Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Gary Pollard who is leaving the city council of Foster City and the governing board of the Estero Municipal Improvement District after four years, and after serving six years on the city's Parks and Recreation Committee.

Serving on a city council means being serious about quality of life issues. Gary Pollard's service illustrates his commitment to the quality of life of every resident. For example, he served as the council's liaison to the transportation committee, the Chamber of Commerce, the Peninsula Clean Energy Authority and the Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance, and the countywide library board, just to name a few. Foster City was an early adopter of the use of 100 percent renewable energy from the Peninsula Clean Energy Authority, and Gary was the one who led the city down this path to sustainability.

Serving in local government also means being active in statewide associations. Gary was Foster City's representative to the League of California Cities and he made substantial contributions as a member of the League's Public Works Policy Committee for the past two years, ensuring that policy and legislative recommendations reflect the priorities of city residents.

As an avid bicyclist, Gary focuses on mobility. He participates in the community bike ride every year and has encouraged bike safety. He served on the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee as a part of a local agency composed of cities, and was involved in the bicycle, pedestrian, and intersection evaluation study.

Gary served twice as the city's Vice-Mayor from 2014 to 2015 and from 2017 to 2018. Foster City's finances are now enviable, but there was a time in his earlier years of service that difficult choices had to be made. He served on the city's audit committee and used that position to ensure that city operations were as efficient as possible. He participated vigorously in goalsetting during budget sessions and explained difficult choices to residents. One of those difficult choices was the need to upgrade the city's vulnerable levee. Gary supported the bond measure and city voters rewarded his decision and that of his colleagues with a vote of 81 percent to fix the levee.

Gary also took time from his busy life to coach youth sports. For twelve years he coached Little League and Pony/Colt Leagues and was President of the Foster City Youth Baseball Association. His name was added to the city's Sports Wall of Fame in 2010.

Mr. Speaker, Foster City is a planned community dedicated to families and to residents who love its bayside location and ample recreational opportunities. Gary Pollard is a great representative of residents because, like them, he values the city's quality of life and the tenor of the community, which is to seek a good outcome for everyone. I want to thank Gary's wife, Christine (Chris), and his children Bryan and Marcus for their patience as Gary served the community through countless hours of council debate and volunteer efforts.

As a professional, he operates his own travel agency. It's been a long journey for Gary after ten years in the public spotlight. Hopefully, the tour was as remarkable for him as it was beneficial to the residents of Foster City. He leaves the council with the goodwill of his fellow residents and our thanks for a job well done.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great friend and leader, Bob Grassilli, who is departing the San Carlos City Council after serving from 2005 to 2018 and three times as Mayor. Bob's leadership during his years in city life has left an indelible imprint on San Carlos.

From 1994 to 2000, Bob served on the planning commission and struggled with some of the most vexing problems of the community. Bob served on the Railroad Land Use Committee, a temporary entity that left a lasting impact in the form of an extensive grade separation project that now saves lives throughout the year.

During his time on the council, San Carlos created a new budget process, contracted for police and fire with other agencies to save taxpayer money, ended its chronic budget deficits, and started new communications efforts with citizens. A major medical practice building was built and a hospital remains in the city's future. New hotels have been constructed, including one that required the city to aggregate land and to solicit an investor. Many claimed the hotel effort would fail. Bob and his colleagues knew better and it's been a major success.

After years of planning, major housing developments are now dotting the landscape of San Carlos. These units, and others that are planned, give people a chance to live near work, to improve the environment by reducing their emissions related to commutes, and add vibrancy to the city's thriving downtown area. Bob Grassilli supported these new units and, as a developer, had a keen eye for the balance between aesthetics and the critical need to house a growing population.

Bob has a conciliatory personality, but he's not afraid to make hard choices. He voted for the controversial Holly Street restriping project which opened up an additional lane to burgeoning traffic during commute hours. He voted to adopt a climate action plan despite the skepticism of some about whether humans play a meaningful role in global climate change. No one likes to be the one who votes to eliminate trees from a city that cherishes its landscape, but the trees were dangerous and Bob stood up for public safety. He also made countless other choices about individual housing proposals, traffic lights and crosswalks, and the city's master plan that never pleased everyone. This is leadership--the willingness to take the hits because in the long run the public deserves the choice you believe is in its best interests.

One anecdote illustrates Bob's dedication to public service. As mayor, he was alerted to a dangerous road condition that had been inadvertently created by a city road contractor. He drove to the scene and confirmed that the intersection was dangerous. He contacted the city manager and then waited about 90 minutes for a crew to show up to fix the problem.

