, and it would be a travesty if they lost this battle. That is why I am calling on Senate leadership and all the Senators to bring the Susan Muffley Act to the floor, to support it, and to include it in their end-of-year work this legislative session. Together, we can make the Delphi employees whole and can right this wrong and this terrible injustice to these hardworking Americans who just did their job and paid into their own pension system and were not able to receive the benefits that were the fruits of their labor.

Ms. TENNEY

Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Joseph family from Utica, New York, and their dedicated and honorable service in defense of our great Nation. During World War II, five of the Joseph brothers served in our Armed Forces, rising to the challenge to democracy and freedom and defending all free people's rights across the globe. The Joseph brothers served in all branches of the military across multiple fronts, in harm's way constantly. Sadly, none of the brothers could return home for their mother's funeral, as she died when they were deployed across multiple fronts and theaters of combat. While it is impossible to comprehend and appreciate what they all went through, all just young men coming of age literally under enemy fire, I want to provide this body and this country with a small snapshot of what each Joseph brother endured and did for their community, State, and our country. Seaman Second Class Edward Michael ``Chick'' Joseph, having served in the United States Navy during World War II, receiving an honorable discharge from the Navy on November 28, 1944. Ed, otherwise known as ``Chick,'' earned the Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three bronze battle stars, World War II Victory Medal, and foreign awards of the Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one bronze battle star. Torpedoman's Mate Second Class Joseph Edward Joseph, honorably discharged from the United States Navy on January 4, 1946, serving in World War II aboard the USS Aulick. On November 29, 1945, six Japanese planes attacked the Aulick in the Leyte Gulf while on antisubmarine patrol, with 31 men giving their lives in defense of their ship, comrades, and country, 64 being wounded, and 1 sailor missing in action. Anthony Joseph, United States Marine Corps, World War II, died in 1945, sadly, due to cancer. Louis Joseph, United States Merchant Marines, World War II, serving in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Mediterranean theaters, visiting 31 countries, islands, and territories. Two of the ships Louis served on were sunk, with one sinking causing Louis to spend 17 days adrift in a raft. Louis' unit earned the Presidential Unit Citation with two battle stars. Louis used his brother Joseph's identification to enlist initially in the Coast Guard, as he was underage to serve his country. John G. Joseph, United States Coast Guard during World War II, also served as a corporal and auto equipment operator in the United States Army during the period immediately after World War II, serving from December 1945 through December 1948, having been separated from Fort Slocum in New York. I have been fortunate enough to know many World War II veterans and to hear firsthand their actions and experiences. Sadly, members of our Greatest Generation are dwindling in numbers, and our current generation may not know of their sacrifice and service other than what is portrayed in Hollywood or in history books. The Joseph family should be an example to all Americans of what answering the call to service means, especially when our ideals and our values are directly threatened by tyrants and oppressors. Their family stateside supported them while under great stress, knowing these sons of Utica, New York, were direct players in one of the greatest military struggles in our Nation's history. I am honored to represent subsequent generations of the Joseph family, who all continued the tradition of the six Joseph brothers in public service and community service. I thank the Joseph family for their service and all of our veterans in the 22nd Congressional District and across the United States of America for their sacrifice and their inspiring service to all of us, to our country, our States, our communities. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. God bless these wonderful people who answer the call to serve.

Mrs. TENNEY

Mrs. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, on Rollcall No. 460, I mistakenly voted ``nay'' when I intended to vote ``yea''. Stated against:

