Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 75th Anniversary of our United States Marines' landing at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands during World War II. Three-quarters of a century after this momentous event, the memory and sacrifice of these brave men should not be forgotten.

On August 7, 1942, Marines joined by our allies landed on the shores of the Solomon Islands to deny their use to our then-adversary, Imperial Japan. These Marines were joined by U.S. Navy vessels, as well as by ships and troops supplied by our Australian and British allies, in a series of 26 land and naval battles that collectively became known as the Battle of Guadalcanal. Two of our future presidents served there: John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon. Other Solomon Islanders served bravely as the famous Coastwatchers, providing the early warnings that allowed our outnumbered Marines to prevail against their enemies. Today, we look to the future with the knowledge that the Marines' landing on this day three-quarters of a century ago was an important turning point in World War II's Pacific Theater.

To commemorate this important event, Marines and private citizens are currently in the process of dedicating a new monument atop the battlefield known as Bloody Ridge in Guadalcanal. Their efforts are supported and aided by the citizens and government of the Solomon Islands. The approaching ceremony to occur on the famous Bloody Ridge battle site recognizes the unity of spirit that today prevails among our allies and former adversaries, all of which are now charged with maintaining peace in the Pacific Ocean.

Mr, Speaker, as the efforts to create a monument to the heroism displayed by so many at Guadalcanal move forward, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering the 75th anniversary of our Marines' historic landing at Guadalcanal.

Mr. Speaker, it is with profound sadness that I rise to honor the life of Mr. Mario Gutierrez. I ask my colleagues to join me in tribute to Mario's truly remarkable life. His work has saved countless lives, and there will be a significant void without him.

Mario's impact on telehealth is immeasurable. His work at CCHP has profoundly impacted the telehealth policy landscape on both the state and federal level. He served as a program director with The California Endowment for twelve years and as a senior program officer with The Sierra Health Foundation for six years. Mario always viewed telehealth as a means to ultimately achieve what he firmly believed and fought to accomplish: to make sure that every person, no matter how poor or how isolated, could access high-quality healthcare.

Mario's work researching and supporting telehealth innovations has helped children in remote rural communities receive life-saving treatment from world-renowned physicians, and has explored the potential of connecting health care providers in Mexico with undocumented individuals needing care in California. Mario and his wife would often spearhead and lead medical missions to other countries to provide medical care for people in need, who may have never otherwise received vital medical treatment.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the life of Mr. Mario Gutierrez and in offering our condolences to his wife, family, and colleagues. His life's work will continue to improve the lives of so many people and those who knew him will truly miss him.

Mr. Speaker, today I stand to recognize Mr. Larry Greene's retirement from the position of Executive Director of the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District. I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. Greene and his outstanding dedication to cleaner air in my hometown of Sacramento.

Mr. Greene served our region for twenty-two years, helping to produce cleaner air, prolong lifespans, and protect the environment. He was a two-term president of the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA), and holds a permanent seat on its Board of Directors. Larry's public service also included a term as President of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies. Before he delved into clean air policy, Mr. Greene served our country in the United States Army for 25 years, specializing in logistics management. Clearly, Larry Greene is the epitome of a public servant.

Since 1990, the Sacramento region has benefited from a 66 percent drop in nitrogen oxides, largely thanks to Mr. Greene's efforts. He has been the main proponent for many clean air programs, including the ``Spare the Air'' and ``Check Before You Burn'' campaigns. His success can be attributed to his methods of working as a partner for elected officials and community organizations that seek out solid, incentive- based solutions for businesses. Communities across our country that wish to improve their air quality should look no further than Larry for the model of what a clean air advocate can do.

Mr. Speaker, I stand to honor Mr. Larry Greene today and to wish him the best of luck

in retirement. I ask all my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Mr. Greene for his unwavering dedication to the air quality of the Sacramento region.

Mr. Speaker, today I stand to recognize Mr. Tom Beede's illustrious and successful career as President, CFO, and CEO of MetroList Services, Inc. On the occasion of his retirement, I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. Beede and his outstanding career at MetroList.

Mr. Beede has served more than thirty-two years with MetroList and more than forty years in the MLS industry. Before his time with MetroList, he was an Account Manager for PRC Realty where he created the first MLS computer system for the Sacramento, El Dorado, and Placer Associations of Realtors. He was eventually hired by MetroList to help manage, build, and lead it as the first MLS company in the United States to own and operate its own MLS computer system.

