▶ 0:00:00a quick warning to take a sip of coffee because I'm going to discuss a topic that I love but often bores a lot of people that is bankruptcy. I would like to ask for your support for a bill I plan to reintroduce to close a loophole that allows for companies to use the Texas two-step. For far too long, greedy corporations have used shady bankruptcy tactics like the Texas two-step to avoid compensating innocent Americans that they have hurt.
▶ 0:00:25By using this tactic, corporations facing a large number of injury liability lawsuits move their corporate entities to execute a divisive merger. This splits the company corporation into two companies with the parent company taking all the assets and the new company taking all of the liability and responsibility to pay the victims. The new company then vows for bankruptcy, forcing plaintiffs to spend years trying to receive the compensation they deserve, while the parent company continues business as usual.
▶ 0:00:54Companies that have attempted this maneuver include Johnson and Johnson, which faced uh class action lawsuits over claims that its talcum powder caused cancer, and Georgia Pacific, which is facing lawsuits over asbestous exposure. When I came to Congress, I promised my constituents I would fight for them, not for billionaires or large corporations. That's why last Congress, I introduced the ending corporate bankruptcy abuse act alongside my colleague, the gentleman from Texas, Lance Gooden, to address this very issue.
▶ 0:01:24My bill, which has bicamel and bipartisan support, would deter corporations from abusing bankruptcy protections and ensure that injury victims can get their day in court. I hope to continue the work with your offices to raise awareness of this issue, hold companies accountable, and put an end to this harmful practice. Mr. Chair, I've worked for two bankruptcy judges as an judicial assistant and as a law clerk. And one thing that was quite apparent was virtually every single debtor that was in bankruptcy had medical debt.
▶ 0:01:54Uh it was either what led them to bankruptcy or exacerbated their financial situation. And I look forward to working with members of this community, this committee as well of all of Congress to ensure that the bankruptcy code works for the honest yet unfortunate debtor and not just for large corporations. Mr. Mr.
▶ 0:02:13Chairman, I would also like to discuss my bill, the Law Enforcement Scenario-based Training for Safety and Deescalation Act, which I am proud to lead with Representatives Don Bacon, Brian Fitzpatrick, and Glenn Ivy. This is an important issue for my community in Akran and Canton.
▶ 0:02:30As we mourn the loss of Jaylen Walker, who was killed by police three years ago, and Frank Tyson, who died while in police custody a year ago, we must work to improve relationships between law enforcement and the community members that they are sworn to protect in order to restore trust and safety. By investing in real world scenario-based training, we can give our law enforcement the deescalation skills they need to keep themselves and our community safe.
▶ 0:02:57This training can help officers develop the situational awareness to handle complex highstakes situations such as encountering individuals suffering from mental illness, suicidal crises, or domestic violence and equips them with greater cultural situational sensitivity. It has been shown that training officers with these skills results in fewer injuries, deaths, and excessive use of force incidents for civilians and officers.
▶ 0:03:23Importantly, this bill is budget neutral and allows smaller communities who may not have the means to pay for such a training to do so, but it also has garnered widespread support from stakeholders like the Fraternal Order of Police and the Akran branch of the NAACP.
▶ 0:03:41After the shooting deaths of both Jaylen and Frank, both communities asked what could be done to deescalate tense interventions between law enforcement and the officers and the citizens that they protect and serve. I am proud to deliver this truly appropriate and timely bill and I urge its passage. Our communities and our law enforcement members are asking for this.
▶ 0:04:04It is a common sense bipartisan bill and I look forward to taking any questions you may Thank you, Representative. Thank you so much and my best to your family. Tell your dad we said hello and we appreciate having you.
▶ 0:04:19Thank you.
▶ 0:04:20Now recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina, Mr. Not for an introduction of our next member uh testimony. Representative Herrian is uh a freshman with me. We are fortunate to have him. He is a patriot. He's a veteran. He is a father. He's a business owner.
▶ 0:04:49He is someone who has immense capabilities who cares about this country and he has a very uh high level of expertise when dealing with foreign adversaries to this country. He has an important piece of legislation that deals with external attacks. I know he will get your full consideration and it's my privilege to introduce Representative Pat Harrian to the committee. Thank you.
▶ 0:05:08Thank you.
▶ 0:05:10Gentleman from North Carolina is
▶ 0:05:18Thanks to Representative Not for that kind introduction and uh Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the committee. Good morning. I appreciate the opportunity to speak to you about a bill that goes straight to the heart of our national security. We are facing an unprecedented wave of espionage from statutoily designated foreign adversaries and the response from our legal system has been far too weak. My bill HR481, the Foreign Adversary Federal Offense Act, fixes that.
