Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my good friend Deborah Kallick, who is retiring from her role as Vice President of Government and Industry Relations at Cedars-Sinai Health System after 24 years of service to our Southern California community.

Deborah grew up in Beverly Hills, California, as a first-generation American, with her mother coming from Odesa, Ukraine, and her father from Munich, Germany. She earned her B.A. from Pitzer College in 1978 and her M.B.A. from USC in 1983. Before joining Cedars-Sinai, she served as UCLA's Executive Director of Federal and Health Sciences Government Relations from 1985 to 2000.

A dedicated advocate at all levels of government for the health care delivery system, Deborah has served as Cedars-Sinai's legislative steward in Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Washington, D.C. Cedars-Sinai is a leading provider of care to Californians on Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program, and Deborah has played a major role in expanding this program so that the most vulnerable in our community have access to health care services.

Deborah led efforts to improve hospital financing and successfully advocated for funding to expand medical research and graduate medical education while playing a paramount role in establishing joint research efforts between Cedars-Sinai and the Uniform Services University at the Department of Defense. She was also instrumental in securing entitlements to build the new Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital, contributing to the development of the institution's new campus. This initiative allowed Cedars-Sinai to expand its services and further its mission of education, research, and patient care.

Beyond her work in the health care sphere, Deborah is also active in numerous civic and community organizations. She currently is the Board Vice President for Hillel International and the past Board Chair of USC Hillel and Hillel 818. Additionally, Deborah serves on the Boards of Directors of the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce, the Los Angeles Business Council, the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, Hillel 818, Hillel at the Claremont Colleges, Pitzer College, the Maple Counseling Center, and the Getty House Foundation.

Deborah has received numerous accolades for her tireless service to our community. She received the West Hollywood Women's Leadership Award in 2006 and the Thomas Crail Lifetime Achievement Award from the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce in 2008. She also earned the 2006 American Hospital Association's Grass Roots Champion Award and The Maple Counseling Center's Community Spirit Award in 2012.

I am proud to have worked alongside Deborah to deliver better health outcomes to Southern Californians. Her tireless advocacy and relentless activism have had a profound impact on the lives of millions of patients--in Los Angeles, in California, and across the nation. Her presence as a stalwart of working toward enhancing health care access, quality, and affordability will be missed.

I thank Deborah for a lifetime of service and wish her the best of luck in this next chapter of her life. I ask all Members to join me in congratulating Deborah for 24 years of service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Burbank Temporary Aid Center (BTAC) in Burbank, California, upon its fiftieth anniversary.

The Burbank Temporary Aid Center was founded in 1974 when the Burbank Ministerial Association saw the need for a centralized source of services to provide assistance to those in the Burbank community who were less fortunate. Under the leadership of the late Reverend Larry Stamper, the association worked with various community members to create a center to address these needs. Originally located in one of the founders' garage and having operated out of several different buildings in Burbank, in the 1990s, BTAC relocated to a storefront property on Burbank Boulevard. After a building effort which spanned 18 months, in 2006, BTAC unveiled its remodeled and expanded facility which included several features, such as a modernized food pantry, to better provide for its clients.

Over the years the center has adapted in response to the changing needs of the community. With its original mission to provide food and clothing to housed residents of Burbank, services have expanded to include un-housed residents, and short-term assistance is now a long- term necessity for some people in the community. Among those receiving help are retired adults, people impacted by labor strikes, individuals and families, and refugees.

The center's main service is as a food pantry. For those with access to a kitchen, BTAC offers a robust monthly grocery program, with the option to personalize each order based on the household. To support the unhoused community, sack lunches are offered to ensure their nutritional needs are fulfilled. At the facility, personal hygiene items are distributed, and there are shower facilities and laundry machines available for use at no cost.

The Burbank Temporary Aid Center is funded by donations from foundations, religious institutions, private individuals, and service organizations. BTAC receives donations of hygiene items and food from various businesses, service clubs and local churches, in addition to daily and weekly donations from major grocery stores.

It is my great privilege to represent BTAC in my Congressional District. My commendations to longtime Executive Director Barbara Howell, BTAC staff, the Board of Directors and all the volunteers for their dedicated and outstanding service to the Burbank community.

