What Laura Gillen said, and what was done

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the legacy of Detective Luis Alvarez and the advancement of a bill to rename his hometown post office in Oceanside in his honor.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Long Island Association. For a century, it has been an institution at the heart of Long Island's economy and business community.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the outstanding career of Dean Lodge, a dedicated UPS driver who has recently retired after more than 37 years with UPS, including 26 years in the Long Beach community.”

“Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the brave law enforcement officers on Long Island and across our Nation who we have lost and the men and women who continue to serve and protect.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bipartisan bill, H.R. 1689, to extend TPS for Haitians. I thank all of my colleagues who voted to bring this bill to a vote today--Democrat, Republican, and Independent.”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Representative Pressley, for her leadership on this issue and her yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this resolution to advance H.R. 1689, the bipartisan bill extending TPS for Haitians.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Ms. Edna Jean Hamler from the village of Hempstead in honor of her 84th birthday. Growing up in Alabama during the horrid Jim Crow era, Edna's life is one of a remarkable, brave journey.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Charlie McAvoy, a proud native of Long Beach and New York-4 on representing the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics and bringing home a gold medal as a member of the men's ice hockey team.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn the Iranian regime as it threatens the United States and our ally Israel. Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terror, bankrolling the heinous terrorist groups Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.”

“Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. Every day, 34 families lose a loved one to a drunk driving crash. Drunk driving remains the leading cause of death on our highways.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Michael Howard Kerr, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and extraordinary community leader from Woodmere, New York.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great pride to congratulate South Side High School's girls' volleyball team on winning the New York State Class A girls' volleyball championship.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome to our Nation's Capitol my constituent from Lynbrook and the founder of the Love for Giovanni Foundation, Georgina Cornago. Mr. Speaker, Georgina is the beloved mother of Long Island native Giovanni ``Gio'' Cipriano, pictured here, who we tragically lost in 2013 due to a severe allergic reaction.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart on the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, one of the darkest days in our Nation's history. Nearly 3,000 Americans, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, husbands and wives, friends and neighbors, were taken from us in an act of unspeakable evil on the morning of September 11.”

“Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4275, the bipartisan Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025, which includes my provision to improve navigation in the East Rockaway Inlet off the South Shore of Long Island and to strengthen maritime drug enforcement in our waters.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to raise the alarm on Senate Republicans' plan to rip Medicaid from 1.5 million New Yorkers, including children, seniors, and veterans on Long Island.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the cruel rescission package that passed the House strictly on partisan lines. Let me be clear: This legislation is a shameful, backwards attempt to cancel $9.8 billion in funding that had already been passed into law.”

“In fact, since its launch in 2003, PEPFAR has saved 26 million lives and enabled 8 million babies to be born without HIV infection. This package also threatens funding to public broadcasting like NPR and PBS which educate, inform, and enrich the lives of Americans.”

“Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor the life of Brian Lavin, a retired NYPD detective from Long Beach and a true American hero. In the aftermath of 9/11, the worst terrorist attack on American soil, Brian was one of the courageous first responders who ran toward danger, working tirelessly amid toxic rubble at Ground Zero.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Nancy Rosen Stern on what would have been her 60th birthday. Nancy was a proud Long Islander who lived on the south shore her entire life.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn the despicable anti- Semitic terror attack targeted against Jews who were marching in Boulder, Colorado, in support of the hostages being held in Gaza.”

“Mr. Speaker, in recognition of National Police Week, and on behalf of New York's Fourth Congressional District, I am proud to stand here today to honor our brave men and women in law enforcement.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to demand that Congress restore the full State and local tax deduction which would cut taxes for Nassau County residents. On Long Island, we pay some of the highest taxes in the country, and we send far more to Washington than we get back.”

“New Yorkers. We need to hold the line and push for a full repeal that will bring tax bills down and give Long Islanders much-needed tax relief. I came to Congress to cut taxes and make life more affordable for my residents.”

“Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to address the unfair double taxation that my constituents are facing due to the State and local tax deduction cap. Hardworking families across Long Island and across our State and many other States already face some of the highest tax burdens in the Nation.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Nassau County Police Department on 100 years of brave and honorable service to the communities across New York's Fourth Congressional District.”

“Mr. Speaker, today, I am so proud to honor Isaac Samuelson, a young leader from Long Island and a member of Boy Scout Troop 613 based in West Hempstead.”

“Mr. Speaker, across our country, women of color continue to experience devastating maternal healthcare inequities. As a proud mother of four children, I know firsthand how critical access to quality healthcare is for expectant mothers.”

“Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of representing thousands of 9/11 first responders and survivors who live in New York's Fourth Congressional District. For years, they have fought to get access to the healthcare that they desperately need and unquestionably deserve.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great pride to congratulate the Baldwin High School girls' basketball team on winning the New York State AA State Championship. On behalf of New York's Fourth Congressional District, I take this opportunity to commend and celebrate these young athletes for their dedication, for their teamwork, for their perseverance, and, quite frankly, their dominance on the basketball court.”

“Mr. Speaker, Hazel Dukes was a lifelong champion for families and children in New York and across the country. Through her decades of civil rights activism, including as president of the NAACP, Dr.”

“Mr. Speaker, in the 2 years since the Dobbs decision, we have seen nothing short of an all-out assault on our reproductive rights and our reproductive freedoms, including a steady march to pass a national abortion ban coupled with efforts to roll back access to contraception and IVF.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud cosponsor of H.R. 27, the HALT Fentanyl Act. The epidemic of illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances has ravaged countless communities across our country.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this bill. Since the disastrous Dobbs decision, we have seen nothing short of an all-out assault on women's reproductive rights and freedoms.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of everyone on Long Island to welcome Romi, Emily, and Doron home after more than 470 days in Hamas captivity. We will not rest until every hostage comes home.”