Floor Statements

Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Tule River Tribe Reserved Water Rights Settlement Act of 2022. This legislation would finalize this multidecade effort by the Tule River Tribe to provide clean drinking water to their people and uphold the Federal Government's trust and treaty responsibilities.

The Tule River people are descendants of the Yokuts Indians, a large group of Native Americans who occupied what is now known as the San Joaquin Valley in California for thousands of years prior to contact with settlers.

In 1856, the Federal Government established their reservation in Tulare County, with the specific goal of providing the Tribe with arable farmland and the water resources necessary to establish self- sufficiency. However, their land was fraudulently stolen from them, and in 1873, President Grant issued an Executive order to create a new reservation for the tribe. This land, which is the Tribe's current reservation, is comprised of mostly mountainous lands that do not provide sufficient irrigation opportunities or water storage facilities. Today, the Tule River Tribe struggles to provide clean drinking water to their people, and Tule Tribal citizens suffer from a low standard of living as a result.

Since 1971, the Tribe has worked to establish its federally reserved water rights to create the viable homeland they were promised and to ensure that their citizens have enough water to meet their current and future water needs. For decades, the Tribe has worked with the Departments of the Interior and Justice as well as downstream water users to advance a settlement agreement, thereby avoiding costly litigation for both the Tribe and the U.S. Government.

I am proud to introduce this legislation to quantify the Tribe's water right of 5,828 acre-feet per year of surface water and fund $568 million towards the construction of a water storage project. Our legislation would also codify what is known as the 2007 Agreement with downstream water users, who support this legislation. Finally, the legislation would transfer approximately 9,000 acres of Federal land currently in the Sequoia National Monument to allow the Tribe to protect the watershed headwaters and 800 acres of grazing land to the north and south of the reservation boundary.

It is long past time for the Federal Government to live up to its trust and treaty responsibilities to the Tule River Tribe. We must codify this water settlement and settle the Tule River Tribe's claims against the United States. Access to clean drinking water now and in the future is essential to the continued strength of Tribal nations and to ensuring the sustainability and viability of future generations.

Water is a sacred and necessary resource for Tribal nations and for all people. As California and the West continue to experience a historic megadrought, enactment of our legislation would provide water security to Tule River citizens now and into the future.

I thank Senator Feinstein for introducing this legislation with me in the Senate. I would also like to thank the Tule River Tribe for their decades of hard work to finalize this settlement and the downstream water users, including the Tule River Association and the South Tule Independent Ditch Company, for working with the Tribe to settle this issue and avoid litigation.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact the Tule River Tribe Reserved Water Rights Settlement Act of 2022 as quickly as possible.

Mr. President, I have six requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority Leaders.

Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate:

Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the confirmation of Martin Estrada to be U.S. attorney for the Central District of California.

The Central District of California is the largest Federal judicial district in the country. It serves over 19 million Californians, almost twice as many people as the next largest district, and it serves about half the population of the State of California.

It spans from San Luis Obispo County, home of Los Padres National Forest, all the way to Riverside County and the Mojave Desert. It spans from the Pacific Ocean to the eastern border with Arizona and Nevada. And it is home to some of the most diverse communities in the country.

So having painted that picture of the district that it serves, you can imagine that to effectively serve as the chief Federal law enforcement officer for such a large and diverse district, you need someone with a proven track record of experience, of credibility with the community, and the character to fight for truth and fairness in our judicial system.

Martin Estrada is exactly the right person for the job. He is a proud son of immigrants from Guatemala. Martin has spent most of his life in and around the Central District community that he will now serve as U.S. attorney.

He was raised near Costa Mesa in Orange County and earned his undergraduate degree at the University of California, Irvine. After earning his law degree at Stanford Law School, Martin returned home to the Central District, where he clerked for Federal District Judge Robert Timlin and then later for Judge Arthur Alarcon for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

After spending time as an associate at the highly regarded Los Angeles law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson, Martin served for 7 years as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Central District, working to protect communities from major crimes. Now, since 2014, he has been a partner at Munger, Tolles & Olson, and he has represented clients from before both Federal and State courts in a diverse array of legal practice areas. Meanwhile, he has maintained a significant pro bono practice, fighting for equal justice and equal access to justice for Dreamers, Latinos, Native American students, students with disabilities, and more. He has excelled at every stage of his career, and he is more than qualified to serve as U.S. attorney for California's Central District.

