Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3899, the Voting Rights Amendment Act, and urge the full House to vote on this legislation without delay. Voting is one of our most fundamental rights as Americans, and any attempts to limit this right on a discriminatory basis must be struck down.

The constitutional right to vote existed for nearly a century, but millions of Americans were still routinely denied the right to vote based on the color of their skin. In 1965, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act and our country made incredible strides to eliminate voter suppression and discrimination.

Discrimination at the polls is still a fact of life in many parts of our country. Congress recognized this when it passed the most recent reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act in 2006 by a unanimous vote in the Senate and a 390-33 margin in the House. Despite this overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress and a voluminous record detailing the ongoing need for this legislation, one year ago this week, the Supreme Court struck down the heart of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wisely stated in her dissent of the Court's decision that to strike down the Voting Rights Act ``when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes [to election laws] is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you're not getting wet.'' With efforts across the country to restrict the ability of individuals to register and vote, it's clear that we still need the ``umbrella'' protection that the Voting Rights Act has provided for nearly 50 years.

The Voting Rights Amendment Act is a bipartisan measure that will restore the critical voting protections that were struck down by the Supreme Court in Shelby. This bill will ensure that states and localities that have a recent history of voting rights violations will be subject to the same strong oversight that has been so successful since 1965.

On the day he signed the Voting Rights Act, President Lyndon Johnson stated: ``Today is a triumph for freedom as huge as any victory that has ever been won on any battlefield.'' Congress has a similar opportunity to ensure that the all-important protections of the Voting Rights Act remain in place. Let's join together and ensure that this ``triumph for freedom'' is not lost forever.

Mr. Speaker, efforts to reform our immigration system in the House have been blocked. It's been a year since our counterparts in the Senate passed bipartisan, comprehensive legislation, but the House Republican leadership has rejected the Senate bill without any attempt to shape a House response.

Meanwhile, 11 million undocumented immigrants who pay taxes and defend our country continue to be deported; potentially 135,000 immigrants a year may be wrongfully detained and exploited according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement contracts with detention centers; and countless others frequently endure harassment and abuse in the workplace because they are not legally recognized.

When did we veer so dangerously far off course? America has always been a nation of immigrants. From the first settlers, to the Great Wave, to the fight for legalization today, we're all either immigrants ourselves or direct descendants of them.

In fact, twenty-six percent of residents in my congressional district were born in a foreign country, compared to 13 percent nationwide.

As a first-generation American, I know the human side of this issue. My father traveled thousands of miles to this land, huddled by his mother's side, fleeing the religious persecution of Christians. He studied, learned, worked and excelled. He married, loved and raised his three children. He flew the American flag in front of his home every day, sang the praises of our country, and said prayers of thanksgiving daily for the blessings of America.

The opportunity my family was given in America is always with me, and I'm committed to seeing that everyone has a share in that same opportunity.

As a policymaker, I recognize that comprehensive immigration reform will also provide immense economic benefits to our country.

It's estimated that the Senate-passed comprehensive immigration reform bill could reduce the deficit by more than $800 billion in the next 20 years, according to a nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office analysis.

It's also estimated that wages would ultimately rise and our GDP would increase by over three percent in the next decade. In my congressional district, we would stand to gain over 17,000 jobs by 2023, according to an American Action Network analysis.

We're already making progress. The Obama Administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is allowing hundreds of thousands of young undocumented immigrants who were brought by their parents to the United States as small children, to gain temporary legal status, including work authorization and protection from deportation. This is the only country these young people know and to which they have pledged their allegiance. They deserve to be recognized.

The economic case is clear. Human lives are at stake. The founding principles of our country are on trial. Now is the time to act on comprehensive reform.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Edward J. Nevin, Jr., on the great occasion of his 100th birthday.

Ed Nevin was born on August 26, 1914, at 15th and Harrison in the South of Market District of San Francisco. He graduated from Sacred Heart High School in his beloved City of Saint Francis, and went on to graduate from St. Mary's College in Moraga.