At the time, Bob was wearing his signature lime-green polo shirt. It served the dual purpose of alerting oncoming traffic--from 1000 feet away--to a road hazard and it protected Bob from being hit. Unfortunately, it also created its own hazardous road condition. Bob knows so many people in San Carlos that motorists and pedestrians would honk or shout out and wave to him, sometimes even congratulating him on his fashion choice, but they also sometimes lost track of where they were in the dangerous intersection. Thankfully no one got hurt. The insight from this anecdote is clear: Bob Grassilli dresses for success and never leaves until the job is done.

In his private life, Bob is one of the Peninsula's consistent philanthropists. He sits on the board of one foundation and personally contributes thousands to some of our most important safety net nonprofits in San Mateo County. He also participates in countywide and regional bodies focused on good governance. He's a leader who is dedicated to ensuring that others receive a fair shake in life through better public services and assistance when times are difficult.

Bob will be challenged in retirement from public life because he will have to be satisfied by what newcomers may do. These choices may be different from his own. However, Bob is a true product of American democracy. He may disagree with any given choice and yet celebrate the outcome because it is created by the people of his community through an elected city council. A man who is satisfied with a dissatisfying result because it was fairly determined is an uncommonly wise individual and a too-rare public official in modem America. However, this is the man who we know as Mayor Bob Grassilli, the wise man with the gavel and the model for those who cherish local government in all its glory.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the departure from public service of San Carlos City Councilman Matt Grocott. Councilman Grocott has served from 2001 to 2018, twice as mayor.

During his tenure, the city has undergone enormous change. Although a small community, the city has many distinct neighborhoods and groups of residents. Through all of the changes impacting these constituencies, Matt Grocott contributed mightily to the effort to improve communication between the city and its residents. He regularly provided opinion pieces in local newspapers, wrote online and spoke directly with residents on their doorsteps and at civic events. Everyone could count on Councilman Grocott to offer them information about the public services and initiatives being undertaken in San Carlos.

The city has a new budget process that makes it much easier for residents to figure out what the city is accomplishing. Matt Grocott has supported this process and used it to explain what the city does well and where it needs to improve.

During his tenure, he served on multiple joint power authorities and committees. This is not glamorous work, but these appointments help cities work together to create the greatest value for residents. Councilman Grocott served on the Airport Land Use committee, the SFO Roundtable, the governing board of the library, the Grand Boulevard Initiative to re-imagine our El Camino Real, the South County Fire Authority, the Belmont San Carlos Fire Board, several subcommittees of the City/County Association of Governments, and multiple other boards, committees and commissions intended to answer many quality of life issues that vex any community.

Councilman Grocott has been a staunch advocate for persons on fixed incomes and for taxpayers. He has often persuaded residents as to the wisdom of his viewpoint, and they rewarded him with repeated re- election and, at times, by voting as he recommended on measures on the ballot.

San Carlos is known as the City of Good Living. Its streets are more bike friendly because Councilman Grocott is an avid supporter of bike riding for the entire family. Its trails, playing fields and parks are more enjoyable because Matt Grocott insisted that parks have facilities as accessible as possible to all residents. His advocacy for small business is heartfelt and longstanding. He is a trusted advocate for many merchants throughout the city.

After many years in public service, Councilman Grocott has decided to move on to different challenges and will also have more time to spend with his wife, Vivian, and step-son, Daniel. He will be remembered as a man who believed passionately in local government. While a community may ultimately speak with a single voice about a given subject, it takes many voices to create this result. Through long nights and difficult deliberations, Councilman Grocott contributed to governing San Carlos towards a better future. I join the community in thanking him for his service and wishing him well in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Cameron Johnson, a departing member of the San Carlos City Council. Cameron Johnson has served four years and made an indelible impact during his service as Mayor, Councilman and presently as Vice Mayor.

He will be remembered in part for his advocacy on behalf of local merchants on Laurel Street, and against chain stores populating this treasured shopping district. Thanks to Vice Mayor Johnson, there will be space for local residents to establish their own businesses, to offer unusual items and services, and to keep the charm of small town San Carlos alive.

Vice Mayor Johnson successfully advocated for a community foundation to be established from the proceeds of a legal penalty paid by PG&E. The foundation will allow the city to reliably fund community events and projects, through good times and bad, for decades to come.

During his time in service, the council adopted a downtown parking plan, saw the beginning of the long-planned Wheeler Plaza project and the construction of the transit village around the Caltrain station. Like his colleagues, he contributed greatly by serving on the important boards and commissions that make crucial recommendations to the council or regional bodies about the quality of life in San Carlos. These include the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, the ABAG General Assembly, Peninsula Clean Energy, and council sub-committees such as the shuttle sub-committee, the bond sub-committee, the economic development sub-committee, and the 2+2 City/school district sub- committee.

