president, i am whatever it is? question. i do not think there is any reason for anyone to admit that they lost. host: that is the last call for today's washington journal. thanks to everyone who called. will be back tomorrow at 7:00 eastern time. we will take you over and out to the house of representatives. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2024] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

the speaker pro he house will be in order. the chair lays before the house a communication from the speaker. the clerk: the speaker's rooms. washington, d.c.. march 20, 2024. i hereby appoint the honorable marcus j. molinaro to act as speaker pro tempore on this 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 mem■1bá from the lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning hour debate. the chair will alternate recognition between the parties with time equly parties and each member other than the majority and minority leaders and the minority whip limited to five minutes, but in no event shall debate continue beyond 11:50 a.m.. with that, the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. pete, for five minutes.

-- mr. peters, for five minutes. mr. peters: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, the majority's once partisan, unproductive and unserious messaging exercise that they have dubbed energy week. in 2023nged -- in 2023, the unid states produced more oil and gas than any other country ever. and exported unprecedented amounts of liquefied natural gas to our allies across the simultaneously, 2023 was a record year for combined utility storage installations across the country. these clean energy products can be found in nearly all congressional districts, in all 50 states. my friends on the other side of the aisle claim to be of an all-of-the-above energy strategy. but they're completely silent about these massive accomplishments that are not only driving significant investments to areas across the country, but are producing cheap, clean, american energy. this is probably because so many the historic bills that house

democrats passed last congress. like the inflaition reduction -- inflation reduction actastructud jobs act. i was proud to include in those bills several of my priorities, including combating methane emissions and encouraging the development of transmissioning e federal government has the tools it needs to step in and stop excessive permitting delays. however, the laws we passed last congress will not be enough. we are facing extraordinary growth in energy demand, from electric vehicles, a.i., data centers and the reshoring of domestic manufacturing, again, thanks to the efforts and leadership of president biden and his administration. but we are lagging far behind china in manufacturing, construction of clean energy resources, and the extraction and refining of critical minerals like nickel and cobalt. unprecedented level of clean energy development and deployment to meet our climate goals and avoid catastrophe. if the talking about a long-term energy strategy to maintain

affordability and reliability, we need finally to talk about transmission and the grid. and we also n on speed. we will still fail if we let all the money we've set aside sit in the bank, by making good energy projects wait y permits to come through and further delays bad actors and nervous neighbors take them to court again and again. it's extremely frustrating that during energy week, we are actually taking the time to vote on whether strong regulations on methane emissions are even necessary. producers should cover the cost of unplugged or abandoned wells. are you kidding me? of course we need to regulate methane and of course oil and clean up for the messes that they made. how can republicans say they support clean american energy whimultaneously fighting against commonsense regulations on methane, and not even engaging in how to expand and upgrade the grid? the bills we're considering this problems we're facing, and i am proud to

oppose every single one of them. our country prides self o accomplishing big things together, whether it's winning world wars, constructing interstate highway systems, or discovering the next big medical break through. we should be voting o so transmt stuck jumping between local, state and federal agencies for the permits they need. we need to thoughtfully streamline the judicial review process for all energy projects so that developers, agencies and petitioners aren't in limbo for years. we certainty, not an unreliable and inefficient review process. and everything i said about that today can and shoul bipartisan. so i will say to my republican colleagues, let's look beyond just oil and gas. are, truly invest -- gas, truly invest in an future, instead of clinging on to the past. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair now recognizes the gentleman from north carolina, mr. mcren i,er to -- mr. mchenry, for five mention. mr. mchenry: thank you, mr.

chairman. mr. speaker, i rise today to honor one of gaston county's leading citizens on passing. he's also the individual who succeeded me in the state house when i was elected to congress in 2004. but i'm here to rise in honor of the life and legacy of the honorable bill kern. in so many ways his service in the state house was counterintuitive. dr. kern was already a leading republican stalwart in gaston county. he'd served two terms as the county g.o.p. chairman, was instrumental in helping the republican party achieve dominance in our part of the state. in 1976, when ronald reagan was running for president, he drove him county and helped him within that great primary -- win that great primary victory in that year in north carolina. but politics was only a bill's d incredible life.

after his graduation from dental school, at the university of north carolina, married the love of his life, liz, and joined the anyway visa dental corps. after -- navy dental corps. after his service, he returned to gaston county and began a 40-year career in dentistry. in fact, dentistry became the family business. he was joined by his brother, nephew and his son who still carries on that wonderful tradition today. he was a leader in the dental community in the state of north carolina, serving on more boards and task forces than i can mention. he was also a great civic leader as red cross, heart association, first presbyterian church, 27 years of perfect attendance at rotary, i could go on and all. it would be fair to assume that in his 70's he would be ready to slow down. and enjoy hisetirement. but that wasn't bill kern. that's instead when he ran for

office and serve fowrd terms in the state house -- and served fo terms issues. so to the kern family, to bill and liz's children and grandchildren, and the extended family, i extend my condolences and gratitude for having known such a remarkable man. speaker,e life and legacy oft] all of north carolina recently lost a legend with the passing of leroy. legend in the business community and the■ civic community in norh carolina. i was honored to count leroy as a mentor during my service in congress. he was a nate of c katavah county. he was a navy officer and a graph his beloved university of north carolina at chapel hill. it was his time in the business world that he made his greatest

