Floor Statements

Madam President, I rise to introduce Mojave National Preserve Boundary Adjustment Act.

The Mojave National Preserve Boundary Adjustment Act is a commonsense bill that would expand the Mojave National Preserve to include the land within the Castle Mountains National Monument.

The Mojave National Preserve, located in Southern California in the Mojave Desert, was established by the 1994 California Desert Protection Act, which was one of the late Senator Feinstein's signature achievements. Today, the Mojave National Preserve is one of the largest national preserves within the continental United States and plays an important role in safeguarding a diverse group of ecological habitats, mountains, and canyons in the region.

The adjacent Castle Mountains National Monument is surrounded on three sides by the Mojave National Preserve and is also home to important historic resources along with resident populations of and migratory corridors for desert bighorn sheep, quail, chukar, rabbit, mule deer, and other big game. Expanding the Mojave National Preserve to encompass Castle Mountains will simplify management of this vast desert landscape.

I am proud to work with a broad range of stakeholders to introduce this commonsense legislation to expand the Mojave National Preserve. Doing so would allow the National Park Service to further the conservation values and permanent protections in the Mojave Desert while boosting public access and outdoor recreation to the area.

I look forward to working with our colleagues to pass the Mojave National Preserve Boundary Adjustment Act as quickly as possible.

Madam President, I rise to introduce legislation to expand the Joshua Tree National Park by approximately 17,842 acres of public lands.

In 2016, the National Park Service, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, prepared the Eagle Mountain Boundary Study for an area Mountains, located in Riverside County, CA. The purpose of the study and environmental assessment was to consider whether to expand Joshua Tree National Park to include additional lands and to develop alternatives for protecting cultural, natural, and scenic resources related to the purpose of the national park.

NPS' selected alternative recommends expanding the National Park by the more than 17,000 acres of federally managed lands covered by my legislation. Notably, these lands are adjacent to the national park. NPS found

that doing so could allow for greater protection of existing habitat, restoration opportunities, and landscape connectivity for wildlife such as bighorn sheep, as well as new visitor opportunities.

I urge my colleagues to swiftly pass this straightforward boundary adjustment as soon as possible.

Madam President, I rise to introduce legislation to rename the visitor center at Joshua Tree National Park in honor of Senator Dianne Feinstein.

This legislation would redesignate the Cottonwood Visitor Center at Joshua Tree National Park to the ``Senator Dianne Feinstein Visitor Center.''

Dianne Feinstein was a towering figure not just in modern California politics but in the history of our State and our Nation. Her contributions to our Nation, particularly in environmental conservation, are a reminder of the public power of public service. For Californians, so much of our lands have been preserved thanks to her singular drive and leadership, from the redwoods of the Headwaters and the San Francisco Bay, to Lake Tahoe and, most notably, the California desert.

Senator Feinstein was known as a great protector of the California desert, and some have lovingly referred to her as the ``Queen of the Desert''. Senator Feinstein was the driving force behind the establishment of Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park, the Mojave National Preserve, the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, the Mojave Trails National Monument, the Sand to Snow National Monument, and the Castle Mountains National Monument. In all, it is estimated that Senator Feinstein protected over 3 million acres of the California desert.

In 2019, on the 25th anniversary of the passage of Senator Feinstein's landmark California Desert Protection Act, Senator Feinstein wrote: ``When I think of the California desert, I think of magnificent landscapes and mountain vistas. I think of beautiful species like bighorn sheep, mule deer and desert tortoises. I think of unique vegetation like the beautiful wildflower blooms and iconic Joshua trees. And I think of the long history of local Native American tribes. The California desert is a true American treasure. Our efforts over the past 25 years have resulted in the largest areas of public lands protected in the lower 48 states--that is something truly to celebrate.''

It is only fitting that we celebrate Senator Feinstein's memory by renaming the visitor center at Joshua Tree National Park in her honor. I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact this legislation as soon as possible.

Madam President, I am inspired by Senator Markey's remarks, and I am pleased to join him in this debate in opposition to the measure.

