Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize my longtime Chief of Staff, Mr. Murat Gokcigdem. He is leaving the Hill this month after 29 years of service to the House of Representatives.

Prior to coming to my office, Mr. Gokcigdem attended West Virginia University in Charleston, earning his bachelor's and his master's degree in International Public Policy. He then began his career as a Hill staffer working for Congressmen Jim Moody and Tom Barrett. He worked his way from Special Assistant to Legislative Director before joining my staff. He has since served in my Washington, DC office for over 21 years. He began as my Legislative Director in 2001 and quickly demonstrated a deep understanding of the legislative process and inner workings of Capitol Hill. His success in that role led me to promote him to Chief of Staff, where he has long advised me on all communications, legislative, and administrative issues and managed my DC and district office staff.

Murat has been a constant companion for those 21 years, probably more so than he ever imagined. I would not have made it this long in this job without his counsel. I call him at all hours of the day and night, make seemingly impossible requests, and rely on him in part for every aspect of my Congressional operation.

Murat has also served as a resource for Legislative Directors, Chiefs of Staff, and schedulers from all over the Hill, particularly for those serving the Congressional Black Caucus and the Texas delegation. They know that if they have a question, Murat has an answer.

Murat's presence in my office has greatly improved my capacity to serve the constituents of TX-30 and supported the professional development of those who have worked for me.

I want to thank him and his family, his wife Elin and his children Ela and Elif, for his service, his counsel, and most importantly, his friendship over the years.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a valued staff member of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Richard ``Dick'' Obermann, who is retiring this month after 33 years of service to the House of Representatives.

Dick Obermann began his career in the House in 1990, as the Science Advisor for the Space Subcommittee on the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. He was well qualified for the position, holding both a M.S.E. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford and a B.S.E. and Ph.D. in Aerospace and Mechanical Sciences from Princeton University. Before working at the Committee, Dick worked on the technical staff at the MITRE Corporation and as a senior program officer at the National Research Council. Dick worked on space policy issues for his entire 33 years on the Committee, and he is generally regarded as one of the foremost space policy experts in the United States.

I was elected to Congress in 1992, and I began my service on the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology in that same year. I have known Dick Obermann for 30 years. During my time on the Committee, I

have always known Dick to be a consummate professional with an exacting attention to detail and a passion for ensuring the success of America's space program. When I took over as the Ranking Democrat on the Committee, my first action was to name Dick the Chief of Staff. In the ensuing 12 years as my Chief of Staff, Dick guided the Committee staff through many successes, culminating in the passage this year of the CHIPS and Science Act, the largest and most comprehensive legislation in the Committee's history.

After three decades of service, I am happy that Dick will have some well-deserved time for rest and relaxation. I know he will appreciate having more time to spend with his beloved wife, Grace and his two children Pearl and John. But I also know that Dick is not one to hold still for too long, and I'm sure he will have success in any of his future endeavors.

We often speak of the dedicated staff who make this institution such a wonderful place in which to work. Dick Obermann is just such a person. His decades of public service have made this institution a better place. His efforts as a space policy professional were instrumental in ensuring the many successes of our nation's space program. But most of all, his sound counsel and friendship have made my time in Congress all the better. I thank Dick for his many years of dedicated and loyal service.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the bipartisan, bicameral FLOODS Act led by Senator Wicker. Flooding is the most common natural hazard in the United States, resulting in the greatest number of lives lost and property damaged. We passed the tenth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy about one month ago. That storm was a harbinger of the future as we have seen many storms with record- breaking extreme precipitation that has led to flooding events, from Hurricane Harvey in my home state of Texas, to the more recent Hurricane Ida. The need to better prepare our communities for potential catastrophic flooding is now more crucial than ever.

The FLOODS Act directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to establish a National Integrated Flood Information System that will inform and provide timely decision-making in the face of flooding events and coordinate and integrate flood research at NOAA. The bill would also designate a service coordination hydrologist at each National Weather Service River Forecast Center, and it requires NOAA to leverage existing work through intra-agency and external partnerships to improve impact decision support systems, as well as regularly update Atlas 14 precipitation frequency estimates.

It cannot be overstated how urgent the need for this basic work is for informing products such as updated FEMA flood maps used in flood insurance determinations, designing infrastructure in flood prone areas, and for planning evacuations. I want to thank Representative Sherrill for her leadership on this legislation and on the issue of addressing the causes and impacts of flooding on Americans across the country.

