Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, this Sunday, April 30, marks 42 years since the fall of Saigon, commemorated as Black April in Vietnamese- American communities across the United States.

Along with Congresswoman Lofgren, Congressman Correa, and other colleagues, I introduced a resolution in remembrance of this event, recognizing the service of U.S. Armed Forces and South Vietnamese forces, and honoring the contributions and sacrifices of Vietnamese Americans.

This community, started by refugees, has prospered and thrived, giving so much back to this country. They continue to fight tirelessly for the basic human rights of people in Vietnam. I will continue to be a voice for Vietnamese Americans in Congress and for the rights of the people of Vietnam.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Representative Fitzpatrick and I introduced a bipartisan resolution calling on the House to commit to the removal of political gerrymandering from congressional redistricting and to improve the public confidence in our electoral process.

Every citizen in every State deserves to have the same ability as citizens in States like California, Arizona, Hawaii, and Ohio, who now have to draw their Congressional district boundaries without the influence and gamesmanship of politics.

The political gerrymandering of our congressional districts, which attacks at the very bedrock the right of every American to fair representation, has seriously undermined the public's trust in our democratic system.

Mr. Speaker, it is time to get the back room out of the ballot box and let the people decide.

Mr. Speaker, I am a proud co-sponsor of House Resolution 162, which will designate March 21, 2017, as National Rosie the Riveter Day. This honor has special significance for the City of Long Beach, California which I represent.

Long Beach is one of two locations in the nation that has a park dedicated to recognizing and preserving the history and legacy of the working women, including volunteer women, of World War II.

The Long Beach Rosie the Riveter Park was dedicated in March 2006. It is a 3.2 acre park that is just steps away from where tens of thousands of women worked at Douglas Aircraft Company during WWII, assembling the planes and bombers that helped our brave service members win the war. It is also located near what was the Long Beach Airfield (now the Long Beach Municipal Airport), where during WWII Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), commanded by 24-year-old Barbara Erickson, flew the finished warplanes to military bases around the world.

The Long Beach Rosie the Riveter Park was inspired by former Long Beach City Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, author of the book ``Rosie the Riveter in Long Beach,'' and designed by public artist, Terry Braunstein. It features a rose colored walk-way that winds through the park so that visitors can see photographs depicting the work and efforts of these women. Visitors can access a narrated tour via cell phone and hear the song by the Four Vagabonds--``Rosie the Riveter'' that gave these women their collective and affectionate name.

At both ends of the park are a ``compass rose'' that have been etched and painted into concrete, marking the location of the park.

At the north end of the park are both a military memorial and wall with plaques commemorating the lives of those who have served our country in so many ways and outlined with a rose garden in the shape of a ``V'' for victory. The Long Beach Rosie the Riveter Park displays one of only two bas reliefs sculpted by Raymond Kaskey, who designed the same for the National World War II monument, here in Washington, D.C.

Last year, C-SPAN, in its ``Cities Tour,'' featured the Long Beach Rosie the Riveter Park because of its role in honoring the women who contributed on the home front during WWII.

As we celebrate ``National Rosie the Riveter Day,'' let us continue our efforts to recognize and preserve the history and legacy of working women, including volunteer women during World War II, as a way of promoting cooperation and fellowship among all American women and their descendants.

Mr. Speaker, since 2013 I have flown the pride flag outside my D.C. office in solidarity with the LGBT community. According to the House historian, I was the first to do so, a fact that I am very proud of.

Yesterday, outside my office in Washington, D.C., a man took that flag out of its holder, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it. He called the flag disgusting and immoral.

This flag is a symbol of pride for the LGBT community--an international symbol of love, understanding, equality, and hope.

The shadows of intolerance have grown longer in recent days: bomb threats called into Jewish community centers, desecrations of Jewish cemeteries, hate crimes against minorities and the transgender community, horrifically racist statements from a Member of this body.

To all our brothers and sisters who endure through these hateful acts, we stand with you, and we will continue to fight for your rights and your equality.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to stress the importance of maintaining Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, commonly known as

Mr. Speaker, from the mother of four with a preexisting condition to the family of a young boy who can now afford health insurance for the first time--we have heard constantly and over and over how the Affordable Care Act has saved lives. The Affordable Care Act provides quality, affordable insurance to millions of Americans.

