Steve Womack
Representative for Arkansas · Republican · United States
“Instead, it provides a runway to work with our Senate counterparts and iron out a final agreement, all while preventing the abyss of uncertainty created by a lapse in appropriations. {time} 1610 Mr.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Mr. Cole, for giving me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 9770, the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2027, in hopes that it is not necessary. If we were to complete our work as the Framers had intended and outlined for us, we wouldn't be standing here today. This is an insurance policy.”
“The shutdown exacerbated that problem. Without the promise of a paycheck, many of these air traffic controllers opted to take other employment opportunities instead of doing the job that the American people needed them to do. The results were canceled or delayed flights and ground stops at airports across the Nation.”
“9770 is a clean solution to extend government funding until December 4, ensuring zero disruptions to the operations of programs like SNAP, like WIC, the National Flood Insurance Program, disaster relief fund, and scores of other programs. It is no secret that I am not a fan of CRs. No self-respecting appropriator would ever embrace a CR.”
“Three of these full-year funding bills have already cleared the floor and are ready for action in the Senate. That is sizeable progress toward our goal of restoring regular order in this appropriations process.”
“You are either going to vote for continuing the appropriations that fund the discretionary side of government till December 4, or you will be in the column voting to shut the government down. I think it is a pretty simple, no-brainer kind of vote. I encourage my colleagues--including my friend, the ranking member, Ms.”
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“You are either going to vote for continuing the appropriations that fund the discretionary side of government till December 4, or you will be in the column voting to shut the government down. I think it is a pretty simple, no-brainer kind of vote. I encourage my colleagues--including my friend, the ranking member, Ms. DeLauro from Connecticut--to vote ``yes'' on this bill.”
“The shutdown exacerbated that problem. Without the promise of a paycheck, many of these air traffic controllers opted to take other employment opportunities instead of doing the job that the American people needed them to do. The results were canceled or delayed flights and ground stops at airports across the Nation. By the end of the shutdown, Mr. Speaker, 6 million people had been affected, not to mention the estimated costs incurred by the U.S. travel sector of $150 million a day. This is just one of many examples of the catastrophic consequences of a government shutdown. What we are doing [[Page H4735]] today is offering this insurance policy to see that that doesn't happen again. We have a binary choice later today on this bill.”
“Instead, it provides a runway to work with our Senate counterparts and iron out a final agreement, all while preventing the abyss of uncertainty created by a lapse in appropriations. {time} 1610 Mr. Speaker, for 43 days, a stalemate in Congress caused an unnecessary and costly government shutdown as political games took priority over our constitutional responsibility. The shutdown impacted many services and programs that our constituents count on. It crippled biomedical research, upended infrastructure projects, and risked our national security. As chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, I can speak directly to the impact it had on agencies within our jurisdiction. Prior to the shutdown, the FAA was already falling short of its controller staffing targets.”
“9770 is a clean solution to extend government funding until December 4, ensuring zero disruptions to the operations of programs like SNAP, like WIC, the National Flood Insurance Program, disaster relief fund, and scores of other programs. It is no secret that I am not a fan of CRs. No self-respecting appropriator would ever embrace a CR. My preference has always been to fulfill our Article I responsibility before the deadline, following through on the job that the American people sent us to Washington to do. Passing this CR is a much better alternative than to threaten the government shutdown at the expense of the American people. This CR does not prevent us from continuing our work on full-year fiscal year 2027 appropriations.”
“Three of these full-year funding bills have already cleared the floor and are ready for action in the Senate. That is sizeable progress toward our goal of restoring regular order in this appropriations process. I am exceedingly proud of the work my colleagues and I have done in crafting responsible bills that rightsize the discretionary side of our budget, but I am also pragmatic. I am aware of the political realities that lie before us right now, and the very fact is that we have a job to do, and time is running out on us. Too often, Mr. Speaker, we wait until the eleventh hour to create some kind of a process by which we can avoid a real catastrophe, gambling with the functions of government that people depend on. H.R.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Mr. Cole, for giving me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 9770, the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2027, in hopes that it is not necessary. If we were to complete our work as the Framers had intended and outlined for us, we wouldn't be standing here today. This is an insurance policy. This ensures that, assuming we don't finish our work by the end of September, by the end of this fiscal year, our government will be held harmless. Who could argue an insurance policy that holds a government harmless when we begin a new fiscal year? Under the leadership of Mr. Cole, the House Appropriations Committee, as you just heard, has advanced all 12 bills out of committee. We have done our job well before the end of the fiscal year.”
