Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, student loan debt in the United States now exceeds $1 trillion, higher than our country's total credit card debt; and unless Congress acts, on July 1, Federal student loans will double, rising from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. This increase in student loan rates would be unbearable for many undergraduate students and future students. It also will keep them out of the middle class.

The middle class as we know right now is shrinking. If you're in the middle class today, you're making approximately $5,000 less than you were 10 years ago, and you have nearly $25,000 more in personal debt. Access to education powers the innovation economy and will increase and grow our middle class. Unfortunately, H.R. 1911, the Republican student loan plan to come to the floor this week, will only make college more expensive. The Republican's Make College More Expensive Plan will make loan rates variable, going as high as 8.5 percent. Their plan essentially will build a great wall around our middle class.

We must deal with the student loan crisis now. Instead of increasing student loan rates for students, Congress should be helping students by keeping student loan rates low and increasing the student loan rate interest deduction. Let's tear down this wall that will keep our students from the middle class and not increase the student loan rate.

I rise in opposition to the Patients' Rights

Repeal Act, the 37th such time that the Republican House leadership has had us consider this.

Before I came to Congress, I was a prosecutor. And as a prosecutor, I would take my case, present evidence to the jury; the jury would reach a verdict, and the case would be closed. The same has occurred with the Affordable Care Act.

In 2009 and 2010, this body debated the Affordable Care Act. Evidence that the Affordable Care Act would increase access to quality care was presented. Evidence about eliminating preexisting conditions was presented. The law was passed by a majority of democratically elected Representatives. It was signed into law by the President of the United States, and recently it was upheld by the Supreme Court. We had an election where the President and the candidate who ran against him talked about these, and they had two very different positions, and this President who signed it into law was reelected. The verdict on the Affordable Care Act is in. The case is closed.

Mr. Speaker, the benefits are also real. In California, 5.6 million people will have access to health care.

There are very serious issues facing our country: growing and lifting our economy, having a green energy policy that makes us independent from other foreign sources of oil, and passing comprehensive immigration reform. But this House Republican leadership is acting like a frivolous litigant wasting our time voting over and over and over--37 times--to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The 37th time will not be a charm.

The definition of ``insanity'' is doing the same thing over and over and over and expecting a different result. I urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 45, and I urge the House Republican leadership to stop the insanity, and let's move forward on the issues that will grow our economy, make us independent from foreign sources of oil in how we find our energy, and fix a broken immigration system.

Mr. Speaker, today I recognize Brigadier General Garrett S. Yee, from Fremont, California who recently was promoted from Colonel to Brigadier General by the United States Army. I will be attending a promotion ceremony for Brigadier General Yee on May 19, 2013 at the Niles Veterans Hall. I am proud to honor Brigadier General Yee, who has served his community with excellence and has executed his role as a public servant with professionalism, fairness, and integrity.

Brigadier General Yee was commissioned as an Infantry Officer in 1987 after graduating from Santa Clara University, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in combined science. He also obtained a master's degree in business administration from Golden Gate University and a master's degree in strategic studies from the Army War College.

Throughout his military career he has held an assortment of staff and command positions. Brigadier General Yee recently returned from Afghanistan, where he served as Deputy Commander for the 335th Signal Command from October 2011 until October 2012. During his time in Afghanistan, he provided senior leadership for all of the 335th Signal Command operations. Brigadier General Yee deployed to Iraq in 2006 as the lead Theater Observation Detachment Officer on behalf of the Center for Army Lessons Learned, which is where he authored a handbook on provincial reconstruction teams in Iraq.

Most recently, in December 2012, Brigadier General Yee became Deputy Commander for Mobilization for the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command at Scott Air Force Base.

I want to thank Brigadier General Yee for his continued service and commitment to our country. The United States appreciates his efforts to ensure our rights and benefits are protected. I wish him the best of luck in his new position.

Today, I rise to honor the amazing Virginia ``Dee'' Williams of Livermore, California, a 12-year survivor of breast cancer who will be honored this Saturday as part of Amgen's ``Breakaway From Cancer'' initiative at the Amgen Tour of California.

Dee was chosen as a ``Breakaway From Cancer'' champion because of the profound difference that she has made in the lives of cancer patients within our community. Dee is a ``call back'' volunteer who talks to cancer patients to determine if their needs are being met while undergoing chemotherapy or radiation. She also spends time talking with recently diagnosed breast cancer patients to help relieve their concerns as they're going through this journey.

