[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 212 (Tuesday, December 16, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H5936]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  MOMENT OF SILENCE IN HONOR OF SERGEANT EDGAR BRIAN TORRES-TOVAR AND 
                   SERGEANT WILLIAM NATHANIEL HOWARD

  (Mr. NUNN of Iowa asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Madam Speaker, today, the Iowa delegation, myself, 
along with Representative Hinson, Representative Miller-Meeks, and 
Representative Feenstra, and other members of the floor, including 
those who have served in uniform and those who support those in 
uniform, rise today to honor two brave Iowans, Sergeant Edgar Brian 
Torres-Tovar, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Sergeant William Nathaniel 
Howard, of Marshalltown, Iowa, who this week gave their lives in 
service of our country.
  On December 13, while serving with the Iowa National Guard in Syria, 
Edgar and Nate were killed by an ISIS terrorist attack. Three other 
guardsmen were wounded, and a U.S. interpreter was also killed.
  This was the first combat loss of American troops in Syria in over 5 
years, and every American grieves alongside the families of the fallen.
  Edgar was just 25 years old. He was the first in his family to answer 
the call to service. He was full of energy, known for putting service 
before self, and just months from coming home.
  Nate was 29. He was a man of faith, a loving husband, and a guardsman 
with over a decade of service. He led by example--first in, last out, 
never leave a brother behind.
  They were young men. They could have chosen easier paths, but instead 
they chose service to our Nation. They stood their post when it 
mattered most. They carried the weight of our Nation's safety on their 
shoulders, and they did so with courage, humility, and honor.
  In return, we, the U.S. House of Representatives, give them our 
gratitude, not just in words, but in remembrance of the solemn promise 
that justice will be served.
  Out of grief, we renew our resolve. Out of loss, we strengthen our 
unity. Out of sacrifice, we carry forward hope, hope grounded in the 
values that Edgar and Nate lived every day: service before self, faith 
in something greater, and a love of country.
  Madam Speaker, I respectfully ask the House of Representatives to now 
observe a moment of silence in honor of Sergeant Edgar Brian Torres-
Tovar and Sergeant William Nathaniel Howard.

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