I have no doubt that he will bring a temperament, intelligence, and work ethic worthy of the community he will now once again serve.

I want to thank all of you, colleagues. I want to thank you for supporting his confirmation.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate the life of Larry Petree, a beloved member of the Bakersfield community and a pioneer in the creation of a uniquely Californian brand of country music.

Larry Petree was born in Oklahoma in 1933 at the heart of the Great Depression. Like so many Americans from Dust Bowl communities in the 1930s, at the age of 9, Larry's family moved out West and settled in Bakersfield, CA. He attended Bakersfield High School before going on to serve a tour of duty in the U.S. Army and then working for over three decades as a mechanic with the Kern County Fire Department, where he could overhaul truck engines with ease.

But Larry's friends and fans knew him best working with a different instrument. From his seat behind his pedal steel guitar, he helped to produce the ``Bakersfield Sound,'' an entirely new, rock `n roll- inspired genre of country music that introduced the sounds of California country to a national audience in the 1960s.

For decades, Larry's masterful control of the twangy steel guitar brought life and energy to the honky-tonks and watering holes of the Central Valley. Playing alongside country artists Red Simpson, Tommy Hays, and the Western Swingsters, his music joined the likes of Merle Haggard and Buck Owens to help fuel a movement that proved California could be home to the country music industry. And he did it all, in large part, thanks to the support of his wife Betty, his beloved partner for over 60 years.

California is grateful for his service to our country, his contributions to our culture, and for the timeless music he introduced to our communities.

Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act, which I introduced today.

America's truckdrivers are on the frontlines of keeping goods and our economy moving. More than 70 percent of goods across the United States are shipped by truck.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting supply chain crisis exacerbated longstanding challenges for truckers, including long hours away from home and time spent waiting--often unpaid--to load and unload at congested ports, warehouses, and distribution centers.

As our Nation makes historic investments in our port and supply chain infrastructure through the bipartisan infrastructure law, we should also improve wages and working conditions for essential workers and ensure they are paid for all of the hours they work.

However, for more than 80 years, Federal law has denied truckers guaranteed overtime pay benefits that are afforded to nearly all other professions. This means that if a truckdriver experiences delays due to congestion or weather, they are often not paid even though they are working.

The motor carrier exemption is exacerbating trucking workforce challenges. Additionally, research suggests that when truck labor rates are fair, there is less driver fatigue, fewer regulatory violations, and lower crash rates.

That is why I am proud to introduce this bill to repeal the overtime exemption for motor carriers.

I want to thank Senator Markey for co-leading this bill with me, and I hope our colleagues will join us in support of this bill that will ensure that trucker compensation reflects the fact that these jobs are essential.

Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act, which I introduced today.

America's truckdrivers are on the frontlines of keeping goods and our economy moving. More than 70 percent of goods across the United States are shipped by truck.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting supply chain crisis exacerbated longstanding challenges for truckers, including long hours away from home and time spent waiting--often unpaid--to load and unload at congested ports, warehouses, and distribution centers.

As our Nation makes historic investments in our port and supply chain infrastructure through the bipartisan infrastructure law, we should also improve wages and working conditions for essential workers and ensure they are paid for all of the hours they work.

However, for more than 80 years, Federal law has denied truckers guaranteed overtime pay benefits that are afforded to nearly all other professions. This means that if a truckdriver experiences delays due to congestion or weather, they are often not paid even though they are working.

The motor carrier exemption is exacerbating trucking workforce challenges. Additionally, research suggests that when truck labor rates are fair, there is less driver fatigue, fewer regulatory violations, and lower crash rates.

That is why I am proud to introduce this bill to repeal the overtime exemption for motor carriers.

