Michael Waltz

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, I am excited to rise today in support of this bill, H.R. 8012, the bipartisan, bicameral Jackie Robinson Ballpark National Commemorative Site Act to honor the location where Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier and played his first game. This bill would designate Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach as a National Commemorative Site and add the ballpark to the African American Civil Rights Network. Additionally, this bill would direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a feasibility study to give the site the designation of a national historic landmark. H.R. 8012 honors the location where Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier when he played his first professional game with the Montreal Royals on March 17, 1946, in Daytona Beach, at the then-named Daytona City Island Ballpark. This is the first time in modern baseball that a Black player and a White player played on the same team. Incidentally, it is just down the street from the HBCU Bethune-Cookman. Its founder, Mary McLeod Bethune represents Florida just down the hallway here in Statuary Hall. Jackie Robinson then led the Montreal Royals to a minor league championship the same season, and the next year, he was promoted to the Dodgers making modern Major League Baseball history. In his book, Mr. Speaker, ``My Own Story,'' Jackie Robinson reflected on the importance of this game, stating that: I knew, of course, that everyone was not pulling for me to make good, but I was sure now that the whole world wasn't lined up against me, and when I went to sleep, the applause was still ringing in my ears. Since that day, Daytona Beach's ballpark has been a historic landmark and a reminder of Jackie Robinson's impact, of the civil rights movement, and of the integration of modern professional baseball. Its preservation and recognition are even more important and more crucial now following the demolition of Ebbets Field, home to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1960, which again, was the first Major League Baseball team to sign Robinson, but now that that stadium is destroyed, we must preserve and honor Jackie Robinson's legacy. I thank Chairman Westerman for his leadership in bringing this bill to the floor, so that we can pass it into law and protect and commemorate the Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona for all future Americans.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great American and an exceptional leader in our U.S. Air Force. Colonel John ``JD'' Foy has distinguished himself through his professional character and dedication by serving this Nation in uniform. For the past two years, Colonel Foy served admirably as the Director of Congressional Affairs for U.S. Transportation Command where he led his team to plan and execute over one hundred congressional engagements between the Commander of U.S. Transportation Command and Members of Congress. Colonel Foy has had a remarkable twenty-three-year career after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy and commissioning as a Second Lieutenant. After graduating with honors from Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training and C-130 Navigator Qualification Training, Colonel Foy deployed seven times and accrued over eight hundred combat hours, earning the Air Medal six times in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2010, he won the U.S. Air Force's Cheney Award for leading thirty-six Airmen to establish an airfield in Pakistan providing aid and relief to over 20 million flood victims. From 2018 to 2020, as a Squadron Commander in Japan, he led over three hundred maintainers and aerial porters to support over twelve thousand missions throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Later, the Commander of U.S. Transportation Command selected Colonel Foy to serve as her Director of Legislative Affairs after graduating U.S. Marine Corps War College. As the primary liaison between Members of Congress, our staffs, committees, and U.S. Transportation Command, Colonel Foy communicated the commander's legislative priorities and ensured appropriations for three sealift vessels valued at $300 million into the Ready Reserve Force and enrollment of the first ten tankers into the Tanker Security Program. Colonel Foy also led the charge in coordinating the commander's support for appropriations of a digital U.S. Coast Guard credentialling system that will drastically improve accountability of our U.S. merchant mariners. Mr. Speaker, next month Colonel Foy will assume command of the 621st Contingency Response Group at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. It has been a great pleasure to work with Colonel Foy during his time representing U.S. Transportation Command on Capitol Hill. On behalf of our grateful Nation, it is my honor to recognize the selfless service and sacrifice of Colonel Foy and his wife, Natacha. I wish them the very best as they continue their journey in our U.S. Air Force. They have dedicated their lives to the service of our great Nation. Together, We Deliver.