I urge my colleagues to support its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill before us today, which will provide one additional week of continuing appropriations to allow work on the Omnibus appropriations act to be completed. In addition, the bill includes the ``Providing Research and Estimates of Changes in Precipitation'', or ``PRECIP Act.''

I am proud to be an original cosponsor of Representative Sherrill's bipartisan PRECIP Act. Representative Sherrill has been a tireless advocate for improving our understanding of extreme precipitation. As the Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Environment of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Representative Sherrill has been a steadfast

leader in promoting understanding of how science can help better prepare our communities for extreme precipitation events, and the PRECIP Act is a direct outcome of those efforts. This bill will address gaps in accurate probable maximum precipitation, or PMP, estimates and it directs NOAA to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study on the best practices for estimating precipitation.

The PRECIP Act will ensure precipitation estimates are updated at least every decade across the U.S. Further, this legislation will direct the NOAA to include forecasted changes in precipitation due to climate change in precipitation studies.

We have been feeling the changes in precipitation across the country, and these changes will only get more extreme with climate change. Having access to the best available information is critical to protect lives, taxpayer dollars, and infrastructure. The PRECIP Act will assist stakeholders such as floodplain managers, emergency managers, local governments, and many more. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 231, the Protecting Firefighters from Adverse Substances Act or the PFAS Act.

PFAS are a group of human-made chemicals that have been manufactured since the 1940's and can be found in a wide range of both consumer and industrial products, including firefighting foam and firefighter turnout gear. These chemicals are sometimes known as ``forever chemicals'' due to their widespread use, persistence in the environment, and a molecular structure that makes them very difficult to break down. There is growing evidence that PFAS are linked to adverse health outcomes including liver damage, thyroid disease, and an increased risk of cancer.

While we still have much to learn about the health risks associated with prolonged exposure to PFAS, work is underway to better understand the exposure pathways of PFAS and to develop alternatives to these chemicals. The Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Standards and Technology, and the Federal Aviation Administration all conduct research on PFAS-free firefighting foam or PFAS-free fighter gear.

This promising work is vital to reducing the release of and exposure to PFAS but more progress is needed. Until PFAS-free alternatives are widespread, we must do everything we can to protect those who are exposed to PFAS in the course of their job and to limit the release of PFAS into the environment. S. 231 directs the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to develop guidance for firefighters and other emergency response personnel on best practices to protect them from exposure to PFAS and to limit and prevent the release of PFAS into the environment as well provide resources that identify PFAS-free alternatives for firefighting gear and equipment. This guidance would be developed in consultation with other federal agencies conducting research on PFAS-alternatives as well as a wide range of stakeholders including firefighting and emergency response personnel, communities dealing with PFAS contamination, fire training academies, manufacturers of firefighting tools and equipment, and voluntary standards organizations.

This bill is an important step to protecting our first responders from exposure to harmful chemicals. It has already passed the Senate with bipartisan support and today I urge my colleagues to join me in passing the bill here in the House and sending it to the President.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3825, led by Senator Cornyn in the Senate, to name a Post Office in Arlington in honor of my dear friend, former Congressman Ron Wright, who was sadly taken from us last year as he served his second term as a member of this body.

Congressman Wright had a passion for public service. He served as the District Director and Chief of Staff to another dear friend of mine, former Congressman Joe Barton, before stepping into the spotlight and utilizing the valuable experience he gained in local government to be the face of the federal government to hundreds of thousands of North Texans residing in Tarrant, Ellis, and Navarro Counties. He worked hard as a staffer and member to be a positive force and ensure bills passed in Congress that he believed would benefit the constituents of the Sixth Congressional district of Texas, regardless of politics or party affiliation.

Having a Post Office named after Congressman Wright in Arlington, where he's spent so much of his life, from attending the University of Texas at Arlington to serving on the Arlington City Council, is a fitting way to honor the life and legacy of a public servant who has meant and done so much for his community. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation so President Biden can sign this into law.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8453, the Upholding the Dayton Peace Accords through Sanctions Act. I want to begin by thanking the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Gregory Meeks, and my colleagues, Representatives Wagner and Wilde, for their leadership on this issue and for bringing this bill to the floor.

