Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, in late May of this year, a 5-year-old boy named Jose and his father arrived in El Paso, Texas. Together, they had braved the dangerous trek from Honduras to the United States in search of freedom from gang violence, poverty, and hardship.

They came as asylum seekers and put themselves at the mercy of American laws. Instead, they were treated like criminals.

They journeyed across the continent for a life free of violence and a life free of crime. It is a human right enshrined in international law.

When Jose arrived at the border, he was ripped away from his father and detained. Neither one of them were told when, or if, they would see each other again.

Jose was assigned to a host family he had never met, taken to a house he had never lived in, and was treated like a prisoner in the land of freedom.

According to his host family, every night he placed a handwritten picture of his family under his pillow, holding out hope that they would someday be reunited.

This is the picture that he drew.

This is immoral, illegal, and an un-American practice that will not go unchallenged.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the notable contributions and meaningful progress made by the Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD) to protect its 30,000 students by taking unprecedented actions to implement school safety measures, including the installation of a pioneering digital mapping system at my alma mater, Anaheim High School.

This technology can potentially save the lives of teachers, students and first responders, especially critical in a time when hundreds of students have been victims of gun violence in more than 200 school shootings In 2018 alone, there have been 20 incidents in which someone was injured with in firearm on the campus of an U.S. school.

More than 214,000 students have experienced gun violence at 216 schools since Columbine. The Washington Post found that at least 141 children, educators and other individuals have been killed in assaults, and another 284 have been injured.

Anaheim High is the first school in the nation to be digitally mapped using technology developed by former law enforcement officer, David Sobel, whose wife and mother are both public school teachers.

This new technology will provide up-to-date floor plans, aerial maps and site plans virtually to responders within minutes of an emergency.

Through the use of 15,000, 360-degree high resolution photos, the digital map will provide first responders with important details such as potential hiding places, what furniture or other materials could be used as a barricade, and even what kinds of locks and hinges are on the doors.

What's more, the AUHSD is actively embracing its philosophy that ``school safety means physical, intellectual and emotional safety'' by enacting mental health initiatives to create positive school climates that promote kindness and compassion.

A dedicated team of social workers provide intensive mental health and crisis intervention services and they work with numerous community partners to raise awareness about adverse childhood experiences (or trauma), and to identify mental health issues at early stages and develop coping skills.

In addition, the AUHSD is to be commended for its establishment of Southern California's first high school Cybersecurity Pathway through collaborations with the business and education community.

Also notable is the District's creation of an Offensive Security Society and the formation of high school chapters to teach students how to ethically and proactively discover weaknesses in technology systems and to make corrections before the weaknesses elevate to crisis level.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the Anaheim Union High School District for its leadership in addressing the critical issue of how to keep our students safe through a multi-faceted approach that employs pioneering technology and lessons in kindness and compassion.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to honor one of my constituents, Gary Reynolds, a Physics Teacher from the City of Santa Ana.

Mr. Reynolds has been an important figure in the community, not only as a teacher, but also as a mentor to his students at Santa Ana High School for over 31 years. His love for the Sciences and desire to educate the city's youth, Mr. Reynolds has been able to create a career through his teachings in Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science, and Robotics.

After graduating from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1969, Mr. Reynolds became an Infantry Officer at Marine Corps Recruiting from 1969 to 1976. During his time in the Marine Corps, he also served in Vietnam from 1970 to 1971.

Mr. Reynolds is a former Postdoctoral Research Assistant from Louisiana State University and a Research Assistant from University of California, Irvine. Mr. Reynolds received his PhD in Environmental Chemistry at University of California, Irvine, and has studied Cell Physiology and Biochemistry at San Diego State University, and Zoology and Chemistry at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Mr. Reynolds' is dedicated to educating the city's students and has acted as a mentor to all those who may not have had someone who they can look up to. Through the years, he has acted as a mentor and has motivated students to be the best that they could be. Because of his guidance, many of his students have gone on to pursue a higher education.

Mr. Reynolds' tremendous efforts are not left unnoticed and his accolades are well-deserved. More importantly, it is the impact he has made in our community. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize Mr. Reynolds, and I thank him for his positive impact he has made on the Santa Ana community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Nicholas Academic Center in Santa Ana, California. The Nicholas Academic Center is an after-school tutoring and mentoring program that first opened in 2008. Now with three centers opened throughout the city, high school students have been given the opportunity to have a safe and nurturing space where they can receive academic and study assistance, emotional support, mentoring and social services to prepare students as they pursue their educational goals at an institution of higher learning.