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge passage of my bill, H.R. 5613, the Sanctions Lists Harmonization Act. Mr. Speaker, sanctions are a critical tool in America's foreign policy toolkit, and that has been the case really since the end of World War II. Unfortunately, the U.S. faces significant challenges in coordinating its sanction policy to support our national security objectives. For example, entities that we sanction in the U.S. are not similarly sanctioned by our allies in Europe, even when our policies are aligned. We spend a significant amount of time and effort coordinating these actions to target actors like Iran and other malign actors, even when we are all rowing in the same direction. Mr. Speaker, it is often even worse than that. We don't even coordinate within our own government. Under current law, our Federal agencies are not required to communicate with each other when foreign entities are added to their sanctions lists. For example, if the Department of Defense has concerns and they communicate those concerns, an entity may be denied an export license by the Department of Commerce but then still allowed to conduct banking transactions regulated by Treasury. Mr. Speaker, there are many other examples, but at the very least, our agencies should proactively notify and coordinate with one another to maximize the penalties to these bad actors when it makes sense. My bill simply requires the Department of Treasury, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Defense to notify each other and communicate with each other within 30 days when placing a foreign entity on certain sanctions lists, whether it is with the Office of Foreign Asset Control, OFAC, BIS, or somewhere else. From there, these other agencies would then have to determine whether that entity that is sanctioned should be added to their own sanctions list. It is required, Mr. Speaker. It is not optional. It is not when the agency gets around to it, if ever. It is required. Subsequently, each agency will be required to submit a report to Congress specifying which entities they chose to include on their list and explaining their process. Let me be clear: This bill does not mandate inclusion of any entity on any list. It doesn't tie the hand of the executive branch, but it does require the executive branch agencies to communicate with each other. I view this as a simple way for the interagency to coordinate, maximize penalties on foreign bad actors, close loopholes they may take advantage of, and it also creates the bureaucratic incentive to better coordinate our sanctions process. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman McCaul for his leadership and Ranking Member Meeks for working with us to get this language to a bipartisan agreement in the Foreign Affairs Committee. I urge its swift passage on the floor.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great American and an exceptional leader in our U.S. Navy. Commander Bruce Kimbrell has distinguished himself through his professional character and dedication by serving this Nation in uniform. For the past year, Commander Kimbrell served admirably as the Department of Defense Legislative Fellow for my office where he handled House Armed Service Committee hearing preparation and execution while also contributing to my work on with the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Above all, he was the driving force behind my Maritime policy portfolio via multiple, pieces of maritime legislation, congressional letters, as well as multiple Maritime Statecraft engagements with representatives from the Secretary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations, Maritime Administrator, and an extensive executive list of Maritime industry stakeholders involved in carrying out maritime statecraft activities and national maritime strategy. His efforts advanced a shared effort for reinvigorating our Nation's maritime sector and gaining greater insight into the tools available for helping create a more favorable global environment for advancing America's maritime power. Commander Kimbrell has had a remarkable twenty-two-year career after enlisting into the U.S. Navy in 2002, graduating from the University of Massachusetts in 2011, and commissioning as an Ensign designated as an Intelligence Officer. He served aboard two aircraft carriers, an amphibious war ship, as well as temporary duties aboard the NATO Afloat Standing Maritime Group Flag Ship. Later, he won the 2017 RADM Thomas A Brooks Junior Officer of the Year for the Naval Intelligence Community Award while assigned to Carrier Air Wing THREE. He also served as the Deputy Director of Maritime Intelligence Operations Center and Chief of Targets for U.S. FIFTH Fleet during which he was designated as a member of the Military Top 40 Under 40 in 2017 by Recruit Military, Bradley Morris, Inc. In addition, he served as the Executive Assistance to the Director Maritime Operations as U.S. Pacific Fleet prior to his role as Special Advisor to the Chief of Naval Operations on force design, strategic planning, ally and partner interoperability, and strategic risk. The Secretary of the Navy was impressed enough by his legislative work and especially in his creation of the maritime task force that he selected Commander Kimbrell to serve as his Special Advisor in which he advised the Secretary on maritime policy at the intersection of industry, government agencies, strategic think tanks, maritime advocacy groups, and U.S. Congress. His efforts led to the second annual Maritime Statecraft Innovation workshop sponsored by the Secretary of the Navy and Maritime Administration. Mr. Speaker, next month Commander Kimbrell will assume duties as the Deputy Legislative Director to the Commander of European Command in Stuttgart, Germany. It has been a great pleasure to work with Commander Kimbrell during his time representing the Department of Defense in my office on Capitol Hill. On behalf of our grateful Nation, it is my honor to recognize the selfless service and sacrifice of Commander Kimbrell and his four children. I wish them the very best as they continue their journey in our U.S. Navy. They have dedicated their lives to the service of our great Nation.