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IOWAN GOOD SAMARITANS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks) for 5 minutes.
Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a group of Good Samaritans who recently brought Iowa nice to Louisiana.
Earlier this month, the New Sharon Fire Department of Mahaska County joined dozens of recovery teams from across the Nation to perform disaster relief efforts and assist in search and rescue operations in Louisiana after Hurricane Ida.
Thanks to the generosity of the New Sharon and Mahaska County community, the New Sharon Fire Department has aided in recovery efforts both in the Hawkeye State and elsewhere across the country for 16 years.
In 2018 the New Sharon Fire Department assisted local Texas recovery teams in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, and last year they traveled to help local communities that were devastated by Hurricanes Laura and Sally.
I thank the New Sharon Fire Department and the citizens of Mahaska County for answering the call to serve and being incredible examples of the generosity and selflessness of Iowans.
The Generosity of the Quad Cities Bicycle Club
Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share an Iowa nice story about looking out for one of our own.
Joseph Stewart, a resident of Bettendorf in Scott County, relied on his bicycle for years to make his 3-mile roundtrip commute to work every single day, but after his bicycle broke, the time of his daily commute doubled. For over a month after losing his only means of transportation, Joe would walk in between the highway and the railroad tracks to make it to work, not missing a single day of work. This is when Quad Cities Bicycle Club member Kathy Storm noticed Joe walking with a big smile on his face despite his circumstances.
The Quad City Bicycle Club is known for their generosity, with members donating bikes to share their love of cycling with other members of the community.
After getting to talking, Kathy learned Joe's situation and later showed up to his place of employment with a big surprise--a new bike that was donated by the club.
It is stories like these that make us smile and inspire others to help their own neighbors. And this is just one small example of why Iowa is the best place to live, work, play, and raise a family.
Iron Dome Funding
Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on the importance of the United States continuing to support our allies, specifically Israel.
Israel has long been a key strategic ally for the United States. Our relationship is mutually beneficial, and it is important that we work to support them whenever we can. That means fully funding the Iron Dome missile defense system must be a top priority of this Chamber.
The Iron Dome is a mobile all-weather air defense system designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells whose trajectory would take them to an Israeli populated area. This system is purely defensive and designed to protect civilians. Innocent bystanders of all ethnicities, nationalities, and faiths rely on the Iron Dome for safety and protection.
When terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah fire thousands of rockets into Israel, as they did earlier this year, the Iron Dome system quickly destroyed them and saved countless lives. Unfortunately, the majority wants to play games with this vital program. Earlier this week, the funding for the Iron Dome was stripped from the majority's continuing resolution amid protests from progressive Members.
For years, the United States has consistently funded the Iron Dome on a strong bipartisan basis to help Israel defend itself from rocket attacks from terrorist organizations. There has never been a situation where military aid for Israel was held up because of objections from Members of Congress. It is disgraceful that the majority would remove the $1 billion in funding for the Iron Dome to appease the far left that seems to have taken over their agenda. Not funding the Iron Dome puts lives at risk for absolutely no reason. While I appreciate the majority introducing standalone legislation to fully fund the system, it should not have come to this to ensure the safety of our allies.
After a summer that saw 2 weeks of fighting between Israel and Palestine, it is beyond clear to me that we must support Israel. Israel has long been a U.S. ally in a region marked by decades of conflict and turmoil. They are a strong democracy and share our views on many issues.
I am proud to say what many in the majority will not, that I firmly stand in support of Israel and continuing to build our partnership for years to come.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 165
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