Floor Statements

Madam President, the Senate will soon consider the nomination of Judge Eumi Lee to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

I rise today to share, briefly, more about this dedicated public servant and to encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting her nomination.

The proud daughter of parents who survived the Korean war before emigrating to the United States, Judge Eumi Lee was born in Wisconsin and raised in Tennessee. She earned her bachelor's degree from Pomona College and her law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center.

After law school, Judge Lee clerked for several judges on the Federal bench--first, for the Western District of Tennessee, then in the San Francisco Bay area clerking on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Now, those early days also included time working on complex litigation and white-collar defense matters in private practice, as well as developing a strong pro bono practice.

After a number of years of developing core litigation skills, she began teaching as a professor at UC Hastings College of law, supervising clinical students in direct representation and appearing alongside her students in State court.

It is there that Judge Lee also cofounded the Hastings Institute for Criminal Justice. Recognizing her remarkable record and diverse experience practicing law, in 2018, then-California Governor Jerry Brown appointed Judge Lee to the Alameda County Superior Court, where she became the first Korean American ever appointed to serve on that bench.

In the more than two decades that she has spent learning, teaching, and practicing law, Judge Lee has not only gained a wealth of legal expertise, but she has constantly reached out to support others on their path as well.

She has consistently worked to mentor women, people of color, and those typically underrepresented in the legal profession, because Judge Lee knows that public service doesn't stop at the courthouse doors.

In private practice, in the classroom, and in the courtroom, she has demonstrated the intellect and independent mind needed to serve on the Northern District with distinction. And I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting her confirmation.

Madam President, I yield the floor.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Madam President, I rise to introduce legislation to reaffirm the applicability of the Indian Reorganization Act to the Lytton Rancheria of California.

This legislation would provide clarity that the Lytton Rancheria of California is able to place land into trust via the Department of the Interior's standard land-to-trust process, 25 CFR part 151.

The Lytton Rancheria would like to place additional land into trust in order to build a proper homeland and provide housing for their members. The bill is needed to clarify that Lytton Rancheria is subject to the Indian Reorganization Act and, just like other Tribal governments, is able to put land into trust through the administrative process.

Madam President, I rise to introduce legislation to reaffirm the applicability of the Indian Reorganization Act to the Lytton Rancheria of California.

This legislation would provide clarity that the Lytton Rancheria of California is able to place land into trust via the Department of the Interior's standard land-to-trust process, 25 CFR part 151.

The Lytton Rancheria would like to place additional land into trust in order to build a proper homeland and provide housing for their members. The bill is needed to clarify that Lytton Rancheria is subject to the Indian Reorganization Act and, just like other Tribal governments, is able to put land into trust through the administrative process.

Madam President, I rise to introduce the Accelerating, Networking, Cyberinfrastructure, and Hardwater for Oceanic Research, ANCHOR, Act. This bipartisan and bicameral legislation would require the National Science Foundation to plan critical cyber security and internet upgrades to essential oceanographic research vessels.

This bill would direct the National Science Foundation to report to Congress on the costs, personnel, and equipment necessary to upgrade the 17 ocean- and lake-going research vessels in the Academic Research Fleet. These ships and their submarines do research around the world across topics as fundamental as climate change, marine health, and national security. This report is an important first step in making needed upgrades to these research vessels for improved science, cyber security, and telecommunications.

Around the world, researchers traverse waters to better understand our oceans. In Alaska, the R/V Sikuliaq regularly ventures into icy Arctic waters, breaking ice up to 2.5 inches thick to study remote polar ecosystems. In California, the R/V Sally Ride explores the deep ocean in the Pacific, characterizing the toxic legacy of DDT barrels dumped over 50 years ago. In the Great Lakes, the R/V Blue Heron navigates Lake Superior, conducting long-term research on harmful algal blooms.