I ask all Members to join me in congratulating the Burbank Temporary Aid Center upon its fiftieth anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I hereby remove my name as cosponsor of H. Res. 1068.

Mr. Chair, due to events in California, I will unfortunately be unable to cast my vote for legislation considered on the House floor today. Had I been able to be present, I would have voted according to the following: ``no'' on rollcall No. 66, Passage of H.R. 7511--Laken Riley Act, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 67, H.R. 3843-- Action for Dental Health Act of 2023, ``no'' on rollcall No. 68, Lawler #1 Amendment on H.R. 2799--Expanding Access to Capital Act, ``no'' on rollcall No. 69, Huizenga #2 Amendment on H.R. 2799--Expanding Access to Capital Act, ``no'' on rollcall No. 70, Lucas #3 Amendment on H.R. 2799--Expanding Access to Capital Act, ``no'' on rollcall No. 71, Wagner #4 Amendment on H.R. 2799--Expanding Access to Capital Act, and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 72, Sherman #5 Amendment on H.R. 2799-- Expanding Access to Capital Act.

Mr. Speaker, due to events in California, I was unfortunately unable to cast my vote for legislation considered on the House floor today. Had I been able to be present, I would have voted according to the following: ``no'' on rollcall No. 62, ``no'' on Motion on Ordering the Previous Question (H. Res. 1052); ``no'' on rollcall No. 63, H. Res. 1052--Rule providing for consideration of H.R. 2799-- Expanding Access to Capital Act of 2023 and H.R. 7511--Laken Riley Act; ``yea'' on rollcall No. 64, H. Res. 1061--Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024; and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 65, H.R. 3821--Firefighter Cancer Registry Reauthorization Act of 2023.

Mr. Speaker, due to events in California, I was unfortunately unable to cast my vote for legislation considered on the House floor today. Had I been able to be present, I would have voted according to the following: ``yea'' on H.R. 3391--Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0, as amended; and ``yea'' on H.R. 3838-- Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2023, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 36th anniversary of the pogrom

against the Armenian residents of Sumgait, Azerbaijan. From February 27 to 29, 1988, Azerbaijani mobs assaulted and killed Armenians, leaving dozens of Armenian civilians dead and hundreds injured. Women and girls were raped, and some victims were burned alive after being tortured and beaten. Those who survived the carnage fled their homes and businesses, leaving behind all but the clothes on their backs.

In a pattern all too familiar to the Armenian people, the Azerbaijani authorities made little effort to punish those responsible, instead attempting to cover up the atrocities in Sumgait to this day, as well as denying the role of senior government officials in instigating the violence.

In the years that followed this unspeakable massacre, Armenians living in Kirovabad, Baku, and Maragha suffered a similar fate. These pogroms were part of a pattern of hateful, racist anti-Armenian propaganda and activities occurring throughout Azerbaijan, dehumanizing its Armenian residents, and laying the groundwork for decades of aggression and mass violence. This brutality culminated when the Azerbaijani government initiated war against the people of Nagorno- Karabakh, also known as Artsakh.

Beginning on September 27, 2020, and over 44 days, Azerbaijani forces invaded and murdered innocent Armenians in Artsakh and displaced tens of thousands more. They continued to terrorize the people of Artsakh in subsequent military attacks, and by blocking the Lachin Corridor--which left 120,000 people without access to food, water, medical supplies and services, gas, and electricity for over 9 months. On September 19, 2023, the Aliyev regime took full advantage of a people they had systematically starved, and launched a large-scale attack, further escalating their ethnic cleansing and genocidal campaign against the indigenous Armenian people of Artsakh. At least 200 people were killed, 400 wounded, over 100,000 ethnic Armenians were forcibly displaced, and Azerbaijan now holds Artsakh's political and military leadership, civilians, and prisoners of war hostage. With no help from the international community to confront Azerbaijan's military aggression, Artsakh was forced to negotiate under duress and consequently agreed to dissolve their democratically elected government.