▶ 0:05:47It creates mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years for economic espionage and 15 years for defense espionage. It also doubles the penalties for intellectual property theft committed on behalf of foreign adversaries. If you steal for Beijing or some other hostile power, you should expect to spend a long time in federal prison. The scale of this threat is stagger staggering and I'd like to lay it out for you.
▶ 0:06:13In April, former Army analyst Corbin Schultz sold missile defense data, satellite intelligence, and deployment plans to someone working with the Chinese government for betraying his country. Mr. Schultz was paid $42,000. Despite this blatant violation of his oath, he was sentenced to only 84 months in prison. In August, two US Navy sailors, Jin Chowei and Wenhang Xho, provided Chinese intelligence with ship blueprints, weapons systems, and troop movements.
▶ 0:06:44They were trusted with our national security, and they sold it off. In 2022, Broadcom engineer Cassang Kim stole more than 500 chip design files for a Chinese tech startup.
▶ 0:06:58He openly admitted it admitted that he did it to help China compete with the United States and received only eight months in Meanwhile, the FBI estimates, and this is cooperated by our work on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, that up to 600 billion dollars in American intellectual property is stolen every single year, almost all of it, by China.
▶ 0:07:25This is our innovation, our technology, and our military advantage walking right out the door. People who spy for our enemies can our military, damage our economy, and leave our critical infrastructure exposed. Yet, far too often, they get a very small fine, or a far too short of a sentence. Our current guidelines are not a deterrent. They actually invite more theft, more betrayal, and more risk.
▶ 0:07:55We need to make it unmistakably clear that if you betray your oath, violate your uniform, or sell out our country for a few dollars, you will face the full force of the United States government. HR481 delivers that clarity. A mandatory double-digit sentence will make potential spies think twice before choosing China over their own nation. I look forward to working with every member of this committee to get this bill across the finish line.
▶ 0:08:23My team and I welcome your input and certainly welcome your support. This is about protecting the American people and strengthening the security of the country that we serve and love. Thank you for your time.
▶ 0:08:36You bet. Thank you, Representative. Thank you for your service to our country. Uh thank you for your uh legislation that you brought brought forward. Um chair now recognizes we got a number here. Representative Gentle lady's recognized for five minutes. Go right ahead.
▶ 0:08:58All right. Well, good morning, Mr. Chairman, ranking member, members of the committee. I want to say thank you for the opportunity to testify here in the judiciary committee. It's an honor to be here to discuss a case that is as serious as it is urgent, and that is the ongoing congressional inquiry into the Jeffrey Epstein case and the failures of the criminal justice system to hold powerful individuals accountable.
▶ 0:09:26I want to acknowledge that this committee has taken some significant steps to advance the discharge petition demanding that the administration release the files. And I want to bring some additional materials here today from the oversight committee on which I serve because so many of the issues at play in this case are within the jurisdiction of the judiciary committee including the miscarriage of justice that was uh conducted within the courts, the department of justice, law enforcement
▶ 0:09:56agencies that failed survivors for decades. So let me begin with this. This is not a partisan issue. Sexual violence is not a partisan issue. Justice for survivors is not a partisan issue. And the pursuit of truth, transparency, and accountability is not a partisan issue.
▶ 0:10:16It is essential to restoring trust in our institutions, especially when powerful individuals, whoever they are, have engaged in criminal misconduct and escaped scrutiny and prosecution. The oversight committee's work is focused on three central questions. What powerful individuals were engaged in criminal behavior? Why did the justice system repeatedly fail women and girls who were groomed, raped, trafficked, and abused?
▶ 0:10:43And were individuals with significant influence shielded from proper investigation and accountability? And how do we pursue justice today? Questions that are surely within the clear jurisdiction and interest of this committee. In recent weeks, pursuant to a subpoena, the oversight committee has received tens of thousands of documents from the Epstein estate, including more than 1600 references to the current president.
▶ 0:11:09These include emails, correspondence, financial records, litigation documents, and statements attributed to Epstein himself. I want to be clear, these documents contain allegations, including sworn statements that must be evaluated through a full transparent investigative lens. and process. And this is precisely why releasing the full unredacted Epstein files is essential and why this public inquiry is also essential.
▶ 0:11:37Among the materials I will reference are a sexual assault case in which Donald Trump appears to have been subpoenaed, served, and deposed, sworn statements involving a then 16-year-old who was recruited at Mara Lago who alleged that she was groomed and assaulted by Epstein and others including those with significant global influence.