Twenty-seven years ago, thanks to the leadership of President Bill Clinton, the Dayton Accords were signed, officially marking the end of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Today, however, we still have domestic and foreign actors threatening to undermine the accords' legitimacy. I am concerned that any challenge to the agreements laid out in the accords poses a severe risk to the relative stability of the Western Balkans. For the region's sake, we cannot afford to let these bad actors go unpunished.

That's why I believe that the House of Representatives--and our government as a whole--must continue to support the European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is a necessary step and one that I hope will eventually lead to them joining the European Union and

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1289, I call up the bill (H.R. 4346) making appropriations for Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment thereto, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 4346, the bill now under consideration.

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

I stand before you today to strongly urge support for the CHIPS and Science Act.

The CHIPS Act and the bipartisan Science, Space, and Technology Committee provisions that form this package are vital to ensuring a bold and prosperous future for American science and innovation, maintaining our international competitiveness, and bolstering our economic and national security.

These provisions were built with rigorous input from the scientific community, industry, academia, and other stakeholders on what they need most to succeed in the 21st century.

This final product is the result of months of bipartisan negotiations. It is also the result of dedicated efforts and long hours put in by the committee staff, and I thank each of them for helping us to get where we are today.

With this legislation, we will bring about solutions for the climate crisis, enhance our semiconductor research and manufacturing, create jobs, increase regional innovation, and so much more. We will also take historic and much-needed action to build a strong and diverse STEM workforce and ensure that we are able to make use of all the brainpower and talent we have in our great Nation.

With bipartisan STEM pieces in this bill, we will create a bright future for all those who want to pursue STEM, no matter their race, gender, or ZIP Code. We are ushering in a strong future for our premier scientific agencies with transformational funding at NIST, NSF, and DOE. We also authorize important activities at NASA and address other discrete research topics across the government's scientific agencies.

The United States has long been a beacon of excellence in science and innovation, and it is far past time that we revitalize Federal support for the

initiatives that have enabled us to lead.

I am proud of this package, and I am especially proud of the bipartisan provisions in Division B that began in the Science, Space, and Technology Committee. I thank Ranking Member Lucas for his partnership in this effort.

I know that this package does not have everything that everyone wanted. It doesn't have everything I wanted, but that is the nature of compromise and a result of urgency of this situation.

We must pass this legislation immediately to ensure that the United States remains a global leader in science, technology, and innovation and to bolster our economic and national security.

I urge all Members to put aside politics and support this thoughtful and balanced bipartisan package.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), our distinguished Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), our distinguished majority leader.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Stansbury).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Lamb).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty).

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Ohio.

Mr. Speaker, may I ask how much time I have remaining?

Mr. Speaker, I have no more requests for time, and I am prepared to close.

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

I would simply like to say in closing that when we pass up an opportunity that we have like today in this bill, where we are looking out for our scientific enterprise, looking out for our space exploration and chip manufacturing, which will drive our future, we simply will be closing the door to our future to turn any of this down.

We cannot be competitive in the world without adequate research and adequate assistance to keep our research enterprise growing strongly. I am not willing to give up this opportunity and close the door on my Nation.

And I simply would ask all the people who possibly can, not to think about the bill that was passed or going to pass in the Senate yesterday, or last night, but think about the importance of keeping the doors and opportunities open for our Nation and having the jobs and talent right here in the United States.

It is bigger than all of us. We were sent here to look out for our Nation, and this is a measure that will do that. So I simply plead with everyone who can possibly see the future, or even dream about the future, to vote for this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4346, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7289, the Federal PFAS Research Evaluation Act, as amended. This bill, introduced by Representatives Lizzie Fletcher and Peter Meijer, is another example of strong bipartisanship from Science Committee members on a critical issue facing our Nation.

Manufactured carbon and fluorine-based chemicals, known as PFAS, are pervasive throughout the environment due to their inability to be broken down. Traces of PFAS can be found in everyday household items, clothing, and even in our drinking water. They have also increasingly been found to have negative impacts on public and environmental health. Our low-income communities, and communities of color, are at risk for high levels of exposure to PFAS due to these communities being disproportionately located near chemical plants containing PFAS. This can lead to higher instances of morbidity and mortality for these communities as well.