There is also real and growing concern that Aliyev has his eyes set on land beyond Artsakh and will continue to seek further territory and concessions from Armenia by force. To this day, Azerbaijani forces remain present on sovereign Armenian land, in violation of Armenia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and last month, President Aliyev made alarming remarks, including his refusal to remove troops from Armenian territory. These are the horrific consequences when aggression and hatred grow unchecked and when Aliyev's hostility is met with deafening silence, emboldening him to continue, and expand, his unprovoked attacks on the Armenian people, knowing there will be no repercussions.

Azerbaijan's campaign of death and destruction against Armenians have been nothing short of deplorable, including the destruction of religious and cultural sites in Artsakh to erase or falsify history, and the torture, mutilation and killing of Armenian civilians, prisoners of war and soldiers. This February also marks 20 years of a horrific crime when Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani army captain savagely murdered an Armenian army lieutenant, Gurgen Margaryan with an axe while he slept. The two were participating in a NATO Partnership for Peace exercise at the time in Hungary. In 2012, Safarov was sent home to Azerbaijan, purportedly to serve out the remainder of his sentence. Instead, he was pardoned, promoted, and paraded through the streets of Baku as a returning hero. There is no more dramatic illustration of Azerbaijan's continued posture of hatred towards their Armenian neighbor than their celebration of a cold-blooded murderer.

Though the United States and international partners have condemned Azerbaijan's aggression and military assault against Armenians, the time for strong statements alone has clearly long passed. Condemnation must be followed by real consequences. The United States must hold Azerbaijan and its leadership accountable and take concrete action and press Azerbaijan to return to compliance with international law and order. Crimes against humanity cannot be ignored and cannot go unanswered.

The United States must use its immense bully pulpit to apply direct pressure to the Aliyev regime in Azerbaijan, by enforcing restrictions on additional military assistance to Baku pursuant to Section 907 and calling on Azerbaijan to immediately return all Armenian POWs, hostages, and other detainees, and provide information on the status of those still be detained or missing. Additionally, the Biden Administration should immediately implement sanctions under the Magnitsky Act against Azeri officials responsible for human rights abuses.

The United States must also demand an immediate withdrawal of Azeri forces from the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, provide security assistance to Armenia including expanding humanitarian aid to assist Artsakh refugees, and help ensure the safety and security of Armenians who seek to return to their homes in Artsakh. Finally, the U.S. Department of State must continue to call attention to the destruction and desecration of Armenian religious and cultural sites by Azerbaijan, and urge their safeguarding and preservation. Only by using every diplomatic tool at their disposal, including sanctions, against Azerbaijan can we help guarantee the safety, security and continued territorial integrity of Armenia.

As we pause to remember the innocent victims of the pogroms, we are also reminded that despite the trials the Armenian people have faced, it has not broken their faith, determination, and their will to survive in the face of constant threats from Azerbaijan. Today, let us recommit ourselves to doing everything we can to bring peace and justice to our Armenian brothers and sisters abroad, once and for all.

Madam Speaker, I welcome my colleagues to another week of impeachment unlimited.

Having no legislative accomplishments to show for their 14 months in power, Republicans are voting on yet another pointless resolution.

Unable to provide any evidence against President Biden, they have now decided to impeach someone else instead. We have serious challenges at the border--no one denies that--but these are not serious people.

By this standard put forward by this hapless majority, every single DHS Secretary would have been impeached. This is a policy and political dispute, not a high crime or misdemeanor.

When an administration official tries to extort a foreign leader into helping them cheat in an election or leads an insurrection against our government, then impeach them. Until then, stop wasting everyone's time.

I have known Ale Mayorkas since we were prosecutors together. He is a person of great integrity and devotion to this country.

This impeachment is baseless, it is unconstitutional, and it should be defeated.

Mr. Speaker, due to flight disruptions, I was unfortunately unable to cast my vote for legislation considered on the House floor today. Had I been able to be present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 20, H.R. 5528, as amended, and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 21, S. 3427.

personal explanation

Mr. Speaker, in 2019, Donald Trump attempted to extort the President of Ukraine by withholding military aid unless Zelenskyy agreed to announce a sham investigation of Joe Biden. The evidence of Trump's impeachable offenses was overwhelming, and Trump was impeached.

