Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of an extraordinary American, Dr. Alejandro Zaffaroni, who passed away peacefully at his home in Atherton, California, at the age of 91.

Dr. Zaffaroni was born on February 27, 1923, in Montevideo, Uruguay. He earned a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Montevideo in 1941, and came to the United States on a Fulbright Scholarship to the University of Rochester, where he earned his Ph.D.

In 1951, after finishing an NIH Fellowship, Dr. Zaffaroni joined a privately held Mexican chemical company, Syntex. He was a major force in its transformation and brought it to the U.S., shaping it into a global pharmaceutical company located near Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. It became most known for pioneering the development of therapeutic corticosteroids and the birth control pill. Dr. Zaffaroni eventually became President of Syntex Laboratories and Director of Reasearch.

Dr. Zaffaroni was widely hailed as not only a pioneer in the field of biotechnology, he was often referred to as the father of biotechnology in the United States and a Silicon Valley legend. His extraordinary accomplishments include the founding of the DNAX Institute, Alza Corporation, Affymax Inc., Affymetrix, Alexa Pharmaceuticals, Symyx Technologies and Maxygen.

He was the recipient of many prestigious awards and honors, including the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 1995. He was also honored by the creation of a $10 million financial aid program for Latin American students at Stanford University, the Alejandro and Lida Zaffaroni Scholarship and Fellowship Program, funded by colleagues who were inspired by Dr. Zaffaroni and his work. Dr. and Mrs. Zaffaroni are widely hailed for their extraordinary generosities to many humanitarian causes.

I have had the privilege of knowing Dr. Zaffaroni and his family for many years. Always the consummate gentleman, he was a mentor and an inspiration to me. He was a man of great integrity, and his wise counsel and warm friendship will remain with me for a lifetime.

Dr. Zaffaroni leaves his devoted wife Lida who was always his source of inspiration and support over a lifetime, his son, Dr. Alejandro Zaffaroni, his daughter-in-law Leah, his daughter Elisa, and his two beloved grandsons, Peter and Charles.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our deepest condolences to Dr. Zaffaroni's wife, Lida, and his family. We honor this singularly brilliant man through whom unparalleled achievements were made to treat disease and prevent suffering. These are his lasting legacies. Dr. Zaffaroni was a national treasure and his contributions to science and medicine are and always will be heralded around the world as extraordinary gifts to the betterment of humankind.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3675, the Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act of 2013, a bipartisan bill aimed at giving the FCC flexibility while promoting openness, transparency and accountability.

Two years ago, the House of Representatives considered a very different version of the legislation, one which I opposed and that passed largely on partisan lines. I support the bill before us today because it gives the FCC flexibility to evaluate and adopt procedural changes to its rules, rather than putting rigid requirements in statute. The bill enhances transparency by establishing a publicly available, searchable consumer complaint database and provides the Universal Service Fund (USF) with a short term exemption from the Antideficiency Act.

I'm also pleased that the bill includes the FCC Collaboration Act of 2013, a bipartisan bill I introduced last year with Reps. Shimkus and Doyle. For years, current and former FCC Commissioners have called on Congress to pass 'sunshine reform,' so that three or more Commissioners can hold non-public collaborative discussions, as long as no agency action is taken. While I'm disappointed that this provision will not take effect immediately upon enactment, I'm hopeful that the Senate will modify this provision before passing similar legislation. A delay in implementation is the unnecessary delay of a much needed reform.

I thank Chairman Walden for working with me and my staff to put forward a bipartisan bill and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3675.

Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to H.R. 3826 because it would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from ever regulating carbon emissions to stem climate change.

H.R. 3826 moves the goalposts on the EPA's carbon emissions rules and would effectively guarantee that our nation's dirtiest power plants continue to spew carbon into the atmosphere and further exacerbate global warming.

This bill is clearly a response to the President's Climate Action Plan, a series of executive actions designed to protect future generations from the harmful effects of climate change. I welcome the President's plan, and I regret the fact that House Leadership continues to steadfastly block action on climate change. Beyond the benefits to our air and climate, the EPA's proposed rules will provide regulatory certainty to fossil-fuel generators and would spur further development of renewable energy technologies that are our best chance to turn the tide of climate change.

Simply denying that climate change is occurring is not a policy and is completely out of touch with reality. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently concluded with 95 to 100 percent certainty that humans are the principal cause of climate change. Such findings of the world's most highly regarded scientists cannot be more certain than this.