But these important research vessels suffer from aging infrastructure. As ships and submarines collect sensitive data about our climate, foreign adversaries increasingly attack the weakened cyber security defenses on research vessels.

The upgrades planned in the ANCHOR Act are cost-effective, allowing repairs in real time with remote experts that keep ships going on their missions. Improved internet is also a boost for crew morale, science efficiency, and education. With faster upload and download speeds, scientists and crew members will be able to transmit data to shore for processing, make Zoom calls with classrooms on land, and call loved ones or even mental health providers during long months at sea.

I want to thank Senator Sullivan for introducing this important legislation with me in the Senate and Representatives Mike Garcia and Haley Stevens for leading the House companion. I hope all of our colleagues will join us in supporting this bipartisan bill to improve our Nation's oceanographic research and security.

Madam President, I rise to introduce the Accelerating, Networking, Cyberinfrastructure, and Hardwater for Oceanic Research, ANCHOR, Act. This bipartisan and bicameral legislation would require the National Science Foundation to plan critical cyber security and internet upgrades to essential oceanographic research vessels.

This bill would direct the National Science Foundation to report to Congress on the costs, personnel, and equipment necessary to upgrade the 17 ocean- and lake-going research vessels in the Academic Research Fleet. These ships and their submarines do research around the world across topics as fundamental as climate change, marine health, and national security. This report is an important first step in making needed upgrades to these research vessels for improved science, cyber security, and telecommunications.

Around the world, researchers traverse waters to better understand our oceans. In Alaska, the R/V Sikuliaq regularly ventures into icy Arctic waters, breaking ice up to 2.5 inches thick to study remote polar ecosystems. In California, the R/V Sally Ride explores the deep ocean in the Pacific, characterizing the toxic legacy of DDT barrels dumped over 50 years ago. In the Great Lakes, the R/V Blue Heron navigates Lake Superior, conducting long-term research on harmful algal blooms.

But these important research vessels suffer from aging infrastructure. As ships and submarines collect sensitive data about our climate, foreign adversaries increasingly attack the weakened cyber security defenses on research vessels.

The upgrades planned in the ANCHOR Act are cost-effective, allowing repairs in real time with remote experts that keep ships going on their missions. Improved internet is also a boost for crew morale, science efficiency, and education. With faster upload and download speeds, scientists and crew members will be able to transmit data to shore for processing, make Zoom calls with classrooms on land, and call loved ones or even mental health providers during long months at sea.

I want to thank Senator Sullivan for introducing this important legislation with me in the Senate and Representatives Mike Garcia and Haley Stevens for leading the House companion. I hope all of our colleagues will join us in supporting this bipartisan bill to improve our Nation's oceanographic research and security.

Madam President, I rise to introduce the Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act.

The Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act would place four parcels of approximately 172 acres of land already owned in fee by the Jamul Indian Village into trust by the United States for the benefit of the Tribe.

The four parcels of land in the bill would not be used for any class II or class III gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

Over time, Jamul's ancestral lands have diminished from over 640 acres to just 6 acres, which now comprise the Tribe's entire trust land base. This 6-acre reservation is one of the smallest reservations in the country.

In 2005, Jamul Tribal members voluntarily moved off of the reservation in order to allow the Tribe to pursue economic development, build a casino, and become self-sufficient and less reliant on the Federal Government.

The Tribe has worked hard to maximize the use of its 6-acre reservation. Jamul opened a casino in 2006 and is working towards the opening of an adjacent hotel next year. Once the hotel is complete, the casino and hotel will occupy the entire Tribal reservation.

This legislation would place additional acres into trust for the benefit of the Tribe, allowing Jamul to build a true homeland and bring their members back to the reservation. On the largest parcel covered by the bill, Jamul plans to develop housing for their Tribal members so they can create a true homeland, as well as use the land for administrative offices, a health clinic, a childcare center, educational services, a community center, law enforcement offices, and other community resources for Tribal members.

