Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of my amendment No. 64 to division B.

This amendment highlights the need to replenish the agriculture disaster assistance account of USDA's Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus. This funding would cover agricultural producers' losses in 2020 and 2021 due to natural disasters.

Some of the other types of natural disasters this program funding helps includes droughts, derechos, floods, extreme freezes, high winds, hurricanes, snowstorms, tornados, typhoons, volcanic activity, and wildfires. One of the most pertinent disasters this program addresses is extreme drought.

It is no secret that the American West, including my district in the Central Valley in California, is currently suffering from a devastating, historic drought. One of the main purposes of the Central Valley Project system is to provide water to users during years of extreme drought.

We are in year one of an extreme drought, and wells are going extremely dry and farmland is being fallowed at an alarming rate. This is completely unacceptable. While we continue to work to prevent this from happening again in the future, we also need to figure out a way to help those who are unnecessarily suffering from the drought immediately.

My constituents and the constituents of many of my colleagues here today are in an emergency and need this funding to be included in the fiscal year 2022 package.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the birthday of my hometown, the City of Hanford.

The City of Hanford is celebrating the 130th birthday of its historic community. In 1877, the Southern Pacific Railway laid lines from the small towns of Goshen to Coalinga, and their path crossed through a Chinese sheepherder's small camp. This camp was the foundation of the present-day City of Hanford, which was named after James Madison Hanford, the auditor of the railroad.

James Madison Hanford advanced the small community by offering sales of town lots and grew Hanford to more than just a settlement. With the contribution of the railroad, Hanford became the trading center of the area and eventually, the bustling Central Valley town it is today. Today, Hanford has a population of 60,000 residents and is an agricultural and industrial hub within the region. Hanford is home to a diverse and growing population that not only honors their history but looks forward to the bright future.

The City of Hanford has worked hard to uphold the strong traditions and unique sense of community throughout its growth. Beloved historic sites throughout the city help citizens to remember the past while flourishing new enterprise demonstrate a promising future. It is an honor to represent my lifelong home and community, and I look forward to Hanford's continued prosperity.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in honoring the City of Hanford on its 130th birthday.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 100th anniversary of the Lemoore Volunteer Fire Department. The Lemoore Volunteer Fire Department is celebrating their 100th anniversary of service to the Central Valley community of Lemoore. Over the last one hundred years, this fire department has consisted of entirely community volunteers. The dedication, commitment, and service of these citizens have kept the community safe and informed.

In service to the Lemoore community, fire department members contribute hundreds of volunteer hours in service, training, and community involvement. They participate in the annual Lemoore Christmas Tree display, educational school presentations, and various community celebrations. In addition, the Lemoore Volunteer Fire Department has maintained their commitment to service throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in risk of their own health and safety.

The Lemoore Volunteer Fire Department members have worked hard to uphold the numerous traditions and sense of camaraderie that set the department apart. These continued traditions work to promote unity and loyalty throughout the Lemoore community.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in honoring the Lemoore Volunteer Fire Department on their 100th anniversary.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to request an urgent response to California's drought.

Since returning to Congress, I have introduced two pieces of critical water legislation. I have stood here before my colleagues asking the House majority to address the drought. I have requested hearings be held and sent letters. Yet, the majority has done nothing to help those suffering from this crisis.

Communities in my district, like Avenal, Coalinga, and Huron, totally rely on 100 percent of their water from the delta. That is about 37,000 of my constituents relying solely on the delta for water.

My bill, the NEED Water Act, would allow communities like these and communities growing our food the ability to purchase and transfer water more easily.

As if water wasn't scarce enough, now communities in my district, like Teviston, are completely out of water. They are forced to rely on bottled water delivery programs to receive water because their wells have failed. It is only a matter of time before there are more towns in my district in the same situation as Teviston.

I implore my colleagues across the aisle to work with me to combat this crisis. This is an emergency, and it is unacceptable to stand back and watch these communities suffer and completely run out of water while the real solutions available can bring immediate relief.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to share the disastrous consequences of the House majority's failure to address the California drought.

As you can see in this photo, California's water levels are dramatically low. This water is supposed to be up all the way at the tree line. The reservoirs are low at this point because of disastrous policies that force us to waste water during the wetter years.

Countless communities are relying on this water. If this is what we are seeing in the beginning of the system in the north, how are we supposed to supply the entire State of California with enough clean water to survive?

