Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the pogrom against the Armenian residents of the town of Sumgait, Azerbaijan. Beginning on February 27, 1988, and over the course of three days, Azerbaijani mobs assaulted and killed Armenians. The violence left dozens of Armenian civilians dead and hundreds injured, women and girls were raped, and some victims were burned alive after being tortured and beaten. Thousands were forced to flee their homes, leaving behind their belongings. Armenian homes and businesses were left to be looted and destroyed.

The pogroms came about as the result of years of hateful, racist anti-Armenian propaganda woven into the very fabric of Azerbaijani society by Azerbaijani leaders, who made little effort to punish those responsible, instead attempting to cover up the atrocities in Sumgait and denying the government's role in instigating the killings. This unprovoked violence against Armenians was a precursor to subsequent attacks on ethnic Armenians, including the pogroms in Kirovabad, Baku, and the Maragha Massacre.

Time has not healed the wounds of those victimized in the pogroms or their families because three decades later, Azerbaijan's aggression against the people of Armenia and Artsakh continues.

Beginning on September 27, 2020, and over 44 days, Azerbaijani forces once again targeted and murdered innocent Armenians in Artsakh and displaced tens of thousands more. Azerbaijan's violence again escalated in September of 2022, when Azeri forces shelled homes in the villages of Karmir Shuka and Taghavard in Artsakh and launched an unprovoked assault on sovereign Armenian territory.

Today, Azerbaijan continues to terrorize the people of Artsakh by blocking the Lachin Corridor--the only road connecting Artsakh to Armenia. Since the blockade on December 12, 2022, the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh has grown more dire by the day, with widespread shortages of food, medicine and other necessities and rolling blackouts amid freezing temperatures. The effect has been devastating to the 120,000 individuals living in Artsakh, including children and the elderly.

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. This is why Azerbaijan considers it acceptable to annihilate Armenians in their historical homeland. We cannot allow violence and crimes against humanity to go unanswered.

The United States must immediately and permanently stop all U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan and impose sanctions. It must also 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 tragic anniversary, 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 wilt to survive in the face of constant threats from Azerbaijan. Today, let us recommit ourselves to doing everything we can to bring liberation to our Armenian brothers and sisters abroad, once and for all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Rotary Club of Burbank upon its centennial anniversary.

The Rotary Club of Burbank began in 1923 as a local service club that provided professional business members with varied backgrounds the opportunity to network, exchange ideas and form lifelong friendships. Over time, as Rotary's vision gradually expanded to humanitarian services, members began to address challenges locally and globally, partaking in the weekly Tuesday gatherings where information would be shared about community service projects in the city, non-profit organizations, and schools.

Over the years, the Rotary Club of Burbank has been unwavering in its dedication to serving people in the Burbank community and beyond. The organization has provided humanitarian assistance worldwide, including hands-on support and financial aid to seniors and children in Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, and Puerto Rico.

Local notable organizations that the Rotary Club of Burbank and its foundation, the Burbank Rotary Foundation, established in 1980, have supported include the Boys & Girls Club of Burbank and Greater East Valley, Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, Home Again Los Angeles, and Burbank Temporary Aid Center. Additionally, the club has provided abundant support to teachers and students in Burbank through the Student of the Month program and the Teachers of Excellence program.

At its 100-year celebration, the Rotary Club of Burbank will recognize two families for their dedicated support. These are the Taylor family, which has been active in the organization for decades, and is the only family that has had three generations of club presidents, Glen, Darrell and Jonathan, and the Rubinfeld family, which boasts Nat Rubinfeld as the current longest tenured member of the club.

It is a pleasure to honor the Rotary Club of Burbank upon their anniversary of one hundred years of outstanding and dedicated service to the Burbank community and the greater global community. I ask all Members to join me in commending their efforts.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this resolution.

First, as to the false pretext, two members of the Republican Conference were removed from committees for inciting violence and encouraging violence against their colleagues. There is nothing at all at issue like that here.

If you want to introduce a resolution to condemn someone for inciting violence against a colleague or against people here in Congress, introduce a resolution against Donald J. Trump. No one has incited more violence against this Chamber than Donald Trump.

Now, let me talk about anti-Semitism.

Do not insult our intelligence by suggesting this is about anti- Semitism. If you want to introduce a resolution against someone guilty of anti-Semitism, then introduce a resolution against someone dining with anti-Semites, someone dining with white nationalists, members of your Conference who are speaking at white nationalist rallies.

