Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in tribute to Jay Carrott, whose retirement from the Simi Valley Police Department is being recognized this weekend.

Detective Carrott actually retired from the Police Department last year, but was immediately deployed to Iraq as a police advisor to an Army unit out of Fort Benning, Georgia, giving his fellow officers, family and friends no time to honor his service to the community. Jay is a personal friend who I have known for many years. He is home now and it is time to give him his long overdue accolades.

Jay Carrott became a reserve officer for the city in 1985 and was hired as a full-time officer in 1987. He rose to the rank of Senior Officer before leaving for a short stint with the Lacey, Washington, Police Department. He returned to the Simi Valley Police Department in 1995 and was promoted to Detective the following year.

It was as a Detective that Jay Carrott's skills, dedication and passion for law enforcement and the victims of violent acts came to full fruition.

In describing and praising his partner, Greg Gonzales, in 2008, Carrott told the local media that a good homicide detective must be intensely curious, care deeply about others and pay great attention to detail. Those certainly are qualities Carrott brought to the job.

Those qualities led to a nearly 90 percent case closure rate. But Carrott didn't just pursue criminals and bring them to justice. Along the way, he brought empathy to the victims and victims' families, as well.

When Detective Carrott was awarded the Investigative Excellence Award for Cumulative Investigative Excellence in 2009 from the California Commission on Police Officers Standards and Training's Robert Presley Institute of Criminal Investigation, officials said in a statement: ``He believes an investigator's job is not only to seek out the truth, but also to ensure that families touched by violence have a voice.''

Jay's dedication to the truth and the law are legendary. When a local community service organization refused to rescind the rental of its facility to the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, Jay quit the organization, saying his police badge meant more to him than membership in the club.

But perhaps the best praise to Jay's dedication comes from his daughter, Erin, who wrote this in 2007 as part of a school assignment after Detective Carrott was awarded the City of Simi Valley's Meritorious Service Award:

``Weeks with no sleep, calls in the middle of the night, having to travel to places to search for things you aren't even sure exist, and criminals who get away with it this is what my father faces on a daily basis.''

Jay was also a member of the Department's SWAT Team, a Range Master, and a member of the SES--Special Enforcement Section. Among the other awards he earned was SVPD Officer of the Year in 1991 and the SVPD Chiefs Award in 1998. Jay also taught at Moorpark College, where he earned an associate's degree before earning a bachelor's in business from University of Redlands.

Aside from Erin, Jay and his wife, Amy, raised two sons, Joshua and Joseph, and have a grandson, Taylor.

Mr. Speaker, I know my colleagues join me in thanking Detective Jay Carrott for his service to his community and country, and for his dedication to and passion for enforcing our laws, and wish him and Amy a long and happy retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in memory of an American military icon and my friend, Rear Admiral George Strohsahl (Ret.), who passed away this week after a lifetime of service to his country.

Admiral Strohsahl had a storied career from the time he entered the Naval Academy in 1955 until he retired in 1994. Among his many accomplishments, George Strohsahl flew jet attack aircraft from aircraft carriers in both the Pacific and Atlantic fleets, which included two tours of combat flying in Vietnam and command of an A-6 squadron. He was the Air Boss on USS Nimitz and played himself in the popular Kirk Douglas movie Final Countdown.

He conducted operational testing of weapons systems at China Lake, California, and was the director of the Tactical Air Analysis office in the Pentagon, which was a part of the McNamara systems analysis team known as the ``Whiz Kids.'' He was Program Manager for the F/A-18 Hornet family of aircraft, which was and still is the largest aircraft acquisition program in the Navy.

From 1988 to 1990, Admiral Strohsahl commanded the Pacific Missile Test Center at Pt. Mugu, in my congressional district. As senior naval officer for the South Central California area, he was active in many civic organizations in Ventura County at that time.

Following Navy retirement, Admiral Strohsahl spent more than seven years in fighter aircraft design, testing, and logistic support management positions at the Boeing Development Center in Seattle, Washington. He provided consulting services to industry and the Navy and contributed as a volunteer to Ventura County organizations involved in community support of Naval Base Ventura County.

