Lee Zeldin

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her leadership and all of my New York colleagues for being here today. Mike Long was such a special, principled, faithful patriot. He loved his family. He loved his country. He was willing to lay down his life for it at any time, valuing our Constitution and our freedoms. Our State is better off because Mike Long lived this legendary life of service. Jerry Kassar, the new New York State Conservative Party chair, has these really big shoes to try to fill. For all of us collectively, trying to figure out how to fill these shoes will be a challenge for us, but we accept that challenge with Mike's spirit and fight, his inspiration always living within each and every one of us. He was rock solid to his core, a genuine, great American. To his entire family--obviously, his wife of nearly 60 years, Eileen, but they also have nine children, 24 grandchildren, and five great- grandchildren. Everybody who knew and loved Mike Long is mourning the passing of a truly great public servant. May Mike Long rest in peace. I thank him for his friendship, guidance, and service. Now, it is left to the rest of us to carry on what was a legendary, inspirational contribution to the greatest country in the history of the world because of great marines and patriots like him. May he rest in peace.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of my friend, Father Alexander Karloutsos, who was recently awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation's highest civilian honor. Father Alex has spent more than half a century as a Greek Orthodox Priest, including as the pastor of Kimisis Tis Theotokou Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons, in the First Congressional District of New York. In 1994, His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew named Father Alex as a Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which is the highest honor a married clergyman can receive in the Orthodox Church. He has also served as the first Vicar of Public Affairs of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and as a spiritual advisor to several U.S. Presidents. I am grateful to Father Alex for his decades of service to the Greek Orthodox community, Long Island, and our Nation. I send my sincere congratulations to Father Alex, his wife, Xanthi Karavellas Karloutsos, their three children, and nine grandchildren. This honor is so well deserved.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I was not in Washington, D.C. and not present for votes today. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 299. Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress Allred (Gomez) Auchincloss (Beyer) Babin (Weber (TX)) Barr (McHenry) Barragan (Correa) Boebert (Bishop (NC)) Bonamici (Beyer) Bourdeaux (Correa) Bowman (Chu) Brown (OH) (Stevens) Bush (Williams (GA)) Cardenas (Gomez) Carter (LA) (Williams (GA)) Carter (TX) (Weber (TX)) Casten (Foster) Cawthorn (Donalds) Cherfilus-McCormick (Williams (GA)) Cohen (Beyer) Costa (Correa) Crist (Soto) Davis, Danny K. (Gomez) DeSaulnier (Beyer) Doyle, Michael F. (Pallone) Duncan (Norman) Espaillat (Correa) Fletcher (Pallone) Frankel, Lois (Kuster) Garcia (IL) (Beyer) Gibbs (Bucshon) Gimenez (Waltz) Gohmert (Weber (TX)) Gottheimer (Neguse) Guest (Fleischmann) Hartzler (Bacon) Hayes (Neguse) Hice (GA) (Bishop (NC)) Jackson Lee (Cicilline) Jacobs (NY) (Smucker) Jayapal (Gomez) Jeffries (Neguse) Johnson (GA) (Williams (GA)) Johnson (TX) (Stevens) Katko (Meijer) Keating (Neguse) Khanna (Ocasio-Cortez) Kinzinger (Meijer) Kirkpatrick (Pallone) Krishnamoorthi (Neguse) LaMalfa (Van Duyne) Lamborn (Wilson (SC)) Lawson (FL) (Soto) Manning (Bera) McEachin (Beyer) Moore (WI) (Beyer) Moulton (Stevens) Newman (Beyer) Palazzo (Fleischmann) Pascrell (Pallone) Payne (Pallone) Porter (Neguse) Pressley (Trahan) Price (NC) (DeLauro) Rice (SC) (Meijer) Rogers (KY) (Reschenthaler) Rush (Neguse) Salazar (Diaz-Balart) Sires (Pallone) Spartz (Harshbarger) Stansbury (Stevens) Steube (Franklin, C. Scott) Strickland (Neguse) Suozzi (Neguse) Takano (Chu) Taylor (Nehls) Timmons (Wilson (SC)) Tlaib (Gomez) Turner (Gonzalez (OH)) Underwood (Neguse) Van Drew (Reschenthaler) Walorski (Baird) Wasserman Schultz (Soto) Watson Coleman (Pallone) Wenstrup (LaHood) Wilson (FL) (Williams (GA)) Wittman (Carl)

