Joseph D. Morelle
Representative for New York · Democratic · United States
“Members and staff left their sons and daughters with her in the morning and went to work on the people's business, secure in the knowledge that their children were safe and loved. She returned that trust every day and was recognized repeatedly for the excellence of her service. A native of Hartford, Connecticut, Ms.”
“Members and staff left their sons and daughters with her in the morning and went to work on the people's business, secure in the knowledge that their children were safe and loved. She returned that trust every day and was recognized repeatedly for the excellence of her service. A native of Hartford, Connecticut, Ms.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E721-E722] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF ELLEN MARIE IKE ______ HON.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E721-E722] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF ELLEN MARIE IKE ______ HON.”
“An early childhood teacher shapes a person at the age when shaping matters most. Ms. Ellen spent the last nine years of her life doing that work in the shadow of the Capitol, for the families of the people who serve here--much of it through a serious illness she rarely let her classroom see.”
“An early childhood teacher shapes a person at the age when shaping matters most. Ms. Ellen spent the last nine years of her life doing that work in the shadow of the Capitol, for the families of the people who serve here--much of it through a serious illness she rarely let her classroom see.”
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“An early childhood teacher shapes a person at the age when shaping matters most. Ms. Ellen spent the last nine years of her life doing that work in the shadow of the Capitol, for the families of the people who serve here--much of it through a serious illness she rarely let her classroom see. Hundreds of children learned their letters, self-worth, and what it means to be a friend from a teacher who gave them her best while fighting for her own health. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of Ellen Marie Ike, and in extending our condolences to her family and to her colleagues at the House Child Care Center, who carry on her work. [[Page E722]] ____________________”
“Members and staff left their sons and daughters with her in the morning and went to work on the people's business, secure in the knowledge that their children were safe and loved. She returned that trust every day and was recognized repeatedly for the excellence of her service. A native of Hartford, Connecticut, Ms. Ellen earned a scholarship to Livingstone College in North Carolina, where she sang in the Concert Choir and joined the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Her career began in retail, but her years teaching Sunday school made clear that early childhood education was her calling. After operating her own home-based daycare and teaching at other schools across the Washington metropolitan area, she joined the House Child Care Center in 2018, where she remained until her death.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E721-E722] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF ELLEN MARIE IKE ______ HON. JOSEPH D. MORELLE of new york in the house of representatives Tuesday, July 21, 2026 Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and service of Ellen Marie Ike--more commonly known on Capitol Hill as Ms. Ellen--a Lead Teacher at the House of Representatives Child Care Center, who tragically passed away on June 13, 2026, at the age of 61. For nearly a decade, Ms. Ellen cared for children from across the Capitol Hill community.”
“An early childhood teacher shapes a person at the age when shaping matters most. Ms. Ellen spent the last nine years of her life doing that work in the shadow of the Capitol, for the families of the people who serve here--much of it through a serious illness she rarely let her classroom see. Hundreds of children learned their letters, self-worth, and what it means to be a friend from a teacher who gave them her best while fighting for her own health. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of Ellen Marie Ike, and in extending our condolences to her family and to her colleagues at the House Child Care Center, who carry on her work. [[Page E722]] ____________________”
“Members and staff left their sons and daughters with her in the morning and went to work on the people's business, secure in the knowledge that their children were safe and loved. She returned that trust every day and was recognized repeatedly for the excellence of her service. A native of Hartford, Connecticut, Ms. Ellen earned a scholarship to Livingstone College in North Carolina, where she sang in the Concert Choir and joined the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Her career began in retail, but her years teaching Sunday school made clear that early childhood education was her calling. After operating her own home-based daycare and teaching at other schools across the Washington metropolitan area, she joined the House Child Care Center in 2018, where she remained until her death.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E721-E722] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF ELLEN MARIE IKE ______ HON. JOSEPH D. MORELLE of new york in the house of representatives Tuesday, July 21, 2026 Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and service of Ellen Marie Ike--more commonly known on Capitol Hill as Ms. Ellen--a Lead Teacher at the House of Representatives Child Care Center, who tragically passed away on June 13, 2026, at the age of 61. For nearly a decade, Ms. Ellen cared for children from across the Capitol Hill community.”
“Modernizing Congress has, in recent years, driven thoughtful and bipartisan work by committee members to improve the function of this institution. Our interest in modernization extends to the FEC, so H.R. 8738 will bring the FEC into the modern era and aid every American voter as they exercise their fundamental rights. Given the bipartisan agreement on the bill, I hope we can move it rapidly from the floor to the Senate and then to the President's desk for signature. Again, I thank my colleague Chairman Steil for his courtesies and leadership on this. Madam Speaker, very simply, I thank the chairman and my colleagues. I look forward to what I hope is a unanimous or near-unanimous vote in the House on this important legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.”