▶ 0:11:56emails and correspondence in which Epstein states that Trump knew about the girls and that minors were being recruited from Mara Lago, that Trump was present at Epstein's residence on numerous occasions, and that Epstein possessed photographs of Trump with young girls, and that Trump was quote the dog that hadn't barked. A phrase the Epstein used to suggest Trump's potential silence to police.
▶ 0:12:20The documents also reference financial transfers between Epstein and Trump, discussion of Trump's business affairs, and concerns about potential money laundering through real estate transactions, all matters that may or may not have criminal significance and clearly warrant investigation. Additionally, we have documents from the Epstein estate in which Epstein himself assessed that he faced a mandatory minimum of at least 10 years in prison.
▶ 0:12:46Yet, the Justice Department declined to prosecute him under federal law despite recommendations from his own lime prosecutor. And these statements appear to directly conflict with sworn testimony that the oversight committee received from US attorney Alex Aosta just a few months ago when he claimed that cred credible evidence to pursue federal charges was not there. Together these materials are a substantial body of evidence and it is evidence that the American people deserve and demand to see.
▶ 0:13:17Justice matters because those who abused, enabled, financed, and protected this criminal enterprise must face the truth and must face consequences. And transparency is essential for healing and restoring confidence in the rule of the law. And it is essential because Congress has a responsibility to ensure that our justice system protects victims, not perpetrators.
▶ 0:13:42And that includes strengthening victim's rights legislation that will likely move through this very committee. And so part of why I am here today is to advocate to please take the partisanship out of this case. Please address the facts as you see them before you. Please join us in this investigation and please help us hold these people accountable. Thank
▶ 0:14:06Thank you, Representative. Appreciate you sharing today. Gentle lady from New York is recognized. Representative Gillan, thank you for joining us today. Go right ahead.
▶ 0:14:25Good morning, Chairman Jordan, ranking member and members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to highlight how we can take action together in a bipartisan fashion to sea save lives and prevent tragedies. I'm here today because of the extraordinary woman alongside me, Georgina Cornaga from Lindbrook, New York, who I'm honored to represent here in Congress.
▶ 0:14:53Georgina traveled from Long Island to join me here today to honor the memory of her son, Giovani Gio Cypriano, and to help me to urge our colleagues to prevent future heartbreaking tragedies like the one that befell her family by passing HR419, GEO's Law.
▶ 0:15:15This bipartisan legislation, which I'm proud to have introduced alongside my Republican colleague from Long Island, Chairman Andrew Garberino, would help equip law enforcement officers across this country with access to life-saving epipens for emergencies. Mr.
▶ 0:15:33Chairman Gio was a son, a travel baseball team player, an honor student, and a freshman at Holy Trinity High School when he suffered a sudden severe allergic reaction to a snack that contained peanuts, but he didn't know His heart stopped while he was being rushed to the hospital, and he left us on October 18th, 2013.
▶ 0:15:59His passing was an unfathomable tragedy, a devastating loss to his family, to his friends, and to our community. But since his loss, Georgina has channeled her grief into tireless advocacy, doing everything possible to prevent another family from suffering such a tragedy.
▶ 0:16:19More than 32 million Americans live with life-threatening food allergies and other [snorts] severe allergic Anaphilaxis can be triggered by food, by insect bites or medications, things that we come in contact with every day. [snorts] She established the Love for Giovani Foundation and succeeded in passing New York State's GEO's law in 2019, which enables police officers and across the state to carry epinephrine pens.
▶ 0:16:46Starting with her hometown police department in the village of Lindbrook, she worked to expand these programs throughout Nassau County, Westchester County, and Suffach County, where just earlier this year, the cops were able to save a 72-year-old beasting victim who was suffering a life-threatening allergic reaction just 2 days after they started stocking epiens in their police cars.
▶ 0:17:08Thanks to the incredible work of advocates like Georgina and other moms and activists across our community, each day more and more police departments are carrying EpiPens in their police patrol cars. However, these devices cost up to $600 per use, which can make it very difficult for smaller departments to stock them.
▶ 0:17:29That is why this bipartisan bill, GEO's law, would establish the first ever federal grant program in the US Department of Justice to equip law enforcement agencies across the country with EpiPens and to train officers on how to safely administer them.
▶ 0:17:45This competitive grant program would help offset help offset the cost of epinephrine for qualified late state and local law enforcement agencies just like the existing OJP and cops grant programs for bodywn cameras, bulletproof vests and other equipment and technology. The bill would also standardize training for officers on how to recognize the symptoms of anaphilaxis and how to administer epiens.
