Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4040, the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act, legislation to further extend telehealth policies that have been critical to providing care during the pandemic through the end of 2024.

Since long before the COVID pandemic, I worked closely with my Energy and Commerce Committee colleague, Representative Bill Johnson, in crafting legislation to remove barriers to telehealth and advancing policies that expand access and improve the quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries.

As a cosponsor of this bill, I am pleased to see some of that important work make progress today. This legislation builds on Congress' efforts to give patients and providers the certainty they need that telehealth is here to stay.

While this bipartisan telehealth bill meets many of our shared objectives, we also must recognize that our work on telehealth is not done. There are vital telehealth priorities still demanding our attention that will truly shape care delivery for the future, including the need to extend the DEA in-person waiver for remote prescribing of controlled substances after the public health emergency ends.

Likewise, while this bill continues a crucial delay of the in-person telemental health requirement, we cannot allow an arbitrary and clinically unsupported in-person requirement to act as a barrier to mental health care when the pandemic extensions run out.

I look forward to continuing this work with my colleagues. This is a really good bill, but we want to ensure that permanent Medicare policy supports telehealth in ways that ensure beneficiaries can continue to get the right care in the right place at the right time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 8373, the Right to Contraception Act.

Contraception is empowering. It gives people control over what happens to their bodies and supports the freedom to plan a family. Using birth control can shape an individual's life. Being able to choose the contraceptive that is right for you impacts your future health, education, employment, and economic security.

The Supreme Court's decision was a direct attack on abortion, and Americans are now justifiably scared about the future of birth control. Republicans across this country will continue their extreme assault on basic freedoms. Justice Thomas made it clear that the Supreme Court will do nothing to protect our fundamental rights from these coordinated attacks.

I refuse to sit back and watch as Republicans regress our Nation to a place where my granddaughter has fewer rights than her mother or I did.

Madam Speaker, I refuse to sit back and watch where States can take away an individual's ability to make personal decisions about their body, their life, and their future.

Madam Speaker, I implore you to really think about this and pass this bill.

Madam Speaker, on the evening of Thursday, July 14, 2022, I was unavoidably detained and failed to record my vote on Roll Call No. 346, DeGette of Colorado Part A Amendment No. 456 to H.R. 7900; Roll Call No. 347, Evans of Pennsylvania Part A Amendment No. 461 to H.R. 7900; and Roll Call No. 348, Connolly of Virginia Part A Amendment No. 495 to H.R. 7900.

Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 346, YEA on Roll Call No. 347, and YEA on Roll Call No. 348.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Roy E. Brewer for his thirty-six years of dedication to the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce (Metro Chamber) and his contributions to the Greater Sacramento area. As the Metro Chamber celebrates fifty years of their Capitol-to-Capitol (Cap-to-Cap) program, I ask all my colleagues to stand with me to honor Mr. Brewer.

Mr. Brewer is a founding partner of Brewer Lofgren LLP Attorneys at Law. He received his Juris Doctor at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 1982; spending his early college years at the University of Florida where he earned both a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Mr. Brewer applied his education as a land use attorney in the Sacramento area. Mr. Brewer is a trusted advocate at the local, state and federal levels on many public policy issues.

Mr. Brewer, the current Board Chair of KVIE-PBS for Northern California, has spent many decades in community engagement. He is a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum, Mountain Valley Chapter, and was the Board Chair in 2010 through 2011. He has also been the Chair of the Capital Campaign for the Los Rios Community College District, the Chair of Leadership Sacramento, the President of the American River Natural History Association, and the President of the Northern California Rugby Football Union.

In 1990, Mr. Brewer served as President of the Sacramento Metro Chamber, lending his dedication and expertise to the organization. His leadership within the Metro Chamber has brought businesses together and has furthered economic prosperity throughout the Sacramento region. In 1991, he was honored as the Metro Chamber's Sacramentan of the Year, a much-deserved recognition. Today, he continues his commitment and enthusiasm through the annual Cap-to-Cap event in Washington, D.C. This event would not be what it is without his leadership.

Madam Speaker, as Members of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce celebrate Mr. Brewer, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing his legacy of service to the Sacramento region.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today heartbroken, full of pain and sadness for my district, my hometown of Sacramento.

