Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a devoted servant of the people of San Mateo County who is completing his tenure on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, Don Horsley. He has worked in law enforcement, education, as elected Sheriff and President of the Healthcare District Board. His life has been one devoted to the wellbeing of others.

Don Horsley is married to Elaine and they reside in Emerald Hills. They have three adult children and one grandchild. Don is a native San Franciscan who was raised in Daly City. He graduated from Westmoor High School and earned his Bachelor's degree with Honors from San Francisco State University. He later earned a secondary school teaching credential.

Don Horsley began his working career doing odd jobs as a teenager, then as a juvenile counselor with the San Mateo County Probation Department. He taught middle school students, and then began his work in law enforcement with the City of Pacifica.

Don began his career with the San Mateo County Sheriffs office as a Patrol Deputy in East Palo Alto in 1972. He won the race for San Mateo County Sheriff in 1993 and served as the elected Sheriff for nearly 14 years. His tenure was marked by innovation, modernization and upgrading the tools used by law enforcement. He helped establish a gang investigative unit, and his work resulted in the lowest county homicide rate in California.

Don Horsley was elected to the Sequoia Healthcare District where he served as President until he was elected to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. At the Healthcare District he spearheaded efforts to increase funding to the North Fair Oaks Clinic and the Community Grant Program, and advocated annexation of the San Mateo Coastside into the District, and worked successfully to fund school nurses and health programs in District schools.

Don Horsley was elected to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors for District 3 in 2010 and has served with great distinction for three terms. The District includes the cities of Atherton, southeast Belmont, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, Portola Valley, San Carlos and Woodside. It also includes unincorporated Devonshire Canyon, El Granada, Emerald Lake Hills, Harbor Industrial Park, La Honda, Ladera, Loma Mar, Los Trancos Woods, Miramar, Montara, Moss Beach, Palomar Park, Pescadero, Princeton By-The-Sea, San Gregorio, Skyline, Skylonda, Stanford Lands, Vista Verde and West Menlo Park. His third and last term will end on December 31, 2022, and he currently serves as the Board's President, an office he held twice before.

Don Horsley hosted Getting Prohibited Guns Off the Street: Firearm Relinquishment in San Mateo County, an inter-agency partnership with the Giffords Law Center on March 11, 2022. Subsequently, the Board of Supervisors committed $1 million to taking guns away from people with violent offenses and restraining orders.

Don Horsley is a tireless advocate for farmworkers on the Coast and helped develop the San Mateo County Farm Labor Housing Loan Program. The program finances the construction of new and renovated housing for farmworkers, in partnership with agricultural operators.

Don is an outspoken supporter of civilian oversight of law enforcement, a strong advocate for affordable housing, and is committed to ensuring that policies and funding for housing, transportation, job training and other services reach the most vulnerable residents.

Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House to join me in thanking Don Horsley for his exemplary service to the people of San Mateo County and in wishing him every blessing in the next chapter of his life. He is a good and great man and we are a better community and a stronger country because of him and his work.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Larry Hassett as he retires from his position as a Director of the Board of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen). Larry represents Ward Six which is comprised of the communities of Atherton, La Honda, Ladera, Loma Mar, Menlo Park, North Fair Oaks, Pescadero, Portola Valley, Redwood City, West Menlo Park and Woodside.

Larry Hassett was first appointed to the Midpen Board in 2000. Since that time he has served with great distinction furthering Midpen's goal of helping people, plants and animals thrive by preserving a connected greenbelt of more than 65,000 acres in the greater Santa Cruz Mountains region.

Larry was born in Minnesota, grew up in San Carlos, California, and has lived in the South Skyline Area since 1977. He is a 1973 graduate of San Jose State University where he earned a B.A. degree in Environmental Studies.

Known and beloved in our community, Larry Hassett is the former owner of several hardware stores. Upon his retirement in 2012, he transferred ownership to his two sons.

Larry has given generously of his time and considerable talents to his community, serving as a Director of Achieve, the Palo Alto Recreation Foundation, the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce, the Museum of American Heritage, Leadership Mid-Peninsula, the Peninsula Conservation Center, Rotary and Kiwanis.

Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in thanking Larry Hassett for his extraordinary service as a Member of the Board of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. He is truly a national treasure and a cherished constituent.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Pete Siemens as he retires from his position as a Director of the Board of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen). Pete represents Ward One which is comprised of the communities of Cupertino, Lexington Hills, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno and Saratoga.

Pete Siemens was first appointed to the Midpen Board in 1994. Since that time he has served with great distinction furthering Midpen's goal to preserve a connected greenbelt of more than 65,000 acres in the greater Santa Cruz Mountains region.

Pete Siemens was born in San Francisco and raised in the Central Valley, He earned a B.S. degree in math from Fresno State University and worked as a rocket test engineer. He is now a consultant in test- system design for medical implants.

Pete Siemens has given generously of his time and considerable talents to his community, serving as a Los Gatos Council member and as Mayor. He also solved as a Los Gatos Planning Commissioner and on the Santa Clara County Transportation Commission. He volunteered in the restoration of the Grant Cabin, and he and his wife Diane volunteer at the Daniels Nature Center.

Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in thanking Pete Siemens for his extraordinary service as a Member of the Board of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. We are a stronger and better region because of his public service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3895, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Reauthorization Act. This bipartisan legislation reauthorizes USCIRF through 2024 and demonstrates strong congressional support for its mission of promoting religious freedom as a core objective of U.S. foreign policy.

As the daughter of immigrants who fled religious persecution abroad, I believe the U.S. has a responsibility to stand up for the rights of religious minorities around the world. That's why I'm proud to have joined Congressman Chris Smith in introducing H.R. 7829, the House companion of S. 3895. I'm grateful to Rep. Smith for partnering with me on this legislation and for his unwavering commitment to ensuring that all people can practice the religion of their choice without fear of persecution.

In 1998, Congress established USCIRF, an independent commission dedicated to promoting religious freedom through U.S. foreign policy. In the years since its founding, the Commission has lived up to its mandate by issuing incisive reports about religious freedom conditions abroad, advising Congress and Executive Branch officials, and sounding the alarm when religious persecution occurs. Importantly, the Commission is independent from the State Department, ensuring that its assessments of religious freedom conditions abroad are not influenced by, or perceived to be influenced by, other U.S. foreign policy interests.

We live in an era in which religious freedom is threatened in much of the world. The Chinese government is perpetrating genocide against Uyghur Muslims; Christians in Iraq and Syria have been subjected to ethnic strife and the ravages of war; and the Burmese junta continues its horrific genocidal campaign against the Rohingya minority. It's clear that USCIRF's work is as important today as ever before.

By reauthorizing USCIRF on a bipartisan basis, Congress will demonstrate strong support for the Commission and its critical work to promote religious freedom abroad. I urge my colleagues to stand with the persecuted religious minorities of the world by supporting this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Speier for organizing this Special Order Hour to highlight how state abortion restrictions impact

our nation's brave servicemembers and their families.

The military is a male-dominated institution where women make up only 20 percent of active-duty forces, and significantly less at senior leadership levels. As a result, women's healthcare needs are cast aside. TRICARE doesn't cover abortion services, except in cases of rape, incest, or to save the mother's life, forcing servicemembers to leave the military base to seek reproductive care.

With the upending of Roe, servicemembers in states that restrict abortion must travel even further on their own dime to seek basic reproductive healthcare, risking their career and standing in the ranks. This is outrageous and wholly unacceptable. It sacrifices the readiness of our troops and perpetuates a discriminatory environment for women in the military.

I am proud to be an original cosponsor of Congresswoman Speier's legislation, the MARCH for Servicemembers Act, to remove the statutory ban on military treatment facilities providing abortion services and Department of Defense funds being used to perform abortions.

I believe it is our collective responsibility to ensure that every American who wears a uniform to defend our country has the health services, opportunities, and care they need and deserve. This is a promise we must keep, and I certainly will.

