[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 47 (Monday, March 16, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H2490]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   AMERICANS STRANDED IN MIDDLE EAST

  (Mr. Subramanyam of Virginia was recognized to address the House for 
5 minutes.)
  Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I have spoken here about how this 
administration did not adequately warn U.S. citizens in the Middle East 
before launching attacks against Iran. They left American citizens in 
the Middle East stranded and told them that they were on their own.
  Mr. Speaker, I applaud them for correcting this mistake and working 
really hard to try to get people flights out and helping them to 
evacuate. Unfortunately, it looks like that was only a temporary 
response because this week, I am having constituents tell me that, once 
again, they are being told that they are on their own.
  One family I am working with is in Kuwait right now and was told to 
take a commercial flight out and that the State Department couldn't 
help them. The problem is that Kuwaiti airspace is actually closed 
right now. The family was told that they would have to take a bus to 
Saudi Arabia and that the State Department wouldn't really help them 
with that. Even if they did get there, there are frequent restrictions 
on flights in Saudi Arabia due to continued missile and drone threats.
  Again, I am left wondering why we are telling Americans that we have 
billions of dollars to spend on bombs, missiles, and warships, but we 
don't have the money to get American citizens who want to get out, out 
of the Middle East, particularly ones who are in dangerous areas where 
there are no commercial flights.
  It is insulting to tell the American people to foot the bill to get 
out of the Middle East in a dangerous position when we didn't warn them 
in the first place.
  Once again, I am calling on the administration to help Americans who 
need to get out, get out. The safety of the American people should come 
first.


                 Supporting Small Business AI Startups

  Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, AI is massively reshaping our economy 
and our small businesses. When most people think of companies leading 
on AI, they think of the Big Tech companies, but there is more to this 
AI economy than those big companies. They are AI small businesses and 
startups that play a key role in innovation. They are the drivers of 
innovation, economic growth, and American technological supremacy.
  They can often be more agile than bigger tech companies and create 
fantastic solutions and products, but they aren't always working on an 
even playing field.
  That is why I am introducing this week the small AI innovators 
empowerment act. This bill would look at challenges that small AI 
businesses and startups face, including areas like access to funding, 
hiring and retention of talented employees, and the impact of 
regulatory uncertainty.
  Supporting small-tech businesses helps us to stay ahead of 
international competition as our world becomes increasingly reliant on 
AI. I thank Congressman Obernolte for sponsoring this bill with me.
  I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting AI small 
businesses by supporting this small AI innovators empowerment act.


                   Congratulating The Flower Gallery

  Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate The Flower 
Gallery of Virginia on its 50th anniversary. The Flower Gallery has 
contributed to the joy of residents in our community, including 
Manassas and Northern Virginia, since 1976, when Doug Burroughs first 
bought the shop from his employer.
  Over that time, The Flower Gallery has helped our community celebrate 
life's milestones, including many birthdays, weddings, and 
anniversaries. It also provides local youth and civic organizations 
with flowers for fundraisers and community events.
  I congratulate Doug for creating such a beloved institution and for 
50 years of success. I am wishing Doug and The Flower Gallery many more 
years of prosperity.


                   Opposing Attack on Federal Workers

  Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, we know that this administration has 
been constantly attacking our Nation's Federal workers and contractors. 
They have chased out people with specialized skills and decades of 
experience, making our country less safe and less healthy, while also 
making our agencies either understaffed, or led by unqualified 
loyalists.
  The latest attack might actually be one of the worst, and that is the 
creation of the Schedule P/C positions. We knew that there would be an 
attack on Schedule F. This basically would make it easier for career 
civil servants to be fired and to be replaced with loyalists who are 
not qualified.
  Federal workers would lose job protections, and it would make it 
incredibly difficult to attract people, retain them, and get the best 
talent in the country to come work in the Federal Government. We have 
been working on this across many administrations, and this is undoing a 
lot of that work.
  The reality is that Federal workers and contractors pledge allegiance 
to our country and not to a President or an ideology. This rule would 
hurt our country for many years to come, and it would do irreparable 
damage to our institutions and to the people who rely on them.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing this rule. 
It is not well thought out, and it is going to hurt us in the long run.

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