Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I missed votes on Tuesday, May 7, Thursday, May 9, and Friday, May 10. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows:

Roll Call Vote Number 185 (Passage of H. Res. 273): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 186 (Passage of H.R. 1704, the Championing American Business Through Diplomacy Act): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 189 (Ordering the Previous Question): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 190 (Passage of H. Res. 357): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 191 (Passage of H. AMDT. 199 to H.R. 986 offered by Rep. Anthony Brown): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 192 (Passage of H. AMDT. 203 to H.R. 986 offered by Rep. George Holding): NO;

Roll Call Vote Number 193 (Passage of H. AMDT. 207 to H.R. 986 offered by Rep. Tom Malinowski): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 194 (Passage of H. AMDT. 208 to H.R. 986 offered by Rep. Susan Wild): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 195 (Adoption of Motion to Recommit to H.R. 986): NO;

Roll Call Vote Number 196 (Passage of H.R. 986, the Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 197 (Passage of H. AMDT. 209 to H.R. 2157 offered by Rep. Ed Perlmutter): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 198 (Passage of H. AMDT. 210 to H.R. 2157 offered by Rep. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 199 (Passage of H. AMDT. 214 to H.R. 2157 offered by Rep. Jared Huffman): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 200 (Passage of H. AMDT. 216 to H.R. 2157 offered by Rep. Lizzie Fletcher): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 201 (Adoption of Motion to Recommit to H.R. 2157): NO; and

Roll Call Vote Number 202 (Passage of H.R. 2157, the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019): YES.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the life's work of Thomas Roger Morrison, who served as a trusted local reporter and staple on televisions in my district since 1982.

Tom was born in Oakland, California on January 7, 1936 to proud parents, Lozetta and John Morrison. Shortly after his graduation from Oakland High School in 1954, Tom joined the Army and deployed to Korea. He patrolled the newly established Korean Demilitarized Zone in 1956 and 1957.

Tom took on the role of a volunteer reporter for local Channel TV 30 in 1982. After reporting on local stories for a time, Tom joined the TV 30 staff and became the anchor of the 580/680 News. He served in this role for 10 years and received two prestigious Bay Area Television Association awards for his work during that time.

After budgets no longer allowed the 580/680 News program to continue, Tom kept our community informed on local news and developments through his bi-weekly ``Mayor's Report.'' With this platform, he would meet with local mayors and county supervisors to ensure that local residents had access to information about upcoming events and what was happening in their local government.

Tom's connection to the community was deep. His voice became synonymous with the annual Saint Patrick's Day parade in my hometown of Dublin, as he served as the announcer for so many years. Whether he was reporting from the tarmac at the Livermore Airshow, hosting an election special, or a segment of the Slice of Life show, Tom was a trusted and revered source of news in my district.

Tom's work on behalf of our community continued until just two months ago, very shortly before his passing. His passion and commitment were recently memorialized when the studio at TV 30 adopted the honorary title, ``Tom Morrison Studio.''

After a long and valiant battle with cancer, Tom Morrison passed away peacefully on April 18, 2019. He is survived by a large and loving family, including Kathy, his wife of 23 years, his two sons, Kevin and Michael, his step-children, Stacey, Kristin, Amy, and Bradley, his sister Jenean, and the eight grandchildren he absolutely adored.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the students of Amador Valley High School (AVHS) in my congressional district, who competed in the national We the People competition held right here in Washington, D.C. I am proud to report that its We the People competition team took second place out of 56 participating groups.

The We the People competition is held annually. Teams come to Washington, D.C. to compete in mock congressional hearings that test the high school students' knowledge of U.S. history and the Constitution. I am thoroughly impressed with the participation, dedication, and knowledge of AVHS students regarding our history, government, and political system. The students displayed exceptional commitment and love of history and civics. They are truly a model for students across the country.

I also want to recognize their teacher, Stacey Sklar, who worked tirelessly to provide guidance, organize the team and prepare the students in winning the statewide competition this winter and place second in the national competition. And I also want to commend Cheryl Cook-Kallio for her resounding efforts as the California state coordinator for the We the People program.