The American people know that climate change is not a ``hoax'' or a ``fraud,'' as some of our colleagues claim, because they are experiencing the hottest years on record, as well as the most severe floods, wildfires and droughts in modern history. My home state of California is currently facing an unprecedented drought which is threatening the prosperity of everyone from urban and rural communities to farmers, fishermen, wildlife, and large and small businesses.

Steps to halt and reverse the effects of climate change are well overdue, and our window to act is quickly closing. H.R. 3826 does the exact opposite, and for all these reasons, I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation.

I thank my friend and my colleague for yielding. I thank him for the work that he has done, as well as Mr. Whitfield, Mr. McKinley, Ms. Castor, and staff on both sides of the aisle. It feels good to come to the floor to speak on a package of bills that are bipartisan and that are really going to produce something for our country and help move us forward.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today in support of the package of these four bipartisan energy efficiency bills because they are going to save taxpayer dollars. They are very important.

Title III of this legislation is a bill that I authored with Congressman Mike Rogers of Michigan to make the Federal Government's IT and data centers more energy efficient. We have been at this for a long time. By requiring Federal agencies to utilize the best technologies and energy management strategies, our legislation will reduce the Federal Government's energy use, save taxpayer dollars, and importantly, set the standard for the private sector.

While we now routinely hear a lot about data centers, that was not the case when we started out examining this issue a decade ago. Back then, I had to explain to colleagues what a data center was. Today, just about everybody understands that data centers are a critical part of our national infrastructure and are found in nearly every sector of our economy.

In 2005, I authored language in the Energy Policy Act that mandated an EPA study relative to energy use and energy costs of data centers. The report was transmitted to Congress in 2007 and served as a driver of both private and public investment in energy efficiency. Based on widespread agreement across government, industry, and academia, the bill before us today requires an update to that 2007 report.

Data centers can be extremely energy inefficient. Experts estimate that most data centers could slash their energy use by 80 to 90 percent. That really takes our collective breath away. There are enormous opportunities in this by simply implementing existing technologies and best practices.

So we can do this. We can get this done.

While several companies in my Silicon Valley district have taken the lead in developing efficient, sustainable data centers, we can do much better across the private sector and the Federal Government.

I thank the gentleman.

The Federal Government is the Nation's largest landowner, largest employer, and largest energy user, and so we should lead by example in improving the energy efficiency of our own data centers within the Federal Government.

So the bill that Mr. Rogers and I have embedded in this package requires Federal agencies to do some really rather simple things that are going to lead to terrific outcomes. They need to develop plans to use more energy-efficient technologies and best practices, and require periodic evaluation of Federal data centers for energy efficiency.

I want to thank Chairman Upton, Ranking Member Waxman, the staffs from both sides of the aisle, the Members that are part of the legislation that is part of this bipartisan package.

And I also want to salute Paul Beck, who serves on my staff in my office, who has really been the wind beneath the sails of this bill. He has lived and breathed efficiency in data centers day in and day out.

Mr. Speaker, the 27th of February marks the 26th anniversary of the horrific attack against Armenians in the town of Sumgait in Soviet Azerbaijan. Dozens of Armenians were killed and hundreds more were wounded. During the pogrom, Armenian women and children were raped, people were set on fire and beaten to death, while police stood by unwilling or unable to intervene.

The violence touched off a broader attack against Azerbaijan's ethnic Armenians, ultimately resulting in a war with Nagorno-Karabakh in which tens of thousands of people were killed. The conflict remains unresolved today and the military blockade of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic continues. The pogroms precipitated a massive refugee situation displacing hundreds of thousands of people, virtually eliminating Azerbaijan's once-significant Armenian population.

Mr. Speaker, as people of conscience, this is a remembrance we must all engage in. For me, it is also a very personal remembrance. My own family fled the slaughter of the Armenian Genocide under the Ottomans, and when we learned of the massacres against Armenians in 1988, we saw history repeating itself. These vicious acts of murder, targeted at ethnic groups, must be forcefully condemned whenever and wherever we see them.

Without our recognition and our forceful condemnation, the cycle of violence will continue. Even today, Christians and other minority groups are being driven from Syria by extremists, and the once large and diverse ethnic mosaic there is all but eradicated. Without our attention and action by the world community, there will be no end in sight.

