Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I had intended to stand up here and speak about my provision preventing bump stocks being added to guns but, after sitting here and listening for several hours, my colleagues across the aisle, they have been misrepresenting the Second Amendment. They have been pretending to care about children, and they have been blubbering about their need for big guns to protect themselves.

I have just got to say one thing. America is listening, and it will remember who allowed this plague to continue to kill our loved ones and spread disaster around our country. They are listening, and they will remember who it was.

Madam Speaker, if you are looking for a place to start stamping out corruption, you need look no further than the Old Post Office building just down the street.

Yesterday, workers began removing Trump's name from the property, ending an era of corruption. While in office, the former President was both landlord and tenant of this establishment, which raised numerous ethical questions.

After reviewing thousands of pages of records, Chairman DeFazio and I found that the GSA failed to both enforce the lease, which forbade involvement from any elected official of the U.S. Government and failed to conduct oversight on possible violations of the Emoluments Clause.

To prevent this from happening again, I introduced the Outlease Reform in Public Buildings Act to prohibit any President from maintaining a GSA outlease and to establish Congressional review of the outleasing program.

I urge my colleagues to get this signed, sealed, and delivered to the President's desk, and I hope we don't have to look at that Trump sign any longer.

Mr. Speaker, I stand to add my voice to the bipartisan chorus of support for this bill, including the chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Mr. DeFazio; Ranking Member Graves; and the ranking member of my subcommittee, Mr. Webster, for leading on this bill and working so hard to bring relief to not only our communities but individuals who are hit by natural disasters and other calamities like we saw during COVID.

Creating a Federal policy that supports projects focused on mitigating risks and bolstering resilience is good government. There is no two ways about it.

This legislation features a number of key provisions that will make our Nation more resilient:

One, it increases State funding for predisaster mitigation. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

It expands assistance for Western States, like Nevada, that are at the risk of wildfires, which we see coming more often, lasting longer, and being more intense.

It also reserves funds to implement and enforce the latest building codes and standards so when we do build back, we build back better, not to the status quo ante.

It empowers families to proactively take mitigation measures into their own hands, because they may know best what they need there at home.

I strongly support this legislation. We must wake up to the realities of climate change and the increasing intensity and cost of the natural disasters that it causes. This legislation will help to make our Nation more resilient, and I ask my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding time.

The SPEED Recovery Act will expedite the approval process for FEMA's small projects within the Public Assistance Program, or PA program.

I am proud to join Chairman DeFazio, Ranking Member Graves, and my subcommittee ranking member, Mr. Webster, in bringing this bill forward.

PA helps communities remove debris, implement emergency protective services, and repair damage to public buildings and infrastructure.

The public assistance approval process can be lengthy and complicated, and that is why, as you have heard, the 1988 Stafford Act ordered FEMA to simplify the procedure for small projects that might not have the capacity or resources to deal with the red tape and complicated grant process.

The cost for completing a small project, however, is not the same as it was in 1988 when this was first established. Stakeholders have reported to Congress, and I heard during a hearing of my subcommittee back in October, that the small projects the program was intended to cover are now unqualified. This legislation will raise the qualifying project threshold, and this updated threshold will speed the postdisaster recovery process and help us to make our communities get back on their feet.

I support this. You heard it; that it is commonsense legislation. I ask my colleagues to do the same, use some common sense and vote to support this.

Mr. Speaker, the MORE Act is a historic piece of legislation, no question about it. It removes criminal convictions for marijuana use that have stigmatized the lives of thousands of individuals in our country, particularly those of color. In addition, tragically, our veterans have been denied access to medical marijuana for treatment of pain management and also post-traumatic stress syndrome after they have offered their lives and put their lives in danger for us.

Supported by public vote, Nevada legalized medical marijuana in 2001, decriminalized marijuana use in 2017, and has shown that regulating marijuana works. Most of the other States have done the same, so it is time for the Nation to follow suit.

With the passage of the MORE Act, the marijuana industry can become a key element of growing and diversifying our economy, creating more good jobs, and putting more folks back to work as we recover from the pandemic.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the accomplishments and celebrate the life of Troy E. Wade.