impact. in the 1960's, leroy and his thy furniture mart, building an economic engine for the region. this in turn led to his involvement in the tourism and hospitality secto. business substantially. leroy later was a driving force behind the creation of the hickory metro conventioneducatir and dear to leroy's heart. he spent 13 years on the board ofbt goverrs o■ff the university of north carolina's system. in fact, it was through leroy's persistence that appalachian state university establi campus in hickory just last year. to his beloved wife, lynn, the entire family, i extend my condolences and gratitude to al9 of leroy's contributions. and, mr. speaker, i yieldgbac re gentleman from maryland, mr. hoyer, for five minutes.

mr. hoyer: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. hoyer: time is wasting. time is running out. we are sleeping while ukraine is burning. the victim of an international criminal. mr. speaker, i rise today as i have too many times before just 72 hours before members return to their districts for weeks, despite failingo secure aid for our allies in ukraine and israel. the men and women ukraine on the front lines will not sleep for those two weeks.

this past putin reminded the world that he isn't going anywhere. he celebrated victory, in quotes in russia's presidential election, imposing his power until at least 2030. mr. speaker, putin knew that there was only one possible outcome of that election. he would like the world to think the russian victory in ukraine is inevitable asowever, mr. spe, the brave men and women of ukraine prove him wrong. our nato continue to supply ukraine with vital military assistance prove him wrong. now this house, week, in the next 72 hours, needs to stand up and give ukraine the aid theyly need. we must project aggression and

terror. for 447 days we have signaled reluctance over resolve, doubt over and division overdy sighsiveness -- over decisiveness. we have emboldened our enemies while leaving its protectors defenseless. how sad for america to be in that position. how sad for the leadership of this house to leave us in that position. we have failed to aid ukraine in 447 days and israel in 165. two weeks back in our districts may feel short for us. but that will be a very long time for our ukrainian friends. they already must contend with the consequences of our inaction. thus far ukrainian air defenses have tried to five russian misss fired at their cities. hear that.

four out of every five. now,ur negligence, because of our reluctance, ammunition shortages, they will soon be able to target only one in■. every five. a ukrainian artillery squad explained they're only soting 5 shells a week. my colleagues, 15 shells a week to confront the russian bear. before american aid dried up, they were shooting 400 shells per week. one ukrainian soldier shivering in his fox hole on the northern front line recently said that because of these shoages, we are -- we are losing so many people. there are so many bodies, we can't even bring them back. how inaction of this congress, how irresponsible is the lack of action of this congress.

to watch theer receive aid from north korea, iran, china and the rest of the axis of evil, whio act. have we lost our courage, our commitment to freedom? a russian invader whoes civilians, a dictator whose greatest local opponent is found dead in a russian gulag. a tyrant who forces occupiedt gt in an election with but one choice. vladimir putin. putin wants victory is inevitab. because he knows this victory is impoimpossible if the u.s. stans with ukraine. recover the 134 remaining

hostages in gaza. looking for a path forward to work with the democrats on ukraine and israel. take it today. we will work with you in that path. mr. speaker, the path has been clear for quite some time. have --0 members of this body the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. hoyer: let us stop sleeping in this house. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. style. the gentleman's time has expired. mr. hoyer: i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: i'm grateful for my colleague addressing his comments to the chair. the chair now recognizes mr. style from -- mr. steil from wisconsin for five minutes. mr. steil: thank you very much, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the life of an amazing teacher, sam loyzo he taught at james craig high school in my hometown for over three decades. over his career he taught

thousands of students. i lucky enough to be in his government class my junior year. as a teacher, he taught about the institutions that make our country he provided all of us an appreciation for the united states of america. he also provided an understanding that we are always workin to form a more perfect union. sam left a mark on everyone he met. in addition to being a speech every -- teacher, he was granted photographer and sports enthusiast. he was a loving husband,hehers y in my hometown of yeas and naysville. after he retired -- in janesville. he was a constant presence in the community. always working hard to capture the moment. while sam may no longer be with us, his legacy lives on in janesville, and theoui'm proud m that i have captured. on behalf of the class of 1999,

from craig high school, on thoue touched, we miss you, sam. mr. speaker, grandparents are a window to the past and teach us where we came also a window to e future and who we will become. my grandma steil has been that for all of ■us an inspiration and guide. in wisconsin there are those whose grandparents retired to warmer climates. but my grandma has calleor 100 . she never minds the cold. below zero and wind, fine day for a wk. maybe her strength came from growing up on a farm outside of darlington, wisconsin, in the great depression. after graduation, ad war ii, shy her junior high school prom date, george steil.

