Floor Statements

Late last year, the Supreme Court overturned a century- old Montana law that prohibited corporate spending in that State's elections. In the Montana case, the Supreme Court had the chance to revisit its deeply flawed 2010 decision in Citizens United. But despite the urgings of members of the Court itself and a public shell-shocked by the recent torrent of unregulated corporate expenditures, the Court chose instead to double down and reaffirm the conclusion of Citizens United that corporations are people--at least as far as the First Amendment is concerned.

As a legal decision, the Citizens United opinion was remarkable in many ways: in its willingness to overturn a century of jurisprudence, in its choice to issue as broad a ruling as possible rather than as narrow as the case and the Constitution required, and in its reliance on minority or concurring views in prior decisions rather than the prevailing opinions in those same cases. As Justice Stevens pointed out in a striking dissent, nothing had really changed since prior controlling case law except the composition of the Court itself. So much for stare decisis.

But what stood out most about Citizens United was not the Court's legal reasoning, but its staggering naivete, as the Court confidently declared:

We now conclude that independent expenditures, including

those made by corporations, do not give rise to corruption or

the appearance of corruption.

Unfortunately, the five Justices who joined this opinion must be the last five Americans to feel that way. Certainly none of the evidence before the Court in Citizens United or the Montana case compelled a conclusion so at odds with reality.

To be fair to the present Court, they did not invent the distinction between direct contributions, which can be regulated, and independent expenditures, which may not. That flawed distinction goes back more than 35 years to Buckley v. Valeo, where the Court attempted to place limits on both forms of campaign spending. In Buckley, the Court felt that there was a compelling State interest in regulating contributions to candidates but that there was not yet sufficient evidence of a similarly compelling need to regulate independent expenditures, but the Court acknowledged the need to revisit that conclusion in the future if events should prove otherwise.

Events have most certainly proved otherwise following Citizens United. Since that decision, corporate expenditures have reached in the billions of dollars, and the ``independence'' of those expenditures-- their theoretical separation from the officeholders they are intended to influence--is a fiction no one buys anymore. The proliferation of super PACs and their outsized influenced on House, Senate, and Presidential politics is beyond dispute by all except those five Americans who happen to sit on the Court.

But if the Montana case makes anything clear, it is that the Court has dug in. No amount of unrestrained spending, no appearance of impropriety or actual corruption of our system is likely to dislodge this newly entrenched precedent from the threat it poses to our democracy. Regrettably, a constitutional amendment is required for that.

Fortunately, one of the Nation's preeminent constitutional scholars, Harvard law professor Lawrence Tribe, has drafted one, which I have introduced as H. Res. 31. It provides simply:

Nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to forbid

the Congress or the States from imposing content-neutral

limitations on private campaign contributions or independent

election expenditures.

The amendment also allows, but does not require, public financing of campaigns when States choose to enact such laws, providing:

Nor shall this Constitution prevent Congress or the States

from enacting systems of public campaign financing, including

those designed to restrict the influence of private wealth by

offsetting campaign spending or independent expenditures with

increased public funding.

The tidal wave of independent expenditures creates an unmistakable appearance of impropriety, and over time it cannot help but corrupt. The Court having failed to bear witness to these debilitating changes since Buckley, the people have the power to act. Independent expenditures, like direct contributions, should be subject to reasonable limits and should be transparent. And corporations are not people; for if they were, as Justice Stevens points out, how could we deprive them of the right to vote?

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the community of Montrose, California upon its 100th Anniversary. For over a century, this extraordinary community has grown and thrived as the center of local commerce for residents of the Crescenta-Canada Valley.

Montrose, literally meaning ``pink mountain'' in French, was named by French sailors enamored with the beautiful pink mountains that they could see from sea. The area was first inhabited by the Gabrielino- Tongva Indians and later settled by Don Jose Maria Verdugo who was awarded the land by the Spanish Crown. In 1913, the Holmes Watson real estate agency hosted an enormous barbeque to promote the new town of Montrose with the intention of garnering interest in the 300 acres of land available for auction. This is when the subdivision of Montrose took place. For the past century, Montrose has prospered, overcoming setbacks such as the flood of 1934. Recently, multiple bear sightings in the backyards of residents have brought Montrose to the public's attention.

