Frank Pallone
Representative for New Jersey · Democratic · United States
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3747, the AADAPT Act. This bill reauthorizes Project ECHO, or the Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes grant program at the Health Resources and Services Administration.”
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5160, the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act. This bill reauthorizes the C.W.”
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2821, the FDA Modernization Act 3.0, led by Representative Barragan and Representative Carter of Georgia.”
“We know that more than 5.3 million Americans are living today with a lifelong disability caused by a brain injury, and we know who is most at risk: older adults who fall, servicemembers and veterans, athletes on playing fields across the country, victims of domestic violence, and far, far too many children.”
“At that time, our understanding of these injuries was so limited that public health experts called TBI the silent epidemic, and we did not know how many Americans were affected each year, who was most at risk, or how many people were left with a permanent, life-altering disability.”
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1493, my bill to reauthorize the Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 1996.”
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“Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), the Democratic sponsor of this bill, who has worked on this legislation for such a long time.”
“I am proud to have partnered with him on his longtime efforts that are included in the bill we have before us today. When the TICKET Act was on the floor last year, Bill gave an impassioned speech in support of all-in pricing and the other consumer protections in this bill. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation, the TICKET Act, and I reserve the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the President.”
“I urge my Republican colleagues to recognize that restoring the FTC as an independent agency, as this Congress intended, is essential to ensuring this bill and similar efforts to protect consumers are fully effective and enforced without fear or favor. I thank the wide range of stakeholders who worked on this bill, and particularly the consumer groups for their unwavering support of this bill. Of course, I particularly want to commend Subcommittee Chair Bilirakis and Ranking Member Schakowsky for their years of hard work on this legislation. Finally, I need to acknowledge, Mr. Speaker, the contribution of my late colleague and dear friend from New Jersey, Congressman Bill Pascrell. He was a tireless advocate and leader on improving the ticketing experience for consumers.”
“Yet, these protections are meaningless without strong and consistent enforcement. House Republicans are standing by in silence as the Federal Trade Commission, the agency entrusted with enforcing this bill and several others under consideration this afternoon, is compromised by the Trump administration and the President's illegal political attempt to fire the two Democratic commissioners. This unlawful decision undermines the legitimacy and transparency of the agency's decisions, sending a message that no commissioner, regardless of party, is safe, and no business that harms consumers should fear accountability, so long as it shows sufficient loyalty to the President.”
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 1402, the TICKET Act. This bipartisan legislation creates a fairer and more transparent event ticketing marketplace. It ends the surprise fees on tickets for concerts and sporting events that understandably frustrate consumers. With this legislation, the price you see when you are shopping for event tickets will be the price that [[Page H1642]] you pay. There will be no hidden fees raising the price at the checkout point. This bill also prohibits companies from selling tickets they don't have, requires refunds for events that are canceled or postponed more than 6 months into the future, and cracks down on fraudulent ticketing websites. American consumers need and deserve these commonsense protections.”
“Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 973. The question was taken. The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.”
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Again, I hate to keep repeating, but these bills are all good that we are considering this afternoon, and they should have already become law but for Elon Musk. Again, it is important that we reauthorize these programs or authorize these programs for the first time. However, unless we have enforcement ability from agencies like the Consumer Product Safety Commission, they are not going to mean much because they require enforcement and investigation. Basically the agencies are the ones that make sure that this type of legislation is effective. I hope that my Republican colleagues will see fit to speak out against the abolition of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Putting it in another department is not going to help because they will have less workforce and less ability to function.”
“Again, I will stress that without CPSC enforcement, this legislation is not going to mean much. Mr. Speaker, again, I don't want to take away from these bills. Each of the bills that we have today is bipartisan and came out of our committee, but it is a shame that they weren't passed already in December but for Elon Musk. It certainly would not be helpful--oh, I am sorry. Mr. Torres is here, so I can't close yet, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Torres), the Democratic sponsor of the bill.”
