Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Walz for his leadership, for bringing this bill, and for allowing me to stay involved even though I am no longer on the committee. Likewise, I thank Dr. Roe for all that he has done for veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of H.R. 2288, the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act.

Fixing this outdated system was one of my top priorities while I served as ranking member of the VA Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee. When I assumed that position, much of the focus was on the VA disability claims backlog, which had ballooned, causing many veterans to wait almost 2 years just for their initial claim decision. After that backlog was addressed and reduced, the problem shifted to the appeals process, where today, as you have heard, almost 470,000 veterans are currently waiting in an overburdened and overcomplicated system that was first developed in the 1930s and last updated in the 1980s.

I regularly hear from my veteran constituents who are stuck in this appeals process about the need for reform. One veteran we are helping in Las Vegas has been working since August of 2013 to have his appeal adjudicated; and another Nevada veteran who, out of desperation, came to my office, took 4 years to complete his process.

So, obviously, the current system is just unacceptable. If we don't act, it is only going to get worse. We have heard statistics that soon veterans may be waiting for more than a decade just to have their appeals adjudicated.

Last year, working closely with the VA, with the committee, and with many of our partners in the VSO community, I introduced legislation to address this outdated process. I am very proud that my proposal is the basis for the legislation we are considering today.

The changes that were made to that legislation are positive additions, and I appreciate the work that Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Esty have done to improve the bill and bring it to the floor.

I encourage all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come together to recognize, to help, to assist our veterans, and support this bill. I want us to tell our friends in the Senate: You have got to act quickly, too. We have got to get this done.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to say goodbye and Godspeed to a longtime friend, John Mitchell Cobeaga. Mitch, his wife Sylvia, and their children have lived next door to us for some thirty years. We often hid the ``presents from Santa'' in our garage until Christmas morning when the children could be surprised by shiny new bikes. His law office was also next to my congressional office in downtown Las Vegas and I often visited with him there.

Mitch was well respected for his advocacy work for fellow veterans. Mitch graduated from the U.S. Airforce Academy and was a proud member of the 20th Cadet Squadron, ``Tough Twenty Trolls.'' He became a Wild Weasel fighter pilot and flew over 100 combat missions in Vietnam. After his military service, he founded the Veterans Ask-a-Lawyer program, a free legal program to help vets in need.

Mitch also had a reputation as a hero for the little guy in the courtroom where he had a commanding presence. He contributed to many of Nevada's largest cases, including the one involving the 1988 perchlorate explosion at the Pacific Engineering and Production Company which killed two people and caused billions of dollars in damage throughout the Henderson area. His colleague Robert Murdock noted that ``he had a hand in mentoring most of the lawyers in Southern Nevada at one point or another'' and should be honored by having a courtroom named for him.

Sylvia said that Mitch will be remembered for his intelligence, sense of morality, and the importance he placed on family. And he never took himself seriously, she said. He always had time for everyone he passed in the courtroom, office, and around town. We will all miss his warm laughter, his kind words, and his sage counsel very much.

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow marks 100 days of the Trump administration. So let's take a look.

What does that 100 days mean? It means hundreds of vacancies still left in important agencies like State and Defense, hundreds of hours wasted on meaningless executive orders, hundreds of miles flown back and forth to Mar-a-Lago to play golf, hundreds of educational and cultural programs on the chopping block, hundreds of acres of public lands under threat, and hundreds of programs that benefit millionaires while causing hundreds and thousands of seniors to worry about losing Meals on Wheels, working families losing their health care, DREAMers losing their protection, women losing Planned Parenthood, and ordinary folks losing money out of their pocket to pay higher tax bills because of the new proposal.

That is not much of a record, if you ask me. But what it also means is there are hundreds and thousands of voices rising up saying: We will resist, and we will persist.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to attend votes in the House on March 8, 2017. If I had been present, I would have voted ``Yea'' on Roll Call No. 136, making appropriations for the Department of Defense for Fiscal Year 2017.

Mr. Speaker, the GOP's disastrous healthcare proposal is really just the largest transfer of wealth to the superrich in this Nation's entire history. In fact, it gives the top 1 percent of earners a windfall of tax breaks and subsidies.

The superrich are going to be able to buy a lot of things with this new money. It has been estimated they could buy: one Lamborghini, 26 Rolex watches, or 44 sets of Super Bowl tickets.

Thanks to this tax cut, in effect, you are shifting wealth from Main Street to Mar-a-Lago, from middle America to Mar-a-Lago, from my district to Mar-a-Lago. Forty-four thousand people in my district in southern Nevada will lose their health insurance according to the Center for American Progress.

Our President said, well, he didn't know--not our President. He is not my President. Anyway, he said he didn't know health care could be so complicated. Well, if you look at this bill, it is really not very complicated. It is quite simple:

Premiums go up, benefits go down; deductibles go up, coverage goes down; prices go up, healthcare for women goes down.

Vote ``no'' on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, Attorney General Sessions stated we won't be a better, healthier Nation if marijuana is sold at every corner grocery store. His Justice Department also signaled that it would raid a marijuana industry convention being held on tribal lands in my State of Nevada.