In large part due to Mr. Beede's hard work and visionary leadership, MetroList became an organization with a culture of unparalleled customer service, subscriber value, and high level data integrity. His success can be attributed to his ability to bring the best products and services to MetroList's customers, and to his commitment to forming regional relationships and finding new, cost-effective ways to share MLS data.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me nothing but pride to stand and honor Mr. Tom Beede today and wish him the best of luck in retirement. I ask all of my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Mr. Beede and his outstanding service to the Sacramento region.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Steve Hammond on the occasion of his retirement as CEO of Visit Sacramento, the City of Sacramento's innovative tourism bureau. I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. Hammond for his leadership and commitment in the community to promoting Sacramento and refining its image as a tourist destination.

Since being appointed to the position of CEO in 1999, Mr Hammond has overseen a hugely successful campaign to re-brand Sacramento as a major attraction to visitors. He has encouraged businesses to hold events and conventions in Sacramento, capitalized on

the city's sports and entertainment opportunities, and spearheaded an inventive campaign to brand Sacramento as America's Farm-to-Fork Capital. By taking advantage of Sacramento's unique location in the heart of California's Central Valley, Mr. Hammond launched a movement that has revitalized Sacramento's restaurant scene and boosted business for local hotels and farmers.

In great part due to Mr. Hammond's dedication to his agency, Visit Sacramento's budget has grown from $2 million to $11 million, and its staff has more than doubled. In addition, Mr. Hammond is an extraordinarily active member of the community: He sits on the Boards of the Sacramento Downtown Partnership, the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, the Sacramento Regional Sports and Education Foundation, and the Sacramento Hotel Association.

Mr. Speaker, I stand to pay tribute to Steve Hammond, outgoing CEO of Visit Sacramento, as his friends and colleagues celebrate his well- earned retirement. I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring his tenacity and dedication on behalf of the people of Sacramento, as well as his creativity in building up my beloved hometown as a destination for business, food, and culture.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3178, the Medicare Part B Improvement Act, and, specifically, a provision to extend the IVIG demonstration project that Chairman Brady and I worked on together.

I have long been a champion of those impacted by primary immunodeficiency diseases, which include more than 300 rare genetic diseases, all of which keep the immune system from functioning properly. A mild infection can cause serious problems and even death for these patients.

Thanks to the IVIG demo, Medicare beneficiaries with immunodeficiency diseases are now able to receive in-home IVIG therapy, meaning they can avoid community settings of care, which can be very important to people with compromised immune systems.

I am pleased that this provision was included in the Medicare Part B Improvement Act. I urge support of this important bill.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 806, better known as the ``Smoggy Skies Act.''

Because of the Clean Air Act, families have safer air to breathe, fewer emergency room visits, and healthier futures. The bill before us today is a direct attack on that progress, delaying lifesaving protections against ozone pollution.

H.R. 806 will be particularly devastating to children with asthma, the elderly, and people with lung and heart disease. Dirty air remains a public health hazard.

If this bill becomes law, we will be rolling back the Clean Air Act's protections and successes and putting people's health at risk.

The Sacramento region in my district sits in California's Central Valley, which traps pollution from other parts of the State. And despite these challenges, we have fostered a strong partnership between the Federal Government and Sacramento's local agencies to improve our air quality. But in order for this progress to continue, the EPA must set its clean air requirements at a level that truly protects public health.

The bill before us today would block ozone protections and permanently damage the Clean Air Act. Between this ``Smoggy Skies Act'' and TrumpCare, Republicans are waging an all-out assault on Americans' health.

I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill and protect the well-being of future generations.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Dr. Andy David, the Israeli Consul General to the Pacific Northwest. As 2017 marks the end of Dr. David's tenure in California, I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring him for his leadership and commitment in the community to building bridges between the United States and his home country of Israel.

Dr. David stepped into the position of Consul General in 2012, following a history of distinguished Israeli diplomatic appointments that began in 1995. Throughout his half decade of service, he has helped strengthen ties between the West Coast and our allies in Israel. Dr. David has worked passionately to build the relationship between the University of California system and educational institutions in Israel, and his efforts have also resulted in new and fruitful partnerships between Silicon Valley companies and Israel's high-tech industry in Tel Aviv.

In addition to improving cooperation on the international stage, Dr. David has become a pillar of the community in his adoptive home of San Francisco. A prominent advocate for the Bay Area Jewish community, Dr. David will be missed by his friends here when he returns home this month.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to Andy David, Israeli Consul General to the Pacific Northwest, as he celebrates his return to Israel. I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring his efforts to strengthen the relationship between our two great countries.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Public Policy Institute of California's (PPIC) Sacramento Center. As 2017 marks the 10th anniversary of this vital center for political thought, I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring PPIC for its leadership and commitment in the community to providing nonpartisan, well- formulated opinions and data for the benefit of California's policymakers.

