with some of the most accomplished, smartest people in the world. i treasure your friendship. and my husband, dan, deserves the lion's share of my gratitude. the sacrifices that he's made, his wisdom, and his love for our three children and me, abigail, who is 9, ethan who is 6, and assana who is 3 have been a blessing. i had all three of my kids during my congressional tenure. that gives you a glimpse into the amazing man my husband s my parents, and dan's parents have done more than i could possibly recount to support us. and to southwest washington, thank you for entrusting me six times with this awesome responsibility. and to my team, many of whom have been with me all 12 years, with your help we did things that nobody else could have done. like when i was first elected health care reform was our nation's challenge. if you know me you k >> the house is returning for

debate on a number of suspension bills. earlier today, they worked on changes to the immigrant visa program. also, the house rules committee is considering an extension of government funding for one week through december 23. current funding expires this friday. live now to the floor of the u.s. house here on c-span. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. mcgovern, and the gentleman from kansas, mr. mann, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mcgovern: madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mcgovern: madam speaker, i rise in strong support of 1156. today we are considering this legislation calling on congress to build on the 20 years of success of the george mcgovern-robert doal

international food for education and child nutrition program. mcgovern-dole is one of america's signature child nutrition and food security programs. it's name after senators george mcgovern and bob dole both of whom worked tirelessly and in a bipartisan way toned hunger among children in the united states and around the world. they continued their work together after leaving the senate, living examples of what can be accomplished when members of congress put partisanship aside and make the welfare of children and families their number one priority. and that bipartisan tradition, aim proud to stand here today with my republican colleagues and co-lead on this resolution, congressman tracey mann, and i am grateful to each of the 86 bipartisan co-sponsors of this resolution. i also want to honor and recognize our former colleague, the incredible jo ann emerson, who was my co-lead in 2001 when the mcgovern-dole legislation was first introduced and later established by congress in the 2002 farm bill.

over the past 20 years, mcgovern-dole has provided lifesaving meals in a school setting to over 31 million of the world's most vulnerable children. providing u.s. and international organization was american commodities, grants, and technical assistance to strike the child nutrition and education. working through mart partners like the world food program, catholic relief services, world vision, save the children, counterpart international, and many more, mcgovern-dole has reduced hunger and increased school enrollments, attendance, literacy, and the support of families and communities for education, especially for girls. and america's farmers are vital to the success of the mcgovern-dole program. over the past 20 years, more than 1.3 million metric tons of u.s. commodities have been used to create nutritious, cleurly -- culturally appropriate school meals in over 48 countries. just as important as the statistics, perhaps even more important are the stories.

i remember in colombia where i visited a program on the outskirts of bogota on hillside surrounded by shanties, housing thousands of internally displaced families. children receiving a school breakfast and lunch. mothers and grandmothers training as cooks preparing the meals. clearly visible in the cafeteria were usd and u.s. aid bags of lentils. one mother said please thank the american people when you go back home. i couldn't feed my children, i couldn't send them to school. i was afraid my son was going to join the paramilitaries or the guerrillas just to get food. now my son is getting fed and staying in school. please tell the american people thank you. in nairobi kenya, in the largest slum in the world, i went to a breakfast and lunch program. the school principal showed me how they store and prepare the u.s. commodities that feed her students. and how all students know that this is a program from the

american people. i eight pore raj made from american yellow pees, the -- peas, the bigs dug into the food like manna from heaven. one little boy would take a bite and scoop a small amount out of his bowl and put in his pockets. he was taking food home to his younger siblings who don't get anything to eat. mcgovern-dole represents the best of this country. it's something the american people should be proud of. a powerful message to the world about who we are and what we stand for. not only freedom of speech or freedom of religion, or freedom of the press, but also freedom from want, freedom from fear, and freedom from hunger. there are many ways to advance our national security and economic interests abroad, this program ought to be at the top of the list. as we confront the global challenges of war, pandemic, and climate change, food security and nutrition programs must remain at the forefront of our international development and humanitarian work. i urge my colleagues to visit mcgovern-dole programs when they travel abroad. i urge them support funding that

expands and builds upon these 20 years of success. i urge all my colleagues to support h.res. 1156. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from kansas is recognized. mr. mann: madam speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 1156, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mann: 20 years ago, kansas legend and hero of mine, senator bob dole and senator george mcgovern reached across the aisle together in bipartisan support for their mobile idea, to add the u.s. department of agriculture purchase surplus american commodities from produces and -- producers and donate those across the globe. since then the program has provided 5.5 billion school meals to 31 million school-aged children in 41 countries improving food security, nutrition, literacy, and primary education of these children and their families. codified as part of the 2002 farm bill, the program is an ongoing successful example of public-private partnership.

