Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Dingell for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the FUTURE Networks Act, and I thank Representatives Allen and Walberg for our joint effort in making this a very bipartisan bill.

I introduced this bill to ensure America continues our leadership and standard setting in the global technology race.

Mr. Speaker, 6G is going to be a global evolution in the way we communicate. If we lead the race for next-generation wireless, then this global technology will be based on our values, democracy, open markets, and transparency.

If we fall behind, our foreign adversaries will have a new way to expand their reach. That means less openness, less security, and more top-down control.

This risk is real. Already, China is leading in the 6G patent race, filing about 35 percent of patents globally.

To stay the global leader, America must invest in innovation and convene our best and brightest to map the road ahead.

This is increasingly true as artificial intelligence redefines our society and drives rapid change, including in our communications infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, 6G networks will leverage AI to meet the connectivity demand of American consumers and businesses. Mr. Speaker, 6G also can support smart cities and supercharge augmented reality applications for education, healthcare, and manufacturing.

Given such transformative potential, we must be proactive and make sure America sets the gold standard for this next-generation technology. That is why I am so glad to see this bipartisan bill moving forward today.

The FUTURE Networks Act ensures our brightest minds in industry, government, and academia are collaborating on the strategically vital development of 6G. The race to 6G is not just about faster phones; it is about national security, the economy, and America's standing on the world stage.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of suspending the rules and passing this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and honor Colonel Mark C. Johnson for his exemplary and distinguished 30 years of service to our Nation. A native of Sacramento, California, Colonel Johnson has represented the great state of California and the city of Sacramento with honor, dedication, and distinction throughout his remarkable military career.

Colonel Johnson is a graduate of the United States Military Academy, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering and commissioned as an Aviation Officer. He also holds advanced degrees in National Security from the United States Naval War College and the United States Army War College. Throughout his career, Colonel Johnson has served with unparalleled distinction in a variety of command and staff positions, demonstrating his expertise and leadership across the Joint, interagency, and special operations communities.

His command assignments include leading the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division; the 3rd Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (Assault); B Company, 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne); and B Company, 1st Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment (Assault). Colonel Johnson's staff assignments are equally impressive, including serving as Chief of Staff for the Office of the Chief, Legislative Liaison; Director of Aviation for U.S. Army Forces Command; and as a Strategic Planner for U.S. Special Operations Command, among many others.

Colonel Johnson has deployed in support of numerous national security and civil support operations, including Operation Joint Endeavour, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Atlantic Resolve, Operation Inherent Resolve, and Operation Freedom's Sentinel, His leadership extended to critical domestic operations, where he commanded aviation task forces supporting Defense Support to Civil Authorities for Hurricanes Florence and Michael, as well as southwest border security operations.

For his service, Colonel Johnson has received numerous awards and decorations, including the Legion of Merit (2), Bronze Star (2), Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2), Meritorious Service Medal (5), Air Medal (3), and others. He also earned the Combat Action Badge, Master Aviator Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and the Army Staff Identification Badge. As a testament to his skill, he holds qualification ratings in the OH-58, UH-60, MH-60, CH-47, and MH- 47 helicopters.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Colonel Johnson for his selfless dedication, unwavering leadership, and steadfast commitment to our country. As he concludes his 30 years of honorable service, I extend my deepest gratitude to him, his wife, Becky, and their children, Jake and Sarah, for their sacrifices and contributions to the strength and security of our Nation. I wish them all the best as they embark on the next chapter of their lives, and I know that Colonel Johnson will continue to be an inspiration and source of pride for California, Sacramento, and our entire Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 8946, the Reversionary Interest Conveyance Act.

This bill provides a technical correction that will help unlock the innovative potential of Sacramento. It provides the BLM with the clear authority to convey 8\1/2\ acres of former railroad right-of-way in Sacramento.

This will allow the city of Sacramento, Sacramento State University, and their partners to continue moving forward on the Sacramento Center for Innovation, a research park that will allow Sacramento to retain and grow the level of talent the region needs to attract investment and business.

We support our innovators, our educators, and our businesses because we know that these economic drivers don't just support job and community growth today, they sustain them for generations. Because of this, I really support this bill. It is something that is very, very needed.

