Laurel M. Lee
Representative for Florida · Republican · United States
“Those experiences taught me that the best ideas for improving our laws come from the men and women who enforce them every day. They know where investigations encounter obstacles. They know which tools work, which ones do not, and what Congress must do to help them protect victims and bring offenders to justice.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“The goal is simple: When a business is still viable but struggling under debt, we should give it a reasonable opportunity to reorganize, rather than making liquidation the only practical option.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“This legislation does not excuse businesses from their financial obligations. It gives more small businesses access to a structured and cost-effective process to address those obligations, work with their creditors, and develop a plan for the future.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“We know that with the right cybersecurity standards and safeguards in place, secure digital storage can help investigators manage large volumes of evidence, coordinate more effectively, build stronger cases, and preserve sensitive evidence more securely.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the bipartisan Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment Act of 2026, legislation that I am proud to co-lead with my friend and colleague, Representative Cline. For small businesses facing financial difficulty, bankruptcy does not always mean going out of business.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I again thank my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee, specifically the chairman, the ranking member, and Representatives Cohen, Dean, and Knott for their partnership in bringing forward this important legislation.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
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“I urge my colleagues to support the Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment Act of 2026.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“This legislation does not excuse businesses from their financial obligations. It gives more small businesses access to a structured and cost-effective process to address those obligations, work with their creditors, and develop a plan for the future. Small businesses should not be pushed to liquidation simply because the cost and complexity of a traditional chapter 11 proceeding makes restructuring unrealistic. By permanently restoring this higher threshold, we can provide greater certainty and give more small and family-owned businesses a practical opportunity to recover, preserve jobs, and continue serving their communities. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to work on this bipartisan legislation. I thank Representative Cline for his continued leadership on this issue.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“The goal is simple: When a business is still viable but struggling under debt, we should give it a reasonable opportunity to reorganize, rather than making liquidation the only practical option. For several years, businesses with up to $7.5 million in debt could qualify for this process, but that temporary threshold expired, significantly reducing the number of small businesses that could use it. Our legislation would permanently restore the $7.5 million threshold. That matters to the family-owned restaurant trying to recover from an unexpected downturn. It matters to the local contractor dealing with rising costs or delayed payments. It matters to farmers and other small employers working to overcome financial challenges without closing their doors or laying off employees.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the bipartisan Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment Act of 2026, legislation that I am proud to co-lead with my friend and colleague, Representative Cline. For small businesses facing financial difficulty, bankruptcy does not always mean going out of business. In many cases, it can provide an opportunity to reorganize debt, work with creditors, and keep the doors open. That is why Congress created subchapter V of chapter 11 specifically for small businesses. Traditional chapter 11 bankruptcy can be complicated, lengthy, and expensive. Subchapter V provides qualifying small businesses with a more streamlined process to develop a restructuring plan, negotiate with creditors, and continue operating.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support H.R. 9191 to recognize the importance of these creatures in America's natural history by designating them as the national fossil mammal and fossil dinosaur, and I yield back the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“9191 recognizes the importance of these creatures in America's natural history by designating them as the national fossil mammal and fossil dinosaur. I urge all Members to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 9191.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this important bill, the Safe Cloud Storage Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I again thank my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee, specifically the chairman, the ranking member, and Representatives Cohen, Dean, and Knott for their partnership in bringing forward this important legislation. I am also very grateful to the men and women of law enforcement who come to us and share with us the things that they need to help them bring these important cases, to bring more children to safety, and to bring more predators to justice. We also are fortunate to work with a number of very important stakeholder groups, including Raven, NCMEC, the Tim Tebow Foundation, and so many others who work with us every day to make sure that we are doing all that we can to help end this type of criminal activity. Mr.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“I am grateful to the ranking member and Representatives Cohen, Dean, and Knott for joining me in leading this bipartisan effort and to the members of the Judiciary Committee for advancing it unanimously. The men and women who pursue child predators deserve laws that support their work, technology that meets the demands of modern investigations, and a Congress willing to take action. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Safe Cloud Storage Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“We know that with the right cybersecurity standards and safeguards in place, secure digital storage can help investigators manage large volumes of evidence, coordinate more effectively, build stronger cases, and preserve sensitive evidence more securely. The Safe Cloud Storage Act establishes a trusted framework for vetted, law enforcement-approved technology providers to assist with this work while meeting rigorous cybersecurity and evidence storage standards. This legislation will give law enforcement access to the modern capabilities they need while ensuring that some of the most sensitive evidence they handle is protected with the security and seriousness it demands. This legislation builds upon the bipartisan REPORT Act, which was signed into law in 2024.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Those experiences taught me that the best ideas for improving our laws come from the men and women who enforce them every day. They know where investigations encounter obstacles. They know which tools work, which ones do not, and what Congress must do to help them protect victims and bring offenders to justice. The Safe Cloud Storage Act is a direct response to what the men and women of law enforcement told us they need. Crimes against children increasingly occur online, generating enormous volumes of digital evidence. Yet, many investigators are forced to store and process that evidence using thumb drives, external hard drives, and local servers. These outdated systems have limited capacity, create unnecessary costs, and can slow investigations in which every hour matters. Law enforcement needs modern tools for modern investigations.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bipartisan legislation, the Safe Cloud Storage Act. Every day, law enforcement officers across this country confront some of the most disturbing crimes imaginable. They work to identify children who are being sexually exploited, rescue victims from ongoing abuse, and find and prosecute the predators who are responsible. I know something about that work firsthand. Before coming to Congress, I served as a Federal prosecutor, where I worked on cases involving the exploitation of children. I went on to serve my State as a judge and continued to preside and adjudicate in cases and circumstances where children were endangered.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 7834.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7834) to limit liability for certain entities storing child sexual abuse material for law enforcement agencies, and for other purposes, as amended.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I am prepared to close, and I yield myself the balance of my time for the purpose of closing. Mr. Speaker, I thank a few of the individuals who helped us get to this place with this bipartisan bill--first, specifically, Right On Crime, who worked with us to develop a bill and make sure that we were capturing important concepts. Second, I thank the ranking member and the Democrats on the committee who worked closely with us to edit, revise, and improve the bill and added important provisions. Because of our collective work together, we took a good bill, and we made it even better. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives31 August 2026Source ↗
“Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives31 August 2026Source ↗
“This bill provides a straightforward and commonsense solution by authorizing lifetime no-contact orders for offenders convicted of serious Federal violent, sexual, trafficking, and child exploitation offenses. Under this legislation, offenders may be permanently barred from contacting their victims unless the conviction is later invalidated or pardoned. The bill is rooted in a simple principle: Victims deserve lasting protection, and offenders who have committed these heinous acts should not have the ability to reinsert themselves into the lives of those they have harmed. Ultimately, this bill is victim-centered and prioritizes public safety. Kayleigh's Law Act helps ensure that our criminal justice system works for victims and not against them. Mr.”
House of Representatives31 August 2026Source ↗
“However, she was shocked to learn that the court required evidence of a recent encounter between Kayleigh and this man to consider a protective order, effectively denying her request to keep herself safe and free from future contact. Thanks in large part to Kayleigh's advocacy, the Arizona Legislature changed State law to provide for lifetime protection orders. Wisconsin soon followed. Other States, including Texas and Virginia, also provide certain forms of long-term or lifetime protective orders. When the Judiciary Committee held our hearing on this legislation in April, we were honored to hear from Kayleigh herself as she shared her experience and her path toward advocacy. We are equally honored that she joins us today in the gallery of the House of Representatives.”
House of Representatives31 August 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 8481, the Kayleigh's Law Act of 2026, is about ensuring that victims of some of the most serious crimes do not have to live with the constant fear that their offender may one day contact them again. Even when a criminal is sentenced to lifetime probation, opportunities may still exist for an offender's supervision to be terminated, preventing offenders from being fully accountable to both their victims and society. This was all brought into focus by one brave survivor-advocate and Arizona native, Kayleigh Kozak. After learning that her abuser was attempting to terminate his probation, Kayleigh sought a protective order against the man who abused her as a child.”
House of Representatives31 August 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 8481.”
House of Representatives31 August 2026Source ↗
“The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida. General Leave”
House of Representatives31 August 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8481) to amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for the issuance of natural lifetime injunctions for certain victims, as amended.”
House of Representatives31 August 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays. The yeas and nays were ordered.”
