Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mrs. Michelle Roman for her 11 years of service on the Kingsburg City Council and congratulate her on her retirement.

A lifelong California resident, Mrs. Roman moved her family to Kingsburg in 1999. It was after her move that she truly discovered her passion for helping her community. As her children grew older and the encouragement of her friends and family members grew stronger, she decided to run for City Council to give the children and families of Kingsburg a voice in the local government.

Mrs. Roman has now been on the Kingsburg City Council for over a decade, passionately advocating for her community. Not only has she represented her district, but she has also served as both the Mayor Pro Tem and Mayor of Kingsburg--the first woman to hold either position. In her role as Mayor of Kingsburg, Mrs. Roman served as the public face of Kingsburg, presided over City Council meetings, and continually fought to improve her community in any way she could.

Under her leadership, Kingsburg has seen incredible development. From building the city's first skateboard park to founding the Kingsburg Youth Council, to helping enact city policies that attract businesses to her community, Mrs. Roman has played a key role in improving the lives of Kingsburg residents. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was an essential liaison between State and County officials and helped to secure grants that saved local businesses as well as a vaccination clinic that helped to save many lives.

Mrs. Roman has been a true public servant for her community and has repeatedly demonstrated her commitment to making Kingsburg a safe, prosperous, and welcoming place to call home. I wish her all the best in her well-earned retirement.

I ask all my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Mrs. Michelle Roman for all she has accomplished during her 11 years of service to the City of Kingsburg.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Warden Kelly Santoro for her 30 years of service to the Central Valley community and congratulate her on her well-earned retirement.

Just like many in her family before her, Mrs. Santoro knew she wanted to dedicate her career to serving the state of California. She began her career in the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in 1993 as a correctional officer at Centinela State Prison. Throughout her decorated career, she held crucial positions in the California Prison system ranging from Correctional Counselor to Associate Warden.

In 2012, Mrs. Santoro was named the Chief Deputy Warden of the Wasco State Prison Reception Center. In this role, she displayed incredible professionalism and competence as she oversaw over 5,000 inmates and nearly 1,500 members of staff. Her work in running the day-to-day in this role impressed her colleagues and would lead her to be named the acting Warden of the North Kern State Prison in 2015. In August of 2016, she would officially be named Warden of North Kern State Prison-- a role she held until her retirement this year.

Not only has Mrs. Santoro served her community through the State's Correctional Department, but she has also been a leader in the Central Valley through her philanthropic work. She and the North Kern State Prison raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities such as the Ronald McDonald House, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Women's Shelter, and many others. For 30 years, Mrs. Santoro has been an incredible example of the dedication, professionalism, and selflessness that encompass the values of the Central Valley community.

I ask all of my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in honoring Mrs. Kelly Marie Santoro for her 30 years of service to our community and congratulate her on a well-earned retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the achievements of the Westlands Water District on their 70th Anniversary.

Located on the west side of Fresno and Kings Counties, the Westlands Water District is home to some of the most fertile and productive farmland on the planet. On September 8, 1952, per the request of farmers on the westside of the San Joaquin Valley, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors officially announced the creation of the Westlands Water District. Initially, the district encompassed approximately 400,000 acres of land. After merging with West Plains Water District in 1965 and purchasing Broadview Water District in 2007, the district reached its current size of approximately 615,000 acres. On average, the district and its farmers provide for over 35,000 jobs and generate over $4.7 billion in economic activity each year.

One distinct aspect of the Westlands Water District is that it remains one of the only water districts in the world that distributes irrigation water exclusively through a highly efficient system of pressurized pipe. With approximately 1,100 miles of buried pipe throughout the district, they are able to track every drop of surface water delivered in the district--from the moment the water enters the system to the moment it reaches the field. Additionally, the district and its farmers have invested millions of dollars each year in its water infrastructure system so the system can continue serving all of the district's water users for future generations.