▶ 0:18:08It would ensure that there are good Samaritan laws and safe harbor protections to protect the police and it would promote outreach and awareness about the use of epinephrine. This is a bipartisan pro-law enforcement public safety issue. Our brave police officers are often the first ones to arrive on the scene in an emergency and they deserve to have the equipment they need to save lives.
▶ 0:18:32I'm proud to say that this bill has been endorsed by the National Association of Police Organizations, the Asthma Allergy Foundation of America, the Food Allergy Nurses Association, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Mr. Chairman, we don't have to read about another American losing their life to a severe allergic reaction. We can take the steps together to end these tragedies. Let's fund our police.
▶ 0:18:58Let's give them the tools that they need so they continue can continue to be heroes in our community. I'm asking for your help to advance this critical bipartisan measure in memory of GEO to better equip our police officers, save lives and American people. Chairman Jordan, Ranking Member, thank you all for your time. Thank you for your work on this committee. Thank you for serving our country and supporting our law enforcement. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for agreeing to meet with me and Georgina later today.
▶ 0:19:27I look forward to working with all of you, my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass GEO's law. Thank you so much.
▶ 0:19:34Thank you. And Regina, thank you. God bless you. Um appreciate your work. We have um one of our one of our staffers who also happens to be a police officer and travels with me almost all the time. Um we he carries the epipin because he if he gets stung by a bee, it it it gets it gets serious real quick. And so u we we appreciate what you're trying to do there. Uh we look forward to talking later. Thank you.
▶ 0:20:17Okay. Gentle lady from Texas, Representative Fletcher. Thank thanks for joining us and you are recognized for five minutes. Hit the mic.
▶ 0:20:28Thank you, Chairman Jordan, Ranking Member Scandlin, members of the committee. I appreciate the opportunity to speak before you today. When I became a member of the State Bar of Texas in 2006, I took an oath solemnly swearing to uphold and support the Constitution of the United States, to honestly demean myself in the practice of law, to discharge my duties to the best of my ability, and to conduct myself with integrity and civility.
▶ 0:20:57I know many of you have taken a similar oath and I know that all of us have sworn and signed an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States when we became members of this Congress. And that's why I'm before you this morning. As historian Heather Cox Richardson so eloquently explained in her book, Democracy Awakening, the Constitution established a representative democracy, a republic in which voters would elect lawmakers who would represent the people.
▶ 0:21:25The legislative branch would be a balance to a single leader at the head of the executive branch. Each would prevent the rise of a tyrant on the other side. Congress would write all the necessary and proper laws, levy taxes, borrow money, pay the nation's debts, establish a postal service, establish courts, declare war, support an army and navy, and organize and call forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States. The president would execute the laws.
▶ 0:21:54But if Congress overstepped, the president could veto proposed legislation and in turn, Congress could override a presidential veto. As all of us here know, the framers created the Congress, the House, and the Senate, devising a system of representative democracy that has endured for more than 200 years.
▶ 0:22:12And as you know, they enumerated a bill of rights as the first 10 amendments to the That system and the rights of the Americans that it protects has been under assault this year and it is the responsibility of this Congress and this committee to protect them. I'm sorry to say that this Congress appears to be failing to do so.
▶ 0:22:34That's why I introduced with Representative Gar Mendy HR 603 reaffirming the principles of the US Constitution including the separation of powers and the rule of law which is before this committee. Since January 20th of this year, the executive branch, the article 2 branch of government has undermined the separation of powers enumerated in the constitution between the congress, the courts and the executive.
▶ 0:22:58Under the leadership and at the direction of President Trump, the executive branch has overstepped its authority and undermine the institutions that uphold the rule of law, that guarantee free and fair elections that regulate commerce, that protect public health, that conduct oversight, that engage with people and nations around the world, expanding the power of the presidency to implement dangerous and divisive policies from executive orders and actions encouraging lawlessness, eviscerating progress for all Americans, and
▶ 0:23:30abandoning our allies and our leadership in the world. The harms to Americans are apparent now and will be for generations to come if Congress does not act and assert its authority. Of course, congressional spending has been on all of our minds lately. And while appropriations is the work of another committee, protection of the mandate that spending bills originate in the Congress is part of the work of this committee.