I testified with Admiral Strohsahl before the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission. I believe his testimony was instrumental in minimizing the amount of technical work being moved from the base.

Admiral Strohsahl was married for 44 years to the late Marvalyn Fiske. They raised three children, one of whom resides now in Ventura with her husband and family. After Marvalyn passed away, he married Mary Anne Vernallis, whose late husband, Sam, was a longtime associate of the admiral's in the Navy and a well-respected civic leader in Ventura County. Together, they share five children and eight grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I know my colleagues join me in honoring the memory of Rear Admiral George Strohsahl and in offering our condolences to his family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in tribute to the Norma Lagomarsino and the late Katherine ``Kay'' Haley, who were honored recently by the Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association for their decades of philanthropic work in Ventura County.

Norma Lagomarsino is the wife of former U.S. Rep. Bob Lagomarsino and a true force in making Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties strong, vibrant communities. I am blessed to have Bob Lagomarsino as one of my trusted mentors and to have Bob and Norma count as among my wife, Janice, and my closest friends.

Norma Lagomarsino has been a member of the Congressional Club in Washington, D.C., since 1974 and served as its president from 1981- 1983. Among her many community activities, Norma Lagomarsino serves on the Santa Cruz Island Foundation Advisory Council, is a long-standing member of the Assistance League, is a member of the Board of Directors for Interface Children and Family Services and the National Institute of Mental Health, and was honored as a ``Champion of Mental Health'' by the Turning Point Foundation.

Norma and Bob also are major donors to California State University, Channel Islands, where they created the Robert J. and Norma M. Lagomarsino Archives. They also co-chair the San Buenaventura Mission School Building Campaign.

Kay Haley, another longtime friend, was born in the Ventura County city of Oxnard to Walter H. Hoffman Jr. and Edith Hobson Hoffman, who owned Rancho Casitas, a thoroughbred breeding farm. As an adult, Kay Haley raised champion shorthorn cattle and quarter horses on her own ranch, Rancho Mi Solar. Her most famous horse, Mr. Spats, was Ronald Reagan's favorite mount.

Kay Haley had a long relationship with President Reagan, having raised funds for him during his campaigns for California governor and president. In addition to raising funds for President Reagan and other Republicans, Kay raised many thousands of dollars for the Ventura County Museum of History and Art and served on Community Memorial Hospital's Board of Trustees for 30 years.

In 1986, she was given the Milton M. Teague Award for Outstanding Volunteerism. She was grand marshal of the Ventura County Fair parade in 1987.

When Ronald Reagan was governor, Haley was appointed vice chairwoman of the California State Fair Board, vice president of the board of directors of Cal Expo and served as founding chairwoman of California's Racing Hall of Fame. After eight decades of life and service, Kay passed away in 1999.

Mr. Speaker, I know my colleagues join the Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association and me in honoring the philanthropic and voluntary contributions of Norma Lagomarsino and Kay Haley and in thanking them for making our community vibrant and strong.

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank Croatian President Ivo Josipovic for traveling to the United States and taking part in the Congressional Croatian Caucus kick-off event.

Although President Josipovic has been in office for little over a year, his record in promoting an environment of genuine regional dialogue, better mutual understanding, across-the-board cooperation, and a Euro-Atlantic perspective for the whole of South East Europe has been noteworthy.

Since taking office he has pursued the path of regional reconciliation, a policy that has been matched with concrete action. For example, President Josipovic expressed regret for all the victims of the tragic events of the 1990s irrespective of their ethnic background, religious identity, or country of origin. He has also pursued open dialogue with all the key partners in the region of South East Europe, but in particular with Serbian and Bosnian and Herzegovinian high officials.

His efforts at promoting the eventual membership of all the countries in the region into the EU and NATO, have been widely recognized. President Josipovic's effort in realizing ``Europe, whole, free and at peace'' is acknowledged and has been highly commended by the Administration and prominent members of Congress, as it complements U.S. efforts in that part of the world.

