Jennifer A. Kiggans

To amend the definition of a professional student in the Higher Education Act of 1965.

in committee

To allow States to require payment of State fees related to boating as a condition for issuance of a vessel number and to collect such fees in conjunction with other fees related to vessel numbering.

in committee

American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act of 2026

in committee

“Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record remarks submitted at the request of a Virginia Beach constituent, Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman of Temple Lev Tikvah, and are a reflection of his views: Israel At 78 The world's only Jewish state celebrates its 78th anniversary in the shadow of existential war with Iran and its proxies, fighting along its great American partner with shared values and interests. Professor David Passig's work is of particular value. He was born in Meknes, Morocco in 1957 and moved to Israel in 1968 with his parents and four siblings. Passig teaches at Israel's Bar-Ilan University in the Graduate School of Education, heading the Graduate Program in information and Communication Technologies (ICT), along with the Virtual Reality Laboratory. His doctorate in Future Studies is from the University of Minnesota. In his latest book, The Fifth Fiasco (How to Escape the Traps of Jewish History in the Twenty-First Century), he suggests alternative scenarios to past periods with the goal of avoiding repetitions of fateful and costly mistakes and consequently guaranteeing a secure Jewish future in a sovereign and democratic Israeli state. Passig's underlying supposition is quite chilling, ``Therefore, I want to note at the beginning that those among the readers who accept the Biblical account as a given fact, may find it difficult to understand the ``exercise'' of an alternative formulation contradicting the known facts. To those I want to emphasize that the entire purpose is to examine in a refreshed prose an alternative Biblical text that could have prevented the great catastrophe of the destruction of the two Temples. The occupation of providing alternative scenarios for that calamity is critical when fear for destruction returns to echo in the collective Jewish consciousness of the State of Israel in the 21st century.'' The concerned readers the author refers to are Orthodox Jews and the fact that he is an Orthodox Jew affiliated with the Orthodox Jewish Bar-Ilan University, well reflects on the academic open integrity of that institution as well as Passig's. The widespread Israeli phenomenon in recent years of Israelis holding also foreign passports might support the professor's assertion of, if not concrete fear, a certain Israeli unease concerning the future; not for the state's very survival, rather I believe, a lingering disaffection with the deepening divisions and gaps in Israeli society coupled with a frustrating impasse on Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation and explosive old-new tensions [[Page E356]] with Israeli Arabs. All that in face of a successful young start-up nation with an incredible record of progress, including the recent Abraham Accords. These contradictions highlight the complex Jewish condition with some million Israelis living abroad, mainly in North America, begging soul-searching inquiry. Israel's small size and more opportunities abroad are saliant factors along with the historical Jewish wandering gene. The author perceptively points out that the long Jewish tradition to ponder the past on a weekly basis with the discussed study of various interpretations of the Torah, maintained the bond with the people's past, but lacked the necessary alternative scenarios, and particularly arousing ones for the future's sake, and thus former mistakes were repeated with fatal consequences. Passig regards a certain sickness of self-destruction to be responsible for the misfortunes that befell the Jewish people throughout its history, though surely other weighty factors are at play such as Israel's geo-political strategic location which lures empires and superpowers as well as a nation's willingness to risk much for the sake of its ethos and ideals beyond the drive for mere survival, and even finding divine justification for its predicaments whether through punishment or reward. The Talmudic teaching (Pesachim 87b) that exile fulfills God's purpose which is beneficial for both Israel and the world at-large is a case in point. It can be argued also that in the nuclear age it is too dangerous to have all Jews concentrated in one place. The current model is of a sovereign Jewish state with a viable Diaspora, mainly American, along its historical antecedents, supports and nourishes each other for the entire Jewish people's sake and survival. Faithful to his conclusion for the need to present a shocking future scenario serving to wake up to the possibility that Israel's future as an independent Jewish state is not guaranteed, Passig describes a wild scenario-- one of the offered options by Future Studies scholars-- beginning with an Israeli civil war in the 40's of the 21st century, over unbridgeable disagreements between the political left and right on basic issues such as the Law of Return, the Jewish Nation State Law, the annexation of parts of Judea and Samaria and rioting between Jews and Arabs around the Western Wall and Temple Mount. The violent escalation of in”

2026-04-22 · Foreign Policy

“Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record remarks submitted at the request of a Virginia Beach constituent, Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman of Temple Lev Tikvah, and are a reflection of his views: Like lssac In the Wetzlar D.P. Camp, American zone, Germany, 1948, At age two and a half, I was placed on Issac's Altar to be sacrificed a bit At a brit albeit late of the War circumstances, By a family of Polish survivors Who finally felt that their vulnerable Child, a reminder of God's mercy, Was safe to be marked as a Jew In the land begrudging our Covenantal bond, Though No one asked for my consent Just like brother Issac in pagan Canaan who too was not consulted, Yet we both survived. Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman is founder of Temple Lev Tikvah and Honorary Senior Rabbi Scholar at Eastern Shore Chapel Episcopal Church, both in Virginia Beach. He is a member of the Holocaust's surviving remnant of European Jewry. [[Page E320]] ____________________”

2026-04-14 · Civil Rights

“Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating several remarkable Girl Scouts from Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast for demonstrating extraordinary leadership, refreshing creativity, and a commitment to making a lasting impact by earning the most prestigious award in Girl Scouting, the Gold Award. Gold Award Girl Scouts are trailblazers who address the most pressing issues facing their communities and the world with measurable, sustainable, and far-reaching results. To earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, high school-age Girl Scouts identify and investigate an issue they care about, devise a plan, and then lead a team of experts and community members to implement a project that produces lasting change. Over the course of 1 to 2 years, Gold Award Girl Scouts demonstrate significant initiative, commitment, and leadership, distinguishing them from their peers. Through their resourcefulness and perseverance, they embody the Girl Scout Law to truly make the world a better place. I congratulate and include in the Record following outstanding young women: Lydia Winstead, Troop 1579 Noor Swanson, Troop 495 Marley Fenley, Troop 76 Sarah Williams, Troop 322 Nomi Reins, Troop 679 Lana Janas, Troop 25 On behalf of the 2nd Congressional District of Virginia, I congratulate them on their achievement of the highest distinction in Girl Scouts, the Gold Award. We thank them all for their leadership and for making such a positive, lasting change in our community. ____________________”

2026-04-14 · Government Reform