Robert Oppenheimer once said of the great physicist Niels Bohr about his contribution to the development of the atomic bomb: ``It was a heroic time. It was not the doing of any one man; it involved the collaboration of scores of scientists from many different lands. But from first to last, the deeply creative, subtle and critical spirit of Niels Bohr guided, restrained, deepened, and finally transmuted the enterprise.''

I believe the same thing could be said of Troy Wade and the nuclear weapons testing program. He guided, restrained, deepened, and transmuted the enterprise for policy makers, posterity, and for me personally.

Troy certainly guided and transmuted the testing program for policy makers in his many positions in state and federal government, including as President Reagan's Assistant Secretary of Energy for Defense Programs. As NTS historian Darwin Morgan said, ``He was not a Washington stuffed shirt.'' Instead, he was known to be a listener and used tact and tolerance to move his agenda which was always to protect this country and help promote peace.

This was confirmed when I had a political event at Desert Research Institute during my first campaign for Congress. Troy was there to keep an eye on things and reassure the sweet little lady docents that the secret service dogs were not going to run off with the prehistoric bones in the museum. When Vice President Biden arrived, before I could introduce them, he said, ``Oh, I know Troy Wade. I sat across the table from him many times in the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee. He was a tough but fair negotiator. A straight shooter, someone you could trust.'' Obviously, no introduction was necessary.

Troy also translated the testing program for posterity. He wanted people to know the story, the whole story, of the test site and the men and women on the front lines who helped us win the Cold War. To this end, Troy leaned on Nick and Chuck and Bruce and Linda who refinanced their houses (without telling their spouses, although I bet Mary knew) to fund an atomic testing museum. The museum, thankfully, was a success. It is Smithsonian-sanctioned and draws thousands of visitors annually, from local school children to foreign dignitaries alike. And it indeed tells the whole story. In addition to bomb replicas, it relates the plight of the downwinders and offers a wonderful exhibit on the impact of the bomb on U.S. popular culture.

Troy and I got in a bit of trouble, however, when I introduced a bill in the state legislature to create a special license plate to raise money for the museum. We wanted to put a mushroom cloud on it. As George Knapp quipped on Channel 8 News, it ``would kick sand in the face of any other plate on the road.'' Governor Guinn, unfortunately, vetoed our choice and we settled for the stylized atom design offered today.

Finally, Troy transmuted the enterprise for me personally. He patiently answered questions as I did research for my book and often steered me in the right direction. He helped me secure AEC documents and records for the public reading room of the museum and he spoke to my classes. Most importantly, he became my friend. I often referred to Troy as the ``ultimate cold warrior''. I hope he took it as a compliment, because that's certainly how I meant it. Like so many of his family, friends, and coworkers, I will miss him very much. As will a grateful Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Global Respect Act that is being led by my friend, Mr. Cicilline. I thank him for his passion and his leadership in the committee on this issue.

Since the Supreme Court's landmark decision legalizing same-sex marriage in 2015, we have sought out domestic opportunities to ensure that individuals' basic rights are not infringed upon simply because of their sexual orientation. We have to make more progress not just here at home but around the world, where we take leadership on this issue.

Throughout the last century, we have stood for human rights, and in 2016, I was proud to support the Global Magnitsky Act, which imposed certain restrictions, as you have heard mentioned already. Magnitsky, however, did not go far enough to protect the LGBTQ-plus community.

In at least 42 countries, there remain legal barriers to freedom of expression on sexual orientation and gender identity. In at least 51 countries, there are specific laws and policies against the formation, establishment, or registration of NGOs working on sexual orientation issues. Nor has Magnitsky dissuaded the persecution of LGBTQI communities whose rights continue to be violated.

That is why I was grateful to have a part in working on this Global Respect Act legislation because it will impose needed visa sanctions on foreign people responsible for such actions.

My own legislation, the GLOBE Act, I think would take a step further to assert U.S. global leadership in this area and provide the administration with additional tools to carry out those things established in this landmark legislation. Some of those would be: ensuring that foreign assistance and global health programs don't discriminate against LGBTQ-plus populations, and also ensuring fair access to asylum for LGBTQ people.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and the sponsor, and I urge everyone to vote for this much-needed and very important bill.