the u.s. department of agriculture works alongside nonprofit organizations, and organizations like the world food program, catholic services, world vision, save the children, mercy corps, and many more to provide school meals, teacher training, and related support to bolster school enrollment and academic performance, all to keep kids fed and learning. just in the past two months, i have heard nothing but excitement about this program from bot wheat farmers at home soar gum producers who visited my office here in washington, d.c. there is a reason all commodity groups and humanitarian aid organizations support moving this legislation forward. where there is wheat and sorghum from kansas, or pea gnat butter made from georgia peanuts. since the program's inception, they have proudly donated more than 1.3 million metric tons of commodities to create nutritious school meals. representative mcgovern and i along with 86 co-sponsors have

brought this resolution forward to the house to express this body's commitment to building on the success of the mcgovern-dole program and support the american farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producer who is provide the commodities required for it to function. i urge my colleagues to vote yes on this resolution. and support this program's success for 20 years -- 20 more years and beyond. with that, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. mcgovern: madam speaker, i recognize the gentleman from georgia for two minutes, mr. bishop. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. bishop: i thank the gentleman for allowing me to speak on this bill. madam speaker, i rise in support of h.res. 1156. i want to thank my colleague from massachusetts whose bipartisan efforts more than 20 years ago led to the creation of the george mcgovern,-robert dole and national food for education program. since then this program has enjoyed bipartisan support. the united states continues to produce the highest quality, the

safest, and most adundant and economickical food and fiber anywhere in the world. drawing on this abundance, we are able to provide school meals, teacher training, an nutrition programs for pregnant and nursing women, whether at home or abroad. we know that by reducing hunger and improving nutrition, we help support better educational outcomes. this program is a win-win for america. supporting america's farmers and producers by providing donated u.s. a agricultural commodities and using them to help reduce child hunger, improve education, and support greater security in the world. i believe this program has been and will continue to be an essential tool for diplomacy. as chair of the house agriculture subcommittee on agriculture, rural development, and the f.d.a. and related agencies, it has been my honor to fund this program each year. it is true to the spirit of service and compassion that

ambassador and former senator george mcgovern and former senate bob dole embodied. this program helps bring the bounty of america's farmers, ranchers, millers, shippers, and commodity groups to assist vulnerable children and mothers around the world. in celebrating the first 20 years of its success i look forward to the program's enduring impact in years ahead. i urge my colleagues to support this resolution. i urge passage. i thank the gentleman for yielding. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts reserves. the gentleman from kansas is recognized. mr. mann: thank you, madam speaker. i yield three minutes to my distinguished colleague from the state of north carolina, congressman rouser. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from north carolina is recognized. mr. rouser: i thank my friend. i rise today in joining my colleagues in support of h.res. 1156. expressing the commitment of the house of representatives to building on 20 years of success of the george mcgovern-robert

dole food for education and child nutrition program. during the past two decades, mcgovern-dole has provided more than $5.5 million school meals, benefiting more than 31 million school-aged children and their communities. i have seen this program in action. up close and first hand. and boy is it a special sight to see. having traveled within chairman of the agricultural committee mike conaway several years ago to some of the third world countries where food is scarce and extreme poverty like most have never seen is the norm, it's easy to understand how imperative this program is for so many children who would likely never have a nutritious meal. just as important and because of how the program was crafted, the mcgovern-dole program provides an opportunity to learn, laying the foundation for an improved life through knowledge and then achievement. for many of these children who come from very poor means, this meal provided at school is quite frankly the only good meal of the day.