Montrose Avenue was built as the main business district of the community and touted as the widest road in Los Angeles County. Although this plan never came to fruition, nearby Honolulu Avenue became the economic center of Montrose and in 1967 the Montrose Shopping Park opened. To this day Montrose has flourished with nearly 200 independently owned businesses; some of which include apparel, art, dance studios, restaurants, and bakeries.

Montrose has a diverse population of residents nestled in the beautiful San Gabriel Mountains and within a minute's drive of downtown Los Angeles. Every year, residents enjoy annual events such as the Montrose Christmas Parade, an Arts and Crafts Festival, and ceremonies honoring our veterans.

I am honored to recognize Montrose, with its rich cultural history and flourishing community and ask all Members to join us in congratulating Montrose upon it 100th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Anthony Portantino for his six years of service in the California State Assembly. A graduate of Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania, Assemblyman Portantino started out with a successful career in the entertainment industry. He produced and co-wrote a multitude of film and TV productions, including independent historical films highlighting racial issues in American history.

Mr. Portantino was then elected to the La Canada Flintridge City Council in 1999 with over 70 percent of the vote. As a member of the City Council/School District Joint Use Committee, he played a pivotal role in procuring funding and services for local public schools. Mr. Portantino continued to serve as a member of the Council for nearly eight years and served two terms as its Mayor in 2001 and in 2005. He resigned in 2006 upon his election to the California State Assembly.

During his years in the California legislature, Assemblyman Portantino served the 44th District with great distinction, championing tougher regulations on firearms and successfully passing 38 bills into law.

He presided as Chair of the Assembly's Committee on Higher Education and was a member of the Transportation, Government Organization and Public Safety Standing Committees. He also served as a member of the Assembly Select Committees on the Preservation of California's Entertainment Industry, Foster Care, and Community Colleges. Assemblyman Portantino has been recognized by his community for his extraordinary efforts on behalf of the Gold Line and for his exemplary service as a state legislator.

As a strong advocate for transparency and accountability in state finances, and a champion of health care issues, Assemblyman Portantino will be missed in the Assembly and by his constituents, but I know he will continue to represent the needs of his community in any endeavor he chooses to pursue hereafter. I join my colleagues in thanking him for his service and wish the Assemblyman, his wife Ellen, and their children Sofia and Isabella, the best in this new chapter of their lives.

I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I rise in support of the Katie Sepich Enhanced DNA Collection Act.

Katie's Law is named for Katie Sepich, a bright, vivacious 22-year- old from New Mexico who was brutally assaulted, raped, and murdered in 2003. Police were able to extract the DNA profile of her killer from underneath Katie's fingernails, but they got no match in the offender database. When they finally did get a hit on the attacker's DNA 3 years later, they discovered that the murderer had been arrested repeatedly after 2003, but because he was never convicted, he was not required to submit a DNA sample for the database. Had New Mexico required arrestees to submit a DNA sample, Katie's killer would have been apprehended and taken off the street years earlier.

Katie's Law applies the lesson that New Mexico and now 24 States across the country have learned: arrestee testing works. This bill would create a new category of grants for States that collect DNA from arrestees for certain felonies. By joining the 25 States, plus the Federal Government, that already collect DNA from arrestees, additional State participation will make the national DNA index system more effective in helping to solve violent crimes. It does so without authorizing any new spending and while protecting civil liberties by putting in place strong expungement requirements.

We passed very similar legislation in 2010 with an overwhelming bipartisan majority. In the few short days we have left before the end of this year, we have a window to potentially send this bill to the Senate, where we'll also attract bipartisan support. I believe we should take that opportunity.

It has been argued by my colleague that we should wait to consider this bill until the Supreme Court rules on Maryland v. King, the case in which the Maryland State Supreme Court overturned the State's arrestee testing statute on Fourth Amendment grounds. I would simply note that three Federal courts of appeals and the State Supreme Court of California have looked at arrestee testing, and all have found it constitutional. The Supreme Court also took the unusual step of staying the order of the Maryland court. In his order staying the Maryland decision, Chief Justice Roberts writes:

Collecting DNA from individuals arrested for violent

felonies provides a valuable tool for investigating unsolved

crimes and thereby helping to remove violent offenders from

the general population. Crimes for which DNA evidence is

implicated tend to be serious, and serious crimes cause

serious injuries. That Maryland may not employ a duly enacted

statute to help prevent these injuries constitutes

irreparable harm.

This is a practice that is used in 25 States and by the Federal Government. It is not new. I'm confident the practice will be upheld by the Court. And even if we are wrong, the Court will decide this case long before any grant funding would be dedicated to help States build arrestee collection laws, so no funding would be wasted.