The Nicholas Academic Center was established by Henry T. Nicholas Ill and Judge Jack K. Mandel in 2008. Their goal was to establish a center where all the necessary tools could be provided to underprivileged students for them to succeed in the future. The Nicholas Academic Center has provided students with academic assistance, college connections, and scholarship opportunities. Staff member are also highly qualified and dedicated to helping students succeed not only in high school but also through college.

Today, the Nicholas Academic Center has served more than 1,500 students in their 10-

year-history and their students have been awarded nearly $60 Million in scholarships and grants. Due to the help received from the center, students have been accepted to some of the nation's most prestigious institutions, like University of California, Los Angeles, University of Notre Dame, Stanford University and Harvard University. With 95 percent of the graduates being Latino, 90 percent of these graduates are first- generation college students. Out of the Nicholas Academic Center's 2018 graduating class consisting of 195 students, 100 percent of the class will be attending college this Fall.

The services provided by the Nicholas Academic Center would not be possible without the generosity of Dr. Nicholas Ill through the Henry T. Nicholas Ill Foundation, who has donated $14.3 million dollars to the center over the past ten years.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize the Nicholas Academic Center who has dedicated the past decade to helping underprivileged students succeed.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address this body on a very important issue that we need to bring to the attention of the people of this country.

I am proud to have so many of my colleagues here today to stand up against the President's policy of systematically tearing immigrant children away from their families. These innocent children are being held under inhumane conditions at detention facilities, alone and apart from their parents.

President Trump's chief of staff, General Kelly, recently, when asked about this, said:

The children will be taken care of, put into foster care,

or whatever.

This is an unacceptable answer.

The administration is tearing children away from their parents, including infants and toddlers, and in some cases, holding these children in cages.

The United Nations has noted that children arriving at the U.S. border who plead for asylum with their parents is a legal form of entry, and separating children away from their parents is illegal and a violation of human rights.

These immoral practices are being executed by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, to instill fear and deter families, who are already fleeing extreme fear and violence in their native homes. They are trying to, again, deter them from seeking legal protection in America.

For example, from October 2017 to April 2018, 700 children were separated. But in just the first 13 days of May of this year, 2018, 658 children were separated, which almost equals the previous 6 months. Children are literally being ripped from their mothers' arms, who are simply seeking safety for their families. And immorally, the administration is breaking up families, plain and simple. Asylum seekers should not be held hostage and penalized for wanting to be protected from harm.

This new policy is clearly unprecedented, cruel, and altogether dead wrong. It is imperative that we stand up against the administration's un-American policies towards families.

Today, my colleagues and I are standing up against this barbaric action and demand the administration stop punishing children and stop punishing families who are fearing for their lives.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren), my good friend and distinguished colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from California for those remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa), my good friend and distinguished colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from California for his comments.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore), my distinguished colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from Wisconsin, and I completely agree with her. We cannot be silent in these very challenging times. The whole world is upside down, and people are counting on us to make sure that we remind people of what is going on in Washington.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez), my good friend and distinguished colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from Texas, and I have to say, when we talk about ``it's not our fault,'' let's remember Central American violence, gang violence, drugs, gangs. What fuels it? Our insatiable appetite in the United States for drugs. Our dollars that go into Central America, this is what fuels the violence.

These children, these families, when they come of age, MS-13, whom the President talks about very often, tells these families: ``Either your children join the gang or they die.'' These parents make a third choice, which is to flee, to escape violence, and to seek asylum in America.

It is not our fault? Those are our dollars that are fueling that violence.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Peters), my good friend and distinguished colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Peters), and I also want to thank him for citing President Reagan's name in his comments, President Reagan from the good State of California, my home.

Governor Reagan of the State of California, he understood family; he protected families; and President Reagan passed immigration reform in the United States. Thank you, President Reagan.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney), my good friend and distinguished colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from New York for her comments.

I yield to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), my good friend and distinguished colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. O'Rourke), my good friend and distinguished colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for his comments, and I think he is absolutely correct. History is going to judge us, and we are going to look back years from now and say: What did we do?