Madam Speaker, I first thank the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Pallone, for his leadership and all of my colleagues on the committee who have worked so hard.

I think today is a hallelujah day, and I say this because two of the greatest challenges facing our country are the following.

The climate crisis: This is the single largest investment to take on the climate crisis head-on. I hear from children as young as first graders in my district caring about this issue. Two years ago this time, I had 77,000 evacuees from the wildfires in my congressional district. Taking on the climate crisis is absolutely essential.

Seniors, the Medicare beneficiaries, we are changing their prescription drug prices today because Medicare will be able to directly negotiate and bring the prices down.

Cap insulin at $35 a month--Senate Republicans sabotaged that cap on insulin for all Americans. I don't know how any politician can go home and brag about that.

The out-of-pocket costs for Medicare beneficiaries will not exceed $2,000 a year.

We are investing in the IRS. My constituents have been waiting for too

long for their refunds. Added staff is going to expedite the services that the IRS and the American people need from the IRS.

Finally, deficit reduction--yes, America, this is paid for.

This is truly a hallelujah day. This is a red, white, and blue bill. It is good for all Americans, and it will advance our collective future of America.

Madam Speaker, our Nation has major challenges that have kept me awake at night.

The clarion call from young climate activists concerned they won't have a planet to grow old on. I've heard seniors describe their inability to afford their prescription drugs.

Today, we change all this by the largest and boldest effort to address climate change in American history. It honors our commitments under the Paris Agreement by investing $369 billion in tax credits, loans, and grants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030.

For seniors, the Inflation Reduction Act reduces prescription drug costs through policies developed by the Health Subcommittee I chair. Over the past three years, we held six hearings focused on this challenge.

The hearings brought forward the fact that our Nation has been held back for 20 years by a law that prohibits Medicare from negotiating directly with drug companies. Not anymore.

The bill also ensures Medicare beneficiaries won't pay more than $2,000 annually for prescription drugs, and no more than $35 for insulin every month.

This legislation also lowers health care premiums by strengthening the Affordable Care Act to save an average of $800 per year for 13 million people.

Finally, the entire legislation is paid for by making billion-dollar companies pay their fair share and lowers the federal deficit by more than $300 billion.

Throughout my service in Congress, my top priorities have been to grow our economy, make health care more affordable, and address climate change. Today's transformative legislation meets these challenges, and I urge my colleagues to vote for it.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3771, the ``South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act of 2022.'' As Chairwoman of the House Health Subcommittee, I'm proud to have advanced this bipartisan bill and I'm pleased to support it on the Floor today.

``The South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act of 2022'' sponsored by Representatives Jayapal and Fitzpatrick promotes research and awareness of heart health for communities that are disproportionately affected by heart disease.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., but it is a disproportionate killer. According to the American College of Cardiology, South Asian Americans are four times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than any other ethnic group in the U.S. Despite these alarming statistics, researchers still do not fully understand why it is such a targeted threat.

This legislation provides $1 million annually for the next five years to advance research and awareness of heart health for the most vulnerable American communities.

``The South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act'' was introduced in the 115th Congress, passed the House in 116th Congress, and is past-due to become law in the 117th Congress. I urge my colleagues to help close this health disparity gap in our country and support this important bill.

Madam Speaker, as the Chairwoman of the Health Subcommittee and a senior member of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, I've advanced the importance of telehealth for years.

Over the last several months, as I've talked to health care professionals and providers in my district, I've heard how the wide adoption of telehealth has been the bright spot during the pandemic.

One reason for that bright spot is that HHS waived many rules and payment policies surrounding telehealth coverage in traditional Medicare during the public health emergency. A recent HHS Office of the Inspector General report found that over 28 million Medicare beneficiaries used telehealth during the first year of the pandemic, demonstrating the long-term potential of telehealth to increase access to health care for beneficiaries.