A passion for civic duty and a commitment to his community led Ed to a 34-year career in the San Francisco Police Department, where he served with distinction in several important positions. He was the Chief of the Chinatown Detail, Director of Special Services (Vice Squad), Commander of the San Francisco Housing Authority Police, and Chief of San Francisco International Airport Police.

While Ed takes enormous pride in protecting the people of San Francisco, he has always considered his greatest accomplishment to be his family. He was married to Mazie McDermott Nevin for 70 years until her passing in 2009. Together they had seven children: Virginia, Edward III, Michael, Katherine, James, Margaret Mary, and Eileen; 22 grandchildren and 45 great grandchildren.

Ed and Mazie were deeply rooted in their Catholic faith, a guiding light that called them into selfless service to their community. They were longtime leaders in support of Catholic married couples and services for youth, and Ed was a recipient of the Special Recognition Award from the National Catholic Welfare Conference.

Lifelong residents of the Bay Area, Ed and Mazie lived in San Francisco, Glen Ellen, San Ramon, and at The Magnolia in Millbrae.

On August 26, 2014, Ed's family and friends will honor him on the blessed occasion of his 100th birthday with a celebration at the Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in honoring Edward J. Nevin on his 100th birthday. He is a faith-filled family man who is revered by his colleagues, admired by the people he served, and beloved by his family. I am privileged to have known the Nevin family for many years and shared a beautiful friendship with their late son, Mike, a devoted and beloved public servant, and their daughter Margie and her husband, Patrick Johnston. Ed Nevin stands as a paragon of integrity and decency. He has strengthened his community and his country throughout a life filled with faith and raised an extraordinary family that continues to live the Nevin values. Our nation has been immensely bettered by Ed Nevin in countless ways over an entire American century, and we pay tribute to this great and good man who exemplifies the very best of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to aviation pioneer Ernest H. Buehl Sr.

Ernest Buehl was born in Germany in 1897. He learned to fly in 1914--just 11 years after the Wright Brothers' first flight. Buehl's career began at BMW where he quickly became one of their leading technicians and in 1920, he was sent to the United States to train American technicians to work with the BMW engines he had help design in Germany.

That same year, Buehl flew on the first transcontinental airmail flight from New York to Oakland, California. Buehl made frequent stops along the way to consult with local officials about the need for airports suitable to land larger aircraft. Eddie Rickenbacker, a World War I ace was a passenger on the transcontinental flight.

Throughout the 1920s, Buehl took aircraft to areas just below the Arctic Circle in Canada, and in 1922 he worked with Roald Amundsen to prepare aircraft to fly over the North Pole.

Buehl moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1923 to work for a company pioneering the use of aerial photography. This technology made it possible to create highly qualified topographic maps. Buehl and his partner, a black aviator named E.C. Malick, started the Flying Dutchman Air Service and in 1923, Buehl earned his first pilot's license, signed by Orville Wright himself.

After becoming a citizen of the United States in 1928, Buehl went on to open three airports in the Philadelphia area where he trained pilots and promoted civilian aviation. During World War II, Buehl served as a Flight Commander for the flight training program at Franklin & Marshall College, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It is estimated that he trained 1,400 cadets. Buehl would also routinely serve as the personal pilot for General deGaulle on his visits to the United States raising funds for the French Resistance.

Buehl has been recognized in the Congressional Record before. On April 23, 1996, the Honorable Ronald V. Dellums mentioned him in connection with the training of ``Chief'' C. Alfred Anderson, who organized the famous African-American Tuskegee Airmen who fought in World War II. In 1930, after Alfred Anderson had repeadtly been denied a pilot's license because he was black, Buehl accepted him as a student and advocated on his behalf. Buehl forcefully insisted that he be allowed to take the pilot's license test, even when a Federal examiner refused to let Anderson apply. Tuskegee Airmen historians and members of the Anderson family say that without Buehl's willingness to work with Anderson and to stick up for him, there would have been no Tuskegee Airmen.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in paying tribute to Ernest H. Buehl, Sr. for his lasting contributions to aviation and our nation by supporting his nomination to the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