I thank the chair and ranking member for their support of this bill. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, today, I recognize International Plasma Awareness Week (IPAW) from October 7-11 and celebrate the three million plasma donors whose gift saves the lives of more than 120,000 Americans with rare diseases. Plasma protein therapies, including recombinant analogs and plasma-derived therapies, increase life expectancy, improve quality of life, and reduce life-threatening complications for people living with rare, life-threatening, chronic, and genetic diseases.

Plasma--the straw-colored, liquid portion of blood--contains proteins necessary for carrying out critical functions in the human body. For example, immunoglobulins also known as antibodies defend your body from infections and fight disease, and clotting factors regulate bleeding. If a person has insufficient levels of any one plasma protein, their body cannot carry out these vital functions, causing a variety of chronic and life-threatening medical conditions.

Many people living with rare, life-threatening, chronic, and genetic diseases, like primary immunodeficiency, neurological disorders, hereditary angioedema, pulmonary disorders, bleeding disorders, and infectious diseases such as tetanus, hepatitis, and rabies, rely on plasma-derived treatments. Unlike traditional pharmaceuticals, plasma protein therapies cannot be synthesized in a laboratory. Plasma and its lifesaving proteins can only be obtained via human plasma from a donor.

As the co-chair of the Congressional Rare Disease Caucus, I understand how critical plasma donors and donation centers are in saving the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans with rare diseases. This is why in 2020, I introduced the Continuing Access to In-Home IVIG Act which extends and expands access to Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment administered in the home for Medicare patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases. This was subsequently included in the 2021 government funding package and enacted into law. More recently, I introduced the PI Post Acute Access Act, which would expand IVIG treatment access to Medicare beneficiaries with primary immunodeficiencies living in skilled nursing facilities.

Without plasma donors who make more than 47 million plasma donations annually at over 1,100 International Quality Plasma Program (IQPP) certified plasma collection centers, countless patients would be unable to access these lifesaving therapies. That's why International Plasma Awareness Week is held annually each October to raise global awareness about source plasma collection, recognize the valued contributions of donors, and increase understanding about plasma protein therapies and the rare diseases they treat.

I invite my colleagues to join me in celebrating International Plasma Awareness Week (IPAW) and recognizing plasma donors and donation centers for their heroic and lifesaving contributions.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1513, the FUTURE Networks Act.

To maintain U.S. leadership in wireless communication, we need to be proactive in our preparations for the next generation of networks.

This bill would direct the Federal Communications Commission to bring together industry leaders, public interest groups, and government experts to establish a 6G task force.

6G is going to be a global evolution in the way we communicate--not only for people, but for devices, factories, infrastructure, and more. It will be a global network of networks, handling information from nearly every sector of our economy.

The race to 6G isn't just about faster phones. It is about national security, the economy, and America's standing on the international stage.

If we lead, this global technology will be based on our values: democracy, open markets, and transparency. If we fall behind, America's foreign adversaries will have a new venue to expand their reach. This means less openness and more top-down control.

That is why I am so glad to see this bipartisan bill moving forward today. It will ensure our brightest minds in industry, government, and academia are advising the U.S. on the strategically vital development of 6G.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of suspending the rules and passing this legislation.

Mr. Chair, I was unable to be physically present for all votes today. Had I been present, I would have voted: NAY on Roll Call No. 297, NAY on Roll Call No. 298, NAY on Roll Call No. 299, NAY on Roll Call No. 300, NAY on Roll Call No. 301, NAY on Roll Call No. 302, NAY on Roll Call No. 303, NAY on Roll Call No. 304, NAY on Roll Call No. 305, NAY on Roll Call No. 306, NAY on Roll Call No. 307, NAY on Roll Call No. 308, NAY on Roll Call No. 309, NAY on Roll Call No. 310, NAY on Roll Call No. 311, NAY on Roll Call No. 312, NAY on Roll Call No. 313, NAY on Roll Call No. 314, NAY on Roll Call No. 315, NAY on Roll Call No. 316 and NAY on Roll Call No. 317.