In 2020, after losing the election, Trump incited a violent insurrection against our own government. The evidence of that high crime was witnessed by everyone in this Chamber. He was impeached again.

In 2023, Donald Trump is once again seeking illicit help in his campaign, this time by badgering Republicans to impeach Joe Biden. Even with no evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden, Republicans are all too willing to do it.

There is a through line to all of this.

Donald Trump will violate the law and Constitution to gain power and to keep it, and Republicans will enable him every step of the way no matter how destructive the consequences to our institutions or to the country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my dear friend, renowned television producer and screenwriter, Norman Lear, who passed away on December 5, 2023.

Norman Milton Lear was born on July 27, 1922 in New Haven, Connecticut. After attending Emerson College in Boston, he dropped out of college to enlist in the U.S. Army Air Force. During World War II, he served as a gunner and radio operator, and flew 52 combat missions over Europe, earning the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters.

Following his extraordinary military service, Mr. Lear worked in public relations before beginning a career as a freelance comedy writer, and eventually a television and film producer. Norman would go on to captivate over one hundred twenty million viewers weekly with his ground-breaking television show's of the 1970's and 1980's that dealt with consequential and critical issues such as race, social inequality, and sexuality. These iconic shows include All in the Family--which won many Emmy Awards--The Jeffersons, Good Times, and Maude.

As a kid, his show's were a staple in our household, the kind of shows families across the country would watch together, laugh, and debate. As an adult, I was proud to get to know Norman as a constituent and as a friend. When I last spoke with him, on his 101st birthday, he still wanted to know what he could do, even then, to address the challenges facing the nation he was so proud to serve.

Norman was always politically active, inspired by his uncle Jack and grandfather Shya's political involvement and view,``that a citizen can matter.'' In 1980, he wanted a more direct effect on social change, so he put his television career on hold to focus on political activism. In 1981, Norman co-founded People for the American Way which sought to build a democratic society and defend constitutional values such as religious liberty, free expression and equal justice. In 1997, Norman and his wife, Lyn Davis Lear created the Lear Family Foundation, which supports a wide range of nonprofit organizations such as the Rainforest Alliance, American Civil Liberties Union, Ballet Hispanico and Planned Parenthood. In 2000, Mr. Lear provided an endowment for a public policy center that explored the intersection of commerce, entertainment, and society at the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communicat and Journalism--the center was later dedicated as the Norman Lear Center. A few years later Norman founded a nonpartisan youth voter registration initiative called Declare Yourself. Additionally, in 2001, Norman and Lyn purchased one of the few surviving original copies of the Declaration of Independence and shared the nation's birth certificate with their fellow Americans by touring it in all 50 states during their Declaration of Independence Road Trip.

Norman received professional awards and acknowledgement for his humanitarian achievements, far too many to list all here. These include the National Medal for Arts from President Clinton, several Emmy Awards, two Peabody Awards, a Golden Globe Award, the Humanist Arts Award, Kennedy Center Honors, the Women in Film Lucy Award, and the National Hispanic Media Coalition's ``Media Icon'' Award. In addition, he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

My heart goes out to Lyn and the rest of Norman's beautiful family. His legacy is without equal, and I ask all Members to join me in celebration of his life. America has lost a giant.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable individual whose advocacy for universal healthcare helped advance the cause for millions of Americans, even as he struggled with his own health. Ady Barkan, a former intern in my office, passed away due to complications of ALS, leaving behind a legacy that will continue to inspire generations to come.

I first met Ady while walking precincts together when he was still in high school. Even then, he was passionately dedicated to improving the lives of people around him and deeply immersed in a wide variety of policy issues. His unwavering commitment to his country--and the need to stand up for all working families--as well as his fervent advocacy for healthcare reform left an indelible mark on all of us who had the privilege of working alongside him. But more than anything else, I was struck by his dazzling intellect. Ady was brilliant.

Ady's journey was a testament to his resilience and unwavering determination. In 2016, when he was diagnosed with ALS, a devastating neurodegenerative disease that often leads to paralysis and death within a few short years, Ady could have easily chosen to retreat from public life. But instead, he and his family chose to dedicate the remainder of his life to changing the American health care system for the better.