as a mother r, a grandmother of 10, a great grandmother of another 10, she's a constant and loving presence. an exampleo all of us of how to live a meaningful life. what makes my grandmother so special? so wonderful? she's an ever present inspiration of how to live a life of faith in service to others. whether it was serving as president of the janesville catholic women's club in 1954. or as i still marvel, waking up at 4:30 in the morning in 2014 to prepare breakfast for the homeless shelter in janesville, she provides us a guide on how to give toern our community. grandma, thank you. you are a constant reminder of what it means to live a loving and meaningfue. we are profoundly grateful to be a part of your life. i say to you, grandma, happyy,lc

birthday. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from ohio, mrs. beatty, for five minutes. mrs. beatty: mrunanimous consene house. revise and extend my remarks. mr. speakere today during this month, women's history month. it gives me great pleasure toayo has made history and is making history. the honorable ma fudge. the 18th secretary of h.u.d. former united states, female, black american member of congress. a lawyer, a prosecutor, and the

ve first female and black person to be mayor of warrensville heights, ohio. she hailed as the 21st national president of delta sigma theta sorority incorporated. she's a sojourner. she is a colleague, an advisor, and more importantly, mr. speaker, a trusted friend. fudge never sat down and waited for an opportunitportunity. mr. speaker, i know that firsthand. i havwn marcia fudge for decades. prior to coming to the united states congress. as a matter of fact, when i■aa e ohio state university, then

congresswoman marcia fudge invited me to sit in the gallery as, again, she made history. it was congresswoman marcia fudge who honored the state of ohio and my leadership for making ohio the first monçwth to honor rosa parks and what she did on that december 1 day. marcia fgeo the congressional record from this very spot. another histoat state of ohio. and a few years later there i was a candidaor the united states congress. and again it was then congresswoman marcia fudge wd be to have the confidence and the assurance that i,oo, one day,

would stand on this house floor. and then as a freshman she entrusted with me to be the chair of the congressional black caucus foundation's annuan the history of the c.b.c. had a freshman beeppointed some 40 days after being elected. to chair such a massive event. but that'hat congresswoman marcia fudge did. she elevated people. she worked with people. she went out and mentored young students so they would know that they, too, could have opportunities. it was no surprise to us that she became the seventh black woman to chair the congressional black caucus and the 21st president,f

delta sigma theta sorority. it was no surprise when the president tapped her to be the d states h.u.d. secretary. and when she walked intotith her a whole village because she understood the depth and the importance of what it would mean to be united states h.u.d. secretary. marcia fudge's tireless efforts have ny keep their homes, but she has also made the american dream oe ownership a reality. a reality for countless individuals, including returning citizens. through her advocacy, she was opened doors of housing and business opportunities for black

and brown communities. championing equity every step of the way. he against racial bias in the appraisal market is a testament to her commitment to justice and fairness. marcia fudge's impact on housing and racial equity will resonate for g■2enerations to come. ohioans know her as a leader, a fighter, a advocat for justice. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. mrs. beatty: we know her here as congresswoma■l marcia fudge. good luck on your journey. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. self, for five minutes. mr. self: thank you, madam speaker. i rise today t■or the plano

east panthers basket team for their perfect season. going 40-0 in capturing the program's first ever division 6-a state championship. this was the panthers first state title in any tsport. the panthers, led by head coach matt wester, became the first basketball team to go unbeaten in 6-a. the highest level. amassing 40 wins by an average 22.7 point differential across the seasoch of east's seven plaf wins came by double figures. amassing an average margin o victory by 23.4 points. the state championship game the panthers only gave up 41 points, which ranks as the eightm surrel season. as the top ranked texas team and number three team ihe panthers

claim the first state championship in state history led by d.j. hall's 18 points and six rebounds. hall was named the conference final most valuable player. in addition, rashard added 13 points at points and eight rebo. through their display of teamwork and dedication, the panthers made both ty of plano and the state of texas proud. it will be exciting to watch you guys next year and see if you can, rk. congratulations to the panthers on a remarkable season. you were perfect. madam speaker, it is with great honor i rise today to recognize sergeant nicolas b. loveland of the fair view police department after he retires of 20 years in law enforcemento

serving and assisting those in need has been a constant motivation throughout his career. his deep understanding of the noble responsibility entrusted to him as a guardian of the community was always evident. sergeant lovegreo protecting the community during the may 6, 2023 mass shooting at the an premium outlets. displaying exceptional bravery and professionalism in the face of intense adversity. his passion for his profession recognized not evenly by his colleagues but also by the community he served. as evidenced by commendations and accolades throughout his tenure. beyond the call of duty, the sergeant is active in various outreach programs in the community and isan to his wife r three children. as he embarks on this new chapter of he, i commend

him for his outstanding contributions to law enforcement and the community. i want to exteny congratulations and best wishes for a well deserved retirement. madam speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: thank yo the chair recognizes the gentleman from oregon, mr. blumenauer, for five min minutes. mr. blumenauer: thank you very much, madam speaker. i'm here this morning on the occasion of the 24th annual bike summit to celebrate the bicycle. it was an honor to kick off the annuh the capital this morning with several hundred enthusiasts. we had a lot to celebrate. the infrastructure bill, the inflation reduction act, has unleashed unprecedented inv investments. we have a billion dollars a year