He is a strong advocate for affordable housing and of ensuring that homeowners can use their property to meet the growing needs of their family. He recognizes that keeping the character of San Carlos involves more than preserving any given structure, but instead entails keeping opportunity alive in San Carlos for all generations that make this small town their home.

During his tenure, San Carlos was hit by a wave of burglaries. Cameron Johnson's explanations of police activities and his support of the public during council study sessions maintained public trust in the efforts of the sheriff's office to end the burglaries.

While he was part of a team effort to maintain the public's trust during this trying time, Cameron Johnson went out of his way to explain police activities while also holding the police accountable to resolve the problem.

As a councilmember, Cameron excelled in his communications to residents. His charts

and verbal explanations of public policy were clear and built credibility in all public services. He strongly supported the periodic newsletter sent to all residents, explaining new initiatives around town. He readily stood at the farmer's market and answered questions from the public. In all these communications, it may help that Cameron Johnson is also the Director of Product Innovation for Netflix. Indeed, one can readily imagine a primetime television show based upon his public service experience: The Real Councilmembers of San Carlos, featuring Bruce Willis as Mayor Bob Grassilli and Justin Timberlake as Vice Mayor Cameron Johnson. Admittedly, this is not likely to produce blockbuster ratings around the country, but there may be a block or two in San Carlos where the series would be a big hit.

In closing, the people of San Carlos owe Cameron Johnson a significant vote of thanks for his efforts to improve their lives. He saw a challenge and seized it with both hands, at least when his hands were not otherwise holding his two children, Josephine and Ellis. We must also thank his wife, Celina, for her patience as he contributed to the community. It has been my pleasure to watch Vice Mayor Johnson become an outstanding leader in San Carlos and I count him as a personal friend. He will now leave the council, but his smile, facile mind, and goodwill will be remembered for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Michael P. Guingona for his remarkable 25 years of dedicated service on the Daly City City Council, including five terms as Mayor. Mike has worked continually to improve the quality of life for all Daly City residents while also raising a family, maintaining a full-time public defender career, and coaching wrestling and judo.

Mike was the first Filipino-American elected to the council in 1993 and then re-elected to four consecutive terms. In 1995, at age 33, he became the youngest Mayor in Daly City's history.

Born in San Francisco and raised in Daly City, Mike attended Westmoor High School and Skyline College. He earned his B.A. in History at the University of California Los Angeles and then his JD at the University of San Francisco School of Law. Soon after, he was hired as a Deputy Public Defender in San Francisco.

Mike's interest in local government grew after he finished law school. He saw the rapid growth and demographic changes in Daly City. The population grew from 40,000 to over 100,000 and by 2000, the Filipino-American community accounted for almost one third of the city's population.

After being elected to the council, Mike continued his full-time work as deputy public defender in the San Francisco Public Defender's Office. In 1999, he established his own law firm on Mission Street in Daly City. He is a member of the State Bar of California, the Bar Association of San Francisco, and the Filipino Bar Association of Northern California.

During his tenure on the council, Mike served on the SamTrans Board of Directors for ten years, and on the San Mateo County Transportation Authority for eight years. He represented Daly City's interests as an appointed member of the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA) served as board chair for North County Fire Authority, and served on the Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Services Board of Directors.

Among Mike's top priorities and passions are health and fitness. He supported a resolution adopting a city-wide wellness policy and initiated legislation to fight second-hand smoke. He also made a pledge that I believe no other council member has duplicated. He rode his bike on every street in Daly City to raise awareness for health and safe bike routes. For many years he was a judo coach at Cahill's Judo Academy in San Bruno and a wrestling coach at Terra Nova High School. He is a Mixed Martial Arts Judge for the California State Athletic Commission, Director of Operations and Coach for the Wrestling Association of the Philippines, and a swim instructor and certified personal trainer working with employees at Google and YouTube.

While Mike will retire from the city council, he will continue his interest in everything Daly City, many of his athletic activities and his work as an attorney. Mike is looking forward to spending more of his freed-up time with his wife Jackie and son Kai who is a member of the Philippine National Wrestling Team which Mike is coaching.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in thanking my long-time friend and colleague Mike Guingona for his outstanding and dedicated public service to the residents of Daly City. His likeability, charm and optimism have been assets as he represented Daly City in many positions. He beautifully reflects and advances the spirit and character of his beloved home town. I join the community in wishing him the best in all of his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Charlie Bronitsky upon his departure from the city council of Foster City and the governing board of the Estero Municipal Improvement District. During his service, Charlie has been a well-reasoned, principled voice for smart change in a city undergoing significant transformation.