Madam Speaker, again I congratulate AVHS and their students from the We the People program. I want to take this opportunity to list the members of the team: Shurthi Chandran, Esha Chawla, Sandra Chen, Emma Garman, Prerita Govil, Robin Hwang, Kate Inman, Kavya Katragadda, Quincy Kumfert, Matthew Lyou, Gabrielle Mirsky, Trent Moca, Nicole Park, Andrew Pereira, Vanshaj Singhania, Jessica Stubbs, Emil Tu, Evan Yang, Zoe Yao, and John Yi.

Madam Speaker, I missed votes on Monday, April 8, and Tuesday, April 9. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: Roll Call Vote Number 157 (Passage of H. Con. Res. 19): YES; Roll Call Vote Number 158 (Passage of H.R. 1331, the Local Water Protection Act): YES; Roll Call Vote Number 159 (Approval of the Journal): YES; Roll Call Vote Number 160 (Ordering the Previous Question): YES; Roll Call Vote Number 161 (Passage of H. Res. 294): YES; and Roll Call Vote Number 162 (Passage of H.R. 1759, the Building on Reemployment Improvements to Deliver Good Employment for Workers Act or BRIDGE for Workers Act): YES.

Madam Speaker, I missed votes on Monday, April 1. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows:

Roll Call Vote Number 137 (Passage of H.R. 1593, the Coordinating and Leveraging for School Security (CLASS) Act of 2019): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 138 (Passage of H.R. 1590, the Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel Exercise Act of 2019): YES; and

Roll Call Vote Number 139 (Approval of the Journal): YES.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the life of Daniel Thomas Lydon, on the occasion of his passing on Monday, March 18, 2019.

The son of two Irish immigrants, Daniel was born in Oakland, California on October 30, 1941. His roots grew deep in our community through his schooling in Oakland and Berkeley as well as his work at the Oakland Tribune, all occurring before he joined the Fremont Fire Department in March 1963.

Almost immediately Daniel sought to make a difference for his fellow firefighters. He played an instrumental role in organizing his department's personnel to establish their labor union, Fremont Firefighters Local 1689. Once formed, Daniel rose to serve as the organization's first president.

Throughout the course of his career with the Fremont Fire Department, Daniel held the rank of firefighter, inspector, lieutenant, captain, and battalion chief before being trusted to lead the entire department as fire chief, where he served until his well-deserved retirement in 2002.

Under his leadership, the Fremont Fire Department grew to meet the needs of a large, modern, and rapidly developing city. Chief Lydon began to incorporate licensed paramedics among the fire department staff. This enabled them to begin to provide life-saving treatment of patients if they were the first to the scene of an emergency. Daniel expanded the size of the department, in the most literal sense, by adding four new stations to serve the community. Additionally, he helped ensure the safety of his personnel by assisting with key bond measures, ensuring funds were dedicated to retrofitting outdated infrastructure.

Chief Lydon's public service did not end with his retirement from the fire department. He continued to help his community grow by serving as a planning commissioner for the City of Fremont. His legacy continues as the projects he helped shape go on under construction to meet the needs of our community.

Chief Lydon passed away at home, surrounded by his loving family. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Patricia, as well as his children, Bridget, Daniel, Kevin, Margaret, and Michael. His legacy will live on through them, his five grandchildren, and the everlasting impact he made on our community.

Madam Speaker, I missed votes on Monday, March 11. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows:

Roll Call Vote Number 119 (Passage of H.R. 1122, the Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Act): YES

Roll Call Vote Number 120 (Passage of H.R. 758, the Cooperate with Law Enforcement Agencies and Watch Act): YES

Madam Speaker, I missed votes on Monday, March 5. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: Roll Call Vote Number 104 (Passage of H.R. 1381, the Burn Pit Registry Enhancement Act): ``yes''; and Roll Call Vote Number 105 (Passage of S. 49): ``yes''.

