{time}  1810
                       RECOGNIZING WARREN PARADA

  (Mr. VEASEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute.)
  Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a son of north Texas
who is an innovator, a leader, and one of the most remarkable citizens
that the city knows. His name is Warren Parada.
  I didn't meet Warren in a boardroom. He was someone who reached out
to my office, like many people do on casework, because he had an uncle
who was a Vietnam vet who was having issues with his casework. His
claim is still under review today, as too many veterans' are, but here
is what really set Warren apart.
  He really turned his family frustrations into a solution, and his
question was not: How do I do this? It was: What if I could make this
easier for someone?

  That is what Warren has tried to do with his BVARadar tool that helps
scan claims, identifies missing information, and compares them against
Board of Veterans' Appeals rulings, something that could help veterans
who are really out there struggling.
  For 3 years now, Warren has been battling cancer, and he wrote this
code in between rounds of chemotherapy and surgery, really leaning on
his faith.
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Warren for everything that he is doing to
help veterans like his uncle as he is fighting terminal cancer, which
his doctor informed him that he had. I thank Warren for his service to
the community. Dallas thanks him for that, too.

             SIMILARITIES BETWEEN UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL

  (Mr. GROTHMAN asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I suppose what I should lead off with is
asking for half a minute or so of silence as we consider what I think
is the most damaging Supreme Court decision of my time. Instead of
going that way, I will address those few people in my district who have
come up to me and have been surprisingly anti-Israel.
  One thing I point out is the similarity between Israel and the United
States that is not talked about enough is that we have people from all
around the globe trying to get in both countries. I point out one way
Israel is similar is that they are taking people from the Philippines,
India, Sri Lanka, Malawi, Ecuador, Kenya, and China into their country
to work because it is such a wonderful place.
  Just like Israel is a wonderful place, so is the United States. Both
of us have to put up with leftwing crazy people attacking us for being
racist.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Israel for taking people from all around the
world who know they would be better off there than in their home
countries.

                         BRISTOL FOURTH OF JULY

  (Mr. AMO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the generations of
Rhode Islanders who have come together for the longest continuously
running Fourth of July celebration, in Bristol, Rhode Island.
  Since 1785, when the Reverend Henry Wight, a Revolutionary War
veteran and minister of the First Congregational Church, hosted
Bristol's first patriotic exercises, Rhode Islanders have gathered to
celebrate our values of liberty, community, freedom, and prosperity.
  For 241 years, Rhode Islanders from all walks of life and visitors
from all over the world have come together to walk along the famous
red, white, and blue center lines snaking down the middle of the parade
route.
  By the time the town welcomes as many as 200,000 visitors to its
community, the town committee, the police department, the fire
department, and the Fourth of July committee have worked around the
clock for months to pull off a safe and spectacular event.
  As the crowds and the music swell this weekend, I thank all who have
made this event possible. Happy Fourth of July.

                          HONORING PRIDE MONTH

  (Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mr. Takano
of California was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the
minority leader.

                             General Leave

  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
to submit extraneous material into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the conclusion of
Pride Month.
  Pride is, and always has been, a protest. From the Stonewall Uprising
to the neighborhood parades, Pride is about both standing up for
equality and celebrating our authentic selves.
  When we celebrate Pride, we make a demand. We demand the right to
live and love openly. We demand to be treated equally and fairly under
the law. We demand dignity. First and foremost, we demand equality.
  This Congress, under Republican control, the House of Representatives
has taken more than 20 votes to attack the rights of LGBTQI+ Americans
and particularly the rights of transgender Americans. Even after all
those votes, not one major anti-LGBTQI+ piece of legislation has become
law.
  Members of the Congressional Equality Caucus have fought hard to
fight back against all these attacks. Thanks to our work, we were able
to remove every new anti-LGBTQI+ rider from the government funding
bills for fiscal year 2026. House Republicans tried to add dozens of
these new riders, and we were able to defeat every one. We plan to do
it again for fiscal year 2027, but the Trump administration's
relentlessness has still had countless terrible impacts on our
community.
  Under Donald Trump, transgender Americans' access to healthcare is
under direct attack. The arms of the Federal Government tasked with
enforcing America's rights, like the EEOC, are being sabotaged and
forced to target the rights of the very Americans they are meant to
protect.
  Transgender servicemembers are being carelessly kicked out of the
military without regard for their merits and accomplishments or the
military's operational security. Critical funding and research to
combat the HIV and AIDS epidemics are being recklessly cut, and so much
more.
  Mr. Speaker, to the LGBTQI+ people watching right now, know that we
are still fighting for you. As chair of the Congressional Equality
Caucus, I assure the American people that my colleagues and I are
fighting back against these attacks at every turn in Congress.
  We are conducting oversight of Trump administration officials and
demanding accountability from those who violate LGBTQI+ Americans'
rights.
  As we close out Pride Month, I stand with our allies across the
country in reminding LGBTQI+ people that we are fighting for you. We
will not give up until every person is fully free to be themselves
without fear of discrimination, harassment, or violence.
  I wish all of you a happy Pride.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms.
Randall), my colleague and co-chair of the Congressional Equality
Caucus.
  Ms. RANDALL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Pride Month
ending today for most of the country, but still ongoing in our great
State of Washington, where we just can't get enough.
  I am also rising today to honor the resolution that I introduced
alongside Representative Green, a longtime champion for LGBTQ equality.
  LGBTQ people have been dutifully serving in our military for decades.
We are your neighbors. We are your elected officials, teachers,
mentors, and friends. Despite Republicans' unrelenting attempts to
erase queer and trans people from our history books, from our public
spaces, and from our military, LGBTQ Americans are standing strong in
our truth.
  That is the beauty of Pride Month and why I am so proud to introduce
this resolution today to honor the many contributions of LGBTQ
Americans to our country, contributions which are outlined in this
resolution, so that no matter what attacks come on our government
websites and in agencies across the executive branch, we will still
have the story of so many brave LGBTQ leaders.
  Who knows when the majority party will be organized enough to move
the NDAA through the House, but we know when it does come, it will come
with several anti-LGBTQ amendments that have absolutely no business
being attached to the overall package.
  Our Republican colleagues talk a lot about protecting our freedoms
yet spend so much time trying to strip freedoms away from LGBTQ
Americans, like the freedom to access healthcare by stripping TRICARE
coverage for medically necessary, lifesaving care for trans people, and
even taking away mental health coverage from trans kids and the freedom
to