He was born in Brooklyn and moved to California in 1980 to finish his education in Berkeley. He is a graduate of the U.C. Berkeley School of Law, as it is now known, and practices real estate law focusing on transactions and litigation, including construction litigation. He brings to the city council a vast knowledge of land use law, mediation, and the intricacies of how every level of government operates. After he served on the planning commission for 3\1/2\ years, the residents of Foster City wisely selected him to serve on the city council, starting in 2009.

Of course, 2009 was an extraordinarily bad year for our economy. Foster City finances cratered and the council had to make very difficult decisions. City staff endured layoffs and the public endured service reductions. During this time, Charlie supported the consolidation of fire service with surrounding communities. He also supported partnering with San Mateo to deliver park and recreation services. By 2013, the city's finances were stabilized but challenges remained. An economic plan, written in part by Charlie and a colleague on the council, was passed and the city's growth since has largely followed its outline.

Charlie represents Foster City on the board of the regional water agency which guarantees clean, reliable water at a fair price to all ratepayers. He is a leader on infrastructure issues, supporting renovations of the wastewater treatment plant and levee repairs to protect residents from catastrophic flooding. The construction of a senior residence development near city hall was due to a significant degree to the leadership of Charlie Bronitsky. Throughout these times, he's been a champion for sustainability initiatives. During his second term as Mayor, the city was one of two that received a Platinum Sustainability Best Practices Award from the Institute of Local Government.

With the economy now recovered, major companies, such as Illumina and Gilead, are creating or adding to their corporate campuses in Foster City. Startups are once again moving into the office complexes in the city. Science and its bounty are powering the growth of this community that offers products and services around the globe.

Foster City is also coping with enormous traffic that travels through the city on its way to surrounding communities. Councilmember Bronitsky has repeatedly advocated for the city to experiment with measures to deal with traffic rather than conducting lengthy studies or trying half-hearted measures. He has also cautioned residents to be mindful of the way a city's budget is financed in modern-day California. Development brings additional property tax revenue to provide such essential services as police, fire, parks and libraries. His message is wise and needed during a time of change.

Mr. Speaker, Foster City is a small town of 35,000 where families come to thrive, where seagulls come to dive, and where pelicans and boaters vie for space on the lagoons. For all its beauty, Councilmember Charlie Bronitsky chose to run for the city council when our nation was in crisis and the town's budget was severely challenged. He stepped up because that's what a citizen of this nation does when a community needs leadership.

His priorities in 2009 included strong fiscal management of the city, the construction of a senior living facility near city hall, and managed, green growth. All three have largely been achieved during his terms in office. Residents can be certain that Charlie Bronitsky cast his votes and made his public comments with the best interests of existing and future residents in mind. He will now return to private life and leave the opportunities of leadership to his successors. I am proud to call Charlie a friend and colleague and wish him and his equally impressive wife Martha and son Will much happiness and continued success.

Mr. Speaker, I rise along with my colleagues, Mike Thompson and Jared Huffman, to honor an American icon, a woman who is one of a kind on the water and on land. Jaqueline Douglas, better known as Wacky Jacky, has been taking people fishing for almost half a century. There is nothing that makes her happier than a happy angler walking off her sportfishing charter boat, the Wacky Jacky, with two big, bright king salmon after a day on the open ocean. Fishing and people are her life.

Jacky was born Jaqueline Detsch on October 3, 1928 in San Francisco. Do the math and you'll realize just one of the reasons that makes her special: at age 90, she is still the captain of her boat. Retirement is something she thinks about occasionally, but as she told San Francisco Chronicle reporter Tom Stienstra at the beginning of this year's salmon season, ``If I can't run my boat, you might as well hang me out to dry.''

Jacky attended Lincoln High School and studied journalism. Fresh out of high school in 1946, she started to work for a brand-new organization, the San Francisco 49ers. She was the Queen of the 49ers during its inaugural season under general manager Lou Spadia. After that season, Jacky began a modeling career with Alice of California, a San Francisco women's designer. Work had to take a temporary backseat when she met and married George James Douglas XVII at age 19. They soon had four daughters, Diana, Johanna, Lucinda and Roni, and Jacky focused on being a devoted mother and wife. In the mid 50s, it was George who kindled Jacky's passion for fishing. She joined him for one of his many trips on a party boat and thought to herself, ``Gee, this is pretty neat; I wonder how we can get our own boat.'' In 1960, they scraped together enough money to buy a 28-foot double ender in Monterey which was christened the first Wacky Jacky and berthed in a backrow slip at Fisherman's Wharf.