I want to acknowledge my friend and colleague, Chairman Smith, who has been so supportive of this effort and has done such a marvelous job chairing the Judiciary Committee. I also want to acknowledge Ranking Member Conyers and the ranking member of the subcommittee, Bobby Scott, for their great work on the committee and subcommittee. I also want to thank my colleague from Washington (Mr. Reichert), who knows firsthand the power of DNA evidence from his years as a sheriff. And finally and most importantly, I thank Katie's family and her mother, Jayann Sepich. Jayann has endured every parent's worst nightmare. Her determination and dedication are inspiring. And when Katie's Law is signed into law-- and it will be--it will be a testament to her work and her love for her daughter.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the House to pass Katie's Law.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Chris Holden for his 23 years of service on the Pasadena, California, City Council. A graduate of Pasadena High School and San Diego State University, Chris was a basketball star in school and played professionally overseas. He then returned to California to give back to his community by spending the great majority of his life in serving the city he loves.

He was first elected to the Pasadena City Council in 1989 at the age of 28 as the youngest member of the Council, and served until he resigned in November 2012, upon his election to the California State Assembly. In 1997, Chris was chosen by his colleagues to serve a two- year term as Mayor of Pasadena, the first African-American man to hold that position.

During his years on the City Council, Chris served his Pasadena district with distinction, championing efforts to establish a living wage in Pasadena, crack down on slumlords, create drug-free zones, and bring development, jobs, and services to Northwest Pasadena. Chris has also been a strong supporter of deregulation of Pasadena's municipal utility, a leader of charter reform that created a city-wide elected mayor, and a proponent of policies and projects that have revitalized Pasadena, such as the Paseo Colorado, Old Pasadena, and the Pasadena Convention Center.

His service as a long-time Board member of the Burbank-Glendale- Pasadena Airport Authority and supporter of the creation and expansion of the Los Angeles to Pasadena Gold Line clearly demonstrates his commitment to the entire region.

I know that Chris will be missed in Pasadena City Hall, but I am pleased that he has chosen to bring his unique talents on our behalf to Sacramento. I join my colleagues in thanking Chris for his service and wish he, his wife Melanie, and their children, Nicholas, Alexander, Austin, Mariah, and Noah the best in this new chapter of their lives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Kara Knack, who will be retiring from the Friends of the Observatory, FOTO, Board this month after thirty-four years of dedicated service.

Kara Knack's enthusiasm for the Griffith Observatory began long before she joined FOTO. She first visited the Observatory on a vacation in the 1950's, at which point she was so enthralled that when she moved to Southern California in the early 1960's, she quickly became a regular visitor to the Observatory. Her ardent interest in astronomy came to the attention of Griffith Observatory Director Dr. Ed Krupp, who encouraged her to become a more active member of FOTO by joining the Board of Directors. Upon joining the Board in 1978, Kara began writing and editing FOTO's Update newsletter, which she continued to do for the next 10 years. Since 1985 she has penned the FOTO Notes section in the Griffith Observer, the Observatory's magazine.

Ms. Knack's passion for astronomy and dedication to the Observatory culminated in 2008, when over 2,200 of her celestially themed items were used for the Cosmic Connection timeline, now on display in the Griffith Observatory. For over two decades, Kara has collected celestial objects and jewelry and when the Observatory underwent renovation in 2006, she saw an opportunity to share her collection with the institution she devoted so much of her time to, and with the support of the Observatory staff, the Cosmic Connection was created.

As a member of FOTO's board, Kara has served as the secretary for four terms, as vice president two terms, and as president for three terms. In addition she has also served on the Master Plan Committee, the Architectural Committee, the Selection Committee, the Renovation and Expansion Steering Committee, the Exhibit Planning Committee, the Planetarium Planning Committee, the Reopening Committee and the Volunteer Neighborhood Oversight Committee.

For decades, Kara has demonstrated unparalleled enthusiasm not just for the Observatory, but for public education about astronomy. She has donated her time, her possessions, and her heart to the pursuit of astronomy, and her extraordinary generosity shall continue to be felt at the Griffith Observatory for years to come.

I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring Kara Knack for her exemplary service to the Griffith Observatory.

Mr. Speaker, I, along with my colleague Representative Judy Chu, rise today to honor the community of Altadena, California upon its 125th anniversary.

