The chair lays before the house a communication from the speaker. The the swoops, washington the speakers rooms, washington, d. C. March 6, 2024. I hereby appoint honorable mike ezell to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. Signed, mike johnson, speaker of the house of representatives. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the order of the house of january 9, 2024, the chair will now recognize lists e majority and minority leaders for morning hour debate. The chair will alternate recognition between the p time d between the parties and each member other than the majority and minority leaders and minority whip limited to five minutes, but in no event shall debate continue beyond 11 50 a. M. The chair recognizes illinois,. Kelly, for five minutes. Ms. Kelly mr. Speaker, i rise today in celebration of womens History Month and specifically in celebration of the black women who have shaped the fabric of our nation often without much acknowledgement or praise. As cochair of the belongal caucus on black women and girls, i am deeply committed to correcting these historical injustices and ensuring that gin the recognition and the resources that they deserve. Black women and girls desve pose in school, at work, and in all phases of life. For centuries black women have been the hidden figus, the Unsung Heroes who have steered our nation through social revolutions, critical periods of growth, and eras of innovation. From the Civil Rights Movement to the labor movement, black women have time and time again pushed the needle of progress forward. I want to acknowledge two exemplary trail blazers i often credit as inspiration for my own work to build a better world. Shirley chisholm, the first black woman elected to the United States congress and the first woman to run for the presidency embodied the spirit of courage and resilience. She was truly unbought and unbossed. She fought back againstuc listed when someone told her that she couldnt achieve her dreams. She was a beacon of hope for those of us with an unwavering commitment to justice. Barbara jordan, the first black woman elected to the texas senate and the First Southern black woman elected tohe United States house of representatives made history in countless ways. She brought the issues of her communities to the forefront and ensure in black women. She rose above partisanship and spoke truth in the halls of power. Today as i speak in this chamber, i stand on their shoulders. But let us not forget whether in the halls of congress, academiay case, my entrepreneurial grandmother and my activist mother, there are m■zany shoulds that we can stand on. Womens History Month serves as a poignant reminder that the contributions of black women must be amplified and celebrated, ensuring their rightful place in the annals of our nations history. Thank you, but i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. Joyce, for five minutes. Mr. Joyce mr. Speaker, i rise to address the house. Ask unanimous consent to revise extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Joyce mr. Speaker, week a r ship was sunk by an ira Iranianbacked Houthi rebels in the goff of aiden. This attack example of how under President Bidens weak and ineffective leadership our adversaries have been emboldened and our allies have been left vulnerable. Last year, President Biden agreed to release more than 6 billion to iran. Effectively providing more funds and resources to the Worlds Largest state sponsor of terrorism. This is one acceptable. It shows that yet again President Biden is unwilling and unable to provide the leadershit americans need. When u. S. Ships were threatened with sustained rocket attacks, the Biden Administration waited weeks to respond. Only further emboldening these terrorist groups to contie aggr. Its time to return to leadership that embodies president Ronald Reagans call of peace through strength. The American People simply cannot afford a president that k you. To keep america safe. President biden will be forcedae to confront the growing threat posed by an open and porous southern border. Onth of januarye than 176,000 Illegal Immigrants attempted to enter thenited wase month of december when more than 300,000 Illegal Immigrants again crossed the southern borde because of the open border policies championed by President Biden, and enacted by secretaryl immigrants were bussed to our major cities. The consequences of this decision have been felt in nearly every Community Ins haveo shelters for Illegal Immigrants. In places like new york city and denver, Government Services have been scaled back and city employees, like librarians, have seen their hours cut in order to provide■v handouts to people who are in the United States illegally. And at a time when more than 300 the u. S. ,terrorists have President Biden has thrown open our gates and encouraged this crisis to continue. Ending catching our Border Patrol agents the tools and resources that they need, and resuming construction of the border wall, are vital to keeping our nation safe. It is time for President Biden to reverse his disastrous border policies and put a stopr to this crisis. Thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from x the Virgin Islands, ms. Plaskett, for five minutes. Ms. Plaskett thank you, mr. Speaker. This7 heralds Virgin IslandsHistory Month. It is the beginning of a month long celebration in the Virgin Islands of our my being on