Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Mr. Thomas Dixon, a civil rights icon and the founding President and CEO of the Tacoma Urban League, whose impactful leadership in our region will be felt for generations to come.

Mr. Dixon was born in 1931 in Sparta, Georgia, and recalled the incredible influence of his family, including his father, who was a doctor, and his grandfather, who was formerly enslaved, and became one of the largest Black landowners in the county. Encouraged by his family to pursue higher education, Mr. Dixon came to Tacoma, Washington after enlisting in the United States Air Force. He received his bachelor's degree at Sophia University in Tokyo while serving in Japan and earned his master's degree from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.

Mr. Dixon belonged to a remarkable generation, who bravely carried the weight of responsibility in leading Tacoma through the Civil Rights Era. In 1966, he continued his life of service as the first Director of the Hilltop Multi-service Center, where he dedicated his time and energies to improving the lives of people in Tacoma through housing, job training, and educational opportunities. Just two years later, Mr. Dixon began his tenure as Executive Director of the Tacoma affiliate of the National Urban League. Throughout the 34 years he served in this role, and through his pioneering involvement with the Tacoma Pierce County Black Collective, Mr. Dixon was a tenacious and visionary leader, pushing for racial, social, and economic justice in our region. In recognition of his extraordinary contributions to our community, he was honored with the Laureate of the Greater Tacoma Peace Prize in 2015.

The Tacoma community has joined in mourning Mr. Dixon's passing on April 26, 2023, at the age of 92. Our hearts are with his wife, Sylvia, his family, and the countless individuals who held him dearly, as we express our deepest gratitude for the legacy he built. When reflecting on his career and life lived, Mr. Dixon was quoted as saying, ``Everything I have done, I would try to do it again.'' May we all continue to do our part in keeping his spirit of service alive into the future.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor my friend Patty Rose for her decades of service to the working people of Pierce County, Washington.

Born and raised in Tacoma, Patty began her journey at the Service Employees International Union in 1974 where she held various roles, eventually becoming a union representative advocating for workers' rights.

In 1981, Patty joined the Pierce County Central Labor Council, serving as a delegate and executive board member before her election as the first female secretary-treasurer.

In this role, she has worked passionately to improve wages, benefits, and working conditions, making Pierce County a national leader in union membership with rates twice the national average.

Patty has emphasized inclusivity by partnering with communities often marginalized and increasing apprenticeship opportunities for young people.

Her empowering leadership has significantly shaped our community and helped workers. I am grateful for her partnership and her friendship and her invaluable advice throughout my career.

As Patty retires, we will miss her presence, but I am happy to report that she can enjoy more time with her family and traveling in her RV.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize Patty Rose's remarkable career. I wish her a well-deserved retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my sincere congratulations to one of my constituents, Elaine Grinnell, an elder in the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe. She is being celebrated for her commitment and talent in sharing the stories of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe.

Elaine Grinnell is a leader at NatureBridge, where she has shared her stories with students since 1994. Her work and her dedication to sharing the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe's traditions were recognized with one of four First Peoples Fund's Community Spirit Awards in 2018.

Additionally, I am sincerely grateful for her work as Washington State's first certified teacher of the S'Klallam language and as a counselor to Native American students in the Port Angeles School District. Elaine Grinnell has truly made a difference in our region.

Mr. Speaker, Members of Congress, it is an honor to celebrate Elaine Grinnell.

Mr. Speaker, I missed a vote today. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 107.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my sincerest congratulations and to wish a happy retirement to one of my constituents and a longtime friend, `Alfie' Alvarado-Ramos. Alfie is celebrating her retirement after a lifetime of service.

Alfie was born in Puerto Rico and served 22 years on active duty retiring as the Command Sergeant Major of Madigan Army Medical Center and Troop Command, Joint Base Lewis McChord.

Alfie Alvarado-Ramos joined the Washington State Department of Veteran Affairs (WDVA) in 1993 as the Associate Superintendent of the Washington Soldiers Home. She then became the Superintendent of the Washington Veterans Home, where she later served as the agency's Assistant Director and Deputy Director before Gov. Jay lnslee appointed her as Director in 2013.