Mr. Speaker, in efforts to control equine populations, the BLM is directed to humanely capture wild, free-roaming horses and burros and put them up for adoption.

BLM, however, uses helicopter companies to round up these animals, leading to frightening and sometimes deadly situations. At $500 a head, since 2011, the top three helicopter contractors have raked in some $37 million in taxpayer funding.

Last month, during a gathering at the Pancake Complex in central Nevada, a young colt was chased for miles by a helicopter, despite having a broken leg, and had to be put down when captured.

My Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act would outlaw the use of helicopters in wild horse roundups, employ more traditional wranglers for gathering efforts, and require the GAO to employ and explore humane alternatives to protect these icons of the wild west.

Mr. Speaker, put simply, save a horse, hire a cowboy.

Madam Speaker, a recent United Nations report confirmed that climate change represents nothing less than a code red for humanity.

We know the largest contributor to emissions is transportation, and that is why efforts to decarbonize this sector are so important if we are serious about fighting climate change.

Modernizing our transportation sector and moving toward a clean energy future means building electric vehicle infrastructure, something that the new law does with the first-ever Federal investments in a national EV charging network.

In Nevada, this will bring over $38 million to build EV stations throughout the State, helping us to have a higher percentage of electric vehicles on the road, reduce our emissions, and address climate change.

People often come to Las Vegas to recharge, and now, thanks to the infrastructure law, they will be able to do it in other ways and in other places.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of one of football's greatest icons, John Madden. First, I would like to extend my sincere condolences to Virginia, Joseph, Michael, and the entire Madden family on the loss of their beloved husband, father, and grandfather who left such an indelible mark on our Las Vegas Raiders and the American football landscape. John Madden once said, ``If you think about it, I've never held a job in my life. I went from being an NFL player to a coach to a broadcaster. I haven't worked a day in my life.'' While he may not have felt he worked a day in his life, Mr. Madden certainly accomplished a lot and helped others do the same.

As a young man, he recognized the importance of an education and utilized his football prowess to pursue his dreams. His grit and determination on both the offense and defense at Cal Poly were recognized by pro scouts and he was drafted into the National Football League (NFL). Unfortunately, his professional playing time was cut short by injuries, but this was only the first step in a stellar career.

Initially hired as a defensive coach, after two years with the Raiders organization he was promoted to head coach at 32 years of age, making him the youngest NFL coach ever to lead a team. Over the next decade, his Raiders teams personified owner Al Davis's motto, ``Just win, baby.'' Under Madden's inspired leadership, the Raiders won seven Western Division titles and made eight playoff appearances in 10 years. Mr. Madden's team defeated the Minnesota Vikings led by Fran Tarkenton, 32-14, in Super Bowl XI, when he cleared the Raider bench to be sure every active player saw game action. Afterwards, Madden was memorably carried off the field on his players' shoulders and commented, ``I'll never take off the Super Bowl ring. It's something I will always cherish.'' Along with owner Davis, five of the Raider players would later be inducted into the Football Hall of Fame. Madden would join them in 2006. Today he still holds the highest winning percentage of any coach who has won 100 or more games.

Mr. Madden's players respected his vision, elevating their play and creating a style all their own. They raised the competitive level of the game and set the standard that many teams still try to emulate today. Their loyal fans, Raider Nation, also personify defiance, struggle, and the will to win. During his tenure he also made great strides in diversifying the

game, working with scouts to find minority talent where many had not searched before and providing new avenues to stardom that many had not dreamed possible.

Following his retirement in 1979, Madden entered the broadcast booth. He had a way with words that synched perfectly with his longtime play- by-play partners, Pat Summerall and Al Michaels. Mr. Madden brought an astute balance to their relationships in the booth, redefining the color commentator role for all sports and painting a picture the audience could truly understand that added to their game watching experience.