Another parcel contains the only physical access road to the Tribe's reservation, and the fourth parcel contains the Tribe's historical church and cemetery.

I am proud to work with the Jamul Indian Village to introduce this bill that would enhance Tribal community development, preserve a sacred site, and improve economic development opportunities that will positively impact the Tribes' members and culture for generations to come. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act in the Senate as quickly as possible.

Madam President, I rise to introduce the Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act.

The Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act would place four parcels of approximately 172 acres of land already owned in fee by the Jamul Indian Village into trust by the United States for the benefit of the Tribe.

The four parcels of land in the bill would not be used for any class II or class III gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

Over time, Jamul's ancestral lands have diminished from over 640 acres to just 6 acres, which now comprise the Tribe's entire trust land base. This 6-acre reservation is one of the smallest reservations in the country.

In 2005, Jamul Tribal members voluntarily moved off of the reservation in order to allow the Tribe to pursue economic development, build a casino, and become self-sufficient and less reliant on the Federal Government.

The Tribe has worked hard to maximize the use of its 6-acre reservation. Jamul opened a casino in 2006 and is working towards the opening of an adjacent hotel next year. Once the hotel is complete, the casino and hotel will occupy the entire Tribal reservation.

This legislation would place additional acres into trust for the benefit of the Tribe, allowing Jamul to build a true homeland and bring their members back to the reservation. On the largest parcel covered by the bill, Jamul plans to develop housing for their Tribal members so they can create a true homeland, as well as use the land for administrative offices, a health clinic, a childcare center, educational services, a community center, law enforcement offices, and other community resources for Tribal members.

Another parcel contains the only physical access road to the Tribe's reservation, and the fourth parcel contains the Tribe's historical church and cemetery.

I am proud to work with the Jamul Indian Village to introduce this bill that would enhance Tribal community development, preserve a sacred site, and improve economic development opportunities that will positively impact the Tribes' members and culture for generations to come. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act in the Senate as quickly as possible.

Madam President, I rise to introduce the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program Establishment Act or LIHWAP Establishment Act. This legislation would establish the first-ever permanent, national water assistance program to help low-income households pay their water bills.

In 2021, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress provided $1.1 billion of critical assistance through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and American Rescue Plan of 2021 to low- income households struggling to pay water and sewer bills. Since then,

LIHWAP has helped 1.4 million households across the country maintain or restore access to water service. However, LIHWAP was created as an emergency program and expired at the end of fiscal year 2023.

Recognizing the importance of Federal water assistance, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act, which directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, to create a Rural and Low-Income Water Assistance Pilot Program and report to Congress on the results of the pilot.

The LIHWAP Establishment Act would provide the necessary congressional authorization for a permanent LIHWAP beyond the COVID-19 emergency.

The LIHWAP Establishment Act would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Administrator of the EPA, to establish a permanent low-income water assistance program. Just as the program did during the pandemic, LIHWAP would award grants to States, territories, and Tribes to assist low-income households in paying for drinking water or wastewater services.

The bill would also empower nonprofit organizations to assist small, rural, underserved, and Tribal water systems apply for and access LIHWAP funding, as well as direct HHS to provide technical assistance to help agencies and water systems set up data sharing agreements to streamline eligibility requirements for low-income households.

In addition, the bill would transfer authority for the program from HHS to the EPA upon completion of the EPA's Rural and Low-Income Water Assistance Pilot Program.

Safeguarding water affordability for all Americans remains critical as household water and sewer bills rise faster than electric bills and inflation. Families continue to struggle to pay their water bills on time, and low-income communities suffer from disproportionate vulnerabilities affecting their access to clean, affordable water services.

Like heat and nutrition, which already have established Federal assistance programs, water is a vital and fundamental resource for public health and economic prosperity in all communities across the country. A permanent LIHWAP ensures we can continue to provide the necessary water assistance to low-income households at risk of losing access.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the LIHWAP Establishment Act as quickly as possible.