Ms. TENNEY

Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight a looming catastrophe for New York farmers, farmworkers, and consumers across New York State and the country. On September 6, the New York State Farm Laborers Wage Board voted to advance a proposal to lower the State's overtime wage threshold for farm laborers from 60 to 40 hours per week, despite overwhelming opposition to the recommendation. During the public comment period, farmers, farmworkers, and consumers all turned out in droves to oppose the recommendation. Farmers, who are struggling with inflation already, are now very worried about keeping up with yet another price hike. Farmworkers are gravely concerned about the possible lost hours on the job, cutting their wages. Consumers should fear even higher increases to food costs, which have already increased 11.4 percent over the last year, the biggest increase since 1979, with prices continuing to go up. Their fears are real. Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences projected that the overtime rule's implementation could force two-thirds of dairy farmers to make significant changes to their operations, including, and dramatically bad, leaving the industry or investing in other States. New York State already leads the Nation in the highest out-migration of people and jobs. This would be a disaster for our agricultural community. Cornell University Ag Sciences also found that half of New York's fruit and vegetable farmers likely would have to reduce operations or leave the industry altogether. The second largest apple-producing county in the entire Nation is Wayne County, located in upstate New York. Despite all this, the board still voted to advance the recommendation anyway. We are incredibly disappointed that the board ignored such compelling input from important stakeholders, worsening the already difficult headwinds for New York's agriculture industry. The board ultimately decided to undermine the very industry and workers they are supposed to be serving. This week, I joined upstate farmers for a roundtable discussion hosted by Dale Hemminger and his son, Clay, at Hemdale Farms in Seneca Castle, New York. The feedback from the farmers was unanimous: Lowering the overtime threshold will devastate New York's agricultural industry and have a critically difficult impact on the future of family farms in New York and could leave New York as one of the few States in the country with such an onerous and unreasonable restriction on family farms. Family farms, large and small, are the lifeblood of New York's economy. Everyone thinks it is New York City. It is actually agriculture. Now, the recommendation is with the State labor commissioner, Roberta Reardon. I have and continue to urge her to reject this change and maintain the current 60-hour threshold. New York family farms and consumers simply cannot bear any further price increases. I have also joined my other New York colleagues, Representatives Elise Stefanik and Chris Jacobs, in introducing legislation in Congress known as the Protect Local Farms Act to stop this misguided policy from taking effect. If there are no farms, there will be no nutritious food to feed our State, our Nation, and, yes, the world, as we face a potential food shortage worldwide.

Ms. TENNEY

Ms. TENNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight the ongoing, unprecedented disaster that is occurring at our southern border and underscore the need for immediate action. In August, Customs and Border Patrol agents encountered 203,597 illegal immigrants at our southern border. That was an increase of 307 percent compared to the last August of the Trump administration. This also put the U.S. at over 2 million encounters for fiscal year 2022. This is the first time ever that we have eclipsed 2 million in a single fiscal year, and we have about 1 month to go. Despite all these facts, Vice President Harris said last week that the border is secure. If our so-called border czar thinks that this is secure, it is no wonder that we are continuing to see no viable options, and this problem continues to explode without a solution. The Biden administration must take swift and immediate action at the southern border. We must restart the border wall construction, invest in proven technologies, empower Customs and Border Patrol agents to enforce the law, and hire more Customs and Border Patrol agents to support the men and women who are already giving us honorable service there.

Ms. TENNEY

Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Patricia Zajac of Utica, New York, who passed away earlier this year. Patricia was born on February 1, 1947, and spent her entire life in Utica except for a brief period when she attended Golden West Community College in California. Upon her return to Utica, she worked as a nurse's aide at Faxton Hospital in Utica. Affectionately known as the Mayor of Frances Street, Patricia was notably active in the Utica community. She was a graduate of the Utica Police Department's very first citizen's police academy, was a strong supporter of block associations, and was also active in local politics and projects that advocated for the betterment of her West Utica neighborhood. Patricia was also an active parishioner of Holy Trinity Church and a vital volunteer with the American Red Cross. Patricia was also known for her efforts to care for homeless animals and pets and her strong support of our Nation's veterans. She was extremely proud of her daughter Mary's service in the United States Air Force. Mr. Speaker, I thank Patricia so much for her lifetime of compassionate service to our wonderful community. Her memory will live on forever. I extend my sincerest condolences to friends, neighbors, and, of course, her loving family, whom she left behind.