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Buddy Carter of Georgia for being here and for cosponsoring this bipartisan bill. There are a lot of people on both sides of the aisle who have signed on, on this effort. Congressman Carter has the expertise to understand what has been a longtime, conventional treatment, where doctors would just be prescribing a medication. The value of thinking outside the box has just saved so many lives. To be able to bring this program to Georgia, to Florida, to California, all across our entire Nation, would be enormous. I want to thank all my colleagues who joined me here today in sharing stories of veterans they represent or served with during their time in the military, and some of their own experiences. I look forward to continuing to work with each of them to expand and improve access to lifesaving mental health resources for our veterans suffering from PTSD and TBI. We are less than 2 months removed from the 20th anniversary of the 9/ 11 terror attacks and less than 3 months since the withdrawal of Afghanistan. The tragic events that unfolded in Afghanistan were hard for Americans to watch, including many Afghanistan vets who are speaking out. What was interesting to note, and not surprising for many, as we are having our individual conversations, especially with the Afghan vets, the calls rose to the Veterans Crisis Line, online chats with the crisis line staff were up almost 40 percent, and texts to the crisis line rose by 98 percent. For me, my life could be separated into two parts. I am 41 years old. Half of my life was before September 11, 2001; half of my life was after September 11, 2001. But what is so amazing about those who are currently serving, so many of them, and those who are contacting our offices looking for congressional nominations to go to a service academy, all they know is life post-September 11, 2001. They either weren't born yet or they are just too young to remember. Everyone who is here in this Chamber now, every one of us probably vividly remembers exactly where we were on September 11, 2001. For these people who are signing up right now, to think that their whole life is everything we have seen post-9/11 and they still raise their hand and answer the call. We have a duty to look out for them, in some way to try to give back, because they are willing to give it all up in defense of us. I want to thank all 14 of the veteran service organizations who have stepped up, the national commanders who come here to the Halls of Congress to talk about the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer program. If you go back and look at the American Legion National Commander's testimony earlier this year in front of the House and Senate VA committees, he was advocating for the Dwyer program to be expanded nationally. It is our duty to give back, to look out for our vets and our veteran families. PFC Joseph P. Dwyer left behind a young widow, a 2-year-old daughter, a proud family, and forever they should know that this country will never forget Joseph Dwyer's service and sacrifice. We are trying to turn it into as much of a positive as possible. For anyone who is out there, any veteran in need, there is the Veterans Crisis Line to call and there are online chats. There are ways to reach out in your local community and nationally. Please reach out to your local Department of VA, at the very least, if you don't know of any other opportunities or resources available in your community. There are people who live around the block from you who will drop everything in the middle of the night to help you, as I mentioned earlier. Don't give up. We have your back. We are so grateful for your service to our country. This is a great world, a great country that is worth fighting to protect and defend, and a life worth living. Madam Speaker, I thank all of the cosponsors, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I remember when I first got here to the House, and there was somebody with a national veterans service office who was advocating for peer-to-peer support. I asked this national commander what he had in mind, what he envisioned, what his model was for how to provide peer-to-peer support. I wasn't trying to ask it as some type of a trick question, a gotcha question, but I realized, in his answer, he didn't really know. He knew that he was supposed to advocate for peer-to-peer support, but he didn't know exactly what that model was going to look like. Then, over the course of these last few years, more of these national veterans service organizations have been looking at what is going on in New York. Now they come to the Halls of Congress and are testifying in front of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. They talk about peer support, and they specifically are citing the Dwyer program as that model. I saw, at a place called the Warrior Ranch in Suffolk County, a veteran who is struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder be placed in this area with a wild horse that was just rescued. He had never interacted with horses before. Within minutes--he had some training as to how to understand what the horse is thinking, how to take charge, realizing that the horse is going to be testing you out a little bit as to who is in charge. He took charge of that situation, and he immediately developed this bond with this horse. I was speaking to someone who barely survived his own struggle with post-traumatic stress. He is upstate New York. Through a similar program, he developed a bond with a horse, and it was so strong that the owner of this ranch would allow