For example, just in my district alone, nearly 100,000 people who are now covered through the Covered California exchange or through the Medicaid--which is in California Medi-Cal--expansion, they stand to lose coverage if the Affordable Care Act is repealed.

It is completely irresponsible to speak about repealing the Affordable Care Act with no replacement. I urge my colleagues to think about their own constituents before doing so.

Mr. Speaker, last week, Congressman Steve Chabot and I, as the co-chairs of the Cambodia Caucus, called upon Secretary Tillerson and the administration to prioritize human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Cambodia.

Just days later, Sam Rainsy, the leader of the opposition party in Cambodia, resigned in the face of a proposed bill that would dissolve the opposition party if he continued to lead the party.

This law on political parties would give the government far-reaching powers to suspend political parties at will. I urge the Cambodian National Assembly to set aside this undemocratic law that dangerously moves Cambodia toward being a one-party state, and to allow the Cambodian people to freely choose their own leaders.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong opposition to President Trump's ban on the entry of refugees from around the world as well as the ban on refugees and citizens from seven select countries.

This ban, whether temporary or not, is shameful, and wholly un- American. There are better ways to protect our Nation, ways that are effective and stay true to our American values.

For example, in the 1970s and 1980s, thousands of my constituents fled the horrors of war and genocide in Vietnam and in Cambodia as refugees. Today, these immigrants and their children are doctors, lawyers, teachers, parents, students, all integral to the success of our Nation.

America has long endured as the shining beacon on the Hill. Sadly, that light was dimmed by the President's immigration executive order. Our Nation is great because it has been built by refugees and immigrants from every part of the world.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in strong opposition to this resolution, which would waste resources, waste money, pollute our air, and worsen the impacts of climate change.

When it comes to regulations that we should keep on the books, the BLM Methane Waste Prevention Rule is a no-brainer. Currently, oil and gas companies are venting, flaring, or leaking hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of natural gas each and every year.

People who are sitting at home may wonder: Why would a company simply waste or burn off such a valuable resource?

The answer is simple: They want the oil, and they want it now. To them, the natural gas that goes along with the oil is just a nuisance; so they burn it off or they don't make the effort that is required to ensure that their equipment isn't leaking.

The problem is, when they are operating on public lands, this isn't their natural gas to waste. They cannot waste this. This belongs to the American people. So when that gas is simply burned off or is allowed to escape, the royalties that are owed to the American people are gone with the wind; and instead of generating electricity or heating our homes, this wasted resource generates pollution and heats our planet.

For people who live near oil and gas wells, this is not just a climate problem. Methane contributes to low-level ozone, which causes a number of health problems, such as shortness of breath, more frequent asthma attacks, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. When the methane leaks, you also get leaks of benzene, which is a known carcinogen, and of other volatile organic chemicals that further contribute to ozone and smog and can contribute to liver and kidney damage, nausea, and other health problems.

Now, my colleagues on the other side say that this is exactly the problem--the Bureau of Land Management is trying to regulate air pollution, and that is the job of the Environmental Protection Agency. The fact is, though, that the Bureau of Land Management has very clearly written a waste prevention rule, as they are authorized and required. I will state that again--as they are authorized and required to do under the Mineral Leasing Act.

Section 30 of the Mineral Leasing Act reads:

Each lease shall contain provisions for the purpose of

insuring the exercise of reasonable diligence, skill, and

care in the operation of said property; a provision that such

rules for the safety and welfare of the miners and for the

prevention of undue waste as may be prescribed by said

Secretary shall be observed.

The BLM simply did its job by writing this rule, and now that they have done the job that Congress required of them, the majority is attempting to argue that Congress never gave the BLM that job in the first place. If you look at the statute, that claim is clearly an alternative fact. Just because preventing the waste of methane helps keep our air clean and moderates the severity of climate change, it doesn't mean the BLM is doing anything outside of their authority. The BLM is not regulating the quality of the air around oil and gas sites. It is just trying to make sure that methane stays out of the atmosphere and gets into the marketplace.