it's also important to recognize the support of the american agricultural producers who make this program possible. america's farm families have produced more than 1.3 million metric tons of agricultural commodities for donation. doing their part in reducing hunger and improving primary education in countries around the globe. congress must continue to lead by example in tackling hunger and poverty around the world for years to come. these efforts not only help feed those who cannot help themselves, but it builds goodwill and provides so many hope and a future. many laws have been passed by this chamber, but none have been more impactful to the lives of so many children who desperately need the help around the world. . i encourage my colleagues to

support this resolution, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kansas reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. mcgovern: madam speaker, i'm proud to yield a minute and a half to the distinguished chair of the appropriations committee, ms. delauro of connecticut. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from connecticut is recognized. ms. delauro: madam speaker, i rise in support of this bipartisan resolution. it expresses the commitment of this chamber to build on the 20 years of success of the george mcgovern-robert dole food for education and child nutrition program. its mission is simple. reduce hunger, improve literacy and poverty. by providing countless school meals, the program helps improve child nutrition, maternal health and access to quality education, particularly for girls. i was proud that the appropriations committee was able to include $265 million for this critical program this summer, the most in the program's history. during its 20-year history, it has made a positive difference

in the lives of more than 31 million children and families in 48 countries around the world. during the pandemic, when school closures were commonplace the mcgovern-dole program shifted from providing meals in schools to providing take-home options that distributed about 23,000 metric tons of commodities donated by the united states. and 550 metric tons of locally procured commodities to more than 1.7 million children and families across 26 projects. these efforts ensure that children would continue receiving daily meals and at its crux, they would not go hungry while they were learning at home. let us remain committed to not only carrying on the legacy of these giants, ambassador mcgovern, senator dole, but continue to follow the example that they set working to tackle

hunger and poverty around the world. i urge my colleagues to support this resolution. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts reserves. the gentleman from kansas is recognized. mr. mann: i continue to reserve as well. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: madam speaker, i'm proud to yield a minute and a half to my distinguished colleague from connecticut, mrs. hayes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from connecticut is recognized. mrs. hayes: thank you, madam speaker. i rise in support of the resolution 1156, building on 20 years of success of the mcgovern-dole international food for education and child nutrition programs. for two decades, the mcgovern-dole nutrition program has led the way in alleviating hunger and improving food security around the world. i deeply believe in the core values of this nutrition program because as a teacher i saw with my own eyes that hungry kids don't learn. it is one of the greatest investments congress can make, by providing at least one

nutritious meal per day to vulnerable children in schools across the world, we are also investing in their development and their education. beyond these children and their families, we also continue to support u.s. producers. during my time as the 2016 national teacher of the year, i traveled abroad to many countries as an ambassador for education. while abroad, i learned the degree to which other countries look to us to lead the way for food security and childhood nutrition. i was greeted by numerous children on the african continent who thanked me as the american teacher for all the american programs. our international food aid programs are not just an exercise of goodwill. they are absolutely critical to communities protecting themselves from the devastation of food security. it is our moral obligation to ensure that we contribute to the food security of the global community, particularly children, pregnant women, and new mothers whenever possible. i have been a proud supporter of mcgovern-dole funding during my

time in congress, and i will continue to do so. i urge my colleagues to vote for this in support of the house resolution and i yield back. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts reserves. the gentleman from kansas is recognized. mr. mann: madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mann: it has been a privilege to advocate for this resolution today. the mcgovern-dole program absolutely deserves the recognition of congress for its wide support and bipartisan nature. it is not often that you can go to kansas to speak with commodity groups and visit with nones with the catholic charities in washington, d.c., and hear them both advocating for the exact same program. more than 200 commodity groups, trade associations, humanitarian groups, and businesses support this program for its merits and support today's resolution. this resolution honors the positive impact that we can have when we reach across the aisle and work together. senators bob dole and george mcgovern had a brilliant vision and they executed on it. it has been a joy to work with

representative mcgovern and mohr than -- more than 86 co-sponsors. today we honor the 20th anniversary of the mcgovern-dole program because it's a strategic and effective foreign diplomacy that we can all support. i ask my colleagues to support this simple and bipartisan resolution. and with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman yields. the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. mcgovern: thank you, madam speaker. we have one additional speakers, but i don't see her. so let me close. first of all, let me thank my colleague from kansas, mr. mann, for his support of this resolution and for his advocacy on behalf of the mcgovern-dole program. and i -- and i really -- as we listen to the back and forth here today, it is really quite inspiring to see the breadth of the bipartisanship here that we're trying to deal with this horrific problem of childhood hunger around the world.