As one of the Walnut Creek American Cancer Society ``Look Good, Feel Better'' coordinators for Livermore and Pleasanton, Dee teaches women who are undergoing chemotherapy or radiation how to pick out, take care of, and wear wigs, as well as teaching make-up techniques.

Dee has survived cancer and is still dealing with fibromyalgia and arthritis and battling a neurological disorder, but she has not let any of that slow her down one bit. She is truly an inspiration, and Livermore is lucky to have her, and I am lucky to represent her in the United States Congress. I look forward to seeing her this weekend on the Amgen Tour.

Today is just a few days before Mother's Day, and the House Republican leadership has this House considering the so-called Working Families Flexibility Act on the floor.

This bill is no Mother's Day bouquet, but instead it amounts to a bunch of dead flowers. It denies working mothers--like my mother, who still works today as a secretary and is a part of our middle class--and other hardworking Americans the flexibility they need. This bill only gives flexibility to employers.

Under this misguided legislation, employers would have the flexibility to substitute compensation time for overtime pay. This legislation makes it less expensive for employees to work overtime, encouraging employers to demand more overtime, leading to more work and less pay.

Instead, we should be voting on priorities for working families like equal pay for all, raising the minimum wage, and giving hardworking Americans true flexibility. Unfortunately, the majority just does not understand the needs of working Americans.

Today, I will be voting ``no'' on H.R. 1406 because I will defend hardworking moms like my mom and others who rely often on overtime pay to make ends meet.

I urge my colleagues to stand up for working families. Vote ``no'' on H.R. 1406 and give working moms what they deserve this Mother's Day, which is equal pay for equal work.

Last week, Amador Valley High School from California, in my congressional district, competed in the national We the People competition held right here in Washington, D.C., and I'm proud to report that the students of Amador Valley High School's We the People competition team took second place out of 44 participating teams representing their States across the country.

The We the People competition is held annually, where each State can send one team 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 met with Amador Valley's We the People team while they were here, and I was thoroughly impressed with their participation, preparation, and knowledge of our history, government, and political system. The students' love of history and civics was welcome to see. They're truly a model for students across the country.

I also want to recognize their coaches, Brian Ladd and Mairi Wohlgemuth, who worked tirelessly to organize the team and prepare the students for this competition.

Congratulations again to Amador Valley High School and their students from the We the People program. You make me, our region, and our country proud.

Tomorrow, the Alameda County Labor Council will be hosting their annual Unionist of the Year awards dinner where local labor leaders will be recognized for their tireless advocacy on behalf of hardworking Americans.

One of these great leaders is Obray Van Buren, who will be honored with the Unionist of the Year award. Obray has been a member of the Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 342 for 30 years. Obray is also on the board of directors for Tri-CED Community Recycling, a company which gives many former offenders and at-risk youth a chance at life. This organization proudly serves both Hayward and Union City in my district.

Also honored will be California's Attorney General Kamala Harris, an Alameda County native who also, like me, served in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office and will be honored as the Warrior Woman of the Year. Attorney General Harris is committed to defending the interests of working families who are the backbone of our economy.

Other honorees include Rachel Bryan, Jason Gumataotao, Tanya Pitts, Tamara Perine, Bud Beal, and Christine Garrett.

Once again, congratulations to all honorees. Alameda County appreciates your efforts to ensure that worker rights and benefits are always protected.

This Thursday, the city of Fremont will be one of three cities nationwide to be recognized with the City Award as part of the Make a Difference Day competition.

The Make a Difference Day competition is a national day of volunteering held each year on the third Saturday of October. Fremont has participated in this competition for the past 10 years. Last year alone, 1,300 residents in Fremont participated in 76 projects across the city to clean up and improve our streets and make our community much, much better.

On Thursday, Fremont residents Suzanne Shenfil, Debra Watanuki, and Christine Beitsch will be presented with the award on behalf of the city of Fremont. Fremont will also be awarded $10,000 to benefit the Fremont Family Resource Center, which offers many services such as child care information, adult information and employment services, and educational programs.

I am proud of Fremont and all of the participants in Make a Difference Day for their inspirational work to improve our neighborhoods. Together, each individual contribution builds a stronger and more sustainable community for everyone's future.

Many students often remember that one engaging and empowering teacher who inspired them to change the course of their lives. I am proud to recognize one of those teachers, Ms. Miroslaba ``Lili'' Velo, a social studies teacher from Hayward's Tennyson High School in my congressional district.

