Ann Wagner

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was not present for Roll Call votes on September 14, 2026. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 296, and YEA on Roll Call No. 297.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of one of my constituents and a dear friend, Louis ``L.B.'' Eckelkamp, Jr. of Washington, Missouri. It is difficult to put into words what L.B. meant for so many people and the City of Washington. L.B. started his career at a young age, learning the value of hard work while working for his father at Diamonds Restaurant in via a Ridge as a teenager washing dishes and busing tables. He was a tireless advocate for our community, devoting his life to making the world better for those around him. He served over five decades with the Bank of Washington, the longest-serving director in its history, and he also founded the oldest law firm in Washington, Eckelkamp Kuenzel LLP. He had a great many professional accomplishments, but he was so much more than just the successes of his career. He believed in volunteer service and giving back to the community and was one of the most involved and engaged people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He was deeply committed to the Boy Scouts, serving locally and nationally, and helped nurture so many individuals who will become leaders in their own right in the next generation. His service included roles at the YMCA, Washington Town and Country Fair, Mercy Hospital, St. Louis Archdiocese, Missouri Historical Society, and St. Francis Borgja Parrish, among so many others. L.B. worked every day of his life to inspire those around him. He was a pillar of Washington and will leave a long legacy from which we all can learn. I am blessed to have known him personally and learned so much from him, and I know there are so many in Washington who feel the same. These are big shoes to fill, and it will truly take the entire community coming together to do the work that L.B. was doing. But the reality is, we all will and L.B. knows we will. He led by example, and we have much more to learn from all he did. He leaves behind Bonnie, his wife of over six decades who was always by his side and is a force to be reckoned with in her own right. Their marriage serves as a strong example of how two likeminded Missourians who care about those around them can make lasting changes here in our neighborhoods as an equal partnership. They were inseparable as they built a life of service and philanthropy that was centered around a shared passion to invest in their community, make Washington a better place for all, and give a helping hand to those in need. My prayers are with Bonnie, children Buzz and Jeanna, his sisters Judy and Susie, and his grandchildren and great grandchild. I thank L.B. for all he did for Washington, for Missouri, and for all those who loved him. May God Bless him.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my resolution celebrating the 200th anniversary of Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis County, Missouri. Established on July 10, 1826, Jefferson Barracks is the oldest operational military installation west of the Mississippi River and has played a remarkable role in our nation's defense. From its beginnings as the Army's first Infantry School of Practice, to its service as a major staging ground, training center, hospital, and recruitment depot through the Mexican-American War, Civil War, World War I, and beyond, Jefferson Barracks has helped shape American military history. Today, Jefferson Barracks continues to play an active role in serving our country and our community through the Missouri National Guard, veterans' services, and historic preservation. Furthermore, the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, where more than 200,000 veterans are laid to rest, stands as a living symbol of service, sacrifice, and Missouri's enduring contribution to the defense of the United States. I am proud to recognize the thousands of men and women who have served, trained, worked, and been honored at Jefferson Barracks over the past two centuries, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mrs. WAGNER