ll act. we have already a $1.7 billion committed. there are oveat are dealing witr their bicycle network. there is a lot of dissention here on capitol hill you may . it's hard sometimes for people to agree. but we are celebrating bike partisanship. the bicycle brings people together. to be able to burn calories instead of fossil fuel. it's the most efficient form oo. there are exciting programs, internationally. the world bicycle relief program has distributed 3/4 of a million by sickles to developing countries. a health professional in sub-saharan africa with bicycle can see three times as many patients. and do so more safely. we have opportunities in termsoe

range of activities for our children. legislation i had been working on for yeaerms of the safe routes to school program has been extended to include high schools now. i started the week watching grade school bike bus with young people surrouned by rope moving as a bus on their way to biking. the bicycle helps eliminate the conges2f=on around our schools n the morning. and it gives young people a sense of freedom while it encourages their healt-"h. during the pandemic people turned to the bicycle for recreation in a way that was safe and extended their recreational experience.

. bicycle tourism is having an effect on smalltown america as people discover the joy of looking at the countryside miles an hour instead of 70. it's also good for the economy because people on bicycles tend to actually spend morehan people who are racing through neighborhoods. this notion of burning calories instead of fossil fuels, i think, is profound. we're working to extend activities for e-bikes, part of our legislation has more e-bike charging staonand the e-bike mae commuter into a regular, effective commuterk■$r range. it's contributed here on capitol hill. when i first came, there were a few of us that were bikinee an e messenger. but now we're looking at massive investments even in our nation's capital. one he things i'm most proud

of is bicycle lanes in the center of perhaps america's most iconylvania avenue. there's a whole range of investments that have been made in our nation's capital toe liv. so i urge my colleagues to greet these bicycle warriors, welcome them to capitol hill, learn about p the opportunities -- learn about the opportunities in this new legislation, and then work with them to implement it in their relationships. after all, the bicycle is the indicator species of a livable community. thank you, madam speaker. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. the chair recognizes the gentleman from north carolina, mr. murphy, for five minutes. mr. murphy: thank you, madam

speaker. the house of medicine is crumblinowan now for 35 years and i spent 10 years prior to that training to become a surgeon. however, the house of medicine is i■c■g since the pandemic, medicine, a truly objective science, has become political. it's become a field of activism, not advocacy. believe the science and then don't trust the science. the record of pre-authorizations now phasing physicians -- facing physicians and surgens leads to pour patient care, burnout, early retirement and massive administrative costs -- massive administration cogses. insurance company -- costs. insurance companies are raking in record profits by denying patients critical medicine og the doctors or hospitals, the ones who actually deliver the care. the cost of medications is8ocke. one primary reason is something called p.b.m.'s, pharmacy

benefit managers, that most people don't know anything abou■?t. these are extortion ar tiftds driive -- artists driven by insurance companies to steal money from farm suit cap kl -- fpharmaceutical companies and patients. every other commercial seen on television, this is a pet peeive of mine -- peeve of mine, is direct to consumer advertising. we're one of the only two countries in the world that allows this. i've never once in my 35 years in medicine ever prescribed a medicine that was because somebody advertised it on television. now we have hospital closures in every district because we are restricting access to care, because medicare and medicaid do not pay the bills. yet we have democrats screaming medicare for all, that absolutely would lower the standard of medicine. the a.c.a., obamacare, its express purpose io drive private practice out of business, force all to be under

one government-payer system. what's happening? we're now employinge and more doctors and delivering a lower standard of care. these folks, good people, are now -- really now have more ownership to a clock than their patient. we no longer have the work ethic that was seen i d's 5:00, it's . there's an absolute loss of patient ownership. you know, when i was seeing patients full-time, if a physician called me to see a patient, my answer was, do you want me to see them today or tomorrow? it was not, send them to the emergency room. now, it takes a year. i tried to get an appointment with a dermatologist for a patient. a year. because r shortage. it's estimated that 40,000 to 120,000 more doctors are needed in the decade. sadly enough, our medichools, we increasing in numbers, are

failing in the doctors that they produce. we have now more identity politics in medical schools than excellence and care. activism and so many schools now is the oath, d.e.i. is the oath to get into medical school. this needs to stop. it's now been shown that 63% of medical students now in medical school do not plan on practicing clinical medicine. there are medical students who come, take upr[ a slot, and rary practice. why are medical schools allowing these individuals to get in? there are increasing number of fellowsships after residenty -- residency programs because the students are not well trained to comend practice. burnout is at record high amongst physicians. i can understand that, as a ed until they're 65 or 70. now we have millennials coming

out of medical school thagh bur. the american association of medical colleges and universities is more concentrated on activism tha. now, with doctors being cut, payette again, what do senate democrats and hou to do in timel doctor shortage, cut physician payette again. 26% cut over the last 20 yearsu, how can you sell them at 40 cents and expect to stay in business? i ran a surgical practice for many, many years. i knery paper clip went. you can't stay in business. we want to drive physicians out of private practice and into physician employment. you can't do this to medicine. why has physician pay become a partisan issue? now we're djaestroyin■ the patir relationship. physicians are leaving because they can't get paid.