We are speaking today because the American people deserve to know what is at stake during today's vote. And, no, it is not the latest fabricated Republican electric vehicle horror story. No one is coming to slap a Biden bumper sticker on your car and take your gas-powered car off the road.

Americans are smarter than that. Americans want reliable cars that can get them to work, to school, wherever they need to go, powered by fuel that doesn't break the bank. Americans also want a future where their kids, our kids, and our grandkids can breathe clean air. And we all want a planet that is not burning to the ground.

Unfortunately, too many of our Republican colleagues will tell you that we can't have both, that we have to choose. It can be either the economy or the environment.

So for everyone who is watching, everybody who is listening, please know that that is a false choice.

Yes, the EPA rule will improve public health and protect our planet. It will also help create good jobs and strengthen the auto industry.

It sets ambitious goals for reducing emissions while giving automakers the flexibility that they need and they have asked for to actually meet those goals through whatever combination of new electric, hydrogen fuel cell, or hybrid vehicles that they are best prepared to make and offer.

So, to my Republican colleagues, I also have a question. How many times have we heard you say: Well, let's make it in America.

Well, here is your chance. Would you welcome more good-paying jobs in Idaho or West Virginia? We do in California, because we would rather have it here and not overseas.

I also hear some people argue: Well, our domestic supply chain and our targeted infrastructure isn't quite ready for this electric vehicle transition.

Well, this rule actually reduces the risks for domestic manufacturers and gives them more certainty to make necessary long-term investments in domestic manufacturing and charging infrastructure that we all want to see.

So, colleagues, we have a tremendous economic opportunity before us.

I ask you all to just take a look at our home State of California, where we have proven that it is not an either-or between the economy and the environment. California has led the Nation not just with bold targets for clean and renewable sources of electricity but for transitioning to a zero-emission transportation sector. As a result, clean car sales are far outpacing even our expectations.

In 2023, zero-emission vehicles made up a quarter of all light-duty sales in our State--the most popular State in the nation. If California was its own country, it would be fourth in the world in electric vehicle sales. So, not only can it happen, it is happening, and it is because of that type of economic potential that automakers across the country are fully committed to this electric vehicle transition. They know that this EPA final rule is ambitious, but it is also achievable.

And labor unions, including but not limited to the UAW, are all in because they, too, reject the fearmongering that says tackling the climate crisis is going to come at the cost of so many union jobs. Environmental and community advocates are all in on this because this is what the climate crisis demands of us.

But we are still hearing from Republicans that Americans are losing their ability to buy the vehicle of their choice.

That is wrong. For all the fearmongering, for all the bad-faith arguments, let's be clear: Under the EPA's rule, not a single American will be forced to buy a car that they don't want, and not a single manufacturer will be given a quota for a specific type of vehicle to make.

With all that said, I will acknowledge that Republicans are correct about one thing: These are big goals for our country. Colleagues, a century ago, it was American innovation and manufacturing that led to the automobile revolution, and you would be wrong to think that the American people can't do it again. So I urge my colleagues to stand with us in setting ambitious goals for our future to give the American people a choice to grow our economy, and we can do it by voting no.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, on Thursday, April 4, the California State University, Northridge's--CSUN--``Soraya'' performing arts center honored the four-decade career of former CSUN president, Dr. Jolene Koester. I rise today to celebrate the tremendous contributions she has made to the California State University community and to California at large.

Dr. Jolene Koester was born in Plato, MN, as the eldest of five children. Dr. Koester was the daughter of an auto mechanic and a stay- at-home mom; both her parents had never finished high school. But even in a rural town where, as she says, girls ``were never encouraged to consider a future outside of the home,'' Dr. Koester dreamed bigger.

Early on, it was in the classroom where Dr. Koester found mentors, friends, and a passion for learning that would last her a lifetime. It is that same passion that carried her through her studies to earn a bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota, a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Ph.D. in speech communication after returning home to Minnesota.

