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I'm going to go ahead and start. The committee will please come to order. A quorum is present. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare recess at any time. Pursuant to Committee Rule 5B and House Rule 11, Clause 2, the chair may postpone further proceedings today on the question of approving any measure or matter adopting an amendment on which a recorded vote or the yeas and nays are ordered. The committee will continue to use electronic system for recorded votes and amendments in passage of the bills before the committee. Of course, should any technical issues arise, which I do not anticipate, we will immediately transition to traditional roll call votes. Any procedural or motion related votes during today's markup will be dispensed with by traditional roll call vote. Our next item for consideration is HR 3490, the Esophageal Cancer Awareness Act. Will the clerk please report? HR 3490, the Esophageal Cancer Awareness Act, to require the Government Accountability Office to produce a report on esophageal cancer and for other purposes. Without objection, the bill should be considered as read and open for amendment at any point. Without objection, so ordered. The chair recognizes himself to offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The clerk will please designate the amendment. An amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 3490 is offered by Mr. Comer of Kentucky. Without objection, the amendment is considered as read and the substitute will be considered as original text for the purposes of further amendment. I now recognize myself for five minutes for an opening statement. Today we lost a true statesman. Jerry Connolly was a father, a husband, a friend, and a lifelong public servant that dedicated his life to his constituents, his community, and his country. I'm deeply saddened to learn about his passing. From the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to 16 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Jerry Connolly was a devoted public servant for Virginia's 11th congressional district.
In Congress, Jerry Connolly was a friend to many of us. He was steadfast in fighting for what he believed in, but he always committed to bipartisanship where he thought we could agree. Over his tenure on this committee, I'm proud to say we co-sponsored eight bills together, including the Mail Traffic Deaths Reporting Act, the FedRAMP Authorization Act, and the Federal AI Governance and Transparency Act. And I know I'm not alone. In that many of the Republican committee colleagues found Jerry Connolly to be a partner and a friend. Esophageal cancer is one of the deadliest and fastest growing cancer diagnosis among Americans today. The symptoms are often overlooked or misdiagnosed leading to late detection and limited treatment options. I'm proud to have joined ranking member Jerry Connolly and co-sponsoring the Esophageal Cancer Awareness Act. And I have an amendment at the desk to rename this bill The Gerald E. Conley Esophageal Cancer Awareness Act. I now yield to the ranking member for his statement.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for your kind words on behalf of our friend. Thank you for the courtesy of renaming this bill in Jerry's memory. Our ranking member currently lived his life serving others and making our country a better place. He was a steadfast advocate of the disadvantaged and voiceless, and he stood up for what was right and just. Jerry was a skilled legislator, a skilled statesman here in Congress, as well as our congressional representative to NATO. To the very end, Jerry was all about the work before us. I'm sure he would want to tell everyone here to continue fighting like hell to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves, defend the rights of every American, and bring accountability and transparency to power. Jerry was the epitome of a public servant, and he will be deeply missed. It is our job now to continue his fight in his memory Our prayers are with his wife, Kathy, and his daughter, Caitlin Rose, his sister, Judge Rosemary Conley of Massachusetts. May he be remembered in our prayers. I yield back. Ranking member yields back.
Does any other member wish to be heard? Seeing none, our chair recognizes Mr. Cristomorte from Illinois.
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