Across the State, communities rely on water supplied by the federally managed Central Valley Project. Last month the Bureau of Reclamation announced that Central Valley farmers would receive zero percent of their contracts, effectively signing a death sentence for their fields.

Acres of half-grown crops meant to feed families across the Nation are being abandoned to dry up and die. Meanwhile, the majority refuses to even consider my legislation, the RENEW WIIN Act, which would help prevent this from happening again in the future.

I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to acknowledge the suffering of California families and get to work to help them.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the career of Mrs. Karen Schuett and her retirement from teaching.

Mrs. Schuett began her career at Horace Mann Elementary School in the Bakersfield City School District in 1983, before teaching in the Panama Buena Vista Unified School District at Stockdale Elementary School in 1984. For the remainder of her career, she taught primarily 2nd and 3rd grades at Castle, Sandrini, Laurelglen, and Hart Schools. In addition, as part of the Sister City Program, Mrs. Schuett taught English as a Second Language at Wakayama Municipal High School in Wakayama, Japan, from 1988 to 1989.

During her career, Mrs. Schuett served numerous committees and held various leadership positions in efforts to ensure the best possible education for her students and the entire community. She also was awarded several recognitions, including 1992 Teacher of the Year, the California Teachers Association State WHO Award for 2009-2010, and the California Teachers Association Member-in-Politics Ted Bass Award.

Two of Mrs. Schuett's proudest professional accomplishments are restoring the Christmas lights on Truxtun Avenue as part of a class project, which was nominated by the Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce for a Beautiful Bakersfield Award, and founding the Boys of Color mentoring program. The Boys of Color program was started in 2003 to bring community members to the school site to mentor young Black students. The program has grown to 50 participants and has been recognized by the Kern County Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee, the NAACP, the California Teachers Association, and the California legislature.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in recognizing the career of Mrs. Karen Schuett and wishing her the best in retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of the life of Mr. Ravinder Singh Shergill, who passed away on April 22, 2021.

Mr. Shergill was born on September 12, 1956, in Punjab, India. At the age of seventeen, he immigrated to the United States and later graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. He went on to work for National Semiconductor for more than three decades. As an engineer, Mr. Shergill held patents involving disk storage and helped create the USB specifications. As a manager, he admired and respected as a mentor to his colleagues. His story is truly an embodiment of the American Dream.

Mr. Shergill had a great appreciation for America, but he never forgot his roots. He was committed to bridging the Sikh and American communities together and was a founding member of the Sikh Youth of California and America.

Mr. Shergill is remembered as a caring husband, father, and grandfather with a love for books, history, music, and film. He is survived by his wife, Grace Rosa; his children, Simren, Kiren, and Kevan; and his grandchildren Leena, Mary, Samuel, and Briya.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in honoring the life of Mr. Ravinder Singh Shergill. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Dr. Stanley Young Louie, affectionately known as the ``Selma Doctor.''

Dr. Louie provided healthcare to the community of Selma, California, for 22 years with the Logan Street Medical Group. Shortly after joining, he became the medical director and owner. Dr. Louie also served as the president of the Selma Healthcare District during his career.

Beloved by the Selma community, Dr. Louie was an active member of the Selma Rotary Club and Selma Chamber of Commerce, and he frequently contributed to the local newspaper and participated in community events. Dr. Louie also proudly celebrated his Chinese culture, serving as a member and president of the Fresno Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association and participating in Lunar New Year celebrations with the Chinese New Year program at the Confucius School of Fresno.

Dr. Louie is remembered as a family man who enjoyed taking trips to the coast with his wife and daughters and was frequently involved in his daughters' extra-curricular activities. He is survived by his wife, Adriane; his parents, Sammy and Shirley; his daughters, Christina, Danielle, and Samantha; his brother, Stacey; his sister, Sherry; and many loving grandchildren, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in honoring Dr. Stan Louie, the ``Selma Doctor,'' as a flag is flown today over the United States Capitol in his memory.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the worsening drought crisis in California, which has become so devastating that farmers are abandoning their crops in the fields.

This was an asparagus field in Firebaugh, a small, rural town in my district. Recently, the farmer made the difficult decision to abandon the crop in that field to preserve water for his melon crops instead. You can clearly see the destruction this drought has wreaked on his farmland.

Promised water will now not be delivered. Farmers all over California are unable to bring their crops to harvest, crops that would have fed families across the United States.

With legislation like my bill, the RENEW WIIN Act, those farmers might have been able to save their fields rather than be forced to waste and destroy half-grown produce our Nation relies on California to grow.

