Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, one of my votes was not recorded today due to an error. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 338.

Madam Speaker, I was absent for a vote today. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 271.

Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress

Amodei (Balderson)

Brooks (Weber (TX))

Bustos (Mrvan)

Carter (TX) (Weber (TX))

Connolly (Beyer)

Crist (Wasserman Schultz)

Davids (KS) (Neguse)

Davis, Danny K. (Beyer)

Evans (Beyer)

Gohmert (Weber (TX))

Gonzalez (OH) (Meijer)

Green (TN) (Fleischmann)

Johnson (GA) (Manning)

Johnson (TX) (Jeffries)

Kahele (Mrvan)

Katko (Moore (UT))

Kelly (IL) (Neguse)

Lamb (Blunt Rochester)

Lawrence (Stevens)

Lawson (FL) (Wasserman Schultz)

Lowenthal (Beyer)

Mace (Carter (GA))

McEachin (Beyer)

Moore (WI) (Beyer)

Newman (Beyer)

O'Halleran (Schrader)

Palazzo (Fleischmann)

Peters (Jeffries)

Pingree (Wasserman Schultz)

Price (NC) (Manning)

Rice (SC) (Meijer)

Stanton (Huffman)

Suozzi (Beyer)

Taylor (Van Duyne)

Tenney (Jackson)

Titus (Pallone)

Walorski (Bucshon)

Waters (Takano)

Watson Coleman (Pallone)

Amendment No. 10 Offered by Mr. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to recognize 13 United States service members who sacrificed their lives in defense of our country during the United States evacuation from Afghanistan. In the final days of the evacuation, the U.S. and our allies evacuated more than 120,000 people to safety--the largest airlift in our history. On Thursday, August 26, 2021, 13 heroes lost their lives in service of this mission outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Madam Speaker, I ask you to join me in honoring these brave individuals: Sergeant Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Sergeant Nicole L. Gee, Staff Sergeant Darin T. Hoover, Corporal Hunter Lopez, Corporal Daegan W. Page, Corporal Humberto A. Sanchez, Lance Corporal David L. Espinoza, Lance Corporal Jared M. Schmitz, Lance Corporal Rylee J. McCollum, Lance Corporal Dylan R. Merola, Lance Corporal Kareem M. Nikoui, Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak, and Staff Sergeant Ryan C. Knauss. We are grateful for their service.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to recognize George Kostylov, the Principal of Kiev School No. 155 for his partnership with Phineas Anderson, head of Green Fields Country Day School in Tucson, Arizona. Mr. Kostylov and Mr. Anderson started the first exchange program of sixth through twelfth-grade students between Green Fields Country Day School and the Kiev School No. 155 in 1988. Through this exchange program, Mr. Kostylov helped to better relationships between the United States and the Soviet Union during the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. Madam Speaker, I ask you to join me in celebrating Mr. Kostylov's leadership to further world peace between our two nations through an influential student exchange program.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of my dear friend Barbara Lubin who passed away on February 6, 2021 at the age of 63 following a cancer diagnosis. No one knew Democratic politics in Arizona the way that she did, knowledge that she put to good use at the Arizona Democratic Party in the role of Operations Director. Barb had an extensive career in politics including her own run for the Arizona Corporation Commission and her service as the director of the Clean Elections Institute.

Barb was warm, kind, always ready to share a story or a meal, and most of all incredibly funny. She and her mother first talked me into running for the legislature when we were all living in Flagstaff, and I feel so grateful to have been so close to her and her family when I was representing that area. I want to extend my deepest condolences to Barb's husband Stanley, their daughter Jessica, their son-in-law James and their two granddaughters Abigail and Elizabeth, as well as the larger Arizona Democratic community who loved her. Barb represented the best of Arizona, and her legacy will live on far beyond her.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of a former colleague and friend of mine, Albert Hale, who passed away February 2, 2021 at the age of 70 following complications from COVID-19.

Many in this chamber may not know who Albert Hale was, but he helped build and advocate for the Navajo Nation throughout his time in public service. As the Nation's second president, he worked tirelessly to advocate for sovereignty of the Dine, secure their rights, and address the needs of his constituents. As one of the first lawyers from the Nation, Mr. Hale was instrumental in advocating for the rights of the Dine and getting them the resources they needed to thrive.