House of Representatives31 August 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives31 August 2026Source ↗
“Protecting the men and women who serve in our Federal prisons should not be a partisan issue. No correctional officer should have to accept sexual harassment or assault as a condition of their job. They deserve our respect. They deserve our support, and they deserve our action. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives31 August 2026Source ↗
“This is what responsible oversight should look like: understand the scope of the problem, determine whether existing consequences are working, and establish clear standards to better protect the people we ask to do this difficult and dangerous work because, ultimately, this bill is about the men and women in the uniform. Our correction officers and prison employees are public servants. They maintain order in some of our Nation's most challenging institutions, and the work they do inside those walls keeps the rest of our communities safe. We ask a great deal from them, and we also should stand up for them. I am proud that this has been a bipartisan effort. I am grateful to Senators Marsha Blackburn and Jon Ossoff for their work advancing the Senate companion.”
House of Representatives31 August 2026Source ↗
“Importantly, we aren't just asking how often this is happening. The inspector general must also examine what happens to inmates who engage in this conduct, including what sanctions and consequences are available and how those consequences have actually been used over the preceding 5 years. That matters because rules on paper mean very little if they aren't effectively protecting the people who work inside these institutions. The inspector general will then report these findings to the Attorney General and to Congress. Based on that work, the Attorney General will be required to establish national standards for the prevention, reduction, and punishment of sexual harassment and sexual assault against Bureau of Prisons personnel.”
House of Representatives31 August 2026Source ↗
“A Department of Justice survey of Federal Bureau of Prisons employees found that 40 percent of them reported experiencing sexual harassment or sexual assault by an inmate--40 percent. These are men and women who are serving our country and protecting our communities. They deserve to know that their safety matters, that misconduct against them will be taken seriously, and that those responsible will face meaningful consequences. That is why I introduced the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act. This legislation takes a straightforward, fact-driven approach. First, it requires the Department of Justice inspector general to conduct a comprehensive review of the incidents and the effects of sexual harassment and sexual assault committed by incarcerated individuals against correction officers and other Bureau of Prisons employees.”
House of Representatives31 August 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act, my bipartisan legislation to better protect the men and women who serve in our Federal corrections facilities. Every day, correctional officers and other Bureau of Prisons employees go to work in an environment that is inherently challenging and, at times, dangerous. We ask these law enforcement professionals to maintain order and security in Federal prisons, often working in close proximity to individuals who have been convicted of serious crimes. There are risks that come with that responsibility, but sexual harassment and sexual assault should never be accepted as simply part of the job. The scope of this problem is deeply troubling.”
House of Representatives31 August 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on S. 307.”
House of Representatives31 August 2026Source ↗
“Lee) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida. General Leave”
House of Representatives31 August 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 307) to address sexual harassment and sexual assault of Bureau of Prisons staff in prisons, and for other purposes.”
House of Representatives31 August 2026Source ↗
“I thank the chairman and the bill's sponsor for their work on this important issue. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1181.”
House of Representatives14 July 2026Source ↗
“Here is the reality: Tracking the lawful purchase of firearms and ammunition creates a framework for collecting information about law-abiding citizens who have done nothing wrong. My home State of Florida already prohibits this type of surveillance. Floridians understand something that most Americans agree with: Your bank should process your transaction, not track your activities. This bill prevents payment networks and financial institutions from requiring special codes for firearms retailers, while preserving existing tools used to combat fraud, protect consumers, maintain cybersecurity, and report suspicious activity. At its core, this legislation is about privacy, fairness, and the principle that the exercise of constitutional rights should never become the basis for surveillance.”
House of Representatives14 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1181, the Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act. The Second Amendment is a constitutional right. Americans should not have their lawful purchases singled out simply because they choose to exercise that right. This bill stops efforts to create a special system for identifying and organizing purchases made at firearm and ammunition retailers. {time} 1550 While its proponents present this as simply an administrative tool, in practice it raises serious concerns about privacy and the unjust treatment of lawful conduct. Americans are increasingly concerned about how much information is collected, stored, and shared. Those concerns are especially valid when it comes to information being tracked that relates to the exercise of a constitutional freedom.”
House of Representatives14 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H.R. 30.”
House of Representatives16 January 2025Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 5, I call up the bill (H.R. 30) to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide that aliens who have been convicted of or who have committed sex offenses or domestic violence are inadmissible and deportable, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.”
House of Representatives16 January 2025Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life and service of Colonel Perry Dahl, one of the last World War II fighter aces, who passed away on December 2, 2024, in Tampa, Florida, at the age of 101. Throughout his 37-year career in the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, Colonel Dahl left behind a legacy of courage, sacrifice, and commitment to our Nation.”
House of Representatives16 January 2025Source ↗