I want to thank Senator Markey for co-leading this bill with me, and I hope our colleagues will join us in support of this bill that will ensure that trucker compensation reflects the fact that these jobs are essential.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, the Senate consider Calendar No. 4, treaty document No. 116-2; that the treaty be considered as having advanced through the various parliamentary stages up to and including the presentation of the resolution of the advice and consent to ratification; that any committee conditions, declarations, or reservations be agreed to and applicable; that any statements be printed in the Record as if read; further, that if the resolution of ratification is agreed to, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Madam President, I ask for a division vote on the resolution of advice and consent to ratification.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session and be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Con. Res. 44.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Madam President, I understand that there is a bill at the desk, and I ask for its first reading.

I now ask for a second reading, and in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to my own request.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, September 13, and that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; that upon the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Freeman nomination postcloture; further, that all postcloture time on the Freeman nomination be considered expired at 11:30 a.m. and that following the cloture vote on the Montecalvo nomination, the Senate recess until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus meetings; finally, that if any nominations are confirmed during Tuesday's session, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Madam President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Madam President, as Mr. Schumer said, I rise today to honor the life and mourn the passing of Vincent ``Vin'' Scully, who will be remembered as the greatest broadcaster in sports history, and a true ambassador for Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the game of baseball.

Born in 1927 in the Bronx, he grew up near the Polo Grounds and actually became a big fan of the New York Giants baseball team as a child--and I never held that against him.

He served our Nation as a member of the U.S. Navy for 2 years before attending Fordham University. And at Fordham--listen to this--at Fordham, he managed to play on the baseball team, work on the school paper, and broadcast many of the university's football, baseball, and basketball teams.

His career as a broadcaster took off soon after he graduated from college. By 1950, he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers broadcast team. And in 1954, he became the team's principal announcer--a position he would hold until his retirement in 2016. He was the longest tenured announcer for any team in any professional sport.

In 1953, at only age 25, Vin became the youngest person to ever broadcast a World Series--a record that remains to this day.

When the Dodgers moved from New York to Los Angeles in 1958, Vin moved with the team, and he quickly became the voice of baseball in Southern California.

Vin was the voice of the Dodgers for 67 years, but his unparalleled storytelling and love of sports allowed him to transcend baseball. Many fans will recall Vin's unique calls on some of the most memorable football games and golf tournaments of the 20th century.

He was also a presence in pop culture, appearing in dozens of movies, TV shows, and documentaries. Vin lent his talents to everything ranging from the sketch comedy series ``Laugh-In'' to the iconic science fiction show ``The X-Files,'' to the classic baseball movie--and one of my favorites--``For the Love of the Game''; and he relished serving as grand marshal of the 125th Rose Parade ahead of the 2014 Rose Bowl.

In 2016, President Obama awarded Vin Scully the Presidential Medal of Freedom, recognizing Vin as one of the signature sounds of America's pastime. Ever humble, when Vin was informed that he would be receiving the honor, he asked: ``Are you sure?''

From Opening Day to the World Series, and every inning in between, Vin made every game memorable with his love of baseball, and for generations of fans--generations--hearing Vin Scully's soothing voice meant it was time for Dodgers baseball.

Now, I grew up in the San Fernando Valley. As a child, growing up in the 1980s, I spent many evenings dreaming of growing up to play professional baseball while listening to Vin's voice narrate the action.

While he became a legend for his talents behind the microphone, he will actually be remembered best for his decency beyond the broadcast booth. I remember a few years ago, when I was

serving as California's secretary of state, I had an opportunity to introduce Angela and two of our sons to Vin at a voter registration event before the game at Dodgers Stadium. He was just so incredibly gracious with my family; it is a memory that we will cherish.

But I also know that we weren't unique in that interaction with Vin. He always made time for fans--regardless of age, regardless of occupation--wherever and whenever he met them. You see, he wasn't just a sports broadcaster; he was a figure larger than life, and he made all of us feel like family.

Angela and I certainly join the Los Angeles community, the Dodgers organization, and baseball fans around the world in mourning the passing of Vin Scully. Our hearts go out to the entire Scully family.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, colleagues, on January 24, just 5\1/2\ weeks ago, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade just weeks after Republicans in this Chamber blocked our push to codify the right to an abortion into Federal law.