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chair, I find it ironic that the administration has assured the world, assured the public, and assured the Congress that the pier would be in place until September. I guess they are somewhat acknowledging the failure of the harebrained idea and saying, well, now it can only be 2 to 3 more weeks, all the more reason we need to put this measure in place to prevent another attempt next year. History is replete with all kinds of elected and other officials saying the war will be over by Christmas. The war will be over soon. We need to ensure this can't happen again, this type of waste can't happen again, and that we don't put our servicemembers at risk. Absolutely, as the gentlewoman pointed out, USAID has a heavy hand. The State Department has a heavy hand. This amendment will ensure that we don't do this again. Finally, Mr. Chair, I just need to point out that the U.N.-supported Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) initiative has revised its earlier findings and concluded there is no famine in Gaza. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of my floor amendment, which would prevent funding in this bill from being used to support the Biden administration's failed and, frankly, humiliating efforts to build a pier off the shore of Gaza. Mr. Chair, this pier honestly has to be one of the most embarrassing pieces of performance art I have ever seen in my 27-year military career. It has now cost in excess of $300 million to build. It has had to repeatedly halt operations. It has put our servicemembers at risk. It has broken up several times due to sea states and weather that the administration was repeatedly briefed on ahead of President Biden's announcement. So far, the pier has resulted in almost no aid to the Palestinian people. We have three U.S. servicemembers injured. We have one in critical condition. You will remember, Mr. Chair, that President Biden, right there where you are standing, announced this harebrained idea during the State of the Union address back in March and reportedly surprised the Pentagon with the announcement as they weren't informed ahead of time. Because of that surprise, it took nearly 2 months to get the ships and the equipment into place, and the first truckloads of aid did not begin moving ashore until May 17. Of those shipments, in the first shipment, 16 trucks left the pier, got on shore, and 11 out of the 16 were looted, intercepted, or attacked. Only 5 of that 16 made it to the warehouse, and guess what? It was the same warehouse where the aid coming over land was also sitting. By May 22, the Department of Defense confirmed that none of the aid unloaded from the pier was reaching the broader Palestinian population because of these regular interceptions, once it hit land. It turns out that whether the aid comes from sea or comes from land, you have the same distribution problem in an area controlled by the terrorist organization Hamas. The Defense Department has since confirmed in all of these months, the pier has only been in operation a total of 10 working days. Even international aid organizations are saying that it has largely failed in its mission. We know now that the administration, the White House, was repeatedly warned that the sea and the weather would not support it. They moved ahead anyway for what was clearly a political talking point to pander to the progressive left and to look like they were doing something when operationally, they were warned it would fail. At the end of the day, alleviating the suffering of the people of Gaza is a laudable goal that we should all get behind. If we want to effectively do that, let's shift policy on Iran, the heartbeat of terrorism in the Middle East. As long as Iran has the cash, the money, and the resources to fund its terrorist proxies, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, it will continue to do so, and there will not be peace. Let's allow Israel to destroy the terrorist organization Hamas. Let's accelerate the weapons into Israel, which is trying to create some stability there with an organization that does not want a two-state solution and is openly saying more October 7s will happen. Finally, Mr. Chair, let's stop demonizing the democratically elected government of Israel, our ally, who is in the middle of an existential threat. There are a lot of things we could do to alleviate the suffering and bring peace, but this harebrained, politically motivated pier idea was a bad idea from the start. I have truly never seen anything like it. I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment to defund it, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chair, I found that, frankly, incredibly insulting and somewhat disappointing coming from a colleague and a fellow veteran. At the end of the day, those who are fighting for women to serve in all combat roles--which I will state again, despite the aspersions or projecting of