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

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker I regret that I was not present for Roll Call Votes on June 24, 2026. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 225, and YEA on Roll Call No. 226.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the Financial Services Committee, my friend, Mr. Hill, for his tremendous support, his leadership, and for yielding his time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my bipartisan bill, H.R. 2478, the Financial Exploitation Prevention Act. Far too often, back home in Missouri and across this Nation, our senior citizens are directly targeted for financial fraud. Like Chairman Hill, I, too, hear from scores and scores of constituents in my district who have fallen prey to these horrible, horrible scams and fraudsters. The consequences of this crime extend to millions of Americans, with one out of every five senior investors falling victim to financial fraud and exploitation. Sadly, the problem is only getting more severe. According to the FTC, fraud perpetrated against those over the age of 60 increased by nearly 400 percent between 2020 and 2024, Mr. Speaker. The total cost to American seniors reached almost $2.5 billion. Even worse, a significant portion of this increase is attributed to individual financial losses of over $100,000. Think about that for a moment, Mr. Speaker. Seniors and retirees across our country work their entire lives to save for their future, and they depend on their savings to pay the bills, keep the lights on, and put food on the table. A loss of over $100,000 is absolutely devastating, and these financial crimes are being committed every single day. We have the tools to fix this. There are gaps in Federal law that can be addressed to prevent this exploitation from occurring, and that is exactly what my bill does. My bill, the Financial Exploitation Prevention Act, allows financial institutions, including investment companies like mutual funds, to temporarily delay a transaction if they have a reasonable belief that the transaction is the result of financial exploitation. By allowing for this pause, the bill creates a crucial window of up to 15 days with the possibility of a 10-day extension that will provide the time necessary to investigate the situation and notify the appropriate authorities. This gives potentially vulnerable investors, including our seniors, as well as those with certain disabilities, a crucial, extra layer of defense that will help preserve the hard-earned savings they have built over decades. This bill would also establish a safe harbor for financial institutions that make a good-faith effort to prevent exploitation. By removing the fear of litigation, this change will empower the financial system to stop fraudsters in their tracks through timely and decisive action. Finally, my bill requires the Securities and Exchange Commission to report to Congress on additional legislative solutions to further combat the financial exploitation of seniors and vulnerable adults. This issue, fraud against our seniors, has gone on long enough, and we must take action. Many of us have had the personal experience of caring for a parent or loved one as they grow older. They took care of us when we needed it most, and it is our responsibility, our duty, to return the favor. This legislation, with strong bipartisan support, will create a new tool to protect parents, grandparents, and everyday American families across the United States. I thank Congressman Gottheimer for joining me in introducing this bill. By working together, we can ensure that not only government but also the American financial system is doing everything possible to protect against fraud and exploitation. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge support of this legislation.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was not present for Roll Call Votes on June 8, 2026. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 208, and YEA on Roll Call No. 209.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was not present for Roll Call votes on April 27, 2026. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 138, and YEA on Roll Call No. 139.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was not present for Roll Call votes on January 20, 2026. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 32, and YEA on Roll Call No. 33.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I note that in 2024, child advocacy centers provided assistance to over 370,000 children nationwide who suffered abuse. That is 370,000 children in one year alone. For those who might not be aware, after a child is tragically exploited or sexually assaulted by a predator, one of the first places a victim is taken is a child advocacy center, or CAC. At CAC, specialized interviewers are able to work with the child victim to not only make them feel safe and secure but also to get vital information that can be used by law enforcement to identify and arrest the offender. These often horrifying details are then used by our prosecutors, who stand firmly with this legislation, to ensure the predator is put behind bars. My most recent visit to a CAC was in October last year. I had the pleasure of meeting with the executive director of the Missouri Network Against Child Abuse, Jessica Seitz, and her team at the Union, Missouri, child advocacy center. The work these incredible individuals do every single day to protect and help children going through unspeakable trauma deserves the highest recognition. I want to ensure that all of them are recognized on the floor of this Chamber for what they do in Missouri and beyond. I also want to recognize all of the CACs throughout the United States that open their doors every day to help those who need it most. The legislation before all of us today will turn our gratitude into action, Mr. Speaker. We will get these organizations, the amazing people who work there, and the children who rely upon them the resources they so desperately need. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I first thank my co-leads for their help in pursuing and pushing this legislation forward: Representatives Derek Schmidt, who we heard from, and Nathaniel Moran, Stephanie Bice, Jim Costa, and my dear, dear friend across the aisle, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, who I wish could have joined us today for this debate. I also thank the House Judiciary Committee and the Appropriations Committee, who had a strong hand in this, and Leader Scalise for working with my team to bring this bill to the floor. Of course, I thank Congresswoman Lucy McBath for her tremendous support and her testimony to just the terrible injustice and travesty that she has endured. I thank her for her support and her management of this piece of legislation, H.R. 909, across the aisle. Through our collaboration, we were able to include strong language ensuring a comprehensive audit of the CVF will be delivered to Congress. The information from this audit will help us do our jobs as policymakers and properly plan for the future of the CVF and avoid another crisis like this. To the dozens and dozens and dozens of supporting organizations that stood with me in this fight, including the National Children's Alliance, the National District Attorneys Association, RAINN, Covenant House, the National Network to End Domestic Violence, the National Network to End Sexual Violence, and the National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys. Mr. Speaker, our work is not done. We can and must get this bill through the Senate, as we discussed across the aisle, and signed into law. It has been an honor to lead this effort, and I am humbled to have gained cosponsors from well over a majority of the United States House Republican Conference and 75 percent of the entire House of Representatives. This could not have been accomplished without dedication, teamwork, and a true get-stuff-done attitude. Representing our constituents in this Chamber is not a job, Mr. Speaker. It is a calling. There is no higher calling than helping the most vulnerable in our society. I, again, urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation, H.R. 909, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Kansas.