▶ 0:23:54And yet, this administration has willfully ignored that principle, violating federal law by withholding funding authorized by Congress, cancelling funding for federal programs Congress created and that communities across the country rely on, eviscerating bipartisan spending laws. This administration has frozen, canceled, clawedback, or illegally impounded investments Congress has made in public health, public safety, public welfare, public education, and public lands and protection of our environment.
▶ 0:24:23This House and Senate have utterly failed to respond to this attack on congressional authority and the refusal to spend congressionally appropriated funds. These are serious harms to the people we represent and serious harms to our Constitution's separation of powers.
▶ 0:24:41They are matched by the grave harm to our constitutional order that come from the president and the administration's efforts to censure disscent to prohibit and intimidate Americans peaceful assembly to limit public participation and freedom to associate whether that's by joining a union or organizing a to restrain and exclude the press and the transparency that a free press brings and to prohibit the free exercise of religion.
▶ 0:25:08All of these rights are protected by the constitution and must be protected by this committee. And this committee must use its authority to protect the constitutional system of justice and the independence of the judiciary as this administration abuses its authority by intimidation, investigation, and prosecution of its critics.
▶ 0:25:28I urge the committee and the Congress to remember its purpose and to use its power to protect, support, and defend the people and the Constitution of the United States. Thank you.
▶ 0:25:41Thank you, Representative. We appreciate you coming. Chair Nyall recognizes the gentleman from California, Mr. Men.
▶ 0:25:53Thank you, Mr. Chair. Ranking member Scanland. I'm here to discuss a number of bills related to uh financial conflicts of interest. In May of this year, I introduced HR 3779, the Stock Act 2.0 to address a clear conflict of interest that we have seen far too often illustrated here. Uh and that is congressional stock trading. This legislation would strengthen restrictions on individual stock trading by members of Congress, the judiciary, and the executive branch.
▶ 0:26:22Critically, it builds on the important foundation of the original stock Act by improving filing and disclosure requirements of financial reports, increasing penalties for non-compliance, and ensuring real transparency and accountability. Public service is an honor, not an opportunity for self-enrichment at the expense of our constituents. And this should not be a partisan issue. I'm pleased to see so many members uh from both parties joining on efforts to try to address this issue.
▶ 0:26:49We've seen the news reports of members of Congress, members of this administration, uh members of the judiciary, uh apparently benefiting from access to information that Americans, average Americans don't have, uh trading on the information we have, uh cheating the markets. Now, I'm very very reassured by the fact that Speaker Johnson told Representative Luna that he is strongly considering addressing this issue. And of course, a number of legislative efforts are under discussion right now.
▶ 0:27:17Uh this is encouraging and it underscores the need for accountability across the board. I also want to highlight another important bill being led by my colleague and friend, Representative Hank Johnson, who's been at the forefront of efforts to address the ethical challenges currently facing the Supreme Court. Representative Johnson's Supreme Court Ethics [clears throat] Recusal and Transparency Act would require justices of the Supreme Court to adopt and follow a binding code of ethics with an enforcement mechanism for resolving ethics or misconduct complaints.
▶ 0:27:47This is a crucial step for restoring the public's trust in the highest court. We cannot just allow them to police themselves. There needs to be some transparency and accountability. Together, these two bills uh demonstrate a commitment to restoring public trust, which is failing right now in our public institutions and our government.
▶ 0:28:05They are efforts to try to ensure that all three branches of government, the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judiciary are held to the highest standards of ethics and transparency, and that we are holding ourselves to the same standards that we ask of people in other fields. Building on this momentum, I'm pleased to announce the launch of the Congressional Progressive Caucus' Fighting Corruption Task Force.
▶ 0:28:26Uh, as chair of that new task force alongside Vice Chair Hank Johnson, we are uh working right now on efforts to elevate anti-corruption measures across the Democratic caucus. I'm excited to work with several of my colleagues on this initiative, including Representative Scanland, Delusio, Summer Lee, and Mike Leaven. Our first meeting will take place in December and we look forward to advancing meaningful reforms for Congress.
▶ 0:28:51We also welcome input from our Republican colleagues because corruption is not confined to one party and efforts to try to reign this in should not be confined to any one political party. I'll conclude my remarks by thanking the committee once again for its focus on addressing corruption and safeguarding the integrity of our institutions. I yield
▶ 0:29:10Thank you so much, Mr. M. The right fine gentleman from Pennsylvania is recognized, Mr. Fitzpatrick. Good to have you with us.
▶ 0:29:24Hit that hit that button, Brian.
