[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 195 (Tuesday, November 28, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H5933-H5934]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    RECOGNIZING APPOINTEES TO THE SERVICE ACADEMIES FROM THE THIRD 
                   CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Houchin). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 9, 2023, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Santos) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mr. SANTOS. Madam Speaker, it is a source of immense pride that 
numerous prospective high school graduates in my district aspire to 
join a service academy.
  Following a rigorous selection process, I have put forth nominations 
for 29 applicants. Thus far, four of them have received appointments to 
academies.
  Alex Gao from Levittown has been appointed to West Point. David Yoon 
from Great Neck has been appointed to West Point. Joseph Kim from 
Little Neck has been appointed to West Point. Tanner Schultz from 
Northport has been appointed to the Merchant Marine Academy.
  Embarking on the journey of attending a service academy is no easy 
feat. It requires diligent effort to master your chosen major and 
acquire the necessary knowledge to serve your country upon graduation 4 
years later.
  I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to nominate all 29 
applicants. I anticipate the appointment of many more nominees from New 
York's Third District to serve in the coming weeks.


                       Congratulating Richard Xu

  Mr. SANTOS. Madam Speaker, we just hosted the Congressional App

[[Page H5934]]

Challenge recently, and this week, we revealed the winner for New 
York's Third District. Richard Xu emerged victorious with his 
innovative creation VolunHour, an app designed to streamline the 
tracking of volunteer hours.
  Among the 17 impressive applicants from my district, each 
contributing fantastic app ideas, Richard Xu's VolunHour stood out as 
the winning entry.
  Richard cited his passion for volunteering and community service as 
the driving force behind the creation of this app. He started a 
volunteer organization with a small group of friends, witnessing its 
expansion from 5 members to 30. Throughout this experience, he 
recognized the cumbersome and time-consuming nature of tracking 
volunteer hours, prompting him to develop a solution.
  I congratulate Richard and send a big shout-out to all the 
participants from the Third District of New York who submitted 
applications to the Congressional App Challenge. Well done.


                Recognizing Dedicated Staff for Casework

  Mr. SANTOS. Madam Speaker, let me take a moment to discuss my office. 
Regarding my team, they consistently dedicate substantial effort to 
handle casework for our constituents.
  We operate from three locations, two within the Third District of New 
York and one in Washington, D.C., ensuring accessibility and a 
commitment to serving the residents of New York's Third District.
  To this day, we have received a total of 1,286 cases. We have 
successfully resolved 1,149 cases, leaving us with 137 cases currently 
under the diligent attention of my team.
  The completed casework encompasses a variety of matters, including 
passports, immigration issues, and distinctive cases like securing a 
Purple Heart medal for the surviving family members of a World War I 
hero.
  The work of my office does not go unnoticed, and I and the 
constituents of the Third District of New York are extremely grateful. 
I thank my entire team for all the hard work they have put forward 
throughout these last couple of months.


                       On the Matter of Expulsion

  Mr. SANTOS. Madam Speaker, on the matter of expulsion, we are now 
going down a third attempt for a privileged resolution to expel me from 
the House of Representatives this week. One was introduced earlier 
today, and just earlier this evening, we had a second.
  Here is the case in point. In history, five Members of Congress have 
been expelled. All five had suffered convictions in a court. All five 
had due process.
  This expulsion vote simply undermines and underscores the precedent 
that we have had in this Chamber. It starts and puts us in a new 
direction, a dangerous one, that sets a very dangerous precedent for 
the future.
  Are we to now assume that one is no longer innocent until proven 
guilty, and they are, in fact, guilty until proven innocent? Are we now 
to simply assume that because somebody doesn't like you, they get to 
throw you out of your job? Or better more, does the Constitution bear 
no consequence where a duly elected Member of the House of 
Representatives is elected by the general public but then a couple of 
politicians decide that they don't like that person?
  These are all matters and questions that can be brought up. I will 
leave it at this. The process in which the Ethics Committee engaged was 
incomplete, irresponsible, and littered with hyperbole and littered 
with biased opinions.
  The chairman of the committee himself admitted that it wasn't the 
full extent of process. Therefore, he couldn't recommend from the 
committee a punishment or action, therefore cheapening the process of 
the Ethics Committee, cheapening the process that this country has 
expected from this Chamber.
  It is not a right to be a Member of Congress. The media will always 
remind me of that every time I talk to them. It is a privilege, a 
privilege you work hard for. You get elected to Congress as a privilege 
to represent those who have chosen you.
  Madam Speaker, I think we can all agree that due process matters and 
that we should all be very concerned about the way that we are 
conducting this process. I ask that all of my colleagues in the House 
consider and understand what this means for the future.
  To set the record straight and put this in the Record, I will not be 
resigning.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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