The Public Policy Institute of California was founded in San Francisco in 1994 by a trio of California visionaries seeking to provide our state with a world-class political think tank Since then, PPIC has lived up to its mission of ``informing and improving public policy through independent, objective, non-partisan research.'' By 2007, PPIC had opened a second office in Sacramento, enabling its team of experts to operate in the heart of California's state government.

PPIC boasts a staff of 75 people, including experts in economics, demography, political science, sociology, and environmental resources. It focuses on a wide range of concerns and opportunities facing our state, including higher education, water issues, and government investment strategies. Additionally, PPIC conducts surveys of voters and constituents to provide lawmakers with election statistics, approval ratings, and public opinion. Utilizing its unparalleled access to survey data and predictive analytics, PPIC seeks to understand the forces that drive societal change in the long term, which helps inform the political short term.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to the Public Policy Institute of California's Sacramento Center as it celebrates the 10th anniversary of its founding. I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring PPIC's dedication to providing California's government with information and illumination.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2430, the FDA user fee reauthorization bill that I worked on with my colleagues on the Energy & Commerce Committee.

Without Congress' swift action to reauthorize this bill, the FDA would not be able to conduct its critical work ensuring that our nation's drugs and devices are safe and effective.

Patients and families across the country battling diseases like Alzheimer's, cancer, multiple sclerosis (MS), and diabetes, rely on innovation to provide new life-saving and life-enhancing treatments and hopefully one day, cures. Without the FDA, we would not be able to ensure that those treatments and cures work and that they're safe.

To quote Dr. Jeff Allen of the Friends of Cancer Research, ``for the people who currently depend on safe and effective medicines . . . for those who are holding strong for breakthroughs to come . . . and for every future patient . . . there isn't time to waste.''

I urge my colleagues to support the passage of this bill.

Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 23. Yet, again, it seems that instead of addressing the issues underlying California's water supply, some of my colleagues are more interested in fanning the flames of century-old water disputes.

The city of Sacramento, which I represent, sits at the confluence of two major rivers, the Sacramento and the American. Because there is no such thing as an average water year in California, living under the threat of drought and flood has become a way of life for Sacramento residents.

We are working with the Army Corps to invest billions of dollars in flood protection, and we are collaborating with the Bureau of Reclamation to build a groundwater bank and a water recycling facility to increase access to drinking water.

Congress should explore real solutions to drought challenges, as the Sacramento region is doing.

In the short term, we must be efficient about fixing leaks and waste while also continuing conservation efforts.

In the long-term, we should be taking advantage of new technologies to monitor our water use and making investments in wastewater cycling in above- and below-ground water storage.

Last Congress, I introduced a commonsense bill that removed barriers to wastewater cycling projects, making it possible for them to move forward more quickly and efficiently with Federal support. It ultimately became law. Yet instead of debating these types of solutions, we are wasting time on a bill that does not solve our underlying water supply problem.

I grew up on a farm in the Central Valley. My father, my uncles, and my grandfather were farmers. We raised peaches, plums, nectarines, and grapes. I recall living and understanding what water means to us, so I do understand the value and sensitivities about water.

Now, in the Sacramento region, where I now represent, we have tried to take a balanced approach, working to protect the environment while providing water for our farms and our cities.

It is misleading to claim that H.R. 23 will solve our drought problems. This legislation only prioritizes certain regions or industries instead of taking the comprehensive approach we need.

And by giving the Federal Government power to dictate the best uses of the State's water, H.R. 23 sets a disastrous precedent for other States across the country that should raise alarm on both sides of the aisle.

The bill we are discussing today undermines a State's autonomy. Ultimately, I am concerned that this bill will weaken environmental protections for the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta, and harm our State's ability to manage its own water.

That is why I join my district and the State of California in strongly opposing this bill. We cannot afford to

give up California's right to control its own water future. We must focus on an all-of-the-above strategy that puts us on the path to a sustainable water supply while protecting our environment.

Mr. Chairman, I strongly urge my colleagues to reject this legislation.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of Mr. DeSaulnier's amendment to H.R. 23.

Recycling projects provide sustainable water sources that help make our communities drought-resilient. In Sacramento, we are working to build a project that would use claimed wastewater to irrigate up to 18,000 acres of farmland and habitat.

These are the types of projects that help prepare California for the next drought, and they result in more water for our farms and cities. We should be working on sustainable solutions like these.

