I want to thank my colleagues, Representative Kennedy and Representative Takano.

Religious liberty--I am going to put it in quotation--is simply this administration's latest excuse to continue its painful oppression of other people, including our LGBTQ neighbors.

The fact that trans women are being murdered on our streets, particularly trans women of color, is terrifying...

But there is a role for the Federal Government to play.

The Federal Government can act to underscore the dignity and worth of transgender people.

I am also here today in support of the Every Child Deserves a Family Act so we can put an end to these bigoted restrictions once and for all.

Preventing the establishment of the Asian Carp in the Great Lakes is an effective approach to sustain our fishing industry.

As we continue to see the shoreline erode and the water levels rise, government at all levels must be prepared to step in.

I urge the members to include provisions that would protect and restore the resiliency of the Great Lakes shoreline for today, tomorrow, and generations to come.

The importance of protecting our vulnerable Great Lakes freshwater system from this disastrous invasive species cannot be overstated.

The current state of erosion and high water damage is at a crisis point throughout the Great Lakes Basin and the region.

I would like to think that what we did in this committee and then passed on the House floor will be a direct result of that.

I give special thanks to the chairman and ranking member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee because we are here for the right reasons, and that is to serve veterans and enable them to be productive in their lives after their service to our…

you are not the EPA and EPA has not done its job in setting a standard for what is safe and not--what is not safe. So you can't live up to that standard that doesn't exist.

Thank you for setting up that task force as soon as you came in. That was a great thing, and I was really pleased that on a bipartisan basis in last year's Pentagon budget we passed the first six provisions into law dealing with PFAS that…

In what cases does the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund assume responsibility for benefit liability?

I am thankful that it appears that there is some recognition that is not acceptable and much has to be done.

This brings back memories of when I chaired this subcommittee for 6 years.