▶ 0:29:26There we go. Thank you to the chair and the ranking member. Thank you for your time today um for holding this hearing. Um, and as you continue your important work, uh, I would respectfully ask the committee to address the issue of protecting our veterans from fraud and strengthening guard rails against those targeting vulnerable populations. For far too often, so many of us hear from our veteran constituents, many of whom are seniors, who have been wrongfully defraed by uh, of their earned benefits by bad actors.
▶ 0:29:55Criminals often prey on veterans uh desperation by posing as facilitators, but instead uh scam veterans out of benefits using various very very sophisticated methods. active duty service members, National Guard personnel, veterans, and their families lost nearly 25% more money to scammers in 2024 than in the previous year, with reported losses totaling well over $580 million, according to the Consumer Comp complaints filed with
▶ 0:30:25the Federal Trade Commission. To address this emergency, Representative Scandlin and I introduced the Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act. This is a bipartisan bill that adds appropriate penalties to those actors who knowingly defraud a veteran of their earned benefits, subjecting fraudsters to a fine and/or 5 years in prison. This bill has garnered strong bipartisan support and it is passed out of the House of Representatives with a near unanimous vote in the 114th, 115th, and 116th Congresses.
▶ 0:30:56Individuals who defraud our veterans must be held accountable and punished. And it is critical that the men and women who served our nation receive their hard-earned benefits from the VA. And I'm proud to co-lead this bipartisan bill with Representative Scanland to crack down on fraudsters who take advantage of our veterans. And I look forward to continuing to work with this committee to answer any and all questions you all have uh to advance this legislation to protect our nation's veterans. And I thank you for your time.
▶ 0:31:25Does the gentle lady from Pennsylvania want to
▶ 0:31:28just wanted to thank my colleague from Pennsylvania for continuing to sponsor the bill. A representative from Guam is recognized, Mr. Mo. Good to have you with us. Thank you, Chairman Jordan, Ranking Member Raskin off a day and thank you for hosting today's member day.
▶ 0:31:50As the committee considers and deliberates on members requests for the end of 2025 and for 2026, I would like to highlight two policy priorities for the people of Guam. First, we must as a Congress finally deliver the radiation that have been left behind.
▶ 0:32:11As you know, I have been a staunch vocal advocate for ensuring that the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act or RA includes all those who were unwillingly and unknownly exposed to radiation and develop illnesses as a result. Since the beginning of my time in Congress, I have worked with my colleagues across the aisle to make this proposal a reality.
▶ 0:32:35While I applaud the members of this body, the Senate and President Trump for including the reauthorization of RA in the one big beautiful bill act. I must express my disappointment and frustration that the people of Guam were left out yet again. For decades, our radiation survivors have fought to include Guam as a downwinder jurisdiction.
▶ 0:33:01Our suffering was recognized by the federal government in affirming what the people of Guam have long known to be true. In 2017, a survivor testified before the Senate urging Guam's inclusion and the reauthorization language. And most with broad bipartisan support, Guam was included in the Senate Pass Radiation Exposure Reauthorization Act.
▶ 0:33:31But despite our best off efforts, it was not brought forth to a vote before the end of the 118th Congress. Much of this language was included in the One Big Beautiful Act when it was signed into law. However, many were I am once again working on legislation that would rectify this injustice and I thank the committee and the chairman for his continuing work with me on it.
▶ 0:33:59With that in mind, I urge the committee to continue to work with members representing downwind jurisdictions to ensure we are to compensate those affected, those who were the hidden cost of nuclear testing. I ask that the committee consider a request that would bring parity to the territorial courts.
▶ 0:34:24As you are aware, the federal district court in Guam and the CNMI and the Virgin Islands are currently article one courts. This somewhat obscured fact means that unlike district courts in the 50 states DC and Puerto Rico, our federal courts are not afforded the same constitutional protection as courts organized under article 3.
▶ 0:34:49Additionally, it limits the ability for our federal judges to sit on appeals court and hear cases before their respected circuits. The conversation of our district courts from article 1 to article 3 courts would afford those who stand before it a guaranteed of judicial independence, cornerstone of our national and legal heritage.
▶ 0:35:14I urge the committee to consider this request and to ensure that all Americans are guaranteed a fair trial by an independent judiciary. To quote John J. quote, "Justice is indiscriminately due to all without regards to numbers, wealth, or rank." Sus Moss and I, I look forward to answering any of your questions you may have. Thank you.
▶ 0:35:41Thank you, Representative Mo. We appreciate the passion you bring representing the folks at Guam and uh and I know particularly on this issue of the downwinders um your your commitment to getting something done there. We'll continue to see if we can be helpful. Thank you so much. The gentle lady from Arizona is recognized.
