Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation's women during Women's History Month. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District. I would like to recognize a remarkable woman, Barbara Monderine-Williams of the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.

Barbara was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, raised in La Mirada, California, and has been living in Los Angeles since attending the University of California, Los Angeles, from which she graduated in 1987. After years of working in the music industry, including for Virgin Records and Warner Records, Barbara decided that her hobby as a self-taught home baker could possibly be turned into a full-time profession. With her mother's recipes coupled with her dream of having a bakery, she and her husband, Richard Williams, opened The Village Bakery and Cafe, where Barbara is the co-owner and head baker.

Over the years, The Village Bakery and Cafe has grown into a flourishing neighborhood mainstay serving breakfast, lunch, pastries, and freshly baked bread. During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Village Bakery and Cafe changed gears and provided the community with provisions that were difficult to source, including eggs, flour, sugar, and yeast, and turned into a family meal delivery location overnight, serving up to 300 meals every day during the height of the pandemic.

Barbara has made a tremendous impact in her community and beyond through her ``One Cookie At A Time'' bakery drives, raising thousands of dollars throughout the years for the Sante D'Or Foundation, an animal adoption and rescue center in Los Angeles, American Civil Liberties Union, Black Voters Matter, and most recently, CARE's Ukraine Crisis Fund.

I ask all Members to join me in honoring this exceptional, well- respected woman of California's 30th Congressional District, Barbara Monderine-Williams.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation's women during Women's History Month. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District. I would like to recognize a remarkable woman, Barbara Howell of the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.

Born in Ogden, Utah, Barbara is the eldest of three children and the only daughter of the late Joyce and Clyde Howell. Due to her father's work obligations, the family moved quite often, living in Utah, Colorado, Nevada, and Minnesota. After graduating from high school in Minnesota, Barbara attended Brigham Young University in Utah, and earned a bachelor's degree in communications and marketing. While a student at the university, she served as an intern with Utah Easter Seals, which ignited her passion and interest in working for non-profit organizations. She went on to work for the organization in several states for seventeen years and later spent three years with the Greater Los Angeles Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as the organization's executive director.

In 2004, Ms. Howell joined the Burbank Temporary Aid Center (BTAC) as its executive director, and over the years has been instrumental in raising money to fund the renovation of BTAC. Immediately after assuming this position, Barbara enrolled in Leadership Burbank, an organization that offers a leadership training program for individuals who work or reside in the City of Burbank, which helped Barbara develop appreciation and a better understanding of the community. While at BTAC, she fulfilled a lifelong dream of continuing her education and pursued a master's degree in organizational leadership at Woodbury University, graduating in 2010. Expanding her knowledge has been especially important to Barbara when leading the organization through challenging years.

Dedicated to giving back to the community, Barbara served as a board member for Leadership Burbank, and held various leadership roles, including past president, in the Burbank Noon Rotary Club. She also served as treasurer for the Los Feliz Neighborhood Council. Ms. Howell has received several honors and awards including the Woman of the Year Award from the Zonta Club of Burbank Area and the Citizen of the Year award from the Burbank Association of REALTORS.

Barbara enjoys traveling and has visited Canada, England, France, Ireland, Iceland, Kazakhstan, Germany, Wales, Mexico, and Italy. She learned to play the piano at a young age, often accompanying her father when he would sing, and developed an appreciation for all types of music. Ms. Howell has sung with the Southern California Mormon Choir and plays the organ for her congregation.

I ask all Members to join me in honoring this exceptional, well- respected woman of California's 30th Congressional District, Barbara Howell.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our Nation's women during Women's History Month. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District. I would like to recognize a remarkable woman, Rhonda Reynolds of the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.

Born and raised in Indiana, Rhonda attended Indiana University Bloomington, where she met her future husband, Rob Rowe. After graduation, she moved to Chicago, Illinois, where she was a founding member of a theater company. In 1993, Rhonda moved from Chicago to Los Angeles, and she and her husband first settled in Silver Lake, and then in 2000, into their home in Echo Park.

In 2004, Rhonda and Rob opened Masa of Echo Park Bakery and Cafe, a family-owned restaurant that specializes in Chicago-style pizza. Masa is a beloved community-minded restaurant that ``feels like home'' for employees and customers, a place for friendship and food. Rhonda is honored and grateful to share in the lives of the Masa family. Through first dates and chance meetings at the restaurant that have turned into engagements and marriages, the people at Masa bring her great joy and have become her extended family.