Mr. Speaker, I rise with my colleagues, Congresswoman Karen Bass, Congressman Xavier Becerra, Congressman Ami Bera, Congresswoman Julia Brownley, Congresswoman Lois Capps, Congressman Tony Caardenas, Congresswoman Judy Chu, Congressman Jim Costa, Congresswoman Susan Davis, Congressman Sam Farr, Congressman John Garamendi, Congresswoman Janice Hahn, Congressman Jared Huffman, Congressman Mike Honda, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, Congressman Jerry McNerney, Congresswoman Linda Saanchez, Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, Congressman Alan Lowenthal, Congresswoman Doris Matsui, Congresswoman Gloria Negrete McLeod, Congressman George Miller, Congresswoman Grace Napolitano, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Scott Peters, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, Congressman Raul Ruiz, Congressman Adam Schiff, Congressman Brad Sherman, Congresswoman Jackie Speier, Congressman Eric Swalwell, Congressman Mark Takano, Congressman Mike Thompson, Congressman Juan Vargas, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, and Congressman Henry Waxman to honor the life of our friend who distinguished himself for 38 years in public service, the Honorable John Vasconcellos, who died on May 24, 2014, at his home in Santa Clara, California.

John was born on May 11, 1932, in San Jose, California, to a Portuguese father and German mother. He graduated from Bellarmine College Preparatory High School with top honors, and attended Santa Clara University, graduating magna cum laude. After two years of service to his country in the Army, he graduated again at the top of his class from Santa Clara University's Law School. He practiced law before joining Governor Pat Brown's staff, and was soon recruited by his many friends and admirers to run for a seat in the California State Assembly in 1966. This began almost forty years of public service. John was a legislator's legislator. He had a brilliant intellect and a compassionate heart. He became the Chairman of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, one of the most powerful assignments in the California Legislature. He proposed the State Task Force to Promote Self-Esteem in October 1986, and in 1989, Speaker Willie Brown appointed him to Chair the Select Assembly Committee on Ethics. He was elected to the California State Senate in 1996, representing the heart of Silicon Valley, and served as Chairman of the Public Safety, Education, and Economic Development Committees.

John Vasconcellos' 38 year tenure in the California Legislature was reflective of the innovative Silicon Valley District he represented. He was a disruptor and a pioneering public servant who was ahead of his time. His legislative work is widely recognized for its groundbreaking innovations in public safety, state budgets, ethics, health and human services, as well as in education. He wrote first-of-its-kind legislation addressing AIDS research, medical marijuana, and family health. He wrote legislation combating toxic chemicals in our atmosphere; he paved the way for midwives to practice; and he promoted child care at all public colleges. He saw the need before others to modernize our education system and make it affordable for all. He involved young people in the political process, launching programs like shadowing legislators in the State Capitol.

John was an avid subscriber to the human-potential movement therapies to deal with the rage, tension and fear that continued to grow in our society. We called John our friend, and we were very proud to do so, but he was also a brother and a mentor to many of us and we will miss him always.

Mr. Speaker, we ask the entire House of Representatives to join us in honoring Senator John Vasconcellos, a brilliant visionary with a giant heart who served his constituents, his state and his country with integrity and respect for building the politics of trust. We extend our condolences to his brother Jim Vasconcellos, his sister Margaret Brindle, his niece Beth Brindle, his Hawaiian family, including his chosen son Mitch Saunders, his daughter-in-law Cindy and his two beloved grandchildren Megan and Briana, as well as his devoted staff, his large circle of extended friends and family in California, Hawaii and around the world.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Andrew Joon-hao Tan, a student at La Entrada Middle School in Menlo Park, California, for his First Place Award in the 2013 Making Democracy Work Student Essay Contest held by the United States Capitol Historical Society. His extraordinary essay, entitled Democracy: Cohesion Between People and Government, follows.