Despite hailing from a small, Midwest town that wouldn't even fill half of the performing arts center she would one day help build, Dr. Koester set out on what would become a 40-year career with the California State University system.

After starting as an assistant professor at California State University, Sacramento, Dr. Koester quickly rose through the ranks, holding various positions in the academic affairs division before being appointed to serve as provost and vice president for academic affairs in 1993. In 2000, Dr. Koester was appointed to become the fourth president of CSUN, one of the largest campuses in the CSU system and the only public university in the San Fernando Valley.

Under her leadership as president, she helped expand CSUN's student population by over 25 percent, increased retention and graduation rates, and opened their brandnew, state-of-the-art 1,700-seat performing arts center.

After retiring as president of CSUN in 2011, Dr. Koester made her return to the CSU system in 2022, when she was appointed to serve as the interim chancellor of the entire CSU system, the second woman ever to lead the 23-university system.

On a personal note, as a proud San Fernando Valley-native, I have seen Dr. Koester's genuine commitment to the San Fernando Valley. Appointed in the wake of the Northridge earthquake and following a decade of social and political unrest, Dr. Koester brought a vision and a resilience to campus that matched the hopes of our community. Her service and dedication to our community has made us proud.

Whether in a small town in Minnesota or at the largest 4-year public university system in the Nation, the guidance of one mentor or leader can change the trajectory of countless students' lives. For tens of thousands of students in California, Dr. Jolene Koester has been that leader.

CSU Northridge, the CSU system, and the entire State of California will always be grateful for her contributions.

Madam President, I rise to introduce bipartisan legislation that aims to improve flexibility around compensatory and environmental mitigation for U.S Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works infrastructure projects. This legislation would provide the Army Corps with the authority to contract with a third-party provider for the full-scale delivery of compensatory mitigation for Civil Works projects.

Compensatory mitigation refers to the restoration, establishment, enhancement, or preservation of wetlands, streams, or other aquatic resources for the purpose of offsetting unavoidable adverse impacts authorized by Clean Water Act section 404 permits and other Department of the Army permits. Not only does the Army Corps require Clean Water Act permittees to mitigate for discharges into U.S. waters, the Corps itself must also mitigate for impacts from Civil Works flood control, navigation, and water supply projects

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works projects often impact jurisdictional waters under the Clean Water Act or terrestrial and aquatic species which require mitigation offsets. However, since 2015, the Corps has started or completed an average of just 58 percent of its required annual mitigation, which means about 42 percent of Civil Works projects have been constructed without their impacts timely addressed through mitigation, according to annual status reports on construction projects requiring mitigation.

The urgent need to improve the delivery and durability of mitigation alongside Civil Works projects is even greater in California's Sacramento region, which is one of the most at-risk areas for flooding in the United States due to its location at the confluence of and within the floodplain of the American and Sacramento Rivers.

American River Common Features is a Corps Civil Works flood control project that is critical to protect the growing city of Sacramento and surrounding areas. However, due to a mitigation bank credit shortage in the Sacramento Region, there are no available credits to offset the projects impacts for the Corps, and the inability to directly contract with a third-party risks delaying construction of this critical public safety project.

This legislation would allow the Corps to directly contract with a third-party for the use of permittee-responsible compensatory mitigation, mitigation banks, and in-lieu programs, and apply performance standards and criteria outlined by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations issued in 2008 to improve the quality and success of compensatory mitigation projects for activities authorized by Department of the Army permits.

As stated in the Federal Register, ``This rule improves the planning, implementation and management of compensatory mitigation projects by emphasizing a watershed approach in selecting compensatory mitigation project locations, requiring measurable, enforceable ecological performance standards and regular monitoring for all types of compensation and specifying the components of a complete compensatory mitigation plan, including assurances of long-term protection of compensation sites, financial assurances, and identification of the parties responsible for specific project tasks.''

While the bill does not require Corps Civil Works to utilize this authority, clarifying the Corps' authority to directly contract with third-parties, as this legislation does, would improve the delivery and durability of compensatory mitigation projects for Civil Works projects across the country to ensure the construction of critical flood control, navigation, and water supply projects.