Another argument you have heard from the majority is that this is an effort to shut down oil and gas production on Federal lands. It is just another salvo in their war, which they claim is the Obama war on energy, except that that is simply not true. I am almost tired of having to say this, but the production of Federal onshore oil went up, not a little bit--it went way up under President Obama--but by 71 percent, as a matter of fact, between 2009 and 2015.

Now, would this Methane Waste Prevention Rule hurt production? Would it drive operators off Federal lands?

To answer that, let's just take a look at one of our States-- Colorado, which, in early 2014, enacted methane venting and flaring regulations that the BLM used as a model in writing its own rule. I want to state this really clearly: after Colorado enacted their methane regulations, their production went up 47 percent from 2013 to 2014 and another 32 percent in 2015. Colorado's oil production from Federal lands has been up 28 percent over the past 5 years also.

Clearly, strong methane waste regulations do not scare away oil and gas companies.

What about the claim that companies have to burn off natural gas because the BLM takes too long to process pipeline applications?

If we look at a recent report from the Government Accountability Office just from last year, they found that only 9 percent of flaring was due to the lack of pipelines and that 91 percent had nothing to do with pipelines.

How about the point that is made at the oil and gas companies' insistence that they are making great strides in reducing their own methane emissions so they don't need additional oversight?

Members, that is a myth as well. Oil and gas producers in the field emitted 45 percent more methane in 2014 than they did in 1990. In fact, methane emissions from oil and gas producers went up 21 percent in the past 24 years.

The majority also says this is a power grab, an effort by BLM to take power away from the States, except that the BLM has regulated venting and flaring since the Carter administration. And this has not stopped States from setting their own regulations, as I have just said that Colorado

has done, which they will still be free to do under this rule. In fact, despite all the complaints about one-size-fits-all regulations, companies still have to follow State regulations when they operate on Federal land.

Mr. Speaker, none of these arguments against the regulation hold any water, but the benefits of this regulation would be huge: enough gas saved to supply up to 740,000 households each year; the reduction of an estimated 185,000 tons of methane emissions, which would have the same impact as taking nearly 1 million cars off the road; and up to $14 million each year to the American taxpayer from additional royalties, and that number could be even larger if the price of natural gas increases, which the majority is trying to do by expediting natural gas exports.

The BLM methane waste prevention rule is a win for the taxpayer, a win for the environment, a win for the climate, and a win for common sense. That is why it is supported by over 80 percent of voters in Western States, including both Democrats and Republicans, according to a poll just released this week. If my colleagues have not seen that poll, I would be happy to share it with them.

Unfortunately, the Republican antiregulatory, antitaxpayer, antihealth, antienvironment machine must be continually fed. Earlier this week, they voted to strip clean water and transparency regulations. Today, they are going after clean air.

I ask my colleagues to stand up and put a stop to this, to speak for the ordinary Americans who don't own oil and gas or coal companies, which those companies donate immense sums of money to politicians. The industry has to do its share and not simply demand that the farmers, the ranchers, the sportsmen, the conservationists, and all the rest of us have to put up with their waste in the name of higher profits. I ask my colleagues to do this by voting ``no'' on H.J. Res. 36.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Tsongas).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I want to be very clear about the situation on public lands because there are a lot of misleading statements that are being thrown about. We heard that the majority insists that oil and gas production on Federal lands is down. To support this, they often show misleading charts that compare apples to oranges or use visual tricks to hide the facts.

The facts are Federal onshore oil production was up 71 percent between 2009 and 2015. All the panic that we have heard for years that President Obama is trying to shut down oil and gas was based on as much reality as the claim that he was coming to get everyone's guns.

I will say it again: there was a 71 percent increase in oil production on onshore Federal lands under President Obama's watch. And it is the oil producers that are wasting and leaking methane at a faster and faster rate since it is not a product they care about. They just want the oil.

With an unfortunate likely return to a drill-at-all-cost mentality under President Trump, we need the BLM methane waste prevention rule more than ever. I urge my colleagues to defeat H.J. Res. 36 and support cutting down on methane waste.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, we have heard a lot from Members from Colorado about how this onerous methane rule will hurt industry in Colorado. I would like to read from a couple of Colorado editorials that came out this past week in support of maintaining the BLM methane rule.