Crediting her teacher parents' philosophy of embracing a larger sense of community, Ms. Reynolds is actively involved in her neighborhood, working to nurture growth and foster relationships with fellow business owners, schools, and neighborhood groups. She has devoted countless hours volunteering on local committees and non-profit organizations. Rhonda is President of the Echo Park Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Rampart Community Advisory Board, a member of the Preserve Echo Park Lake group, and a Board Member of a children's literacy/animal welfare non-profit, Reading to the Rescue.

Past involvement includes serving on the Dodgers Neighborhood Community Advisory Board, the Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council's Governmental and External Affairs Committee, the Echo Park Film District Planning Committee, the FILM LA Community Relations Subcommittee representing Echo Park, and a block captain for the UNTAG--Uniting Neighborhoods to Abolish Graffiti--program. In addition, Rhonda and her husband donate food and supplies from their restaurant to numerous nonprofit events. Rhonda and Rob have 2 mixed-breed rescue dogs, Mimi and Marty.

I ask all Members to join me in honoring this exceptional, well- respected woman of California's 30th Congressional District, Rhonda Reynolds.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation's women during Women's History Month. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District. I would like to recognize a remarkable woman, Alexa Iles Skarpelos of Hollywood, California.

Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Alexa studied design at Western Washington University and spent the next two decades working as a Design Director for global brands such as Guess and Levis. In 2000, she and her husband, George moved to Hollywood and welcomed their daughter, Athena a few months later.

Ms. Skarpelos is dedicated to creating opportunities for civic engagement by developing meaningful partnerships between the community and government officials, and providing space for productive and candid communication. A tireless volunteer, she is the organizer of many successful annual community events. For several years, she has led the Hollywood Dell Summer Block Party and Pet Parade, now in its 17th year, and the Hollywood National Night Out event. Alexa has also coordinated an annual neighborhood Halloween celebration, a Hollywood Dell Art Show and neighborhood cleanup days. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she encouraged her neighbors to create and display artwork in front of their homes made from materials on hand for the ``Hollywood Dell Shows the LOVE'' campaign and shared some of her ``Recipes for Disaster'' in neighborhood email news updates.

Alexa belongs to several civic organizations, including the Hollywood Dell Civic Association, where she served as Secretary for eight years, and currently serves as President. She also served as Secretary for several years and was recently appointed as the Civilian Co-Chair for the Hollywood Community-Police Advisory Board.

Among her numerous community achievements, Ms. Skarpelos led the grassroots effort

to preserve a beloved neighborhood trail that was slated for development. As Co-Chair of the Friends of La Rocha Trail, she raised awareness and funds to preserve it as a dedicated green space under the supervision of the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. Alexa also joined in the effort to establish the Franklin Ivar Park located on a former neglected empty lot.

I ask all Members to join me in honoring this exceptional, well- respected woman of California's 30th Congressional District, Alexa Iles Skarpelos.

Mr. Speaker, I was not able to vote due to unforeseen events. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 329 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 330.

personal explanation

Mr. Speaker, to my Republican colleagues who introduced this resolution, I thank you. You honor me with your enmity. You flatter me with this falsehood.

You, who are the authors of a big lie about the last election, must condemn the truthtellers, and I stand proudly before you. Your words tell me that I have been effective in the defense of our democracy, and I am grateful.

Yet, this false and defamatory resolution comes at a considerable cost to the country and to the Congress. At a moment when many millions of people in our home State of California are unable to find a place to live or afford a place to live, Speaker McCarthy chooses to occupy the resources of Congress for 2 straight weeks on this hollow sop to the MAGA crowd. He offers nothing to those who are homeless or addicted to opioids, or to millions of college students mired in debt, but this paltry distraction.

Donald Trump is under indictment for actions that jeopardize our national security, and McCarthy would spend the Nation's time on petty political payback, thinking he can censure or fine Trump's opposition into submission.

But I will not yield, not one inch.

The cost of the Speaker's delinquency is high, but the cost to Congress of this frivolous and yet dangerous resolution may be even higher, as it represents another serious abuse of power.

Donald Trump has threatened that any of you who defy him and vote against this partisan resolution will be met by a primary challenge.

He calls for my imprisonment. If a transient majority can punish and attempt to silence Members who hold a corrupt President to account, there is no telling what further corruption of office will follow.