``What political power could ever carry on the vast

multitude of lesser undertakings which the American citizens

perform every day, with the assistance of the principle of

association,'' wrote French philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville

when he visited the United States to observe American

government. Tocqueville evaluates the American governance and

decides that for democracy to be effective in America,

citizens and organizations must actively participate in the

government. After the American Revolution, representatives

from each state met together to write the Constitution, an

American standard for how democracy would function. Recently,

however, the government has been less productive than in the

past. Some have begun to question if democracy can remain an

effective form of government in the current era. Democracy

has the potential to be a flourishing style of government,

but is predicated on the protection of individuals' rights

and liberties, people's access to education and information,

and actively participating citizens, all of which, they

claim, are resting on shaky grounds.

First and foremost, individual liberties must be guaranteed

to everyone in a democracy. This provides protection to

minority groups whose rights may otherwise be construed upon.

Civil liberties can be encroached upon during times of

national crises. A recent example of this is the Patriot

Act, which was enacted after the terrorist attacks on

September 11, 2001. Even though reining in civil liberties

seemed appropriate for national security reasons in the

immediate aftermath, there have been unintended consequences

whereby our basic civil rights have been infringed. The

debate over the role of the National Security Agency is

currently being adjudicated in federal courts because many

people feel that their fourth amendment rights are being

violated. The expansion and retraction of our rights must

continually be examined, and the government must provide

enforcement of these rights to all citizens to create a bond

of trust between the people and the government.

Secondly, education should be available to all citizens,

policies must be transparent, information should be widely

accessible, and diverse points of views should be encouraged.

When citizens in a democracy are educated, democracy

functions much more effectively. Across countries, education

and democracy are highly correlated. In other words, those

who receive poor education are less likely to be politically

active. Also, less educated people are more vulnerable to

propaganda and false information, leaving them susceptible to

vote based on the influence of others. Citizens also deserve

access to uncensored information. In regimes where

information is tightly controlled, citizens are restricted

from developing their own opinions and this limits their

capacity to fully engage in the political process. It is the

government's responsibility to provide basic education and

ensure freedom of the press so that citizens are engaged and

empowered to play a part in a successful democracy.

Finally, citizens must fulfill their civic duties in a

democracy. These include voting and jury duty but can also be

as simple as staying updated on current issues and obeying

the law. Unfortunately, many of these simple duties are

commonly overlooked. Even in the last presidential election

in 2012, where there was a record voter turnout only about

60% of registered voters voted. Thus, the voice of around 40%

of people was not heard in the ballot. Similarly, fulfilling

civic responsibilities is necessary for democracy to work

well. For example, jury duty has been difficult to implement.

According to Sun Sentinel, in South Florida about two of

every three people skip jury duty with or without being

exempted. Jurors in South Florida have only a 41% response

rate and 3,000 people must be requested to fill 1,000 jury

spots because of the high rejection rate. This may be an

extreme case, but the lack of commitment to civic

responsibility is not unique to Florida. Complacency in civic

involvement ultimately leads to erosion of democracy and make

our system stale and unsustainable.

The ``lesser undertakings which the American citizens

perform every day'' are essential in a democracy because

government cannot fulfill all the needs of citizens. In a

successful democracy individual rights and liberties must be

applied impartially, education and current information must

be readily available, and the citizens must do their part to

allow the law to be applied fairly. America has survived and

struggled through adversities to become one of the longest

living democracies in the world because of its strong

commitment to the Constitution, impartial application of the

law and unrestricted information from varying political

opinions. Democracy is an active and dynamic process, and

flourishes with self-examination and engagement of its

citizens, but languishes with complacency.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House to join me today in honoring Andrew Tan, an extraordinary young man, for his deep understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizens in our nation, and for his ability to write about it in a cogent, understandable and inspiring style. He is an inspiration to all of us and he is an eloquent statement about the youth of our nation.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in opposition to the Shimkus amendment and efforts to undermine the continued success of the Internet.

The Internet has always been driven by consensus decision-making, or multistakeholder governance. This model brings together industry, civil society, government, technical and academic experts, as well the general public, to tackle issues around the design and operation of the Internet.

Three time in the past two years, this body has voted to reaffirm our commitment to the multistakeholder model, including last May when Democrats and Republicans joined together to unanimously pass H.R. 1580, a bill stating that ``it is the policy of the United States to preserve and advance the successful multistakeholder model that governs the Internet.''