hunger is a political condition. we have the resources. we have the funds. we have the infrastructure. we have everything we need to eradicate hunger in this country and across the planet. what we have lacked is the political will. the mcgovern-dole program inspired by george mcgovern and bob dole, a liberal democrat from south dakota and a conservative republican from kansas, their efforts together have made a dent in childhood hunger. it has made a huge difference. it has -- it has allowed more young kids, especially girls, to go to school, to become lit rate, to be -- litterate, to be able to get -- literate, to be able to see a mcgovern-dole project anywhere around the world how grateful people are for people of the united states for supporting this. parents are the same everywhere. we all want to make sure our kids are safe, that they're fed,

that they have a good future. and what this program does is it helps parents ensure that their kids' future is bright. i believe that when -- when we talk about national security, it has to be more than just about the number of bombs we have. it has to be about how we alleviate these global challenges like hunger. and in this case, childhood hunger. that's the way we build a more secure and a more stable world. and i am proud of all the organizations that have participated in the mcgovern-dole am practice. i am proud of all -- mcgovern-dole program. i am proud to serve with democrats and republicans who support this important initiative. so i will close simply by saying, this is not only a good program. it is a great program. at a time when people wonder where the bipartisanship is in washington, here is an example where we can bring people

together. and i know i mentioned her briefly in the beginning, but i do want to acknowledge our former colleague, congresswoman jo ann emerson from missouri. she was a strong partner in this effort early on in getting the legislation that established mcgovern-dole up and running and i can't ever thank her enough. so to all my colleagues, please support h.res. 1156, and please, let us all commit to doing more to eradicating hunger and food insecurity here in the united states and around the world in the years to come. with that, madam speaker, i will yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to resolution 1156. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are

suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from arizona seek recognition? >> madam speaker, i move the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 5060. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 5060, an act to redesignate the federal building located at 212 third avenue south in minneapolis, minnesota, as the paul d.

wellstone federal building, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from arizona, mr. stanton, and the gentleman from arkansas, mr. crawford, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from arizona. mr. stanton: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on s. 5060. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. stanton: madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. stanton: madam speaker, i rise in support of s. 5060, a bill that would designate the federal building located at 212 third avenue south in minneapolis, minnesota, as the paul d. wellstone federal building. s. 5060 was introduced on october 25, 2022, 20 years to the day that senator wellstone, his wife, sheila, his daughter, marsha, his staff members, todd lapick, mary mcavoy, pilots

richard conray and michael guest were killed in a plane crash in minnesota. paul wellstone was born in washington, d.c., on july 21, 1944, attended arlington, virginia, public schools, received his b.a. from the university of north carolina in 1965, irnd a p.h. -- earned a ph.d. in 1969, taught political science at carlton college, for 27 years, sewas elected to represent minnesota in the united states senate in 1990, was re-elected in 1996, and served from january 3, 1991 until his death in a plane crash on october 25, 2002. paul wellstone was a champion college wrestler, a college professionor for 21 years, a

prolific legislator that sponsored 608 bills while in the senate and a mentor to generations of advocates. upon introduction of s. 5060, senator klobuchar said, quote, during his time as an educator, activist, united states senator, paul wellstone touched the lives of people throughout minnesota and across the country. that's because he stood up for people, persistently fighting against injustices, small and large, from his passionate advocacy for better care and services for those suffering from mental illness to his leadership on civil rights and campaign finance reform, paul showed how getting involved in public service can make a real difference in improving people's lives, unquote. madam speaker, i support s. 5060, and i urge my colleagues to join me. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from arkansas is

recognized. mr. crawford: madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. crawford: mau, madam speaker. i rise in support of senate bill 5060 which designates the federal building located in minneapolis, minnesota, as the paul d. wellstone federal building. paul well stone served two -- wellstone served two terms in the senate before he and others were taken in a tragic plane crash in minnesota. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from arizona is recognized. mr. stanton: madam speaker, i wish to yield to representative omar from minnesota. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from minnesota is recognized. ms. omar: thank you, my friend. madam speaker, i rise today in support of senate 5060, to rename the federal building in my district as the paul d. wellstone federal building. i am proud to honor and celebrate the legacy of the late senator paul wellstone. as an activist, academic,

author, and proud senator from minnesota. some of ukrainian jewish immigrant senator wellstone was born in washington, d.c. and grew up in north virginia. in northern virginia. he seechd his bachelor's and master's and. approximate h.d. from -- ph.d. from the university of north carolina, chapel hill, and hired as professor in northfield, minnesota, where he taught until his election to the senate in 1990. while in the u.s. senate, wellstone was a proud progressive in support of environmental protection, free school meals, labor groups, and health care reform. he served he served in the senate from 1991 until 2002 where he was killed in a plane crash with his wife and daughter on board.