I thank my colleague Senator Tillis from North Carolina for introducing this bill with me, and I look forward to its consideration for the 2024 Water Resources Development Act.

Madam President, I rise to introduce bipartisan legislation that aims to improve flexibility around compensatory and environmental mitigation for U.S Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works infrastructure projects. This legislation would provide the Army Corps with the authority to contract with a third-party provider for the full-scale delivery of compensatory mitigation for Civil Works projects.

Compensatory mitigation refers to the restoration, establishment, enhancement, or preservation of wetlands, streams, or other aquatic resources for the purpose of offsetting unavoidable adverse impacts authorized by Clean Water Act section 404 permits and other Department of the Army permits. Not only does the Army Corps require Clean Water Act permittees to mitigate for discharges into U.S. waters, the Corps itself must also mitigate for impacts from Civil Works flood control, navigation, and water supply projects

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works projects often impact jurisdictional waters under the Clean Water Act or terrestrial and aquatic species which require mitigation offsets. However, since 2015, the Corps has started or completed an average of just 58 percent of its required annual mitigation, which means about 42 percent of Civil Works projects have been constructed without their impacts timely addressed through mitigation, according to annual status reports on construction projects requiring mitigation.

The urgent need to improve the delivery and durability of mitigation alongside Civil Works projects is even greater in California's Sacramento region, which is one of the most at-risk areas for flooding in the United States due to its location at the confluence of and within the floodplain of the American and Sacramento Rivers.

American River Common Features is a Corps Civil Works flood control project that is critical to protect the growing city of Sacramento and surrounding areas. However, due to a mitigation bank credit shortage in the Sacramento Region, there are no available credits to offset the projects impacts for the Corps, and the inability to directly contract with a third-party risks delaying construction of this critical public safety project.

This legislation would allow the Corps to directly contract with a third-party for the use of permittee-responsible compensatory mitigation, mitigation banks, and in-lieu programs, and apply performance standards and criteria outlined by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations issued in 2008 to improve the quality and success of compensatory mitigation projects for activities authorized by Department of the Army permits.

As stated in the Federal Register, ``This rule improves the planning, implementation and management of compensatory mitigation projects by emphasizing a watershed approach in selecting compensatory mitigation project locations, requiring measurable, enforceable ecological performance standards and regular monitoring for all types of compensation and specifying the components of a complete compensatory mitigation plan, including assurances of long-term protection of compensation sites, financial assurances, and identification of the parties responsible for specific project tasks.''

While the bill does not require Corps Civil Works to utilize this authority, clarifying the Corps' authority to directly contract with third-parties, as this legislation does, would improve the delivery and durability of compensatory mitigation projects for Civil Works projects across the country to ensure the construction of critical flood control, navigation, and water supply projects.

I thank my colleague Senator Tillis from North Carolina for introducing this bill with me, and I look forward to its consideration for the 2024 Water Resources Development Act.

Madam President, I rise to introduce the Fusion Energy Act of 2024, which will accelerate the development of commercial fusion energy by codifying the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's regulatory authority.

As a former engineer, I have long been a strong supporter of fusion research and development. The critical investments that our country has made over nearly six decades in the Department of Energy's National Laboratory System have led to incredible fusion discoveries. In December 2022, in my home State of California, Lawrence Livermore National Labnatory became the first facility in the world to demonstrate fusion ignition. As good engineers do, they of course repeated their experiment--achieving ignition at least three times.

This bill would ensure that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has the clear statutory authority it needs to provide a stable regulatory environment, streamline the creation of commercial facilities, and support the development of American fusion energy.

Fusion reactions are at the heart of our very universe. In stars like our own Sun, small atoms like hydrogen combine together into larger ones like helium and release energy. If we can unlock these types of reactions in a commercial facility, we would gain access to a nearly unlimited, clean, safe, reliable, and carbon-free source of electricity for the entire Nation.