Today, Mr. Speaker, let us remember the Armenians who lost their lives in Azerbaijan 26 years ago. And then let us take up the work that our principles demand of us, standing united against ethnic violence, discrimination, extremism and brutality, wherever we find it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1232 because it begins to fix a broken procurement system that has been on the GAO's ``high-risk'' list since the early 1990's.

Federal IT procurement has been a black hole of taxpayer dollars long before the deeply flawed rollout of Healthcare.gov. During my service on the House Intelligence Committee from 2003 to 2011, there were billions of dollars spent on IT projects that failed, without a shred of work product recoverable for the taxpayer.

H.R. 1232 will go a long way toward addressing these problems by empowering agency CIOs and developing new IT acquisition guidelines and best practices. This bill is a strong start but I think there's more that can be done.

Congressman Connolly and I have worked together to draft complementary legislation to FITARA, called the Reforming Federal Procurement of Information Technology Act. Our bill would create a new, high-level office of IT experts in the White House charged with reviewing major federal IT projects before they get off track.

Our bill would also make it easier for small, innovative businesses to compete for federal projects by simplifying the contracting process. The Federal Acquisition Regulation is 1,900 pages long, and some agencies have a supplement that's an additional 1,000 pages. This rewards incumbent companies familiar with the rules and prevents open competition and innovation among vendors.

I applaud Congressmen Issa and Connolly for working together on this important legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Dr. David Gollaher, Co-Founder and President of the California Healthcare Institute on his twenty-one years of service to CHI as its fearless leader and tireless advocate for the California Life Sciences.

I met David in 1993 when I was first elected to Congress and David was launching CHI. We forged a true partnership from that time forward to promote biotechnology and assure a vibrant industry which holds such promise for the people of our country and the world.

David has a long and storied career in promoting science in the U.S. Before founding CHI in 1993, he was a senior executive at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation. Earlier in his career, he served on the faculties of Harvard University, University of California, San Diego, the Graduate School of Public Health at SDSU, and the Overseas School of Rome. He is an award-winning historian of science and medicine, and has written three books and numerous articles in the fields of health policy, the economics of biomedical research and development, bioethics and the history of medicine.

David's leadership at CHI filled a critically important role in educating the public, including Members of Congress, on the importance of innovation and investment in the life sciences. From the creation of a pathway for the approval of biosimilars, to reforms at the FDA to improve patient safety and access to new therapies, David has been my friend, wise counsel, and partner. He will be missed at CHI, and his extraordinary accomplishments will remain his legacy. I shall miss the finest partner I've had and he will always remain the gold standard for his magnificent work and informed advocacy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in paying tribute to Dr. David Gollaher for his exceptional leadership in championing the life sciences, biotechnology, and biomedical research and for guiding policy makers in shaping policies to improve and save the lives of countless Americans. His professionalism, trusted data, and true passion for his work has strengthened our nation and made us better for all he has contributed.

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in fierce opposition to the bill that is being considered because it throws decades of State and Federal water law out the window, and, in the process, it would kill thousands of jobs in the Bay area and elsewhere on the west coast, while pitting water users against one another.

Salmon fishing is one of California's oldest industries. Today, the Bay-Delta salmon fishery is not nearly as healthy as it once was, but it still supports thousands of jobs up and down the entire west coast. This bill would dry up what is left of the once legendary salmon fishery industry.

Here are some of the laws that this bill would gut or override. I think everyone should fasten their seatbelts:

The California Constitution;

The Reclamation Act of 1902;

The Central Valley Project Improvement Act;

The State and Federal Endangered Species Act;

The National Environmental Policy Act;

The San Joaquin River Settlement Act;

The Wild & Scenic River Act protections for the Merced River.

If that is not enough for everyone in the House to know, then there isn't anything else to know.

Vote against this bill. It is horrible.

Mr. Speaker, I was not present during rollcall vote No. 24 and 25 on January 27, 2014, due to a flight delay.

I would like the record to reflect how I would have voted:

On rollcall vote No. 24, I would have voted ``yes''; on rollcall vote No. 25, I would have voted ``yes''.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of Albert J. Berti who died at the age of 94 on November 28, 2013. He leaves his beloved wife, Mary Vitelli Berti, and his children Paula Lake, Linda Bonforte, Dana Berti Cassillo, Andrea Hennessy, Peter Berti, Christopher Berti, Mary E. Berti, Martha Berti and Monica Casazza. He was the devoted grandfather of 21, and the great grandfather of 5, as well as the brother of Iris Scott Bangston.