he was a hero of mine. he showed what it meant to fight for working people and he showed that it is possible to stay true to your progressive values and lead a life of public service. he always said, we all do better when we all do better. i am honored to have the federal building in my district, the same building where in may of 1970, he was arrested for civil disobedience while protesting the vietnam war named after the late senator from minnesota. i urge my colleagues to join me in honoring his life and legacy bypassing this bipartisan bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from arizona

reserves. the gentleman from arkansas is recognized. mr. crawford: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from arizona is recognized. mr. stanton: we have no more speakers on this side. we continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from arkansas is recognized. mr. crawford: i am prepared to close. this bill recognizes senator wellstone's and dedication to the people of minnesota. and i urge support of this bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time the gentleman from air is reco recognized. mr. stanton: i urge my colleagues to support this legislation and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass senate 5060. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended and the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on

the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from arizona seek recognition? mr. stanton: i move the house success pinned the rules and pass the bill senate 4017. the clerk: senate 4017 and act to designate the hughes courthouse at 117 jackson avenue as the james todd united states courthouse and for other purposes. pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from arizona, mr. stanton and the gentleman from arkansas, mr. crawford, the chair recognizes the gentleman from arizona. mr. stanton: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to include extraneous material on senate 4017. and i yield myself such time as i may consume. i support the passage of senate 4017 a bill to name the united

states courthouse at 111 south highland avenue the james d. todd united states courthouse. judge todd was born in tennessee in 1943 and received a bachelor of degree and jury is doctorate now the university of memphis. and he was in private practice in jackson tennessee from 1972 to 19823 and served as a judge on tennessee's circuit court to 1985. he was confirmed to the u.s. district court to the western district court and served as chief judge from 2001 to 2007 and he assumed senior status in 2008. i support senate 4017 to name a courthouse after the honorable judge todd, and i reserve the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from arkansas is recognized. mr. crawford: i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise in support of senate 4017 which designates the united states courthouse lee countied in jackson and i thank my colleague for introducing this legislation which has the support of the entire tennessee legislation. he was first nominated in 1985 by president reagan. judge todd served in the district court as chief judge from 2021 to -- 2001 to 2007. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from arizona is recognized. mr. stanton: i have no more speakers and i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from arkansas is recognized.

mr. crawford: i yield five minutes to the gentleman from tennessee mr. kustoff. ms. kuster: -- mr. kustoff: i rise so name the james t. todd located at 111 south highland avenue in jackson, tennessee. judge todd has dedicated his entire life to his community, to his state and to this nation. a graduate of lexington high school, judge todd received his masters in combined sciences from the university of mississippi in 1968. he then went on to receive his law degree from the university of memphis school of law in

1972. from there, judge todd practiced law with the firm of waldrop todd and green for fine years before being elected as a state circuit court judge where he served for two years. he was then nominated by president ronald reagan in june of 1985 and served as a judge on the united states district court for the western district of tennessee. and judge todd was confirmed by the united states senate on july 10, 1985, with no objection. for almost four decades, judge todd worked tirelessly for the people of jackson and for west tennessee and for our entire state. i will note as a point of personal privilege, that judge todd administered my oath as the united states attorney for the western district of tennessee in