On Saturday, The Denver Post posted an editorial entitled ``Congress shouldn't butcher federal methane rules.'' In it, they say: ``Congress is getting ready to use an ax where it needs a scalpel. . . .''

Make no mistake, Mr. Speaker, the Congressional Review Act is an ax. It is an ax being swung blindfolded after several shots of whiskey. It shows a complete lack of seriousness on the issue, and it could have serious, long-term consequences.

That is why The Denver Post editorial board asks Republicans to be surgeons and not butchers, and to avoid repealing what they call a thoughtful regulation.

This past week, another editorial was published on Wednesday by the Grand Junction, Colorado Daily Sentinel entitled, ``Stop methane leaks.'' Referring to their State's own methane waste rules, they say: ``We're fortunate to have the rule in Colorado. But if the federal rule isn't enforced, the results can undermine our own gains.''

Air quality does not recognize State lines. Under-regulated drilling in Utah produces bad air that blows into the western slope communities.

These editorial boards have seen firsthand that methane waste prevention rules work, and they know that it is in everyone's interest to keep the BLM rule in place.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to reinforce a point that I made in my opening statement. Oil and gas companies and the industry would like to say they have done a tremendous job cutting methane emissions on their own.

In fact, just this week, the Western Energy Alliance spearheaded a letter saying: ``Methane emissions from oil and gas production have declined by 15 percent since 1990, without any Federal regulations.''

What we have been hearing today, and my friends on the other side, is continually using some variation of this reduction that they say occurs. The problem is, and I repeat that the problem is, is that claim is just flat out false. That is the definition of an alternative fact.

Methane reduction, since 1990, has come entirely from natural gas storage, from the distribution and the transmission of natural gas. Out in the field, however, what we are talking about, out in the field, where companies are actually drilling, methane emissions are up.

For natural gas production, methane in the field, methane emissions are up by 31 percent. For oil production, emissions are up a staggering 76 percent.

Mr. Speaker, the industry has not fixed this problem on their own, and they are not going to fix this problem on their own. Only strong rules and oversight are going to hold companies accountable to reduce methane waste and, for that reason, we must defeat this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

As I have mentioned before, Mr. Speaker, this rule will not just reduce waste and increase taxpayer revenues, it will also reduce air pollution and improve public health.

In support of that, we received a letter this week from 13 medical and public health groups, including the American Lung Association, the American Public Health Association, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, the Public Health Institute, and many more, pointing out the importance of the BLM methane waste prevention rule for cutting down on harmful methane emissions.

They write: ``. . . we strongly urge you to oppose any Congressional Review Act resolution of disapprov- al . . .'' for the BLM rule.

They point to the volatile organic compounds that also pollute the air when natural gas leaks, saying that these chemicals ``include benzene, a known carcinogen; ethylbenzene, a probable carcinogen; and toluene, a neurotoxin that may also cause miscarriages and birth defects.''

Also, these chemicals are ``precursors to the formation of ground- level ozone, a dangerous air pollutant that causes permanent lung damage. By limiting emissions of volatile organic chemicals, oil and natural gas limits will reduce the risk of ozone formation in the air and, thus, the risk of ozone-related health effects, including asthma attacks, hospital admissions, and, unfortunately, premature deaths.''

These health impacts are just one more set of reasons why repealing the BLM Methane Waste Prevention Rule is the wrong way to go.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, it may no longer be Groundhog Day, but it feels like we have been here doing the same thing over and over again.

Once again, Republicans are doing the bidding of wealthy fossil fuel companies at the expense of ordinary Americans. On Wednesday, we were here so our majority could strip away clean water protections from coal mining. Later on that day, the majority gave our new Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, the former CEO of ExxonMobil, a gift by repealing the requirement for oil and gas companies to tell the public how much money they paid to foreign governments.

Now, today we are here to shower more goodies onto the oil and gas industry by repealing a rule designed to keep them from wasting--and I urge you to hear that term, ``wasting''--natural gas and also polluting our air.