him to come in the middle of the night if he was having a bad night and spend some time with this horse. That was how he got through his tough time. I mean, he is healthy. He is doing great. He is a leader in his community, with the veterans community specifically. And he credits that interaction he had with a horse. Others, it is fly-fishing. Others, it is having access to a companion animal. The answer is not just to medicate a person with mental health issues. You need to find other alternative ways to try to assist these men and women in need. It is not just veterans, although here we are specifically talking about veterans with the mental wounds of war. A lot of the examples that could be provided of success with the Dwyer program can be replicated for others who are nonveterans who have mental health challenges in this country. The Dwyer program has made a lifesaving impact in our State. I have received a few testimonials. Danielle is an Army veteran enrolled in the Suffolk County Dwyer program. She stated: I started the Dwyer program back in April 2020 because the internship program I was in was no longer an option during COVID-19. I was a single mother who was furloughed and attempting graduate school through virtual means, which was extremely taxing on my mental health. The support group grew into a sisterhood of not only emotional and spiritual support but guidance and education on the resources available to us and that female veterans must continue to fight for their needs as a special population. I owe everything to this magnetic group for being the positive guidance I needed to continue my service, complete my educational goals, and become employed at an agency that truly cares about veterans' special needs. In Suffolk, that program is led by Thomas Ronayne and Marcelle Leis and a number of others. They are all in. They have dedicated their lives toward making it a huge success. They certainly impacted Danielle's life. They also impacted Robert's life. He is a Navy veteran and a Suffolk County Dwyer program participant who said: I was struggling with both substance abuse and use and thoughts of self-harm, as well as a suicide attempt. This program, and those involved, helped me battle all this, and I now have over 5 years sober, a family, two degrees, and a new career. Roger is a Marine Corps veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, and a Suffolk County Dwyer program participant. He said: You have to be mentally ready to say to yourself, I need something. I need to reach out to somebody somewhere, because even though it takes a tremendous amount of courage and dedication to join the military, it takes just as much courage and dedication to be able to express that you have an issue with your life because of your experiences through the military. I am really happy for the Dwyer program because it gives us the outlet we need, because veterans only relate to other veterans. Judy is from Suffolk County. She said: I am a psychiatric RN with 33 years clinical experience. During that time, I have treated veterans with PTSD and traumatic brain injury. As these issues are long term, the problem has always been providing support after hospitalization. There have been no resources in the community until Dwyer came along. Now there is a strong helping hand to support these heroes. But it needs to be expanded to accomplish more. Without it, veterans face repeated hospitalizations, resulting in premature and unnecessary deaths. Arthur is a Vietnam veteran from Suffolk County. He said: As a combat vet of the Vietnam war, I can relate to the need for the Dwyer program. When I returned home from Vietnam, there were no support services that I was aware of. I went from my duty station in Vietnam to CONUS in 3 days, no adjustment. I am not alone, as there are many Vietnam vets that are suffering even today. I believe that not adjusting to civilian life sets back an individual's progress and assimilation back into society. I will give you one last testimonial, and I would like to be able to introduce my friend, Buddy Carter from Georgia. Anthony is a Suffolk County Dwyer program participant. He said: I have personally seen how veterans, myself being a disabled veteran included, show up to a meeting, and they are provided with food, drinks, and a safe and secure environment to share veteran-related issues with other veterans and receive positive, supportive feedback that significantly improves their quality of life. I am happy to support this program and be involved in any way possible. Congressman Buddy Carter and I were elected in 2014. He is a friend. He is a great public servant. He has a number of specialties that bring diversity here to our Chamber. A number of times, based off of his civilian experiences in life, he has made letters, requests, and legislation all better and stronger when he has weighed in. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), who is my friend and a cosponsor of H.R. 1476.