I say this to Speaker McCarthy and others who wish to gratify Donald Trump with this act of subservience or bend to his demands: Try as you might to expel me from Congress or silence me with a $16 million fine, you will not succeed. You might as well make it $160 million. You will never deter me from doing my duty.

No matter how many false justifications or slanders you level against me, you but indict yourselves. As Liz Cheney said: ``There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain.''

This resolution attacks me for initiating an investigation into the Trump campaign's solicitation and acceptance of Russian help in the 2016 election, even though the investigation was first led not by me but by a Republican chairman.

It would hold that when you give internal campaign polling data to a Russian intelligence operative while Russian intelligence is helping your campaign, as Trump's campaign chairman did, that you must not call that collusion, though that is its proper name, as the country well knows.

It would fine me for the costs of the critically important Mueller investigation into Trump's misconduct, even though the special counsel was appointed by Trump's own Attorney General.

It would reprimand me over a flawed FISA application, as if I were its author or I were the Director of the FBI, and over flaws only discovered years later and by the inspector general, not Mr. Durham.

In short, it would accuse me of omnipotence, the leader of some vast deep state conspiracy. Of course, it is nonsense.

Here is the real gravamen of my offense: I led the first impeachment of Donald Trump for one of the most egregious Presidential abuses of power in our history, and I led a trial which resulted in the first bipartisan vote to remove a President in history. I would do so again.

I warned that if Trump was not held accountable, he would go on to try to

cheat in even worse ways in the next election, and he did, inciting a violent attack on this very Capitol.

After that, I participated in some of the most important hearings in congressional history, hearings that exposed Donald Trump's incitement of a dangerous insurrection to prevent the peaceful transfer of power.

My colleagues, if there is cause for censure in this House, and there is, it should be directed at those in this body who sought to overturn a free and fair election.

The question, my Republican colleagues, is not why I am the subject of this false resolution for doing my constitutional duty, but why are you not? Why are you not standing beside me, the subject of a similar rebuke for speaking the truth?

Why did you not stand up to Donald Trump? Why did you not reject his immortality? Why did you not condemn his dishonesty?

Why did you not speak out when his horde attacked this Capitol or now when he treats the Nation's secrets with such carelessness, lawlessness, and disdain? Why did you hide from efforts to hold him accountable?

Why were you silent, afraid, unwilling to do your ethical, constitutional duty? Why did you cower? Why did you cower, and why do you still?

Will it be said of you that you lacked the courage to stand up to the most immoral, unlawful, and unethical President in history but consoled yourselves by attacking those who did?

Today, I wear this partisan vote as a badge of honor, knowing that I have lived my oath, knowing that I have done my duty to hold a dangerous and out-of-control President accountable, and knowing that I would do so again in a heartbeat if the circumstances should ever require it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the iconic Hollywood Sign in Hollywood, California. This year, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and Hollywood Sign Trust will celebrate the Hollywood Sign on its Centennial Anniversary as one of Los Angeles's memorable historical landmarks.

The Hollywood Sign will celebrate its centennial on December 8, 2023. In December 1923, a large sign spelling out the word Hollywoodland was illuminated by an array of lightbulbs on top of Mount Lee in Hollywood. The sign, with its over-forty-foot-tall letters, was created as a revolutionary form of advertising for a new housing development in the Hollywood Hills.

Although the Hollywood Sign originally represented a new beginning for residents of Los Angeles up in the gleaming Hollywood Hills, the sign also began to capture the limelight, a symbol of the emerging film industry within the area and throughout California.

In 1938, the sign was reflective of positive change when the 20 acres behind Mount Lee, which is named after renowned entrepreneur Don Lee, became the location of the Don Lee Network that broadcast a vast range of televised programming including remotely filmed and in-studio shows. After the Hollywoodland housing development fell through, the sign fell into disrepair, stirring debates about tearing it down. Fortunately, as owners of the sign, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce stepped up to repair and reimagine the sign by removing the last four letters--at which point the Hollywood Sign was born.

Thirty years later in the mid-1970's, the Hollywood Sign, which had been made a cultural landmark, began to fall apart again. However, with a renovation fund campaign led by Hugh Hefner and others in 1978, the Hollywood Chamber once again restored the sign to its now amazing stature.