Very early yesterday morning, I got an alert that there was a mass shooting; and I wondered, ``Now where?'' Then I read the words: Sacramento. This terrible violence has come home to my home in Sacramento.

Sacramento experienced the deadliest mass shooting in the city's history. Six members of our community were killed and 12 were sent to local hospitals.

Our Sacramento community is hurting. This tragedy has touched every single one of us, and I really deeply appreciate the outpouring of support for the lives lost from all of you and across the Nation.

Sacramento is truly a special place. We deeply care for each other; we work together; we are resilient; and we show compassion when our neighbors are in pain. Our entire community has come together in the wake of this tragedy to pray for the victims and their loved ones and to support the efforts of our community responders and law enforcement officers who are still hard at work.

As Sacramentans, we are still in the early hours and first day of our grief. These were our neighbors, our friends, and our family members. While we will never be able to fill the space of a lost loved one, we can all reach out, embrace them, and make sure that the love they hold for those lost endures in us all.

I want to name the ones we lost:

Sergio Harris, 38 years old;

Melinda Davis, 57 years old;

Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21 years old;

Johntaya Alexander, 21 years old;

Devazia Turner, 29 years old; and

Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32 years old.

Right now we are bound in grief and love, but also in our resolve to do better. We cannot go on accepting that shootings like this are inevitable. If we can prevent even one more tragedy like this, spare other families and communities from feeling this pain, then we have to come together and act. We cannot and will not be passive in the face of such senseless violence.

I now ask my colleagues and all Americans to join me in a moment of silence for the victims of this terrible tragedy, for their loved ones, for those still fighting to recover, and for our entire Sacramento community. Let us together mourn and pray for them during this difficult time.

Madam Speaker, it is with delight that I rise to honor the 50th anniversary of CommuniCare Health Centers. CommuniCare Health Centers is a Federal Qualified Health Center that continues to serve residents in West Sacramento and surrounding neighborhoods in Yolo County.

In 1994, the name ``CommuniCare Health Centers'' was adopted to describe this growing family of health centers. Today, CommuniCare Health Centers include the Davis Community Clinic, Hansen Family Health Center in Woodland, Salud Clinic in West Sacramento, and five satellite locations. In 2007, CommuniCare Health Centers became a Federally Qualified Health Center, and in 2014, they achieved recognition for quality as a Level Three Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH), the highest level of recognition by the National Committee for Quality Assurance.

Madam Speaker, today we honor CommuniCare Health Center for their long-lasting commitment to providing quality, accessible health care for the Yolo County region as they continue to be the backbone of the healthcare systems for all those in need.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the Japanese American Confinement Education Act. This bill builds upon one of my earliest achievements, reauthorizing the Japanese American Confinement Sites program established in 2006.

The Japanese American story is an important one. It needs to be told and retold. It is a story that cannot afford to be lost in time.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the authorization of Executive Order 9066. Yet, too many Americans do not know the history of the Japanese American community.

These Americans were stripped from their homes and sent to remote camps. Families were put behind barbed wire and guarded by armed soldiers.

Today, I speak to you on the floor of the people's House as a Member of this esteemed Chamber. Yet, my first 3 months of life were part of that pained experience. My parents were among those who lived in these appalling conditions, incarcerated solely because of their ancestry. This also included many people from the Sacramento region, including my late husband, Congressman Bob Matsui, who was only 6 months old when he was sent to one of these camps.

Those of us in the Japanese American community know all too well if we do not learn from history, we risk the chance of it repeating. That is why we must continue to lift up these stories. That is why we must continue to listen to those who came before us and teach this history to our future generations. These are the voices that my bill seeks to preserve.

There are still some people who think that by walling off our country from the less fortunate, that we will somehow make ourselves safer; that by making people feel like the other, that we will be more secure.

But that is not who the American people are. We have this wonderfully diverse Nation and it is together that we stand the strongest.

The story of Japanese Americans is something that Bob and I felt a responsibility to preserve; the history of individuals and families in the Japanese American community. And really, it is truly an American story of perseverance, persistence, and the love of this country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on educating our public about this important, painful piece of American history.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Ephraim Williams on his retirement as the Senior Pastor of St. Paul Baptist Church. Dr. Williams has served as Senior Pastor for 49 years and his congregation is eternally grateful.