For seven decades, even while battling droughts, unpredictable climates, and changing regulations, the farmers within the Westlands Water District have been leaders in implementing cutting-edge water conservation technologies and efficient irrigation practices through their hard work, innovative technologies, and commitment to continuous improvements. The district and its farmers have been, and will continue to be, an essential part of developing a robust water infrastructure throughout the Central Valley.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in honoring the achievements of the Westlands Water District on their 70th Anniversary.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Art Chianello for his 20 years of service to the City of Bakersfield and congratulate him on his retirement.

Mr. Chianello started his career in the city of Bakersfield working as an Engineer in the Design Division of the Public Works Department. He quickly rose the ranks to become the Manager of the Bakersfield Water Resources Department. In this position, Mr. Chianello oversaw the River and Agricultural Water and Domestic Water divisions. His duties included administrating the regulation, distribution, water banking, and recordkeeping operations on the Kern River, as well as monitoring the city's domestic water system. Mr. Chianello's work ensured that over 143,000 residents and local businesses in Bakersfield had access to clean drinking water.

One of Mr. Chianello's proudest professional accomplishments occurred during his work as a wastewater manager in the Bakersfield Public Works Department. There, he played an instrumental role in the predesign, design, and construction of a project that aimed to double the treatment plant capacity of the city's wastewater plant. Mr. Chianello's dedication and hard work allowed the department to complete the project on-time and on-budget. This passion to serve his community honorably only grew throughout his career.

For 20 years, Mr. Art Chianello has been an exemplary public servant. His leadership, ability to work collaboratively, and desire to help others have been essential to securing successful outcomes for the Bakersfield Water Resources Department and for all the residents of the City of Bakersfield.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in recognizing the career of Mr. Art Chianello and wishing him the best in retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Francisco Castillon for receiving the National Association of Community Health Center's Lifetime Achievement Award.

As a migrant and seasonal farmworker for over 12 years throughout his youth, Mr. Castillon experienced the challenges in accessing healthcare firsthand. As a result, his career has been centered on delivering high-quality medical, dental, behavioral, and other services to the medically underserved, especially the poor, the voiceless, and farmworkers and their families. For over 30 years, Mr. Castillon has worked for Community and Migrant Health Centers (C/MHC) as CEO, Deputy Director, Program Manager and Consultant. In addition, Mr. Castillon served as the President and CEO of the California Health Federation, representing over 300 health centers throughout California. Furthermore, he was also the Chairman of the Board of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), which is based out of Washington D.C. and represents over 1,500 C/MHCs.

Since 2010, Mr. Francisco Castillon has served as CEO of Omni Family Health, a growing network of state-of-the-art health centers located throughout Kern, Kings, Tulare, and Fresno counties. During Mr. Castillon's time as CEO, Omni has expanded from 12 health centers to 38, more than doubling the number of patients served. Mr. Castillon continues to lead Omni's growth, with plans to open future locations in Kern and Fresno Counties. Serving the medically underserved individuals and families in our communities has been Mr. Castillon's lifelong passion.

Mr. Castillon is a mission-driven executive, well respected among his peers and within the communities he has served. One of the keys to his success is a firm commitment to managing C/MHCs with honesty, integrity, and transparency. He is one of very few executives within the C/MHC movement that has earned five national awards for his contributions and accomplishments in serving these vulnerable groups. For these reasons, Mr. Castillon was the perfect candidate to be honored by the NACHC with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his achievements, dedication, and contributions to the community health center movement.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in honoring the achievements of Mr. Francisco Castillon and congratulating him on receiving the NACHC Lifetime Achievement Award.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Tony Azevedo, the recipient of the 2022 Greater King's County Chamber of Commerce Agriculturalist of the Year award.

For generations, the Azevedo family has been involved in the Central Valley agricultural community across both Kings and Tulare counties. That trend has continued because of Mr. Azevedo, as he has been a farmer in the Central Valley for most of his adult life. Before he had even graduated college, Mr. Azevedo had already begun his first agricultural company--a commercial spraying business, which is still being operated to this day. That passion for the agricultural industry has only grown throughout his life.