Really, Mr. Speaker? Less than 2 weeks into the new all-Republican government and they are already handing out early Valentine's Day gifts to their wealthy donors. Instead of chocolates and flowers, they are giving their oil and coal executives the right to pollute our air, dump waste into our water, and do it all under the cover of darkness. Republicans are using the Congressional Review Act so fast that I doubt they even know what they are repealing from day to day. It's Friday, so I guess it must be air pollution day.

Let me warn everyone that is watching this telecast that they are not going to stop at trying to destroy clean air, clean water, and transparency. Dozens of health, safety, transparency, and consumer protections are on the chopping block, and Republicans are more than happy to swing the ax.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to protect the BLM Methane Waste Prevention Rule and defeat this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I include in the Record two letters opposing this resolution and supporting the BLM Methane Waste Prevention Rule. The first is from 78 environmental, conservation, public interest, and sportsmen's groups urging a ``no'' vote on this resolution. The second is a letter from 13 public health and medical organizations strongly urging a ``no'' vote on this resolution because of the damage that it will do to public health.

January 31, 2017.

Dear Member of Congress: On behalf of our millions of

members and supporters, we write to urge you to oppose any

effort to use the Congressional Review Act to overturn the

Bureau of Land Management's Methane and Natural Gas Waste

Rule. We rely on laws and regulations to protect taxpayer

resources and to keep our air and water clean and healthy.

While we oppose the use of the CRA for any rule, the BLM rule

is one of the anticipated targets to be considered under a

Congressional Review Act Resolution.

The BLM rule is a common sense policy that requires the oil

and gas industry to reduce venting, flaring, and leaks at

industry operations on public and tribal lands by deploying

methane mitigation technology. Currently, more than $330

million worth of natural gas is wasted on public and tribal

lands each year, meaning that taxpayers could lose out on

$800 million in royalties over the next decade due to venting

and flaring of this gas. Repealing this rule would harm

public health and reduce revenue to the federal government

and Western states. The BLM estimates the rule's net benefits

range from $46 to $204 million per year. And economic studies

have found the technologies and practices included in this

rule to be very cost effective since the gas captured can be

sold to the benefit of industry and taxpayers. Leaked natural

gas contains volatile organic compounds, an asthma irritant;

benzene; and other hazardous air pollutants that are known.

carcinogens. After Colorado implemented a similar rule,

natural gas production increased, and the standard has been

popular.

The Congressional Review Act (CRA) is a blunt instrument

that seeks to undermine the federal rulemaking process. It

allows Congress to overturn a recently finalized rule--major

or otherwise--through an expedited process called a

Resolution of Disapproval. In the Senate, a Resolution of

Disapproval requires only a simple majority vote, may

circumvent the committee process and cannot be filibustered.

If the resolution passes and is signed by the President, the

rule becomes void and the promulgating agency is prevented

from issuing a rule that is ``substantially the same'' in the

future without an act of Congress. By essentially voiding the

rulemaking process and mandating that substantially similar

rules not be pursued in the future, the CRA on the BLM's

Methane Rule wastes taxpayer money and defies the public

interest.

We request that you vote in opposition to this attack on

commonsense standards which limit wasted resources and

protect the American taxpayer, public health, and the

environment. Vote no on the BLM Methane CRA Resolution.

Sincerely,

Alaska Wilderness League, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy

Environment--Colorado Chapter, American Family Voices, Back

Country Horsemen of New Mexico, Bold Alliance, Californians

for Western Wilderness, Center for Biological Diversity,

Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility, Citizens for

a Healthy Community, Clean Air Council, Clean Air Task Force,

Clean Water Action, Coalition for Clean Air, Colorado Farm &

Food Alliance, Conservation Colorado, Conservation Voters New

Mexico, Dakota Resource Council, Demand Progress, Earth

Action, Inc., Earthjustice, EarthRights International,

Earthworks, Elders Climate Action, Environmental Defense

Fund, Environmental Entrepreneurs, Environmental Integrity

Project, Environmental Law and Policy Center, Environmental

Working Groups.