Croatia's two-year-long record of NATO membership already bears his mark. President Josipovic showed strong leadership and responsibility at the December 2010 NATO summit in Lisbon, in regard to Croatian contributions to NATO led peace-keeping missions. Moreover, he has offered his strong support to Allied efforts in Afghanistan, where Croatian troops and experts assist in transitioning this country to stability and security, using its own capabilities, which was clearly expressed on his recent visit to Kabul.

Again, on behalf of the Congressional Croatian Caucus, I would like to welcome President Josipovic to the United States and for his role in building a closer friendship between our two nations.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1308, legislation to extend the termination date for the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission.

The work of the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission is not quite finished. That's why this legislation is needed to extend the commission through December 30 of this year, allowing the Commission to deliver additional events for the public.

Extending the Commission through the end of 2011 will allow it to accomplish several key goals--some including the support of official international events occurring the week of June 27 in Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom, possibly convening a joint session of Congress this fall, coordinating a potential White House event, organizing a Capitol Visitor Center exhibit, serving as a resource for Federal Government centennial activities, and supporting State Reagan centennial commissions.

Extending this Commission will require, as my colleagues have said, no Federal funding. All funds needed are privately raised.

In conclusion, many other centennial commissions have operated for longer periods with significant Federal funding. Extending the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission will provide more opportunities to commemorate recognition of President Reagan. I want to thank Chairman Issa and Ranking Member Cummings, along with their staffs, for their assistance in helping bring this bill to the floor today.

I also want to express my appreciation to Speaker Boehner, Majority Leader Cantor, and Minority Leader Pelosi for all their help in bringing the bill forward today. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in memory of Carolyn Leavens, who passed away this week after a lifetime dedicated to her family and friends, the agricultural industry, and her community.

I have known Carolyn, her husband Paul and their family for more than 30 years. Carolyn was a strong and professional woman whose promotion of agriculture on a local, national and international level, and whose love and service to family and community, were seemingly inexhaustible.

Carolyn and Paul were married for 60 years, and for 25 years she played a key role in office and budget management for Leavens Ranches as it grew from 100 acres of beans to 1,100 acres of citrus and avocado orchards. The operation, founded by Paul's grandparents and now managed by the fourth generation of family members, ranks as one of Ventura County's leading citrus and avocado producers and has also expanded into lemon, avocado and wine-grape production in Monterey County.

Carolyn's involvement in one of the county's pioneer family farming operations led her to play a leadership role in the agricultural community, at first locally and later on a statewide and international level.

Her accomplishments are too extensive to list here in their entirety, but they include being the founding president of the Ventura County chapter of California Women for Agriculture and CWA's state president in 1981; a member of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture from 1978 to 1982; a member of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Women's Leadership Network from 1983 to 1999, participating in its European Economic Community Tour as an ambassador of the American agricultural industry; and serving as a board member of Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance and a delegate to the first International Women in Agriculture Convention.

Although she played a prominent role in agricultural affairs, she was perhaps best known at home for her wide-ranging involvement in civic, cultural and political activities.

Again, Carolyn's civic accomplishments--and the awards bestowed on her to recognize those accomplishments--are too long to list here. But it was her tireless involvement in the decades-long campaign that culminated in establishment of California State University, Channel Islands, that may be her most lasting local legacy. Not only was she integral in establishing the university, her tireless fund-raising and marketing efforts ensured its success. In the words of my friend and former U.S. Representative Robert Lagomarsino when he presented the inaugural CSUCI Lagomarsino Award to Carolyn: ``It is hard to think of this campus without thinking of Carolyn Leavens. . . . Today, this University is her hallmark.''

In addition to Paul, Carolyn leaves behind her son and daughter-in- law, J. Link and Sally Leavens; and daughters and sons-in-law, Tina and David Cullenberg, Leslie and Harry Crowe, and Heather and Curt August; eight grandchildren; five great-grandchildren and many other loving family members.