Ms. TENNEY

Ms. TENNEY. Madam Speaker, my new district is actually where Susan B. Anthony, a pro-life woman Republican who got us our right to vote, actually was tried for voting. I am just happy and proud to represent that district. We are elected Representatives. We should respect the Constitution and due process by debating these issues through regular order, getting the input from the people we represent, not the political partisans on one side or the other. If we allow the majority to undermine constitutional safeguards for an imagined and fake emergency, they will create more imagined emergencies in the future to violate and undermine our constitutional principles and the right of the people to have a voice through representative government. The law is clear. For years, the Supreme Court has consistently found that Americans continue to have access to many safe forms of contraceptives. Yet, we are here today, listening to another imagined emergency to try to repeal this right. The right to contraception is safe. This is not an emergency. Justice Alito's majority decision in Dobbs versus Jackson was clear. The decision to return the issue of abortion to the States does not impact other issues like marriage or contraception as stated numerous times by Justice Alito in his opinion. The real reason we are here today is because some of our colleagues would like to distract and scare the American people and score cheap political points rather than tackle the bread-and-butter issues affecting all Americans. The majority won't admit that their radical spending and war on energy have driven inflation and gas prices to record levels. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Ms. TENNEY

Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and celebrate my good friend, former New Hartford Police Chief Michael Inserra, who retired at the end of June after an absolutely incredible career. Michael has served our local communities in law enforcement over 40 years. Born and raised in my hometown of New Hartford, New York, Michael started out in 1982 with the Whitestown Police Department and quickly moved to the town of Kirkland Police Department. In 1988, Michael made his big move to the New Hartford Police Department to start a new career in law enforcement where he would serve for another 34 years. Inserra was a sergeant in the department during one of the most challenging times in its history, during the line-of-duty death of Officer Joseph Corr. Inserra played a key role in apprehending the suspects and helping the department and community navigate the horrible tragedy and aftermath. In 2010, Inserra was named chief of the New Hartford Police Department. Shortly after taking charge, the department made immediate changes, including modernizing its IT equipment, adding computers to all of their patrol cars, testing body cameras for their officers, and joining social media, which Inserra said helped strengthen the bond with the community. To this day, Michael Inserra gives credit to the department for their continued success, commending them for professionalism and unwavering dedication to duty. I thank Chief Inserra for his lifetime of service and commitment to the town of New Hartford. Our communities are grateful for his many years of service as is the New Hartford Police Department, which continues to thrive from his insight.

Ms. TENNEY

Ms. TENNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my amendment No. 860, which is a modified version of my bipartisan Stop the Chinese Communist Party Infrastructure Act. There is a growing concern, and rightfully so, surrounding awards of costly and sensitive public works projects across the United States to companies affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party, otherwise known as the CCP. Bad actors have taken advantage of the availability of unaccountable Federal tax dollars. It is critical that Congress ensures that the Chinese Communist Party-linked entities do not receive these, or any other Federal funds for that matter, for primary or subcontracts to complete infrastructure projects in America or through the Department of Defense. U.S. taxpayer-funded infrastructure projects should be held to a high standard of both quality and security. Public funds should not line the pockets of the Chinese Communist Party, which is engaged in a large- scale offensive against American national and industrial security or help fund the Chinese Government's continued human rights abuses. While hardworking Americans struggle to make ends meet, Federal, State, and local governments have awarded major public works projects to the Chinese Communist Party-affiliated entities who have in turn produced lackluster results and cost the American people billions of dollars in the aftermath. The United States must do more to stand up to Communist China, while simultaneously bolstering our domestic construction and manufacturing industries. This is why I submitted the Stop Chinese Communist Party Infrastructure Act as an amendment to this year's National Defense Authorization Act. This important legislation prohibits the Department of Defense from using Federal funds to enter, engage in, or award public works contracts in the United States to entities headquartered in China or affiliated with the Chinese Government or the Chinese Communist Party. It is time for Congress to step up to the plate in support of American manufacturing and industry and against Communist China's gross human rights abuses and predatory trade practices. Madam Speaker, I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this amendment. Madam Speaker, I also rise today in support of other amendments introduced in this year's National Defense Authorization Act. The first amendment requires an assessment of the previous U.N. arms embargo on Iran as well as a report on what steps the Departments of Defense and State are taking now in the absence of the U.N. arms embargo to constrain Iranian arms proliferation. The second amendment requires a report on the activities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operatives abroad, including the ways in which the U.S. is working with other nations to counter the threat that they pose. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, and yet, the IRGC-affiliated officials continue to operate freely and openly in many foreign countries, often under the auspices of Iran's illegitimate diplomatic operations. Even here in the U.S., the Iranian regime is reportedly continuing its efforts to plan and execute attacks against former senior government officials, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The time is now for the United States to increase cooperation with our partners and allies around the world to address and expose the full range of threats posed by Iranian operatives. Finally, my last amendment requires a report on the threat of aerial drones and unmanned aircraft to U.S. military bases both here and abroad. Every U.S. military base and installation should be prepared to detect, disable, and disarm hostile or unidentified, unmanned aerial systems. Sadly, we know many are not. My amendment will be a significant step forward to ensure that the Department of Defense has the resources it needs to deploy unmanned traffic management, UTM systems, to protect our interests and personnel. The report is long overdue. Madam Speaker, I strongly encourage my colleagues to support these amendments, and I thank the chairman and the ranking member for including these amendments.