Introduce a resolution against Donald J. Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Paul Gosar, and others, but do not--do not--insult our intelligence by saying this is about anti-Semitism.

Vote ``no'' on this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Honorable Nora Margaret Manella, who will soon retire as Presiding Justice for the California Second District Court of Appeal, Division Four.

Justice Manella has held numerous highly esteemed positions over the course of her career ranging from being a complex civil litigator in private practice and a federal prosecutor in Los Angeles to being a U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California and U.S. District Judge.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Justice Manella received her Bachelor of Arts from Wellesley College and her Juris Doctor from the University of Southern California Law School. She began her judicial career as a law clerk for Judge John Minor Wisdom of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, before serving as a counsel to the Subcommittee on the Constitution in the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. After some time in private practice, she returned to working for the government as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California. I had the pleasure of being her colleague in that office when she led the appellate division. Her sparkling intellect, quick wit, expansive knowledge, analytical skills and brilliant oratory were legendary in the office. An accomplished lawyer in the courtroom as well, she prosecuted a wide variety of cases ranging from homicide to commodities fraud to international narcotics trafficking. She later served as a judge on the Los Angeles Municipal Court and Los Angeles Superior Court.

In 1994, former President Bill Clinton recognized her dedication and public service by nominating Judge Manella to be the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, where she oversaw an office of over 200 lawyers. During her time as U.S. Attorney, she was recognized by the National Law Journal as one of ``The 50 Most Influential Women Lawyers in the United States'' and by the Daily Journal as one of ``The 100 most Powerful Lawyers in California.'' After being nominated again by former President Clinton to be a U.S. District Judge, where she was unanimously approved by the United States Senate, she was named ``Federal Judge of the Year'' by Century City Bar Association, Criminal Section. In 2006 she was nominated by former Governor Schwarzenegger to the California Court of Appeal and in 2018 to her final position as Presiding Justice by former Governor Brown.

While her list of accomplishments is far longer than can be included here, it is clear that Justice Manella's expertise in the legal field and her devotion to serving and improving her nation is unmatched. She is a true role model and inspiration for all, but above all else, Nora is a fierce friend, with an everpresent smile and zeal for life that extends beyond the courtroom. She has been a trusted mentor to countless young people and women across the legal field in Southern California, service that will continue past her time on the bench.

The Honorable Nora Margaret Manella has been truly indispensable to not only Southern California, but to California and the Nation. Her public service will not only be remembered, but cherished. I ask all Members of Congress to join me in thanking Justice Manella for over 4 decades of unwavering and exceptional public service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the Republican select subcommittee to investigate deep state conspiracy theories.

If you had any doubt about what this committee is really about, about its true focus, my colleague from Montana just confirmed this is all about deep state nonsense.

Republicans claim, without merit, that this subcommittee will investigate the so-called weaponization of the Federal Government. What it is really intended to do is to undermine the legitimate investigation of President Trump's incitement of a violent attack on this building, on this Capitol, on this citadel of democracy, an investigation that implicates some of the very Members of this body who want to sit on that committee.

Make no mistake, this investigation, this investigate the investigators committee, will do deep damage to our national security and only breed distrust with our national security professionals, who will be reluctant to share with Congress the information policymakers need to protect our country.

The committee will also seek to discredit law enforcement like the FBI, who are so important in the fight against domestic violent extremism.

Republicans in Congress just don't care. The greatest terrorist threat to our country comes from violent, rightwing militia groups and their sympathizers, and Republicans in Congress just don't care.

The last time Republicans were in charge of the House, Kevin McCarthy

pushed to form another bogus select committee, that one on Benghazi. He did so, as he admitted, to tear down Hillary Clinton's numbers, a patently political exercise.

Now, McCarthy is at it again, pushed into forming this bogus subcommittee by the QAnon members of his own Conference.

He sacrificed a lot in his bid for Speaker. That was his choice. Now, the American people are going to pay the price in the form of a body blow to our national security.

Vote ``no'' on this ill-considered measure. This is no Church Committee, not a bipartisan effort to reform government, but a partisan effort to tear it down, damn the consequences. Vote ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 24.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6611, which would authorize the Embassy of France in Washington, D.C., to establish a commemorative bench honoring the extraordinary contributions of Jean Monnet to restoring peace between European nations and establishing the European Union.