Madam President, I rise to introduce the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program Establishment Act or LIHWAP Establishment Act. This legislation would establish the first-ever permanent, national water assistance program to help low-income households pay their water bills.

In 2021, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress provided $1.1 billion of critical assistance through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and American Rescue Plan of 2021 to low- income households struggling to pay water and sewer bills. Since then,

LIHWAP has helped 1.4 million households across the country maintain or restore access to water service. However, LIHWAP was created as an emergency program and expired at the end of fiscal year 2023.

Recognizing the importance of Federal water assistance, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act, which directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, to create a Rural and Low-Income Water Assistance Pilot Program and report to Congress on the results of the pilot.

The LIHWAP Establishment Act would provide the necessary congressional authorization for a permanent LIHWAP beyond the COVID-19 emergency.

The LIHWAP Establishment Act would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Administrator of the EPA, to establish a permanent low-income water assistance program. Just as the program did during the pandemic, LIHWAP would award grants to States, territories, and Tribes to assist low-income households in paying for drinking water or wastewater services.

The bill would also empower nonprofit organizations to assist small, rural, underserved, and Tribal water systems apply for and access LIHWAP funding, as well as direct HHS to provide technical assistance to help agencies and water systems set up data sharing agreements to streamline eligibility requirements for low-income households.

In addition, the bill would transfer authority for the program from HHS to the EPA upon completion of the EPA's Rural and Low-Income Water Assistance Pilot Program.

Safeguarding water affordability for all Americans remains critical as household water and sewer bills rise faster than electric bills and inflation. Families continue to struggle to pay their water bills on time, and low-income communities suffer from disproportionate vulnerabilities affecting their access to clean, affordable water services.

Like heat and nutrition, which already have established Federal assistance programs, water is a vital and fundamental resource for public health and economic prosperity in all communities across the country. A permanent LIHWAP ensures we can continue to provide the necessary water assistance to low-income households at risk of losing access.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the LIHWAP Establishment Act as quickly as possible.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I rise today with the bittersweet task of saying goodbye to our office's departing chief counsel, Alyson Sincavage. Whether it was her time as a public defender or fighting on behalf of immigrants at the American Immigration Lawyers Association to cutting her teeth in the Senate with former Senator Tom Udall and my colleague Senator Tim Kaine, Alyson has been exactly the type of public servant we were looking for when I joined the Senate in 2021 and was handed the gavel to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety.

From the earliest days of setting up shop in the subcommittee, through tireless fights during reconciliation and nonstop negotiations and vote-a-ramas, from helping me prepare for the historic confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to navigating contentious markups--yes, we have contentious markups in the Senate Judiciary Committee from time to time--and also overseeing the confirmation of 30 judges to the Federal bench in California, she has done a lot.

She has helped guide my team of counsels on the Judiciary Committee while we have taken on the dark money influence on the Supreme Court of the United States. We worked together to protect reproductive rights and, particularly the last few months, defending against some of the most extreme and cruel Republican immigration proposals. She has fought for Dreamers, for farmworkers and essential workers and for keeping the asylum system serving asylum seekers and immigrant communities who too often lack someone who is watching their back while in the room where decisions are being made and proposals are being negotiated.

In this most partisan of times, she has constantly reminded all of us about the human impact of what we do and who would be most affected by the decisions we make here in Washington.

Through her tireless dedication and her unrivaled expertise, she has also helped guide fellow immigration counsels in other offices, serving as the moral conscience of the Senate on immigration and an invaluable resource for staffers and Senators alike.

I want to acknowledge that Alyson has spent countless hours, many late nights, not just long days, early mornings, long days and late nights and weekends committed to the work and to the fight. That doesn't always show up in the box score. It may not always make headlines the next day. Through it all, she has always kept her cool unless the situation called for a little bit of fire, which, actually, oftentimes it did.