We have to make sure we are not silent in this very special moment in our history. I thank the gentleman for coming.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith), my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, Mr. Adam Smith, very much for coming over and sharing his thoughts. It is very important. Again, we cannot forget.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), my good friend and distinguished colleague from the good State of Texas

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague Congresswoman Jackson Lee, for her comments.

I agree with her. This is a call to action. At this moment in history, we cannot be silent. At this moment in history, we cannot look away. And in this moment of history, we cannot ignore what we know is clearly going on around us. I thank the gentlewoman for her comments.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield to Mr. Joaquin Castro, my good friend and distinguished colleague from Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, Mr. Castro from the good State of Texas, for his comments.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to address this most important issue of asylum and this most important issue of children seeking asylum in this great country of ours.

We have to remember who this country is. We have to remember who we are as a people. We are all immigrants in this country. Except if you are native-born, Native American, you are not. But 99.9 percent of us were all immigrants. We all came to this country, our forefathers came to this country seeking a better life, seeking better opportunities, and seeking to run away from tyranny that was provided to them by other countries.

Today, I hope that the people who are watching and the people who are listening understand what is at stake today. We cannot look away. We cannot ignore what is going on.

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

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

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 6 o'clock and 34 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, June 14, 2018, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to take a few moments today to honor one of my constituents, Mr. Eduardo Buenaflor, a proven executive with records of generating exceptional results.

Mr. Buenaflor has been an important figure in advancing the U.S. Navy aircraft. He helped develop the fast paced HH-60H Seahawk aircraft that is currently being used by a squadron. As Director of Operations at the Navy, his responsibilities included day-today flight operations, strategic planning, aircraft acquisition integration, foreign and domestic key partner relations, business systems, and leadership.

Leading by example, as Director of Human Resources, he managed staffing for 3 departments, 15 production work centers involving 400 personnel and 23 division managers, assured that qualified individuals are placed in the correct position. He is highly organized in the management of 255 career development boards, employee evaluations, and 29 employee disciplinary review boards and as Chairman of employee awards board.

Recently, Mr. Buenaflor was awarded Armed Forces Joint Meritorious Service Medal for a combat tour in Iraq and four separate Navy Commendation Medals that were awarded for exceptional leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize Mr. Buenaflor and the positive impact he has made in the Armed Forces.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of my amendment 96 that is included in the en bloc amendment.

My amendment requires the Secretary of Defense to study how the Department of Defense can attract and recruit students from higher education institutions with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cybersecurity.

To make sure we draw from the best and brightest of our country, this study would consist of students from all higher education institutions, including but not limited to Hispanic serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander serving institutions.

World war III is currently taking place in cyberspace, and that is why it is important that we find our young men and women, the best and brightest we have, to fight this battle.

Additionally, with China racing to dominate the artificial intelligence space, we must find suitable individuals to keep up with China's artificial intelligence advancements and massive investments in this area.

My amendment would ensure that our Nation has the information it needs to recruit our brightest and best.

Mr. Speaker, I take a few moments today to honor one of my constituents, Coach Scott Glabb, for his contributions to Orange County youth.

Mr. Glabb has been an important figure as a teacher and wrestling coach at Santa Ana High School for about 30 years. After wrestling in college for Eastern Washington University, Coach Glabb came to Santa Ana High School in 1990, where he became a teacher and a head coach.

Mr. Glabb's dedication led Santa Ana High School to 26 straight CIF championship league titles. Coach Glabb also coached two individual national high school champs: Tony Perez in 1998 and Jose Leon in 1999. With the girls, he was equally successful. He had two female wrestling State champs: Lizette Tenorio in 2009 and Berenice Blanco in 2012.

Mr. Glabb was more than a coach and a teacher. He was a role model for a lot of kids that didn't have a chance to make it out of their neighborhoods.

Thank you, Coach Glabb. We wish you success in your retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bipartisan legislation, H.R. 4334, the Improving Oversight of Women Veterans' Care Act.

Women are the fastest growing cohort of veterans. There are currently 2 million women veterans in the United States and Puerto Rico, almost 10 percent of the overall veteran population.

According to some projections, women veterans are expected to grow to represent 15 percent of all veterans by 2030. Therefore, it is important that we ensure that women veterans receive quality care in a safe and dignified environment, as well as in a timely manner, in and outside the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Specifically, this bill will require an annual report on veteran access to gender-specific care under community care contracts and quarterly reports on environment of care standards for women veterans.