Coach Madden once noted he wished to live out the story of one of his favorite books, Travels with Charley: In Search of America by John Steinbeck. Mr. Madden's fear of flying made this dream possible, as he crisscrossed our country by bus during the season to ensure he was able to call games in person from coast to coast. Traveling around the country in the ``Madden Cruiser,'' he connected with countless football fans all over the United States. Many of the Americans he met along the way had been introduced to the game of football by his booming voice on TV or his namesake video game; and Madden was always generous with his time, sharing stories with fans of all ages.

John Madden's legacy will live on in the words spoken by Raiders' owner Mark Davis as he lit the torch at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on December 28, 2021, ``The fire that burns the brightest in the Raiders Organization is the will to win.''

Madam Speaker, I am pleased today to recognize the 30th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan achieved its independence from the former Soviet Union and became a self-governing nation-state on December 16, 1991. Guided by its first President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan quickly renounced nuclear weapons, and worked with the United States to close the former Soviet nuclear test facility at Semipalatinsk and secure the nuclear materials stored there. These bold gestures by President Nazarbayev and his government at a time of significant instability in the region set a precedent on nuclear safety and nonproliferation efforts for Kazakhstan in the international community.

After independence, Kazakhstan quickly turned away from Soviet- inspired central economic planning and built a stable market economy. As early as 1992, Kazakhstan joined international arbitration bodies and actively invited foreign investment in the country. Today Kazakhstan's economic output is one of the most robust in Central Asia, and American companies are some of the largest investors in Kazakhstan. In 2015, after twenty years of negotiations, Kazakhstan acceded to membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO), further broadening its relationship with the global economic community.

In 2019, the Kazakh people elected President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev who has pledged more important economic and political reforms. He has called his vision of government, ``the listening state,'' and has promised to hear and respond to Kazakh citizens, to act consistently with international social, labor, and human rights standards, and to encourage participation in the political life of the country. I applaud these calls for reforms and hope that the government of Kazakhstan will implement them which will ultimately benefit the country and cement its place as a reliable friend of the United States.

One of the requirements of the WTO is that members extend permanent normal trade relations to each other. Unfortunately, the U.S. has yet to grant permanent normal trade relations to Kazakhstan, citing the Jackson-Vanik amendment to the Trade Act of 1974 which restricts trade relations with non-market economies that limit the right of citizens to emigrate. This measure was aimed at the Soviet Union and its then- allies in response to their punitive restrictions on Jewish emigres. Joined by my friends, Ms. Walorski, Ms. Murphy, and Mr. Chabot, I introduced H.R. 5544 in October to grant permanent normal trade relations to Kazakhstan. It is long past time for the U.S. to take this step. The Soviet Union no longer exists, and its successor, the Russian Federation, was granted permanent normal trade relations in 2012. Meanwhile, since independence, Kazakhstan has granted all of its citizens the freedom to emigrate and adopted a stable market economy. The conditions that led to enactment of Jackson-Vanik no longer exist, and the reasons for its restrictions on trade relations have long since ceased to apply to Kazakhstan. Permanent normal trade relations will benefit Kazakhstan and will also benefit the many U.S. companies investing in and doing business in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan also has been a crucial leader and partner to the U.S. on counterterrorism efforts, providing support and assistance to the U.S. during its engagement in Afghanistan. The country has an abundance of natural resources, including rare earth and other critical minerals that will play a significant role in the global shift away from fossil fuels. Kazakhstan has a young and educated workforce and actively promotes universal education, including English language skills, so its citizens can fully participate in the global economy. For these reasons, I believe Kazakhstan deserves our sustained interest, friendship, and attention as it continues to evolve.

Madam Speaker, I recently assumed the role of co-chair of the U.S.- Kazakhstan Caucus because I believe our relationship with Kazakhstan is very important to the economic and national security of the United States. We clearly benefit from our friendship with this vibrant and growing nation located in such a strategic part of the world. I invite all my House colleagues to consider joining the Caucus and supporting the granting of permanent normal trade relations to Kazakhstan.