Finally, speaking not just as a Senator but as a parent, I know just how hard these jobs can be to navigate those long days with the emotions running high--in the office, not just at home--and to still make sure we are picking up the kids, putting kids to bed at night, attending to those kid birthday parties on the weekends, and, yes, making sure the dinosaur doesn't go to school.

Alyson has essentially managed 3 years of around-the-clock immigration negotiations, our entire Senate subcommittee, and still made time to be a good mom and to bring her kids to the Hart Office Building on Halloween for trick-or-treating.

To her kids, Siena and Jude, who may be too young now to appreciate this but watch this video in years to come, please know just how important your mom has been, not just helping to build a future for your family but for millions of families across the country.

To her husband Adam and to her entire family, thank you for sharing her with us. The Senate is a better institution, the State of California is a better place, and our future is stronger because of the work Alyson has done.

To Alyson, thank you for all that you have done for Angela and me, for our office, and for the people of California and the Nation. We are going to miss you. We know you are not going too far, and you will be back often to visit, but we are going to miss you in the office. We thank you so very much.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate the life of Ignacio E. ``Nacho'' Lozano, Jr., a name synonymous with the rise of Hispanic media in the United States and the legendary, longtime publisher of the Spanish-language newspaper La Opinion. He passed away in December at the age of 96.

Nacho Lozano was born in San Antonio to parents Alicia Elizondo Lozano and Ignacio E. Lozano, Sr.--the founder of the San Antonio-based daily newspaper La Prensa and, later, the publisher of La Opinion, then a little-known daily newspaper for the growing Latino population of Los Angeles.

Lozano long knew where he was headed in life; he set out to study journalism at the University of Notre Dame, began working at La Opinion after college, and in 1953, after the death of his father, became its publisher.

When Lozano took the helm of La Opinion, it had a circulation of 12,000. By the time Lozano stepped down over 30 years later, it had boomed to 70,000 subscribers, as scores of Spanish speakers in the Los Angeles region had come to claim it as their daily paper. But it didn't just grow in size; Lozano had fundamentally shifted the direction of Spanish-language media. What was once an outlet focused on stories from Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries grew to dominate a local beat not often covered by major English-language outlets.

Under Lozano's leadership, La Opinion became a paper that reflected the emerging Latino audience in Southern California. As he told the Los Angeles Times in 1976, ``It is no longer a Mexican newspaper published in Los Angeles . . . but an American newspaper which happens to be published in Spanish.''

In 1981, after a La Opinion photographer was assaulted by Immigration and Naturalization Service agents while reporting on anti-deportation protests, Lozano successfully sued the Federal Government to the tune of $300,000, defending not only his reporter but the principle of a free and independent Hispanic media.

While editorial control and ownership of La Opinion changed hands over time, Lozano represented more to his community and our Nation than just a leading newspaper publisher.

He served as a consultant to the State Department under President Johnson, on the Council of Spanish-Speaking Americans under President Nixon, and eventually as Ambassador to El Salvador under President Ford.

But back home he held a different title: loving husband to Marta Navarro Lozano for 67 years and caring father to Leticia, Jose, Monica, and Francisco.

Ignacio Lozano, Jr., was a transformative pioneer for Hispanic media, a legend in the Los Angeles community, and a generous benefactor for his cherished causes--from performing arts to student scholarships.

Angela and I send our best to his four children, his nine grandchildren, and to all those in California and across the Nation who have ever turned to the Lozano family and their daily paper to stay informed.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, these past 2 weeks have given the American people a clear window into the Republican mind when it comes to immigration. They can't decide if immigration reform is the responsibility of Congress or if it is the responsibility of the President. They can't decide if the border is in crisis or if they would rather wait until after the election to talk about it or try to do something about it.

Today, in this resolution, they are doubling down on declaring an ``invasion'' and vilifying immigrants, while preventing the Federal Government from keeping order on the border.