Despite the loss of his voice, Ady Barkan's voice only grew stronger and reached more people. His ability to blend his personal story with calls to action was truly remarkable. He testified before Congress, interviewed presidential candidates, and spoke at the Democratic National Convention, all while battling this debilitating disease. Ady's impact on our nation's health care discourse was immeasurable, and his courage in the face of adversity was unparalleled.

Ady Barkan was instrumental in stopping Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, a critical achievement for health care in America that extended access to tens of millions who otherwise couldn't afford it. Ady's persistence and leadership in these fights were critical, and his contribution, profound. Ady Barkan was not only a health care activist but also a loving husband and father. And he was also a good friend.

I would like to convey my deepest sympathies to Ady's wife, Rachael, his children, and his entire family during this difficult time. May Ady's memory continue to be a source of strength and motivation for all of us who strive to make a difference in the world. Ady will be dearly missed, but his legacy will live on as an inspiration to us all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Laurie Goldman, who passed away on September 11 of this year.

Laurie's dedication to the City of Los Angeles was formed at an early age as she came to appreciate its many landmark institutions. She watched the Beatles perform at the Hollywood Bowl, enjoyed ice cream at CC Brown's, and, at the tender age of six months, dined at Musso & Frank.

As a young girl, Laurie explored the City of Los Angeles; she absorbed its secrets, learned its rhythms, and took it upon herself to make it better. For more than four decades, Laurie volunteered her time and considerable energy to improve the lives of those in her community. She founded her first nonprofit, Youth for Cystic Fibrosis, while a student at Fairfax High School. Her commitment to helping those on the margins led to the creation of multiple nonprofit organizations over her lifetime.

Laurie's success in organizing her community around a common cause, in achieving consensus, and raising money, led to leadership roles in several of the City's most distinguished organizations. In addition to founding her own company, Go!, she served on the Board of Directors of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, the Central Hollywood Neighborhood Council, the Hollywood Chamber Community Foundation, and the Hollywood Arts Council. Ms. Goldman's long list of achievements include serving on the 1984 Olympics Governmental Relations Committee, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Getty House Foundation. In 2016, she was elected President of the Hollywood Media Business Improvement District where she was instrumental in furthering its mission of public safety and economic growth.

Her devotion to Hollywood's rich history fostered an appreciation for what is possible in the world. Laurie was an effective advocate, a tireless activist, and a much-revered urban visionary. It is, perhaps, in this last role that she will be best remembered. As President of Friends of the Hollywood Central Park, Laurie was committed to building a sustainable, green space on top of the congested 101 freeway. Completion of this ambitious project promises to deliver a more equitable future for stakeholders in community and commerce.

I would like to convey my deepest sympathy to Laurie's family, friends, and colleagues. We owe Laurie a debt of gratitude for her decades of contributions to the Los Angeles community. I ask all Members to join me in recognizing the remarkable life of Laurie L. Goldman.

Mr. Speaker, today we welcome His Holiness Aram the First, Catholicos of the Holy See of the Great House of Cilicia, who graced us with an opening prayer.

His Holiness Aram the First, a true beacon of faith, holds a special place in the hearts of countless Armenians in my community and around the world. His unwavering commitment to the values of faith, community, and compassion embodies the spirit of our vibrant Armenian community.

His support for humanitarian issues, advocacy for human rights, engagement in several educational and cultural initiatives, and promotion of interfaith understanding have left an indelible mark, making the world a better place for all.

His Holiness Aram the First's prayer has not only enriched our proceedings, but also reinforced our commitment to working together in the service of our shared values.

Mr. Speaker, due to events in California, I was unable to cast my vote for legislation considered on the House floor. Had I been able to be present, I would have voted as follows: YEA on Roll Call No. 599, H.R. 1607--To clarify jurisdiction with respect to certain Bureau of Reclamation pumped storage development, and for other purposes, as amended, and YEA on Roll Call No. 600, H.R. 359--Fort San Geronimo Preservation Act.