Mr. Azevedo is not only a dedicated farmer, but he is also heavily involved in advocating on behalf of the Central Valley Ag community. He has served on the board of the California Water Alliance--an advocacy organization focused on uniting water leaders in the community to achieve equitable and reliable water supplies from Sacramento and Washington, D.C. Additionally, he currently serves on several local irrigation district boards--doing all he can to achieve reliable water for Valley farmers.

For Mr. Azevedo and his family, farming is not simply a job or a way to earn a paycheck, but it is a way of life. Their family operations have faced droughts, bad harvests, constantly changing environmental regulations and unreliable water supplies for years. Through it all, Mr. Azevedo has learned to adapt to changing circumstances, and always find a way to keep his farms alive and well.

I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in honoring Mr. Tony Azevedo for being named Agriculturalist of the Year. I cannot think of a more deserving recipient.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate GAR Bennett, LLC, as they receive the King's County Chamber of Commerce Ag Support Business of the Year award.

In 1929, Lon Bennett founded Bennett and Bennett Irrigation Systems in Selma, California. Twenty years later, Gar Tootelian Inc., a crop care company, began in Reedley. For decades, these two family-owned companies were essential to the success of the Central Valley agricultural community. But in 2020, these two Valley institutions merged to form GAR Bennett, LLC. Together, they have helped to provide countless resources and services to the farmers who feed the world.

For nearly 100 years, these two family-run businesses have been dedicated to the success of our farmers and growers in the Central Valley. As they have come together under a single operation, their mission of providing quality fertilizers, fertigation, and irrigation has never wavered. GAR Bennett continues to expand their resources for farmers and growers, such as providing logistical assistance on agricultural regulations, deep-well drilling, and many other important issues facing farmers today.

GAR Bennett is critical to providing resources to farmers as well as being incredibly involved in the community at large. They regularly support multiple local farmers and agricultural advocacy groups and help to support our future Ag leaders at local schools like California State University Fresno, College of the Sequoias, and Reedley College.

While their name has changed and the leadership of the companies has been passed down to new generations, the mission of GAR Bennett has always remained the same--help the farmers who feed the world. These two families have helped to make the Central Valley agriculture community what it is today, and I cannot think of a more deserving recipient of recognition.

I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in congratulating GAR Bennett, LLC for their decades of service to the Central Valley and for being named the Ag Support Business of the Year.

Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``NAY'' on rollcall No. 448.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the incredible career of Mr. Craig Pedersen and to congratulate him on his retirement.

Mr. Pedersen has spent most of his life in Kings County. Born in Reno, Nevada, his family moved to Lemoore in 1962 to return to their family farm. While he didn't know it at the time, this would begin a lifelong career in the agricultural industry for Mr. Pedersen. After graduating from Hanford High School, Mr. Pedersen began working full time with the family farm in 1982 and would eventually become business partners with his father, Robert. Together, they formed Pedersen Farms in 1987.

After many years of learning the agriculture business on his family farm, Mr. Pedersen began to take on leadership positions in the local agricultural community. He has served as the Chairman of the California Cotton Growers Association, the California Wheat Commission, and the Kings County Farm Bureau. In 1992, Mr. Pedersen accepted a multi-year fellowship with the California Agriculture Leadership Program, which allowed him to travel across North and South America to obtain an even better understanding of the agriculture industry. Following his fellowship, former California Governor Pete Wilson appointed Mr. Pedersen to serve a four-year term on the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. In 2015, Mr. Pedersen was elected to the Kings County Board of Supervisors, where he has continued his lifelong commitment to the Central Valley agricultural community.

Mr. Pedersen has been an essential part of the Central Valley community for over thirty years. His work has been widely recognized throughout Kings County, where he has received both the California Agriculture Leadership Profile in Leadership Award in 2000 and the Kings County Agriculturalist of the Year award in 2002. I cannot think of a man more deserving of these recognitions than Mr. Pedersen, who has dedicated his entire adult life to supporting agriculture in the Central Valley.

I ask all my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in honoring the lifelong work and achievements of Mr. Craig Pedersen and congratulate him on a well-deserved retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mrs. Diane Messer Dodds, for receiving the Bench and Bar Award, Kern County Bar Association's most prestigious award.