My first message to my Republican colleagues here today is this: Make up your mind. Do you want to get serious about immigration reform or not?

They can't do it, and these past few weeks we saw why. Republicans believe that fear of our border translates into turnout at the ballot box. And because they believe that a narrative of chaos and fear would help Donald Trump in November, they are saying the quiet part out loud. They are saying it. They are repeating it. They are amplifying it on social media.

It is the same reason that they can greet Secretary Mayorkas at the negotiation table during these supplemental negotiations with one hand, while with their other hand they file baseless impeachment articles against him.

Today's resolution is just as unserious as it was the last time that they brought it up.

Let's put aside, for a moment, the obvious constitutional concerns, put aside, for a moment, and discuss what giving immigration powers to Governors would look like.

Colleagues, the fact is, you don't even have to imagine. Let's look at what is happening in Texas. Governor Abbott has shown us the cruelty and lawlessness of what it would lead to: unconstitutional legislation to terrorize immigrants in Texas, putting them at risk of racial profiling and civil rights violations; razor-lined buoys that have pushed asylum seekers and their families, including small children-- nursing babies, colleagues, nursing babies--into dangerous waters with deadly consequences--you want to know why we talk about humanity; this is happening--and razor wire along the border that prevents Federal officials from doing their job of securing the border; State governments preventing Federal officials from doing their job.

Is that what you want? For the self-proclaimed party of law and order, Republicans are acting like anything but.

Now, let's not lose sight of the very real danger of this kind of action and this kind of rhetoric. The idea that immigrants are invading has radicalized people in our country to perpetuate terrible violence in the not so distant past, including the 2019 shooting in an El Paso Walmart, where a White nationalist murdered 23 people, Hispanic families who were back-to-school shopping.

My colleague from Kansas asked something about being able to sleep at night. Since that day, I have not been able to sleep as well at night for fear of the same happening in my community, to my family.

Now, I agree that the asylum system is outdated and in need of modernization. We must have a border that is more secure and more orderly and humane. But there is absolutely not an invasion happening, as our Republican colleagues have tried to portray. People arriving at our borders are seeking protection for themselves and their families, seeking refuge from violence and political persecution from oppressive regimes, exercising their legal right to seek asylum--a legal right to seek asylum that we established back in World War II.

Today's resolution would represent a fundamental disregard for the Constitution and the rule of law, and it would undoubtedly lead to more cruelty at the border and throughout the country, for that matter, not just at the border. It is for that reason that I object.

Madam President, I rise to introduce the Protect Innocent Victims Of Taxation After Fire Act. This legislation would provide tax relief for individuals and families who have received compensation for losses and damages suffered during a wildfire.

The Protect Innocent Victims Of Taxation After Fire Act would exclude from gross income certain qualified wildfire relief payments, including compensation for losses, expenses, or damages, such as compensation for additional living expenses, lost wages, personal injury, death, or emotional distress.

This legislation would provide much needed certainty and relief to victims by ensuring that any compensation they receive is not subject to Federal income tax and instead may be fully utilized for its intended purpose.

Pacific Gas & Electric, or PG&E, equipment was found to be responsible for three major fires in 2015, 2017, and 2018. In 2019, PG&E and victims of these wildfires reached a settlement that set up a Fire Victim Trust, funded with $6.75 billion in cash and 477 million shares of PG&E stock, to compensate victims for losses and damages associated with these devastating wildfires.

Unfortunately, the taxability of funds received from the trust varies based on what type of loss is being claimed, which makes it difficult for recipients to determine what amount of their claims can be used to rebuild their lives or replace their losses. This financial and legal uncertainty is the last thing wildfire victims should be worried about in the aftermath of such tragedy.