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I have seen that, too. There is a spouse out there who is seeing their loved one struggling with post-traumatic stress, and they don't know what to do to help. They are reaching out to the local veterans service office. They are reaching out to their local Dwyer program because they want to help their loved one. They want to keep their marriage together. They don't want everything to fall apart. The specialty, the expertise here, is not just about providing that support and help to the servicemember. When one person serves in the military, just like you were a sheriff, when one person serves in law enforcement, the whole family serves. You come home with the mental wounds of war, and really, in a way, the whole family is experiencing the mental wounds of war.

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, here, in the Halls of Congress, you hear millions, billions, trillions get thrown around, big dollar numbers. What has been so amazing is that a county gets $180,000, saving countless lives, seeing families staying together, people being able to stay in their jobs, and communities are stronger. It is so efficient, and that, I think, is one of the keys of success because there are people in our communities who want to volunteer their specialties. There is a social worker, psychologist, psychiatrist. There is someone who wants to provide food to that barbecue, a venue for a meeting. They want to give back. There are a lot of people I come across all the time who say that their only regret in life is that they never served. They wanted to serve and didn't do it, and that is their biggest regret in life. They are finding ways to serve. The gentleman is stepping up in a huge way, and it is something that I would be excited to see in his congressional district in Florida.

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Cawthorn, and I am not surprised that he is a cosponsor of this bill. He very eloquently stated the need to think outside the box. People go for help, and there are some people who just always thought, Congressman Rutherford, that the answer is just to provide a medication. They weren't thinking outside the box. I remember people were showing up sick to PT. They would go to the infirmary complaining, and they were diagnosing Tylenol and codeine. You have a headache, Tylenol and codeine. You need knee surgery? Well, here is Tylenol and codeine. Whatever it was, it was just all over the base. It was the instinctive response. I think, for a while, the Department of Veterans Affairs thought that that was the only answer. We have a county sheriff who, in many ways, I look to him as the sheriff here in the House. He is also a cosponsor of H.R. 1476. He is someone who knows his purpose here in the House, a principled man, a fighter. His constituents are very lucky to have him in Florida's Fourth Congressional District. And he gets it. That is why he has been all in fighting for veterans every day that he has been here. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rutherford).

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, Congressman Jacobs, as he mentioned, was a member of the New York State Senate, and every single year it was a budget battle to get this money in that final budget. Thanks to Chris' efforts working on both sides of the aisle in both the New York State Senate and New York State Assembly, it didn't just continue to get funded but it expanded, and it is now in his region very successfully. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for being here and for his cosponsorship. Congressman Madison Cawthorn with North Carolina's 11th District is a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. He is a cosponsor of H.R. 1476. He is all in on that committee to fight for our veterans to make sure that the Department of Veterans Affairs is being run as effectively and efficiently as possible and there are a whole lot of Americans all across this country who know that as Madison Cawthorn has their back as a member of this committee. We are all proud of him and glad he is here in the House with us. We are honored to have him as a cosponsor. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Cawthorn).

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, the gentleman just said something that really struck with me as he reflects on people he served with who lost their lives due to PTSD. I have actually known more people in the military who have lost their lives due to PTSD than have lost their lives in combat. When we were deciding whether or not to create a program like this and we created a veterans' advisory panel to design the proposal, one of the members was someone named John Jennings. Right before we had our first meeting, John lost his battle due to PTSD, and we named it the John P. Jennings Veterans' Advisory Panel. But these stories for many post-9/11 veterans--and it was called something else in decades and generations past, it seems like each time there has been a conflict it has had a different name--so many veterans have been impacted actually losing more friends due to PTSD than in combat. My colleague from New York, Chris Jacobs, who is a cosponsor of H.R. 1476, comes from a part of the State that I actually had just visited. They have successful Dwyer models now in his region, too. Veterans of all generations and proud veteran supporters all throughout Chris Jacobs' district are looking to find ways to tell the story of how the Dwyer program is working for them and in other areas looking for ways to expand it to go further. Every minute since he has been here, Chris Jacobs has been an outstanding leader for our veterans and our veteran community. Of course, he is cosponsoring this legislation because he doesn't waste any opportunity to do everything in his power to help fight for vets. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jacobs).