motives here--cannot then say, well, they should have a lower standard in combat. Combat doesn't present a lower standard. It is one: life or death. When you are in a foxhole with fellow Americans, that is all that matters. Number two, I think to equate an experience as a helicopter pilot with what this amendment actually addresses--which are combat roles in the Army, not in the Navy, not in the Air Force, not with support roles, not with other specialties that, again, all Americans are welcome and should be welcome to serve in--either we haven't read the amendment or we have our own motives in place. It is hard to tell. At the end of the day, what we are seeing in Ukraine, what we are seeing in Gaza, and what we have seen in our experience in the Middle East is that combat on the ground in urban environments is brutally up close, dangerous, lethal, and at the end of the day regardless of race, religion, gender or anything else, you need to be able to hit the standards and training to be successful in a combat environment. Again, I would support my colleagues setting aside their political, I guess, biases and support this amendment. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment to require the United States Army to establish gender-neutral fitness standards for its combat fitness test. Last year's defense bill contained my provision that required the Army to create gender-neutral fitness standards for combat military occupational specialties. While I am pleased that the conference adopted increased fitness standards for combat arms in the FY24 NDAA, it removed the provisions requiring these standards to be gender- neutral. This amendment would restore the House's previous language. To be clear, Mr. Chairman, I fully support all Americans, regardless of race, religion, or gender, to serve in any capacity in our uniformed services. We need them, and in the middle of this recruiting crisis, we need all of them. This amendment and conversation are about standards and establishing the standards we need to be successful in combat. I can tell you firsthand that our enemies' bullets do not discriminate between Black, White, or Brown. They don't discriminate between men and women. We are all in the foxhole together, so we need to establish what those standards are to be successful. If you hit them and achieve them, then you are in that combat unit. If you don't, there are other ways to serve. I like to talk about the first female to successfully graduate from the U.S. Army Ranger School. Her name is Kristen Geist. She had to achieve the standards that it takes to be a Ranger and went on to command her infantry platoon, but she now has a lower physical standard than the men she is charged to lead. I think that does her a disservice. I think that does the women who achieve these incredibly difficult elite units within our military a disservice. Frankly, it lowers the readiness of the units that they are joining. In her op-ed, she said: ``First, reverting to gender-based scoring could drastically reduce the performance and effectiveness of combat arms units,'' particularly as more women join these units, with the opening of combat arms. She also goes on to say: ``Reverting to gender-based scoring and reducing the minimum standard for combat arms will also hurt the women in those branches. Under a gender-based system, women in combat arms have to fight every day to dispel the notion that their presence inherently weakens these previously all-male units.'' These are her words. ``Lower female standards also reinforce the belief that women cannot perform the same job as men, therefore making it difficult for women to earn the trust and confidence of their teammates.'' Mr. Chairman, you are going to hear that we don't have data, that we don't know. We have 20 years of combat in the Middle East. We know what it takes to move a 200-pound soldier to that helicopter, to move that medevac up to the top of the building, to move that artillery round. None of those things discriminate based on what gender you are--none of them. Certainly, our enemies don't. At the end of the day, the standard it takes to be successful in infantry should be different than to be a cyber warrior, a supply officer, or a pilot. Let's make the standards according to the job and not according to anything else, and that is what this amendment would do. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support it, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chairman, I am sorry. I didn't hear you. I urge support of this amendment.

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chairman, I will read excerpts from the National Sheriffs' Association. To my colleague's point on future executive orders, again, this program was created by Congress and should be governed by Congress. We should have these debates, but we should then follow what is, year after year, often debated and adjusted through law, not through executive orders. To my point, the National Sheriffs' Association, which represents over 3,000 sheriffs nationwide, across red and blue States, cities, and counties, says: Across the country, we have witnessed how valuable this equipment has been to local law enforcement, not only in conducting search-and-rescue missions but also in delivering aid to victims of natural disasters like floods and snowstorms. The equipment the sheriffs receive for this program-- The Acting Chair. The time of the gentleman has expired.