Now that beneficiaries have received this important benefit, they fully appreciate what telehealth does for them. We must find a way to continue telehealth access for seniors and all Americans. That's why I'm proud to support Representatives Liz Cheney and Debbie Dingell's bipartisan H.R. 4040, the ``Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2022.'' The bill will allow Medicare beneficiaries to use telehealth services after the public health emergency ends by eliminating geographical restrictions on Medicare coverage for telehealth services and expand Medicare coverage to include audio-only telehealth. I urge my colleagues to support this important, bipartisan bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 7132, the Safe Connections Act, critical legislation I've co-led to help survivors of domestic violence regain their digital independence.

Abusers are increasingly using everyday digital tools to coerce and control their victims and shared phone plans pose a unique danger for survivors of domestic violence. They enable abusers to monitor their victims? phone calls, texts, voicemails and even their precise physical locations. Phone providers make it extremely challenging and expensive to end a cell phone contract early, charging up to $350 to leave the plan and additional up-front fees. Given that 99 percent of all domestic violence cases involve financial abuse, these fees pose an insurmountable barrier to leaving an abusive relationship.

I'm proud to have introduced the Safe Connections Act with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure survivors can safely and remotely remove themselves from shared phone plans with their abusive partners without prohibitive costs and contractual obligations. The legislation tasks the Federal Communications Commission with facilitating access to emergency communications support through the Lifeline Program or the Affordable Connectivity Program to empower survivors to obtain new phones or phone services at discounted prices. The Federal Communications Commission is also required to ensure that calls or texts to domestic violence hotlines do not appear on call logs. These are highly important measures to ensure survivors can quickly cut ties with their abusers and remain connected to their support networks.

I thank Reps. Kuster and Walberg, Chairman Pallone, and Ranking Member McMorris Rogers for their partnership on this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to vote for it.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 7624, the Spectrum Innovation Act, which includes an updated version of my legislation, the Next Generation 9-1-1 Act.

9-1-1 is a lifeline for Americans in their greatest hour of need. In an emergency, few things are more important than these three numbers when it comes to getting help. And it can often be the difference between life and death. After the horrific attacks on September 11, 2001, I co-founded the E-911 Caucus with Representative John Shimkus and Senators Hillary Clinton and Conrad Burns to support first responders and the public safety community by moving our nation's 9-1-1 services into the 21st Century. Unfortunately, we have not reached our goal and most of the United States' 9-1-1 call centers continue to use legacy technology developed over 50 years ago. The Spectrum Innovation Act will provide $10 billion for states and localities to adopt NG911 technology and help modernize most of our call centers.

Next Generation 9-1-1 will harness the power of 21st Century technology to respond to 21st century emergencies. It will allow our 9- 1-1 emergency communication centers to receive real-time location information, text messages, photos, and video from individuals at the scene of an emergency, and to share that information with first responders. It will also make our emergency communication centers more secure, resilient, interoperable, and reliable.

The benefits of this technology will help save lives. If someone breaks into your home and you're hiding from the intruder, you won't need to call 9-1-1 to speak to an operator. You can text 9-1-1 to summon help while you continue to hide. You will be able to send pictures or live stream video from the scene of a car accident or a home fire to help first responders better respond to the emergency.

The investments made in NG911 through the Spectrum Innovation Act will help modernize our 9-1-1 system. I'm pleased it has the support of a broad coalition of law enforcement and public safety organizations, including the Major County Sheriffs of America; the Major Cities Chiefs Association; the National Sheriffs' Association; the International Association of Chiefs of Police; the International Association of Fire Chiefs; the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association; the National Association of State EMS Officials; the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials; the National Association of State 911 Administrators; and the National Emergency Number Association.

I thank Rep. Richard Hudson, my co-chair of the NG911 Caucus for working with me on this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to vote for it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 8454, the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act. I advanced a precursor to this bipartisan bill through my Health Subcommittee and I'm proud to support it on the Floor today.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services National Survey on Drug Use, over 48 million Americans reported using cannabis in the past year. Thirty-seven states now allow the medicinal use of cannabis and 19 states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for adult use.

But state laws and federal policy are a thousand miles apart. As more states allow cannabis, the federal government still strictly controls and prohibits it, even restricting legitimate medical research.