In conclusion, I would like to thank my colleague and friend, Ranking Member Walz, and Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Brownley for the support of this legislation. I thank Chairman Roe as well.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4334.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Joey Daniel for his spectacular performance in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) State wrestling championship this year where he earned a CIF state title at 220 pounds.

Currently a senior at Santa Ana High School, Mr. Daniel has already proven his excellence in wrestling by winning the Golden West League championship four times, the CIF championship three times, the Masters Meet championship once, and the Orange Country championship five times during his wrestling career between 2014 to 2018. This year in March, he reached new heights and became the first winner of the CIF state wrestling championship in the history of Santa Ana High School, took second place nationally, and was promptly named Orange County's boys wrestler of the year.

After graduation from high school, Mr. Daniel plans to enlist in the Marine Corps immediately. Through wrestling, he has learned diligence, perseverance and confidence, which will undoubtedly serve him well as he strives to become a member of the Marines.

Mr. Speaker, Joey Daniel has more than proven that he is an extraordinary student athlete with no limits to his potential. I am beyond proud to honor Joey Daniel.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2372, the VA MISSION Act.

Mr. Speaker, I support the VA MISSION Act because it will improve access to timely care for all our veterans through consolidation and reform of the various care and community programs and through expansion of the caregiver program.

Like my colleague from Maine said, in California, we are the proud home to the largest number of veterans in the United States, and we want more of them in California.

Let me say that I know there may be some issues with this legislation, but at the end of the day, I have got to ask myself, is this about Wall Street or is this about the beltway? No. This is about Main Street, Main Street Santa Ana, Anaheim, Orange County, California.

This VA MISSION Act is supported by 38 veteran and military service groups, including The American Legion.

One of my constituents, Ken George, the District 29 Commander of the Department of California American Legion, represents more than 8,000 American Legion members in Orange County, he called me and he said: If Congress wants to help veterans and caregivers, there is no better way than to support this legislation.

As Ken said, the bill will help veterans and caregivers through expansion of benefits available to our caregivers of veterans of all eras.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this legislation. Yes, there are some issues there, but at the end of the day, if you listen to our veterans, our friends, and neighbors, the folks we represent, this is an ``aye'' vote.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4910, the Veterans Cemetery Benefit Correction Act, as amended, requires the Secretary of the Interior to provide an outer burial receptacle for each new grave in an open cemetery under the control of the National Park Service. The National Park Service controls 14 national cemeteries, two that are still active. They are Andersonville National Cemetery in Georgia and Andrew Johnson National Cemetery in Tennessee.

Mr. Speaker, veterans who want to be buried at these two cemeteries currently must pay the cost of their own outer burial receptacle, yet veterans buried in national or State cemeteries controlled by the VA's National Cemetery Administration are provided such at no cost.

This bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to promulgate rules and regulations establishing the cost that must be reimbursed to the Department of the Interior by survivors. The survivors will then be reimbursed for the cost through a VA voucher. It has already passed the Senate, and I urge its passage today by the House.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop), my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 4910, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, when the VA provides burial and headstones or markers for eligible family members who predecease Active-Duty servicemembers, it is always under tragic and difficult circumstances.

Of course we want to provide these benefits as seamlessly as possible so our servicemembers can move on with their lives. This bill codifies current practice to ensure VA's process of handling these issues with dignity, sensitivity, and compassion.

I want to thank the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee Chairman Mike Bost and Ranking Member Elizabeth Esty for their part in supporting and helping to bring this bill to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 4335, the Servicemember Family Burial Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, since 2003, April has been recognized as ``National Donate Life Month'' across the country. Every year, the month serves as a chance to encourage organ and tissue donor registration, recognize those individuals who continue to wait for a transplant, and honor living and deceased donors and their families for their gift of life.

Every ten minutes, a person is added to the national transplant waiting list. As of April 2018, more than 114,000 people are awaiting an organ donation. Unfortunately, despite over 130 million people registered as donors, the need for donated organs outweighs the supply. Sadly, on average, 20 people die each day while waiting for a needed transplant.

The simple truth is that organ donation and transplantation saves lives. In fact, organ donation from a single deceased donor can benefit up to eight individuals. And living kidney and liver donors provide transplant candidates with the chance to live longer.

Today, on Blue & Green Day, during which the public is encouraged to wear blue and green to raise organ donation awareness, I am proud to introduce a bipartisan resolution to recognize April 2018 as ``National Donate Life Month'' and support its goals and ideals.