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Schmidt), who is another co-lead of H.R. 909.

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Moran), a co-lead of this legislation.

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am beyond proud to rise in support of my bill H.R. 909, the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act. This bipartisan legislation will provide critical support to over 7 million crime victims throughout every State in this country, without spending a single taxpayer dollar. Mr. Speaker, across the United States, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, and child advocacy centers are in dire need of support. These organizations serve the most vulnerable in our society: battered spouses, rape survivors, and children, even toddlers who have been sexually abused and exploited. As elected officials, it is our duty to ensure these victims receive the support, care, and, equally important, the justice they deserve. Tragically, over the past 8 years, across multiple administrations, the balance of the Crime Victims Fund, or CVF, has plummeted, jeopardizing Federal support for these victims. This fund does not use taxpayer dollars. It is solely financed by the fines, settlements, and other monetary penalties collected from Federal criminal prosecutions. From 2017 to 2023, the balance of CVF dropped by over 92 percent. It was almost completely wiped out. Congress attempted to correct this decline in 2021 with the bipartisan VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act, but Federal resources are still not meeting the needs of victims in our Nation. Child advocacy centers and domestic violence shelters have been forced to triage their services or, even worse, to close entirely. In 2024, my home State of Missouri saw a $10 million cut, over 40 percent, Mr. Speaker, of its Federal support for victims of violent crime, gone. This is unacceptable. Mr. Speaker, I got to work, and over the past 2 years, I have worked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, with law enforcement, with prosecutors, and with victim advocacy groups to craft this legislation and build an overwhelming coalition of support. Today, with 327 bipartisan cosponsors, this bill, the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act, will be the most widely supported piece of legislation considered on the House floor so far this Congress. I would like to emphasize that for just a second. With 327 bipartisan cosponsors, this bill is the most widely supported piece of legislation to receive a vote in Congress. My bill uses nontaxpayer dollars to ensure vital programs can survive and victims receive the assistance necessary to heal, recover, and help law enforcement hold offenders accountable. For years, the CVF had been financed by criminal monetary penalties, but those resources are no longer sufficient. With my bill, the CVF will also receive, through fiscal year 2029, the unobligated civil penalties collected through antifraud law. One of the most prominent Federal antifraud laws is the False Claims Act. The False Claims Act allows the Federal Government to sue entities that defraud government programs and seek up to three times the damages. For example, if an entity defrauds the Federal Government out of $1 million, the government can sue that entity for up to $3 million. If the government wins, $1 million is returned to the defrauded agency, up to 30 percent is rewarded to any relevant whistleblower, when necessary, and the remaining leftover funds are unobligated. The Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act only redirects these leftover, unobligated funds to the CVF. We include specific protections for government reimbursement and whistleblower rewards. Those dollars remain untouched. This bill simply ensures that the surplus damages collected from those found liable for fraud in Federal court are used to support victims of crime. This temporary infusion of resources will stabilize the CVF, support both victims and law enforcement investigations, while also retaining the fund's original intent of being financed by the legal fines from bad actors, not tax dollars. This commonsense legislation must pass Congress as quickly as possible because every day that we wait, victims of the most horrific crimes across our country are left in need. I urge all of my colleagues in both Chambers to support this bill, and, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 909) to temporarily provide additional deposits into the Crime Victims Fund, as amended.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Chair, I would like to share the preliminary estimate by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on H.R. 3383, the INVEST Act. CBO has previously estimated the direct spending and revenue effects, on a preliminary or final basis, for each section of the Rules version of H.R. 3383. CBO and JCT estimate that H.R. 1013 (Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions Act of 2025), whose language is mirrored in section 202 of H.R. 3383, would not impact direct spending over the 2026 to 2035 period but would affect the revenues and deficit by an insignificant amount over that same period. For every other bill that has been compiled into H.R. 3383, CBO estimates that there would not be any direct spending or revenue effects over the 2026 to 2035 period. On a preliminary basis, CBO estimates that the combined bill has no direct spending effects and would impact the revenues and deficit by an insignificant amount over the 2026 to 2035 period.