The Medical Marijuana Research Act addresses these restrictions on research and alleviates a burdensome, out-of-date process for scientific researchers. First, it creates a new, less cumbersome registration process specifically for marijuana, reducing approval wait times and costly security measures. Second, this bill makes it easier for researchers to obtain the cannabis they need for their studies through reforms in production and distribution regulations.

Under this bill scientists will no longer be forced to wait more than a year to become federally-approved to conduct cannabis research. They will also not be forced to use the cannabis grown by a government- authorized farm at the University of Mississippi. This cannabis lacks the properties and potency of commercially-available cannabis and leads to inadequate research.

This is a commonsense bill that will update federal policy to advance research on cannabis and its compounds. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 623, the ``Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0.'' As Chairwoman of the House Health Subcommittee, I'm proud to have advanced this bipartisan bill and I'm pleased to support it on the Floor today.

Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0 reauthorizes the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program and nearly doubles critical funding for pediatric cancer research to $25 million each year for the next five years.

Pediatric cancer is the number one disease killer for children in the U.S., claiming roughly 1,800 lives every year. Children with certain birth defects have an increased risk of pediatric cancer, yet the genetic relationship between these conditions is still poorly understood.

First launched in 2014, the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program connects the dots between birth defects and childhood cancers, with the hope of fostering data-driven solutions for personalized treatments. This program is named in honor of Gabriella Miller, a fierce advocate for childhood cancer research who died of brain cancer at the young age of 10. Ellyn Miller, Gabriella's mother, when testifying at my Subcommittee last year, said that Gabriella told her that she wanted elected officials to ``stop talking and start doing.''

I urge my colleagues to stop talking and start doing by passing this important bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise in the strongest support of H.R. 8373, the Right to Contraception Act.

We all belong to committees here, and when we do, as we do, we get to know Members very well. An observation of mine over these years as a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee is--I don't know any Member that has 10, 12, or 14 children. I would say there is some family planning going on here.

This is a private decision that we all have had the freedom to make. This bill is about family planning. It is about birth control. It is not about controlling women. It is about the freedom that women can make.

No politician or judge should be interfering in private healthcare decisions or restrict access to contraception. The Supreme Court has threatened this fundamental right, leaving this issue on the Court's chopping block.

Madam Speaker, everyone should vote for this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise in the strongest support possible of the Women's Health Protection Act.

In February 2020, I held the first legislative hearing in two decades to protect access to reproductive health. Since then, we have seen the steady rollback of abortion rights in Republican-controlled States. This means that low-income women and minorities have been living in a post-Roe reality for years now.

Now, the Supreme Court has fully revoked the constitutional right to abortion, leaving States to outlaw and criminalize abortion if they choose to. This devastating decision has created a patchwork of States with differing laws and restrictions, causing societal chaos and confusion across our country.

It is a huntdown of women. It is a huntdown of women.

The Women's Health Protection Act makes sure that every American has equal access to reproductive healthcare, no matter where they live. I am eager to vote for this legislation, once again, and I call on my Senate counterparts to codify these vital protections into law.

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman of our committee for his leadership.

I rise in strong support of this legislation. It is aptly named, Ensuring Women's Right to Reproductive Freedom Act.

I have listened to the debate so far on this bill, and I really find it hard to believe what I am hearing. I think the people of this country need to know, before we get to the reproductive freedoms, that the Republicans are opposed to contraception. That is a fact around here.

Now, because of what the Supreme Court has unleashed with the Dobbs decision, we have a patchwork of States with different laws. Some States provide full healthcare for women; others don't.

Now, those living, as the author of this legislation stated, in Texas, they are fleeing Texas to go to other States; but those States want to stop women from traveling. That is what this is about. Stop women from traveling. What are they going to do? Put their Highway Patrol on the border to interview people to find out where they are going and why? This is extreme in terms of what these States want to do.

Today, the House, in its votes, makes it crystal clear to those States that they cannot take this freedom away. This bill establishes protections for women who travel for care and for healthcare professionals who provide that care.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support it.