By now, Jacky was thoroughly hooked on fishing. She decided to become a sportfishing charter boat captain--to the shock of the instructors at the Dovi Navigation School. There simply weren't any female captains, but in 1972 she became the first one. License in hand, she purchased a 36-foot boat from her friend Albie Spadaro, the second Wacky Jacky. To this day, she is the only woman skipper in the San Francisco Bay Area fleet. Her third and current Wacky Jacky is a pristine 50-foot Delta she bought in 1976 which is berthed in the number one slot at Jones and Jefferson streets at Fisherman's Wharf.

Making it in this male-dominated world wasn't easy. The petite, 5- foot Captain Jacky Douglas endured plenty of contempt, ridicule, and cat calls in the beginning of her career, but as time passed, she won people over with her skills, perseverance, warmth and humor. She has taken over 150,000 people fishing and they usually return with fishing limits and great stories to tell. She loves to share what she calls Wacky Jacky's World. ``The atmosphere is so heavenly. You just completely don't even think about what's going on in the rest of the world. You are out here trying to catch a fish, enjoy the people. It's a wonderful, wonderful world.''

Her skills, advocacy and boundless energy have earned her a long list of awards and nicknames. She was inducted into the California Outdoors Hall of Fame in 2013 for her outstanding work as a salmon boat skipper, naturalist and conservationist. It is worth pointing out that she received a record 40 out of, 41 votes. She has been called the First Lady of Salmon Fishing, and California's No. 1 goodwill ambassador and advocate for salmon, fisheries conservation and water issues. She has represented the Golden Gate Fisherman's Association at state and federal hearings. And she is the public face of salmon fishing having appeared in hundreds of television, radio and print stories.

In 2008, Jacky lost her husband George to cancer. It was only recently that she found new romance which was tragically cut short. Last year, she and long-time family friend and fellow skipper Roger Thomas became a couple. The two resembled a teenage couple head over heels in love. Roger worshipped Jacky. In a horrible twist of fate, Roger was diagnosed with terminal cancer, given just weeks to live. Jacky took care of Roger for six months, making his remaining time the best anyone could make it. Those who knew Roger had never seen him that happy.

I have known Jacky Douglas for eight years and believe that making other people happy is her foremost priority in life. For every holiday, I receive a box of sweets and her famous origami fish in Valentines, Easter, Christmas, or whatever occasion colors with a heartwarming note sending me ``Best Fishes.'' Jacky Douglas has a heart of gold.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to celebrate the 90th birthday of a remarkable woman with a heartfelt ``woohoo,'' one of her favorite expressions of joy, excitement and happiness. May Captain Jacky Douglas, the extraordinary huntress of the sea, continue to bring joy to everyone around her for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I have a brief 1 minute to say that San Francisco International Airport is in my district. We are being hounded by noise in the middle of the night at 1, 2, and 3 a.m. in the morning.

I convened a meeting with the FAA. They joined me at that meeting. They agreed to have a meeting with the airlines, and then the FAA here in Washington decided to renege.

This is a message to the FAA: You owe your obligation to all the people of this country, and when a Member of Congress seeks to have you at a meeting, you show up at a meeting. When you don't show up at a meeting, heads are going to roll.

Mr. Speaker, I rise along with Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, to commend the extraordinary service of Michael Theriault, the retiring Secretary-Treasurer of the San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council, after 13 years of service to the council and many years of service to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Mike graduated from St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He became an Apprentice in Ironworkers Local 377 in 1985 and in that position was named Apprentice of the Year. He was so successful as an apprentice and journeyman that in 2001 Local 331 selected him to be the Business Representative, and then elected him to the position in 2003. He would later remark that his skill at negotiating agreements came in large part from his understanding of the day-to-day realities of working at a job site. As he noted, ``Understanding of the work, the flow of work, is more important to union leaders in the trades than in most other unions . . . you come to union leadership after actually having run work.''

In addition to serving as a delegate to the San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council, Mike represented his local as a delegate to councils in San Mateo, Marin, Sonoma-Lake-Mendocino and Humboldt-Del Norte counties. For any of you who know the geography of California, you would instantly realize that Mike has been a busy man. It's 350 miles and a 6\1/2\ hour drive between San Francisco and Crescent City in the most northern county of California. It takes the fortitude of an ironworker to make that trip on a regular basis, representing the interests of members whose livelihoods depend upon Mike's skills and dedication to their wellbeing.