So what exactly is the problem with the amendment before us today? It's a U-turn. The Shimkus amendment would restrict NTIA's authority to continue what has been U.S. policy since 1998--transitioning the government's role in administering the domain name system to the multistakeholder global community. Although supporters of the amendment characterize it as a stand against anti-democratic nations seeking a greater government role in Internet management, the amendment could have the opposite effect of emboldening efforts by authoritarian regimes to seize control of the global Internet. Specifically, authoritarian regimes point to the U.S. government's continued oversight of technical Internet functions as evidence that global Internet governance and management should be under the control of a governmental or intergovernmental entity such as the United Nations.

The Shimkus Amendment lacks a fundamental understanding of the U.S. government's role in the management of the global Internet domain name system. Contrary to assertions that the United States ``controls'' the Internet through an ongoing contract that the Administration is now proposing to terminate, NTIA's role has always been ministerial and largely symbolic. Simply put, the U.S. government has never had any legal or statutory responsibility to manage the domain name system.

The world is watching and now is not the time to turn our backs on a governance model that has the enabled the Internet to flourish. I urge my colleagues to take a stand for a global Internet free from government control and vote ``no'' on the Shimkus amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an extraordinary woman, Dr. Carol Winograd, who is being honored with the 2014 Tzedek v'Shalom Award on June 8, 2014, at J Street's Annual Gala Dinner. Elected officials, community leaders, local activists and students will join together in an unprecedented show of support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

J Street, the political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans, is honoring Dr. Carol Winograd for her lifelong dedication to tikkun olam (``repairing the world'') and for her steadfast leadership and commitment to J Street's mission.

Carol Hutner Winograd, M.D., is an emerita professor of Medicine and Human Biology at Stanford University. She gives generously of her time and considerable talents in leadership roles to many organizations, including the National Board of Abraham's Vision; the San Francisco Regional Board of the New Israel Fund; and the American Board of Internal Medicine. She is a member of the steering committee of the Women Donors Network's Middle East Peace Circle, and the founder and former chair of the Advisory Board of the Jewish Chaplaincy at Stanford University Medical Center. In 2012, Dr. Winograd co-led J Street's first Women's Congressional Delegation to Israel, and in 2013, she co- founded J Street's Women's Leadership Forum to increase the participation of women leading the organization and to support the greater inclusion of Israeli and Palestinian women in peace negotiations.

Dr. Winograd has been married for more than 43 years to Dr. Terry Winograd. They have two daughters, Avra, who is engaged to Justin Durak, and Shoshana, a Conservative rabbi who is married to Rabbi Philip Ohriner. Shoshana and Philip have two sons, Ari and Eli, who are a great source of pride and joy to their grandparents.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in honoring the 2014 Tzedek v'Shalom awardee, Dr. Carol Winograd, an extraordinary woman who is devoted to her community, her country, to Israel and to peace and justice. How proud and privileged I am to represent her and call her my trusted friend.

Mr. Speaker, I was not present during rollcall vote No. 203 on May 7, 2014. I would like the record to reflect I would have voted ``yes''.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the American Research and Competitiveness Act of 2014, a bill to simplify and permanently extend the U.S. research and development (R&D) tax credit. Over the past thirty years, the R&D tax credit has been a key economic tool for businesses in my Silicon Valley district and across our country by directly rewarding business investment in R&D.

At a time of great partisanship in Congress, I think the R&D we speak of today can be said to be `Republicans and Democrats' because of the bipartisan support this legislation enjoys. For years the R&D tax credit has been essential for out-innovating and out-competing the rest of the world, but now other countries are catching up or already have. While the U.S.

was the first nation to offer a tax incentive for research and development in 1981, according to a study by the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF), we now rank 27th out of 42 countries in terms of the generosity of the R&D incentives we offer.

Congress needs to do so much more to improve our national economy, and updating the R&D tax credit is an important policy that will encourage businesses to invest in new technologies which in turn will create jobs and shape a better economy in our future.