Last Congress, I introduced a bill to improve the Bureau of Reclamation's Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Funding Program by removing the requirement that each recycling project receive an explicit congressional authorization. The bill was included in the WIIN Act passed into law last year, thereby expanding the pool of eligible projects.

Mr. DeSaulnier's amendment continues to move us forward by emphasizing the importance of recycling in our approach to managing water use. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the outstanding leadership of Marcia Boyle, a rare disease advocate who has dedicated the past four decades of her life to helping people impacted by primary immunodeficiency diseases. This mission was not a path Marcia would have chosen herself. Rather, this mission chose her, and she has responded with full vigor to improve life for not only her own son but for countless other people in the United States and world impacted by one of the more than 300 forms of primary immunodeficiency diseases, or

Mr. Speaker, it is with profound sadness that I rise to honor the life of my personal friend and former Sacramento City Councilwoman, Bonnie Pannell. Bonnie passed away on June 27th of this year at the age of 68. I ask my colleagues to join me in tribute to Bonnie's truly remarkable life, which she dedicated to public service and activism within her community.

Bonnie served Sacramento as a member of its City Council for sixteen years, fighting tirelessly on behalf of the communities of Meadowview, Parkway, North Laguna Creek, and Jacinto Creek. I was honored to work alongside Bonnie in providing flood protection, efficient public transportation, and other essential services for our shared constituents. She was incredibly dedicated to the people she represented, and her partnership was invaluable on numerous initiatives, such as extending Sacramento Regional Transit's Light Rail to Cosumnes River College and opening the Valley Hi-North Laguna Library.

Bonnie was the model of what a true public servant should aspire to be. She knew and loved her constituents, she never lost sight of what was best for them, and she was constantly striving to provide her community with the best resources and opportunities available. The entire Sacramento community suffered a blow when Bonnie was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia, which forced her to step down from office. I can think of no more fitting tribute to her than what the people of Sacramento did to mark Bonnie's retirement--naming a central and beloved community center in her district the Samuel and Bonnie Pannell Meadowview Community Center. This building, the people and families it serves, and the community in which it is located all remind us that we were honored to be in and experience the presence of Bonnie Pannell.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the life of the Honorable Bonnie Pannell. I will miss her professionally, and like so many in my beloved hometown of Sacramento, I will miss her personally.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge Mr. Let Mon Lee, upon his retirement from his position as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works and over three decades of public service.

Mr. Lee assumed his most recent position in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2009. In his role as Deputy Assistant Secretary, Mr. Lee has been responsible for the executive direction of Army Civil Works projects involving flood risk management, storm damage prevention, navigation, and environmental restoration. Prior to this, Mr. Lee served at the Army Corps Headquarters for almost 20 years. His work with Army Corps were separated by a five-year stretch on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

I have had the pleasure of working with Mr. Lee on our shared efforts to improve the level of flood protection for Sacramento, in my district. Sacramento is defined by its two great rivers, the American and the Sacramento, which makes it the most at-risk major American city for flooding. Mr. Lee has been a great champion for Sacramento's flood control projects, and together we have been able to better protect the lives and livelihoods of my constituents.

Mr. Lee has been wonderful to work with on both a professional and personal level. I wish him many years of happiness in retirement with his wife and grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in thanking Mr. Lee for his service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Sunglasses Day. When it comes to protecting the eyes from the sun's UV rays, sunglasses with lenses that offer UVA/UVB protection are so important. Individuals--regardless of age--should always wear sunglasses during daylight hours, as UV rays are present year-round, despite the season. Unprotected exposure to these UV rays may cause serious vision problems. In the short-term, individuals may experience sensitivity to light, trouble seeing, sunburnt eyes or eyelids, irritated eyes, and red or swollen eyes. While in the long-term, individuals may experience cataracts, macular degeneration, and even cancer on or around the eyes.

Today I want to honor the sunglass manufacturers and suppliers throughout my Sacramento Congressional District, the State of California and around the country. California accounted for nearly 14 percent of all Plano sunglass unit sales from March 2016 to March 2017, and is home to a variety of optical industry leaders. I commend the sunglass industry and their trade association, The Vision Council-- which includes 92 members hailing from the state of California--for their ongoing research and outreach campaigns to educate consumers regarding the damaging effects of ultraviolet (UV) rays to the eyes, as well as the sunglass and lens solutions available to maintaining healthy vision.

Since UV damage cannot be reversed, prevention through protection is key. Schedule an annual eye exam to talk to your eyecare provider about your UV eye health, and join The Vision Council, the greater optical industry and the National Sunglasses Day movement by donning sunglasses not just today on June 27th, but every time you go outside.