She established new programs and services to meet the needs of Washington's veterans and their families--from opening the new State Veterans Home in Walla Walla in 2017 to creating new programs to serve military spouses and LGBTQ+ veterans. In recent years, Alvarado-Ramos worked with state elected officials and leaders to create a framework for suicide prevention efforts statewide, and most recently unveiled a 988-suicide prevention emblem to generate awareness for the 988 Crisis Lifeline.

Alfie is the recipient of the Army Legion of Merit Medal and Military Order of Medical Merit and state and national awards that include the Governor's Distinguished Management Leadership Award and the Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary's Leadership Award. She is currently serving as executive member of the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs and National Association of State Veterans Home.

In addition to her work in our community, Alfie's passion for ensuring women veterans have a voice in the veteran's community has resulted in annual women veterans' conferences, monthly learning sessions, and Washington State's participation in the I Am Not Invisible Campaign.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor today to celebrate Alfie Alvarado-Ramos on her retirement. Her extraordinary leadership and love for her community has never wavered. She has made a tremendous difference in the state of Washington. Her service to our country and community is greatly appreciated and will be long remembered.

Mr. Chair, for decades, Democrats and Republicans agree that opening the waters off the coast of Washington to drilling would be dangerous. Doing so would threaten our fisheries, shellfish growers, tourism, and jobs in other sectors of our economy.

The underlying legislation we are considering could result in over 300 million acres of Federal lands and waters being opened up for new oil and gas drilling. That is an area equivalent to more than six times the size of the State of Washington.

I support this amendment because I am standing up for the coastal communities I represent. We do not want new oil and gas drilling off our coast. This isn't just about environmental protection; it is about protecting our economy and our way of life.

Let's protect our marine ecosystems. Let's protect coastal communities and coastal jobs. Let's create new jobs in renewable energy.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of Britt Van, a brilliant staffer and someone I am proud to have worked alongside for years.

Britt departs the New Dem Coalition as Policy Director this month after 5 years and 7 months with the organization. I feel especially fortunate she was on the team during the time I served as Chair of the Coalition.

During my tenure as Chair, Britt was a driving force in making the New Dems the strong coalition of policy leaders in Congress that we are known as today. She knows every New Dem policy area like the back of her hand and has skillfully guided Members on issues from housing to trade. She also restructured and revived the Coalition's policy task forces, which continue to do important work in finding the best solutions to pressing problems.

But I am most grateful and proud of Britt's work on behalf of the Coalition on 2 brilliant ideas: automatic stabilizers and the RECOMPETE program.

With automatic stabilizers, Britt took a very complicated, ``wonky'' idea and made it real and actionable for policymakers across the ideological spectrum. She advanced this idea forward in the months following the COVID-19 outbreak when we discussed how and when to enhance federal benefits during economic downturns, like we saw during the pandemic. While we weren't successful, I am confident policymakers will eventually see the value of automatic stabilizers for federal benefits. When that day comes, we can thank Britt for taking this idea from concept to reality.

With the RECOMPETE program, Britt helped me bring to life something very near and dear to my heart. When I was growing up in Port Angeles, I saw my community suffer from an economic downturn that fundamentally changed the fabric of my life. The timber industry took it on the chin, and many families were never able to recover. Since then, I've spent most of my adult life trying to find a solution and make sure this doesn't continue happening, a solution to ensure we protect workers and communities and make sure no one gets left behind. Frankly, it's why I came to Congress. And that's why I asked Britt to help me create the RECOMPETE program, which provides communities with a flexible, long- term grant to create jobs and lay the foundation for long-term economic growth.

Britt and I worked on this legislation for many long months, and after many iterations, our RECOMPETE Act was finally passed by Congress and signed into law as a part of the historic CHIPS and Science Act.

Britt's work with the RECOMPETE Act is just 1 example of how she embodies the model of what a public servant is and should be. She digs down deep into an issue, pours her life and soul into the work, and truly does it in service of a better tomorrow. She believes in the best of government to help people. She believes in the work we do and goes forward--undeterred and bravely--with that work. You really can't wish for much more in a staffer or a person--and I didn't ever.

Britt has been a wonderful presence at New Dems and on the Hill for the past 5 plus

years. We'll miss her dearly at the New Democrat Coalition, and I wish her only the best.