Mr. Speaker, Carolyn left an everlasting mark on our community and will be greatly missed. I know my colleagues join me in sending condolences to Paul, the Leavens family, and their many friends, and in remembering Carolyn for her many contributions and for being a role model for all.

Madam Chair, on rollcall No. 89, I was inadvertently detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Amendment No. 50 Offered by Ms. McCollum

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, as the author of the legislation creating the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission, I was asked by the Reagan Foundation to host a Special Order this afternoon, and I am honored to have many of my colleagues here to join us on this floor today.

As a fellow Californian, I had the great privilege of spending some time with President Reagan in my early years here in Congress, and I can tell you that those times will be etched in my mind forever. Coincidentally, my own personal residence happens to be almost adjacent to the Ronald Reagan Library--in fact, only a few hundred yards away-- in Simi Valley, California.

I simply can't say enough about how grateful I am for the opportunity to have known Ronald Reagan. I could go on for hours, but we have other Members to whom I want to yield this afternoon, Members from all across the country. So I will stand back and yield to my colleagues, and then have enough time so maybe I can wrap it up.

At this point, I yield to my good friend Steve Stivers from the State of Ohio.

Thank you very much, Steve. At this point I'd like to yield to the gentleman from California on the other side of the aisle, my good friend, John Garamendi.

I thank John very much. I'd just like to say, in listening to the gentleman from California, when we were working on this bill, it got a little complicated at the end, but you know what the simplest part of making this bill work was? I did not have one individual on either side of the aisle say, no, Elton, I can't be a cosponsor. I don't think there's anytime in history that I've had as many people agree on--we can't get that many people to agree on what day of the week it is around here.

And it was very special to me to hear the comments from the folks on the other side of the aisle. While they may have disagreed with him on certain policy, I don't know that anyone disagreed on the man's integrity and his compassion for this country and how committed he was to make it a better place, and with that, he was able to get a lot of things done on the other side of the aisle that he wouldn't otherwise have been able to do. Thank you very much, John.

At this time, I'd like to yield to my friend, the gentlelady from Kansas, Lynn Jenkins.

Thank you very much, Lynn.

I now yield to the gentleman from South Carolina, Jeff Duncan.

Thank you very much, Jeff, and I really enjoyed you coming out to California and getting an opportunity to really enjoy the Reagan library. It's truly a place that every American should have an opportunity to visit one time or another. It's pretty inspiring. Thank you, Jeff.

At this point I'd like to recognize the gentleman from New York, Michael Grimm.

Thank you very much, Michael. We know Michael is from the great State of New York, so we have got both coasts covered today, from sea to shining sea.

At this point, I have another great Californian and a new Member. It's my honor and pleasure to recognize my good friend from California, Jeff Denham.

Thank you very much, Jeff.

At this point, I yield to Rick Crawford from the great State of Arkansas.

Now, from Ronald Reagan's home State, the great State of Illinois, Randy Hultgren.

Thank you very much, Randy.

Mr. Speaker, how much time do we have remaining?

At this point, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland, Andy Harris, a freshman Member and good friend.

At this time, Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield to my very good friend from the State of Texas, Tyler, Texas, as a matter of fact, Judge Louie Gohmert.

Thank you very much, Louie. And now I would like to yield to the gentleman from California, my good friend, Ken Calvert, who played an instrumental role in helping to bring Air Force One to Simi Valley.

Thank you, Ken.

I'd now like to yield time to my next-door neighbor in the Rayburn Building and a friend of mine, I think the only senior Member to me here today, the gentleman from Indianapolis, Indiana, Dan Burton, who personally knew Ronald Reagan very well.

Thank you, Danny.

I now yield to a Member from Ronald Reagan's home State, Bob Dold from Illinois.

One of the things that creates a challenge for us on a Special Order like this is we have so many folks that want to speak and reminisce about what a great man Ronald Reagan was and I only have so much time. So if you will be sensitive to that, I want to make sure everyone has an opportunity to recognize Ronald Reagan this afternoon that would like to.