the house floor as a representative, representing my people of the Virgin Islands, is the culmination of g of peoples work. My presence here is built upon the indominable spirit of virgin islanders whose are woven into the very fabric of our culture, marked by their bravery, visionary leadership, and profound sacrifice. Is a mosh cultures and a history as diverse of its people. A history that is not just defined by the of a select few, but a legacy that elevates the collective greatness of all virgin islanders. Above all, we are about selfdetermination that has been chronicled of epic feats. As early as 2020b. C. , the Virgin Islands was originally settled by precolombian indigenous groups. In 1493, we had the first instance of selfdetermination on our island, as columbus expedition resistance from a war party at Salt River Bay on the island of st. Croix. Preventing his men from over the next 200 years, control of the island shifted among various european nations. The they fault colonization, launched relentless raids until they were eradicated by 1590. This enduring resistance is a hallmark of our ancestral leggacy. During 1733,q■n the enslaved alo uprise on the island of st. John. The kings and queen of presentdd people on st. John to seize control of the island for over six months. In their pursuit of selfliberation. This valiant act defiance forced the danish authorities to call the spanishthe rebellion and reassert control. This weekend we celebrated their decision to commit collective suicide rather than go back into slavery. The burning desire for freedom and the belief that such should be a birthright no my kateed clf their fabry kateed fabric ated classification of their opposer. On st. Croix in 1848, enslaved individuals had an armed insurrection that led to this act of strategic ingenuity positioned the Virgin Islands of one of only the western hemisphere where enslaved people successfully fought for and gained their freedom through an organized revolt. All thinkir islanders have attained liberation, they soon discovered that their emancipation and equality were not synonymous. In 1878, in revolt over slave laws which left them pretty much as slave peoples living on plantations, a rebellion was led by what we called queens mary, matildaqu agnes, and queen susanna, even though the movement resulted in blood shed, their deaths were not in vain. Their struggles and sacrifices for improvednditions served as a foundational influence on the 1892bnoal worker strike spearheaded by queen kazaia. This was a pivotal source of inspiration to stand against oppression and fight for greater opportunities. We continue to fight in the Virgin Islands. Although we still face hardships such as our continued battle to attain the fundamental and Constitutional Rights denied by the insular cases, rights given to all americans except those who are in an era that will be a catalyst to spur on the next revolution. To stop■ now, moment, would be a sacrifice sacre lidge to the countless sacrifices and blood shed of our ancestors. We must not take for granted the gifts that they have given us through their blood shed. We must fight on for full equality, selfdetermination, and our own liberation. Thank you. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee, mr. Rose, for five minutes. Mr. Rose mr. Speaker, tomorrow this chamber will host President Biden as he delivers his third state of the union address. Hell likely tout his antienergy agenda and outofcontrol Government Spending that has resulted in crippling seen in decades. Since i was a senior in high school. He will also attempt to blame Congressional Republicans for his own failure to secure our which, as most americans know, is the crisis caused by this president. In a rare recent visit the border in brownsville, texas, President Biden expressed a dire need for republicans to, quote, show a little spine and pass legislation. Some of the folks living in that border town saw straight through the visit. One resident put it best, by a stroke of the pen, he said, you could stop this. You dont need congress. Others called the visit too little, too late. I couldnt this isnt just an important issue for the folks living along the border. In fact, this issue is the numberg the country. Its an issue in my home state where 50 Tennessee National guard soldiers volunteered recently to deploy border to her patrol officials combat drug, crime, and human trafficking. Tennessee is k■gwn as the volunteer state because of its deep tradition of volunteer military service. A nickname that comes with a lot of pride. Te that 50 men and women are having to do what the president could do but wont. Andorder. This is a selfinflicted crisis that has turned every state, including my own state of tennessee, into ate. The president halted border wall construction and ended the successful remain in mexico prograg office, hes also admitted more than one million Illegal Immigrants into the country in a blatant abuse of the executive Parole Authority that congress had granted to the exec of it executive branch. Despite having no way of tracking many of these the Biden Administration continues this historic catch and release scheme. It sends a message to the rest of the world that our borders are open. None of these disastrous none of these disastrous policies require an act of congress, just like reversing them wont require new legislation. There have been more than 8. 