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, Congressman Mike Garcia is another cosponsor of H.R. 1476. He was a Navy fighter pilot. We are not going to hold that against him. We are still just getting close here to an Army-Navy game. But what we find is that different generations serving in different branches and different conflicts, whether it is in peacetime or wartime, we have so many veterans who have stepped up. Congressman Mike Garcia sure has done his part. It is an honor to serve with him now here in the House. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Garcia), who is a cosponsor of H.R. 1476.

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Costa so much for his leadership and advocacy. It is so important that from coast to coast every veteran in the United States of America knows that there are people in their community who would drop everything at a moment's notice in the middle of the night to provide that love and support to get them through their difficult times. Every veteran should have access to a program like this, and I appreciate the gentleman's leadership.

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, our servicemen and-women have sacrificed so much in their courageous fight for our exceptional Nation and our freedoms. Unfortunately, when our veterans return home from the battlefield, too often they find that their fight has just begun. My home county in New York, Suffolk, boasts one of the highest concentrations of veterans in the country, and we pride ourselves on our rich history and commitment to serving our Nation's veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that approximately 20 veterans per day take their own life, oftentimes plagued with post- traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. One of those suffering was PFC Joseph Dwyer, an Iraq war veteran from Mount Sinai, New York. As an Army combat medic, PFC Dwyer was the face of the Iraq war. In 2003, this photo next to me was taken of Joe carrying an injured Iraqi child to safety, and it went viral worldwide. Unfortunately, when he came back home to Long Island he returned with the mental wounds of war, and after years of struggling, he lost his battle with PTSD in 2008. It is important to note that Joe didn't commit suicide. He was seeking temporary relief from his pain, and his last words were: I don't want to die. Understanding that PFC Dwyer was just one of the local veterans struggling, I created the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Program as a New York State senator in 2012. The Dwyer program is modeled as a peer-to-peer support program for veterans struggling with PTSD and TBI. This model provides a safe, confidential, and educational platform where all veterans are welcome to meet with other veterans in support of each other's successful transition to post-service life and seeks to build vet-to-vet relationships that enhance positive change. The Dwyer program also incorporates a variety of therapeutic activities, such as horse training and fishing that provide for common experiences, learning, and personal growth. Suffolk County served as one of four test counties in New York, and since then, with the dedication and hard work of so many exceptional men and women, the program has successfully expanded to more than 25 counties across New York, saving lives and assisting tens of thousands of New York veterans battling PTSD and TBI. The program has been so successful that the New York State budget for fiscal year 2022 included a 22 percent increase in funding for the Dwyer program. The way the program is organized, by providing grants to localities, it has allowed each county to customize its individual program to fit individual needs and resources they have available while running an efficient and effective program. Each county only receives between $100,000 and $300,000 from the State, and what they manage to do with that money is incredible. Its continued track record of success is why I introduced bipartisan legislation, H.R. 1476, the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Program Act, to expand the Dwyer program nationally by authorizing the VA Secretary to make grants available to State and local entities, to carry out peer-to-peer mental health programs all across our Nation and help ensure that all of our Nation's veterans have access to the support they need. This important legislation has earned the support of 14 veteran advocacy organizations, including: The American Legion, Military Veterans Advocacy, Blinded Veterans Association, Military Order of the Purple Heart, American Ex-Prisoners of War, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Catholic War Veterans, New York City Veterans Alliance, Jewish War Veterans, the Fleet Reserve Association, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Wounded Warrior Project, AMVETS, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. It has also been cosponsored by 36 of my colleagues, both Republicans and Democrats, some of whom we will hear from this evening about the importance of this legislation and improving the resources and care we provide to our Nation's heroes as they make the difficult transition to civilian life. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa), who is a leader in this effort fighting for our veterans and is a cosponsor of H.R. 1476.