Other memorable moments in the sign's history include the 1997 photoshoot of Michelle Yeoh, who daringly performed a stunt in a helicopter over the sign for a National Geographic cover story. Then in 2013, the sign became the backdrop for a photo of the beloved mountain lion, P-22, who was captured roaming the trails in the Hollywood Hills.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and Hollywood Sign Trust will celebrate the Hollywood Sign on its 100th birthday throughout 2023 and 2024. These celebrations will highlight the transformation of the sign from a real estate marketing effort to a cultural monument, beloved community icon and global symbol of glamor and imagination.

I am proud to recognize the Hollywood Sign upon its 100th Anniversary and I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring this timeless icon.

Madam Speaker, I was not able to vote in today's series due to a delayed flight. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 203 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 204.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the lives and legacies of Mardiros Deovletian, Shooshan Hounanian, Azniv Totigian, Mariam Minasian, Hadji Martiros Temelian, Annenouhi Toutikian. These names represent a few, but a precious few, of the more than 1.5 million men, women, and children who lost their lives in the first genocide of the 20th century.

One hundred and eight years ago, the Ottoman Empire began a systematic effort to destroy the Armenian people. Teachers, writers, businessmen, and doctors were rounded up and killed, clergy were tortured and burned alive in churches, infants were ripped from their mothers' arms, sons and daughters witnessed their fathers being murdered, and children died gasping for a drop of water. Many Armenians were killed outright, and others, including Komitas Vartabed, considered the father of Armenian music, suffered emotional trauma after witnessing the sheer horror of the brutal massacres.

Despite the overwhelming evidence of this methodical mass killing, Turkey has long engaged in a campaign to deny the genocide and to silence those who would speak the truth.

But the United States will no longer be silenced. In 2019, for the first time in history, the U.S. House passed my resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide by a near unanimous and bipartisan margin. The Senate too passed a resolution affirming the facts of the Armenian Genocide. And in 2021, President Joe Biden finally cast aside decades of shameful silence by our nation to become the first sitting U.S. president to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide.

These historic achievements happened because of a resilient and enduring Armenian diaspora. It's a testament to the unwavering efforts of thousands of activists, organizations, communities, and church leaders. It's a victory for human rights, and for truth itself, and it's something we achieved together.

But we know there remains work to do. Our thoughts and our hearts are with Armenia and Artsakh, because the Armenian people are still under duress and attack and have suffered the losses of many who died in Artsakh, the thousands who were forced to flee from the unprovoked aggression by Azerbaijan and Turkey, and those who remain prisoners of war. Azerbaijan's unprovoked assaults on sovereign Armenian territory and the brutal blockade of Artsakh risk another genocide. We have seen this before, and we must not allow it to happen again.

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. This is why Azerbaijan is emboldened to believe it can annihilate Armenians in their historical homeland. We cannot allow violence and crimes against humanity to go unanswered, whether they occurred one hundred eight years ago or as recently as this year or even this month.

The United States must impose sanctions on Azerbaijan, and U.S. support for the warmongers in Baku must stop. The United States must continue to pressure Aliyev to immediately reopen the Lachin corridor, direct U.S. humanitarian assistance to Artsakh, call for the safe and unconditional release of the remaining Armenian prisoners of war and captured civilians, hold Azerbaijan accountable for the destruction of religious and cultural sites, and support democracy in Armenia and a free, independent Artsakh.

On this solemn anniversary, as we pause to remember the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide, we also reflect on the resilience of those who survived, and the perseverance of their children and grandchildren, who built new lives in the United States, speak the beautiful Armenian language, and enrich our nation with the Armenian culture and heritage. Despite the trials the Armenian people have faced and continue to face, it has not broken their faith, determination, or their will to survive. They have overcome the harshest of trials and tribulations, and yet, they remain strong and unbowed, in Los Angeles, in Yerevan, in Artsakh and around the world.

From marching shoulder to shoulder with the Armenian community in California to the halls of Congress, I will always stand with you every step of the way as we redouble our efforts to bring liberation to our Armenian brothers and sisters abroad. Although I am not a descendant of the fallen, on this day, as we commemorate the Armenian Genocide and honor the martyred saints, we are all Armenian. Whenever we speak out against mass murder and refuse to be intimidated into silence, we are all Armenian. Whenever we stand up for human rights and justice, we are all Armenian.

Mr. Chair, the House is considering a Republican-led bill that would prohibit transgender girls from participating in girls' and women's athletic programs.

This bill undermines the key purpose of Title IX--which is to eliminate sex discrimination in federally funded education programs-- and it removes protections against gender identity discrimination in the context of athletic programs.