Mr. Speaker, most people knew Grant Wahl as a leading soccer journalist. I knew him as a classmate and as someone I admired.

Sadly, we lost Grant this past weekend, and I join the many people here in America and around the world who are celebrating his life.

Grant and I went to college together. Before he covered soccer for worldwide news organizations, he was the sportswriter for our school paper.

As an undergrad, Grant visited South America and fell in love with soccer. While he was there, he watched clubs train, watched games, and developed the passion of a convert.

By 1998, he was covering the World Cup for Sports Illustrated. How cool is that?

His love of soccer was infectious. He made others appreciate this sport because he did. In one commemoration of Grant, Christian Stone wrote: ``Wahl became the definitive chronicler of the sport in North America, a world traveler who applied rigor, depth, and passion, without being pedantic or precious, to his coverage. He visited six of the seven continents several times over, introduced the world to a generation of U.S. woman rock stars . . ., coaxed private audiences out of some of the planet's most reclusive stars . . . , and led a life of globetrotting freedom, adventure, and pleasure that was Bourdain- like.''

But Grant's greatest passion was not the sport he loved. It was the woman he loved, Celine, who he met at Princeton and married in 2001. Celine is an extraordinary doctor in her own right, an infectious disease expert who so many have looked to throughout the COVID pandemic.

In Celine, Grant found a spouse who matched him as someone at the top of their field in a career dedicated to improving the world.

Grant was accomplished and yet humble. He was driven and yet kind. He was a champion for social justice. He was a strong advocate for pay equity for women players.

On November 21, when World Cup security detained Grant for wearing a shirt with a pro-LGBTQ+ equality message, people saw Grant's name in news headlines everywhere.

Grant's refusal to change his shirt offered a glimpse of the integrity he displayed throughout his life, both in journalism and toward those that he loved.

Many of us were fans of Grant when he worked for Sports Illustrated, when he published books, when he developed amazing podcasts. We marveled at his documentary, ``Exploring Planet Futbol,'' where he traveled the world exploring the glory of the sport he loved.

I admit, over the last few days, I have spent time diving into the Sports Illustrated vault, listening to his podcast. Like many of his classmates, colleagues, and friends, I have come away with a feeling of just being proud of him.

But Grant wasn't just an extraordinary journalist. He was an extraordinary person. He was a good and generous and kind man. He had a phenomenal smile that made people feel welcome in his presence.

Going forward, when I watch soccer, when I read amazing sportswriting, when I see someone show courage or kindness, I will think of Grant Wahl.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in offering sincere condolences to Celine, to all of his loved ones, and to all who cared for him.

We have gotten used to singing duets together. It is good to be with you. Thanks to each of you for your service.

I am Derek Kilmer. I represent the west coast of Washington State, a little north of Jaime.

About every 20 or 30 years or so, Congress realizes things aren't working the way they ought to, and they create a committee to look at potential reforms. The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress is the most recent iteration of that.

The title of the committee makes it sound like we are the IT help desk, but we have been nicknamed the ``fix Congress committee,'' which usually either causes people to giggle or offer to pray for us.

Pretty much under the radar for the last 4 years, our committee has been focused on a single mission, which is to make Congress work better for the American people.

I served as chair. Tom Graves was the vice chair in the last Congress and William Timmons in this Congress. It has been a truly bipartisan effort.

I say that in part because the rule that established our committee set it up with six Democrats and six Republicans and a requirement that a two-thirds vote was required to pass any recommendations. As of last month, our committee very quietly passed more than 200 recommendations, all focused on making Congress work better.

Some of them are on pretty wonky things, issues like how we make sure that Congress is a more modern institution that uses technology better. Congress has been described as an 18th century institution using 20th century technology to solve 21st century problems. That is pretty apt, so some of our recommendations have been focused in that regard.

A lot of our recommendations, despite the fact that it wasn't one of our assignments, have been geared toward trying to make this a place where there is more civility and collaboration. Our committee brought in management consultants and organizational psychologists, and we thought about consulting an exorcist to figure out how to make this a place that functions better.

We made about a dozen recommendations in that regard, everything from having committees do bipartisan planning retreats to having the institution do a bipartisan retreat and to changing how orientation is done so it is not so segregated by party.

