Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the MORE Act.

This legislation is a very simple but very important piece of legislation. It does three basic things.

Number one, it legalizes cannabis by removing it from the Controlled Substance Act. Number two, it establishes a process to expunge cannabis-related convictions. Number three, it taxes cannabis.

Mr. Speaker, it is time.

Thirty-seven States in our Nation have already legalized cannabis. Even Canada has legalized cannabis, and other nations around the world are legalizing cannabis. Even the Israelis are selling cannabis-related medicine.

It is time, Mr. Speaker.

But this is just the start. Cannabis farmers can't enroll in crop insurance. They can't receive the official organic designation. They can't access USDA programs.

Mr. Speaker, it is well beyond time. Please vote for this legislation. Vote for common sense. Let's vote for the MORE Act.

Madam Speaker, during the early days of the pandemic, when medical resources and household items were in short supply, Suavecito, Inc., the Santa Ana-based company famous for making hair pomade, decided to start producing much-needed hand sanitizer for frontline workers in our community.

For months, Suavecito donated thousands of bottles of hand sanitizer to first responders, postal workers, grocery store employees, and delivery drivers, filling a critical need for Santa Ana and Orange County.

Like so many people across this country--when their community was in need--Suavecito answered the call. Even when their own production lines shut down, they used their resources to help their community.

Today, Suavecito has rebounded, and its two production warehouses are staffed by more than 100 employees who, last year, produced more than 6 million 4-ounce cans of pomade, as well as other haircare products and merchandise that are sold locally and exported to more than 55 markets around the world.

For their distinguished contribution to U.S. exports during the COVID-19 pandemic, Suavecito earned the President's ``E'' Award from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Suavecito founders, Pete and Tony Adame and Jason Venable, have been a beacon of hope, prosperity, and resiliency in Santa Ana for more than a decade. This band of brothers represent the best of Orange County, of California, and of America.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S.

3706) to provide for the application of certain provisions of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 for fiscal year 2021.

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 bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 3706. This bill makes important corrections to the recently passed Secure Rural Schools reauthorization. Without these corrections, counties would not have the choice of electing to receive SRS payments or electing to receive Federal timber harvest receipts. Rather, they would have to take SRS payments.

Furthermore, the current reauthorization does not allow counties to elect their allocations in advance of their fiscal year 2021 payments, meaning all eligible counties would receive 80 percent Title I funds, 20 percent Title II funds, and no Title III funds.

While Title I payments, used for roads and schools, will be the bulk of the payment either way, it is important to ensure that counties get access to Title III funds. Title III funds are important because they can be used for specified county purposes. These purposes can include law enforcement on Federal land, search and rescue, and wildfire risk reduction.

This fix will help timber-dependent counties across the country and ensure continued support for roads, schools, law enforcement, and environmental benefits.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time and urge adoption of this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the bill and the amendment.

Sex crimes, including sexual harassment, are some of the most brutal and heinous crimes, causing irreparable damage to their victims. Beyond the physical pain, the psychological trauma usually scars the victim for life. And let us not forget that the vast majority of victims bear this pain silently since these crimes usually go unreported.

I want to thank Mrs. Bustos for the bill and the amendments to prohibit forced arbitration when it comes to sexual assault. But I say to you, Madam Speaker, this is not enough. We must also address secret settlements and nondisclosure agreements. These agreements allow sexual predators to continue to victimize other victims for a long, long time.

To remedy this loophole, I will be introducing legislation to prohibit secret settlements when it comes to sexual crimes.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the America COMPETES Act.

No piece of legislation is more important to this Nation's future. It is about our national security. It is about our economic well-being.

This bill is about regaining our independence in semiconductor chip manufacturing.

This bill is about keeping our factories open and about American jobs.

The America COMPETES Act also includes my legislation, the HOPR Act, that says uniforms worn by our frontline DHS personnel must be made in America by Americans.

Let's get busy and remind the rest of the world what made in America is all about. It is about making the best.

I urge my colleagues to support the America COMPETES Act.

Mr. Speaker, today, we honor the life and memory of Officer Bobby Reed.

He was born November 23, 1951, and Bobby Reed's life was about service to his community and to his country.

As a marine, he was deployed overseas to Vietnam, where he served honorably and attained the rank of staff sergeant.

When he returned home to Santa Ana, California, my hometown, he decided to join the local police department to continue protecting and serving his community.

During his 28 years of service on the Santa Ana police force, Officer Reed was honored many times over by his colleagues and his community for his exemplary service and character. Multiple civic organizations, such as Kiwanis and MADD, recognized him with many awards.