Dr. Ephraim Williams was born in Summit, Mississippi. He pursued his education in Mississippi, Illinois, and California. He was called to ministry in 1964 and was ordained in 1966 by his Pastor and mentor, Pastor Joseph Williams. After, he enrolled in seminary and trained at several pristine institutions. He received his Doctor of Divinity from Conroe Normal and Industrial College in 1979 and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from California State University, Sacramento in 2017.

Dr. Williams leads one of the largest congregations in Sacramento and has been instrumental in the church's growth in members, in programs and in facilities. His leadership and impact are not limited to the church, but also are to be found in the greater community. He has provided pivotal leadership in revitalizing Oak Park, establishing supportive programs, and feeding hundreds of people each year. Additionally, Dr. Williams has served on the boards of numerous programs dedicated to the wellbeing of Sacramento residents and has been a leader with various religious organizations.

All of Dr. Williams efforts have not gone unnoticed. He has received numerous awards and accolades from national and local leaders. He has been invited to the White House by two former presidents, President William Clinton and President Barack Obama.

Dr. Williams' wife of 55 years, Carrie Sue Martin-Williams, passed on May 6, 2009. They are the parents of two children, Gwen and Ephraim ``Butch,'' Jr.; four grandchildren, Nikiya, Tairena, Tenaya (deceased) and Marshall; and ten great-grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the legacy of we Dr. Williams for his service on behalf of his congregation and the Sacramento region.

Madam Speaker, it is with delight that I rise to honor the 1300 Campaign for their outstanding efforts to close the college achievement gap in the Sacramento region. The 1300 Campaign, a community-led and systems change initiative, is dedicated to permanently transforming the historical systematic barriers that have limited opportunities for young men of color.

In 2013, Improve Your Tomorrow was founded with the mission to increase the number of young men of color to attend and graduate from colleges with the vision of a world where men of color are overrepresented in higher education and underrepresented in the criminal justice system. The 1300 Campaign is an initiative of the Sierra Health Foundation, My Brother's Keeper Sacramento, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative with backbone support provided by Improve Your Tomorrow, a homegrown organization within my district. Working together with local leaders and organizations, the 1300 Campaign strives to increase the number of young men of color from Sacramento who attend and graduate from the Los Rios Community College District, California State University, Sacramento and the University of California, Davis.

The 1300 Campaign partners with school districts to incorporate the A-G requirements as a default curriculum for all students. This will help ensure that all graduates, particularly young men of color, are eligible for post-secondary options. A-G eligibility for all students addresses a systematic barrier to college that contributes to the divergence in educational outcomes, particularly for young men of color. Additionally, the 1300 Campaign works with school districts to incorporate ethnic studies as a graduation requirement, to establish a place-based mentorship model, hire additional counselors that represent the diversity of the student population, develop an organizational racial equity assessment tool, design and implement an ongoing countywide professional development training centered around culturally responsive pedagogy, to incorporate required implicit bias training for K-12 educators, and districts to implement a moratorium on school suspensions related to willful defiance for all schools in Sacramento County for no less than one year.

Madam Speaker, today we honor the 1300 Campaign for their outstanding efforts to close the college achievement gap and I thank their partners for their dedication and successful efforts.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Cynthia Abbott on her upcoming retirement from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Field Policy and Management program in the San Francisco Regional Office's Northern California jurisdiction. The Sacramento and Northern California region are thankful for her years of service, and we wish her well in her next chapter.

In March 1999, she joined HUD as a Community Builder Fellow in the Sacramento-area and served as the Sacramento Field Office Director until 2014. Throughout her time with HUD, Ms. Abbott worked closely with local leaders and non-profits and was an integral advocate for transformative Sacramento-area, place-based initiatives such as the Sacramento Promise Zone designation, the MiraSol Village Redevelopment project (HUD Choice Neighborhoods grant) and the Local Foods, Local Places project (EPA grant). Many Sacramento residents have been served important resources because of her dedication and hard work.

Madam Speaker, I ask my fellow colleagues to join me today as we thank Ms. Abbott for her service with the federal government and her dedication to the residents of Northern California.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule providing for consideration of the America COMPETES Act. As the lead House Democrat on two important provisions, I am glad that we are advancing a bill that would create jobs and support innovation for years to come.