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment to allow the Department of Defense's 1033 excess property program to be administered as originally intended by Congress to assist State and local law enforcement agencies. For more than 25 years, this program has allowed often cash-strapped local law enforcement jurisdictions to get the equipment they need, almost always excess military equipment that the Department of Defense no longer needs. This is equipment that they need to keep our communities safe at a low cost. Mr. Chairman, this is equipment that often will be provided to other countries in excess or just sent off to the boneyard. Instead, why don't we save the taxpayers money? Why don't we give police and sheriffs' departments the equipment that they need to keep our communities safe? I am proud that this amendment is supported by the National Association of Police Organizations and the National Sheriffs' Association. This amendment would prohibit essentially the enforcement of what I believe is a radical, antipolice series of rules and regulations established through executive order by both former President Obama and, most recently, President Biden, that limited the transfer of lifesaving equipment to law enforcement under the 1033 program. The executive order also makes the equipment that these local law enforcement entities have, Mr. Chairman, burdensome to use, with literally mountains of paperwork and certifications. If you talk to any of these sheriffs' departments, they say it essentially makes the equipment unusable, particularly for small departments that may have only five, six, or seven officers in it. This program was created by Congress, and therefore, any changes to the program should be enacted by Congress. President Trump understood this when he rescinded these wrongful policies. Yet, President Biden has put them back in place. He ignored this precedent and issued a subjective executive order giving his Department of Justice veto power over the lawful transfer of this equipment. This equipment that we are talking about are things like high-water vehicles that law enforcement departments in Florida use in natural disasters. I have a local sheriff's department that is flying a 1968 Huey. They can't get a new helicopter because of all of the restrictions. It is also equipment like body armor, night vision devices, and things the military no longer needs but our sheriffs do need. I know my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have opposed this amendment year after year. They have made misleading arguments that the amendment will ``militarize'' the police and give them all sorts of unnecessary weapons. This is simply not the case. Let me be clear: This amendment will maintain the Defense Logistics Agency's authority and discretion. Again, the DLA is run by this administration's political appointees. It will give them discretion over the transfer of all property, ensuring the property transferred is needed and appropriate. It will also ensure that law enforcement agencies can regain access to equipment that has been taken from them that they relied on in the past for things like search and rescue operations, natural disaster response, and active shooter situations. In short, Mr. Chairman, this 1033 program is not a ``militarization'' of the police but, rather, an important tool in protecting our communities. As so many of our inner cities and States are experiencing rampant increases in violent crime, this amendment is critical now more than ever before. Our State and local law enforcement put their lives on the line to keep us safe. They are heroes. I think they have been wrongly vilified in many instances. Despite this, they continue to show up to work and put that badge on every day to protect and serve us. It is time to put an end to these executive orders that discount the critical needs of our police officers and our sheriffs, frankly, in the interest of political optics. Mr. Chair, I urge support for this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025. Mr. Chairman, the bill we see before us is a bipartisan package. It enhances readiness, it increases security, and it improves desperately needed infrastructure that has been badly neglected by the Pentagon. Most importantly, it puts our servicemembers first. The Readiness Subcommittee, which I have the honor of chairing, has included more than $1.1 billion for quality-of-life initiatives. This money will provide critical funding for barracks, in particular, Mr. Chairman, which are in a dire state. To be candid, Mr. Chairman, we literally have barracks with black mold growing in it, with feces on the wall, with ceilings caving in. It should be an embarrassment to every one of our service Secretaries, and we have yet to see anyone in the Pentagon fired for this deplorable state of our servicemembers' barracks. Mr. Chair, if the Pentagon and this administration won't act, this Congress will. This bill will improve our barracks and improve our aging infrastructure. It will provide transparency to how our facilities are sustained, and that is key. With more details into how these funds are actually spent and with oversight from Congress, holding the military departments accountable, they will be forced to adequately budget and plan for the upkeep of our facilities that our servicemembers so badly need. As chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee, I have also focused our efforts on ensuring the Department of Defense is ready to fight with contested logistics in the Pacific. We haven't had to do that since World War II. Frankly, Mr. Chairman, I think we are taking our logistics infrastructure for granted. We now have an adversary in the Chinese Communist Party that can contest it, that could go after it, and we have to be able to project forward and defend those assets. This bill will do that, and the bill authorizes over $250 million in INDOPACOM priorities that were left unfunded by the President's budget. I don't know why the President left our priority theater unfunded to the tune of $650 million, but I know this bill will go a long way to fixing that oversight. It also fully funds military exercises with our allies. It mandates the Department of Defense eliminate reliance on Russian energy for our installations. Mr. Chairman, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chair, my colleagues and I have led the charge on stopping Putin in the face of Biden's too little, too late strategy, but before we go any further, we have asked for four simple things: a strategy to get us out of this stalemate, to protect the U.S. border as our first principle, a real burden-sharing with the Europeans, and a smart energy policy. We got none of that, Mr. Chair. Yet, 2\1/2\ years into this war, we still don't know what success looks like. Is it Crimea? Is it all of the Donbas? Is it hold what you have? We don't know because President Biden won't tell us and the American people. We must close the U.S. border and defend it as a matter of first principle. It is not an either/or, but it is a matter of priorities. We hear the EU and NATO are doing all they can. Baloney. They can't do more because only 11 out of 31 are contributing the bare minimum to its defense. If they won't do it now, Mr. Chair, then when will they? Most offensive, if we drive down the price of oil below $50 a barrel, Putin's war machine is done. I can no longer in good conscience ask the American people to dig deeper behind a blank check, behind bad strategies and bad policy. We just can't afford it anymore.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chair, I find it astounding the leader of the Progressive Caucus, Ms. Jayapal, and Mr. Jordan agree on these issues. Mr. Chair, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Turner).

