Expressing Support for Rural Communities Across the United States As Stewards of the Environment, Major Suppliers of United States Energy Resources, Critical Providers of Food Production and Manufacturing Capacity, and Drivers of National Economic Stability, and Recognizing the Work of the House of Representatives in the 119th Congress in Support of Those Vital Communities

Floor Speech

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Mr. FULLER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

First off, to my Democratic colleagues, I want to express my condolences for the passing of Representative David Scott. He was a great man and an example of what a statesman should be in this body. I am sending my condolences to his family, your party, and the Georgia delegation, as well.

I rise to explain this resolution to not only this body but my Democratic colleagues. In 2013, when I was 31 years old, I was stationed here at Andrews Air Force base in Washington, D.C., and I was diagnosed with cancer. I went through a 13-hour surgery and 2 weeks in an ICU room.

I am a kid who grew up in Appalachia, and I said a prayer to God with my wife, Kate, that if God gave me more time to be on this planet, I was going to leave Active Duty, return home to the Appalachian communities I grew up in, and fight for them each and every day. That was a promise that I made in 2013, and, Mr. Speaker, this resolution is a fulfillment of that promise that I made in an ICU room so many years ago.

I have dedicated my career to fighting for these communities.

Now, I have heard from our Democratic colleagues and in the previous statement they kind of joked about this resolution. I stand before you because I want to celebrate these communities. The Democratic Party, who was founded by Thomas Jefferson, now has forgotten this part of America. What we have seen under President Trump's leadership and Speaker Johnson's leadership is that this forgotten America, rural America, Appalachia America is forgotten no more with this leadership, and that is exactly what this resolution does to celebrate those communities that have been long forgotten by their party.

I rise today to celebrate everything that the Republican leadership has done in this body to lift up those communities that have been long forgotten. I want to make sure that those communities that sent me here to represent them--that was a promise I made to Georgia-14. That is the promise I made to Appalachia as a whole. That is the promise that I made to rural communities, that I will be a warrior for them in this body. Anytime there is a chance for me to celebrate the positive work that we are doing in this body, and if there is a chance for me to celebrate those communities, I am going to take that opportunity.

I appreciate Republican leadership for allowing me to bring forth this resolution basically in less than a week of me being here. It is an incredible honor for me to, hopefully, pass legislation in this body celebrating those communities that their party has forgotten.

I rise today to fulfill not only a promise that I made so many years ago in an ICU room at Walter Reed to fight against rural poverty, to fight for Appalachian communities and rural communities, but I also want to raise awareness of the great work that the Republican leadership here has done under Speaker Johnson's leadership and President Trump's leadership.

One of the main things that I want to highlight is President Trump using those tariffs that were just mentioned, making sure that he is bringing manufacturing back to communities that have been hollowed out by 30 to 40 years of policies that had been put in place by the Democrats. Finally, good manufacturing jobs are coming back to districts just like mine.

This is the fulfillment of a promise that I made to God in a hospital room, and I celebrate these communities. Rural and Appalachian communities need to know that they will always have a warrior in Clay Fuller here in this body.

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