Mrs. WAGNER

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Chair, as we come to a close on what I believe is the final amendment of H.R. 3383, the INVEST Act, I thank my colleagues who have been so bipartisan in this package of 22 amazing capital formation bills that are going to lift up retail and mainstream investors, that are going to grow small business and entrepreneurs, and give more companies the possibility of having the capital for them to go public. Mr. Chair, I thank my wonderful co-lead, Mr. Gregory Meeks from New York and Josh Gottheimer, and also Chairman Hill for their tremendous support in this effort and my entire Capital Markets Subcommittee, the staff, and the team that has brought what is years and years of hard work together that is going to grow this economy, grow jobs, and grow the future of the United States of America and our economy. Mr. Chair, I thank the ranking member for the good, healthy debate this evening and the collaboration that we have, but I must say still, Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to reject this specific amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment, which represents a fundamental departure from the careful, deliberative process that has guided the INVEST Act. Let me be clear about what we are being asked to consider. This is not a modest technical correction or a narrow clarification. These are sweeping, complex changes that redefine fee structures across the entire securities industry. They create new prohibitions, and they establish an unprecedented public ranking system for SEC registrants. It has never been vetted by participants, investor groups, legal experts, or Congress. It has not even been considered or marked up through the Financial Services Committee through regular order, the very process that every other provision in the INVEST Act has undergone. We are being asked to inject unexamined policy into a carefully crafted bill at the 11th hour. This is not how we should legislate, particularly on matters affecting trillions of dollars in American retirement savings and investment accounts. Beyond the procedural concerns, the policy itself is deeply flawed. SEC-registered advisers and broker-dealers are already subject to comprehensive fee disclosure requirements under existing law. They must provide clear, written disclosures about all fees and compensation. They are subject to fiduciary duties or Regulation Best Interest standards that require fees to be reasonable and in clients' best interests. This amendment creates vague, undefined standards about what constitutes a fee that is ``not proportional to services provided.'' Who decides proportionality? By what standard? This invites endless litigation and regulatory uncertainty that will ultimately harm investors by increasing costs and limiting service offerings. I urge my colleagues to reject this substantively flawed amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Chairman, I simply urge my colleagues to reject these unnecessary and harmful reporting burdens, and I ask that they oppose this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser), the sponsor of the ACCESS Act in this package.

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment, which would pose a significant obstacle for the same small businesses and startups that we aim to support. These proposed new requirements would act as a speed bump for smaller issuers. These are not massive Wall Street institutions. These are often first-time founders, small businesses, and innovative startups relying on 506(c) to raise essential seed and growth capital. Adding complex or ambiguous new filing requirements diverts their precious time and scarce resources away from innovation and job creation and toward burdensome compliance. These additional disclosure burdens will actively discourage the startups and small businesses that desperately need access to this private market capital. They will choose to forgo fundraising altogether rather than navigate this complex, costly, and legally risky environment. In fact, the Securities and Exchange Commission has examined similar ideas twice in the last decade. In both instances, the market response was a resounding chorus of concern. In both cases, the message was clear: New filing or disclosure obligations would significantly raise costs and ultimately chill early-stage capital formation. We should be focused on expanding opportunities for American entrepreneurs, not erecting new bureaucratic barriers. We must prioritize a system that makes it easier and not harder for startups and small businesses to secure the capital that they need to grow, hire, and innovate. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to reject these unnecessary and harmful reporting burdens. I urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.