“You can do it, too.'' Today, on this anniversary of a day that changed the course of history for millions, I want to take a moment to honor one remarkable individual whose life journey embodies the spirit of the American Dream. I thank Phi Nguyen. All of us who share in a professional relationship with him thank him for his service and commitment to capturing history and doing it with excellence. It is with the utmost sincerity that I commend Phi for his 39 years of service to this institution and congratulate him on one-half century of living the American Dream. ____________________”
“It is, at its heart, a multigenerational story of the American Dream, a dream that Phi and his father before him pursued with determination and faith in the promise of a better future. Over his nearly four decades of service to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, Phi has captured countless moments that only a photo can, and while doing so, he has also captured the hearts of those who know and work with him. Mr. Speaker, in preparation for this speech, I asked Phi: What do you want the listeners and the viewers to take from your story? His answer was simple: ``The American Dream is real, and I am evidence of that.”
“That same year, Mr. Speaker, he married his wife, Tam Nguyen, whom he met during the Moon Festival in Arlington, Virginia, a celebration marking the end of the harvest season. It was a fitting beginning to their relationship, one rooted in tradition and thanksgiving. Together, they became the proud parents of two wonderful children. His [[Page H1732]] daughter, Quynh-Chi Nguyen, is 20 years of age and attends James Madison University, pursuing a degree in architecture. His son, Hoai- Viet Nguyen, is 19 years old and studying cybersecurity at George Mason University in Fairfax. Phi's story is not just one of survival. It is one of resilience, adaptation, and success.”
“The Nguyen family even welcomed a new family member, their youngest daughter, Mai-An. So, Mr. Speaker, why am I standing here on the floor of this House sharing the story of this family? This story could be about any of the Vietnamese families who found freedom in the United States. Here is why, and he is sitting right in front of me. From this family came someone many of us recognize and know professionally, but maybe not personally, a man who has spent nearly four decades serving as a photographer in the Halls of this House, and that man is Phi Nguyen. In 1986, Phi began working for the Senate Photo Studio, where he would spend the next 15 years capturing history through his lens. Then, in 2002, he transferred to the House Photographer's Office, a role in which I have had the distinct pleasure of working with him many times.”
“Speaker, I can only imagine the mixed feelings of relief and heartbreak they felt as the plane left Vietnamese airspace, finally touching down at Clark Air Base in the Philippines. From there, they were transported to Guam and eventually to Camp Pendleton in California, a place known then as Tent City, which saw more than 50,000 Vietnamese refugees who awaited new lives and new homes. After 3 months at Camp Pendleton, the Nguyen family received a life- changing letter. A Lutheran church in Shavertown, Pennsylvania, had offered to sponsor them. So, they made another journey, this time across the U.S., to begin again in an unfamiliar place, adjusting to a new climate and embracing an entirely new culture. After 2 years in Pennsylvania, they relocated to Virginia in 1978, where Phi and his family have lived ever since.”
“With the fate of Saigon hanging in the balance on April 28, 1975, Phi's family raced to Tan Son Nhut Air Base for a chance to escape. This would not be an easy task. The airbase had already been heavily bombed in the days before, causing severe damage to its runways and planes. As the North Vietnamese Army closed in, they were actively launching rockets and artillery, even as desperate families attempted to flee. Yet, in the dead of night, after two planes ahead of them were shot down, the Nguyen family boarded what would become the last fixed-wing aircraft to depart Tan Son Nhut. Their escape was harrowing, but their journey toward freedom, safety, and hope had just begun. Mr.”
“For countless South Vietnamese, the Fall of Saigon was not only the loss of their capital, but it was the loss of their country, their dreams, and, for many, their safety. Having allied with and supported the United States in the fight for a free republic, they now faced the terrifying prospect of persecution or worse. Among the individuals was a young boy named Phi Nguyen, whose story I have the privilege of sharing with you today, Mr. Speaker. Phi is the second-born child of parents Dung Nguyen and Diem Le Do. Notably, his father worked as a newspaper cartoonist whose art illustrated the complex political dynamics in Vietnam during the war, which is preserved in the Library of Congress today. In the final days of April 1975, Phi was 8. His older sister, Mien, was 10, and his younger brother, Thuc, was just 6.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 72 (Wednesday, April 30, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 72 (Wednesday, April 30, 2025)] [House] [Pages H1731-H1732] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING PHI NGUYEN AND THE AMERICAN DREAM (Mr. Womack of Arkansas was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago today, the capital of South Vietnam, Saigon, fell to advancing North Vietnamese forces. The collapse of the anti-Communist South Vietnamese Government marked both the end of a decades-long conflict and the beginning of a painful chapter for millions of South Vietnamese people. As the North Vietnamese Army launched its final offensive into Saigon, fear and uncertainty gripped the city.”