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the topic of our Special Order.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Steve Klinsky for his commitment to our Nation's prosperity and the education of our youth. Steve has served as Chairman of the Board of the American Investment Council for four years. Upon the conclusion of his term of leadership of the Council, we recognize Steve for his service, his philanthropy to his community, and his tremendous commitment to education reform. Steve founded New Mountain Capital in 1999 and continues to lead the organization to help build better businesses, create jobs, and strengthen pensions. In fact, New Mountain's responsible management strategy has led to the creation of over 49,500 jobs Additionally, for nearly 30 years, Mr Klinsky has served children in New York City and beyond by supporting afterschool programs and advocating for charter schools. Most notably, he founded the ``Modern States'' program which makes college educations accessible and free. Mr. Klinsky's understanding of the importance of education to achieve the American Dream fuels his commitment to ensuring enrollment in Modern States' courses are open to all people without regard to age, location, family income, nationality, prior education or other barriers. Thanks to Mr. Klinsky's passion for access to a college education, Modern States has helped more than 280,000 students take free courses and work toward college degrees. Madam Speaker, please join me in thanking Steve Klinsky for his leadership.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Ziggy Wilinski, who recently lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. A Vietnam War veteran and USPS postmaster and general manager, Ziggy loved our country and community more than anything. Ziggy was an icon in the town of Riverhead, which boasts a large Polish-American population. You could often find Ziggy planning and organizing events at the Riverhead Polish Hall, which was used to gather the community for parties, performances, and other gatherings. He was also instrumental in planning and organizing the iconic annual Riverhead Polish Town Festival. Speaking from experience, it is a fantastic event that draws thousands of people every year. Thank you to Ziggy, his wife, Wanda, and his entire family for their service to our community. Ziggy was a great guy. He will be greatly missed, but I have no doubt his legacy will live on for generations to come.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America. Jewish War Veterans was founded on March 15, 1896, by 63 Jewish Civil War veterans after several anti-Semitic comments were made claiming there was a lack of Jewish participation during the Civil War. Since then, the Jewish War Veterans have made it their mission to fight anti-Semitism and advocate for Jewish servicemembers and veterans from all walks of life. Whether it was supporting Jewish servicemembers fighting Nazi Germany during World War II or establishing the National Museum of American Jewish History, the Jewish War Veterans have never stopped supporting its members, Jewish servicemembers, and our veterans. As a fellow member of the Jewish War Veterans, thank you for your service to our Nation and our veterans, and congratulations again on 125 incredible years. May there be many more to come.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I am sickened and angered by what we all had to witness last Wednesday and call for the investigation and prosecution, to the fullest extent of the law, of every single person who participated in the violence and loss of life in this Capitol Building last Wednesday. I, as a Member sitting here, listening to the entire debate, desperately need to better understand the two standards that are at play in this House. Why is it okay if a House Democrat calls for violence in the streets but not if you are a Republican? Why can a House Democrat be rewarded with a gavel and a chairmanship if they are calling for physical confrontation of a Trump administration official, but they will be punished if they are a Republican? The double standards that we have seen time and time again, I need to better understand what the rules are of this House. Why is it that a committee chairman can lie to the American public about having more than circumstantial evidence that the President colluded with the Russians in order to win the 2016 election? But, of course, the Republicans can't and wouldn't lie to the American public about something like that. We need to better understand what these two standards are that are at play and to complete the record because the House Democrats are here to make President Trump the first President to be impeached twice. So, I will complete the record. First off, in the Article of Impeachment, it is written that the President gave a speech and told his supporters to come here, and he incited this riot. One speaker after another after another here on the other side of the aisle repeated that in the Article of Impeachment. We all know that this was their preplanned attack. We all know that there were pipe bombs being discovered while the President was speaking. We all know that the Capitol perimeter was being breached during the President's speech. We