physician burnout. madam speaker, the house of medicine is in crisis. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from washington,, f. ms. delbene: madam speaker, i rise today on a solemn occasion. a week, washington state confronted one of the worst natural disasters in its history. on the march 22, a hillside near the communities of oso and darington collapsed, creating a devastating landslide thatilled 43 people in just seconds. it was and still remains the single deadliest u.s. history. karen lost six members of her family, including her daughter, kati wyatt and hunter. three generations of her family were wiped out in less than two

minutes, along with so many in the aftermath of this landslide, i authored the national landslide preparedness act, which was signed into law in 2021. it has been a vital resource for communities to better identify, plan for and respond to landslides in the years since. the law expands early warning systems, improves mapping technology and provides states with grants to improve preparedness. the landslide law expires in a few months. i rec introduced bipartisan legislation with congresswoman schrier and senatorsuu■ can meat well and measure -- cantwell and mruczkowski to keep those laws going. we must do this again to ensure that the next natural disaster

does not become the next national tragedy. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia, dr. carter, for five minutes. mr. carter: mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize bennie hawkins for being named the 17th annual p and g tour georgia section junior tour player of the year. the p.g.a. tour includes the greatest professional golfers of all time and the junior league showcases the golfers of tomorrow. winning the 11 to 13 age division, bennie is well on his way to becoming an exceptional golfer. this outstan helps to develop and equip young golfers ages 11 to 18 for success in collegiate programs

and beyond. opportunities such as theal incredibly important for molding well-rounded students like benny. his success and commitment serve as an example to ourneration. i look forward to seeing what the future holds for this talented young golfer. congratulations, benny.■ mr. speaker, i rise today to congratulate my friend, representative penny houseton, on her well-earned retirement. elected in 1997, representative houseton has faithfully served nashville, geooargia,s a state representative for 26 years. representative houseton has been appointed to an extensive list of special committees whe■pufrey health care, agricultural prosperity and a strong economy in her region of rural georgia. additionally, she currently as e house appropriations subcommittee on economic development. an active member of nashville

united methodist church, nashville women's club, georgia sheriffs youth homes and more, representative houseton exemplify what is it means to be a public servant and to represent your communitys+■n] f. ready to spend more time enjoying her family which includes three children and six grandchildren, representative houseton has decided not to run for re-election. yet even in retirement, she plans to find new ways to serve her community. please join me in congratulating my fen colleague, representative houseton, on her upcoming retirement. today to congratulate ms. carol bell for being honored as woman of the year by the group, united way of the coastal empire. selma, nort, carol evelyn hodges bell received a b.s. master's in divd christian education from shaw university.

mrs. bell's life of service began in 1976 when she was as tt african-american female manager for the city of savannah. she's held many other leadership roles, serving s as being on ths children and youth coordinator council, uncs telethon and a chapter of a sorority. moreover, she's served as mayor pro temp and alderperson at council. presently mrs. bell serves as an alter person at large for the city of savannah. carol is a true pub is very desf this award. speaker, i rise todo honor the life of frank vavanderlyn who passed away at e age of 99. he grew up during the great depression and graduated from scott high school in 1943.

afterraduation, he enlisted in the united states navy where he served on liberty ships as a gunnar and he fought in the allied invasion of normandy and in the pacific. his achievements earned him the rank of third class petty officer and after the war he went on to earn a bachelor's degree in forestry from west virginia university, followed by hi master's degree from duke university. in 1950, frank married mona kath lynn lynch and moved tobrunswic. frank managed a nursery and genetics program as a senior research forster until retiring in 1989. after serve his community. he was an elder at the first presbyterian church, chairman of the city park and tree commission, and a member of the mana house. franker will be remembered as a true patriot who served his country and community well. ank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from virginia, ms. mcclellan,

for five minutes. ms. mcclellan: thank you, mr. speaker. i request unanimous consent to address the house for five minutes and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: so ordered. you. mr. speaker, i rise today to underscore the pressing needonst forms of online sexual harassment. with the widespread adoption of social media, datg other technologies, we are seeing a concerning rise in inappropriate online behavior that protects users, including■. for too long, congress has failed to pass legislation that keeps up with the rapidly evolving digital landscape and the new challenges posed b■y these developments. in particular, users, both men and women, and children, are facing high rates of cyberflashing. cyberflashing can include trferl of sexually explicit images,

videos a pictures without consent via social media, messaging apps, wi-fi, bluetooth and even airdrop. the rise in cyberflashi includig everyday users, celebrities and children. .. over half of the women between the ages ïf 29 have received an explicit image they never asked for. and overall 32% of women and 30% of men have unsolicited explicit images. .. . celebrities have also dealt with cyberflashing and most cyber flashing is impacting our children with a recent study estikdting t■mt 76% of girls age 12 to 18, have been exposed to unsolicited nude images. these issues are further exacerbated by the development of artificial intelligence and machine learning which is giving rise to unregulated deep fakes,