Albert was a great friend of mine and an even greater leader for his community. We served together in the Arizona Legislature and his work consistently inspired me. I also fondly remember the Navajo Nation's parades, where Albert would always fearlessly ride on horseback, while I and others would be nearby on foot. I want to extend my deepest condolences to Albert's wife Paula, his daughters Sherri, Sheena, and Janelle, and his son Tony. Albert will be sorely missed, but his belief in and work for a brighter future in his community will endure.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to recognize four important community leaders in Tucson and Southern Arizona. These public servants have now completed their service to Pima County, Arizona, and they deserve high distinction. They include Mr. Ramon Valadez, Pima County Supervisor; F. Ann Rodriguez, Pima County Recorder; Bill Staples, Pima County Assessor; and Barbara LaWall, Pima County Attorney. Each of these distinguished Arizonans has dedicated many years of their lives and their careers to serve our people. They provided security, integrity, dedication, and the highest leadership. Madam Speaker, I ask you to join me in celebrating the public service of these exemplary individuals, to wish them good luck in their future endeavors, and to join me in recommending that young leaders seeking careers in public service look to them as models of what it means to live a good life in the service of things larger than oneself.

Mr. Speaker, I have a responsibility as a Congresswoman, former prosecutor, and American citizen to stand up for the rule of law.

After countless conversations with my constituents, after speaking with legal scholars and experts, after reviewing the Mueller report, and after seeing administration officials defy congressional subpoenas, I have come to the conclusion that the House of Representatives must open an impeachment inquiry on President Donald Trump.

Following Mueller's alarming report, it is our job as a Congress to conduct oversight and deliver answers to the American people. Unfortunately, the President has called upon his administration to break the law and ignore our congressional subpoenas. Now we have no choice but to open an impeachment inquiry.

This should not be a partisan fight or a debate about election strategy; it is about the rule of law.

I know impeachment is risky, but allowing this President to defy the law is even more risky. If we don't act now, our democracy may be threatened for years to come.

Madam Speaker, imagine fleeing your home, journeying through the desert in search of refuge. Imagine having your child ripped away from you. Imagine learning that your kids are hungry, unbathed, cold, screaming from cages, wrapped in foil blankets.

Yesterday, news broke of children being sexually assaulted at a Yuma detention facility. What I have described is a reality here, and it is un-American.

I represent a border district in southern Arizona. I have met with Border Patrol, migrant advocacy groups, faith-based organizations, and city leaders. I have been proud to see our community work together in powerful ways. Our Tucson community has shown more humane leadership than Federal departments led by the Trump administration.

We must be vigilant and protect humanitarian rights, and we must remind our neighbors that humanitarian aid is not a crime.

I stand with Scott Warren. I stand with all the organizations helping migrant families. I will continue to ask tough questions and fight to hold this administration accountable.

Mr. Chair, I was absent today due to a family medical emergency. Had I been present, I would have voted: yea on rollcall No. 396; yea on rollcall No. 397; and yea on rollcall No. 398.

Madam Chair, I was absent today due to a family medical emergency.

Had I been present I would have voted: NAY on Roll Call No. 368; NAY on Roll Call No. 369; YEA on Roll Call No. 370; NAY on Roll Call No. 371; NAY on Roll Call No. 372; YEA on Roll Call No. 373; YEA on Roll Call No. 374; NAY on Roll Call No. 375; YEA on Roll Call No. 376; YEA on Roll Call No. 377; YEA on Roll Call No. 378; YEA on Roll Call No. 379; YEA on Roll Call No. 380; NAY on Roll Call No. 381; YEA on Roll Call No. 382; NAY on Roll Call No. 383; NAY on Roll Call No. 384; NAY on Roll Call No. 385; NAY on Roll Call No. 386; NAY on Roll Call No. 387; NAY on Roll Call No. 388; NAY on Roll Call No. 389; NAY on Roll Call No. 390; YEA on Roll Call No. 391; YEA on Roll Call No. 392; YEA on Roll Call No. 393; YEA on Roll Call No. 394; and YEA on Roll Call No. 395.

Mr. Speaker, no woman or person I have ever known has appreciated the right to vote quite like Jerry Emmett.