2006, a moment i will never forget. in addition to judge todd's time on the bench, he has been involved in the tennessee boys' club, jackson senior league baseball coach, served as alumni association president and goals for jackson committee. judge todd has been a respected member of the judiciary community in west tennessee. he retired and took inactive status last year. and i was proud to join our entire western tennessee community congratulating him on his years of dedicated service. former madison county mayor jimmy harris who retired from jackson, tennessee, who is a friend of judge todd and commented. and this is what the mayor said,

quote, respect and talent, there is law enforcement, judges, lawyers, the district attorney, you name it, they all have a healthy respect for jim todd, but he is the what a federal judge ought to be. he makes decisions based on the law and the constitution. that's all you can ask for, close quote. in my opinion, mayor harris, his comments were spot on and for all these reasons i am proud to introduce this legislation that honors judge todd. i think the chief judge tom anderson of the western district of tennessee said it best when he said, quote, this is a historic and monumental event for west tennessee to recognize one of our own and name this outstanding facility after judge

todd, close quote. i would like to thank every member of the tennessee delegation, senators blackburn and haggerty and all of my tennessee colleagues for supporting this legislation. as such, i urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the legislation to honor the life and legacy of judge james d. todd. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from arizona is recognized. mr. stanton: i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from arkansas is recognized. mr. crawford: i'm prepared to close. this bill honors judge james todd for many years of service to the state of tennessee and i urge support and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from arizona is recognized. mr. stanton: i urge my colleagues do support this important legislation and i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass senate 4017. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended. the bill is passed. and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from arizona seek recognition? mr. stanton: i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 1082 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: a bill to require companies to implement and enhance digital with their vehicles and drivers pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from arizona, mr. stanton and the gentleman from arkansas, mr. crawford, each will control 20 minutes. mr. stanton: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to

revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 1082 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: without objection mr. stanton: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized mr. stanton: i rise in strong support of h.r. 1082 as amended. i applaud the gentleman from new jersey, representative smith for having his tenacity to get this bill to the house floor for consideration today. the gentleman and staff worked through tirelessly through many iterations and taking safety of passengers and drivers who utilize ride hailing platforms. a bill to honor and remember samantha joseph son. a 21-year-old college student was murdered after she entered a car after she thought was the uber that she ordered.

her parents have shared their heart wrenching story with so many of us on capitol hill. they have been committed to working so that no other family will have to go through this kind of pain and millions of people who use ride-hailing services can do so with protections in place. mobility and transportation patterns have been upended by companies that through platforms have revolutionized. in a very short time, many people have come to rely on transportation network companies such as uber and lyft as a regular transportation option. these services have operated with little transportation safety or regulatory oversight. there are many aspects of t.n.c. that committee on transportation has examined including impacts on wages and public transportation use as well as

gaps in regulatory oversight of t.n.c.'s and drivers. we held a hearing in 2020 where we examined a number of troubling aspects. while the bill under consideration is a scaled-back version, it marks an important step in oversight of t.n.c. h.r. 1082 prohibits the sale of any signage designed to help a passenger identify a t.n.c. vehicle or contains proprietary logo unless authorized by the t.n.c. the bill directs the government accountability office to do a study on t.n.c. passengers and drivers. in addition, it directs the g.a.o. to study the back grouped checks on prospective drivers including any state and local

laws which may require such background checks. strong vetting of potential drivers is the first line of defense to ensure passenger safety. the study initiated by this bill will inform decisions on what more needs to be done to protect the ride-hailing community. lawmakers at the federal, state and local level will need to think beyond where the ride hailing gets people from point a to point b and that ensures t.n.c. drivers will give zestings. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from arkansas is recognized. mr. crawford: i yield myself such time as i may consume. . . . mr. crawford: i rise in support of sami's law. it prohibits the unauthorized

sale of transport network company ride hailing signage authorizes enforcement policies and requires the government accountability office to study incidents of sexual assault of passengers and drivers of t.n.c. vehicles, taxi cabs and other for-hire vehicles. this will protect drivers and will ensure important data is collected on t.n.c.-related assault and abuse. i urge support of this legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from arizona is recognized. mr. stanton: madam speaker, i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from arkansas is recognized. mr. crawford: thank you, madam speaker. i yield 10 minutes to the sponsor of this bill, the gentleman from new jersey, mr. smith. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. smith: thank you. i thank my good friend for yielding, for his leadership. i thank my friend on the other side of the aisle. madam speaker, in late march of 2019, university of south carolina senior samantha josefson, sami to friends and family, left a late-night outing with her friends alone because