I think every one of you former Members will acknowledge that part of the success of the institution depends on staff, on having talented people who work in this institution. Unfortunately, because this place hasn't sufficiently invested in our staff, we see a massive turnover, so a number of our recommendations were geared toward having this be a place that can recruit and retain and have a more diverse staff.

I thank the FMC for being partners in this undertaking. We have had some of you testify at hearings. We have had your sort of subcommittees geared toward the same topics that we were interested in.

If I can go from the rearview mirror into the windshield, we are not done. About two-thirds of our recommendations have either been implemented or are on the path to implementation, but we are going to have to kind of keep pushing the institution to make change. Each one of you, as stewards of the institution, I think, has a role to play in that regard.

On top of that, in terms of the future of this work, our committee will go away. Having said that, it appears that there will be a select subcommittee on House admin to focus on implementation of the recommendations.

We also made a recommendation that it shouldn't take another 20 or 30 years before Congress takes up the subject of reform again. So, one of our recommendations was, every three or four Congresses or so, Congress ought to do a committee like this just to make sure that there is constant focus on improving the institution.

We have had extraordinary partnerships, including with some of your Members and some of your soon-to-be Members, Ed Perlmutter, as well, who have been just terrific partners in this undertaking.

I will say one other thing, and then I will kick it over to William. Throughout the course of this work, I kept thinking about a comment made by former Secretary John Gardner. He talked about the importance of stewardship of an institution, and he said it was important for those who care about an institution to be loving critics of it, that it would be a mistake to

be an uncritical lover because it denies an institution of the life- giving drive toward improvement. And it is important not to be an unloving critic that just treats the institution like the pinata at the party and bashes it with an eye toward destruction, not improvement.

I thank the FMC and each of you because I think the manner through which you have engaged our committee has very much been through that lens of being loving critics of this institution which you served, and I thank you for that.

Mr. Speaker, in 2018, the United States Commission on Civil Rights released the ``Broken Promises'' report, a project undertaken at my request to evaluate Federal obligations to Indian Country.

Here is a summary. For too long, the Federal Government has failed to live up to its treaty and trust responsibilities to Tribal nations. As a result, many Native communities lack adequate housing, health facilities, schools, and justice centers. Many lack basic infrastructure--roads, water, and telecommunications--required to deliver needed support services.

Congress and the Federal Government have a moral and legal obligation to fulfill the promises that have been made, and that is why I am proud to introduce the Honoring Promises to Native Nations Act, legislation to help reverse the decades-long pattern of systemic funding shortfalls and to strengthen Federal programs that support Indian Country.

This bill includes provisions to reaffirm the nation-to-nation relationship between the Federal Government and Tribal nations and to better meet the needs of Native communities.

Action is long overdue, Mr. Speaker, and Congress should move swiftly to get this done.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my friend and Kitsap County Commissioner, Edward Wolfe. After 8 years of service in his role as County Commissioner, he is retiring.

Prior to serving as County Commissioner, he was a Kitsap attorney for 20 years, founding the litigation firm Wolfe Law Offices in 1997. He is a past president of the Kitsap County Bar Association and a former judge pro tem in county, municipal, and district courts.

Raised in Norfolk, Virginia, Commissioner Wolfe is a graduate of the George Mason University School of Law. He served in the U.S. Army and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Ambassador and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in both the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations. Community service has long been a part of Commissioner Wolfe's career in Kitsap County. He has been a Bremerton Rotarian for 20 years and board member of the Bremerton Boys & Girls Club and Olympic College Foundation and is past president of the Puget Sound Naval Bases Association and Bremerton Chamber of Commerce.

Ed brought logic, rationality and reason to his discussions and negotiations in all of his responsibilities as county commissioner, fighting for what he thought was the right thing to do. He treated all people respectfully. He stopped to listen to his constituents, advocating for their needs with compassion and a commitment to community. And he worked collaboratively with other elected officials-- serving as a productive partner on issue after issue.