So since January 24, Democrats have been fighting to ensure that abortion care remains accessible. We pushed to pass a bill that would protect the fundamental right to travel to States where abortion is still legal; Republicans blocked it. We pushed to pass a commonsense bill to expand access to family planning services; Republicans blocked that one too. We pushed to codify the right to contraception; Republicans blocked it. At every turn, Republicans have taken extreme and out-of-touch positions by blocking these commonsense bills.

So today Democrats are standing up to protect doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who are increasingly under attack just for doing

their jobs and providing legal abortions.

Colleagues, I am proud to join Senator Murray and our colleagues in this effort to pass the Let Doctors Provide Reproductive Health Care Act to ensure doctors can provide the reproductive healthcare that women need. Abortion access, after all, is essential healthcare.

Now, I have seen firsthand the incredible work that providers in California do to provide critical reproductive care. Most recently, I have visited a Planned Parenthood clinic in Los Angeles. We are already seeing a chilling effect among healthcare providers driven by the uncertainty of their legal liability--like the alarming lawsuit that was filed against the provider in Indiana who legally helped a 10-year- old rape victim terminate her unwanted pregnancy. So we must make it clear for healthcare providers that abortion restrictions cannot be allowed to reach beyond the borders of anti-abortion States.

The decision of whether or not to have a child is one of the most personal decisions that someone can make--for the students who choose to finish high school before starting a family, for the survivors of sexual assault whose abortion reaffirms the right to choose for their own bodies, for the parents who desperately wanted a child only to learn devastating news about dangerous health risks, for patients whose lives were saved by an abortion because abortion is often critical medical care. Access to abortion should not be dictated by politicians and lawyers.

California and many other States across the country refuse to turn the clock back to an era when abortions were outlawed and dangerous. And, as we saw last night in Kansas, the majority of Kansas voters--in fact, the majority of Americans--agree that women should have access to abortion care.

So we must pass the Let Doctors Provide Reproductive Healthcare Act to protect the courageous women and men delivering essential medical care to those who need it.

While Republicans continue to block our efforts to protect reproductive rights, Democrats won't back down. In the face of these unending attacks on reproductive freedom, we will not give up the fight to protect a woman's right to safe abortion access.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I rise to celebrate the life and mourn the passing of Rodrigo ``Rod'' Garcia, a man who dedicated his life to empowering and advocating for the next generation of young Latino STEM students and professionals.

Born in 1943 in Los Angeles, CA, Rod learned early on the importance of higher education and public service. After graduating from the California State University in Los Angeles with a bachelor's degree of science in engineering, he worked for the city of Los Angeles as a civil engineer.

As one of the few Hispanic engineers at the time, Rod saw the need to diversify California's booming tech and STEM fields. Beginning in 1973, he gathered fellow Hispanic engineers in his own garage to create fellowship and determine how to expand opportunities

for their community. In 1974, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, also known as SHPE, was officially founded and incorporated. As the founder, Rod had a vision to advance networking and education opportunities for other young Latino students and professionals in the engineering field. And almost 50 years later, the SHPE has grown to include over 13,000 members and 286 chapters nationwide. Through Rod's leadership and vision, SHPE has impacted the lives of thousands of Latinos, including myself.

I first met Rod as a young mechanical engineering student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As a young Latino from Los Angeles, joining SHPE gave me a sense of belonging. Rod always took the time to engage with students, hear their unique stories, and encourage them to complete a STEM degree. Rod dedicated his life to ensuring that fellow Latinos had opportunities and understood the value of a STEM degree in the real world.

Rod left behind an incredible legacy that will continue to live on. He will be remembered for his devotion and advocacy and for his ability to empower the Latino community. I am eternally grateful for Rod's impact on my own life. The American dream endures because of leaders like Rod Garcia, who don't shut the door to opportunity as they walk through it, but who open it wider for those who come next.

My wife Angela and I send our deepest condolences and prayers to his wife Cynthia Cathy Wong, his children Marlene Tomasina Zamora, Marianne Pilar Garcia, and Rodrick Fitzgerald Garcia, and the rest of his family and friends.