and more. the stanford internet observatory and thorn found that a.i. technologying exacerbate online and contribute to the creation of child sexual abuse material. as a mother of two children i am fighting to address these issues and from unwanted, nonconsensual, and inappropriate sexual behavior. because if someone flashed you on the street, they would be arrested. but if they flash you through your phone, nothing happens. thanks to my work as a state legislator, it is illegal to sended nude photos in virginia as of january 1, 2022. now in congress i'm continuing those efforts to make ittionwid. introducing the curbing online nonconsensual sexually explicit nude transfers act, oract. i'm proud this is a bipartisan, bicameral bill with congressman

moranf texas and senators brian schatz of hawaii and steve daines of montana. the consent act ensures a private right of against individuals who knowingly send unsolicited, nonconsensual, sexually explici dingal images -- digital images. it allows individual to obtain statutory damages up to $500 or compensatory damages for emo emotional distress, reimbursement for reasonable attorney fees, and a temporary restraining receiving sexually explicit images from the sender. this legislation also save guards the empowering legal guardians to bring a civil action on their behalf and elect to use the plaintiff's initia i'm grateful that the consent act enjoys a wide coalition of support. this bipartisan legislation the,

the national organization of women, the virginia national ofe national political women's caucus, and the richmond ywca. the consent act will address the privacy and safety concerns of users and help ensure individuals have legal recourse against these troubling situations.i to advocating for this legislation this congress and urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support it and protect a users and our children from cyber flashing. thank you, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california ognizr five minutes. mr. lamalfa: thank you, mr. speaker. i have spoken often here about california's water situation and how that directly relates to

agricultureó6 why california california agriculture is important to the whole country. there are many crops california grows between 930% and 100% come consumers use and enjoy. if they are not grown in california, they are going to have to come from some other country. they are not found in other parts of this country. so do we want to be an importer of even more things that we depend on? we are already dependent on china and others for 90% of our pharmaceuticals. more and more dependent on foreign energy, oil, gas. why? why are we doing this? i'll narrow it back down to the water situation. last year we had near record rainfall and snow pack. hadn't been better in many, many decades. we were blessed by that. this year's a pretty good water and snow back here as well. at the same time that that's happening, the releasing water to the ocean and telling certain water districts in the san

joaquin valley, you are only getting 15% of your allocation. 15%. imagine having any kind of business say you overwhelm get 15%o operate. at the same time when there is plentiful water. northern califni district, we have lake sassa and/orville. today is march 20. we are getting to the end of the winter precipitation season. they are still dumping water over the spillways at these facilities. this at a time when lake sassa still has acre-feet of space. lake orville has 500,000 acre-feet of space. for those that don't know an acre-foot is enough to sustained about two households for a year or three acres of crops. that's a lot of water that's being flat lost due to shortsightedness on planning what the flood season would look like. indeed, in many cases they are

50-year-old manuals to dictate how they should manage the lake for flood control. i get that. we need to have that aspect. you save the top percentage of the lake for unplanned water influxes due to a heavy rain o s april 1 deadline, we get to spring season, they still have wide gaps of available space of water to top off shasta and/orville and other reservoirs around the state. do we expect we'll get this massive rain and snow that will top those off? time and again they overdump and underplan. therefore these lake levels are not topped off at 100%. be to ml every year. yes, flood control. and obviously have the water for the uses we want up andown the state. but if you are not topping off every lake at 100% at one point in the off-season, then you left water on the table.hin 5%.

that ain't bad, right? 5% of a combined eight million acre-feet on those two lakes i mentioned, that's acre-feet. that's enough to do a lot of crops being left on the table. especially when you are telling people in the valley you are only going to get 15% of what used to be a normal allocation. why is it government cannot plan with our assets, resources better than that? why are we using 50-year-old manuals to tell people you might have to be curtailed- moving forward with this. 42 gallons per day per person in households. they are not ripping agriculture t will be a dictation to people in the households in the urban areas. i'm really gravely concerned not enough people are paying attention to this. if users, in town users find out you only get 42 gallons per day. it's surprising how many gallons per peon you do

bathing and laundry. yes, you can wash your car, have a yard. they are trying to dictate you can't have those, either. all because were not managing the water supply. we aren't short of water. we are short of imagination how to properly manage it. yes, store more. we have build sites reservoir hanging out there for decades. we were able to get another $200 million for planning and moving the ball forward building sites reservoir which would hold 1.5 million acre-feet. even in dry years we would be saving walter. we would probably have il acre-feet in it right now this year. a million acre-feet that could be usable for something. environmental water. ag water. urban water. people aren't used to being cut down to 42 gallons per person in a household. they are used to a number more like 100 a d.e what that will be when folks are trying to do their normal business. because we can't plan in government, we can't manage our supply, we can't■ manage to stoe

more we'll make everybody conserve. nothing wrong with conservation, you cans conserve what you don't have. the speaker pr: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. lamalfa: we have to count on 125% every year. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. lamalfa: we have to plan.we. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from illinois, miss■ kelly, for five minutes. ms. kelly: mr. speaker, i rise today because america has a gun problem. every my constituents wake up to news of another shooting, another life cut short, another family torn apart. doing nothing about this crisis is year the united states leaves a developed world in gun deaths which lags far behind in■u when i first came to washington i published a 2014 kelly report on gun violence in america. this first o its kind report