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chair, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment to permit the use of 702 information to vet foreign nationals entering the United States. This amendment enables the thorough vetting of all foreigners being processed for traveling to the United States, whether that is a foreign national applying for a visa, applying for legal immigration, or illegally crossing our southern border. This is what I think a lot of Americans probably don't realize: Currently, section 702 has only been authorized to collect information to support some Department of Homeland Security efforts to screen and vet foreign persons applying for travel or immigration to the United States. This amendment will enhance the vetting of all foreigners who come here. If national security concerns are found through this vetting, these results will be provided to the Department of Homeland Security, the State Department, and the Department of Defense to ensure the Federal Government is making the most informed decision before we allow foreign nationals' admission. Mr. Chair, we are 3 years into the worst crisis at the southern border in the history of the United States. Last year, Customs and Border Protection reported 2\1/2\ million encounters with people attempting to cross into the United States from Mexico. Alarmingly, over the last 2 years, CBP has apprehended more than 70,000 special interest aliens, people from countries identified as having conditions that promote or protect terrorism. Mr. Chair, the FBI Director is ringing the alarm bell with the over 300 people on the terrorist watch list who are now somewhere in America compared to just 12 under the last administration. This population includes 538 aliens from Syria and 659 aliens from Iran, two state sponsors of terrorism, I might add, in addition to 139 from Yemen, which right now houses the Houthis, and over 1,600 from Pakistan. We just saw ISIS-K attack Moscow. We have just seen six plots stopped in Europe, and I fear that we are about to suffer another attack like San Bernardino, like Pulse nightclub, or, God forbid, another 9/11. Equally concerning, the fastest growing group entering through our southern border is now from China, our number one adversary. Over 24,000 Chinese nationals have been apprehended at the southern border just in the last year. Of the 1.3 million illegal immigrants in the United States with deportation orders, over 100,000 are Chinese nationals. The American people expect us to use every tool we legally can, every intelligence piece of equipment and every database that we can, to protect them against foreigners who would mean us harm. Mr. Chair, we have these tools. We have reformed the abuses of these tools, and we have to allow our national security professionals to have the best information possible to keep Americans safe. We can't wait until there is another attack and then throw up our hands in this body and say: Why didn't we stop it? I am astounded, frankly, that anyone, any Republican, would oppose this amendment after we have been here time and time again saying that we have to protect our border, that we have to protect Americans, and that if you want to come to the United States, then, fine, you need to do so legally, but we are going to look into your background, we are going to make sure you are not a terrorist, and we are going to make sure you are not a Chinese national spy who means to do us harm. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this and use every tool we can to keep Americans safe, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 15.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 1568, the Moving Americans Privacy Protection Act. This bipartisan, bicameral bill will require U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CBP, to remove personally identifiable information, including Social Security and passport numbers, from cargo manifests before they are disclosed to the public. Currently, CBP requires manifest sheets, which include PII, in order to disclose and document the cargo of incoming vessels for customs and security purposes. Now, originally, the intent of this requirement was to increase competition. It was to facilitate better public analysis of import trends. It was to allow port authorities and transportation companies to more easily identify potential customers and changes in their industry. Like many things we do here, it had a viable and good intent. However, in recent years, the PII of relocating individuals has, again, been publicly released. That has enabled identity theft. It has enabled credit card fraud and unwanted solicitations. Importantly, from a national security standpoint, the disclosure allows our adversaries, from terrorist organizations to foreign intelligence organizations of our adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran, to easily access the PII of our servicemembers and their families as they move around the globe to keep this great Nation free. The personal identification, Mr. Speaker, of every American should be safe and secure, but due to the current public disclosure of cargo manifests, our servicemembers and their families are experiencing a higher risk of identity theft, fraud, and targeting as they move abroad in service of our Nation. It is critical that we take the necessary steps to protect them from this dangerous and fraudulent activity. The Moving Americans Privacy Protection Act is essential to protect the private information not only of our servicemembers but of all Americans. I thank Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith, Democrat co-lead, Representative Pascrell, and particularly the Ways and Means staff for their hard work and working with my team to move this bill through committee and to the full House for consideration. I look forward to passage by the full House. I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation, and I look forward to working with Senator Daines, in particular, in the Senate to get this important bill signed into law.