Ms. Velo was named the 2013 Outstanding Senior High School Teacher of the Year by the California Council for Social Studies. As the chair of the Social Studies Department at Tennyson High School, Ms. Velo is a true leader in advancing social studies education by teaching educators in her high school and across California how to engage students with new and innovative teaching methods. This is something we will need as we continue to lead our students to be competitive in a changing global economy.

Ms. Velo is a wonderful example of the most dedicated teachers from across the Nation, who strive every day to better the lives of their students and assist the teachers around them.

Once again, I congratulate Ms. Velo on receiving this well-deserved recognition.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my friend and fellow law enforcement officer Patrol Deputy Sheriff Eric Larson of the Alameda County Sheriff's Department. Deputy Sheriff Larson was wounded on March 30, 2013, while bravely serving in the line of duty.

Deputy Sheriff Larson has been honorably serving in the Alameda County Sheriff's Department for over 19 years. He worked his way up through the ranks, previously serving in the Coroner's Office before becoming a Patrol Deputy Sheriff.

As a former prosecutor, I know the importance of courageous and experienced police officers, like Deputy Sheriff Larson, who work day in and day out to keep our streets and communities safe.

Deputy Sheriff Larson's efforts on the day he was wounded helped to protect his fellow officers. He is a shining example of the best and bravest officers in our country; he is willing to put himself in danger for the benefit of others.

Deputy Sheriff Larson is a fourth generation resident of Alameda County, where he continues to reside with his wife and three children. Before joining the Alameda County Police Department, Deputy Sheriff Larson attended San Lorenzo High School. He continues to be active in his community by coaching a variety of youth sports such as baseball, soccer, basketball, and t-ball.

I am thankful for the dedication and sacrifices of Deputy Sheriff Eric Larson and all of the Alameda County police officers who continue to put themselves in harm's way every day to protect the neighborhoods of the East Bay. I wish Deputy Sheriff Larson all the best as he continues to recover at home with his family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 1120, the so-called Preventing Greater Uncertainty in Labor- Management Relations Act.

House Republicans today are continuing their assault against workers' rights. The bill before us would retroactively invalidate National Labor Relations Board, NLRB, decisions made after January 2012 and prevent the board from making or enforcing new decisions until the Senate confirms a quorum of members.

There is an ongoing debate in the courts about the extent of the President's recess appointment powers, and there is no reason for Congress to interject itself now. Moreover, this misguided bill would hurt both workers and businesses by creating chaos. The NLRB protects workers rights to bargain collectively, but it also works to protect businesses by setting orderly standards for labor disputes.

We cannot afford to have both workers and employers face further uncertainty in resolving cases, which will negatively impact our economy. While our economy continues to recover, we should instead be supporting growth by providing stability to both workers and businesses.

Instead of attacking workers and curtailing their rights, I would hope Members would be willing to work together find common sense solutions to help working families. I urge my colleagues to vote no on

Tonight, San Ramon celebrates its 30 years as an incorporated city.

It's a city I know well. My mother grew up there, and my grandfather was the editor of the Valley Pioneer newspaper. I went to elementary school there, and I coached youth soccer there for years.

Americans first came to San Ramon in 1850 when Leo and Mary Jane Norris purchased property there. The name ``San Ramon'' came from a Native American sheep herder in the area named Ramon. For many years, agriculture was a key part of San Ramon's economy. Starting in the 1960s, suburban development began there; modern San Ramon emerged; and the population took off. Eventually, the residents voted to incorporate as a separate city.

It has grown from about 4,000 people in 1960 to over 70,000 today. It's the fourth largest city in Contra Costa County. It is the location of the headquarters of 24-Hour Fitness and Chevron, and it is the west coast headquarters of AT&T. Both of its high schools, California High School and Dougherty Valley High School, were ranked by U.S. News & World Report as being in the top 200 California high schools. These are just a few examples of the highly educated, hardworking folks who live in San Ramon.

I would like to thank the ranking member for yielding me time.

Madam Chair, I rise to object today to the consideration of this bill and rather propose that we stand in this House and we consider Mr. Hoyer's Make It In America package. We can come together and focus on real solutions that will get our economy moving again, and we should take up Mr. Hoyer's Make It In America package because it will strengthen our economy and create non-outsourceable jobs at home, here in America. The Make It In America package includes bills like mine, H.R. 1022, the Securing Energy Critical Elements and American Jobs Act of 2013 that will help secure America's place as a leader in science and technology with a 21st century workforce.