Nearly six months have passed since the R&D tax credit expired. To maintain our nation's competitiveness, let's not wait another day to give businesses the certainty they need to continue innovating and investing in America's future.

I thank Representatives Kevin Brady and John Larson for their leadership in bringing this bill to the floor today and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4438.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and work of an extraordinary man, Phil Yost, who died at the age of 63 after a three- year battle with cancer.

The venerable San Jose Mercury News, Mr. Yost's employer for more than a quarter century, captured the essence of this special man in its obituary.

Phil Yost was a gentle and decent man, a writer with an

ethical compass that belied the stereotype of the cynical

journalist. He was known for an unerring sense of fairness, a

willingness to consider an argument from another side. Mr.

Yost possessed a wry and wicked sense of humor, a light touch

that emerged in his writing and life.

Phil Yost was born in Chicago on February 6, 1951. He attended Earlham College, and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. The child of a Mennonite family, he was a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War, and a tutor of underprivileged children in Cincinnati. He worked at the Middletown Journal in Ohio and the Cincinnati Post, and joined the Mercury News in 1981. In 2006 he left the Mercury to work at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and in 2010 became the policy and press aide to former California State Senator Joe Simitian. Simitian fondly noted that ``unflinching fairness'' was Yost's most aggravating trait.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in honoring the life and work of Phil Yost, and in extending condolences to his wife Susan, his parents Elnore and Burton Yost, his brother and sisters, and his entire family. He will be missed by all who had the good fortune to know him and be the beneficiaries of his extraordinary work. Phil Yost strengthened our democracy with his instructive journalism, and I'm proud to have known him and was privileged to call him my friend.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of an extraordinary woman, Lottie Solomon, a talented, loving and brilliant woman who died at her home in Los Altos Hills, California, on April 6, 2014, at the age of eighty-eight.

Lottie was born in New York City on October 26, 1925, the only child of Sadie and Hyman Lautman. She attended public schools in New York City, graduated from James Monroe High School at sixteen, and from Brooklyn College at the age of twenty. She was an accomplished and highly regarded violinist who considered a career as a professional but instead earned a graduate degree and a teaching credential from Columbia University. She began her career as an elementary school and music teacher in New York City. In later years she earned a Masters degree in Healthcare Administration from The George Washington University.

In 1947, Lottie married Herbert Solomon, a statistician she met while both were studying at Columbia. They were married for fifty-seven years, until his death in 2004. Lottie and Herbert moved to California when Herbert became a Professor of Statistics at Stanford University. Before moving to Los Altos Hills, the couple and their three children, Naomi, Mark and Jed, lived on the Stanford campus for fifteen years.

Lottie was passionate about music and teaching, and played violin with the Peninsula Symphony and many quartets. She had a long career leading choral music, including founding and leading the Yiddish Choristers.

Lottie gave generously of her time and considerable talents as a member of the Santa Clara County Juvenile Justice Commission. She also was a valued participant and contributor to many Jewish organizations including Congregations Beth Am and Kol Emeth, the Jewish Community Federation, B'nai B'rith, Hadassah, ORT, the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center, and Hillel at Stanford.

Lottie Solomon was a loving daughter, wife, mother and grandmother. She leaves her sons Mark and Jeb, their wives Carolyn and Leslie Colvin; and her four grandchildren, Jacob Solomon, Sara Solomon, Nathaniel Solomon and Daniel Solomon. She was preceded in death by her daughter Naomi Solomon, who perished on September 11, 2001 in the World Trade Center attacks.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire U.S House of Representatives to join me in paying tribute to this extraordinary citizen and extending our most sincere condolences to her family. She will be missed greatly by those who had the privilege of knowing her and calling her their friend. Lottie was one of the blessings in my life, as was her husband and their son Mark. Lottie strengthened our community in countless ways, bettering our country through her service to others and raising a family that carries on the great values she embodied.

Mr. Speaker, we rise today to express our deepest gratitude and heartfelt congratulations to Wiggsy Sivertsen on the occasion of her retirement from San Jose State University where she has been a Personal Counselor and Licensed Clinical Social Worker for forty five years.

