Ami Bera

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST), a non-partisan, non- governmental educational organization, that has been introducing Americans across the country to our Nation's diplomatic history for 40 years through its diplomatic oral history collection, book program, and other educational and outreach initiatives.

In 1986, ADST began as the vision of then-Director of the Foreign Service Institute Stephen Low and Ambassador Richard Parker, with a mission to support the Institute's work. At the same time, newly retired Foreign Service Officer Charles Stuart Kennedy conceived the idea of recording oral histories of retired American diplomats and began capturing their experiences and insights. In 1988, Parker invited Kennedy to incorporate his oral history program into the Association's work, and ADST, as we know it today, was formed.

In 1995, the ADST-DACOR book program was launched as a ``service to the Foreign Service.'' The goal was to help Foreign Service Officers write and publish books about diplomacy. Margery Boichel Thompson became ADST's Publishing Director, and under her expert guidance, the ADST-DACOR Diplomats and Diplomacy Book Series was born. The Memoirs and Occasional Papers series soon followed, then ADST's own imprint: Arlington Hall Press. Under Thompson's leadership, the ADST book program has grown into a respected source of books on diplomacy and the Foreign Service, with over 120 books, including many award winners.

For more than three decades, the Foreign Affairs Oral History Program has been ADST's flagship initiative. With more than 3,100 oral histories, publicly available on the ADST website and at the Library of Congress, it captures over 100 years of U.S. diplomatic history and engagement with the world. Rich in historical insights and lessons learned, the archive has become a national treasure for congressional offices, current and aspiring diplomats, scholars, educators, students, and the broader American public.

For four decades, the diplomatic practitioners and oral history experts who make up the ADST team and the hundreds of interns they have taken under their wings have helped preserve the experiences of American diplomacy for future generations.

Whether through collecting and archiving oral history accounts, editing book manuscripts, sharing our Nation's diplomatic history with the American public, or supporting the National Foreign Affairs Training Center (NFATC), ADST's work grew from a simple vision into a dedicated and professional foreign affairs organization, With deep optimism, ADST will carry its mission forward into the next 40 years, ensuring the experiences and lessons of American diplomacy continue to be collected, preserved, and shared.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Juhie Parikh, a student at Inderkum High School in Sacramento, for winning my office's essay contest commemorating America's 250th anniversary.

As our Nation prepares to celebrate 250 years of independence, students across my district were invited to reflect on what America means to them. Juhie's essay stood out for its thoughtful reflection on community, belonging, and unity.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to share her essay in her own words:

As I look out onto my street in a Sacramento suburb, I see

a lovely Chinese family with two daughters achieving their

dreams in college, a Black family with two daughters in high

school with me, a Mexican family with three children that

love playing soccer, college students renting a house, three

generations of a White family and their cute dog named Liesel

who pass out homemade cinnamon rolls every Christmas to each

house, and my own Indian immigrant family. This isn't just a

show of diversity, but unity.

To me, America is this street.

It is easy to look at a country and only see its fractures

and divisions. America might have many imperfections, but

that is not all it is. What I see from my window tells a

different story, one that feels personal to me.

What strikes me most about my neighborhood isn't our

differences. It is that we don't care about how different we

are. The kids kick their soccer ball into the street, and

everyone navigates around it without complaint. The college

students wave. Liesel trots over to anyone who will scratch

her ears, noticing their kindness first before their

backgrounds. At Christmas, cinnamon rolls arrive at every

door, not just ones that look familiar. These little details,

repeated daily, are what a culture is actually made of.

My dad came to America first, alone, for his job, building

the foundation to raise a family here. My mom followed him,

leaving behind everything familiar to join him in a country

still new to both of them. This risk is not unique to us.

Nearly every family on my street has their own version: a

sacrifice made, a life turned upside down, a bet placed on

this country. And somewhere along the way, all of those

separate stories merged into one shared street.

This shared life revealed itself most clearly on the day

Liesel passed away. I had once been small enough that the

Great Dane and I were nearly the same size, the two of us

growing up together. She had belonged to one family, but in

truth, she belonged to all of us. When she was gone, every

family came to the door. Some brought food, some simply came

to honor her memory. An entire street grieved together, and I

understood that what we had built was not just proximity. It

was genuine care.

This care is the truest thing I know about America. We are

so defined by our differences, our backgrounds, our

languages, or our histories. But on my street, those things

are only the beginning of the story, not the end of it.

Similarly, America's story is not finished either. To me,

America means possibility, the possibility that people from

every corner of the world can land on the same street and

become part of each other's lives. It is not a perfect

country. But it keeps producing diverse streets like mine.

And that is enough to believe in.

Recognizing 20th Anniversary of Citrus Heights Police Department

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 20th anniversary of the Citrus Heights Police Department.

For two decades, the men and women of the department have served the Citrus Heights community with dedication, professionalism, and an unwavering commitment to public safety. Every day, they work to keep families safe, respond in moments of crisis, and strengthen trust across the community.

I was proud to help secure $540,000 in Federal funding for the department's emergency communication enhancements project to upgrade emergency communications to ensure first responders can communicate reliably during emergencies, coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions, and keep Citrus Heights residents safe when every second counts.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chief Alexander Turcotte and every officer, dispatcher,

and staff member for their service and sacrifice. Their work reflects the very best of public service and dedication to our community.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2505, the Block the Use of Transatlantic Technology in Iranian Made Drones Act.

I thank my colleague from Massachusetts, Representative Keating, for his leadership in advancing bipartisan efforts to counter Iran's drone program, a threat that continues to hound Ukraine, and now our own forces and allies in the Middle East.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Iran has exported thousands of Shahed drones to the Russian military, fueling attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilians.

Now, Iranian drones continue to threaten and damage critical energy, military, and civilian infrastructure across the Middle East.

Most recently, Iranian drones struck Kuwait International Airport, heavily damaging a passenger terminal, killing one person, wounding dozens more, and briefly closing the airfield.

H.R. 2505 closes critical gaps in enforcement and aligns our intelligence and interdiction policies with our national security interests. I encourage my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill to help ensure that the United States and European technologies smuggled by illicit intermediaries don't fuel Iran's drone program.

Mr. Speaker, this bill closes a critical gap in enforcement to ensure that U.S. and European technologies don't fuel Iran's drone program.

This is a commonsense bill that will defend civilians and protect our allies and partners, and I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.

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