Amendment No. 62 Offered by Mr. Steube

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be physically present for all votes on May 8th. Had I been present, I would have voted: YEA on Roll Call No. 194, and YEA on Roll Call No. 195.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to Join the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce in recognition of the 2023 Al Geiger Memorial Award Honoree, West Sacramento City Council Member Quirina Orozco, for her ongoing exemplary public service to the Sacramento region. Council Member Orozco is an excellent leader in our community who demonstrates that the Sacramento region's approach to everything from economic development, innovation, community outreach, and advocacy can and should be a model for the rest of the country. Council Member Orozco's commitment to public service illustrates the very reason why I love my congressional district. Our leaders have always sought to innovate, to push the envelope, and--most importantly--to deliver for out constituents.

Even before her time in elected office, Council Member Orozco had demonstrated a commitment to public service, serving in the White House while crafting federal education policy and later as an advisor to then Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante on tribal community and veteran issues. To this day, Council Member Orozco continues her service to the public as a prosecutor for the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office, with a focus on sexual assault and child abuse cases. Council Member Orozco's commitment to our community has been an ongoing facet of her life--a commitment that the West Sacramento community is both grateful for and counting on.

As a member of the West Sacramento City Council, Council Member Orozco has continued to champion the West Sacramento chapter of the Downtown Streets Team to create opportunities for unhoused individuals who are seeking to break out of the cycle of recurring systemic trauma and incarceration. Council Member Orozco's support was critical for the West Sacramento Home Run program, which provides community members with access to high-quality early learning for young children, college savings accounts, and internships. Council Member Orozco's service continues to demonstrate how diligent and focused advocacy can create real change in our communities.

Mr. Speaker, today we honor West Sacramento City Council Member Quirina Orozco for her extraordinary service to the City of West Sacramento and the Greater Sacramento Region for many more years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 30th anniversary of the Women's Cardiovascular Medicine Program at the University of California, Davis, and to acknowledge National Red Dress Day, which seeks to raise awareness about heart disease being a leading cause of death for women in America.

Established in 1994, the UC Davis Women's Cardiovascular Medicine program and clinic was the nation's first program dedicated to women's cardiovascular health. Since then, the program has continued to lead the industry in cardiovascular care in the Sacramento region, providing personalized, equitable, and women-centered care to tackle cardiac conditions unique to women. The remarkable clinical team offers a comprehensive and preventative range of care options that include, but are not limited to, dietary counseling, cardiac rehabilitation, and risk factor analysis, diagnosis, and treatment.

In addition to the program's clinic providing care to women with cardiovascular conditions, it also trains the next generation of healthcare workers. Students are given the opportunity to directly engage with women with heart disease through resident rotations and the opportunity to shadow leading experts in women's heart care.

The UC Davis Women's Cardiovascular program is a great representation of how the Sacramento community leads the nation on some of the most critical issues of our time. Some of this program's many feats include collaborating with the California Department of Public Health to draft California's Master Plan for Stroke Prevention, now designated as a model women's heart program by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

Mr. Speaker, today we honor the Women's Cardiovascular Medicine Program at UC Davis Health for 30 years of excellence in women's heart care and education.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my opposition to H.R. 4468, the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act of 2023, which would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from finalizing the proposed rule titled ``Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles'' and further prohibit EPA from prescribing any regulations for new motor vehicles that would directly or indirectly result in the limited availability of new vehicles powered by any given engine technology.

EPA's vehicle emissions standards save lives. By 2030, these standards are projected to prevent 40,000 premature deaths and 34,000 hospital visits annually. However, H.R. 4468 would force Americans to breathe dirty, polluted air, needlessly putting tens of thousands of lives at risk. This bill would lock in dirty, fossil-fuel-burning vehicles for the foreseeable future, at a time when the American people are already experiencing the deadly effects of climate change. More fossil fuel cars mean more frequent and intense floods, stronger hurricanes, more dangerous wildfires, and more extreme heatwaves. Simply put, we are out of time. We must reduce climate pollution now.

California has long been a global leader in the fight against air pollution. We established the first vehicle emissions standards and the first greenhouse gas standards in the country because we know that strong air quality standards mean healthier communities and a livable climate. I am a proud Californian and a proud champion of strong vehicle emissions standards.