He was also elected as a board member of the Santa Ana Police Officers Association, showing, again, his leadership and his positive influence on others.

As we celebrate Bobby's life, may his example continue to shine for the next generation.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of the EVEST Act.

All gave some, and many made the ultimate sacrifice. America has made a promise to our veterans that we will take care of them when they return home.

I represent Orange County, California, and many of my constituents have served their country proudly. One of my constituents, Billy Hall, from the city of Orange, enlisted at the age of 15, served from 1941 to 1945 in World War II, and again from 1948 to 1967 in the Korean and Vietnam wars.

Every servicemember deserves our respect and gratitude, and most of all, all the benefits and care that we promised them when they would return home.

This bill is very simple but very important. It automatically enrolls veterans in the healthcare system. It provides veterans healthcare without the red tape.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the EVEST Act and pass this simple and important commonsense legislation for our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, today we honor the life and memory of Manny T. Padilla, a leader in our community and my very, very good friend.

Manny served on many boards, commissions, and organizations in Orange County, and he also served 9 years on the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Orange County's Board of Directors.

Among his many accomplishments, he was honored as Volunteer of the Year by the University of Georgetown, as well as receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of the State of California.

Manny's story started in New Mexico when he was 17. Then his high school principal chose two of the best students in his high school to be part of the Boys State program. Manny was one of those students.

He moved to Washington, D.C. later on and attended Georgetown University while he worked for then-Senator Dennis Chavez. Years later he attended law school where he met his wife, Betty, at the same time while working at the Department of Labor. They had four children. And Manny had a very long career in the private sector working for State Farm Insurance.

As we celebrate his life, we know his memory will serve as a great example to this next generation.

Mr. Speaker, I also rise in strong support of the Combating International Islamophobia Act.

A recent report in California found that 56 percent of the students in California feel unsafe in their school because of their Muslim religious identity. That is not the America I know. Our Nation stands for many freedoms, including the freedom of religion.

I am a proud sponsor of this legislation to create a special envoy to fight anti-Muslim hate crimes in the U.S. and abroad.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Maloney for yielding me time.

My first amendment, No. 9, will strengthen the ability of Congress to do our job of oversight of the executive branch. It closes a loophole in the Freedom of Information Act that effectively lets Federal agencies ignore congressional requests for information.

Amendment No. 10 will require all congressionally mandated reports to be transmitted to Congress in a machine-readable format. It is a commonsense way to search and find information within thousands of pages of reports.

These two amendments are about the government, and they are about transparency. Our government should not have anything to hide. Both of these are supported by the Project On Government Oversight.

Madam Speaker, I urge an ``aye'' vote on en bloc No. 1 and to support amendments No. 9 and No. 10.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to issue this recognition of ``Timeless Zoroastrian Legacy'' to all Zoroastrians for their extraordinary contributions to history and civilization, in pioneering the first universal human rights, world democracy, abolishment of slavery, and freedom of religion. The Zoroastrian legacy has greatly influenced the American founding fathers, the American Constitution, and the design of the Statue of Liberty.

Please join me in recognizing the remarkable contributions of the Zoroastrian community in the United States and throughout the world.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2915) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 regarding the procurement of certain items related to national security interests for Department of Homeland Security frontline operational components, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2915, the Homeland Procurement Reform Act, or better known as HOPR Act. I am proud to have introduced this bipartisan legislation to reform the way the Department of Homeland Security purchases uniforms and protective equipment for its personnel.

My bill seeks to improve the quality of uniforms and equipment issued to frontline DHS personnel by requiring, to the maximum extent possible, that at least one-third of the funds be used to purchase goods manufactured by American small businesses in America.

Today, DHS has more than 60,000 men and women in uniform, but fewer than half of those uniforms are actually manufactured in the United States.

Furthermore, in response to the concerns expressed by frontline personnel about how quickly they exhaust their annual uniform allowances, this bill directs DHS to study the adequacy of uniform allowances for those serving on the front lines.

My bill also strengthens supply chain security for uniforms by mandating locked storage, reports of stolen goods, and the destruction of defective items for any item bearing official DHS insignia not manufactured in the United States.

In response to supply chain shortages that we have been seeing recently during this pandemic, my bill also requires the Department to assess how to get more items related to national security from domestic sources.

This provision is targeted at such items as personal protective equipment, or PPE, which we all know has

been quite scarce at points during this pandemic. Simply put, this bill is good for Homeland Security, good for Americans, and good for American businesses.