If the House majority continues to refuse to take up legislation to address the drought, farmers won't have to choose between asparagus or melons, because they won't have the water to grow any food at all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to the worsening drought conditions in California.

Farmers and producers in California grow more than one-third of the vegetables and two-thirds of the fruit and nuts produced in the U.S. Depriving our farmers of the water they need to grow our Nation's food ultimately increases the cost of food for every person in the United States. Still, the House majority has yet to take action to address this drought or consider legislation that will bring clean, reliable water to our struggling communities.

In February, I introduced H.R. 737, the RENEW WIIN Act, to allow the little water we have to be made available to the communities that feed our Nation.

While I am glad to see my persistent requests for a drought emergency declaration granted this week by California's Governor, this is only a step in the right direction. We need immediate action in Congress, and I implore my colleagues in the majority to advance legislation to confront this crisis, including my bill, the RENEW WIIN Act.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of the United Health Centers of the San Joaquin Valley's 50th Anniversary of service to the Central Valley.

In 1971, concerned citizens identified the need for accessible and quality healthcare in the Valley's rural communities and formed committees to find solutions. Their advocacy work established the foundation for what would become United Health Centers of the San Joaquin Valley (UHC), incorporated later that year.

UHC is a nonprofit organization providing comprehensive medical, dental, and community health services to underserved communities in the San Joaquin Valley. Their mission is to provide accessible, comprehensive quality health care to everyone with respect and compassion regardless of their ability to pay.

Today, UHC operates a total of 24 health centers in Fresno, Kings and Tulare Counties, improving access to care for over 150,000 patients. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they have led local efforts in the fight to limit the devastating effects of the coronavirus by conducting 200,000 COVID-19 screening tests and providing 55,000 vaccinations in the first year of the pandemic.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing the United Health Centers of the San Joaquin Valley and their 50 years of committed service to the region's healthcare community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to thank Chief Robert Nevarez for his service to the community of Delano, California.

Chief Nevarez has worked in law enforcement for 35 years and spent his last three years as the Delano Chief of Police. During his career, Chief Nevarez served the Fresno Police Department for 32 years and worked as a teacher at Bakersfield College Delano Campus.

Chief Nevarez has helped strengthen community trust in his three years as Delano Chief of Police through several community outreach programs and events. He has been involved in Cafe Con Campeinos, Hispanic Resident Police Academy, Trunk or Treat, Shop with a Cop, Coffee with a Cop, No-Shave November, Police Trading Card Program, Autism Awareness Patch Fundraiser, Serving for a Cure, Loteria Con La Policia, Bingo and Badges, Jr. Police Summer Academy, and many other activities. He also led a lip sync challenge video that got over 1 million views and participated in a podcast series centered on ending gang violence.

Chief Nevarez is beloved by the citizens of Delano and will surely be missed as their Chief of Police. Dedicated to civic service, he

is a role model to many, and his contributions to the community will continue to be felt for many years.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join the citizens of Delano and I in commending Chief Robert Nevarez for his public service and wishing him well as he embarks on the next chapter of his life.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 106th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.

From 1915 to 1923, the Ottoman Empire engaged in the systematic and organized murder and deportation of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians.

Around the world, leaders have rightly identified these horrific events as genocide. However, despite both the House of Representatives and the Senate passing resolutions in 2019 recognizing this tragedy, no United States President has ever joined in this acknowledgement.

This week, I and my colleagues in the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues sent a letter to President Biden urging him to formally recognize the Armenian genocide.

Many of the men, women, and children forced to flee Armenia immigrated to the United States and have raised their families and embraced their new communities in our country. They deserve our recognition.

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and remembering those whose lives were lost and forever changed by the Armenian genocide.

Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 65.

Madam Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 1, the For the People Act. This piece of legislation undermines State authority over voter registration and election procedures while federally mandating practices we have seen fail in California during the 2018 and 2020 election cycles.

California's motor voter law automatically registers people to vote when registering their car or applying for a license with the DMV. This program was found to create over 120,000 errors, including registering at least 1,500 residents who were not eligible to vote.

Senator Padilla, while serving as California's secretary of state at that time, stated these mistakes ``threatened to undermine public confidence in the program.''

H.R. 1 exposes our elections to voter fraud and is especially dangerous at a time when so many Americans are questioning the validity of election results. I ask my colleagues to join me in voting ``no'' on