Almost 2 years ago, I joined a bipartisan group in the House and Senate to introduce the CHIPS for America Act. This bill established a road map for reasserting American leadership in the strategically important semiconductor industry. Since then, two things have occurred: The CHIPS Act was signed into law as part of last year's defense bill, and the need to fund it has only grown more severe as the global semiconductor shortage has dragged on.

Thankfully, the America COMPETES Act includes the full $52 billion we need to comprehensively implement the CHIPS Act. This funding is about more than any one specific technology or industry. It is about securing a fundamental building block of the 21st century economy.

Unfortunately, we have all seen the devastating consequences of this global semiconductor shortage: Factories have closed. Workers have been laid off. And prices have gone up.

We cannot afford to wait any longer to get this funding into the economy, supporting new American manufacturing capacity. This funding is bipartisan; it is supported by the Biden administration; it will help workers; and it will increase our national security. It should be passed immediately.

I am also glad to see the $1.5 billion included to support next- generation telecommunications networks by encouraging deployment of Open RAN technology. As an original cosponsor of the USA Telecommunications Act, I know this funding will support more durable supply chains and create opportunities for American companies to grow.

I thank Chairman McGovern and Secretary Raimondo for their tireless work on this bill and look forward to supporting it on the floor later this week.

Madam Speaker, it is with honor that I rise to recognize the American Legion Gung Ho Post 696 as they celebrate their 75th Anniversary. As the members of Post 696 celebrate this milestone, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in honoring them for always providing exceptional services to WWII veterans and advocating for all veterans in the Sacramento Region.

American Legion Gung Ho Post 696 was formed on April 11, 1946 by returning Chinese-American veterans who were unable to join existing posts due to the prevailing prejudices of the time. The Gung Ho name honors the Chinese phrase Gong he, which means ``working together.'' Despite having to form a segregated post, Post 696 wanted to honor these words and honor those who have died in service of the United States. The commonality of their Chinese heritage created a lasting legacy and a sense of brotherhood promoting compassion and charity for all in Sacramento.

For seventy-five years, from the start of Commander Tim Jang to its succeeding and current commanders, Post 696 dedicated itself to promoting the mission, vision, and values of the American Legion in the Sacramento Region. Their long tradition of advocating on behalf of all veterans and providing services to many individuals has been significant and continues today.

Gung Ho Post 696 members are leaders in our Sacramento community and have advocated for legislation and resources to benefit all veterans. They participate and represent Asian Americans by participating in the annual Memorial Day service and march in nearly every Veterans Day parade in Downtown Sacramento. Today, Post 696 welcomes all veterans to join and strive to promote goodwill in Sacramento.

Madam Speaker, as the members of the Post 696 celebrate their 75th anniversary, I ask all colleagues to join me in honoring them for their service to our country and to the Sacramento area.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of patients across the United States and around the world who rely upon medicines made from donated plasma. October 4-8 is International Plasma Awareness Week (IPAW) and this year, 2021, has seen a continuation of the urgent need for more plasma donations during this difficult pandemic so that patients with rare diseases can be assured of receiving their treatments. This week, patients, plasma donors, and plasma collection centers will join together to observe IPAW via a range of events seeking to raise global awareness of the crucial need for plasma to create life-saving therapies, recognize that plasma donors contribute greatly in saving and improving lives, and increase understanding of the many rare diseases and plasma protein therapies that help to treat them.

Plasma-derived therapies and recombinant blood clotting factors, collectively known as plasma protein therapies, are unique, biologic medicines that are either infused or injected to treat a variety of rare, life-threatening, chronic, and genetic diseases including bleeding disorders, hereditary angioedema, immune deficiencies, pulmonary disorders, neurological disorders, and infectious diseases such as tetanus, hepatitis, and rabies. Nearly 125,000 people in the U.S. who live with these rare diseases, as well as countless others facing trauma and emergency medical needs every day, rely on plasma protein therapies that are only available because of the commitment of dedicated plasma donors.

Plasma protein therapies have significantly improved the quality of life, markedly improved patient outcomes, and extended the life expectancy of men, women, and children in every community across the country. Healthy, committed donors provide the plasma essential to manufacture these lifesaving therapies, and there are now almost 1,000 plasma collection centers in the U.S. that have demonstrated their commitment to plasma donor and patient safety and quality by earning International Quality Plasma Program (IQPP) certification. 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 collection centers who make and collect needed and lifesaving contributions.