While it is pretty clear that the Attorney General has some other problems to worry about now, I would note that his statement and his department's actions demonstrate a complete lack of understanding of the legal marijuana industry.

The industry, which is highly regulated in States that have chosen to legalize marijuana, does, indeed, face challenges in banking, taxes, advertising, security, and working with veterans. These need to be addressed by Congress.

But in the meantime, I invite Mr. Sessions: Come to Nevada. Meet with members of the industry. Find out how it really works before you make rash decisions about enforcement that will counter the votes of many people across this country.

Mr. Speaker, so far, in 2017, Donald Trump and the Republicans have targeted women, immigrants, and health care. Now they are setting their sights on bear cubs, wolves, and coyotes.

Republicans, in cahoots with the gun lobby and with trophy hunters, want to eliminate a rule that currently prohibits hunters from using brutal means to kill our majestic animals in Alaska's 16 wildlife refuges.

This rule prevents snaring and trapping bears, including cubs, hunting wolves in their dens, and shooting bears from helicopters, among other methods.

Now, those opposed to the rule say that it hurts Alaska's economy, but there is no evidence of that. In fact, big game hunting represents only 2 percent of wildlife-related recreation on our national wildlife refuges.

Meanwhile, the National Park Service has estimated that wildlife watchers, those who go to see wildlife, not to shoot them, contribute $1 billion to the State's economy.

I ask you: Is a trophy on the wall really worth it?

So please vote ``no'' on H.J. Res. 69 introduced by our colleague, Mr. Young.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to include in the Record some inadequate yet heartfelt words to celebrate the life and mourn the loss of James J. Spinello. Jim was my dear friend, respected colleague, and trusted confidant. We met in 1988 when he was a Young Turk in the Nevada Assembly. Along with his friends, Matt Callister, Gene Porter, and Wendell Williams, he was a legislator with a mission. As members of the Marvin Sedway/Gary Gray posse of talented young idealists, they set out to change the world--and indeed they have made Nevada a better place, each in his own way.

As an Assemblyman, Jim served as Chair of the Education Committee where he led the fight for class size reduction and as Vice Chair of the powerful Ways and Means Committee where he championed more funding for mental health. He was the serious, scholarly one of the bunch who had the compassion, knowledge, and work ethic to get things done.

After two terms he went on to manage Nevada's state workers compensation system. He joined the administrative team at Clark County in 1997 for several years before becoming an integral player at R&R. Partners where he served as director of local government affairs. He loved his R&R family, especially Billy Vassiliadis, who was there for him in the most generous ways until the very end.

Meanwhile, he taught classes part time at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the College of Southern Nevada, which he thoroughly enjoyed. He was a natural teacher and role model who entertained, educated, and inspired. He brought his practical experience as well as his academic training and a vast wealth of information to the classroom.

Throughout all this time, Jim remained a wonderful friend, a man I trusted totally, which is a rare thing in politics today. We shared a Mediterranean temperament--mine Greek and his Sicilian. Boy, was he Sicilian. He had black curly hair and a beautiful singing voice (we called him Spinatra). He loved red wine and pasta, and loyalty was very important to him.

Jim enjoyed traveling, especially with his beloved daughters, Lilly and Chessa. He traveled to Sicily with his girls to visit his mother's village and found some slightly suspect cousins along the way. Everything he did, he did with their futures in mind. He was very proud of them and spoke of them often. At the Sicilian wake following his service, there was consensus among those who had known Jim for a long time that he was, simply put, a really good guy--in the very best sense of the words. Billy V. noted that his legacy is in his girls and the many young people he taught in class and in the work place. Dick Cooper commented on how ethical he was: He just couldn't not tell the truth. Another legislative colleague, Ernie Alder, said Jim was polite enough to laugh at his jokes. And Tom Warden and Marc Hechter, who had been with Jim every day those last weeks, recalled when Jim had selflessly been there for them in trying times. Matt called him a true friend and Chris Giunchigliani remarked on his amazing strength of character and spirit.

Tears were shed. Stories were told. Memories were bittersweet. He was a wonderful person to work with, to have a martini with, to stay out of or be in trouble with. He was loyal to me and I will always try to be loyal, in words and deeds, to his memory. The Spinner set a high bar. His passing is Nevada's loss.

Mr. Speaker, the Republicans just voted to begin the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Their misguided and heartless effort will not just affect thousands of insurance policies in Nevada, but it will cost the State jobs, it will diminish access to health care, and it will jeopardize lives.

Nevada had one of the highest uninsured rates in the country before the ACA. Since then, we have cut the rate by almost 50 percent, and we have created a system that now provides 400,000 children and adults with coverage. But Trump and the congressional Republicans don't want to hear about that.

Make no mistake, when they voted to repeal the ACA, they are revoking vital programs that offer cancer screenings and mental health assistance. They are rescinding provisions that prevent insurance companies from charging women more than men, or from denying benefits because of preexisting conditions.

This is unconscionable. Instead of repeal and replace, the Republicans should just call their proposal ``destroy and delay,'' or perhaps just simply ``scam and sham.''