Wiggsy Sivertsen has given generously of her time and considerable talent to the students at San Jose State, supporting them in their personal struggles and helping them achieve their professional goals. The student evaluations on an online site speak volumes about this extraordinary woman. ``Awesome teacher and subject! Best class I have ever taken in college.'' ``Concerned/outgoing/extremely funny/ sensitive. Busy woman that will make time for you.'' These are only two of many, many outstanding evaluations.

Wiggsy Sivertsen earned a Bachelor's degree from San Jose State University and a Master's degree in Social Work from Tulane University. In the early 1980's, Wiggsy, fearless and ahead of her time, cofounded Bay Area Municipal Elections Committee (BAYMEC) to advocate for members of the LGBT community to address burgeoning discrimination against the LGBT community. She envisioned and designed BAYMEC to educate our communities and advocate for the rights of all.

Wiggsy has spent thousands of hours lobbying elected officials for hate-crime legislation, marriage equality, and other LGBT rights. In addition to BAYMEC, she founded two other LGBT advocacy groups: Advocates for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Youth, a legal organization; and Open Mind Network, Inc, an organization which is an educational platform to inform organized groups of the legitimate rights of LGBT communities. She has also worked side-by-side with several community organizations and law enforcement to achieve these goals.

Wiggsy's contributions to our country have been recognized by the Civil Liberties Union ``Don Edwards Defender of Constitutional Liberty'' Award, and the California State Special Recognition Award for Service to the Lesbian and Gay Community. She was also recognized by the San Jose Mercury News as one of ``The Millennium 100, Pillars of Their Communities''.

Mr. Speaker, we ask our colleagues to join us in thanking Wiggsy Sivertsen for her extraordinary career as an educator at San Jose State University, and for her unswerving commitment to social justice for all, particularly the civil rights of the LGBT community. Her contributions will live on as her lasting legacy, and we honor her for strengthening our community immeasurably and making our country a more just and equitable one.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an extraordinary woman and devoted leader in our community who has inspired numerous girls to strive for success and excel in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics STEM. Marie Wolbach cares deeply about ensuring that girls have the educational tools they need, and through the sheer force of her knowledge, determination, advocacy, participation, and persuasive talents, she created a unique educational opportunity for them.

Marie Wolbach is a retired medical sociologist and recognizes the critical need for girls to learn about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. She founded Tech Trek in 1998 with the help of an American Association of University Women (AAUW) Community Action Grant. Tech Trek is a weeklong science, technology, engineering, and mathematics summer camp for underserved rising eighth-grade girls, offering them an opportunity to enter a world that empowers and encourages them to think about themselves as future scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and computer specialists. Since Tech Trek began on the campus of Stanford University, it has grown to ten camps on eight college campuses in California, and in 2013, it expanded nationally to seven other states where it has already positively impacted the lives of the girls who attended. Because of Marie Wolbach's vision, Tech Trek graduates are breaking barriers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math, with surveys demonstrating that 96 percent of their former participants are now in college, and 54 percent are STEM majors.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in paying tribute to this extraordinary woman as she is honored with the ``Unsung Heroes'' Jefferson Award. KPIX 5 nominated her for this prestigious award which she has earned and richly deserves. Marie Wolbach's unparalleled vision for a better future for girls strengthens our nation immeasurably and makes her a national treasure. It is a high privilege to represent Marie Wolbach, and call her my friend.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Football Team of Sacred Heart Prep in Atherton, California for winning the Central Coast Championship and the Northern California CIF Championship. They made history by being the first team in San Mateo County to play in the California CIF Championship Game.

The Sacred Heart Prep Football Team is a combination of talent and competitive spirit with the highest ideals of good sportsmanship and has established itself as an exceptional group. With great dedication, the Gators worked diligently and ended their season on this historic note.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Head Coach Pete Lavorato, Assistant Head Coach Matt Moran, and Assistant Coaches Ed Larios, Mark Modeste, and Greg Sutter on an extraordinary season! The entire team can look back on this season with tremendous pride. I wish the seniors the best of luck in your next endeavors, and their younger teammates the best of luck in next year's season. Go Gators!