“However, there are substantive reasons to make this change as well. The Supreme Court has long recognized that disclosure requirements are vitally important: Disclosure provides the electorate with information as to where political campaign money comes from and how it is spent. American voters are best equipped to choose leaders when they have the most fulsome, up-to-date information at hand. The FEC Administrative Improvements Act would also tackle another bipartisan legislative recommendation from the FEC, allowing committees to make disbursement in ways other than by check. The Committee on House Administration--and I think I speak for colleagues on both sides--cares deeply about modernization.”
“The bill we are considering today, the FEC Administrative Improvements Act, would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require campaign committees to file their electioneering communications with the Federal Elections Commission in electronic format as opposed to on paper. As the FEC has informed Congress: ``Compared to data from paper reports, data from electronically filed reports is received, processed, and disseminated more easily and efficiently, resulting in the better use of resources.'' I couldn't agree more. In contrast, paper filings take days to be available to provide critical information for the public, so modernizing our campaign disclosure functions is a commonsense reform for those of us who live in the 21st century, and we are grateful we have an opportunity to do that.”
“Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I agree again with my colleague and friend Chairman Steil, this is a meaningful, bipartisan bill to ensure that the public receives important information about election-relevant communications. I was happy to cointroduce this bill with several members of the Committee on House Administration, both Republican and Democratic. I thank Chairman Steil for his leadership and Congresswoman Lee and Congresswoman Sewell for their work on this. As people may know, Congresswoman Lee and Congresswoman Sewell, in particular, work hard on election administration issues as the leaders of the committee's Elections Subcommittee. As it becomes harder to find common ground in Congress, I commend my cosponsors for their work on this and other issues important to the work at hand.”
“Madam Speaker, again, I reiterate my support for the bill, and I want to thank the bill's sponsors, Mr. Fitzpatrick as well as Mr. Golden, for their work on this bill and continue to believe that there is much we can do and much that we need to do. This is an important step along the way. I thank my colleague and my friend Chairman Steil for bringing this bill before us. Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.”
“If we are going to have the ability to persuade American citizens that their government is theirs, we are going to have to take out the influence of all manner of people. Certainly, this bill is a step in the right direction. I see my colleague, the sponsor of the bill, has arrived, so I will certainly let him address the House. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”
“I am looking forward to over the next several months working with my colleagues, and over the next several years, if need be, to repair some of the damage to those relationships and let the people of this country know that the democracy which we celebrated 250 years of this month that it is in their hands, that they are ultimately the sovereigns, and that there weren't outside influences. But I think that is becoming harder and harder to be able to make that point and to convince people of that without dramatic changes in the way we finance our campaigns and the way that the public dialogue engages. Frankly, I am disappointed in the Supreme Court's decision just this month related to coordination between super-PACs and party committees and individual candidates. I think there is much to do.”
“Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I concur with my colleague about the importance of making sure that we don't have involvement of foreign entities into our politics. If I can just opine for a minute, I do think in many ways one of the real challenges facing this country right now is a lack of faith in their government and Americans losing trust and losing faith. Part of that is because of the broad influence of money just generally in our politics. You see billionaires contributing hundreds of millions of dollars. We see the influence of dark money, of super-PACs.”
“This bill is a start, and I think I would continue to urge us to do more. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. {time} 1710”
“This very bill has been included in their recent recommendations. In fact, this bill is among the highest priority legislative recommendations from the FEC. I thank the bill's sponsor, Congressman Fitzpatrick, as well as the bill's co-lead, Congressman Golden, for their important work on this issue. [[Page H4401]] I am glad to see the House taking seriously the risk of foreign interference in domestic elections. In that spirit, I encourage my colleagues to consider other comprehensive democracy reforms to close loopholes. House Democrats' Freedom to Vote Act, which includes the DISCLOSE Act, would crack down on foreign campaign spending, and I think it is well past time for Congress to do something to stem the tide of dark money, including foreign money, in American elections.”
“Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, this bipartisan bill, the Stop Foreign Funds in Elections Act, will close a loophole, as my colleague and friend, Mr. Steil, the chairman of the Committee on House Administration, has indicated, that currently allows foreign nationals to contribute to State and local ballot initiatives, as well as recall referenda. This change is needed because the Federal Elections Commission previously determined that the Federal Election Campaign Act's foreign national prohibition does not actually reach ballot initiatives that do not appear to be linked to an office-seeking candidate at the Federal, State, or local level. The FEC often sends legislative recommendations to Congress, adopted on a bipartisan basis, to update and strengthen our campaign finance regime.”