I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the following: Sec. __. None of the funds…

COVID is still around. We have Members that are out right now because they are sick with COVID.

Not all of our colleagues do. And, by the way, it is bipartisan.

I want to thank the Chair, in his opening remarks, I thought you made a really thoughtful distinction that I want to reemphasize between universal remote working in a pandemic, and a structured telework program.

It is not an informal, well, if you feel like not coming in today, no problem. We will call that telework.

A lot of people who opposed JCPOA were proved wrong. They did not cheat. They, in fact, complied.

It is our responsibility, I think, to get out of our own minds.

I am hoping, quite frankly--I guess I am still an optimist--that, 25 years from now, 40 years from now, we still will not be on this ledge of telework.

What we need to do is focus in on the priorities, and the priorities are not culture wars.

Telework is a very vibrant tool in the private sector. They are way ahead of us in the public sector.

We need telework. We need telework for lots of reasons.

We have learned so many lessons over the past few years, and we are able to offer flexibilities to attract the best and brightest workforce.

I represent Baltimore, and so, I am just 40 miles up the road.

Thank you for the collaboration you and I have experienced over the years, making common cause with our allies and NATO in the terrible depraved war in Ukraine.

I do not--I--we do not have evidence that that is the case.

It is also crucial we ensure that the increase in ransom payments made by the U.S. Government does not incentivize hostile nations and groups, like Iran, to continue to kidnap American citizens.

Donald Trump's reckless so-called maximum pressure strategy has failed and made us less safe today and less safe than ever.

The Biden Administration, indeed any administration, has a choice: negotiate for the release of detained Americans or let them rot in jail.

This is not ransom. This is not appeasement.

President Biden has pursued this strategy, I think we believe appropriately.

The only logical alternative is smart diplomacy.

I know some voices would like us to launch a destructive forever war with Iran, but our allies and partners should understand the American people are done sending our soldiers to fight and die in forever wars.

The best way to guarantee Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon is through international negotiations, careful diplomacy, and a negotiated solution.

I also call on the Administration to ensure that human rights in North Korea remains at the forefront of our Indo-Pacific policy.

For example, I represent one of the wealthiest communities in the United States. We have addiction problems.