she had to work in the morning. the extraordinarily talented student who had just earned a full scholarship to drexel universal law ordered an uber. in a congested part of columbia known as five points, a predator pretending to be her uber driver took her in his car and brutally murdered her. less than 24 hours later sami was found dead in a field. the murderer, nathaniel rowland, was caught in a heart -- caught. and in a heart-wrenching trial, rowland was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. presiding circuit court judge newman noted the, quote, horrific and most brutal nature of sami's murder and said, quote, it's the most severe murder that has occurred that i have been a witness to as far as presiding in court or participating in as a lawyer. almost immediately, however, after her death, and notwithstanding their ex trucatinging a-- agony over the

loss of their daughter, sami's parents began pushing for a comprehensive new protection policy at uber and lyft and legislation to ensure to the maximum extent possible that no one else is ever killed, raped or assaulted by a ride share driver. they created the what's my name foundation in, quote, honor of their daughter, to educate the world on ride share safety. samantha may be gone, they wrote, but our goal for the rest of our time on earth is to ensure her story and make a lasting change. her parents have and are making a lasting change. their advocacy has saved lives and made so many more of us situationally aware of the dangers of using uber and lyft. for more than three years, almost four now, especially given the pain due to the unimaginable loss of their daughter, see more and mars -- sey more and marcy have been

selfless. they have inspired modest reforms by uber and lyft and are the first to say that so much more needs to be done. marcy and seymour have made frequent trips to the capitol to meet lawmakers and staff from both sides of the aisle, including speaker pelosi and leader mccarthy, as well as transportation and infrastructure chairman defazio, ranking member graves and subcommittee chairs norton and ranking member davis. ranking members mcmorris was so greatly moved to tears when they told their horrible story about what happened to their daughter. and i am grateful to chairman pallone, who has waved the bill through the energy and commerce committee today to ensure its consideration. i am grateful that the speaker, for her strong commitment to this cause, and there was empathy, you felt it when you were in the room. they said, what can we do, and we have to do as much as humanly possible. so i thank them and i want to offer my special thanks to tom

suozzi for his tremendous support and for being the lead democratic co-sponsor all these years on this legislation. robert edmundson, with the speaker, and ryan long, with the -- with kevin mccarthy, and other staff members, have just done stellar work trying to push this and additional reforms forward. because hopefully we're not done. the need for sami's law is absolutely compelling, i tell my colleagues. i ask all of us, do any of us really believe that ride sharing, particularly late at night, particularly around college campuses, especially for women, isn't safe when you're on an uber or lyft? it is a big, open question. two reports released by uber found that over a four-year period, from 2017 to 2022, there were 9,805 allegations of serious sexual assault by uber drivers in the united states and 39 people were killed in

physical assaults during or soon after an uber ride. lyft's own safety record revealed 4,150 allegations of sexual assault and a three-year period from 2017 to 2019. in september, n.p.r. reported that lyft is facing 17 new lawsuits brought by users of its service from around the country who claim the company failed to protect passengers and drivers from physical and sexual assault. the new lawsuits come three years after 14 other women filed suit against lyft claiming that after being sexually assaulted or raped by drivers, lyft failed to take action, even when it was aware of drivers who were accused of assault and purposely ignored victims' reports. not a stellar record. just last week, a woman from north carolina jumped out of a moving lyft vehicle and ended up in an emergency room out of fear

that her driver, who made several kiss tushing -- disturbing comments, was trying to drug her. sami's law is an important first, i say first, step to ensure safety for both passengers and drivers and mitigate future violence. sami's law makes unlawful the unauthorizing selling or offering for sale ride sharing signage, making it more difficult for imposters like sami's murderer to pose as ride share drivers. let me point out when tom suozzi testified by the t.n. i. committee, chairman defazio, when we talked about this, you can go to amazon or wal-mart and get a sign that says you're an uber driver. you would think the companies would want to control the signage. this legislation will ensure and make it illegal to sell it in those out lets -- outlets and anywhere else unless approved by the companies.