At this point, I yield to my neighbor from California and good friend, Gary Miller.

I thank the gentleman.

The next gentleman I would like to introduce is Scott Tipton from the State of Colorado. I had the real honor

of showing Scott and his wife, Jean, around the library just last weekend. We had a great time, and I am sure you can attest to what a great venue that is and a tribute to a great man.

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from South Carolina, Trey Gowdy.

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, would you be kind enough to advise me how much time is remaining?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

At this time, it is my distinct honor and pleasure to introduce another Californian, the gentlelady, the leader of the minority, Nancy Pelosi.

I thank the gentlelady, our leader of the minority, and fellow Californian.

I now yield to Paul Gosar from the great State of Arizona.

I now yield to Diane Black, a new Member from the great State of Tennessee.

I would now yield to my good friend and freshman Member from the great State of Florida, Dennis Ross, and also, I might add, a fellow member on our Committee on the Judiciary.

Thank you very much, Dennis.

I would now yield to Larry Bucshon, a new Member from Indiana. Indiana is well represented here this afternoon for President Reagan.

I would now yield to Kevin Brady from Texas, a longtime friend and one of our best baseball players on the congressional baseball team.

May I again inquire of the time remaining, Mr. Speaker.

I would now yield to Tim Walberg, making his second tour as a Member from the great State of Michigan.

Welcome back, Tim.

I would now yield to Scott DesJarlais from the great State of Tennessee, a new Member.

I would now yield to Bobby Schilling from President Reagan's home State. Illinois is very well represented today.

Now it's my distinct honor and pleasure to recognize the gentleman from Illinois.

Aaron, I don't know if you were even born when Ronald Reagan was first elected, were you?

But you knew who he was, and I have heard you speak about him.

It is an honor to yield to the gentleman from Illinois, Aaron Schock.

I'd just also like to recognize your tribute to Ronald Reagan the other night at the Reagan Library. It was very inspiring. And it was an honor to have you there.

I would now yield to the gentleman from Georgia, Austin Scott.

Next, we have my good friend from the State of Virginia, and seat partner for the last 20 years on Judiciary, Bob Goodlatte.

Thank you very much, Bob.

At this time I yield to the gentlelady from New York, Nan Hayworth.

I would now yield to the gentleman from Louisiana, Steve Scalise.

Thank you, Steve.

Mr. Speaker, there are so many things that I would like to express, but I thought it was really important that we had this Nation represented from sea to shining sea. And I think we did that this afternoon with all of our speakers from States from California to New York and everywhere in between.

In closing, and it just seemed appropriate this morning as I was pulling into the Rayburn garage, I came in a little early this morning, and there was a car that had to stop for something for a minute--and I don't normally read bumper stickers, but that bumper

sticker said it all: I miss Ronald Reagan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this bill.

Make no mistake, this bill is an amnesty for people who are in this country illegally. This will only encourage other people to send their children across the border illegally in the hope that Congress will grant another amnesty in the future.

At a time when the unemployment rate is 9.8 percent, this Congress will actually force American workers to compete for jobs with at least two million additional people. It defies common sense to argue that this will not drive up the unemployment rate and drive down wages and working conditions for legal workers.

The workers granted amnesty will not just be competing for jobs, but for admissions to good colleges, housing, health care, education, and other services. It defies common sense that this bill would not have a serious, negative impact on our economy, our workforce, our schools, our hospitals, and our communities.

I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise in tribute to Harrison Industries, which is being recognized by the Ventura County Council, Boy Scouts of America, as Ventura County's Distinguished Citizen for 2010.

Harrison Industries is one of the oldest and largest privately owned trash collection businesses in the United States. It provides residential, commercial and industrial services to about 80,000 customers in Ventura, Camarillo, Fillmore, Ojai, Santa Paula, Thousand Oaks, the surrounding unincorporated areas of Ventura County and Carpinteria. In addition, Harrison-owned Gold Coast Recycling processes and markets the curbside recyclables for Santa Barbara County.