A graduate of Yale Law School, Mrs. Dodds was sworn into the California State Bar in 1975 and began her lifelong commitment to provide outstanding legal services to those in need. She started her legal career working with the Legal Aid Office in Long Beach, California. After a year there, she began clerking for U.S. District Judge Harry Pregerson. Following her clerkship, she would go on to work at the Western Center on Law and Poverty in Los Angeles.

After her time with Western Center, Mrs. Dodds moved to Kernville after marrying her husband, Patrick. For 12 years, she would provide important legal services to the elderly throughout her community as she and Patrick raised their young children. This work led to her meeting Pat Jennison, an attorney in Bakersfield, who has been a dear friend and important legal partner. The two would go on to open the law office of Jennison and Dodds in 2007.

For decades, Mrs. Dodds has provided vital legal services to clients throughout the Valley. Mrs. Dodd's pro bono work has earned her special recognition from the California State Bar, as a recipient of the Wiley M. Manuel Award for Pro Bono Legal Services. Mrs. Dodds has dedicated thousands of hours to legal clinics for self-represented litigants through the Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance and the Kern County Law Library--even teaching a monthly class at the library for self- represented litigants for the past 15 years.

Mrs. Dodds has rightfully received the praise of fellow attorneys, Judges, Bar Associations throughout California, and most importantly-- her clients. She has accomplished all of this while being a dedicated wife and loving mother to three children, and I cannot think of a more deserving recipient of this prestigious award than Mrs. Dodds.

I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing the incredible work of Mrs. Diane Messer Dodds for her accomplishment of receiving the Kern County Bar Association Bench and Bar Award.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Kings County Commission on Aging Council as they celebrate their 50th anniversary.

Founded in 1970, the Kings County Commission on Aging Council (KCCOAC) was established to provide information, assistance, support, and advocacy for senior citizens throughout Kings County. Originally, their mission was centered primarily on providing community events for seniors and promoting social

gatherings for the elderly--many of whom find themselves alone.

Since then, the KCCOAC has greatly expanded its services for seniors through their work providing health and legal services, nutrition programs, rent and utility assistance, tax preparation assistance, health insurance counseling, and senior center activities. These are just some of the many different programs offered to senior citizens through the KCCOAC and essential to thousands of elderly Americans throughout Kings County.

For 50 years, the work done by the Kings County Commission on Aging Council has been crucial to lifting the spirits of thousands of seniors in the Central Valley. Their work has directly impacted their lives and provided a source of community and necessary services to those who need help.

I ask all my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing the Kings County Commission on Aging Council as they celebrate 50 years of incredible work on behalf of seniors.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the work of Proteus, an essential non-profit organization in the Central Valley, as they celebrate their 55th anniversary.

In the 1960s, the Tulare County Community Action Agency formed Proteus Adult Training to address rampant poverty among farmworkers and impoverished adults--primarily through literacy programs. In 1972, Proteus would be incorporated as an independent non-profit organization and continue its core mission to provide education, job training, and support services that empower people to achieve self-sufficiency.

In 1978, Proteus began expanding outside of Tulare County and started to address poverty throughout the Central Valley. In 1994, Proteus opened its first vocational school, offering Shipping and Receiving classes. They received their accreditation in 1995 and have been expanding their classes into areas such as Truck Driving, Forklift Training, and Energy Career Training. Today, Proteus also offers academic courses such as Adult Basic Education and English as Second Language through its William M. Maguy School of Education.

Throughout its 55 years of work, Proteus has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to improve the lives of the disenfranchised through its local, regional, and national partnerships with governments, other non- profit organizations, and corporations. With 30 different locations throughout Tulare, Kern, Fresno, and Kings counties, as well as in East Los Angeles, Proteus continues to lift people out of poverty and put the less fortunate on a pathway to financial stability.

I ask all of my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in honoring Proteus as it celebrates its 55-year anniversary.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize the life of Staff Sgt. Gary Gustafson, USAF, Ret. Born on August 16, 1932, Gary peacefully entered the arms of our Lord on August 21, 2022. He was a family man, military veteran, and beloved member of his community.