Ms. TENNEY

Ms. TENNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life and work of my dear friend, Mrs. Mary E. Wheeler of Yorkville, New York. I came to know Mary in a role no one ever wishes to have, that of a Gold Star mother. Mary's son, Private First Class Joseph Keith Wheeler, a United States marine, was killed in combat on March 31, 1968, in Quang Tri Province in Vietnam, at just 18 years old. Mary and her family were devastated by the loss of Joseph. But through Mary's pain, she found great purpose to support other Gold Star mothers and their families, as well as Active-Duty members, veterans, and their loved ones. Mary was active until the day she passed in the American Gold Star Mothers Chapter 56 in Utica, New York. This led to Mary being national president of the American Gold Star Mothers from 1999 through 2000, meeting Gold Star mothers and families from across this Nation and interacting with political leaders of both parties in Washington for commonsense policy to support veterans and their families, especially those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, like her dear son, Joseph. Mary was heavily involved in other veteran service organizations, such as The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Military Order of the Purple Heart Auxiliary, and countless other organizations in our community, including the Whitestown Senior Center and the Salvation Army, which she supported her entire life. Mary was also dedicated to her family: her late husband, Charles; her children; grandchildren; and great-grandchildren. Mary's great- grandson, Shaun, and her great-granddaughter, Skylar, have a special place in my heart as Skylar's grandmother, Felicia, was my longtime administrative assistant for over 25 years. They all were a very important part of my life, and I considered them family. So I had another connection to Mary through her great-grandchildren. Words cannot do justice to the many contributions by Mary throughout her great life, the many lives she has touched, including the mothers and the families she supported. It was an honor and a privilege to get to know Mary, not only through the great work she has done, but to know what a genuine person and kind soul she was and a wonderful mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Mary will be an inspiration to all of us for so many years to come, and her hard work and dedication will be felt by veterans and their families for generations not just in our community, but throughout the Nation for her great work and devotion to this cause. My sincerest condolences to Mary's family and her friends, and everyone in our community for this difficult time in losing Mary, who was a wonderful, honored member of our community.

Ms. TENNEY

Ms. TENNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Dairy Month, which we celebrate each June. The dairy industry is a major force in our economy. It is the largest single segment of New York's agricultural industry. There are more than 3,500 dairy farms across New York. This month and every month, we celebrate their contributions to communities across America. Many of the dairy farms in the 22nd District are family owned and operated. As they continue to recover from the disruptions of the pandemic, I will work tirelessly to support our local dairy farmers the same way they worked tirelessly to deliver for our communities and our Nation. People of all ages, especially children, receive crucial nutrients to grow healthy and strong by drinking milk. That is why I have cosponsored bipartisan legislation like the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act to ensure that every child will have access to nutrition-rich milk in school cafeterias, just like the awesome chocolate milk that I got when I was growing up. As Elon Musk said, ``Chocolate milk is insanely good.'' As we celebrate National Dairy Month, we appreciate the dairy farmers who both drive our local economies and ensure our communities are healthy. Let's put milk, whole milk, and chocolate milk back in our schools.