For over a century, this extraordinary community has grown and thrived while maintaining a fierce and admirable independence.

In 1881, the land that would become Altadena was sold to John and Fred Woodbury. The two brothers would later open Altadena as a subdivision of the Pasadena Improvement Company in 1887 with the hopes of developing a residential neighborhood and attracting wealthy millionaires. They were initially successful, bringing in wealthy names such as Col. Charles Greene and Andrew McNally, but soon found the region was thrown into an economic depression as part of a larger national depression that lasted through much of the 1890's. Despite the national depression, ranchers and farmers continued to buy land in Altadena and expanded the crops that were farmed from grapes and oranges to include foods such as olives, walnuts, dates, and avocados. Many business magnates also came from the mid-west and built grand winter and retirement homes in Altadena.

By the 1940's and 1950's, Altadena was a well-established community that continued to develop and flourish through housing development, modernization, and business growth. In the 1960's and 1970's, Altadena became more ethnically diverse, eventually making it one of the most integrated communities in Southern California. Today, Altadena has a diverse population of 43,000 nestled in the beautiful San Gabriel mountains.

Altadena is a wonderful community that has fostered a number of remarkable, world-famous individuals. Notable Altadenans include Thaddeus S.C. Lowe, scientist and inventor, Richard Feynman, physicist, Zane Grey, western novelist and Marni Nixon, renowned soprano and actress.

We are honored to recognize Altadena, with its rich cultural heritage and ask all Members to join us in congratulating Altadena upon its 125th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize September as Suicide Prevention Month. With nearly 30,000 Americans losing their lives to suicide each year, far too many of our friends and family members are not receiving the support and assistance so desperately needed. Suicide touches all groups, young and old, and knows no religious or ethnic boundaries. Today, however, I wish to focus on two groups who are disproportionately impacted by suicide.

The first is our veterans--a growing number of suicides comes from within the ranks of those who have served or are serving in our armed forces. For many of our troops, repeated deployments and prolonged combat has exposed them to high amounts of stressi creating invisible wounds that contribute to suicide. These heroes put their lives on the line every day and upon returning, they deserve our support. We need to be there for our armed forces--veteran and active duty

service members alike. This is a tragic problem that needs to be urgently addressed but the reality is that there are not any easy answers and this challenge does not offer any quick fixes.

I applaud Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki for marshaling the resources of the U.S. military and the Veterans Administration to attack this tragic epidemic. As we draw down after nearly a decade of war, Secretary Panetta and Secretary Shinseki have committed their departments to not only improve how wars are conducted, but how we address the after-effects of post-traumatic stress disorder and other disabling injuries.

In addition to veterans, we also see that a large portion of suicides are coming from within the LGBT community. LGBT youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide and when they are rejected by their families, eight times more likely. With statistics like these, it couldn't be clearer that there is a great need for assistance and support for LGBT youth, as many are often harassed, bullied and subjected to physical violence by their peers.

These stories of harassment are becoming far too familiar. Take Tyler Clementi, a college freshman attending Rutgers University and an accomplished violinist. At the young age of 18, Tyler's privacy was invaded by his dorm roommate. Deciding that the ridicule was too much to bear, Tyler tragically cut his own life short.

For many, solace has been found with the Trevor Project, a non-profit organization in Los Angeles dedicated to providing life-saving resources to young people in the LGBT community. I recently had the honor of meeting with Abbe Land, the Executive Director and CEO of the Trevor Project and witnessed first-hand how the organization handled phone calls from distressed youth from around the country on their around-the-clock suicide prevention lifeline. With over 30,000 calls each year to the Trevor project, their commitment to saving lives is unparalleled.

The problem of suicide has no prejudice or political affiliation. Suicide touches each one of us and forever changes our lives. I am proud to honor the Trevor Project and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline during Suicide Prevention Month as they work tirelessly to prevent the loss of our loved ones who are most in need of support.

I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I rise in support of the FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act.

This bill reauthorizes intelligence gathering capabilities that are essential to our national security while also protecting the civil liberties of Americans.

The recent events in Libya, Egypt, and elsewhere should serve to remind us all that there remain forces around the world that are determined to kill Americans, injure our interests, and jeopardize our freedoms.

The FAA allows us to obtain critical information about terrorist organizations, nuclear proliferation, and a host of other dangers. These authorities have produced intelligence that's vital to defending the Nation against international terrorism and other threats, which is why Attorney General Holder and DNI Clapper have called reauthorizing the FAA their top legislative priority.

