Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in respectful opposition to H.R. 471, the so-called Fix Our Forests Act.

Right now, as we all have seen, tens of thousands of families are without

homes. Our knowledge right now is that 28 people have died. The scale of the devastation in Los Angeles is just unthinkable.

Mr. Chair, I represent a district just to the south of this catastrophe. Thankfully, we have not been affected, but we are subject to the same dynamics year after year.

In recent years, we had the Santiago Canyon fire, the Laguna fire, the Canyon fire, and a number of others. When you compile 80- to 100- mile-an-hour winds, made worse because of climate change and the annual Santa Ana winds, with dry conditions, that combination is basically creating tinder conditions. That is why we are having this fire.

I just want to note that this particular bill has done nothing to prevent the Los Angeles fires and would do nothing to prevent similar wildfires going forward.

Mr. Chair, firefighters will say that when you have 80- to 100-mile- an-hour winds, little embers can turn into massive fires, and there is nothing that we can do to stop that. Firefighters cannot be deployed and water or other resources cannot be deployed until the wind dies down.

Unfortunately, there has been a lot of misinformation about these L.A. fires, that there is not enough water or that somehow our water systems are inadequate. Many have described these fires as blowtorches, trying to fight a fire that is like a blowtorch.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues who are believing these conspiracy theories to talk to actual firefighters about how they might fight fires like this because I have talked to firefighters, and they have told me that measures like this would not have prevented the L.A. fires.

This particular bill has some important provisions that I support. Some of these have been mentioned in opposition by people on my side of the aisle, but I would note that it lacks the funding mechanisms to actually make these implementable.

It also fails to include any permanent pay increase for Federal wildland firefighters who continue to be underpaid and overworked.

This bill is, at best, a messaging bill, an unfunded mandate. I note that it is wrapped up in this inextricable question of: Will Californians get the aid that our families so desperately need? Unfortunately, that seems to be a question that increasingly looks like the answer is going to be: Only with grossly political conditions.

I note that I introduced an amendment to make clear that Federal disaster assistance to the Los Angeles fire victims needs to be prioritized and must come with no political strings attached. This is something we have done for every other disaster out there in America. When we have had hurricanes in the Southeast, when we have had flooding in parts of the country, California has stepped up. We get 60 cents back for every dollar we pay in tax funding.

I am disappointed that we are politicizing aid to California now that we need it. I was disappointed that my amendment was blocked from even basic consideration. I am disheartened to know that House and Senate Republicans continue to threaten conditions on the basic aid that Californians need right now.

This is un-American and inconsistent with every other Federal disaster response.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today because it is the 52nd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision and reproductive freedom, and the lives and well-being of countless women in this country are under attack.

We are 1 week into the Trump administration, and House Republicans are already introducing draconian legislation to strip away the reproductive rights of women.

This legislation will exacerbate the growing crisis in reproductive healthcare, driving OB-GYN doctors out of the profession, and endangering the health of women. This cannot stand.

As the father of a 12-year-old daughter, I refuse to let her grow up in a world where she has fewer freedoms than the generations that came before her. That is why I am proud to announce that I have joined the House Pro-Choice Caucus.

As a California State Senator, I led legislation to protect and expand reproductive rights and abortion access, and I am proud to take up this fight in Congress.

Every person deserves the autonomy to make their own healthcare decisions, and we must continue to do everything we can to restore reproductive freedom and move our country forward. Women, not politicians in Washington, D.C., should be making their decisions on when, whether, and how to start a family.

Mr. Speaker, I was just elected to represent California's 47th Congressional District in the heart of Orange County, and we have quite a sizeable Chinese-American population.

I have spoken with many constituents who are deeply concerned about the future of Taiwan, particularly in the face of increased aggression and a lot of rhetoric.

Mr. Speaker, I think it is important that we signal here that we are strengthening the relationship between our two countries.

For the past 75 years, the United States and Taiwan have enjoyed a special relationship, one rooted in our shared values of freedom and democracy.

That has also been bolstered by a strong national security relationship founded on Ronald Reagan's Six Assurances to Taiwan. Of course, we have had a strong economic relationship based on a lot of mutual trade and investment, including around semiconductor chips and other critical goods.

Now, this is the seventh largest trading partner of the United States. It is a large trading partner of my State of California. I think it is important we end this regime of double taxation, continue strengthening our ties, encouraging more economic investments, and ensuring that we are bolstering our national security.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``aye.''

Mr. Speaker, my name is Dave Min. I was just elected to represent the 47th Congressional District in Orange County, California, just south of the fires. While we are not affected by these, we are subject to the same fire risks on a year-by-year basis.

What we are seeing right now is a biblical-level disaster in California. The scope of this devastation is unprecedented. Now, as has been mentioned before, is a time when we need to come together, understanding that with climate change we are going to continue seeing biblical-level events going forward.

When we have had past disasters, whether hurricanes in southeastern United States, Florida, the Gulf Coast, tornadoes, flooding, and, yes, wildfires, we have stepped up. The people of southern California have stepped up to help those in need. That is the American way. That is the California way.

What is being proposed right now in tying conditions to aid is un- American. It is despicable. It is pathetic. We have never done this before. I urge my Republican colleagues to think about the precedent they will be setting if they set conditions, political conditions to this aid because the next time a disaster strikes, it could be their district, their area, and they do not want to set this precedent right now. People are struggling. Thousands of firefighters are exhausted. We need your help.