[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 194 (Wednesday, December 14, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H9735-H9736]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          FAREWELL TO CONGRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Virginia (Mrs. Luria) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. LURIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as we approach the conclusion 
of the 117th Congress and as I near the end of my service in this 
esteemed body.
  As I reflect on the multitude of challenges this Nation and the world 
has faced over these 4 short years and those that lie ahead, I thank my 
colleagues and our leadership for the seriousness and dedication with 
which they have tackled these challenging issues.
  I thank my staff in Washington who are here and those in our three 
district offices for their tireless dedication to the people of 
Virginia's Second District. They have assisted so many who needed a 
helping hand--everyone from farmers to shipbuilders across coastal 
Virginia.
  I thank my family: my husband, Robert, and my daughter, Violet. I 
couldn't have been here and served the district and the people of 
Virginia without them.
  I also want to acknowledge the strength and the bond of the class of 
2018. They have been amazing colleagues and true friends, and I know 
that they will continue to be leaders and focus on improving our 
country for the next generation.
  We entered Congress under a partial government shutdown which was a 
legacy of a protracted battle of how to fund security at our southern 
border--a 35-day lapse in government funding. It was the longest in our 
history. On my first weekend in office I visited a pop-up food bank for 
members of our Coast Guard where the local community rallied around our 
Coast Guard families who were starting the new year without a paycheck. 
This was a story of our community stepping in to care for one another, 
which is so common, and something that I heard repeatedly across these 
4 years in every corner of our district.
  But there are also stories of how the distraction caused by political 
theater and political division can lead to unnecessary hardship. As we 
approach a looming deadline this year to fund our government, we should 
not let these divisions or rhetoric stand in the way of performing our 
fundamental role as Congress.
  On May 31, 2019--a day that remains etched in the memory of Virginia 
Beach--I saw the devastation caused by the first of two mass shootings 
that roiled our community. That day, 12 innocent victims left home for 
work before the Memorial Day weekend--a time they looked forward to 
spending with their families at barbecues and the beaches--yet instead 
their lives were senselessly stolen by a shooter who entered the 
municipal center and indiscriminately opened fire.
  Again, just weeks ago on the eve of Thanksgiving, a shooter opened 
fire in a local Chesapeake Walmart where shoppers were grabbing their 
last-minute items for a holiday meal. This time our community lost six 
more precious lives who would not join their families at the holiday 
table. Among these losses was a 16-year-old boy. This Congress has 
taken small measures to prevent these types of tragic events in our 
community and yours, Mr. Speaker, but as I depart, I implore my 
colleagues to continue to do more.
  The first time I stood in this very place to speak on the floor of 
the House, I rose as a Jewish woman to speak out against anti-Semitism 
which has seen a rapid and alarming rise and has even reared its head 
among our colleagues in this body in the form of claims of dual loyalty 
towards those who show support for Israel--our strongest ally in the 
Middle East. I look back on that first speech I made as a Member of 
Congress and am even more concerned today about the rising frequency 
and pervasiveness of anti-Semitism. I implore my colleagues to continue 
their quest to root out this scourge of vile and pernicious anti-
Semitism.

[[Page H9736]]

  In that first speech, I mentioned my oath to support and defend the 
Constitution. But little did I know that 2 short years later, I would 
witness an attempt by our own President and his allies to subvert the 
Constitution and summon a mob to disrupt the counting of electoral 
votes of a free and fair election.
  On that day, January 6, 2021, lives were lost, these hallowed Halls 
were desecrated, and the strength of our democracy was tested. I have 
been humbled to participate in uncovering facts about that dark day in 
our Nation's history. I thank Chairman Thompson, Vice-Chair Cheney, my 
colleagues, and the staff of the January 6 Committee for standing on 
the side of democracy.
  I am proud of the work we have done over the last two Congresses to 
support our veterans and their families. My Gold Star families tax 
relief legislation eased the burden on children of those killed in 
combat or deceased from service-connected disabilities. I thank 
President Biden for making veterans' toxic exposure a priority. We 
passed the largest increase in access to veterans' benefits in our 
lifetime through the PACT Act, which included my COVENANT Act to 
provide healthcare to burn pit veterans.
  The threats we face as a nation continue to grow as we witness 
Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, Iran's 
persistent pursuit of a nuclear weapon, and the rise of China 
threatening our maritime and national security. As we have heard in 
testimony, China is likely to attempt to take Taiwan by force in the 
next 5 years. This is our most pressing national security concern.
  The action or inaction that we take in standing up to China in this 
moment will determine whose values will rule the remainder of the 21st 
century--the United States' and our allies' or the Chinese Communist 
Party.
  That is why as I depart I urge my colleagues to take this threat 
seriously and to fulfill the constitutional task of Article I, Section 
8, to provide and maintain a Navy. If we fail to remain the predominant 
maritime power in the Pacific, frankly, nothing else that we do here in 
this Congress will matter if we don't get this right.
  God bless you.


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will remind all persons in the 
gallery that they are here as guests of the House and that any 
manifestation of approval or disapproval of proceedings is in violation 
of the rules of the House.

                          ____________________