Commissioner Wolfe has a long list of accomplishments during his tenure. He led the charge on the opening of the new Bucklin Hill Bridge in Silverdale and invited the Crista Shores residents to be the first to cross it. He was a partner in supporting the opening of a new state of the art hospital in Silverdale. He's been an advocate of funding for a new county courthouse to replace an aging and inadequate facility. Personally, I appreciated his long-time partnership as we worked to turn the dream of a new VA Clinic in Kitsap County into a reality. In addition, throughout the pandemic, Commissioner Wolfe pushed for proactive communication with the community about resources the County and Kitsap Public Health District were providing to support health and safety. He also ensured business needs were heard, proactively communicating local needs to Washington State's governor.

Commissioner Wolfe and his wife, Wendy, are looking forward to spending more time with family including their son Steven, grandson, Owen, and a granddaughter coming in late December.

Madam Speaker, beyond his many accomplishments, I would also like to express gratitude for the partner that Ed Wolfe has been to the members of my team--and to me. I'm proud to call him a friend. Please join me in congratulating Ed Wolfe on his service to Kitsap County and the state of Washington. I wish him all the best in his retirement.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take a moment to commemorate the life of Dale W. Johnson--a leader of the Makah Tribe who recently passed away.

Dale Johnson served as Chairman of the Makah Tribal Council and the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. He led efforts to restore the Makah halibut, black cod, and whiting fisheries. Dale was also active within community sporting activities including basketball, football, and the traditional war canoe races. I was grateful for his partnership, and I was always honored to work with him on the critical issues impacting his Tribe.

I am humbled to speak in recognition of Dale. I join his family and the Makah Tribe in mourning his passing, but also in recognizing that his good work will contribute to the community for generations to come.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take a moment to commemorate the life of Dale W. Johnson--a leader of the Makah Tribe who recently passed away

Dale Johnson served as chairman of the Makah Tribal Council and the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. He led efforts to restore the Makah halibut, black cod, and whiting fisheries. Dale was also active within community sporting activities including basketball, football, and the traditional war canoe races. I was grateful for his partnership, and I was always honored to work with him on the critical issues impacting his Tribe.

I am humbled to speak in recognition of Dale. I join his family and the Makah Tribe in mourning his passing, but also in recognizing that his good work will contribute to the community for generations to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to extend my sincere congratulations and gratitude to Dr. Michele L. Johnson on her retirement from Pierce College. Throughout her 45 years at Pierce College, Dr. Johnson has been a faculty member, collegiate coach, executive dean, campus president, and, for the last 18 years, Chancellor and CEO. Her leadership has served students, Pierce College employees, and the statewide community and technical college system.

In her current role, Dr. Johnson leads two colleges and an off-campus site at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and oversees two campus presidents and a district administration. Her dedication to student success and innovative leadership promotes Pierce College's mission to create quality educational opportunities for a diverse community of learners to thrive in an evolving world. Dr. Johnson has consistently been committed to the word ``community'' in community college, developing partnerships that have made our region stronger and that have served as a model for collaboration.

Under her leadership, Pierce College has received national awards, including recognition for serving veterans and community college excellence.

Speaking personally, I've been honored to consider Dr. Johnson a partner and a friend. I am grateful for all that she has done to create opportunities for students in our region and to improve higher education throughout our state.

Madam Speaker, Members of Congress, please join me congratulating Dr. Michele Johnson on her retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to extend my sincere congratulations and thanks to Kathy Cocus of Poulsbo, Washington for her decades of service and to celebrate her retirement.

As KEDA's Business Development Director, Kathy has worked closely with firms in the Business Retention and Expansion program and has provided countless hours of oversight to the office's Procurement Technical Assistance Center Program (PTAC) program. Previously she served as the KEDA Business Recruitment and Retention Manager from October of 2001 through June of 2006 and the organization's Interim Executive Director in 2006 through 2007.

Prior to her work at the KEDA, Ms. Cocus was Director of Development for the Kitsap Humane Society (KHS). She was the Executive Director of the Greater Poulsbo Chamber of Commerce for ten years and was part of a countywide effort to work with other communities in legislative, business and tourism issues. She has always been a vocal and tenacious advocate for local businesses, and we are all better off thanks to her work.

Madam Speaker, beyond her many accomplishments, I would also like to express gratitude for Kathy's partnership. Kathy has played a vital role to communities in my district and has been a tremendous partner for the last several decades. Please join me in congratulating Kathy Cocus on her retirement. I wish her all the best in this next chapter.