She was born at a time when being a woman meant being silenced. She was raised at a time when women had to fight to be heard and worked 10 times as hard to be taken seriously. She aged to see women become prominent and powerful, and she passed away the same year that we had the most women elected to Congress.

I remember well the first time I met Jerry Emmett. She was very close friends with the late Carolyn Warner, our former superintendent of schools. Jerry was always the teacher. I was a newly elected State legislator at a political event, and Jerry and Carolyn were there.

Carolyn Warner said: Do you have a card?

I said: Oh, I don't have them with me right now.

Jerry Emmett said: Always keep your cards in your pocket.

So, Jerry, this is for you.

Madam Speaker, I am standing here today to recognize my southern Arizona community. While in Tucson for the work period, I saw goodness in action. The city of Tucson, the county, Catholic Community Services, and other local churches and nonprofits came together with open arms and hearts to welcome and care for the hundreds of families seeking asylum across our southern border.

With limited resources and fleeting time, southern Arizonans stepped up to provide shelter, transportation, food, clothing, and childcare. City volunteers ran with little children who hadn't played in weeks and weeks.

The families fleeing their birthplace journeyed to the United States for a safer and better life for their children. Their stories are gut- wrenching, and the response I have seen and heard from the Tucson community has been unparalleled.

No walls or cages, I saw goodness in action. We must come together like Tucson to find humane and proactive solutions to help these families.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the National Alliance on Mental Illness and to show support for my community and the millions of Americans living with a mental illness.

This weekend, I marched in the NAMI Walk to help raise awareness. I was inspired to hear the brave stories of so many survivors who have not given up on their mental wellness.

Before the Affordable Care Act was enacted, mental health coverage was lacking or missing altogether from most health plans. Medicaid expansion, a cornerstone of the ACA, has dramatically expanded access to treatment in many States, including Arizona.

But the Trump administration is again trying to eliminate the ACA and remove protections for people with mental illness and preexisting conditions.

Republicans have no health plan other than fighting to take away America's healthcare. We must raise our voices and reject this again. We must fight for our healthcare and the coverage that treats our most vulnerable communities.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to recognize two special individuals, Mr. Richard Fimbres and Mrs. Mary Fimbres, for their three decades of work and commitment to bettering the lives of local youth. In response to their concerns about the state of education in their community, Richard and Mary Fimbres helped to found the LULAC Youth Leadership Conference, a program that promotes and develops leadership in middle and high school students.

With the cooperation and involvement of local public, private, and charter schools, as well as institutions of higher learning, the LULAC Youth Leadership Conference has become a nationally recognized program that assists students with resources, mentoring, and leadership skills, thereby equipping them with the necessary tools to help them remain in school, graduate, and further their education.

For 29 years, Richard and Mary Fimbres have worked to build and grow the conference, and to date, it has hosted over 118,000 participants. Over the years, these participants have gained invaluable experience thanks to the conference, including attending a Resource Fair where they can discover high-paying careers that will enable them to make a difference by creating the social and technological advancements that will define the future of our world. The fair also gives them access to health, educational, and life resources and features a strong public safety component with law enforcement, fire, and medical emergency professionals who display the latest vehicles, technologies and equipment in their fields. Additionally, the fair offers 30 interactive workshops that focus on leadership, health, culture, issues affecting teens, student resources, and technology. Professionals from various fields are present to provide information about community resources and ways to access them, as well as offering information about their career paths. It should also be noted that, thanks to Richard and Mary Fimbres and local school systems, students are provided secure transportation to and from the conference.

The LULAC Youth Leadership Conference has been nationally recognized by former First Ladies Barbara Bush and Hillary Clinton, as well as Louis Caldera, former Secretary of the Army, and Lauro Cavazos, former Secretary of Education. In tandem with the Youth Leadership Conference, Richard and Mary Fimbres also formed the LULAC Educator's Awards and Scholarship Banquet, which honors educators, community leaders, and elected officials for their work on improving the lives of youth and the community, as well as raises funds to go toward educational scholarships.

Mr. and Mrs. Fimbres' standing as community leaders is evident in their commitment and countless hours of work throughout the community over the past three decades. Madam Speaker, I ask you to join me in recognizing these outstanding citizens and exemplary leaders for their work and dedication to improving the lives of our young people.