To effectively reduce the presence of PFAS in our environment, we must be guided by strong science. The Federal PFAS Research Evaluation Act would direct the Environmental Protection Agency to enter into agreements with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to publish studies that identify major research gaps associated with our understanding of PFAS. These studies would also inform the Office of Science and Technology Policy's work to develop a comprehensive federal research effort for PFAS.

Families across the Nation depend on the Federal government to ensure their safety when it comes to PFAS contamination in drinking water and consumer goods. The findings of the studies authorized in this bill will help support ongoing Federal efforts to protect our communities from the dangers of PFAS. I urge my colleagues to support this critical, bipartisan, bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise I support of H.R. 3952, the NOAA Chief Scientist Act, as amended. This bill takes measures to better support and define the role of the Chief Scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

One of my great priorities as Chairwoman of the Science Committee has been reinforcing the importance of scientific integrity across our federal science agencies. The NOAA Chief Scientist Act prioritizes scientific integrity at the highest levels of leadership at NOAA by requiring the Chief Scientist to publicly acknowledge his or her commitment to agency scientific integrity policies. Scientific integrity and transparency are integral to ensuring federal agencies can maintain their status as trusted resources to Americans.

This bill lays out qualifications for the Chief Scientist, as this role should be held by someone with expertise and experience in the field. This bill includes additional provisions that would support the expanded role of the Chief Scientist and make the science and technology activities of the agency transparent and accessible to the public.

This bipartisan bill was introduced by Representative Sherrill of New Jersey and Representative Feenstra from Iowa, who worked together on its provisions. I am proud of the Science Committee's work this Congress to develop scientifically sound, bipartisan legislation. I am pleased to be a cosponsor of a bill that advances scientific integrity at NOAA and urge my colleagues to support it.

I include in the Record an exchange of letters on H.R. 3952 sent between the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on Natural Resources.

House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space,

and Technology,

Washington, DC, May 24, 2022.

Hon. Raul M. Grijalva,

Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, Longworth House

Office Building, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Grijalva: I am writing you concerning H.R.

3952, the ``NOAA Chief Scientist Act'' which was referred to

the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and

sequentially to the Committee on Natural Resources. I

appreciate your willingness to work cooperatively on this

bill. I recognize that the bill contains provisions that fall

within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Natural

Resources. I acknowledge that you will waive further

consideration of H.R. 3952, that this action is not a waiver

of future jurisdictional claims by the Committee on Natural

Resources over this subject matter.

I will make sure to include a copy of our exchange of

letters in the Congressional Record and will support the

appointment of conferees from the Committee on Natural

Resources during any House-Senate conference involving this

legislation. Thank you for your cooperation on this

legislation.

Sincerely,

Eddie Bernice Johnson,

Chairwoman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7361, the National Weather Service Communications Improvement Act.

We are seeing the impacts of climate change on severe weather events across the country. Inclement weather is more intense than ever and happening more frequently. Fortunately, due to the advancement of forecasting science and dissemination, we have not seen a corresponding increase in deaths. With climate change supercharging severe weather, we need to ensure emergency response professionals can communicate without interruption. This communication is vital to warn and protect Americans during times of severe weather events.

The NWS Communications Improvement Act is a bipartisan bill led by Congressman Feenstra of the Science Committee. It would require NOAA to upgrade the aging National Weather Service's instant communications system to current technology standards. The current communication system, known as NWS Chat, has faced delays and outages during recent weather events. This critical tool needs to be updated to address these issues and improve reliability. The safety of all Americans depends on it.

The House's consideration of this bill is very timely as the National Weather Service announced last week that it will be transitioning NWS Chat to a commercially available instant messaging platform. Congressional direction, and the corresponding authorization of appropriations language in this bipartisan commonsense bill will support the Weather Service's ongoing efforts on this important issue.

With today's technology, disruptions in communication during emergency events should never occur, let alone be common. This critical bill will update NWS Chat, a very important communication tool, to be more dependable. I urge my colleagues to support its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 892, a resolution calling on the Government of the Republic of Rwanda to release Paul Rusesabagina on humanitarian grounds.

The Rwandan genocide is considered one of the deadliest and most brutal tragedies in the history of humankind. In just 100 days, more than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were systematically assaulted, raped, and slaughtered by the Rwandan and Interahamwe militaries. And except for a few peacekeeping forces, the international community at large refused to get involved--leaving any resistance efforts to come from within the country.