▶ 0:36:05Hit that button again. There you go. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am here to urge the Judiciary Committee to uphold its duty to hold the Trump administration accountable for the massive and unprecedented abuses it is unleashing across the entire country. As Donald Trump carries out his indiscriminate war on immigrants and American communities, it is essential that we conduct thorough congressional oversight of what's happening in detention centers like Eloy, a facility outside of my district.
▶ 0:36:36I have now visited the Eloy detention center three times. What I have encountered inside Eloy is sickening. So many of the detainees shared that they do not have access to reliable basic necessities like adequate food and water or essential medical care when they are in crisis. This includes women who do not have access to proper health care or feminine products.
▶ 0:37:00Detainees described to me firsthand the overcrowded moldy cells being forced to to participate in dehumanizing marches outside in the Arizona heat. the AC intentionally turned off and then blasted on high periodically and constant berating from guards, conditions worse than prison. They've described having to drink water with chlorine in it and being given used underwear that gave them UTI.
▶ 0:37:29Right now, so many of my constituents in Arizona's third district are scared that they or their family members may be unjustly detained and denied their basic rights, sent to one of these interament camps without due process. This is unconstitutional and unacceptable. And yes, constituents include citizens, green card holders, DACA recipients, asylum seekers, refugees, including people, human beings held in ICE detention.
▶ 0:37:58Members of Congress shouldn't have to pick and choose who matters or who deserves help. Some of the people I have spoken with in detention are asylum seekers. Some are refugees from some of the most dangerous places in the world who believed in the United States as a place of refuge.
▶ 0:38:17I've written repeatedly to Homeland Security Secretary Christine Gnome and the acting director of ICE Todd Lions detailing my deep concerns about the inhumane conditions at the Eloyd Detention Center and demanding answers and their responses have been completely unsatisfactory. I want to tell you the story of one of my constituents, Yadi Rodriguez Marquez, who has been held for the better part of a year in ICE detention.
▶ 0:38:43Yachti was a green card holder, someone here in this country legally, following the exact legal process that we have. I've spent hours on end now with Yachti inside the Eloyd Detention Center. She's suffering from leukemia and is extremely sick. She told me the first two times I visited her that she vomits blood several times a week and I witnessed it myself in this last visit.
▶ 0:39:10Watching her suffer like that without answers or a plan is unbearable and unnecessary. She wasn't given her full test results or medical records. That's not a mistake. It is a bureaucracy designed to deny care and hide what's happening inside these ICE detention centers. I made clear that day that I would not leave until next steps were set. Full records, another oncology visit, and a treatment plan.
▶ 0:39:39Due to the persistence of Yachti, her family and friends, my office, she was finally able to see a doctor. But that was after six months of direct advocacy from a member of Congress. That should never have been the case. And thousands of other detainees are being silently treated in the same way. We must fight back against Donald Trump's racist and authoritarian playbook.
▶ 0:40:04This is why I am planning on introducing a package of immigration bills to ensure that these abuses are permanently ended. I urge the judiciary committee to do everything in your power to do so. It is imperative for the communities and families that we all represent. Thank you and I yield back.
▶ 0:40:23Gentle lady yields back. Thank you, [clears throat and cough] Excuse me. Chair now recognizes a gentle lady from
▶ 0:40:38Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It's good to be back in the judiciary committ.
▶ 0:40:43Uh Mr. Chairman, ranking member Scanyan for the opportunity to present two critical bills that protect the vulnerable, uphold the rule of law, and ensure real accountability for dangerous criminals. First, I'd like to discuss the bipartisan Courtney Wild Reinforcing Crime Victim's Rights Act, which I proudly co-lead with Representative Tim Burchett. It's named for Courtney Wild, who bravely survived Epstein's cruelty and now fights to reform a system that badly mistreated her and her fellow survivors.
▶ 0:41:13As we all know by now, in 2008, Epstein received a sweetheart plea deal from then US attorney Alex Aosta. It not only gave Epste and his co-conspirator immunity from federal prosecution, but worse, his victims weren't informed or consulted before this outrageous deal was reached. It was a clear violation of the intent of the Crime Victim's Rights Act or CBR passed in 2004, which specifically specifically gives victims the right to timely notice of any major development in the defendant's case.
▶ 0:41:42Courtney thought she had that right, too. But courts ruled that because Epstein's charges were not formally filed, she and other victims weren't guaranteed these vital CVR rights. It's a glaring loophole that must be fixed. And while I'm grateful the Epstein Files Transparency Act passed overwhelmingly this week, this bill guarantees transparency beyond just one man. This bill would ensure future survivors of such horrific crimes aren't kept in the dark and guarantees the transparency and accountability that the CBR intended.