know that this was preplanned, and it started while the President was speaking. Why is that not in the Article of Impeachment? Why is that not being incorporated into my colleagues' remarks to complete the record, if you want to make the President the first President to be impeached twice? Well, we will add something else to that. Thank you to the President for his efforts to defeat MS-13 in my district. Thank you to the President for his efforts to move the Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, to take out Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Qasem Soleimani, to eliminate the ISIS caliphate, to enter into the historic Abraham Accords, to have an economy this time last year that was stronger than I ever remember in my entire lifetime. Yes, we will complete the record, and in all fairness, as the President leaves 1 week from today, let's be honest about the double standards that exist inside this Chamber. Let's also be honest that this President did a lot to make America greater than ever.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, my constitutional oath is sacred, and I have a duty to speak out about confirmed evidence-filled issues with the administration of the 2020 Presidential election in certain battleground States. Signature verification, ballot observation, voter roll integrity, voter ID requirements, and ballot collection protections were weakened on top of the millions of mailboxes that were flooded with unrequested mail-in ballots. Many of my constituents have been outraged and demanding that I voice their objections here today. This debate is necessary because rogue election officials, secretaries of state, and courts circumvented State election laws. They made massive changes to how their State's election would be run. These acts, among other issues, were unlawful and unconstitutional. Congress has the duty to defend the Constitution and any powers of State legislatures that were usurped. Some claim today's objections set new precedent by challenging State electors. That claim, of course, ignores that Democrats have objected every time a Republican Presidential candidate has won an election over the past generation. If you don't have any observations today, that is your call, but don't lecture about precedent. Over the past 4 years, Democrats boycotted President Trump's inauguration and State of the Union Addresses, pushed the Trump-Russia collusion conspiracies and investigations and knowingly lied about it, voted to impeach the President before even knowing what to impeach him for, and then actually passed Articles of Impeachment before Senate Democrats voted to remove him from office. Today's debate is necessary, especially because of the insistence that everything President Trump and his supporters say about the 2020 election is evidence-free. That is simply not true. No one can honestly claim it is evidence-free. When I say that, in Arizona, courts unilaterally extended the legislatively set deadline to register to vote. The Arizona State Senate issued subpoenas post-election to get information from the Maricopa County board on various election matters, but the board and the courts refused to help at all to let the State senate complete its constitutional duties. In Pennsylvania, where State legislators wrote us about their powers being usurped, the Democrat majority on the State supreme court changed signature, signature matching and postal marking requirements. The date to submit mail-in ballots was extended contradictory to the date set by State law. The State legislature expanded no-excuse mail-in balloting without a constitutional amendment. Constitutions apply to the acts of all branches of government. The issue was magnified by the voter rolls being so inaccurate that more voters submitted ballots than there were registered voters. Signature authentication rules for absentee and mail-in ballots were weakened by the Democrat secretary of the Commonwealth without authorization. Ballot defects were allowed to be cured in some counties but not others. There were poll watchers denied the ability to closely observe ballot counting operations. In Georgia, the secretary of state unilaterally entered into a settlement agreement with the Democratic Party, changing statutory requirements for confirming voter identity. Challenging defective signatures was made far more difficult, and the settlement even required election officials to consider issuing training materials drafted by an expert retained by the Democratic Party. In Wisconsin, election officials assisted voters on how to circumvent the State's voter ID laws and signature verification laws, while also placing unmanned drop boxes in locations picked to boost Democrat turnout. The Democracy in the Park event in Wisconsin had over 17,000 ballots transferred that shouldn't have been. These are all facts and certainly not ``evidence free.'' Americans deserve nothing less than full faith and confidence in their elections and a guarantee that their vote--their voice--counts and that their concerns are being heard. That is why we need to have this debate today, whether you like it or not. This isn't about us. This is about our Constitution, our elections. This is about our people and our Republic.