Mr. Berti served our country with distinction during World War II and was buried with the military honors he earned and deserved. He also enjoyed a long career with the United States Department of the Treasury.

I'm blessed to enjoy the friendship of one of Mr. Berti's daughters, Andrea Hennessy. In Andrea's words, her father's life was ``rich in all the ways that matter, and his large family will cherish his memory forever.''

Albert Berti lived a life rooted in the best traditions of our country. He was a patriot who served his country. He was an exemplary husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, and he contributed to the life of his community and strengthened our country with his integrity and values.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in honoring the life of Albert J. Berti, and in extending our condolences to his family.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 3824 to end the unfortunate Republican refusal to extend unemployment benefits that protect 238,855 workers in my home State of California.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of an extraordinary woman, Frances Bohannon Nelson, who passed away peacefully after a brief illness on November 23, 2013.

Frances was born in Oakland, California in 1922, and was the oldest daughter of Ophelia and David Bohannon. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1943, and began her stellar career in real estate development with the Bohannon companies.

She was named President of Bohannon Development Company in 1975, and led the company in its successful growth. With Frances's leadership, Bohannon Development Company flourished, and among its many successes expanded and enclosed Hillsdale Shopping Center in 1981, during a severe economic downturn. Frances also established an extraordinary record of philanthropic service, serving as the Regent and Trustee of Santa Clara University; as a member of the Board of Governors of the Urban Land Institute; and the Advisory Board of Peninsula Volunteers. She was Honorary Chairman of the Capital Campaign for the Second Harvest Food Bank in San Mateo County, and generously supported Planned Parenthood and women's reproductive rights. Frances was voted into the San Mateo County Woman's Hall of Fame in 1990.

An astute businesswoman and generous philanthropist, Frances was also a marvelous cook and an adventurous woman who loved to fish and hunt with her family in Alaska, Canada, Mexico, India and Africa.

Frances lived in Woodside, California for 55 years, was a devoted wife to Howard Nelson and the parent of three beloved children, Patricia Atassi, Linda Davis and Steven Nelson. She is survived by daughters Patricia and Linda, and grandchildren Tarek Atassi, Jennifer Davis, Blair Nelson and Eric Nelson. Her husband Howard Nelson, son Steven Nelson, sister Barbara Carleton, brother David E. Bohannon, and grandson Ramzi Atassi predeceased her.

I had the privilege of knowing Frances Nelson for many years. She was a powerful role model in our community. She and her family are amongst the most highly respected in our community, and are responsible in countless ways for the betterment of San Mateo County.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of a woman who will be greatly missed by all who had the good fortune to know her. Frances Bohannon Nelson was a true patriot, a woman who loved her family and served her community and her country with a deep sense of dedication. For this, the entire House of Representatives extends its condolences to the Nelson and Bohannon families.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a great and good woman, Margaret Anne (Maggie) McGovern, who died surrounded by her loving family on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2013. Maggie was born in New York on July 20, 1933, and moved to San Francisco with her family in 1945. She was a straight A student who was educated at St. Anne's Grammar School and St. Paul's High School.

Maggie married Ed McGovern, and in 1963, they co-founded Knight's Restaurant and Catering in San Francisco. For over forty years in business they served Presidents, a Pope, the famous (and infamous) from all over the world. It was a true partnership, with Ed as CEO and Master of Ceremonies, and Maggie, as the well-dressed, gracious hostess and strong CFO.

Together, Maggie and Ed became world travelers, visiting six continents, including several trips to Amsterdam, Ireland, all the world capitals, and to their beloved Kauai where they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2006 with 30 of their closest family members.

Maggie lived a life of style and service, giving generously of her time and talents to others. She was a member of St. Paul's Alumni, the Loyola Guild, past President of Little Children's Aid Auxiliary, a board member of Catholic Charities for eight years, a member of the Archbishop's Ring of Charity, Knights of the Holy Sepulcher, and in later years, volunteered weekly at St. Vincent de Paul and St. Francis in Sonoma. Her elegance was not only in her fabulous wardrobe . . . it emanated from the core of her spirit.

In 2005, Maggie and Ed retired to their beautiful home in Sonoma where they became active members of the community and formed new circles of loving friends.