7 million illegal border crossings nationwide under President Biden. More than 7. 2 million crossings at the southern border alone. Thats greater than the population of 36 states in our nation. More than 20,000 communist chinese nationals have illegally crossed the southr just since october 1 of last year. They made up the Fastest Growing demographic entering our country illegally. You dont need a spy balloon if you can just walk right into the country. For 35 months in a row under of Illegal Immigrants encountered at our southern border was higher than the worst the previous president , president trump. Were on track to break more records this fiscal year. As c. B. P. Has already reported more than one million encounters. Id argue we are no longer w< have a border crisis in this country, we have a border catastrophe. Thank you and ild back. The speaker pro tempore the chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from new mexico, ms. Ms. Leger fernandez mr. Speaker, this weekend oppenheimer is expected to win multiple oskars. In the film we watch the pain and guilt in j. R. Oppenheimer as i face when he heard op hypers face oppenheimers face when he saw what happened to the people in japan. What wasnt told is how thousands of new mexican families were exposed to harmful amounts of we didnt see how radioactive ash rained down on children, families and farms from that first atomic bomb tested in new mexico. We didnt see the tears and pain as those families saw their loved ones die of cancers and Rare Diseases tied to radiation exposure. So i want to present this film one more award. The award for the most incomplete story. For the missing, the countless american lives lost as a result of the trinity test. But congress can write a better ending to this story, a Bipartisan Coalition of senators and representatives, we have amendments to the radiation exposure compensation act which would finally compensate new mexico downwinders as workers n missouri, alaska, kentucky and tennessee and downwinders in other states who were left out of that■c original]g radiation compensation act. Earlier this year, these amendments were included in the ndaa as passed byhe senate. Sadly, Republican Leadership for some unex publicable reason stripped these amendments f the final ndaa. But today, soon, congress can write a happier end in our future funding bills. Lets write an ending that honors those who sacrificed everything ÷ for our national security. Congress can do it. I call on my colleagues to joinr justice. Mr. Speaker, we begin womens History Month, we must remember something historic that has happened to women and to womens freedoms. For 50 years women enjoyed limited but it was certain reproductive freedoms. A trumppassed packed Supreme Court overturned that history, overturned roe. Wade and all of a sudden history, a sad history was made when the first time in history women lost an r. We are going back to a very sad time when women cannot make decisions about how and whe a ft governmental interference. We are going back to a sad time in history when women who were suffering from pregnancy, who were suffering miscarriages cannot get health care, but instead getfs. We are suffering a sad time in history when i. V. F. Is now prohibited in places like alabama. And let us remind everybody, almost 200 republicans in this very chamber have voted for, which mirrors the alabama law, which prohibits i. V. F. As we begin womens History Month, lets not turn back the clock on womens with that, mr. Speaker, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the chair now recognizes the gentleman from georgia, mr. Carter. Mr. Carter mr. Speaker, i rise today to congratulate bruce redman on becoming the 2024 Georgia Farmer of the owns shils a 2,800acre farm located georgia, consisting of wet and drylands. Larry redman passed down the art of farming to his son, instilling in him the essential skills and values needed to cultivate the bruce is a very successful farmer, having been named the young farmer of the year for he wassing ham for effingham county. Shiloh farms is one of the three certified tiff quick growers in the world and the largest producer of bahai grass seed in the southeast. The university of georgias cooperative extension nam farmer because of his cooperation with Conservation Research initiatives and dedication to sustainable farming. He willb rresent georgia in competing for southeastern farmer of the year in october. I wish him luck and i thank bruce for his dedication agricu. Mr. Speaker, i rise today to remember the life of joy povik. Joy grew up in savannah, georgia, where she graduated from high school and went on to earn a degree from drawns business college. Joy and her husband, michael, lived in many different states during which joy held a variety of positions. After working in real estate, joy went on to work for Lockheed Martin as a technical writer during the Space Shuttle program. Joy was also an active member of her community. She was a dedicated member of the cathedral of st. John the baptist Republican Party and■u e circle. In 2009 she was honored with the j. C. Lewis outstanding republican of the year award by chaght am county. As a delegateo many local and state Republican Conventions and she was proud to taind the second inauguration of george w. Bush. My thoughts and prayers go out to her husband of 55 years, her children, grandchildren and all those others who loved her. Mr.