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the objection.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this measure, which prioritizes six key projects for New York's First Congressional District, a district almost completely surrounded by water. On the east end of Long Island, we have a unique responsibility to safeguard our local waterways, from bolstering our local maritime infrastructure to managing future storm risks. Working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and the Army Corps team at its New York district office, this bill prioritizes local projects that are vital to my congressional district. The Fire Island to Montauk Point project includes essential dredging and shoreline projects over 83 miles of coastline. Coastal storm risk management for Hashamomuck Cove in Southold is included, where, right now, local residents, businesses, and first responders are paralyzed even during a severe thunderstorm. Additionally, this legislation authorizes a feasibility study for a project at Wading River Creek in Riverhead and expedites feasibility studies for projects at Reel Point Preserve and Shelter Island, Goldsmith Inlet in Southold, and Lake Montauk Harbor in Montauk. Continuing to safeguard and invest in our maritime infrastructure will help preserve Long Island's way of life for generations to come. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I thank the chair and ranking member for their leadership in making this a reality.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 910, the National Sea Grant College Program Amendments Act of 2020, which would authorize roughly $513 million over 5 years for NOAA's National Sea Grant College Program. Mr. Speaker, representing a district almost completely surrounded by water in New York's First Congressional District, Sea Grant has worked to support our local fishermen and oyster growers, protect our beaches, and support marine science research that is essential for our local economy and environment. Leading some of the largest bipartisan coalitions of lawmakers to ever support Sea Grant, with my Democratic colleague, Congressman Joe Courtney from Connecticut, we have helped secure critical funding over the years for Sea Grant through the appropriations process. With imported seafood making up the vast majority of American's seafood consumption, this critical program will help strengthen local seafood businesses on Long Island and across the country. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important bipartisan legislation.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, this is the type of political calculation that my constituents absolutely hate. The Speaker's biggest decision, when we all go home and we go home without a deal, is picking between which of her expensive flavors of gourmet ice cream to eat or which closed-down salon to get her next blowout at; but for that furloughed airline worker, they are expecting us to get the job done. I will tell you what, Mr. Speaker. There is a real deal on the table, and right now, before we leave, I beg my colleagues--I see Congressman Espaillat here. He has been leading the charge on MTA funding. I thank the gentleman. We are all working together as Republicans and Democrats to get the victory over the finish line. This Chamber cannot leave without actually getting this done. I tell my Republican colleagues and my Democratic colleagues in the House and in the Senate: Do not leave without getting a deal done. This Heroes Act is dead on arrival, and we all know that.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, this is not a bill, a vote, and a debate that is about national principle. This is about politics; this is about grandstanding; this is about political calculations; and this is about the election. Mr. Speaker, do you want to talk about leadership? Right now, there is a real deal, a real counteroffer that is on the table: $150 billion more for education, $75 billion more for testing and tracing, $250 billion more for State and local government funding, $400 weekly enhanced unemployment insurance, $15 billion more in food assistance, and $60 billion more in rental and mortgage assistance. It actually adds up to $1.6 trillion, which is more than the House Democrats who are members of the Problem Solvers Caucus asked for. They asked for $1.5 trillion. This is a real counteroffer. Instead, what you are seeing, Mr. Speaker, is a political calculation that is getting made, and real lives are at stake. This is a serious offer that is on the table, and instead of sending this Chamber home and ending up with nothing, how about we do our jobs and cut a deal? This debate right now is exactly what the American public hates about Congress. They hate us for this kind of a debate. They want to see us working together, Republicans and Democrats, to cut a deal. We have a chair of the Appropriations Committee from New York. I view this as a New Yorker. She is a New Yorker. We have an MTA that needs money. Our State needs money. New York City, the Port Authority, and our local governments on the east end of Long Island, hey, we should be working together to get something done. This bill has poison pills in it that make this bill dead on arrival. There are certain pieces in here where we know this is never going to become law: stimulus checks for people who are not in our country legally, nationwide cashless bail, nationwide ballot harvesting, prohibition on voter ID, and releasing criminals from prison. None of that will ever become law. Why are we doing that when we have real lives, real people? Go talk to that person who works for the airline and they are being furloughed first thing this morning. They don't have a job to go to. Go to talk to the MTA, the largest mass transit system in the entire country. What they want us to do is to work together to get something done. The Speaker is staking her political capital on what benefits her the most politically, and what is crazy is that she benefits the most by having the highest death count. She is benefiting the most by having our economy suffering as much as possible.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, as early as today, the House will be voting to pass the Don't Break Up the T-Band Act, of which I am proud to be an original cosponsor. This would mark a great victory for our first responders who use the T-Band spectrum and bravely and selflessly put their lives on the line each and every day to protect our communities. From hurricanes to fires, the T-Band spectrum provides critical communication between first responders. Even when cell phones, internet, and electricity cease to function, T-Band is the last line of defense. However, the T-Band spectrum is mandated to be sold. According to the GAO, this misguided sale and the relocation of users would actually cost taxpayers $5 billion to $6 billion. Thankfully, this bipartisan legislation would preserve the spectrum, and help ensure our first responders have the resources to do their jobs safely and effectively. I urge the Senate to follow suit and move forward on this vital bill.