That is why Congress must do everything in its power to ensure continued U.S. leadership in developing commercial fusion energy facilities. The Fusion Energy Act would provide regulatory certainty for investors as the NRC develops and streamlines frameworks for such facilities.

I want to thank Representative Lori Trahan of Massachusetts for leading the House companion. I hope all of our colleagues will join us in supporting this bill to advance the future of clean energy through the science of fusion.

Madam President, I rise to introduce the Fusion Energy Act of 2024, which will accelerate the development of commercial fusion energy by codifying the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's regulatory authority.

As a former engineer, I have long been a strong supporter of fusion research and development. The critical investments that our country has made over nearly six decades in the Department of Energy's National Laboratory System have led to incredible fusion discoveries. In December 2022, in my home State of California, Lawrence Livermore National Labnatory became the first facility in the world to demonstrate fusion ignition. As good engineers do, they of course repeated their experiment--achieving ignition at least three times.

This bill would ensure that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has the clear statutory authority it needs to provide a stable regulatory environment, streamline the creation of commercial facilities, and support the development of American fusion energy.

Fusion reactions are at the heart of our very universe. In stars like our own Sun, small atoms like hydrogen combine together into larger ones like helium and release energy. If we can unlock these types of reactions in a commercial facility, we would gain access to a nearly unlimited, clean, safe, reliable, and carbon-free source of electricity for the entire Nation.

That is why Congress must do everything in its power to ensure continued U.S. leadership in developing commercial fusion energy facilities. The Fusion Energy Act would provide regulatory certainty for investors as the NRC develops and streamlines frameworks for such facilities.

I want to thank Representative Lori Trahan of Massachusetts for leading the House companion. I hope all of our colleagues will join us in supporting this bill to advance the future of clean energy through the science of fusion.

Madam President, I rise to introduce the Chuckwalla National Monument Establishment and Joshua Tree National Park Expansion Act.

The Chuckwalla National Monument Establishment and Joshua Tree National Park Expansion Act would establish a new Chuckwalla National Monument to protect approximately 620,000 acres of public lands, while also expanding Joshua Tree National Park by adding approximately 17,842 acres of previously designated public lands that were identified as suitable for inclusion in the park by the National Park Service.

The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument's vast desert landscape spanning from the area along Joshua Tree National Park's southern boundary, along Interstate 10 from the eastern Coachella Valley, and all the way to the Colorado River are worthy of permanent protection.

This area has a unique, biodiverse ecosystem; is home to habitats for species like the Chuckwalla lizard and the endangered desert tortoise; and contains critical migration corridors for desert bighorn sheep. This area is also cherished for outdoor recreation activities like hiking and rock climbing.

The lands within the proposed national monument include the homelands of the Iviatim, Nuwu, Pipa Aha Macav, Kwatsaan, and Maara'yam peoples (Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mojave, Quechan, and Serrano Nations). Designating the Chuckwalla National Monument would help to protect important spiritual and cultural values tied to the land such as multi- use trail systems established by indigenous peoples, sacred sites and objects, traditional cultural places, geoglyphs, petroglyphs, pictographs, and native plants and wildlife.

I am proud to work to introduce this legislation that would preserve part of California's vast desert landscape, help ensure more equitable access to nature and recreation, protect biodiversity, and preserve decades of cultural riches, particularly for the Tribal governments who have worked so hard to protect this area.

I want to thank Representative Raul Ruiz of California for leading the House companion and Senator Butler for her cosponsorship in the Senate. I look forward to working with our colleagues to pass the Chuckwalla National Monument Establishment and Joshua Tree National Park Expansion Act as quickly as possible.

Madam President, I rise to introduce the Chuckwalla National Monument Establishment and Joshua Tree National Park Expansion Act.

The Chuckwalla National Monument Establishment and Joshua Tree National Park Expansion Act would establish a new Chuckwalla National Monument to protect approximately 620,000 acres of public lands, while also expanding Joshua Tree National Park by adding approximately 17,842 acres of previously designated public lands that were identified as suitable for inclusion in the park by the National Park Service.