These counties are also the core counties comprising the Golden Gate Transportation District, the entity that built and manages the Golden Gate Bridge. Mike was appointed a director of the bridge district in 2011. The bridge itself is a testament to the skill of his members from generations ago through to our times.

In addition to serving on these other entities, Mike served on the Executive Board of the San Francisco Labor Council, the Executive Board of the California State Building and Construction Trades Council, on the Executive Committee of the San Francisco Housing Action Coalition, and as a member of the SPUR Board of Directors.

In the depths of the Great Recession, Mike fought hard for work via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act so that the 40% unemployment rate in his hall would be dramatically reduced. He noted to us and to our staff that people were losing their homes and their hopes. Over $400 million in federal funding was delivered to help construct the new Transbay Terminal. That Act, championed by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi and supported by the entire Bay Area delegation, literally created the foundation of the project. Other policies created by the City of San Francisco also contributed mightily to a resurrection of the local economy. Today, construction cranes are as numerous on the skyline of the City and County of San Francisco as are cable cars on its streets.

In an interview published just before his retirement, he noted that he was able to negotiate a string of project labor agreements that will give jobs to families for a generation to come. He cited projects on Treasure Island, Hunters Point/Candlestick Point, the city's wastewater system, and the new Transbay Terminal, among many projects transforming the city's streets and skies. He also noted his goal that housing be created for all income groups, but particularly for middle and working- class residents who are his and our neighbors and friends. Another key tool to keep middle class families in San Francisco is to offer middle class jobs. Mike Theriault was instrumental in getting shop classes reestablished in the high school system. From these shop classes will come future Mike Theriaults, apprentices of the year.

As he retires, he says that he's going to work in his garden and will write bad poetry. We seriously doubt that he will write bad poetry and we hope that his garden flourishes. He deserves time to contemplate the skyline and the hopes that he built across 33 years of union membership, and definitely more time to spend with his wife, Diana, and their two boys, Josquin and Eugene.

It's been said that hope springs eternal, but in truth it takes great leadership to keep hope alive across a generation. Mike has earned the gratitude of his membership and his community for keeping hope alive throughout these years. Like the Golden Gate Bridge created by prior ironworkers, Michael Theriault is truly one for the ages.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Connie Jackson, an extraordinary public servant and tireless advocate for residents for her 15 years as the City Manager for the City of San Bruno, California. She has left her mark on just about every square inch of this Peninsula city of 43,000 people. I have had the great honor to work with Connie during the best and the worst of times. Her moral compass guides her and she is never afraid to take on challenges. I am proud to call Connie Jackson a colleague and good friend.

Under Connie's capable leadership, San Bruno has not only survived the Great Recession of 2008, it came out stronger on the other side. All city programs and services were intact, the city was financially stronger, and it earned an AA+ credit rating. Connie oversaw San Bruno's completion of an updated General Plan and helped create a long- term vision for a city friendly to residents and businesses. She is particularly proud of the redevelopment of a former Navy site into a housing complex called Village at the Crossing, which provides over 1,000 apartments for individuals and families, including affordable units for senior citizens. She was also instrumental in the redevelopment of The Shops at Tanforan, a large shopping mall frequented by shoppers and diners from all over the Bay Area.

For over a decade, Connie worked on the planning, design and construction of the CalTrain grade separation and station, offering commuters access to convenient public transportation. Connie oversaw the rebuilding of the entire aging water and wastewater infrastructure, and the building of mixed-use residential and commercial projects downtown and along El Camino Real. One of the elements to her success is her talent to connect the dots and collaborate with other individuals and agencies.

The ultimate test of her leadership came on September 9, 2010. At 6:11 p.m. that evening, a Pacific Gas and Electric Company natural gas transmission line exploded and tore a giant crater into one of the residential streets. The horrendous explosion and fire killed eight residents, destroyed 38 homes and devastated a neighborhood. Connie, along with other city leaders, fought with everything she had to heal the physical and psychological trauma her community suffered. I closely worked with Connie in the years following the explosion and she never wavered or was afraid to speak truth to power. She demonstrated strong leadership in the initial emergency response, community and recovery efforts, and pipeline safety advocacy. She led the city's work with the National Transportation Safety Board investigation and the proceedings before the California Public Utilities Commission. Connie and her colleagues were instrumental in exposing regulatory failures and corruption and in forcing corrections. Due to that work, cities all across the country have safer, improved gas utility infrastructure.

Connie was also a consoler throughout the crisis. She offered her shoulder to cry on, her hugs to comfort, her smile to reassure, and her wisdom to move forward. To this day, she has regular contact with survivors.