Jean Monnet, known as the ``Father of Europe,'' was a French diplomat and political economist who was instrumental behind the scenes in negotiating an early end to the Second World War, fortifying American and French relations, and politically and economically integrating Europe in the post-war era. Thanks to his innovation and vision, the United States and the European Union continue to share an enduring commitment to defending peace and liberty around the world and to standing together in the face of great challenges.

Throughout his many years of diplomatic service, Jean Monnet was a frequent visitor to Washington, D.C.--and like many of us, he felt a special connection to the natural beauty of Rock Creek Park. My hope is that this small token of respect in the place he loved will inspire others to follow in his footsteps and celebrate the democratic values that unite us all.

I ask all members to join me in supporting H.R. 6611, and in paying tribute to one of the great peacemakers of the 20th century.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Michael Enomoto, FAIA upon his 50th anniversary at Gruen Associates in Los Angeles.

A native Angeleno and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo alumnus, Michael Enomoto's career at Gruen Associates, a well-respected architecture and planning firm, has grown exponentially as he has established himself as a key voice in Southern California architectural design.

Mr. Enomoto joined Gruen Associations as Head of the Construction Administration Department, working his way up to Vice President, then Managing Partner--a role he has served in since 2009. Michael has made a tangible impact on the greater Los Angeles area and its architecture. Over his five decades with the firm, he has successfully managed a wide range of public and private projects including courthouses, embassies, shopping centers, schools, high rise offices, and performing arts centers. Michael has served as a leader in the architecture field, managing dozens of collaborative teams.

At Los Angeles' most critical moments, Mr. Enomoto was called upon as a trusted expert. Following the 1994 Northridge earthquake, he was a leader in analyzing and estimating the damage and repair cost of dozens of municipal building and bridges. When city officials began to develop Downtown Los Angeles, Mayor Richard Riordan personally requested that Michael plan an arena that would one day become Staples Center (now Crytpo.com Arena) and LA Live. Mr. Enomoto has also served as Commissioner of the City of Los Angeles Quality and Productivity Commission.

One of Michael's most valuable skills is his ability to develop creative solutions for entities with diverse interests. On governmental projects, where the needs of various entities often differ, he has proven more than capable in balancing complex administrative, technical, and managerial challenges. Mr. Enomoto's tireless work has been recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA)--of which he has been a fellow for 15 years. In 2018 Michael was the deserving recipient of the AIA|LA Presidential Honoree Gold Medal, adding to his long list of awards from the organization and its state-wide chapter.

Beyond his work with Gruen Associates, Mr. Enomoto is deeply involved in serving the larger community. Despite his busy schedule, he continues to mentor new architecture professionals and leads the way towards new standards of innovation. Michael is especially impactful within the Asian American community as a very active, influential board member of the Asian American Architects/Engineers Association's Southern California Chapter.

I ask all Members of Congress to join me in congratulating Michael Enomoto for half a century of exceptional leadership, serving greater Los Angeles community, and trailblazing in his field.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 50th anniversary of USC Verdugo Hills Hospital in Glendale, California.

Originally founded in 1947 as the Behrens Memorial Hospital, the hospital moved in 1972 to a new hilltop location and was renamed Verdugo Hills Hospital. Initially established as a 158-bed acute care hospital serving Glendale, La Canada Flintridge, and the surrounding foothills area, it has grown over the last five decades and significantly expanded its healthcare options and services.

In 2013, the Verdugo Hills Hospital began a partnership with the University of Southern California (USC) and officially became the USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, in concert with Keck Medicine of USC. Since this acquisition, increased investment from the community and university have transformed the community-based hospital into a cutting-edge, academic medical institution. Some of the hospital's most essential services include a 24-hour emergency room, bariatric and minimally invasive surgery, a primary stroke center, and orthopedic surgery services. Recently, multi-million-dollar expansions have also funded the opening of a new Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and an Interventional Radiology/Cardiac Catheterization Lab, as well as the expansion of clinical services in Labor and Delivery and Urology. In partnership with USC, the hospital also hosts community events such as Caregiver's Night Off and ``Doc Talks'' to assist both patients and their families.

USC Verdugo Hills Hospital's innovative services and expansive network has earned the hospital numerous awards, including the Board of Certification in Emergency Nursing's Honorary Certification Recognition, and its emergency department nurses received their second Lantern Award for their outstanding and innovative emergency room performance. The hospital has long been known for the friendliness, warmth and kindness of its staff and small-town hospital feel, beginning with a cheerful greeting at the hospital's front door by a caring volunteer. USC Verdugo Hills Hospital's volunteer program includes many longtime volunteers, including prospective medical students, and offers the opportunity to learn more about the medical field and provides a chance to give back to the community.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital's staff, physicians, and nurses worked tirelessly to care for their patients, serving as a leader in the community in the fight against the virus. The hospital's inpatient beds and Intensive Care Unit beds were crucial in providing high quality care to those most adversely affected by the virus.