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize Lieutenant Colonel Mark Pitliangas of the United States Air Force for his extraordinary dedication to duty and service to our Nation. Lieutenant Colonel Pitliangas recently transitioned from his assignment as a Deputy Director of Congressional Affairs for United States Transportation Command to fly the KC-46 Pegasus at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey as Chief of Safety, 305th Air Mobility Wing. Lt Col Pitliangas is the first member of his family to serve in our U.S. Air Force. Mark attended the United States Air Force Academy and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in 2008 before attending pilot training. From there, he went on to fly the mighty C-130 Hercules, otherwise known as the ``Four Fans of Freedom'' and honorably served in Iraq and Afghanistan as a combat pilot over 3 deployments. Lt Col Pitliangas has held numerous leadership positions in a variety of units, highlighted by serving as the Director of Operations for the 386th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron in Kuwait. During that time, he enabled 29,000 airlift and air refueling missions directly supporting Operations INHERENT RESOLVE and FREEDOM'S SENTINEL flown from our busiest airfield in United States Central Command. In the winter of 2020, Mark was selected to serve as Deputy Director of Congressional Affairs under the United States Transportation Command. As the primary liaison between Members of Congress, congressional staff, committees, and USTRANSCOM, he provided valuable insight and understanding of transportation policies, actions, operations, and requirements. His first-hand knowledge of the military, its culture, and traditions has been a tremendous benefit to our Congressional offices. His dogged determination and exceptional coordination enabled the USTRANSCOM Commander to accomplish over 40 office calls with Members and Staff in preparation for her annual posture testimony. Mr. Speaker, it has been a pleasure to work with Lieutenant Colonel Pitliangas during his time representing the United States Transportation Command on Capitol Hill. On behalf of our grateful Nation, it is my honor to recognize the selfless service and sacrifice of Mark, his wife, Eleni, and their children, Stephanos, George, and Nicholas. I wish them the very best as they continue their journey in our United States Air Force. They have dedicated their lives to the service of our great Nation. Aim High . . . Fly, Fight, and Win.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following proclamation: Whereas, Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman has faithfully served as the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Representative to the United States, tirelessly advocating for the mutual national security interests of the Kurdistan Region and the United States; and Whereas, Ms. Abdul Rahman has exhibited remarkable leadership during the fight against ISIS and the successful defeat of the caliphate, showcasing unwavering dedication, courage, and strategic acumen; and Whereas, her role as the KRG Representative has been pivotal in strengthening ties between Kurdistan, and the United States, fostering enhanced cooperation, coordination, and partnership in the realms of political, security, humanitarian, economic, and cultural matters; and Whereas, Ms. Abdul Rahman has been a trusted friend and ally to the United States Congress, consistently providing invaluable insights, guidance, and perspectives on critical issues of mutual concern; and Whereas, her unwavering commitment to the principles of democracy, human rights, and freedom exemplifies the shared values and aspirations of the United States Congress and the Kurdistan Region; and Whereas, Ms. Abdul Rahman's illustrious career, which spans from her previous role as the High Representative to the United Kingdom to her current position as the KRG Representative to the United States, reflects her deep knowledge, expertise, and unwavering dedication to public service; and Whereas, prior to her remarkable public service career, Ms. Abdul Rahman made significant contributions to journalism for 17 years, garnering accolades such as the Observer Newspaper's Farzad Bazoft Memorial Prize in 1993, highlighting her exceptional talent, commitment to truth, and tireless pursuit of journalistic excellence; and Whereas, Ms. Abdul Rahman's family legacy, marked by her late father Sami Abdul Rahman's heroic leadership in the Kurdish freedom movement and his critical role in the Kurdish and Iraqi opposition to Saddam Hussein's regime, serves as a testament to her deep-rooted commitment to the cause of freedom, justice, and the rights of the Kurdish people; and Whereas, Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman's personal journey, from being born in Baghdad to becoming an esteemed representative and advocate for the Kurdistan Region, exemplifies the strength, resilience, and determination that defines her character and her unwavering commitment to advancing the welfare and prosperity of the Kurdish people; Now, therefore, be it proclaimed, that I extend my deepest gratitude and appreciation to Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman for her outstanding leadership, tireless dedication, and invaluable contributions as the KRG Representative to the United States. I commend her for being a loyal and trusted friend, ally, and source of wisdom, and I recognize her instrumental role in promoting the shared national security interests of the Kurdistan Region and the United States.