In July of 2023, I led 94 of my colleagues in a letter urging EPA to finalize the strongest feasible emissions standards for new light- and medium-duty vehicles, which would cut harmful emissions from passenger cars and pick-up trucks by more than 50 percent between 2026 and 2032.

H.R. 4468, however, would not only prevent EPA from implementing the proposed light- and medium-duty vehicle emissions rule--it would gut EPA's authority to regulate vehicle pollution altogether. It is disgraceful. We are faced with a choice between new zero-pollution technologies or doubling down on dirty fossil fuels. The choice is clear. I strongly oppose H.R. 4468, and I urge my colleagues to oppose this dangerous legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be physically present for votes today. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 698, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 699, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 700, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 701, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 702, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 703, and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 704.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and support International Plasma Awareness Week (IPAW), October 2-6, both in the United States and around the world. Patients across the globe rely on medicines made from donated human plasma to lead productive, healthy lives. The need for plasma donation is ongoing--plasma is the starting ingredient for numerous lifesaving therapies to treat individuals living with rare diseases. This week, patients, plasma donors, and plasma donation centers will join together to raise global awareness of the crucial need for plasma, recognize the contributions of plasma donors, and call attention to the many rare diseases treated with plasma protein therapies.

Donors and patients alike will observe IPAW through a range of events seeking to enhance awareness of plasma-derived therapies and recombinant analogs, collectively known as plasma protein therapies. These are unique biologic medicines that are either infused or injected to treat a variety of rare, life-threatening, chronic, and genetic diseases. This includes bleeding disorders, hereditary angioedema, immune deficiencies, pulmonary disorders, neurological disorders, and infectious diseases such as tetanus, hepatitis, and rabies.

Plasma protein therapies have significantly improved the quality of life, markedly improved patient outcomes, and extended the life expectancy of patients across the country. Healthy, committed donors provide the human plasma essential to manufacture these lifesaving therapies. There are now over 1,100 plasma collection centers in the U.S. that have demonstrated their commitment to donor safety and quality by earning International Quality Plasma Program (IQPP) certification.

As the co-chair of the Rare Disease Congressional Caucus. I understand that hundreds of thousands of Americans with rare diseases rely on plasma protein therapies that are only available because of the commitment of dedicated plasma donors. For example, Americans living with primary immunodeficiencies (PI) require intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatments derived from plasma donors. Without timely care, even the most common infections can present the risk of serious illness or death for these patients. That is why I introduced the PI Post Acute Access Act, which would expand access to IVIG treatment for Medicare beneficiaries with PI in skilled nursing facilities. I have long advocated to ensure access to IVIG treatments, and I will continue to fight to ensure all Americans, including rare disease patients, have access to the innovative treatments they need.

I ask that my colleagues in the House of Representatives join me and rise in commemoration of International Plasma Awareness Week, honoring those committed donors and donation centers that make and collect needed and lifesaving contributions.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in opposition to H.R. 1435.

California has long been a global leader in the fight against air pollution. Whether it is greenhouse gases, smog, or other harmful pollutants, California has often been the first State to protect our citizens from the terrible health impacts of dirty air.

You get a lot of criticism when you are a leader, and Californians are no strangers to criticism. Time and again, that criticism fades as the rest of the country, and often other countries, see the benefits of California's emissions policies.

In 1966, California established the first tailpipe emissions standard in the Nation. The country soon followed with the Clean Air Act of 1970, which created the EPA, and established the first national air pollution standards.

The Clean Air Act also recognized California's leadership by explicitly affirming California's authority to set more stringent emission standards.

Thanks to that authority, California continued to lead the fight against air pollution and adopted the first NOX standards and the first particulate matter standards for motor vehicles.

In 2004, California adopted the first greenhouse gas pollution standards for vehicles. The EPA followed in 2010 with the first national standards for greenhouse gas pollution from vehicles.

Now, the impacts of climate change, caused by fossil fuel pollution, are becoming more numerous and deadlier. More frequent and more intense floods, hurricanes, wildfires, and heat waves threaten to make our communities unlivable.