I am proud to represent USC Verdugo Hills Hospital and commend their ongoing commitment to providing outstanding service to their patients and community. I ask all Members to join me today in honoring USC Verdugo Hills Hospital upon the celebration of its 50th anniversary.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer my heartfelt congratulations to KTLA television station, ``L.A.'s Very Own,'' as it celebrates 75 years of broadcasting from the heart of my district on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

Founded on January 22, 1947 as the very first television station west of the Mississippi licensed for commercial broadcasts, KTLA-TV Channel 5 blossomed and flourished right alongside the city of Los Angeles as the area's population grew during the post-war years. Entering a media landscape then dictated by theater and radio, its televised broadcasts were--and remain--groundbreaking, illustrated by an inaugural telecast that featured legends like Cecil B. DeMille and Bob Hope. KTLA has since been an integral force in shaping L.A.'s diverse media landscape, Southern Californians' conversations around the issues that matter most, and the trajectory of the television news industry writ large.

KTLA is particularly famous for being on the cutting edge of new technology over its many decades on air. Beyond being a pioneer of live, breaking-news coverage, the station prides itself on many firsts: first broadcast on-the-spot news from the field, first telecast from a ship at sea, first simulcast in Spanish, and first use of a helicopter to broadcast news--the latter of which has become an L.A. news calling card.

KTLA reporters have also been some of the first on the scene for every history-making event in Southern California, with a well- established reputation for unflinching, accurate, and reliable coverage. When a three-year-old fell into an abandoned well in San Marino in 1949, reporter and legend Stan Chambers was there to broadcast the tragedy for 27 consecutive hours--the world's first extended broadcast. KTLA was the first to broadcast the tape showing Rodney King's beating at the hands of police, earning the station a prestigious Peabody Award for its handling of the footage. It was the only television station to provide ``gavel-to-gavel'' coverage of the infamous O.J. Simpson criminal trial. And in more recent memory, the station has provided Southern Californians with invaluable minute-by- minute coverage of local and national politics, wildfires and the COVID-19 pandemic.

These achievements have earned KTLA numerous awards, including many Golden Mikes, over 150 Emmys, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and an Academy Award--the first and only Oscar ever given to a TV station. And beyond its enriching reporting, KTLA finds ways to give even more to our communities by supporting numerous charitable organizations throughout Southern California.

Today, KTLA produces over 100 hours of local programming each week, and the station regularly draws thousands of viewers who rely on its informative daily broadcasts--along with the millions of viewers who enjoy its special coverage of premier events, like the annual Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade.

Our city and its residents are so fortunate to benefit from such a prestigious, purposeful, and dynamic local news institution right in our backyard. I cannot wait to watch KTLA continue to grow and flourish for many more decades to come, especially as it prepares to air from its revamped set.

I am proud to recognize ``L.A.'s Very Own'' for its immeasurable contributions to the television and news industry and to the greater Los Angeles area, and I ask all members to join me in congratulating KTLA on its 75th anniversary.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th Anniversary of the YMCA of Glendale.

Established as a nonprofit in 1922, the YMCA of Glendale is dedicated to strengthening community by fostering social responsibility, healthy living, and youth development. Over the last century, the YMCA of Glendale has focused special attention to meeting the needs of underserved populations. Its caring staff and volunteers work tirelessly to ensure that people from all backgrounds, incomes and abilities can grow, learn, and thrive together.

The YMCA of Glendale is also a strong advocate for healthy living. In addition to hosting in-person classes--including tai chi, swimming, dance, and yoga--it has also expanded their online wellness resources, making fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness tools even more accessible.

The YMCA includes thousands of members and provides programs across the age spectrum, from childcare for infants to its Silver Sneakers program for active older adults. The YMCA has focused on youth programs and since its inception, has been one of the leading nonprofit agencies providing youth services in Glendale. In addition to educational and athletic services for young members, they also host two summer camps in the greater Los Angeles area, serving over 1,500 campers. By promoting leadership and establishing the four core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility, children and teenagers are equipped with skills that will last them a lifetime.