framed gun violence as a public health crisis and offered solutions that truly matched the scale of the epidemic. later gun violence still claims tens of thousands of lives every year. since 2014,un cause of death for children and teens. gun violence is killing a generation and robbing communities of future leaders, teachers, doctors, artists, and more. 10 years later i am once again bringing together survivors, advocates, experts, and say enough is enough. i produced the 2024 kelly report to chart a path for the work y . my wish is that this will be the haskellly report on gun violence i need to write. my wish is that our country will see a future where children can safely walk to the park. a high school student can safely pick up her friends. and a father can safely play■h basketll

driveway. americans should not have to live in constant fear of becoming another thoughts and prayers are not substitutes for policy inaction. i hope this report not only sheds light on the public health crisisica, but also provides a meaningful road map to create change and save lives. i also want to take this time to acknowledge megan thompson. megan has served in my office as senior health policy advisor and has done aghob advancing health equity, access to care, and innovative treatment options during her time in this role. her contributions to have gone beyond policy expertise. megan's joy and enthusiasm brings light to our whole office. while office, i have no doubt that -- miss her in the office, i have no doubt she will continue to excel in her next endeavor. i know her work will continue to make a difference for years to come.

last but not least, please fund ukraine. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. cline, for five minutes. mr. cline: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to recognize the bradley free clinic of it celeb0 years of remarkable service to the underserved members in our community. this institution embodies the en of volunteerism and compassion, providing health care to those in need free of charge. founded on the vision of henry bell and led bykx t of he sell and countless volunteers, the clinic has been a staple of hope and care in the roanoke community. its legacy is one of accessible health care and underscored by the dedication of its volunteers and staff. as we mark the significant anniversary, let us bradley free clinic's half century of service. commend the tireless dedication of the people involved. i hope they have a great 50th

celebration here next months. and i hope that it continues to flourish and serve as a testament to the power of community and care in the to come. i rise today to honor an institution that holds a cherished place in bath county the warm spring valley garden club, as they mark a century of dedication to the preservation of natural splendor in our community, we recognize their tireless efforts.ars ago, a gro3 visionary women established a legacy in horticulture that endures to this day. the commitment of these women bolstered by 30 to 50 members each year has craft add rich and vibrant skull culture of througy that continues to flourish. it embodies the spirit of the warm springs garden club. championingse enhancing civic and natural allure. as they celebrate 100 years of exceptional service in educating, nurturing, and community building, we salute

the warm springs valley garden club, their continued efforts enhance not just our natural environment but the very essence of o congratulations to the warm springs valley garden club on their 100-year anniversary. i wish them another 100 years of success. mr. sak i rise today to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the virginia elk's youth camp and recognize the remarkable journey of becoming a beacon of hope and joy for over 50,000 boys and girls age 8 to 13. nestled in the allegheny mountains, this camp fu of the virginia elk association, has not only offered a free outdoor experience but also adve and friendship among campers. thanks to the support of the 26 lodges across the commonwealth and the tireless work of counes of this camp have remained open since the late 1940's. . let us commend the association for its unwavering commitment to

youth and veterans' needs. i wish them all the best as they continue to ensure the youth campf our community's investment in its youth for years come. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize the 100th anniversary of the in roanoke, virginia. this institution stands not just as a building, but as a place of education and culture that has profoundly touched our community overhe originally serving as jefferson high school in the early 1920's, the auditorium was built larger thanhet could be used by and for the community. from 1924 to 1974, the high school paveed the way for the education of over students, laying a strong foundation for our future generations. by 1989, the building had evolved into a center for the arts, nonprofit activities and civic engagement that has inspired and enriched the lives of the people of roanoke. today we celebrate a ntur legacy of community enrichment and unity. let's honor this remarkable

anniversary by commemorating the jefferson center's achievement, ensuring it remains af our commr generations to come. mr. speaker, i rise today to address president biden's war on american energy. which seeks to undermine our nation's energy independence and impose the radical visions of the left's green new deal upon the american under the guise of environmental progress, the biden administration has embarked on a campaign that has directly assaulted the backbone of our energy infrastructure. from dayne the senseless restrictions on liquefied natural gas export terminals, to the absurd proposals to ban gas stoves and target gas-powered vehicles, this administration has shown a reckless disregard for american energy dominance and the welfare of the american people. furthermore, in a misguided effort to cushion the blow of his own policies, president biden has depleted our strategic petroleum reserve to its lowest level depletion not only threatens our national security, but weakens our position on the

global stage. the consequences of these actions are evident in rising gas prices, which continue to be a painful burden for the american family. in 2022 we witnessed the national average for a gallon of gas exceed 5dz a gallon -- $5 a gallon for the first time in history. almost exactly one year ago, i gave a speech on this floor in supporuít lower energy costs act. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. cline: i urge us to continue to act in furthering of this agenda. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from illinois, ms. ramirez, for five minutes. ms. ramirez: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for fiction. ms. ramirez: thank you, mr. speaker. i recognize a woman who has fiercely worked to ensure chicago lives live up to its values as a welcoming city. my constituent, a driving force

