A Call for Humane Treatment of Migrants

Floor Speech

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Mr. FLOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my sincere gratitude to my hometown mayor, Josh Moenning, of Norfolk, Nebraska. After almost 12 years as mayor, he has decided to retire at the end of his term.

During his tenure, Mayor Moenning saw Norfolk through dozens of projects that made our city a more desirable place for families and young people. Mayor Moenning said his time as mayor centered around three things: enhanced quality of life, improved infrastructure and city services, and economic growth.

He accomplished those three objectives and more by renovating Johnson Park, revitalizing a wide variety of businesses and housing developments, and expanding infrastructure. Mayor Moenning took the city's ideas and needs, and he put them into action.

Because of his service to our community, Norfolk is an even better place to live, work, and raise a family than it was 12 years ago.

On behalf of the city of Norfolk in the First Congressional District, I extend our appreciation to Mayor Moenning for his leadership over the past 12 years. In Honor of Angie Muhleisen

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Mr. FLOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Angie Muhleisen.

For the better part of three decades, Angie has led Union Bank & Trust of Lincoln. She has recently announced she is stepping down as CEO.

When Angie started at Union Bank, it was a $50 million financial institution. Through the years, she has helped grow it into an $8 billion organization with over 1,000 teammates.

From Lincoln's Inspire Woman of the Year to the Chamber's Burnham Yates Citizenship Award, Angie's leadership has earned significant recognition from community organizations.

Even as she steps away from her role as CEO, her heart for service isn't slowing down. She recently became the board chair for the University of Nebraska Foundation. She also serves on the board of Assurity and is involved in numerous other organizations.

Angie's greatest legacy is her family. Her son Jason is stepping into the role as CEO and will do an outstanding job building on her work.

Best wishes to Angie on this next chapter. School Choice Week

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Mr. FLOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight National School Choice Week.

School choice allows parents and children to choose the school that best fits their needs. Whether it is a public school, a private school, a home school, or a hybrid of these options, parents have a right to direct the upbringing and education of their kids.

Last year, Nebraska passed its first school choice law, helping more families and kids to pick a school that best fits their needs, but there is still more we can do.

Here at the Federal level, I am a proud cosponsor of Congressman Adrian Smith's Educational Choice for Children Act, which would bolster school choice across the Nation. This legislation would help more kids from low-income households access the education of their choice. I urge my colleagues to pass this.

Back home in Nebraska, our legislature has been working to fund students, not systems. I am excited to see how they build on their school choice success. Keep up the great work. Housing Week

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Mr. FLOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight housing week, as declared by me, in Nebraska.

A recent survey by Lending Tree found that 94 percent of Americans identified owning a house as part of the American Dream, but just over half of those `` . . . who don't own a home say they're worried they never will.''

Next week, I will address a Workforce Housing Summit hosted by the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce. If we want to keep the American Dream alive, we must address the high cost of housing, help more Americans save for a downpayment, and break through other barriers. We must also take care of the housing stock in our communities.

Later next week, I will be hosting a housing improvement meeting in Clarkson. This meeting will help brief community members about programs that can help weatherize and improve existing homes. Next week will be full of small, but important, steps toward addressing this shortage. While there is no silver bullet, through the work of local, State, and Federal partners, we can help more Americans find the home of their dreams. 100-Plus Days of Israel-Hamas War

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Mr. FLOOD. Mr. Speaker, it has been more than 100 days since Hamas launched a vicious war against Israel, committing inhumane acts of violence.

Since October 7, Israel has worked to eliminate Hamas in response to their horrific killing and torture of over 1,000 innocent people. Right now, there are still more than 100 hostages being held by Hamas, including as many as six Americans.

Over the last few months, we have witnessed numerous protests across the country sympathizing with Hamas, which is nothing short of shocking. The messages of these protesters is often at odds with supporting the only democracy in the Middle East, and they do not reflect our Nation's values.

Let me be clear. America does not negotiate with terrorists, and we support the right of Israel to exist. America will continue to stand with Israel as they work to end Hamas and free every single hostage. We will not back down.

May God bless the continued friendship between Israel and America.

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