E.J. Harrison and Sons was founded in 1932. E.J. died in 1991 but his wife, Myra, remains with the company as founder. Four generations of Harrison family members are involved in the day-to-day operations of the company. Myra's oldest son, Ralph, is president while her other sons, Jim and Myron, serve as vice presidents.

Harrison Industries is on the forefront of the recycling movement in California. In addition, Harrison Industries opened the first liquefied natural gas fueling station in western Ventura County and converted a significant number of its diesel trucks to run on the cleaner burning

Madam Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 5566, which would stop the sale of animal crush videos.

Nearly everyone agrees that Congress must stop the creation and distribution of animal crush videos, which graphically depict the abuse and killing of animals. In 1999, legislation I introduced to prohibit crush videos was signed into law by President Bill Clinton. This bill effectively shut down the crush video industry. Unfortunately, after the Supreme Court ruling that struck down this law as too broad, however, crush videos came back on the market.

H.R. 5566 passed the House July 20, 2010, by a 416-3 vote. The Senate passed a slightly modified version in September by unanimous consent. But instead of passing the Senate version, the House passed a resolution agreeing to the Senate version but with an amendment.

The House amendment would strip language that makes it a federal crime, punishable by up to seven years in jail, to attempt or conspire to create or distribute a crush video. Under current statute, it is already a federal crime to conspire to violate any federal criminal law, with punishment up to five years in jail.

Given the few remaining days left in this session of Congress, I am concerned that after the House passes this legislation, the Senate will not consider this bill once again and crush videos will continue to proliferate.

I look forward to working with my friends on both sides of the aisle to enact a new law to ban crush videos as soon as possible.

Madam Speaker, I rise in tribute to Ventura County Sheriff Bob Brooks--a good friend to my wife, Janice, and me and a consummate law enforcement professional.

Sheriff Brooks is retiring after 37 years as a sworn officer for the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, including three terms as Sheriff.

Bob was elected Sheriff in 1998. Under his guidance, the Department's 1,300 employees and 2,000 volunteers provide law enforcement services to 800,000 people in the unincorporated parts of Ventura County and the cities of Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Ojai, Fillmore and Moorpark.

Over the years, Bob and I have worked on many projects to enhance public safety in Ventura County, including initiatives to crack down on methamphetamine labs, clear cold case DNA felonies, suppress gang activity, screen inmates for illegal immigrants, and upgrade communications for deputies in the field. Bob rose through the ranks and never forgot what deputies face on the streets and what they need to do their jobs.

Sheriff Brooks earned his Bachelor's degree in Public Administration from the University of Redlands, a Master's degree in Organizational Management from Regent University and graduated from the U.S. Department of Justice's National Sheriffs' Institute, the FBI's National Executive Institute, and with distinction from the P.O.S.T. Command College. He recently received his second Master's Degree in Homeland Security from the Naval Post Graduate School.

Bob is in demand as a speaker at symposiums, conferences and community organizations, and more in demand by his community.

He serves on the Board of Directors for several professional, educational and charitable organizations, and is a member of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Preparedness Task Force. He is a past president of the Ventura County Council of Boy Scouts of America, and is a member of the Executive Boards of the California State Sheriffs' Association and the Major County Sheriffs' Association. Bob is also a trustee of Life Pacific College, and has served as an instructor at California State University, Northridge; California Lutheran University and Ventura County Community Colleges. Bob has been awarded the Law Enforcement Commendation Medal from the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. He is an honorary Rotarian, and serves on the Board of New Hope Christian Fellowship.

A Ventura County resident since 1961, he and Debbie have been married for 40 years. They have two grown sons, Jeff and Brian, and two grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, I know my colleagues will join Janice and me in congratulating Bob Brooks on his retirement, in wishing him and Debbie good health in the years ahead, and in thanking him for 37 years of dedicated service.