“You can do it, too.'' Today, on this anniversary of a day that changed the course of history for millions, I want to take a moment to honor one remarkable individual whose life journey embodies the spirit of the American Dream. I thank Phi Nguyen. All of us who share in a professional relationship with him thank him for his service and commitment to capturing history and doing it with excellence. It is with the utmost sincerity that I commend Phi for his 39 years of service to this institution and congratulate him on one-half century of living the American Dream. ____________________”
“It is, at its heart, a multigenerational story of the American Dream, a dream that Phi and his father before him pursued with determination and faith in the promise of a better future. Over his nearly four decades of service to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, Phi has captured countless moments that only a photo can, and while doing so, he has also captured the hearts of those who know and work with him. Mr. Speaker, in preparation for this speech, I asked Phi: What do you want the listeners and the viewers to take from your story? His answer was simple: ``The American Dream is real, and I am evidence of that.”
“That same year, Mr. Speaker, he married his wife, Tam Nguyen, whom he met during the Moon Festival in Arlington, Virginia, a celebration marking the end of the harvest season. It was a fitting beginning to their relationship, one rooted in tradition and thanksgiving. Together, they became the proud parents of two wonderful children. His [[Page H1732]] daughter, Quynh-Chi Nguyen, is 20 years of age and attends James Madison University, pursuing a degree in architecture. His son, Hoai- Viet Nguyen, is 19 years old and studying cybersecurity at George Mason University in Fairfax. Phi's story is not just one of survival. It is one of resilience, adaptation, and success.”
“The Nguyen family even welcomed a new family member, their youngest daughter, Mai-An. So, Mr. Speaker, why am I standing here on the floor of this House sharing the story of this family? This story could be about any of the Vietnamese families who found freedom in the United States. Here is why, and he is sitting right in front of me. From this family came someone many of us recognize and know professionally, but maybe not personally, a man who has spent nearly four decades serving as a photographer in the Halls of this House, and that man is Phi Nguyen. In 1986, Phi began working for the Senate Photo Studio, where he would spend the next 15 years capturing history through his lens. Then, in 2002, he transferred to the House Photographer's Office, a role in which I have had the distinct pleasure of working with him many times.”
“Speaker, I can only imagine the mixed feelings of relief and heartbreak they felt as the plane left Vietnamese airspace, finally touching down at Clark Air Base in the Philippines. From there, they were transported to Guam and eventually to Camp Pendleton in California, a place known then as Tent City, which saw more than 50,000 Vietnamese refugees who awaited new lives and new homes. After 3 months at Camp Pendleton, the Nguyen family received a life- changing letter. A Lutheran church in Shavertown, Pennsylvania, had offered to sponsor them. So, they made another journey, this time across the U.S., to begin again in an unfamiliar place, adjusting to a new climate and embracing an entirely new culture. After 2 years in Pennsylvania, they relocated to Virginia in 1978, where Phi and his family have lived ever since.”
“With the fate of Saigon hanging in the balance on April 28, 1975, Phi's family raced to Tan Son Nhut Air Base for a chance to escape. This would not be an easy task. The airbase had already been heavily bombed in the days before, causing severe damage to its runways and planes. As the North Vietnamese Army closed in, they were actively launching rockets and artillery, even as desperate families attempted to flee. Yet, in the dead of night, after two planes ahead of them were shot down, the Nguyen family boarded what would become the last fixed-wing aircraft to depart Tan Son Nhut. Their escape was harrowing, but their journey toward freedom, safety, and hope had just begun. Mr.”
“For countless South Vietnamese, the Fall of Saigon was not only the loss of their capital, but it was the loss of their country, their dreams, and, for many, their safety. Having allied with and supported the United States in the fight for a free republic, they now faced the terrifying prospect of persecution or worse. Among the individuals was a young boy named Phi Nguyen, whose story I have the privilege of sharing with you today, Mr. Speaker. Phi is the second-born child of parents Dung Nguyen and Diem Le Do. Notably, his father worked as a newspaper cartoonist whose art illustrated the complex political dynamics in Vietnam during the war, which is preserved in the Library of Congress today. In the final days of April 1975, Phi was 8. His older sister, Mien, was 10, and his younger brother, Thuc, was just 6.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 72 (Wednesday, April 30, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 72 (Wednesday, April 30, 2025)] [House] [Pages H1731-H1732] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING PHI NGUYEN AND THE AMERICAN DREAM (Mr. Womack of Arkansas was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago today, the capital of South Vietnam, Saigon, fell to advancing North Vietnamese forces. The collapse of the anti-Communist South Vietnamese Government marked both the end of a decades-long conflict and the beginning of a painful chapter for millions of South Vietnamese people. As the North Vietnamese Army launched its final offensive into Saigon, fear and uncertainty gripped the city.”