H.R. 2915 is endorsed by the Warrior Protection and Readiness Coalition and passed out of the committee unanimously.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Homeland Procurement Reform Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, if enacted, H.R. 2915 will simultaneously serve the frontline personnel who protect our homeland and support the domestic industrial base, especially small businesses.

Most importantly, as noted in the committee report, it is our expectation that, once this measure is enacted into law, DHS implement it in a manner that supports small business domestic manufacturing.

To that end, DHS is expected to prioritize buying from small businesses that manufacture the item here in the United States over purchasing foreign-manufactured goods supplied by a small business.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the bipartisan work that went into creating this legislation that is cosponsored by my Republican colleague, Mr. Brian Mast of Florida. I also appreciate the efforts of Senator Shaheen of New Hampshire, who introduced the Senate companion of this bill, which the Senate Committee on Homeland Security ordered to be favorably reported this year.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the HOPR Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5652) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the Acquisition Review Board in the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, each year, the Department of Homeland Security spends billions of dollars on its major acquisition programs to execute its most critical missions. It acquires systems vital to homeland security, including those used to screen travelers, enhance cybersecurity, and improve disaster response.

However, over the past decade, the Government Accountability Office, or GAO, has repeatedly raised alarms regarding DHS' management of its acquisition programs.

Earlier this year, the GAO reviewed 24 major acquisition programs that DHS is pursuing. Ten had been in breach of their cost or schedule goals, or both, at some point during fiscal year 2020.

Given the complexity of DHS' acquisition programs, it is critical that there be a standing oversight body to give major acquisition programs the attention they deserve. At DHS, the Acquisition Review Board is just that body.

H.R. 5652, the DHS Acquisition Review Board Act of 2021, seeks to strengthen the role of the Acquisition Review Board, or ARB, to improve acquisition outcomes at DHS.

The ARB is charged with reviewing major acquisition programs for proper management, oversight, accountability, and alignment with DHS' strategic functions.

The ARB can intercede when it identifies a program with significant cost, schedule, or performance issues and drive a course correction or even terminate such a program.

Passage of H.R. 5652 will help stabilize oversight within DHS when it comes to major acquisitions, which, according to GAO, is a high-risk activity, by codifying the Board into law.

Most importantly, the bill also authorizes the Board to not only review major acquisitions but also to review certain acquisitions that are valued below $300 million but are critical to the Department's success.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the DHS Acquisition Review Board Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5652 strengthens the Acquisition Review Board, one very important mechanism within DHS that can help ensure that acquisition programs are delivered on time and on budget, and in-line with DHS missions.

A version of this bill passed the House in both the 115th and 116th Congresses, and I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew) for sponsoring the legislation in this Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the DHS Acquisition Review Board Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and venerate the more than 54,000 American lives lost during the Korean War. The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, when North Korean soldiers crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea. The violence immediately drew international attention, and on June 27, 1950, President Harry S. Truman ordered United States air, sea, and ground forces to assist the Republic of Korea.

All Americans owe a debt of gratitude to our nation's soldiers, ground troops, sailors, airmen, coast guards, and marines who fought and died defending the world's model of freedom, democracy, and justice.

In that vein, Koreans and Korean Americans have led a major effort to design, construct, and oversee a monument that recognizes the extraordinary bravery of those American service members who lost their lives during the Korean War.

Led by the Orange County Korean War Memorial Committee, of which I am a member, the historic Korean War Memorial Monument will be dedicated November 11, 2021, on America's Veterans Day. Located in the northern part of Hillcrest Park, adjacent to the Duck Pond, the monument will be the first in America to feature the inscribed names of all 36,591 soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving on the Korean Peninsula, 2,612 of whom were Californians.

Through this effort, there will be ongoing dialogue about the Korean War's historical significance, while promoting awareness and reminding the public of the noble sacrifice made by America's fallen veterans.

Please join me in commending the work and dedication of the volunteers and officials from various agencies who helped turn the dream of a Korean War Memorial into reality. By doing so, a permanent monument now stands to honor the 36,591 fallen heroes who so valiantly gave their lives to protect freedom.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Victoria Barrios. While her life was cut short by a senseless drive-by shooting, Victoria Barrios lived her 18 years as a loving daughter, sister, and faithful friend.

Born November 4, 2000, Victoria was a bright, kind-hearted, well- spoken young lady with an infectious laugh and a soft heart for elderly people. At only 5 feet tall and 90 pounds, she was courageous and stood up for anyone who she felt was being disrespected, shamed or bullied.

Now gone for two years, her family continues to search for those responsible for ending Victoria's life.

I pray there is justice for Victoria and her family.