Young people participate in sports to be part of a team, learn sportsmanship, and challenge themselves. However, this bill seeks to strip trans girls of all ages of these opportunities and would limit opportunities for nonbinary and trans students as well as subject all students to egregious invasions of privacy.

We cannot let anti-LGBTQ Republicans use ``protecting women'' as an excuse for targeting and discriminating against trans kids. This isn't about sports or gender equity; it's about attacking LGBTQ kids.

We must stand up against this bill and the larger coordinated attack against transgender people and the LGBTQ community. We've seen hundreds of anti-LGBTQ bills, with many specifically targeting transgender people, introduced in states across the country this year.

Some extreme conservatives have even gone as far as calling for the ``eradication'' of transgender people.

We must stand up for the rights of all people and protect school children--regardless of their gender identity, and ensure that everyone has equal access to opportunities, including playing sports.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 100th Anniversary of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. headquartered in beautiful downtown Burbank, California.

Warner Bros. is a global leader in the creation, production, distribution, licensing and marketing of all forms of entertainment. As a Warner Bros. Discovery company, the Studio is home to one of the most successful collections of brands in the world with stories that stand the test of time, and is at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry.

Warner Bros. began when the four Warner brothers--Albert, Sam, Harry and Jack L.--sons of Jewish immigrants from Poland, incorporated their fledgling movie company on April 4, 1923. In 1927, the release of ``The Jazz Singer,'' the world's first feature film with synchronized dialog, singing sequences, music and effects, set a tone of creativity, courage, innovation and influence that would become synonymous with the name Warner Bros.

Today, Warner Bros. operates businesses in feature film, television, digital and home entertainment production and worldwide distribution, DVD and Blu-ray, animation, comic books, videogames, and product and brand licensing. The company's vast library, one of the most prestigious in the world, consists of more than 145,000 hours of programming, including 12,500 feature films and 2,400 television programs.

Since those early days, Warner Bros. has amassed an impressive legacy built on long-term relationships with many of the world's leading talent, and unwavering dedication to excellence. As the company celebrates its centennial throughout 2023, all of the Studio's businesses carry forth the mission started by the four Warner brothers--``celebrating every story.''

I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. for one hundred years of trailblazing achievements that have transformed entertainment and enriched the imagination of millions worldwide.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Congregation Kol Ami of West Hollywood, California, upon its 30th anniversary.

Established in 1992 by Founding Rabbi Denise L. Eger as a Progressive/Reform Synagogue, Congregation Kol Ami has been faithfully serving the LGBTQ+ and Jewish community for three decades, where it is committed to advancing diversity, social justice, Jewish traditions, and progressive spirituality.

Congregation Kol Ami, which in Hebrew means ``the voice of my people,'' numbers around 225 households, with members representing a diverse spectrum of gender identities and Jewish backgrounds. The synagogue has been known internationally for its advocacy of LGBTQ+ rights and for being a refuge for persons with HIV and AIDS.

Aside from Jewish Holy Day and Shabbat worship, the congregation offers a monthly HIV+ support group, DocJewmentary film series, access to classes at a religious school for children from kindergarten to 12th grade, free career coach services, social worker services through the EZRA Network, and various other lectures and classes. In 2021, Congregation Kol Ami hosted a special interfaith observance in honor of World AIDS Day and partnered with the National AIDS Memorial to host the 50,000 panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt in West Hollywood.

The synagogue was awarded with the Los Angeles Blade's Best House of Worship Award for several years, along with winning the Editor's Choice Award in 2020.

It is my privilege to recognize Congregation Kol Ami on its 30th anniversary of upholding Jewish tradition and fostering an active community. I ask all Members of Congress to join me in wishing Congregation Kol Ami and its congregants continued prosperity.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Rabbi Denise L. Eger, who is retiring from her duties as Senior Rabbi of Congregation Kol Ami of West Hollywood.

Raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Denise taught religious school and was active in her synagogue as a teen. Although she studied opera and originally intended to be a voice major in college, Denise opted for a career in the religious field, receiving a Bachelor's Degree in Religion from the University of Southern California and a Master's Degree from Hebrew Union College--Jewish Institute of Religion. She was ordained a Reform Rabbi in 1988, obtained her Doctor of Divinity from Hebrew Union College in 2013 and was awarded an honorary degree in 2022 as a Doctor of Philosophy from Ben Gurion University of the Negev.

