Recognizing David Donovan

Floor Speech

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Mr. Latimer. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and celebrate David Donovan, who is retiring from the New York State Broadcasting Association after serving as its president for 15 years.

David worked with the New York delegation, spanning multiple decades, using his expertise in telecom policy to support broadcasters and the New Yorkers who tune in.

Before his tenure as president, David spent more than 25 years working in the broadcast regulatory sector here in Washington, D.C. He has worked at the FCC, the Department of Commerce, and television associations.

David's work helped ensure that our media remained free, fair, and accessible.

In New York, we are grateful for the expertise David has brought to the NYSBA and for how he has shaped the way we support the news.

From the floor of the House of Representatives, we salute Mr. Donovan for his long-tenured service and wish him well in his much-deserved retirement. recognizing america's small business owners

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Mr. Latimer. Mr. Speaker, last week was National Small Business Week, which is an opportunity to recognize the hard work and ingenuity of America's small business owners.

What I frequently hear from small businesses is that they rely on price and stability to source their products and predict earnings.

Whether deliberate or not, President Trump's tariffs are causing economic uncertainty and are hurting small business owners' ability to plan for the future.

Earlier this year, I hosted a small business roundtable in my district, where I heard from an entrepreneur in Westchester about the impact of the President's tariffs on her ice cream business. Her cost to purchase dark chocolate has risen 144 percent, from $90 in November 2024 to $220 in May 2025. The Washington Post and the New York Post reported that over 700 U.S. businesses were forced into bankruptcy in 2025, representing a 14-percent increase from the previous year.

This Small Business Week, as the SBA Administrator and this House majority trumpet the tax provisions of the big, ugly bill, I implore this body to finally recognize the President's tariffs for what they are: a small business killer. president trump's defense spending

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Mr. Latimer. Mr. Speaker, President Trump, currently in China, has submitted to Congress a $1.5 trillion defense budget that would boost Pentagon spending by 40 percent, with $350 billion of it to be passed by the reconciliation process, which will allow the Republican majorities in both Houses to do so without any Democratic scrutiny or agreement, no compromise, and impose a one-party explosion in defense spending without any debate.

The Republicans will skirt the Senate filibuster, which the GOP will use regularly if they return to minority status in the future, which forces the two parties to reach some agreement.

It will fund a billion dollars for a White House ballroom that doesn't benefit the farmer who voted for President Trump; a beautiful, blue-colored reflecting pool; a free jet from Qatar; an arc de Trump on The Mall; and an endless war with no articulated endgame.

Was this what was sold to the voters in 2024 who gave narrow majorities to the GOP House, the Senate, and the White House? Food prices and gas prices are up and up again.

Mr. Speaker, it is no surprise to me why you would want to end mail- in ballots or place ICE agents at polling booths. These policies cannot stand on their own merit with the voters.

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