Madam Speaker, I missed votes on Monday, February 25. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: Roll Call Vote Number 88 (Passage of H.R. 539, the Innovators to Entrepreneurs Act): YES; Roll Call Vote Number 89 (Passage of H.R. 328, the Recognizing Achievement in Classified School Employees Act): YES.

Mr. Chair, today, we tell our fellow Americans that their children's right to learn without fear; that their own right to dance at a concert, worship at a synagogue, shop at the mall; that all those rights to come home, to live, and to love are greater than any other right in the Constitution.

This bill puts in place an expansion of violent history checks on firearm purchases where there were too many gaps before.

It will not end every gun violence death in America, but we should try. It also will get rid of this argument about States like California and Illinois, where you have gun violence. You can no longer say, well, they have tough background checks there, so it is not working. Well, no, we are only as safe as the lowest common denominator. If our States like Nevada and Arizona have low restrictions when it comes to purchasing a firearm, we are only as safe as they are.

We will have a nationwide background check that will make sure that all of us are safe. We are here, Mr. Chair, because of Mr. Thompson, because of Moms Demand Action, because of Everytown for Gun Safety, and because of March For Our Lives.

Keep marching. You got us to this point.

Madam Speaker, I missed votes on Tuesday, January 22. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows:

Roll Call Vote Number 44 (Passage of H.R. 676, the NATO Support Act): YES; and Roll Call Vote Number 45 (Passage of H.R. 328, the Hack Your State Department Act): YES.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 2 p.m. tomorrow, and further, when the House adjourns on that day, it adjourn to meet on Monday next, when it shall convene at noon for morning-hour debate and 2 p.m. for legislative business.

Madam Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 6 o'clock and 41 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Friday, January 25, 2019, at 2 p.m.

Madam Speaker, I rise today along with Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congressman Mike Thompson, and Congressman Jerry McNerney to recognize Bill O'Malley for his public service and legacy in our East Bay community.

Bill was born in Boston in 1924 and served in the U.S. Navy at a young age. After World War II, he studied at Fordham University in New York. In 1953, Bill and his wife, Claire Dunn, moved to California where they raised nine children. He graduated first in his class from Golden Gate University School of Law while attending at night.

A lifetime public servant, Bill held almost every role in Contra Costa County's legal system. He served as a deputy district attorney, deputy public defender, and was a founding member of the county's public defender's office. In 1968, Bill was appointed as Contra Costa County's District Attorney. During his 16-year tenure, he helped open the county's first rape crisis center and domestic violence shelter. Following his years as district attorney, Bill was elected to be a Superior Court judge where he presided over criminal, civil, and family law until his retirement in 1995.

Outside of the courtroom, Bill was an avid outdoorsman and traveler. He visited every state in the United States and visited all national parks and historic monuments, a feat not easily accomplished. In his retirement he loved spending time with his family and exploring his passion for history by studying World War I and visiting European battlegrounds.

His proudest achievement, though, was his family. Bill is survived by his sister, Grace Fitzgerald; sons Jake and Dan; daughters Nancy, Denise, Betsy, Grace, Patty, and Mary; as well as 13 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Bill was particularly gratified that his daughter, Nancy, became the first woman to serve as Alameda County District Attorney.

I join Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congressman

Mike Thompson, and Congressman Jerry McNerney in recognizing Bill's volunteerism and enthusiasm as a public servant in his community. He will be sincerely missed by those who had the pleasure of knowing him, and he will be remembered for his endless service to Contra Costa County.

Madam Speaker, I rise to reject white nationalism, to reject white supremacy, and to reject anyone who supports these immoral ideas.

I reject Steve King. So does America.

Do you know what? So do the people of Iowa's Fourth Congressional District.

How do I know that? Because I was born there to a police officer as a father and a mom who raised four boys. The way that they raised us is the way that every family in cities like Ames, Algona, and Sac City raised their kids: to love each other, to love God, to work together, and to believe that, in a community, we come together and that love always conquers. They reject the bigotry that they hear day after day from their Representative.

I want to make sure that every person in the United States knows that what was expressed by our colleague is an exception and does not define the hardworking people of western Iowa.