[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 71 (Tuesday, April 29, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H1691-H1692]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       IN RECOGNITION OF VAISAKHI

  (Mr. Subramanyam of Virginia was recognized to address the House for 
5 minutes.)
  Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, to Sikhs both in America and around the 
world, I wish everyone a happy Vaisakhi.
  For those who don't know, Vaisakhi marks the beginning of the harvest 
season. It is a momentous occasion in the Sikh community.
  Over the weekend, I had the privilege of joining the Sikh Center of 
Virginia to celebrate in Manassas, Virginia. The event brought together 
community leaders, local leaders, and elected officials, signifying the 
strength of our growing Sikh community in northern Virginia and across 
the country.
  Mr. Speaker, I look forward to continuing to partner with our Sikh 
Americans here in Virginia and all across the country as we celebrate 
Vaisakhi this year.


                  Due Process for Fannie Mae Employees

  Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise out of concern today over the 
recent firings at Fannie Mae, firings that have impacted many of my 
constituents, especially in the Indian-American community, constituents 
who have been dedicated employees for years with exemplary performance 
reviews.
  Without any advance notice, these employees received word of their 
termination over alleged fraud and ethics violations. I spoke to many 
of them, and they said that they were fired for contributing to Indian-
American-run charities. Yet, some of them didn't even contribute to 
those charities at all or were encouraged to donate to those charities.
  There was no investigation, no due process, and no chance to correct 
the record or provide their side of the story. Employees simply 
received a we-will-get-back-to-you message when they contacted HR. 
Without a proper and official investigation, I am concerned that these 
firings are another pretext for making indiscriminate cuts to our 
workforce in northern Virginia.
  If these employees were targeted because they are Indian American, 
national origin being a legally protected class, then that might have 
been illegal and unconstitutional, as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I demand answers to understand why these terminations 
really took place, and we are going to continue to put pressure until 
we get those answers.


            Sharing of Classified and Sensitive Information

  Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today out of grave concern over 
our leadership at the Pentagon right now. In just a few short months, 
the Department of Defense has been overtaken by chaos because of 
Secretary Hegseth's leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, classified and sensitive information is being shared 
over Signal. The Secretary has a nonsecure internet line in his office. 
Seemingly every day, there is a new story about firings, backstabbing, 
and so-called shake-ups in the highest levels of leadership.
  This leadership is not making our country or our troops safer, but 
don't take it from me. I have had many veterans and military families 
reach out to me. One military parent is so scared that the sharing of 
classified information over nonsecure channels will put their son at 
risk.
  She wrote to me:

       That our Nation's top Defense officials shared sensitive 
     troop movements over a commercial social media platform, 
     without verifying who was on the other end, is not only 
     reckless, it is terrifying. Our servicemembers and their 
     families deserve leaders who treat their safety with the 
     gravity it demands. This breach not only endangers lives

[[Page H1692]]

     but erodes the trust of those who serve and support our 
     military. My son has sworn to defend this country. I expect 
     the same level of responsibility and integrity from those in 
     charge.

  Another constituent pointed out the hypocrisy of the administration 
claiming that they did nothing wrong in using Signal for these 
discussions.
  That person said:

       For 18 years, I have lived a life most people will never 
     understand. My promise to defend this Nation does not stop 
     when I clock out. It permeates every single aspect of my 
     life. It affects who I marry, who I live with, who I date, 
     who I am friends with, and who I speak to. I would be sitting 
     in jail right now if I had done something as brazen, 
     thoughtless, and dangerous as what Secretary Hegseth, among 
     others, did.

  That is from military families and military people serving today.
  Not only is this a failure of our national security, but it is an 
embarrassment for the United States. Our allies will be less willing to 
share intelligence with us if Secretary Hegseth might share it with his 
family, his poker buddies, or whoever else he thinks it would be neat 
to loop in.
  Our servicemembers deserve better, and the American people deserve 
better. That is why I reiterate my demand to make sure we have change 
at the Secretary of Defense level and in the Pentagon.

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