This bill does not authorize spying on Americans. To the contrary, the 2008 FISA Amendments Act ensured that no American, whether within the United States or overseas, would come under surveillance without a court order and a finding of probable cause.

The authorities provided are narrowly tailored to the purpose of protecting the United States from those who would harm us, and I urge an ``aye'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of a true American hero, the first human being to walk on the moon, Neil Alden Armstrong.

I had the privilege of meeting Neil Armstrong, and even introduced my son Eli to him at an event commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing. It has been said that ``we're all dreamers,'' but Neil Armstrong inspired generations of Americans to dream big and reach for the stars, both literally and figuratively. He believed that the yearning to explore is part of what makes us human and his singular achievement on July 20, 1969 still inspires.

A reluctant hero, Mr. Armstrong never used his Apollo 11 achievement for personal gain. On more than one occasion he questioned his own notoriety, protesting that his walk on the moon was the result of the dedication of more than four hundred thousand people from engineers who designed the Lunar Module to ground controllers who monitored every aspect of the mission, to seamstresses, who stitched by hand the suit that kept him alive on the moon.

The late 1960's was a time of tumult in America, when our nation was riven by Vietnam, the struggle for civil rights and the emerging women's movement. In the midst of this, Armstrong's climb down the lunar module's ladder and his ``giant leap for mankind'' united not just Americans, but people of all nations as they watched. That night . . . July 20th, 1969, countless children--including a nine-year old boy in Framingham, Massachusetts--looked up at the moon and dared to dream.

Neil Armstrong is no longer with us, but it is a remarkable testament that even now--more than four decades after Eagle landed on the Moon-- the mission of Apollo 11 still inspires us and challenges us to press forward in the exploration of space.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the men and women of NASA and Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who designed and flew the Voyager spacecraft, which have been exploring our solar system for thirty-five years and which are on the cusp of entering interstellar space. Even now, more than thirty-five years after launch, the Voyagers are still transmitting valuable scientific data through NASA's Deep Space Network, which is also managed by JPL.

Voyager 2, which was launched on August 20, 1977 and its twin, Voyager 1, which followed on September 5, 1977, were designed to take advantage of a rare alignment of the outer planets that allowed for a ``grand tour'' of the four gas giants that lie beyond the asteroid belt. The Voyager flybys of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune built on the earlier missions of Pioneer 10 and 11 and revolutionized our understanding of the solar system and particularly the complex Jovian and Saturnian systems with their many and diverse moons. Galileo, Cassini and other subsequent missions to the outer planets have deepened our knowledge of our planetary neighbors, but they would not have been possible without the path breaking work of the Voyager team, many of whose members have devoted decades of their lives and careers to this one program.

Now, Voyager 1 is poised to become the first manmade object to leave the solar system and venture into the great void of space after completing its primary mission of exploring Jupiter and Saturn in 1980. Voyager 2, which went on to Uranus in 1986 and Neptune three years later, is not far behind. Both craft carry a gold ``record album'' containing sounds and images of Earth if either spacecraft is found by an alien civilization.

Voyager was among many spectaculars of NASA's planetary science program, which has contributed so much to our understanding of our celestial neighborhood and of ourselves. We were recently reminded of this when Curiosity, the Mars Science Laboratory, landed on

the Red Planet last month. But these missions are not cheap and they take years to design, test and fly. They also require highly specialized teams of engineers and scientists to make them work and to interpret the data they return to Earth. And without missions to work on, this talent pool cannot survive.

That is why I am committed to ensuring that funding for NASA includes sufficient resources for a robust planetary exploration program that will provide for continued investigation of Mars, while also allowing us to visit the many other fascinating places in the solar system, like Jupiter's moon, Europa, which was photographed in detail by Voyager 2 in July 1979.

We cannot cede our leadership in space exploration and the incredible advances that come with it. I will continue to use my seat on the Appropriations committee to argue for a planetary exploration program that secures our continued place at the head of the table of space- faring nations.

Mr. Speaker, today, we remember those lost eleven years ago on September 11, 2001. We also remember the extraordinary acts of bravery and heroism performed by courageous passengers and crew on United Flight 93, by the first responders who rushed into burning buildings, and by the thousands of nameless volunteers who provided assistance on that terrible day.