The YMCA of Glendale has also been a leader in creating international bonds. Recently, the organization established an official ``Sister YMCA relationship'' with the Artsakh YMCA--the first of its kind for both chapters. Together they hope to provide technical assistance and training, promote cross-cultural understanding, and effect positive change in shared communities.

I am proud to recognize the YMCA's immense contribution to the community and sustained efforts to build healthy bodies, minds, and spirits. I ask all Members to join me in congratulating the YMCA of Glendale upon its centennial anniversary.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Theatre West in Los Angeles, California, upon its sixtieth anniversary.

Theatre West, a non-profit arts organization, is one of the oldest continually running theater companies in Los Angeles. Since its establishment in 1962 with a small group of actors, it has grown to include over one-hundred-sixty-five actors, producers, stage managers, directors and writers. With its mission to entertain, enlighten and educate, Theatre West has given artists the opportunity to develop their talents and skills by providing public performances and workshops, and to serve the community with their educational programs. Through these programs, the theater provides quality performances for younger audiences and presents upbeat and inspiring programs that meet California Visual and Performing Arts standards. The theater also hosts benefits for local schools and organizations, including Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS. In addition, Storybook Theatre, a children's interactive theatrical experience, has been an integral part of Theatre West for nearly four decades.

Throughout the past sixty years, some of Theatre West's plays have transferred to Broadway: Anthology, Spoon River and Aesop in Central Park. Theatre West's productions have toured throughout the United States in Atlanta, New York City, San Francisco and Seattle, and also overseas in Dublin, Ireland and Edinburgh, Scotland.

Theatre West has been home to many of Hollywood's most creative artists, including Lee Meriwether, Richard Dreyfuss, Betty Garret, Bridget Hanley, Beau Bridges, Harold Gould, Martin Landau, Carroll O'Conner and Philip Abbott.

Theatre West is a recipient of numerous prestigious honors such as the Obie Award, Tony Award, Valley Theatre Award, nine Los Angeles Drama Critics Awards, Ovation Award nominations, seven NAACP Image Awards and over one-hundred-thirty Drama-Logue Awards. The theater has also been recognized locally by the Hollywood Arts Council, and internationally at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland.

It is my pleasure to recognize Theatre West for six decades of outstanding theater and I ask all Members to join me in congratulating Theatre West upon its sixtieth anniversary.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dick Helton, the voice of countless breaking news updates, traffic reports, and stories that have kept Los Angeles moving and shaking since 1998. After more than 53 years on air and decades serving our community, Dick is preparing to sign off one last time before embarking on a well- deserved retirement.

Dick's incredible career in radio began on a family farm in Brocton, Illinois, where his father Kerrick taught him how to grow ``good crops of corn'' on land they have owned for over 150 years. After a gig at his college radio station at the University of Illinois, where he hosted a classical music program, he melded his new reporting prowess with his childhood pastime by hosting the morning farm show for the Illinois Farm Bureau. Along the way, Dick picked up another love, politics, and graduated with honors from the University of Illinois with majors in political science and economics--and of course, a bachelor's degree in journalism.

Dick's professional radio career took off quickly in 1969, when he joined CBS news radio station WBBM-AM in Chicago as its youngest news anchor. He would go on to spend nearly three decades there covering a wide range of political and human interest stories, both close to home and far overseas--from history-in-the-making like the gripping Chicago 7 trial and the notorious 1996 Democratic National Convention, to interviewing a survivor of the Titanic, covering the outbreak of war between India and Pakistan, and hosting the station's first-of-its-kind ``Ask the Mayor'' program. His work garnered him numerous awards for broadcast excellence, including just about every ``Best Newscast'' award from 1985 to 1997.

It was at WBBM that he met fellow broadcaster Carol Ramos, and after several years of afternoon-drive co-anchoring and friendship, they married in September 1997. After some months of living in a commuter marriage, Dick moved to Los Angeles, California in 1998, where he joined KNX news radio station in Los Angeles. Dick and Carol call the Los Angeles area home, but also spend time at the Helton family farm in Illinois.

For 24 years now, Dick's deep, reassuring voice has been the first millions of Southern Californians hear when they get in their cars in the morning, and rely on for steady, unflinching coverage of the news that will shape their days. Dick and his longtime co-anchor, Vicky Moore, are often my first call when big stories break in California and DC. It has been a pleasure to bear witness--as a KNX listener and interview subject--to Dick's great insights and wonderful sense of humor over his years on air.