Madam Speaker, this is my last opportunity to address the House as a member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The past 8 years have been the opportunity of a lifetime for me.

I want to thank former Speaker Denny Hastert and Minority Leader John Boehner for appointing me to this critically important committee.

I also want to take a minute to express my great appreciation to the most impressive staff I've ever served with, particularly Jim Lewis, our staff director. Jim is clearly a true patriot, and the service he has provided our country I will carry throughout the rest of my life.

I am going to miss the committee, but I will never forget the opportunities of the last 8 years.

Madam Speaker, I rise in memory of Keith Richman, a physician and California legislator who died earlier this month at the too-young age of 56.

Keith was a big man with big ideas who repeatedly expressed optimism in our political system.

He moved to California with his family when he was a toddler and made the San Fernando Valley his home. He was an early proponent of having the Valley secede from the City of Los Angeles. In 2000, the same year he was elected to the Assembly, the Valley electorate voted to secede from Los Angeles and voted Keith as mayor of the new city. However, Los Angeles voters outside of the Valley voted overwhelmingly against the change and the measure was defeated.

As the assemblyman for the 38th District, Keith initially represented parts of the north San Fernando Valley and Santa Clarita, and the cities of Simi Valley and Fillmore, which are also in my congressional district. In 2002, Keith's district was redrawn and Fillmore was removed.

During that term, the California Journal named Keith the legislature's Rookie of the Year. He would serve until term limits forced him out in 2006.

Keith was also one of the first leaders to advocate state pension reform. Although unsuccessful in qualifying a pension reform initiative for the state ballot, he continued his passion for controlling government spending by founding the California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility after he left office. As part of the drive for reform, the Foundation posted the names of thousands of six-figure pension recipients online.

Keith's other passion was medicine. He followed his father Monroe into the business, had a practice in Sun Valley and founded Glendale- based Lakeside Community HealthCare, Inc.

Tragically, Keith's brain tumor was diagnosed two days after he married Suzan in 2009.

In addition to Suzan, Keith is survived by two daughters, Dina and Rachel; his parents, Esther and Monroe; brothers, Craig and David; and a sister, Marla

Mr. Speaker, I know my colleagues will join my wife, Janice, and me in offering our condolences to the Richman family, and in remembering a remarkable man whose life of service will live on in all those whose lives he touched.

Madam. Speaker, I rise in memory of Dorill Wright, a close, personal friend of my wife, Janice, and me, who passed away on Sunday.

Dorill served as Mayor of Port Hueneme, California, from 1974-1990 and served as a city councilman and planning commissioner before that. He decided to run for office, he said, because if you're unhappy with government, you should do something about it. It was that same philosophy that led me to my first run for public office.

A member of the Christian Church of Oxnard, Dorill and Jacquelyn, his wife of 63 years, believed in God, community and family and devoted their efforts to all three.

Born and raised in Missouri, Dorill served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. After college, the Navy hired Dorill and four other engineers to form a research laboratory for structures with electrical check equipment.

In 1950, the staff and laboratory were transferred to the Port Hueneme Naval Construction Battalion Center and in 1957 Dorill transferred to Point Mugu. There he served as a field and design engineer and was later named head of the technical support department.

In 1965, Dorill moved his family to Port Hueneme and Dorill started his long and lasting impact on the city. He joined the Chamber of Commerce, was appointed to the city Planning Commission, was elected to the City Council in 1970, and served on the California Coastal Commission, the Oxnard-Port Hueneme Wastewater Treatment Authority and the Ventura County Association of Governments.

The dedication and love Dorill gave to Port Hueneme was reciprocated when the city named the cultural center in his honor.

Jacqueline passed away in 2005. Surviving Dorill are his three daughters, Valory Wright-Pietruszenko, and her husband, George; Jacquelyn Jay, and her husband, William; and Dorilan Arko, and her husband, Ron; seven grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, I know my colleagues will join Janice and me in offering our condolences to the Wright family, and in remembering a remarkable man whose life of service will live on in all those whose lives he touched.