Mr. Speaker, last week I visited with two constituents, Aida and Norma, who have lived and worked in this country for years, rearing their families here and paying taxes. I also saw my former student Blanca after she met with President Obama to talk about the positive impact the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has had on her life. Like Aida and Norma, Blanca is a long time resident of Southern Nevada and an active member of our community; she holds a degree from UNLV and is planning to attend law school.

Thanks to the Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) program, Aida and Norma's families no longer live in constant fear of separation. And because of DACA, Blanca can continue to pursue her American Dream without the threat of deportation.

But unfortunately, Republicans are waging a war against immigrants. They are actively working to repeal DACA and DAPA and strip away these critical protections for DREAMers and their families. They refuse to consider comprehensive immigration reform. They are wasting time suing the President for taking executive action to prevent the separation of families. And they are jeopardizing national security by tying anti- immigrant riders to the DHS funding bill.

By refusing to work with House Democrats to find a long-term, comprehensive fix to our broken immigration system, Republicans are turning their backs on women like Aida, Norma, and Blanca. They are keeping people in the shadows and costing our economy over $800 billion. They'd rather attack families than terrorists.

I urge Republicans to immediately stop waging their morally indefensible, economically foolish, and physically dangerous war on undocumented families, listen to the American people, and immediately pass the immigration reform we need.

Mr. Speaker, I rise with a heavy heart to mourn the loss and honor the life of my friend, Coach Jerry Tarkanian, who passed away this morning.

A leader and a role model, both on and off the court, ``the Shark'' was not only a legendary collegiate men's basketball coach, but a pillar in the Las Vegas community.

As coach at UNLV, he led the Running Rebels to a 509-105 record over 19 seasons, four Final Four appearances, and an NCAA championship in 1990. In 2013, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and a statue of him was placed outside UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center, which houses the basketball court bearing his name.

Coach Tarkanian was known for giving young players a second chance. He supported numerous charities and programs that helped build character, life skills, and talent that fostered success in later life.

My thoughts go out to his wife and his family, and I am sure the coach is looking down and chewing on that famous towel in Heaven.

Madam Speaker, last week, House Republicans voted to eliminate DAPA, a program that would protect nearly 40 percent of undocumented immigrants, promote family unity, and boost our economy. They also voted to end DACA, which has helped some 630,000 DREAMers, including 10,000 in Nevada, come out of the shadows and pursue the American Dream.

This Republican attack is not only being waged at the Federal level. Yesterday, Nevada's Republican attorney general joined more than two dozen other States in a lawsuit challenging President Obama's executive action on immigration, although every President since Eisenhower has used similar executive authority to protect immigrants in our country.

So what then is the real reason for this declaring war on immigrants? Could it be that they want to keep a desperate underclass to fill those low-wage, no-benefit jobs? Or do some fear that these folks might become citizens and vote them out of office? Regardless of the reason, these modern day know-nothings should be ashamed of themselves.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 36. This bill is a direct challenge to the Supreme Court's ruling 42 years ago in Roe v. Wade. It is a dangerous attack on a woman's constitutional right to choose.

The bill does not include an exception for the physical or emotional health of a woman. It fails to provide sufficient protections for victims of rape and incest, and it has only a very narrow exception when a woman's life is in danger.

In short, the bill significantly reduces the safe, legal options that women have and prevents doctors from providing the most medically appropriate care for their patients.

Republicans have repeatedly demonstrated a disregard for women's health care, and this bill is just one more example of their continuing attack on women's rights. It is a step backward for women's health and, quite simply, a distraction from the important work that we should be undertaking. I urge my colleagues to oppose it.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to highlight a significant provision in the defense authorization bill, and this is language that is based on H.R. 2015, the Las Vegas Valley Public Lands and Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument.

This important legislation will enact a number of land conveyances across southern Nevada, including over 400 acres for the Nellis Air Force Base used for critical training missions. In addition, the legislation will protect nearby lands that contain fossil beds dating back thousands of years to the Ice Age.

Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan legislation enjoys the support of the entire Nevada delegation as well as the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce, county and local officials, education institutions, local tribal governments, and area environmentalists.

For years we have been working with leadership in the House and Senate to advance this legislation, which will strengthen our national security mission at Nellis, promote economic development for southern Nevada, and preserve our national history for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, as a country, we have a responsibility to help our veterans transition back from active military duty by giving them the tools they need to succeed in civilian life.

Sadly, far too many of the men and women who have sacrificed so much on our behalf return home to find they must struggle to get housing, secure employment, and provide for themselves and their families. We can and must do better. That is why I am proud to partner with my Republican colleague, David McKinley, to introduce legislation that honors our commitment by providing resources to help veterans pursue higher education and gain the skills and training they need to succeed in STEM careers.

The ability to analyze, communicate, and motivate--honed during their military training--makes veterans ideal candidates in the fields related to science, technology, math, and engineering. With growth in the STEM fields for jobs that are expected to outpace other professions in the next two decades, this legislation will help to meet the demands for the high-skilled workforce that we need to be competitive in the global economy.

So I would urge my colleagues to join Mr. McKinley and me in upholding our promise to our Nation's heroes and support the GI Bill STEM Extension Act of 2014.