I ask all members to join me in thanking Dick Helton for his decades of service to Los Angeles, to California, and to the Nation, and in wishing him good health and a great adventure in retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in memory of a constituent of mine, Mark Kellam, who passed away on September 27, 2022. Mark was one of my district's preeminent newsmen--a veteran chronicler and good government watchdog, but most importantly, a neighbor, mentor and friend who fiercely loved his community and was deeply kind.

Mark was born in New Castle, Indiana, to the late Josephine and James Kellam, and from the very beginning appeared destined for a career in storytelling. At Tri Junior Senior High School, he excelled in just about every expression of the narrative form: as a theater kid, a prizewinning speech competitor, and editor of the yearbook. While his talents and passions varied widely, his callings ultimately coalesced around a bachelor's degree in journalism, which he obtained from Indiana University in 1984.

After more than a decade of reporting for his hometown paper and throughout the Midwest, Mark's yearning for adventure drew him westward to Chino, California. It was in California that Mark met the love of his life, Jeffrey Waack, and in 2004 Mark moved to West Hollywood to be with him. This cultural capital in my district was the setting for their many beautiful years together, including spending time in landmark establishments like Micky's, the Revolver Video Bar, and Basix. The latter is where Mark proposed to Jeff, and as soon as same- sex marriage became legal in California in 2008, they were wed at Kings Road Park.

As a new Angeleno, Mark quickly rose through the ranks of esteemed local publications like the Los Angeles Daily News and the Los Angeles Times Community News, where he was the city editor for the Glendale News-Press and Burbank Leader leading a team of reporters and editors, and mentoring many young staff who came through its doors. Most recently, he took the helm locally for the Outlook News Group. It was during these times that I got to know and talk with Mark often, and came to appreciate the intense kindness and heart he applied to his craft. Journalism--especially local journalism--is a hard business, but Mark made it seem effortless despite the hours he spent behind the scenes bringing countless stories to life.

Though his journalism career was legendary, so too were his pursuits of those many talents and passions acquired in his youth. Mark was a renowned karaoke singer, a longtime member of the L.A. Wranglers country dance group, and a wonderful playwright whose work was produced in New York, Dayton, and Indianapolis. He loved cats, the ocean, and traveling with Jeff and their friends.

Mark's legacy will live on through his masterful stories, as well as those of the many young reporters he mentored over the years. And it will live on through all those whose lives he touched with his unwavering warmth, humor, and heart.

Madam Speaker, I ask all Members to join me in offering my sincerest condolences to Mark's husband, Jeff, and his loving family, friends, and readers across my district, and in remembering Mark Kellam for his service to West Hollywood, Glendale, Burbank, Los Angeles, and beyond.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Presidential Election Reform Act, but first, let me respond to my colleague from Pennsylvania, who partially quoted me in the first impeachment trial.

I did, in fact, predict that if the former President was not held accountable for trying to extort Ukraine by withholding military aid to get Ukraine's help to cheat in the election that he would go on to try to cheat in

even new and worse ways in the upcoming election. In fact, I believe I said that the odds were not 5 percent, not 10 percent, not even 50 percent, but 100 percent that he would go on to try to cheat again. In that, sadly, I was all too correct.

Over the last year, the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol has conducted a thorough investigation into the multiple lines of effort by President Trump and his allies to overturn the election, efforts that included a pressure campaign against the Vice President to violate the Constitution and assume powers he does not hold to unilaterally reject valid electoral count votes.

Our democracy held, but barely. These events have revealed underlying vulnerabilities to our democracy, vulnerabilities that could be exploited in a future Presidential election.

This bill will help ensure that the will of the American people, as expressed through their votes, cannot be overturned by any official of any political party at any time or for any purpose.

Consistent with the Constitution, it raises the threshold for challenging a slate of electors during a joint session of Congress. It reaffirms the role of the presiding officer, that it is a ministerial one. Perhaps most important, it affirms that State officials cannot change the rules of an election after the fact in an effort to overturn the will of the people, as expressed through their popular vote.

This bill will help ensure that the cornerstone of our democracy, free and fair elections and the peaceful transfer of power, remains in place for future generations of Americans. This is not a partisan task but a patriotic one.

Over the past several months, we have told the story of what happened on January 6, documenting the events for the American people.

Now is the time for our committee and this Congress to look to the future. It is my hope that this legislation becomes one of the most significant pieces of our legacy, that it makes our Constitution, our country, and our democracy stronger and more secure.