This specific settlement is unfortunately no longer unique. Last Congress, I joined Senators Feinstein and Hickenlooper as well as our bipartisan House leads in introducing a version of this legislation designed to cover the Fire Victim Trust claimants. The bill introduced today expands protections to anyone receiving wildfire-related disaster aid payments. As the impacts of climate change continue to fuel the frequency and severity of wildfires across the Western United States, it is imperative that Congress enact this legislation and provide certainty to both past victims and those who may be impacted in the future.

I would like to thank Representatives LaMalfa and Thompson for leading this bipartisan legislation in the House, and I hope my colleagues will join us in supporting this bill to ensure wildfire victims receive full and proper compensation to help rebuild their lives and communities.

Madam President, I rise to introduce the INVITE Act.

This legislation would require USCIS field offices to offer voter registration assistance at naturalization ceremonies to ensure that newly naturalized United States citizens are able to fully participate in our democratic process.

This legislation would designate USCIS field offices as voter registration agencies under the National Voter Registration Act and require them to support new citizens in registering to vote, including providing the registration application, offering assistance in completing the application, and returning the application to the State election official or agency.

It would significantly expand the agency's voter registration efforts to encompass all new United States citizens, not just those naturalized through USCIS administrative ceremonies.

USCIS policy currently only requires the agency to ensure that voter registration forms are distributed to new United States citizens at their naturalization ceremonies--not returned to the appropriate State election agency--and also fails to reach new United States citizens who are naturalized at judicial ceremonies or without a formal ceremony.

During the recent midterm elections, just 61 percent of all naturalized citizens were registered to vote, compared to 70 percent of native-born Americans, due in part to distinct obstacles, such as language barriers, that new citizens face.

The National Voter Registration Act has proven to be an effective tool for voter registration, with departments of motor vehicles accounting for almost 40 million new voter registration applications from 2018 to 2022.

USCIS, like the other agencies designated under the National Voter Registration Act, interacts with a significant population of eligible but unregistered voters. In 2022, the agency naturalized more than 900,000 new U.S. citizens.

New United States citizens deserve to be supported as they exercise their right to political participation, as guaranteed by our Constitution.

Madam President, I rise to introduce the Protect Innocent Victims Of Taxation After Fire Act. This legislation would provide tax relief for individuals and families who have received compensation for losses and damages suffered during a wildfire.

The Protect Innocent Victims Of Taxation After Fire Act would exclude from gross income certain qualified wildfire relief payments, including compensation for losses, expenses, or damages, such as compensation for additional living expenses, lost wages, personal injury, death, or emotional distress.

This legislation would provide much needed certainty and relief to victims by ensuring that any compensation they receive is not subject to Federal income tax and instead may be fully utilized for its intended purpose.

Pacific Gas & Electric, or PG&E, equipment was found to be responsible for three major fires in 2015, 2017, and 2018. In 2019, PG&E and victims of these wildfires reached a settlement that set up a Fire Victim Trust, funded with $6.75 billion in cash and 477 million shares of PG&E stock, to compensate victims for losses and damages associated with these devastating wildfires.

Unfortunately, the taxability of funds received from the trust varies based on what type of loss is being claimed, which makes it difficult for recipients to determine what amount of their claims can be used to rebuild their lives or replace their losses. This financial and legal uncertainty is the last thing wildfire victims should be worried about in the aftermath of such tragedy.

This specific settlement is unfortunately no longer unique. Last Congress, I joined Senators Feinstein and Hickenlooper as well as our bipartisan House leads in introducing a version of this legislation designed to cover the Fire Victim Trust claimants. The bill introduced today expands protections to anyone receiving wildfire-related disaster aid payments. As the impacts of climate change continue to fuel the frequency and severity of wildfires across the Western United States, it is imperative that Congress enact this legislation and provide certainty to both past victims and those who may be impacted in the future.

I would like to thank Representatives LaMalfa and Thompson for leading this bipartisan legislation in the House, and I hope my colleagues will join us in supporting this bill to ensure wildfire victims receive full and proper compensation to help rebuild their lives and communities.