The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument's vast desert landscape spanning from the area along Joshua Tree National Park's southern boundary, along Interstate 10 from the eastern Coachella Valley, and all the way to the Colorado River are worthy of permanent protection.

This area has a unique, biodiverse ecosystem; is home to habitats for species like the Chuckwalla lizard and the endangered desert tortoise; and contains critical migration corridors for desert bighorn sheep. This area is also cherished for outdoor recreation activities like hiking and rock climbing.

The lands within the proposed national monument include the homelands of the Iviatim, Nuwu, Pipa Aha Macav, Kwatsaan, and Maara'yam peoples (Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mojave, Quechan, and Serrano Nations). Designating the Chuckwalla National Monument would help to protect important spiritual and cultural values tied to the land such as multi- use trail systems established by indigenous peoples, sacred sites and objects, traditional cultural places, geoglyphs, petroglyphs, pictographs, and native plants and wildlife.

I am proud to work to introduce this legislation that would preserve part of California's vast desert landscape, help ensure more equitable access to nature and recreation, protect biodiversity, and preserve decades of cultural riches, particularly for the Tribal governments who have worked so hard to protect this area.

I want to thank Representative Raul Ruiz of California for leading the House companion and Senator Butler for her cosponsorship in the Senate. I look forward to working with our colleagues to pass the Chuckwalla National Monument Establishment and Joshua Tree National Park Expansion Act as quickly as possible.

Madam President, I rise to speak in support of my bill to rename a post office in San Francisco after my former colleague, mentor, and dear friend, the late Senator Dianne Feinstein.

Dianne was a towering figure not just in modern California politics, but in the history of our State and our Nation. She broke barriers throughout her career. Her leadership as the first woman to serve as the mayor of San Francisco in the aftermath of the tragic assassination of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk showcased her unique ability to lead with grace and strength in the face of adversity.

As we look to honor her memory, I believe that one small, but important, way to remember Dianne would be to rename a post office in her beloved hometown after her. Just as Dianne had a keen ability to bridge divides and connect with people from all walks of life, our local post offices symbolize the importance of keeping Americans connected to each other.

My bill would rename the postal facility at 180 Steuart Street in San Francisco as the ``Dianne Feinstein Post Office.''

The site of this post office is rich with decades of history for the Postal Service, the city of San Francisco, and Dianne's career. It is located adjacent to the Rincon Annex, which served as the city's main postal processing and distribution center from 1940 to 1979. This building is designed in the Streamline Moderne style and is adorned with 27 murals depicting the history of San Francisco, which was

funded through the New Deal-era Works Progress Administration. Due to its history and timeless artwork, the Rincon Annex is listed as a San Francisco Designated Landmark and on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

After the postal operations at the Rincon Annex were relocated in 1979, then-Mayor Feinstein oversaw the development of the Rincon Center, which opened in 1988. This large complex, which includes the historic Rincon Annex, contains a network of shops, restaurants, offices, apartments, and the post office that is the subject of my bill.

Located just off the Embarcadero in downtown San Francisco, the ``Dianne Feinstein Post Office'' would serve all kinds of people--from workers on their lunch break sending a letter, to local residents picking up a package, to tourists sending postcards back home to family--all with a stunning view of the Bay Bridge from its front door.

This post office dedication is just one small way to remember Dianne's legacy. And just as she served her beloved San Francisco for so many years, I know that this post office will continue to serve San Franciscans for years to come.

I thank Senator Butler for joining me in this effort, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Madam President, I rise to speak in support of my bill to rename a post office in San Francisco after my former colleague, mentor, and dear friend, the late Senator Dianne Feinstein.

Dianne was a towering figure not just in modern California politics, but in the history of our State and our Nation. She broke barriers throughout her career. Her leadership as the first woman to serve as the mayor of San Francisco in the aftermath of the tragic assassination of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk showcased her unique ability to lead with grace and strength in the face of adversity.