What are rare Earth elements? Well, these are 17 chemical elements-- elements that, prior to coming to Congress and learning about how they affect our economy, I couldn't point out at pistol point--that are very critical to making cell phones, to making our electric cars, and also to making our antimissile systems. Despite the name, they are very abundant in our country and they can be extracted in an environmentally safe manner.

So what's the problem? Well, today, 97 percent of rare Earth elements are extracted and exported from China. Eighty percent of rare Earth magnets and almost 100 percent of related metal production are coming from China. In 2010, China temporarily cut off rare Earth supplies to Japan, the European Union, and the United States, highlighting the potential consequences to the United States for relying so heavily upon China for rare Earth production that is so crucial and critical to what we can create here in America.

My district includes northern Silicon Valley, home of silicon chip processing, home of the technology boom, home of the Internet, and also home of many advanced manufacturing production sites. H.R. 1022, the Securing Energy Critical Elements in American Jobs Act of 2013 aims to help reduce our dependence on China for these critical elements and instead make it here in America. But in order for us to do this, we need to invest in developing our technical workforce here at home.

Currently, the United States lacks the necessary technical expertise to ensure a reliable supply of energy critical elements. My bill, H.R. 1022, enlists the talents of our university students and encourages them to develop the technical expertise necessary to secure America's access to these elements. We need to ensure that the best and brightest minds in our area and our country have the tools and support they need to support America's access to energy critical elements. H.R. 1022 will promote collaboration and research opportunities in the fields of energy-critical elements for students at higher institutions, and coordination of Federal agencies to promote a stable supply of energy- critical elements.

We also have in my congressional district what's called the ``Tri- Valley,'' or, as I like to call it, the ``I Valley,'' or the ``Innovation Valley.'' This area also would rely upon energy-critical elements. And as the ranking member said, we have an opportunity today to work in a bipartisan fashion. Unfortunately, I do not see us doing that. So I would conclude by asking that we come together.

Also, in my bill there's a loan guarantee for companies with new processing and refining technologies. The Securing Energy Critical Elements and American Jobs Act of 2013 will help to spur private investment in companies on the forefront of this critical field. It's very important that we have the Federal Government at the very inception, in the beginning, providing the research and Federal funding. But most important is to get it out into private industry. And that's what this bill calls upon.

So, again, I urge my colleagues to stop wasting time with partisan bills like this today. Instead, let's come together to train and secure a 21st century workforce. Let's harness our own resources. Let's Make It In America, and we can help all Americans make it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Asian American Prosecutors Association, AAPA, for their dedication

to promoting justice and advancing the interests of Asian American prosecutors in California's 15th Congressional District and throughout the state of California. Their willingness to advocate for victims' rights within the Asian American community, while advocating for fairness, equality, and justice for the public at large, is a testament to their workmanship, leadership, and unwavering dedication to the community they serve.

The Asian American Prosecutors Association seeks to empower its members and all prosecutors through education and training about the needs of the Asian American community. AAPA's acting board members are a wealth of knowledge, each having many years of experience working with the Asian American community, and they are all eager to strengthen and support the roles of Asian Americans in all aspects of law and the criminal justice system. Those who serve on the board include, Annie Saadi as President, Sharon Carney as Vice President, Huy Luong as Treasurer, Michael Carney as Secretary, David Lim as Executive Board Member, Amy Deng in Public Relations & Marketing, Lauren Hashimoto in Membership & Recruitment, Mas Morimoto in Community Affairs and Glenn Kim in Information Technology.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that the entire House of Representatives join me in honoring the Asian American Prosecutors Association. AAPA's dedication to the community is an inspiration to us all and it is a high privilege to represent them, and I am glad to take this opportunity to pay tribute to their inaugural reception.

Mr. Speaker, for the many in the world to live free, we must rely upon the sacrifices of the few in our armed services. On March 21, we lost Sergeant First Class James Grissom of Hayward, California, while serving Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

Sergeant Grissom graduated from Mount Eden High School in 1999, and he earned a degree from the Art Institute of San Francisco before enlisting in the Army. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group. As a Special Forces soldier, Sergeant Grissom was physically and mentally strong and honored with many medals, including the Bronze Star and the NATO Medal.

His work as a soldier brightly illustrates the heroism of the servicemembers who serve our country and are dedicated to protecting our freedom. I am forever grateful for Sergeant Grissom's sacrifice and service.

Even after Sergeant Grissom passed away, his service to others continued. Years ago, Sergeant Grissom chose to be an organ donor, and his organs were used recently to help others in need across the world.

We shall not forget the sacrifice and honor of Sergeant Grissom. For his country, he gave his life; for the rest of the world, he gives his body.