“The CPSC is a small agency tasked with a massive job to protect consumers from hazards associated with a vast array of consumer products, from infant car seats to window blinds to home repair equipment. American consumers deserve to have peace of mind that the products we are bringing into our homes are safe. I hope my Republican colleagues will finally begin to speak up against President Trump's dangerous plan to consolidate power in the White House and eliminate the critical agency that does a lot of this enforcement work at the expense of our children's safety. Mr. Speaker, I commend Representative Torres for his leadership on this issue, and I also thank Representative Clarke for championing this bill in our committee. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.”
“I have to say that compliance with this bill depends on enforcement by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Like other legislation we are considering this afternoon, it depends on the existence of a strong, bipartisan, and independent CPSC to protect Americans from unsafe products. At the same time that our Republican colleagues vote for this bill, they will continue to remain silent as President Trump's callous willingness to risk the safety of all Americans continues by his planning to eliminate the CPSC and fold its mission into the Department of Health and Human Services, which itself will have a dramatically smaller workforce and narrower mission. Eliminating the existing CPSC or stripping it of the independent and bipartisan structure that Congress has mandated puts children and all Americans' physical safety in grave danger.”
“In February, a fire caused by lithium-ion batteries at a recycling facility in my home State of New Jersey required the evacuation of over 100 residents from their homes and caused massive property damage. Last month, in California, a 6-year-old girl and her grandmother and great-grandmother were all tragically killed in a house fire caused by a lithium-ion battery. [[Page H1638]] We are witnessing all of these tragic accidents in communities across the Nation, yet there is no mandatory Federal standard to ensure lithium-ion batteries are safe. As electric bikes and scooters grow in popularity, we must ensure that the CPSC adopts a strong Federal safety standard for lithium-ion batteries. Consumers deserve to know that the products they buy are thoroughly tested and safe, and this legislation would do just that.”
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 973, the Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act. This legislation will protect Americans from fires caused by lithium- ion batteries. It directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission to require manufacturers to comply with safety standards for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in micromobility devices, like electric bicycles and scooters. Fires caused by faulty or misused batteries are on the rise. Between 2019 and 2023, there were more than 400 fires, 300 injuries, and 12 deaths from fires caused by lithium-ion batteries in New York City alone.”
“Mr. Speaker, this bill, as I said, was part of that bipartisan package that we had hoped would be passed last December but for Elon Musk. This bill is important. I know that back in Asbury Park, in particular, they will be very happy to know that our Congress is paying so much attention to American music tourism. Mr. Speaker, I ask for support on both sides of the aisle for the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.”
“This is why I am pleased to support the American Music Tourism Act. This bill would direct the National Travel and Tourism Office to promote domestic and international travel and tourism to U.S. venues like The Stone Pony and the Count Basie Theatre. It will help expand the already significant economic contributions that these venues bring to our local and national economies. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Barragan for her leadership on this issue and encourage my colleagues to support this legislation. These bills, for the most part, that we are going to be considering today were part of that original package that Elon Musk negated, but we are going to try to move those bills today despite what he did to try to scuttle everything. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”
“Throughout the United States, you can find countless venues where talented musicians perform. These venues attract millions of people from around the country and the world who want to see their favorite artists or visit the place where famous musicians have launched their careers, all of which contribute significantly to our local communities. Music and musical venues are very important to my district in New Jersey. Asbury Park has been the home of the legendary Stone Pony for over 50 years, one of the places where New Jersey's famous son, Bruce Springsteen, got his start. Redbank, New Jersey, is the site of the Count Basie Theatre named in honor of William ``Count'' Basie, who revolutionized jazz music and whose legacy continues through the theater, which continues to support and inspire new generations of local musicians.”
“{time} 1430 That package included important provisions that would have lowered costs for hardworking Americans, but instead of passing it and sending it to the President's desk to be signed into law, my Republican colleagues allowed Elon Musk to decide what becomes law. What is especially upsetting about this is that my Republican colleagues know this was a good agreement that would have helped people. It included provisions to lower prescription drug prices, crack down on junk fees, lower gas prices, ensure our water is safe to drink, and fund community health centers and teaching health centers. Instead, Speaker Johnson chose to cave to Elon Musk. Though it may be delayed, I am pleased to be supporting the passage today of the American Music Tourism Act. Americans are fortunate to have a rich musical heritage.”
“Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 617, the American Music Tourism Act. Madam Speaker, I know Republicans want to pretend like it is business as usual around here, but the daily chaos and illegal activity that we are seeing from the Trump administration is not business as usual. The reality is that 15 of the 16 bills we are considering today from the Committee on Energy and Commerce, including this one, should already be law. They were already agreed to last year as part of a bipartisan, bicameral legislative package that was set to be passed and signed into law in December before Elon Musk intervened and killed the agreement.”
“Please, understand that a vote for this by the Republicans today is a vote to cut people's healthcare, to reduce their services, to kick people out of nursing homes, and to make hospitals unavailable. [[Page H1543]]”
“My Republican colleagues should please admit that they are voting today on Medicaid cuts. Do not deny it. Do not try to put it aside. That is what this is all about. What does that mean? It means there is less money to the States, so they are going to cut back on nursing home care and on the money that goes to hospitals. Hospitals and nursing homes will close, or they will have such terrible quality of service or, in the case of the hospitals, will pass on those extra costs to other people who have insurance, and their insurance premiums go up. What about people with disabilities? Most of them are dependent on Medicaid. Their services will be eliminated or cut back, as well.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have heard my Republican colleagues today admit that they were extending the tax cut for the rich and the large corporations. I have heard them say they are worried about the debt. Certainly, this resolution would also increase the debt. What I have not heard the majority admit is that they are cutting Medicaid to pay for all this. They will not admit that. This is the second time now the budget resolution passed the House, and the budget resolution came over from the Senate. They are going to vote today on instructing my committee, the Energy and Commerce Committee, to cut $880 billion at least. Mr. Boyle, our ranking member, pointed out that the CBO got back to us and said that most, if not all, of that has to come from Medicaid cuts.”
“Speaker, once again, please join me in celebrating the American Hungarian Foundation as its supporters gather to celebrate its 70th Anniversary. They are truly deserving of this body's recognition. ____________________”
“With these resources, local schools, organizations, and residents can develop a deeper understanding to the folk immigrant experience. After 70 years, the foundation has stayed true to their mission: to preserve Hungarian American stories for future generations through collection, conservation, and celebration. By working to digitize their archive, AHF guarantees the long-term preservation of American Hungarian historical records for generations to come. Here, people can honor their roots and learn the special story of American Hungarians. I commend AHF for serving as a research hub for scholars, universities, and local organizations, and their unwavering dedication to this meaningful cause. These efforts for historic preservation are admirable, as such stewardship has really made our community a better place. Mr.”
“The Center hosts a rich curation of historical archives which fosters a space for meaningful lectures, cultural events, and workshops for all to enjoy. Over the past few decades, AHF has amassed one of the most significant collections of Hungarian American artifacts and records in North America. Each artifact is a catalyst for cultural discovery, and often a chance to highlight lesser-known Hungarian artists. For those with an affinity for art and culture like me, frequenting the heritage center is truly an incredible experience. Since its founding, the foundation's museum has welcomed over 80,000 visitors. There have been more than ninety different exhibition areas ranging from `Budapest in the 1900s' with a focus on looking into the past to `40 years of the Hungarian Festival' to commemorate culture and community.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 62 (Monday, April 7, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 62 (Monday, April 7, 2025)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E289] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CELEBRATING THE 70th ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN HUNGARIAN FOUNDATION ______ HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR. of new jersey in the house of representatives Monday, April 7, 2025 Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the American Hungarian Foundation (AHF) in New Brunswick, New Jersey as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary this year. Since its incorporation in 1955, AHF has provided a cultural bridge between Hungary and the Hungarian American community through history, arts, and tradition. In 1989, AHF established the Hungarian Heritage Center.”