Maggie was preceded in death by her loving spouse of 56 years, Ed, and was the devoted mother of eight children: Ed (Tina) McGovern; Margaret (Frank) van Beuningen; Maureen

Kelly; Brian (Theresa); Kevin (Lori) McGovern; Eileen (Andy) Patania; Deirdre (Douglas) Muller, and Moira McGovern. She was the beloved `Mimi' to Katie, Claire, Meagan and Jack; Molly, Danny and Grace; Brian, Christopher, Thomas, Stephen, and Elizabeth; Rosie; and Devin and Ryan.

I had the privilege of knowing Margaret McGovern for over three decades. She was a woman of great faith and lived a life of values, instilling in her children and grandchildren the importance of integrity, decency and a genuine respect for every human being.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the long and productive life of Maggie McGovern and in extending our most sincere condolences to her family. She shaped the lives of her family, lived her faith daily, and bettered the lives of so many, strengthening the community she served and the country she loved.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of an

extraordinary woman, Julia M. Alexander, who passed away in Florida, at the age of 94, on December 7, 2013.

Julia was born in Chicago, Illinois, and lived there until moving to Florida in the 1970s. She was a pillar of her church, serving as an Elder and Deacon, and was President of the Women's Association at Westminster Presbyterian. She worked tirelessly for the Dorothy Berger Leukemia Chapter, and was active in fundraising for the Shrine Club of New Port Richey, which led to her being lauded for her efforts by the Shrine Hospitals of North America. A bookkeeper in the retail and manufacturing industries for most of her adult career, she was also a Bingo leader, a golfer, a great and exceedingly generous cook, a dancer and a child of the Depression.

Julia was born to Agase and Martha Mirza of Chicago, Illinois, the fourth of their nine children, and was the beloved wife of the late Robert J. Eddy and Robert E. Alexander. She was the devoted mother of Deborah Eddy and the late Judith Carpenter, and the loving step mother of E. Robert Alexander and the late Charles Alexander. She was the devoted grandmother of Susan (Chris) Ulrich; Deborah Carpenter; Kim Alexander; Elizabeth (Blair) Piotrowski; Todd (Pamela) Alexander; and Daniel (Jeannette) Alexander. She was blessed with eight great grandchildren and was the beloved sister of Elsie Eshoo; Alice Maupin; Samuel (Mary) Mirza; William (Patti) Mirza; and the late Jennie Eshoo and Esther Aziz. She was the special aunt of many, including Sarah (Michael) Hensle, and the `adopted' mother of Agnes Brassfield.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of a woman who will be greatly missed by all who had the good fortune to know her. Julia Mirza Alexander was a true patriot, a faith-filled woman who loved her family and served her community and her country with joy, generosity and dedication. For this, the entire House of Representatives extends its condolences to her entire family, most especially her daughter Debbie who did so much for her and brought her great joy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of an extraordinary woman, Katherine Agnes McMillan, who passed away at the age of 89 on December 10, 2013. She was the youngest of nine children born to Irish immigrants, John Patrick and Margaret Kearns Trumble, and was the Valedictorian of her graduating class at Sacred Heart Academy.

Katherine McMillan served in the Navy as a nurse, and went on to serve her community uncommonly well as a devoted RN for 37 years at Sequoia Hospital where she worked in the Emergency Room and was a legend there.

After retiring from the nursing profession, Katherine launched a `latchkey' day care program at St. Pius Catholic Church in Redwood City, the first of its kind in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. She provided quality child care for school age children with her trademarks of professionalism, discipline and caring.

Katherine gave generously of her time and considerable talents at Serra High School in San Mateo, the school her son Robert attended and she loved. She became the first woman to earn and be honored with the ``In Via Award'' by this all male school.

Katherine is survived by her beloved daughters, Katherine and Mary, her son Robert (Julie) and her two adored grandsons, Sean and Kenny.

I had the privilege of knowing Katherine McMillan for over three decades. With her Irish pride and her Boston accent, she was a force of nature, a loyal and loving friend, an extraordinary mother, and a woman of great faith. She lived her faith in all she did, and every day of her life was guided by it.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of a woman who will be greatly missed by all who had the good fortune to know her and never be forgotten. Katherine McMillan was a true patriot, a woman who loved her family deeply and served her community, her church and her country with great dedication and joy. For this, the entire U.S. House of Representatives extends its condolences to the McMillan family.