Gary was born and raised in the ``Swedish village'' of Kingsburg, California, where he grew up on the banks of the Kings River. He worked as a carpenter for most of his life, building his family home on acreage in the country. He helped operate the Royal Oak Resort family campground business, and he farmed grapes and tree fruit for the Central Valley. Gary was a man of simple tastes and pleasures who immensely valued family and hard work.

A varsity football player at Kingsburg High School, Gary continued playing football after joining the Air Force, where he served 4 years working on various top-secret projects and assignments. While stationed in Utah, Gary met the love of his life, Elma Lee Kerr, and the two married in April 1955 shortly before Gary retired from military service. The couple moved back to Kingsburg, where they welcomed their two children, Gregg and LeeAnn, into their lives. Gary and Elma Lee shared many wonderful memories together over their 52 years of marriage before Elma Lee suddenly passed and peacefully made her way to our Lord in 2007.

Gary retained his passion for planes long after his retirement from the Air Force. He spent many years flying his plane to Air Force reunions, where he reminisced with old friends and football buddies. Gary was a man of few words but many actions. He worked tirelessly to support his family and deeply loved his community--he spent nearly his entire life in Kingsburg, where he has left a lasting impression as a hardworking husband, father, and U.S. military veteran.

He is survived by his companion, Greta Williams, along with his daughter and her husband, LeeAnn and Jim McClusky, as well as six grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of Gary Gustafson. His service to our country and contributions to the Central Valley will be widely celebrated and long remembered by those who knew and loved him.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Gary Rice and congratulate him on his 35-year career as a teacher in Hanford, California.

Mr. Rice began his career teaching first grade at Western Christian School in Hanford. After one year, he transferred to Pioneer Union Elementary--where he would teach for the next 34 years. As a teacher at Pioneer, Mr. Rice taught multiple grade levels, including first, third, fourth, and fifth grade.

Mr. Rice's true passion was teaching fourth grade because he was able to educate his students about one of his favorite subjects, the history of the State of California. As a fourth-grade teacher, Mr. Rice regularly led students on field trips to Sacramento to visit the California State Capitol, the city's historic Old Town neighborhood, and the California State Train Museum. He also led students on field trips to visit the historic California Missions, such as Mission San Miguel and Mission San Antonio.

As a dedicated educator, Mr. Rice was heavily involved in the school's extracurricular activities. He regularly organized the Pioneer Spelling Bee and was a fixture at the school's ukulele club--both teaching students how to play and encouraging them to show off their talents at events like the Pioneer talent show.

Mr. Rice is the type of teacher that students never forget. His sense of humor, passion for learning, and dedication to his students have made a lasting impact on the thousands of children he has taught over his 35-year career.

I ask all my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in honoring the incredible career of Mr. Gary Rice.

Madam Speaker, I rise today and am joined by my colleague from California, Mr. McCarthy, to honor the life and legacy of Captain Brian Falk. After serving the Kern County Fire Department for more than two decades, Captain Falk passed away on July 14, 2022, while on active duty at Station 23.

Born in Bakersfield, California in 1974, Captain Falk was known as a fierce athlete, gregarious leader, and compassionate friend. As a student at North High School, he excelled in competitive sports, collecting numerous recognitions along the way for his athletic excellence. Upon graduation, Captain Falk attended Bakersfield College before transferring to the University of Nevada, Reno, where he received his bachelor's degree in Criminology.

After his time in Reno, Captain Falk returned home to serve as a Kern County Probation Officer before joining the Kern County Fire Department in 2002. Within six years at the Department, he attained the rank of Captain--an incredible feat symbolizing Captain Falk's unwavering dedication to service. For over two decades, Captain Falk served alongside his team of committed first responders, protecting Kern County residents day and night.

Captain Falk was the embodiment of service, honor, and dignity. His commitment to his family and his community is an example to us all. On behalf of the 21st and 23rd Congressional Districts of California, it is our privilege to honor Captain Falk's life. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Jennifer, and two sons, Randall James and Tyler Matthew, as they mourn the loss of an incredible man.