Congratulations to the Kazakh people on 30 years of independence, progress, and growth.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my sincere gratitude and best wishes to a highly valued member of my staff who after almost 9 years will be departing my office this week. After previously working in the Senate, Ben Rosenbaum, a Florida Gator, joined my team as a Senior Legislative Assistant and worked his way to Deputy Chief of Staff. Anyone who has known and had the pleasure of working with Ben during his fourteen years in public service can attest to his depth of knowledge, breadth of commitment, and unflappable positivity. No one knows transportation and nuclear waste issues like Ben. Nevada is fortunate to have had Ben protecting its interests and serving its people. He will be sorely missed by all of us who wish him the best on the next leg of his journey.

Madam Speaker, Democrats know that genuine recovery from this pandemic means more than returning to the status quo ante.

Earlier this week, we made long overdue investments in our infrastructure. Now with the Build Back Better Act, we can expand healthcare coverage and lower costs. We can provide families with access to affordable childcare and universal preschool. We can reduce housing costs. We can cut taxes for working people while making the wealthiest pay their fair share; and we can make the grandest effort in American history towards combating climate change.

How we choose to invest our resources is a reflection of our values. The previous administration prioritized handing $2 trillion to billionaires and big corporations.

Let us instead invest in American workers and families and pass this Build Back Better Act now.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5574) to require the TSA to develop a plan to ensure that TSA material disseminated in major airports can be better understood by more people accessing such airports, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 5574, known as the TRANSLATE Act.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Congressman Van Taylor of Texas, for once again joining me in introducing this legislation, which will ease TSA's security processing at our Nation's major airports.

The TRANSLATE Act is bipartisan legislation building upon the Transportation Security Administration's ongoing efforts to increase access for non-English speakers, and for those with vision and hearing impairments, as they navigate the security screening process.

It does this by directing TSA to analyze common languages other than English that are spoken by both our international travelers as well as those who reside in the nearby community and then develop and execute a plan to disseminate security information in those languages to ease the screening process.

I represent the heart of Las Vegas Valley, including McCarran International Airport, which is one of the Nation's busiest airports, welcoming passengers from around the country and around the world who come to enjoy all that southern Nevada has to offer.

Navigating our air system can be stressful enough--if you travel back and forth, you know what I mean--for even the most well-seasoned traveler. Removing potential language barriers to ease TSA processing is not only beneficial for those travelers but also for the general public rushing to catch their flights.

Southern Nevada's community is rich in diversity. One of every three Clark County residents speaks a language other than English at home. Nationwide, that number is just over one out of every five residents. Yet, much of what TSA communicates to travelers and transportation workers through signs, announcements, videos, and online content is in English.

Let's be clear. You shouldn't have to worry about missing a plane at an airport in the U.S. just because you don't speak English. Making travel and security information easier to understand for non-English speakers and for those with vision and hearing impairments will help create a more comfortable and efficient airport experience for residents and visitors alike.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues on the Committee on Homeland Security for their unanimous support of this legislation last month and the chairman for his assistance in getting this passed.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the passage of the TRANSLATE Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, our Nation's airports connect Americans to one another and to the rest of the world. But for travelers who do not primarily speak English or who experience hearing or vision difficulties, the TSA screening process can be challenging and result in delays for all the other travelers who are standing in line.

By requiring TSA to make its signage and announcement more accessible to passengers at major airports, my bill will bring much-needed inclusivity and efficiency to the whole travel experience. I know we all appreciate seeing signs in English when we are traveling abroad. U.S. airports should be just as welcoming and reflect the diversity of our constituents and the travelers who visit our cities.

So, once again, Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote for H.R. 5574, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, at the height of this pandemic, unemployment in my home district of Las Vegas was over 33 percent--a level not seen since the Great Depression. The fabulous Las Vegas Strip shut down, and the airport was empty.

Now, thanks to Democrats, we are coming back. Vaccination rates are up, unemployment rates are down, and travelers are returning. But it is not enough to restore the country to where we were when COVID hit. We need to build back better. This crisis has highlighted systemic inequalities that must be addressed.

The Build Back Better agenda offers us an opportunity to do just that by lifting working families, providing a pathway to citizenship, taking historic action on climate change, and making the wealthy contribute their fair share.

This is our moment, and we must seize it.