As we look to honor her memory, I believe that one small, but important, way to remember Dianne would be to rename a post office in her beloved hometown after her. Just as Dianne had a keen ability to bridge divides and connect with people from all walks of life, our local post offices symbolize the importance of keeping Americans connected to each other.

My bill would rename the postal facility at 180 Steuart Street in San Francisco as the ``Dianne Feinstein Post Office.''

The site of this post office is rich with decades of history for the Postal Service, the city of San Francisco, and Dianne's career. It is located adjacent to the Rincon Annex, which served as the city's main postal processing and distribution center from 1940 to 1979. This building is designed in the Streamline Moderne style and is adorned with 27 murals depicting the history of San Francisco, which was

funded through the New Deal-era Works Progress Administration. Due to its history and timeless artwork, the Rincon Annex is listed as a San Francisco Designated Landmark and on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

After the postal operations at the Rincon Annex were relocated in 1979, then-Mayor Feinstein oversaw the development of the Rincon Center, which opened in 1988. This large complex, which includes the historic Rincon Annex, contains a network of shops, restaurants, offices, apartments, and the post office that is the subject of my bill.

Located just off the Embarcadero in downtown San Francisco, the ``Dianne Feinstein Post Office'' would serve all kinds of people--from workers on their lunch break sending a letter, to local residents picking up a package, to tourists sending postcards back home to family--all with a stunning view of the Bay Bridge from its front door.

This post office dedication is just one small way to remember Dianne's legacy. And just as she served her beloved San Francisco for so many years, I know that this post office will continue to serve San Franciscans for years to come.

I thank Senator Butler for joining me in this effort, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Madam President, I rise to introduce the Equal Health Care for All Act, which appropriately frames healthcare discrimination as a civil rights issue.

Inequitable access to quality, affordable healthcare is the result of centuries of structural and systemic racism, all of which continues to result in poorer health outcomes in communities of color.

Black, Hispanic, and indigenous individuals are disproportionately more likely than their White counterparts to suffer from a range of illnesses, from asthma to heart disease to prostate cancer.

Inequitable outcomes are not exclusive to racial trends, however. Women are both diagnosed with and die from lung cancer at a higher rate than men, when comparing those who never smoked. And while rates of lung cancer have dropped, women fall behind while rates of cancer drop faster for men.

The Equal Health Care for All Act seeks to address structural inequities by establishing a legal definition of ``inequitable health care'' and creating a formal process to enforce the standard.

The bill would also establish a grant program to assist hospitals and other providers in implementing reforms to ensure equitable care and would establish a permanent Federal Health Equity Commission to study and make recommendations on health equity issues.

I would like to thank my colead, Representative Adam Schiff, for his leadership in California and for leading on this issue in the House.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact the Equal Health Care for All Act as quickly as possible.

Madam President, I rise to introduce the Equal Health Care for All Act, which appropriately frames healthcare discrimination as a civil rights issue.

Inequitable access to quality, affordable healthcare is the result of centuries of structural and systemic racism, all of which continues to result in poorer health outcomes in communities of color.

Black, Hispanic, and indigenous individuals are disproportionately more likely than their White counterparts to suffer from a range of illnesses, from asthma to heart disease to prostate cancer.

Inequitable outcomes are not exclusive to racial trends, however. Women are both diagnosed with and die from lung cancer at a higher rate than men, when comparing those who never smoked. And while rates of lung cancer have dropped, women fall behind while rates of cancer drop faster for men.

The Equal Health Care for All Act seeks to address structural inequities by establishing a legal definition of ``inequitable health care'' and creating a formal process to enforce the standard.

The bill would also establish a grant program to assist hospitals and other providers in implementing reforms to ensure equitable care and would establish a permanent Federal Health Equity Commission to study and make recommendations on health equity issues.

I would like to thank my colead, Representative Adam Schiff, for his leadership in California and for leading on this issue in the House.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact the Equal Health Care for All Act as quickly as possible.