for good, yo landa -- yolanda, pena.munity, she exemplifies the spirit of service, inspired by the personal experiences her husband, harry, co-founded life impacters, to ensure everyone in our communities, no matter their past decisions, rcumstances or place of origin, have a chance to thrive. as program director of life impacters,or members in her community and her commitment inspires the work i do in this chamber. on behalf of illinois' thi cong is my great honor to commend yolanda pe narvetion, for -- pena for her contributions to our community and her commitment to. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize my constituent, ilda,

an inspiring woman at the forefront of representation and community in congressional district. since her family migrated from puerto rico, hilda has called chicago home. she has dedicated her life to ensuring that her nabers have a safe -- neighbors have a safe roof over their heads, the care they need and a voice in ourn s. for more than two decades, she has organized a community for the rights of latinas, immigrants and■ommunities, bringing bilingual elections to the t city of chicago and addressing the housing crisis, displa■gcing familia latinas in low-income residents. she currently serves as the honorary chair of the board of directors, culturally competent health care and essential social services in my district. so on behalf of iinois' third congressional district, it is my great honor to commend hilda who

has inspired a generation of latinas like mo lead and to fight for our community. gracias, hilda. we honor you on this house floor. mr.aker, i rise today to commend diana ortega. for more than 30 of service to communities, including 13 years in the great city of elchin, -- eljin -- elgin, she serves as the central director, providing a safe, bilingual and welcoming center in elgin for the growing latino community in my district. there migrants have found access to critical social s help with government resources, assistance with their immigration cases, and much more. her personal experiences as an immigrant and a latina leader have informed diana's commitment

to developing latina youth as leaders, which she fulfills through organizations like the youth leadership academy, the evangelical lutheran church in america, and the elgin hispanic network. diana, behalf of illinois' third congressional district, it is my great honor to commend diana ortega for your leadership and service to community. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair r minutes. mr. davis: mr. speaker, today i rise to celebrate the incredible ladyth pitt high school who won the 2024 north

carolina high school athletic association 2 women's basketball championship. north pitt high school squared off against the undefeated ladye out victorious, 76-66. seniore most outstanding player, adding to her many achievements. 2,000 career points, one of just 17 the state to be a mcdonald's all-american. and finally leading her team to victory wh 21 points against east burke. next year, jones is going to north carolina state. but she will bet high school basketball team in great hands with freshman jordan speller who scored an 31 points and was the game's m.v.p.

mr. speaker, without anybt incrd exciting basketball north of the river. congratulations, coach pittman, principal harris, and the entire north pitt high school family. and to all of the lady panthers, your congressman is mighty proud of you. mr. speaker, thank you so much and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 12h afterle -- 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house >> including a pressure preventing president biden from ending the use of hydraulic tracking and one tt would -- fracking and one that would reqr drilling companies on reclamation project

and legislators areaing for the release of a document for the federal government. house republicans may or may not cod extend into the weekend and the partial government shutdown could happen at immediate night on friday. as always live cov9■■ erage ofh. >> celebrating the 20th anniversary of our student cam operation. this year we asked middle and high school students across the country to look forward while considering the past. highlighting the milestone of the anniversary. each participant was give the option to look 20 years into the past. in response we received inspiring and thought provoking documentaries from more than students across 42 states. through conducting in-depth research and interviews with

experts, students tackled critical topics such as technology and social mea. for y started to replace -- a.i. has replaced human in certain jobs. >> challenges in climate. >> our tapestry can no longer sustain the richness and diversity it once held. >> discussions about criminal justic >> bias, and the american criminal justice system. >> we are excited to share the top winners of student cam 2024. in theivision the first prize goes to meital zayats from california. the documentary, beyond just sci-fi, a.i. reshaping the world of tomorrow. the high school eastern division's first prize is awarded to tker mott foley from montgomery blair high school in silver spring, maryland. for his film of the the promise of langley park, the purple line, climate change, and reimagining the future of

america's suburbs. brianna and leah claim the first prize in their high school central division with their production unseen hero, the caregivers of america. in the western division, brendan, emily, and max from palo alto senior high stkaol earned first prize for threats of change which takes a critical look at the fast fashion industry and top award of $5,000 for grand prize goes to nate and jonah, 10th graders at weston high school in connecticut. their documentary, incse hostage, navigating past and future conflicts with iran deals with a timely and sensitive subject and features interviews with the former iranian hostag. >> instead of staying you are free to leave, i was blindfolded, handcuffed, thrown in the back of a car and taken straight to prison. >> it brings me great joy out of 3,200 students who participated,

you guys, the grand prize stude. >> oh, my god. thank you. >> thank you so much. wow. >> this is a huge honor. we are so grateful for this opportunity. we thank you a lot. >> we extend our gratitude to the educators, parents, and participants who have supported each of these young filmmakers on their creative journeys. congratulations to all our winners. don't miss out, the top winng■x documentaries will be broadcast on c-span starting april 1. plus you can catch each of the 150 award winning student cam films online any time at student cam.org. join us in celebrating the civically engaged and inspiring young minds. as they share their opions on to them and affect our world. >> housepeak johnson said he expected to shortly release the text of a bill that would extend government funding past friday night's