Ms. TENNEY

Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Hern of Oklahoma and the Republican Study Committee's Budget Task Force for their diligent work in putting together this year's Republican Study Committee budget. Thank God we have a budget. This important document lays out a road map to restore fiscal sanity in America. We are in a dire fiscal state. We here in Congress know it, and the American people, more importantly, know it as well. President Biden and Speaker Pelosi's reckless spending has led to 40-year high inflation, proving once again that we simply cannot spend our way to prosperity. Our national debt has grown by $7 trillion since the COVID pandemic began. Today, it totals more than $30 trillion. I have a wonderful constituent who puts the debt amount on his building every single day on a main thoroughfare, a guy named Frank Suits, who is a great American. He puts it out there just so the people know how much we are spending and how this isn't making us prosperous, especially in New York. This is larger than our gross domestic product. In the face of this sobering reality, what does President Biden propose? Spending even more. His proposed budget increases spending by over 66 percent over 10 years and calls for $73 trillion--with a t--in new spending. Under President Biden's plan, the United States will reach the highest sustained spending limit in our Nation's history. This is not how we jump-start an economy, control runaway inflation, and deliver for the American people. The budget proposed by the Republican Study Committee takes a different approach. It focuses on reining in wasteful spending, balancing our budget for once, and helping those in need while living within our means and focusing on balancing the budget within 7 years. The Republican Study Committee budget also includes a bill I introduced, the Transparency and COVID-19 Expenditures Act. This important legislation would require a full audit of and report on Federal spending during the pandemic. With countless reports of fraud, waste, and abuse, Americans have a right to know how their tax dollars are being spent, how they were spent, and if they were spent the way they were intended. Mr. Speaker, I am honored that this bill is included in the Republican Study Committee budget, further demonstrating the Republican Study Committee's commitment to transparency, accountability, fiscal responsibility, and just plain good governance. Inflation in the United States continues to outpace much of the developed world. It is clear to me and to the American people that this isn't Putin's price hike. It is Biden's price hike. Rather than doubling down on failed policies of the past and spending even more of your money, our money, it is time for Congress to turn around this ship, restore fiscal sanity to Washington, and put our Nation back on a path to economic prosperity. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to Congressman Hern for his leadership and especially his leadership on energy. What a lot of people don't realize about New York State is we have among the richest shale reserves, the Marcellus and Utica Shale, that we can't touch because of New York's failed policies. We could bring economic prosperity. We could bring national security, energy security, to our Nation just from New York State and really just bring our State around. That is something that we are fighting in New York. We hope with your leadership out in Oklahoma and across this Nation, working with the Republican Study Committee members, which I am so proud to be part of this great group, that we finally have a budget. We are putting out a plan. We are telling the American people that we have a plan, and we have a plan to win. We will make sure that the American people come back and that America sees the greatness it once had. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Hern for doing these Special Orders, for highlighting this plan, for taking a leading role. We are grateful, and we certainly could use a dose of prosperity in upstate New York.

Ms. TENNEY

Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the participants of this year's Congressional Art Competition in New York's 22nd Congressional District. Each year, dozens of high school students from across the 22nd District submit pieces of art that they have spent countless hours and put tremendous effort into perfecting; although every work of art is abandoned, it is never perfect. Last year's winner, Gavin Schiavi from New Hartford, submitted a beautiful piece done completely with colored pencil, and our judges were thoroughly impressed with the attention to detail and the amazing work done by Gavin. This year, we made a few additions to the competition. During the last week of April, we held two community art shows where the students' artwork was on display for the public. Over 100 people attended these viewings, voting on two pieces as their favorite; those from Gianna Yacobucci of New Hartford, and Salwa Nadeem of Vestal. Following these events, our independent judges voted on the winners. The first-place winner was Nadja Wall, with her painting ``The Aquarium.'' In second was Anita Grant from New Hartford; third, Olivia Muse from Vestal; and fourth, Emily Carlson from Holland Patent. Our judges agreed this is one of the best years we have seen in terms of competition and the quality of work submitted. I thank all of the teachers and students for their work, and the parents as well, for their support of these remarkable students and their fantastic work. I look forward to viewing everyone's work from all Members of Congress in the hallways of Congress.