While nothing will bring back the eight victims of the San Bruno explosion, PG&E was forced to give $120 million to the city for community restoration, recovery and restitution. Being the community- loving and resilient city that San Bruno is, the residents decided they wanted to spend the money benefitting all residents. The city will build a new recreation center and aquatics center for everyone in San Bruno to enjoy.

Connie's talents and achievements have been recognized on many occasions. For example, she received the 2012 League of California Cities City Manager of Distinction award, the California Women Leading Government Leadership Award, and the 2006 International City/County Management Association program innovation award. She is a life member of the Municipal Management Assistants of Northern California and a member of ICMA.

Before serving San Bruno, Connie was the city manager of the City of Hercules and the City of Fort Bragg for a combined 18 years.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to recognize Connie Jackson, a woman and leader I hold in high esteem, for her vision, strength and perseverance fighting for the interests of the residents of three California cities. She can enter her well-deserved retirement knowing that she has improved the lives of tens of thousands of people. San Bruno residents are lucky to count themselves among them. Connie leaves behind giant shoes to fill. Many will lead San Bruno through the next decades, but no one will leave a legacy that echoes across the generations. This will be the unique contribution of Connie Jackson.

Mr. Speaker, because I am at home recuperating from a medical procedure, I unavoidably missed the following vote on July 24. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: on rollcall No. 372, I would have voted ``yea'' (Passage of H.R. 184--Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2017).

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my colleague Congressman Ted Poe holding this important Special Order Hour to honor survivors of sexual violence on our college campuses, and in particular the brave members of the 12th Woman, a group of survivors from Texas A&M University who are speaking truth to power about their experiences. Judge Poe has been unwavering in his pursuit of justice for victims of sexual violence on the bench and in Congress. I applaud his strong advocacy and tireless dedication to this incredibly important cause. He is a true ally and his legacy on this issue will continue to help countless victims and survivors move forward.

When parents drop off their children for their first year of college, we expect our institutions of higher learning to keep them safe. But that's not the reality for 20 percent of young women and six percent of young men who are destined to become victims of sexual assault on campus. To make matters worse, survivors are constantly told that they are responsible for their assault--from being penalized for so-called `code of ethics' violations, like drinking at parties or going into other students' dorm rooms, to being blamed for not fighting back.

That includes a brave survivor at Texas A&M who had the wherewithal to alert her school that her rapist was allowed back on the swim team after being suspended for only one semester and not being subject to criminal charges. The school's response speaks volumes--``I regret your displeasure with the perceived impact, and I wish you all the best as you continue to seek healing.'' The school's failure to protect the survivor and other potential victims is unacceptable.

They are not alone. Universities continue to inadequately deal with perpetrators across the country--from expulsions after graduation, to honor code violations that carry less of a penalty than plagiarism, to allowing perpetrators to directly cross-examine their victims about their past sexual history during the so-called investigative process. This kind of antiquated victim-blaming and -shaming must end.

That is why I am introducing the bipartisan Hold Accountable and Lend Transparency or HALT Campus Sexual Violence Act with my colleague Congressmen Ted Poe and Brian Fitzpatrick, to ensure that our colleges and universities do everything they can to hold perpetrators accountable and to provide the support survivors need and deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my colleague Congressman Ted Poe holding this important Special Order Hour to honor survivors of sexual violence on our college campuses, and in particular the brave members of the 12th Woman, a group of survivors from Texas A&M University who are speaking truth to power about their experiences. Judge Poe has been unwavering in his pursuit of justice for victims of sexual violence on the bench and in Congress. I applaud his strong advocacy and tireless dedication to this incredibly important cause. He is a true ally and his legacy on this issue will continue to help countless victims and survivors move forward.

When parents drop off their children for their first year of college, we expect our institutions of higher learning to keep them safe. But that's not the reality for 20 percent of young women and six percent of young men who are destined to become victims of sexual assault on campus. To make matters worse, survivors are constantly told that they are responsible for their assault--from being penalized for so-called `code of ethics' violations, like drinking at parties or going into other students' dorm rooms, to being blamed for not fighting back.

That includes a brave survivor at Texas A&M who had the wherewithal to alert her school that her rapist was allowed back on the swim team after being suspended for only one semester and not being subject to criminal charges. The school's response speaks volumes--``I regret your displeasure with the perceived impact, and I wish you all the best as

you continue to seek healing''. The school's failure to protect the survivor and other potential victims is unacceptable.

They are not alone. Universities continue to inadequately deal with perpetrators across the country--from expulsions after graduation, to honor code violations that carry less of a penalty than plagiarism, to allowing perpetrators to directly cross-examine their victims about their past sexual history during the so-called investigative process. This kind of antiquated victim-blaming and -shaming must end.