This bill, however, enshrines the internal combustion engine in the Clean Air Act. We are leading the Nation with cutting-edge vehicle emission standards that will reduce greenhouse gas pollutants and lead the world in the fight against climate change. This bill is a love letter to Big Oil, legally mandating that Americans think first of the internal combustion engine before considering air quality or public health.

We have a chance to stop climate change before it is too late, but this bill would keep dirty gas and diesel cars on the road forever, dooming our children to face the worst impacts of climate change.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R. 1435.

Mr. Speaker, it is with profound sadness that I rise to honor the life and service of my former intern, Mari Tisera, who passed away on June 6, 2023, at the age of 20. Mari's legacy will be remembered through her passion and dedication for helping marginalized and underserved communities and her kindness to all those she knew.

Mari Tisera was born on July 29, 2002, into a family that emigrated from Argentina to the United States 2 years earlier. Mari's family moved to the United States in order to provide Mari and her 3 older brothers better opportunities and a stronger future. Raised in Front Royal, Virginia, Mari was a standout student at Wakefield Country Day School in Huntly, Virginia, where she excelled in a variety of academic subjects, served her community, and was a fierce athlete. Some of Mari's many accomplishments include being chosen by all the coaches in her volleyball league for the Delany Athletic Conference All-Conference Team and working hard as a leader in student government. A first- generation Argentinian American, Mari enjoyed volunteering at a local elementary school as a Spanish to English translator for summer school students who were learning English as a second language.

Mari attended George Mason University, where she studied Spanish and Government and was a sweetheart for Zeta Psi, a position that she was very proud of because of the love and goodness that she was contributing to the fraternity. She dreamed of being a lawyer and had always been passionate about the ethics of law and government. Mari's dedication to serving all communities and for standing up for what is right continued in college. She organized marches for women's, LGBTQ, and Black rights, and continually fought for the rights of the unhoused.

It was wonderful having Mari serve in my Capitol Hill office at the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022. She worked hard, was eager to learn, and served my constituents and all visitors with kindness and warmth. I know that Mari has said that all of us in the office had a positive impact on her, but she also had a positive impact on all of us who worked with her that we will never forget. Mari wanted to come back and work in our office after she graduated, and it would have been an honor to have her back on our team.

Mr. Speaker, today we honor Mari Tisera and the many hearts that she has touched as a daughter, sister, aunt, friend, leader, and advocate. Her vibrant spirit, enduring determination, and genuine kindness should serve as an example to all of us of what it means to be a good person in this world.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honor of Superintendent Chris Evans of the Natomas Unified School District Board of Trustees. With over 30 years of dedication to academia and consistent investment to close the achievement gap, Mr. Evans' contribution to Sacramento is indelible.

Mr. Evans has been in public education since his graduation from Sacramento State University in 1993. He spent years as a social studies teacher, coach, and an athletic director before his work in administration. As principal of Valley High School where he was recognized as leading one of Newsweek's Best High Schools in America, Mr. Evans soon became the Assistant Superintendent of the Fresno Unified School District--the fourth largest district in California,

During Mr. Evans' twelve-year contribution with Natomas Unified School District, he has transitioned students to virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and maneuvered a rising student population of over 5000 since his initiation. With IB programs available for students in grades TK-12, Natomas Unified is mauiculating passionate learners that are built for intercultural awareness and respect for all. I recognize Mr. Evans' commendable diligence through the expansion of the Career Technical Programs, increasing high school graduation rates, and student acceptances to Universjty of California schools and California State University schools. The Natomas Unified School District has been integral for Mr. Evans' collaboration and perseverance to growing independent learners and instilling a comprehensive and engaging curriculum.

Mr. Speaker, today we celebrate the retirement of Chris Evans, for enriching the Sacramento Area with academic success in the public sector. We wish Mr. Evans prosperity as a founder for Action-Oriented Leaders and look forward to witnessing his future successes as a torchbearer in the Sacramento Area. I thank all those involved with supporting our youth with the tools they deserve to thrive in life. Mr. Evans' investment in our community and public service is not unnoticed.