That's when Paul Rusesabagina stepped in. As the manager at a hotel in the capital city of Kigali at the time, he was credited for housing and feeding more than 1,200 Tutsi and Hutu refugees during the genocide. He knew that the consequences of his efforts would put both himself and his family in danger, but he still chose to help his people in their greatest hour of need.

Now, the Rwandan government has convicted, detained, and reportedly tortured Mr. Rusesabagina on charges stemming from a trial that the State Department and American Bar Association considered unfair and irreparable. He has also been denied the medical attention required as a cancer survivor and individual suffering from a cardiovascular disorder.

By passing this resolution, the House of Representatives will join several other international democratic bodies to express concern over his conviction and call for his immediate release. We will also urge the United States Government to continue to raise awareness about Mr. Rusesabagina's case and convey our support to his friends, family, and loved ones.

Mr. Speaker, Paul Rusesabagina's story reminds us that hope can be found even during our darkest days. I would urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2543, the Financial Services Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Economic Justice Act.

The Financial Services Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Economic Justice Act would direct the Federal Reserve to provide reports on racial and ethnic disparities in employment, income, wealth, and access to affordable credit. It also includes provisions that would establish language access requirements for creditors and servicers to better serve borrowers with limited English proficiency, allow all federal credit unions to expand their membership to include underserved communities, and clarify that financial institutions be required to collect their self-identified sexual orientation and gender identity information to help combat discriminatory practices against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) business owners. This bill also includes an amendment that I authored with my colleague from Rhode Island, Congressman Jim Langevin, to require disparities for individuals with disabilities to be published in the Federal Reserve's reports.

Let me share a brief example of why this legislation is necessary. Last year, a local news agency led an investigation in my district that revealed a long and tragic pattern of discriminatory lending practices in South Dallas. It became apparent that several banks refused to give home loans to residents in low-income areas, in direct contradiction to federal laws protecting borrowers regardless of race or economic status. This is a failure of both policy and oversight, and is the exact type of issue that this bill would require the Federal Reserve to address.

I want to thank Chairwoman Waters and the members of the Financial Services Committee for bringing the Financial Services Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Economic Justice Act to the floor. I also want to thank the Chairwoman for joining my roundtable on the discriminatory lending practices in South Dallas last year. These stories are not unique to my district--they are found in communities across the country. That's why we need a federal approach, and I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

Madam Speaker, for over 150 years, June 19th, also known as Juneteenth Independence Day, has served as a source of reflection, inspiration, and hope for generations of Black Americans. It is a day when we are reminded of the trials and tribulations of those who came before us, and celebrate the incredible progress we have made. It is a day when we can rejoice together in the freedom and liberties that we all share, and recommit ourselves to everlasting equality and justice. It is a day that means so much, but for too long had not been formally recognized as a federal holiday.

That was, Madam Speaker, until our advocacy was finally met with action from the rest of Congress and the White House. I was proud to join my colleagues here in Congress and the Biden Administration last year to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Now, just one year later, many more Americans understand and appreciate the day's history.

Today, I am especially thankful for Texas's very own, Ms. Opal Lee. Colloquially known as the ``Grandmother of Juneteenth,'' Ms. Lee has worked tirelessly over the years to educate, inform, and advocate on behalf of the Juneteenth movement. I have had the pleasure of meeting her several times over the years and am constantly reminded that we stand on the shoulders of icons like her.

Madam Speaker, I want to wish those in Texas's 30th Congressional District and across the country a Happy Juneteenth.

Madam Speaker, today is day 159 of 2022. There have already been over 200 mass shootings this year.

Madam Speaker, we cannot let this be our new reality. Thoughts and prayers are no longer enough. We must act, and we must do it now.

This week, we must pass H.R. 7910, the Protecting Our Kids Act, and H.R. 2377, the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act of 2022.

The Protecting Our Kids Act includes provisions that would raise the lawful age to purchase an assault-style weapon from 18 to 21, impose new restrictions on large capacity magazines, strengthen safe storage requirements, and crack down on the sale and distribution of unlicensed guns.

The Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act of 2022 encourages states to improve and implement extreme risk laws, which would help keep guns out of the hands of those who are likely to pose an increased threat to themselves or to others.

Madam Speaker, these are small--but necessary--first steps. I would urge my colleagues to join me in supporting these bills, and to commit themselves to doing all they can to address the issue of gun violence.