We think, too, of our troops around the world who stand in harm's way, many of whom enlisted in the days and weeks that followed the attack on our country. And of those troops we have lost, and who paid the ultimate price for our liberty.

For millions of Americans, September 11th serves a day of solemn reflection. For others, it has become a day of community--gathering together in remembrance and in service. No matter how we choose to remember, ours is a tribute that is a deeply personal one.

We lost a great deal on that tragic day, but America also revealed herself to be resilient, and more unified and determined than ever.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of a true American hero, the first human being to walk on the Moon-- Neil Alden Armstrong.

I had the privilege of meeting Neil Armstrong and introducing him to my son, Eli, at an event commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing. It has been said ``we are all dreamers,'' but Neil Armstrong inspired generations of Americans to dream big and to reach for the stars both figuratively and literally. He believed that the yearning to explore is part of what makes us human, and his singular achievement on July 20, 1969, still inspires.

A reluctant hero, Mr. Armstrong never used his Apollo 11 achievement for personal gain. On more than one occasion he questioned his own notoriety, protesting that his walk on the Moon was the result of the dedication of more than 400,000 people--from engineers who designed the Lunar Module, to ground controllers who monitored every aspect of the mission, to seamstresses who stitched by hand the suit that kept him alive on the Moon.

The late 1960s was a time of tumult in America, when our Nation was riven by Vietnam, the struggle for civil rights and the emerging women's movement. In the midst of this, Armstrong's climb down the Lunar Module's ladder and his ``giant leap for mankind'' united not just Americans but people of all nations as they watched. That night, countless children looked up at the Moon and dared to dream.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Hillsides, a nonprofit organization for abused and emotionally disturbed children, in Pasadena, California upon its 100th Anniversary.

In 1913, Evelyn Wile, a kindhearted young deaconess of the Episcopal Church, opened Hillsides Home for Children in Highland Park for 13 abandoned children that sought to reject the established approach of cold, uncaring institutions and provide a personal and empathetic community for homeless children.

Ms. Wile's vision of a campus of cottages where children could flourish in a country-like environment surrounded by sunshine, fresh air, and open space became a reality in 1918, when she moved the home from Highland Park to 17 acres in the San Rafael Hills of Pasadena, where it has remained to this day. The increase in space allowed Evelyn to build more residential cottages and an administration building, which was completed in 1927. Over the next 40 years, Hillsides Home for Children was a safe haven where children were the top priority. In the 1960s, Hillsides shifted focus from being an orphanage to becoming a center for abused and emotionally disturbed children. By the late 1970s, it had grown to include 14 on-campus buildings and 2 satellite homes. Hillsides Education Center was established in 1982 to offer specialized instruction for students with behavioral challenges or learning disabilities, and the Family Center was created that same year to provide crisis intervention and parent education for at-risk families. Hillsides Home for Children's name changed to Hillsides in 1999. In 2005, Hillsides Youth Moving On was established, a transitional living program for young adults leaving foster care.

In the last century, Hillsides has grown tremendously from Ms. Wile's original home that served 13 children. To date, Hillsides has rescued over 110,000 families and is recognized as a leader in children's rights advocacy issues. Encompassing a comprehensive network of residential and community facilities that provide an unmatched depth and breadth of resources to at-risk children and families, Hillsides has pioneered techniques that have become standard practices and ranks among the region's most respected and trusted organizations in the field.

I am honored to recognize Hillsides for its 100 years of loving care and support to countless children and families and I ask all Members to join me in congratulating Hillsides for its remarkable achievements.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Montrose Search and Rescue team.

For over 65 years, Montrose Search and Rescue has been conducting lifesaving operations throughout the Angeles National Forest and the neighboring areas. These brave men and women have risked their own lives to rescue stranded hikers, victims of natural disasters, and anyone in need of assistance.

Two weeks ago, their heroism was on full display. The team spotted a little girl who was face down, drowning in a pool of running water in the forest. The 18-month-old girl was unconscious and had stopped breathing when they pulled her out of the water. Thanks to them, this little girl was brought back to life to the unimaginable relief and gratitude of her family.

That young girl, along with so many others, is alive today because of the heroic actions of the Montrose Search and Rescue team. They do all this for their community without asking anything in return, and their humbling dedication to service and their selfless desire to help those in need deserve our respect and gratitude.

So, today, I rise to say thank you, Montrose Search and Rescue, for the great work that you do and for the lives that you save through your efforts.