▶ 0:42:12Victims deserve to be protected at every legal step and our job is to ensure legal loopholes don't allow criminals to escape accountability. I urge the committee to take up and pass a bipartisan bill to show we support real justice and a transparency for Epstein survivors, but also to make sure that as we've I think all really universally agreed, we prevent anything like this deal from ever happening again. And Mr.
▶ 0:42:35Chairman, I'd love an opportunity to come and talk to you after the meeting at some point about this bill specifically because it's been out there a while and uh I know there's a lot of bipartisan support for it. Thank you so much. Next, I'd like to discuss HR 3310, the bipartisan Venezuela TPS Act, which I proudly co-lead with my Florida colleagues, Mr. Sodto and Miss Salazar. I'm grateful to the ranking member um of this committee for his unwavering partnership on this issue as well.
▶ 0:43:03This bill would redesate temporary protective status for Venezuelans residing in the US. Over the last decade, Venezuela has spiraled deeper into humanitarian, economic, and political crisis under the criminal dictatorship of Nicholas Maduro. Maduro's murderous brutality, brazen election theft, and klepto kleptocratic corruption have precipitated the largest peaceime refugee crisis in modern history. Over 8 million people have fled poverty, repression, and failed communist policies.
▶ 0:43:31And some have made a home in America legally under TPS. But the current president has taken that status away. Over 400,000 Venezuelan Americans, most of whom arrived before 2021 during President Trump's first term, have had their legal residency and work permits revoked. The economic impacts of this action will be devastating for South Florida, and it will drive up costs everywhere. I proudly represent the largest Venezuelan American community in Congress. And I'd like to tell you about them.
▶ 0:43:58Venezuelans are teachers, nurses, construction workers, and firefighters. They care for elderly parents and their kids. May run small business many run small businesses and create jobs. And they all boost our labor force, tax base, and consumer market. Deporting Venezuelans means fewer jobs, less innovation, and less funding for social security and Medicare. But it also means higher health, housing, and grocery costs. Not to mention a massive waste of taxpayer dollars on detentions and deportations.
▶ 0:44:25Then there's the moral price we pay for subjecting people to a totalitarian regime that this administration accurately calls corrupt, authoritarian, and hostile to human rights. Venezuelans love America. They're patriots who cherish the freedoms many of us take for granted and want that democracy for their home country, too. And many Venezuelan TPS holders have US citizen children. Trump's policy will orphan them or condemn them to hopeless misery alongside their parents. And TPS is bipartisan, created by Congress.
▶ 0:44:55Presidents of both parties utilized it to protect people from countries in crisis, provided that they follow the law. TPS recipients don't get handouts. They pay application fees that fund the system without burdening taxpayers. This bill also doesn't shield anyone who commits a crime. TPS holders pass repeated background checks, and any criminal record is disqualifying. Ending TPS doesn't stop crime. It means law enforcement expends more resources arresting noncriminals. And that means letting real public threats walk free.
▶ 0:45:23Trump's termination of TPS doesn't just separate families. It sends people back to a criminal regime where they will face violence, persecution, and even death. It's even more heinous to actively collaborate with Maduro and indicted cartel Kingpin to facilitate these removals and reward him with sanctions relief. And it's totally inconceivable and incontradictory to continue twice weekly deportation flights to Venezuela while threatening military action that may put innocents in the crossfire.
▶ 0:45:49How could the administration declare conditions in Venezuela have improved enough to revoke TPS while bringing our largest aircraft carrier off their coast and considering military action? We cannot credibly denounce authoritarian dictators while cutting side deals to swamp immigrants for oil money. Venezuelan TPS recipients are law-abiding families. And we should focus law enforcement resources on real criminals, not collective punishment. Let's pressure Venezuela's regime, not its refugees. And let's reduce Americans high cost, not our highest ideals.
▶ 0:46:18I urge the committee to take up and pass the bipartisan Venezuela TPS Act, not out of charity, but for America's interests. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and the ranking member for your indulgence and to your time for your time on these two bills. Now, let's work together to protect the truly vulnerable among us. I yield back. Thank you. Appreciate your passion for this.
▶ 0:47:09see if our office we can we can we
▶ 0:53:59That concludes today's hearing. We thank our colleagues for appearing before the committee today. Without objection, all members will have five legislative days to submit additional materials for the record. Without objection, the hearing is adjourned.