That is why I am introducing the bipartisan Hold Accountable and Lend Transparency or HALT Campus Sexual Violence Act with my colleagues Congressmen Ted Poe and Brian Fitzpatrick to ensure that our colleges and universities do everything they can to hold perpetrators accountable and to provide the support survivors need and deserve.

Mr. Speaker, due to a conflict, I unavoidably missed the following votes on June 28. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows:

1. On roll call No. 306, I would have voted ``nay.''

2. On roll call No. 307, I would have voted ``nay.''

3. On roll call No. 308, I would have voted ``nay.''

4. On roll call No. 309, I would have voted ``aye.''

5. On roll call No. 310, I would have voted ``aye.''

6. On roll call No. 311, I would have voted ``nay.''

7. On roll call No. 312, I would have voted ``aye.''

8. On roll call No. 313, I would have voted ``nay,'' because the bill commits funding for three Littoral Combat Ships, which, as the Heritage Foundation wrote, has ``disturbingly limited capabilities against a near-peer adversary.'' Purchasing two more LCSs than the Navy has even asked for is a classic Congressional boondoggle.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Cindy McCown, a champion against hunger and for food security in our region. In her 34 years of work for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, Cindy has seen first-hand that nutritious food is an essential ingredient to a healthy and productive life. In fact, Cindy created many of the programs that have made nutritious food accessible to tens of thousands of children, families and seniors in Northern California.

Cindy rose through the ranks at the food bank and over the years built strong relationships with policy makers to create a more robust hunger-safety net. I count myself as one of those lucky policy makers who had the honor to work with Cindy on key legislation, such as the Farm Bill. It was Cindy who convinced me to take the Food Stamp challenge

in 2011. This profound and humbling experience changed my perspective on hunger and food dependence forever. I've also sorted food with Cindy at the food bank to get a more complete understanding of its role in feeding and supporting our residents. For almost 90,000 residents in my Congressional District, SNAP and the food bank are literally a life line.

Cindy's passion for food justice started early in her life. Originally from Spokane, Washington, Cindy's father, a psychiatrist, moved the family to San Luis Obispo to accept a job at Atascadero State Hospital when Cindy was in kindergarten. She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in nutrition from California Polytechnic State University. During college, she did a nine-months internship teaching nutrition to migrant children in the agricultural town of Oceana. That experience made her see up close just how challenging it is to afford healthy and nutritious food when you are poor.

In 1984 the Second Harvest Food Bank had a job opening for a community nutritionist and Cindy jumped at the opportunity. Back then, the food bank was located in an old bottling plant and had an annual budget of less than $1 million. Today, the organization has three facilities, including a dedicated produce distribution center, and an annual budget of $42 million. Cindy grew and grew with the relatively new concept of a food bank. She led efforts to better organize the food distribution and to bring it closer to the people who needed it. She created partnerships with non-profit organizations and more than 900 distribution sites in almost every zip code. She also came up with the idea for a multilingual hotline to connect callers to the closest food. Instead of looking at the organization purely as a food provider, Cindy found creative ways to turn it into a local community leader on ending hunger.

After the Lorna Prieta earthquake in 1989, Cindy helped create CADRE, the Collaborating Agencies Disaster Relief Effort, to effectively respond to natural disasters. Second Harvest Food Bank is still part of the CADRE leadership team. In 1997, Cindy was instrumental in forming the Safety New Project, a partnership to address welfare reform impacts. She continues to co-chair that committee. At the height of the Great Recession in 2010, Cindy in collaboration with the Santa Clara Social Services Agency, secured millions of dollars through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the county was the first in the country to provide ``stimulus food boxes'' to those in need.

Cindy has a gift to bring public and private resources together to help people in need, educate the public and fight against the stigma of poverty. Under her leadership Second Harvest Food Bank has been honored with Feeding America's Advocacy Hall of Fame the last four year in a row. With each dose of food, Cindy hands out a dose of dignity.

In 2015, Second Harvest named Cindy Vice President of Community Engagement and Policy. In that role she formed the Children's Nutrition Coalition, which includes a dozen school districts, libraries, youth groups, and social services agencies, to ensure children get nutritious food particularly during the summer when families don't have access to school meals. She also launched the school breakfast initiative in high-need areas. Due to those programs, local children received over 300,000 additional meals last year.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the members of the House of Representatives to rise with me to celebrate a community leader who has literally nurtured tens of thousands of lives throughout her remarkable career. Cindy McCown is a visionary trailblazer and tireless advocate for people in need. She leaves behind a legacy of empathy, compassion and creative thinking that will enrich our community for years to come.