Madam Speaker, it is an honor to recognize the toughness and resiliency of the Japanese American soldiers of the four forty- second regimental combat team during World War II. Men and women who stepped up to fight for American prosperity while their families were simultaneously forced into confinement camps.

This stamp, which displays their motto ``Go For Broke,'' honors the patriotism Japanese American soldiers exemplified despite the betrayal they faced at home. Under these charged circumstances, the 442nd proved itself as one of the most decorated unit of its size and length of service in the entire history of the U.S. Military.

As a community with a shared, and at times, painful history, it is important to have a symbol. A national symbol of perseverance.

Many Americans don't know the stories of their own family tree . . . they likely don't know the bravery of the Japanese American soldiers during WWII, soldiers of the 442nd and others, who helped save our country while our own government was tearing apart our families.

The stamp will shine a light on this chapter of history. And to teach that we are all Americans. To see the United States soldier's face on the stamp, an Asian American face.

This stamp is also the symbol of the tireless efforts of three wonderful women--FUSA Takahashi, AIKO King and CHIZ Ohira, who truly drove the effort to make this a reality.

The story behind the creation of this stamp speaks to the dedication and strong fabric of the Japanese American community. This was a community-led effort, started over 15 years ago, that brought together many generations. I saw up close how hard it was to convince their fellow colleagues that this is important, to work with the community, to talk to their legislators.

Just earlier this month, I had the pleasure to see its unveiling in Sacramento and speak to Fusa about the importance of this community symbol. We all shared our stories from that chapter of time.

I know that many families who were incarcerated did not tell their stories once they were allowed back home. It was painful to be incarcerated, to live behind barbed wire and lose your homes, businesses and even loved ones.

We remembered when our community stood up and shared our painful past with Congress and across the country, fought for redress and the Civil Liberties Act. We recounted the many efforts of educating our neighbors and our children, to remind them that we are everyday Americans and what happened was wrong.

And now, recently, we understand how important it is to continue to teach about our history because people are hurting, especially with the horrific events that have targeted the AAPI community. Looking at the past, one thing we've learned is that we have to stand up for each other.

As we continue to strive to become a more tolerant nation, we must do our part in overcoming societal wrongs, and we must also remember the strength of our nation when we come together toward a shared goal.

The Go For Broke Stamp is a symbol of education, of healing, and of community. The Japanese American experience is a vital piece of American history, and in order to have a stronger democracy, we must lift each other up and tell our stories.

I am glad that this stamp will serve as a reminder of the Japanese American story, and the bravery and patriotism of these American heroes.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak about the importance of including climate change focused provisions in any forthcoming infrastructure package.

My district of Sacramento, one of the most flood-prone cities in the nation, relies on modernized flood control infrastructure to protect against the threat of inundations intensified by climate change. Just last year, my home state of California experienced the wildfire season on record and this year, we are bracing for what will be one of the worst droughts in recent decades. All of these are testaments that the climate crisis is here . . . and we have no time for half measures.

As we make the most consequential generational investments on our nation's crumbling infrastructure, Congress must prioritize bold investments in resilience, clean energy, jobs, and environmental justice while lowering our carbon footprint to avert the worst impacts of the climate crisis. The President's American Jobs Plan does just that.

As a leader in clean transportation and strong vehicle emission standards, I am thrilled to see that the American Jobs Plan will spark the electric vehicle revolution. The AJP would build a network of five hundred thousand EV chargers, replace fifty thousand diesel transit vehicles with cleaner vehicles, create a million jobs in the auto industry, and help consumers purchase the vehicles of tomorrow. These infrastructure improvements are critical to lower transportation emissions, the largest source of carbon pollution in the United States, and to decrease tailpipe pollution which disproportionately impacts communities of color.

Further, the American Jobs Plan will help us meet this moment with a visionary agenda that elevates every community-creating at least 2.7 million jobs in the new green economy and investing 40 percent of infrastructure funds in disadvantaged communities.

It is time for Congress to follow the President's leadership and pass an infrastructure package that will help us build a cleaner economy that values workers, communities of color, and all Americans who need environmental, climate, and economic justice. In 2021, we cannot address infrastructure without addressing climate change.