Ms. TENNEY

Ms. TENNEY. Madam Speaker, since the onset of the pandemic, Congress has passed several COVID-19 relief bills totaling an unprecedented $5.3 trillion. While some of this spending was unwise, other programs, like the Paycheck Protection Program, provided much-needed relief to employers and businesses devastated by the pandemic. One particular area of concern is the COVID-19 Economic Industry Disaster Loan program, otherwise known as EIDL. This program, unlike other relief programs, was direct lending by the SBA, the Small Business Administration. This means the agency did not partner with our local banks and credit unions and, instead, approved and administered these loans directly. Since the COVID-19 EIDL funding passed, we have learned of countless cases of fraud, waste, and abuse. The Federal Government is simply not set up to be a direct lender. This is one reason I introduced the House version of the Transparency in COVID-19 Expenditures Act, which would require an audit of all Federal COVID-19 relief spending. There is obviously room for improvement in providing additional oversight and returning fraudulently awarded funds back to the taxpayers. In response, Ranking Member Luetkemeyer has done great work introducing the COVID-19 Economic Industry Disaster Loans Fraud Statute of Limitations Act of 2022 that will help fix part of the shortcomings by expanding the statute of limitations for EIDL loans and fraud from 6 to 10 years, the same as bank fraud. This will give officials a greater window to track down fraudulent activity and hold bad actors accountable. No one should be wrongly profiting from the need to distribute aid during this pandemic. The American taxpayers deserve better, and I applaud the ranking member's efforts on this. I urge all my colleagues to support this.

Ms. TENNEY

Ms. TENNEY. Madam Speaker, I am honored to partner with the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Houlahan) to introduce the bipartisan Women-Owned Small Business Program Transparency Act. In 2014 and 2019, the Government Accountability Office found that the Women- Owned Small Business program has several oversight deficiencies and needs to release more in-depth performance metrics to ensure it addresses the needs of women-owned small businesses and the taxpayer. This legislation today addresses these concerns, requiring the Small Business Administration to annually disclose the total number of businesses that are certified as women-owned by the SBA, the number certified by third-party certifiers, and fees charged by third-party certifiers, the dollar amount and percent of contracts to women-owned small businesses, and the information on contracts incorrectly awarded. For over two decades, the Women-Owned Small Business program has set aside at least 5 percent Federal contracting dollars for certified women-owned small businesses. This plays a small, but important, part of ensuring that the Federal Government does not leave our Nation's small businesses behind and that we continue to have a robust and competitive contractor ecosystem to pull from. In New York's 22nd Congressional District, small businesses make up 94 percent of all employers, and I have witnessed firsthand the tremendous impact of women-owned small businesses. In fact, my own family business is a women-owned business. Whether it is Curcio Printing in the Southern Tier or AeroMed Technologies in Utica, our communities and, yes, our taxpayers benefit when women-owned businesses thrive. With these additional metrics available to policymakers, it will pave the way for future improvements to the Women-Owned Small Business program. Only through full transparency can we ensure that this program works effectively and efficiently for small businesses and for taxpayers. I thank, again, my partner and colleague, the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Houlahan), for cosponsoring this great piece of bipartisan legislation, and I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this.

Ms. TENNEY

Ms. TENNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of National Autism Awareness Month, which we honor in April each year. Madam Speaker, 1 in 44 children in the United States are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder has increased 16.3 percent since the year 2000, making it even more important to expand research and provide adequate resources for people who are on the spectrum. By increasing awareness, we can support the more than 5.4 million individuals in America living with autism spectrum disorder. Our early childcare programs, especially in schools, must have the knowledge, resources, and ability to provide assistance to those living with autism. Early diagnosis and treatment can make all the difference. I will take a moment to recognize my dear friend, Vincent McLaughlin, of Saugerties, New York, who truly is an inspiration to me and to all of us who are standing there trying to help the cause of autism awareness. Vincent is an active and dedicated member of his community with full- time employment and doing volunteer work for the fire department and numerous other not-for-profit agencies in his community. He constantly strives for increased awareness for autism through his selfless service and tenacious advocacy. Vincent is a shining example of how effective and beneficial early treatment and community empowerment can be for people with autism spectrum disorder. It is a privilege today to acknowledge April as Autism Awareness Month. May all Americans living with autism receive the tools, resources, and support necessary to live fulfilling lives. Autism should never be a barrier preventing Americans from achieving success or pursuing happiness. Good luck to all of them, and especially my dear friend, Vincent McLaughlin. Thank you so much for keeping me aware and for inspiring all of us.