sami's law also requires the g.a.o. to investigate and provide an independent, comprehensive report to congress on the incidents of assault and abuse of both passengers and drivers and to do it annually. requires that the g.a.o. examine the nature of -- and specifics of background checks conducted by companies and the varying standards set by states regarding background checks. we want to know, what do they do when they find out who their drivers are? we asked the hard questions. the answers haven't been all that good. it also assesses safety steps, thus far taken by ride share vehicles, taxis and other vehicles for hire. i am disappointmented to say that -- disappointed to say that opposition at uber and lyft has resulted in dropping other life-saving provisions that were passed in the last congress with tom suozzi and i leading on that as well. one required transportation network companies to implement a simple digital method of verifying that the passenger and driver have been specifically matched by the t.n.c. prior to

the ride beginning. so that matches made right before you take off, yes, that is who the driver should be and the person behind has ordered that uber. it also gives a record going forward if any kind of assault does indeed occur. the opposition to this digital security feature is mind boggling to me. uber has the technology and the -- and even a program in place, but they offer it only as an opt-in program, a program to well hidden few riders even know about it. our legislation passed in july of 2020 said that transportation companies may offer a passenger an option out, opt out, if you want to be out of it, get out of it, but the default would be you're in it and it's all for your protection. like safety belts. there's a time when that was controversial. now we all put them on and the buzzer goes off or the bell or the ring if you don't have it on. the second provision that we lost was sami's council which would simply empower a working group, particularly to make

upgrades as to how better to utilize all of this. let me say finally, marcy and seymour at the sentencing part or before that, at the trial, they inspire us, but they also spoke. i'll read a few of their words that they said. i remember watching it on television and it just broke my heart. here's what marcy said. i close my eyes and feel what she endured in his hands. he stabbed her 120 times. over and over and over, fighting for her life, locked in his car. i used to have dreams for her, now all i have is nightmares. 120 times. the final moments, her bare feet kicking and file thing for her life -- fighting for her life. i visualize blood flowing from her joyful body, 120 times. for what? the $35 a college student has in her bank account? the excruciating pain is

unimaginable. in one second our lives changed. her death sliced through my heart. in his statement, seymour questioned how this could have happened at all. challenging us to prevent it in the future. again, they have spent so much time dedicating their lives. nobody else has -- so that nobody else ever has to go through this. he said at the trial, i have repeated nightmares and visions of him, the monster, stabbing her. i have visions of her foot on the back window. i have visions of her screaming and fighting. i have visions of her taking her last breath. i stand here in bewilderment asking how in the world did we get here? that night of her kidnapping and murder, she called me about using my credit card because hers didn't use with uber or lyft. my wife isn't even close to being the same. i have lost a huge piece of her, along with samantha. every day i look at her and only wish i could do something to take that pain away. so i ask my colleagues, today we

act to protect ride share passengers and their drivers and we take an important first step to safeguard others from the unspeakable pain that seymour and marcy josefson endure. i yield back and thank the chair. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from arizona is recognized. mr. stanton: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent to enter into the congressional record a letter from the chairman of the energy and commerce committee agreeing to waive consideration of h.r. 1082, as well as chair defazio's res response ex -- expressing appreciation for his willingness to work cooperatively on this legislation. i have no further speakers on this side. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman reserves. the gentleman is recognized. mr. crawford: i'm prepared to close. thank you. in closing this will improve the safety of prospective ride share passengers by prohibiting the unauthorized sale of ride hailing signage.

this will also help protect all of our constituents as g.a.o. analyzes the occurrence of assaults against both passengers amend drivers of for-hire vehicles. madam speaker, i again thank congressman smith of new jersey for his tireless efforts and i urge support of this legislation and with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from arizona is recognized. mr. stanton: in closing this bill honors the memory of samantha josefson. and takes steps to ensure that a similar tragedy does not occur. i urge my colleagues to support this important safety bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 12082 -- 1082, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, -- for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? >> thank you, madam speaker. i request the yeas and nays, please. the speaker pro tempore: yeas and nays are requested.

all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.

the speaker pro tempore: the chair will hour in entertain requests for one-minute speeches. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from ohio seek recognition? without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. kaptur: i rise today during the department of veterans affairs week of action to highlight the pact act. i encourage veterans who were exposed to toxic. call the v.a. at 1-800myva-411.

thousands of veterans month severed in vietnam and suffering from wounds they incurred from toxic substances are eligible to receive expanded v.a. benefits. this veteran lives with internal with grievous hand wounds. this has seared my con sheen that remind us of the true nature of his battle. and bore the cost of battles. i enfamilies to visit www or call 1-800-mva4111.

you don't have to hire an outside attorney. use the v.a. america's heroic veterans. thank you. pursuan t to section 1 of house resolution 1230, the house stands adjourned until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow more morning hour debate and noon for legislative business.