A social justice pioneer, Rabbi Eger has had many ``firsts.'' She served as the first openly gay person and first woman as President of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California, and officiated at the first legal wedding of a lesbian couple in California in 2008. Denise was the first openly lesbian or gay President of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), the largest and oldest rabbinical organization in North America, and had an integral role in passing CCAR's March 2000 resolution in support of rabbis to officiate lesbian and gay commitment ceremonies. She was a founding President of the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Interfaith Clergy Association and served on the boards of Equality for All/No on Prop 8 and the No On Knight/No on Proposition 22 Campaign, which fought against anti-same-sex marriage ballot initiatives. Believing that activism is a significant duty of her rabbinate, she has worked extensively with persons with AIDS, serving as a past Chair of the Spiritual Advisory Committee of AIDS Project Los Angeles and facilitating an HIV+ support group for over 30 years.

Rabbi Eger has received numerous accolades for her fierce commitment and tireless

advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community and other social justice issues. In 2008, she was named one of the Forward 50 by the Jewish Daily Forward, in 2011 she was given the Community Equality Award by the Human Rights Campaign, in 2014, the City of Los Angeles honored her with the Pioneer Award during Pride Month.

A noted author and speaker, Rabbi Eger was the co-editor of Gender and Religious Leadership: Women Rabbis, Pastors and Ministers and the editor of the trailblazing book, Mishkan Ga'avah: Where Pride Dwells: A Celebration of LGBTQ Jewish Life and Ritual and has written for several news periodicals. She is a frequent commentator on television and radio on the topics of spirituality, Judaism, family and LGBTQ+ issues.

I ask all members of Congress to join me today in honoring Rabbi Denise L. Eger for 3 decades of compassionate and dynamic leadership at Congregation Kol Ami.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 144.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Vito Imbasciani who is retiring after nearly eight years as Secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs.

Vito Imbasciani earned his master's degree and doctorate from Cornell University before attending the University of Vermont College of Medicine where he earned his medical degree. He then attended Yale University School of Medicine where he completed his internship and residency in general surgery and his fellowship in urology.

Dr. Imbasciani's highly decorated career began in 1986 as a surgeon for the U.S. Army Medical Corps where he continued to serve for nearly three decades. During his time serving as a surgeon for the Medical Corps he also held the position of State Surgeon for the California Army National Guard, where he advised the Adjutant General on health issues impacting thousands of national guard members, while working as a field surgeon in Iraq and a Level 3 surgeon at the Landstuhl Army Hospital in Germany. In total he had four deployments including the liberation of Kuwait, Operation Desert Storm and the Global War against Terrorism, earning the rank of colonel and receiving awards such as the Combat Medic Badge and the Meritorious Service Award. In addition to serving his state and country, Dr. Imbasciani worked as Director of Government Relations and as a urologic surgeon for Southern California Permanente Medical Group (Kaiser Permanente).

During the time of his military service, Vito had to conceal his sexual identity due to the ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' policy. However, because of the unwavering efforts of then-President Obama which resulted in the 2010 repeal of the policy--which Vito was recognized by the president as a source of inspiration for--Dr. Imbasciani and thousands of other service members can now serve their country openly and proudly. Vito's support of the LGBTQ+ community is evident by the creation of a lecture fund, with his spouse, George DiSalvo, in 2013 with the aim of ensuring culturally capable physicians who can provide prevention services and medical care specific to the LGBTQ+ community.

In 2015, Dr. Imbasciani was appointed by then-Governor Jerry Brown as Secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs and was reappointed by Governor Gavin Newson in 2020.

Under Dr. Imbasciani's stellar leadership, the California Department of Veterans Affairs has seen numerous successes, including greatly reducing the backlog of veterans' benefit claims, assisting veterans with receiving home loans, providing funding for thousands of veteran housing units, increasing outreach to women and minority veterans, and providing legal assistance to veterans seeking citizenship. Other noteworthy accomplishments include introducing the California Transition Assistance Program (CalTAP) to educate veterans about their benefits, opening a long-awaited cemetery in Monterey County for veterans and eligible family members, providing veterans with much- needed mental health treatment, and one of his personal highlights, achieving the best nursing home ratings from U.S. News and World Report for their homes in Redding, Yountville, Chula Vista, Barstow and Fresno.

Dr. Vito Imbasciani has been an invaluable asset and outstanding public servant and I ask all Members to join me in thanking him for his service as Secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs.