Chrissy Houlahan

To protect and expand access to pasteurized, donor human milk, and for other purposes.

in committee

Recognizing and honoring National Mushroom Day and the contributions of Chester and Berks Counties to the national mushroom industry and to healthy diets.

in committee

To amend title 10, United States Code, and the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994, to codify and clarify gender neutral standards for members of certain Armed Forces, and for other purposes.

in committee

“Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize April as National Donate Life Month and to recognize the historic life-saving contributions of Gift of Life Donor Program. Donate Life Month is a time to honor organ and tissue donors, donor families, transplant recipients, caregivers, medical and donation professionals, and the thousands of Americans waiting for a second chance at life through transplantation. For more than 50 years, Gift of Life Donor Program has led the Nation in saving lives through organ donation, driven by an unwavering determination to end the transplant waitlist. Founded in 1974 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Gift of Life is the nonprofit, federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO) serving 11.3 million people in the eastern half of Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware. As one of the most active OPOs, Gift of Life coordinated the most life-saving organs transplanted in U.S. history in 2025. The program also has coordinated the most kidney transplants in the U.S. for ten years in a row--bringing its cumulative total to 22,756, the highest number of kidney transplants facilitated by any OPO in U.S. history and helping to address a critical public health issue. Overall, Gift of Life has coordinated the most donor heroes (15,586) and organs for transplant (43,108) since the start of our national donation system in 1988. Yet the work is far from finished. Today, more than 100,000 Americans--including approximately 4,500 people in Gift of Life's region--need a transplant to survive. Working around the clock in partnership with 123 hospitals and hundreds of transplant centers nationwide, Gift of Life's staff meets this urgent public health crisis every day. A global leader since the early days of transplant, Gift of Life continues to advance the field, championing organ recovery and preservation technologies that have greatly increased the possibility of donation for families who want to create a legacy of hope for their loved one. In addition, Gift of Life provides the most comprehensive array of services available to the U.S. donation and transplantation community. Its affiliates--Gift of Life Institute and Gift of Life Howie's House-- extend this impact globally and locally. For more than 20 years, the Institute has served as an international training center for organ and tissue donation professionals. Gift of Life Howie's House, celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, is a 32-room lifeline for transplant families, providing temporary affordable lodging, meals and professional supportive services for thousands of patients and caregivers during their transplant journey. Each of us can support the Gift of Life mission. A single organ donor can save up to eight lives; a tissue donor can heal as many as 100 others with gifts that restore health, mobility and sight to patients in need. Every person has the potential to save and heal lives through donation regardless of age, health or medical history. Registering takes less than one minute. This simple act is a profound expression of generosity and shared responsibility. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in celebrating National Donate Life Month, honoring the extraordinary generosity of donors and donor families, giving hope to our fellow citizens waiting, and encouraging all Americans to register as donors. Together, we can help Gift of Life achieve its vision of ending the transplant waitlist. [[Page E325]] ____________________”

2026-04-14 · Healthcare

“Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Deborah P. Brown for more than forty-four years of extraordinary service to the American Lung Association and for a lifetime of visionary leadership dedicated to saving lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. As Chief Mission Officer of the American Lung Association, and previously as President and CEO of the Lung Association of the Mid- Atlantic, Deb Brown has been a transformative leader whose steadfast advocacy, innovative leadership, and unwavering commitment to public health have strengthened programs, advanced research, expanded advocacy, and forged impactful partnerships across the Nation. Her work has helped improve lung health and strengthen public health protections for Pennsylvanians and communities nationwide. Deb's commitment to lung health is deeply personal. After losing loved ones to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), she dedicated her life to ensuring that no family faces lung disease without access to support, education, and hope. That experience strengthened her resolve to raise awareness, advance research, and champion policies that improve quality of life for those living with lung disease. In Pennsylvania, Deb was instrumental in advancing landmark public health achievements, including tobacco prevention initiatives, asthma control efforts, expanded healthcare access, clean air protections and anti-idling legislation that strengthened safeguards for residents across the Commonwealth. Her leadership also extended to Delaware, where she played a pivotal role in the passage of the state's Clean Indoor Air Act--then the second comprehensive law of its kind in the Nation. As Chair of the Delaware Cancer Consortium, she led statewide efforts to improve cancer prevention, detection, and treatment. Over the past eight years, under her national leadership, Deb advanced the American Lung Association's work in research, advocacy, and public education. Under her direction, the organization successfully advocated for stronger car and truck emission standards, cleaner power plants, and critical methane emission controls from oil and gas operations--policies that continue to deliver lasting health benefits. She also served on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Air Act Advisory Committee. During her tenure, the organization supported approximately $178.6 million in research investments to advance initiatives that improve lung health and accelerate innovation. Deb's leadership was particularly critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she helped advance science-based public health efforts to protect people living with lung disease. She also played an important role in advancing Tobacco 21 policies, protecting children from predatory marketing of e-cigarettes, and supporting state-level successes, including increased tobacco taxes. She strengthened advocacy efforts that bring lung disease patients and caregivers to Washington, D.C. each year to advocate for protecting access to affordable healthcare and securing sustained federal funding for the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With degrees in Public Health and Health Education and as a Certified Health Education Specialist, Deb has dedicated her career to empowering communities through education, prevention, and advocacy. She has authored curricula, contributed to research publications, and trained advocates and educators across the country. Just as importantly, she is widely respected for her mentorship and compassion, helping cultivate the next generation of public health leaders. Through her visionary leadership, deeply personal commitment, and tireless dedication to lung health, Deb has improved the lives of countless individuals and families and helped create healthier communities across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the United States. Her legacy will endure in cleaner air, stronger public health protections, groundbreaking research, expanded access to care, and the many lives saved and leaders inspired by her example. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in celebrating the career and retirement of Deborah P. Brown. ____________________”

2026-03-16 · Healthcare

“Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Brigadier General Aida ``Terri'' Borras on her retirement from the U.S. Army. Brigadier General Borras' forty-one year career has been characterized by exceptionally meritorious service while serving in positions of increasing responsibility, culminating as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff (Intelligence) for Headquarters Department of the Army G2. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in New York, Brigadier General Borras' distinguished service has impacted the lives of countless Soldiers and their families. Borras enlisted in the Army in 1985. During her enlisted career, she served as an intelligence Soldier in the Combined Field Army (Republic of Korea-U.S.), the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), the 1st Special Operations Command (Airborne), the Special Forces Command (Airborne), and participated in combat operations during Operation Just Cause. In 1992, she was selected for the Army's Green to Gold Program and graduated two years later from The George Washington University and received her commission as a second lieutenant in the Military Intelligence Corps in 1994. Her command assignments include: Platoon Leader, Delta Company, 629th Military Intelligence Battalion (CEWI), Maryland National Guard; Company Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, INSCOM Support Battalion (Provisional); Battalion Commander, Army Reserve Element at the 1st Information Operations Command (Land); Battalion Commander, North Central Army Reserve Intelligence Support Center; Brigade Commander, Army Reserve Operational Activity; Commanding General, Military Intelligence Readiness Command; and Deputy Commanding General, Southern European Task Force Africa. Staff assignments include: Intelligence Watch Officer, Joint Analysis Center; Joint Information Operations Planner on the Multinational Force--Iraq staff during Operation Iraqi Freedom; Director, Army Reserve G-39 (Cyber and Information Operations Directorate) on the Office of the Chief, Army Reserve; and Director, Commander's Action Group for the Commanding General, United States Army Reserve Command. I thank Terri for her distinguished service, and her professionalism and passion for service in every role she has filled throughout her prestigious career. Part of what makes the U.S. military the greatest in the world is that servicemembers like Terri voluntarily dedicate their lives to serve and sacrifice for this country. I also want to thank her husband Patrick and her children, Sean, Liam, Conor, Eion and Siannen, for their unwavering support. I wish Terri and her family all the best in what I hope to be a restful and enjoyable future. ____________________”

2026-02-11 · Veterans