Friends of the Earth, Grand Canyon Trust, Great Old Broads

for Wilderness, Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy, Hair on

Fire Oregon, Hixon Center for Sustainable Environmental

Design at Harvey Mudd College, Idaho Organization of Resource

Councils, Institute for Science and Human Values, Interfaith

Power & Light, Iowa Environmental Council, League of

Conservation Voters, League of Women Voters of the United

States, Los Padres ForestWatch, Mayor of Lafayette, Colorado,

Montana Conservation Voters, Montana Environmental

Information Center--MEIC, National Association of Consumer

Advocates, National Center for Lesbian Rights, National

Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, National Parks

Conservation Association, Natural Resources Council of Maine,

Natural Resources Defense Council, New Mexico Sportsmen,

NextGen Climate, Northern Plains Resource Council, NW Energy

Coalition, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Physicians

for Social Responsibility Maine Chapter.

Pipeline Safety Coalition, Powder River Basin Resource

Council, Public Citizen, Rachel Carson Council, San Juan

Citizens Alliance, Sierra Club, SLO CLEAN WATER.

ORG, Southern Environmental Law Center, Southern Utah

Wilderness Alliance, The Ohio Environmental Council, The

Wilderness Society, Union of Concerned Scientists, US Human

Rights Network, Voices for Progress, WE ACT for Environmental

Justice, Western Colorado Congress, Western Environmental Law

Center, Western Organization of Resource Councils, Wholly

H2O, WildEarth Guardians, Wilderness Workshop, Wyoming

Outdoor Council.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose H.J. Res. 38.

The science is clear: mountaintop removal mining is harmful to the health of people who live near these mines. Anyone with a computer can go to Google Earth and see the tremendous scars on the landscape from mining companies that blast the tops off mountains and then dump the waste into the valleys below. But largely invisible to the naked eye is the suffering of people who live in the nearby communities because of these harmful practices.

The stream protection rule will protect hundreds of vulnerable families and children who live near these sites from lung cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, birth defects, hypertension, and other health problems.

If the majority has a problem with this final rule, as they say they do, they should hold a hearing in the Natural Resources Committee to discuss its merits. There we would have an opportunity to talk to the administration and hear from those who are most affected by mountaintop removal mining.

Instead, they have decided to bypass regular order, go straight to the Congressional Review Act, which will take a chainsaw to this commonsense pollution rule. This is a reckless approach.

I urge my colleagues to take time to listen to the voices of the American people. Please put the health and safety of American families first and vote ``no'' on this reckless resolution.

Amendment XVII:

``The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for 6 years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures.

``When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: . . .''

Mr. Speaker, as the sign points out, today marks 17 days until the Department of Homeland Security shuts down, leaving our Nation's national security at risk.

Why is DHS closing down? It is closing down for the reason that it is being held hostage because it is riddled with immigration policy riders which, as we all know, have a zero chance of being signed by the President.

If funding lapses, our Nation's ports of entry will be severely impacted. For example, I represent the Port of Long Beach. They will not be able to upgrade their communications and their surveillance systems unless DHS continues and is able to put out grant funding. That is unacceptable and also very unwise.

The Senate has made clear that it will not accept the current bill and will not pass that bill in its Chamber. It is now time for the Republican leadership in this House to end their political grandstanding and bring up a clean DHS bill immediately.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert my statement in the Record that the House should vote for bigger paychecks and better infrastructure instead of attacking women's access to health care.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 43, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Article VII:

``The ratification of the conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the same.''

Madam Speaker, I learned just a few minutes ago that my wonderful Senator from the State of California, Senator Barbara Boxer, will not be seeking reelection in 2016, and although we do have this wonderful Senator for 2 more years, I just wanted to say a few words about my great admiration for Senator Boxer.

I have been a great admirer of her since the 1980s when she was in the House. I helped to work when she ran for the United States Senate in 1992.

She has been a great leader. She has been a champion voice for the environment. She spoke out about climate change before anyone else spoke out about it. She was one of the first to really speak out for all progressive causes. She has fought for workers.

I want her to know that California will miss her. We will count on her leadership for the next 2 years here in Congress, and then after that, I just want to say it will be a great loss. I will miss her greatly.