Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Robert Ross, a successful business owner, exceptional law enforcement officer and dedicated public servant who is retiring from the San Mateo City Council after five years of service. He was the Mayor in 2014 and Deputy Mayor in 2013. Robert is a genuine, hard-working and deeply committed city council member and will truly be missed.

Robert was first elected to the council in 2009 after a 27-year- career as a police officer in San Mateo. His experience in law enforcement made security and sustainability one of his priorities for the city. As a real estate agent for 25 years, Robert also brought substantial business experience to the Council, guiding the city toward financial stability.

While on the Council, Robert served on the City Council Audit and Budget Committee, the City Council Legislative Committee, the Community Development Department Audit Committee, the Grand Boulevard Task Force, the North B Street Improvement Initiative and the Planning Commission. In addition, he was very active in the Association of Bay Area Governments, the League of California Cities, San Mateo County Council of Cities, the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School Board, the San Mateo Oversight Board, the San Mateo Union High School District Board, the Sister City Association and the South Bayside Waste Management Authority.

Robert received his Police Officers Standard & Training at the Modesto College Police Academy and his BSBA in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. He started his law enforcement career as a police officer in Hayward in 1979 and transferred to the San Mateo Police Department in 1981 where he rose through the ranks to Police Lieutenant in 2003. His professionalism and proactive approach have been recognized and he has been commended on numerous occasions. For example, in the late 1980s, then Corporal Ross was in charge of setting up a task force to fight drug crimes in San Mateo. The group became known a ``Ross' Raiders'' and their effective anti-drug campaign was lauded by the City Council, San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, the District Attorney, the San Mateo County Trial Lawyers Association and the late Congressman Tom Lantos.

Among the many awards Robert received was a Lieutenant's Commendation for proactive policing, the San Carlos/Belmont Exchange Club Officer of the Year Award, Employee of the Quarter by past Police Chief Don Phipps for ongoing leadership and proactive policing, the Trial Lawyers Association's Police Officer of the Year Award, the Peninsula Lions Club's Police Award for outstanding service to the community, the Gordon Joinville Special Merit Award for day-to-day excellence in policing, and the Medal of Honor, the Police Department's highest award for saving a life during a fire.

Whether in his capacity as a city council member, a peace officer, a small business owner or a San Mateo resident, Robert has always seized opportunities to help his community. He has given countless presentations at our schools to help troubled and underprivileged youths find a positive direction in their lives. He has visited homes of at-risk youth gang members during the holidays handing out presents. He has worked with the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center and the Tongan Interfaith Council to prevent and solve conflicts. He has worked with Samaritan House to assist needy families. He is a member of the San Mateo Lion's Club which supports local and international charities.

It is obvious from this long list of accomplishments and engagements that Robert Ross has a heart of gold and an inexhaustible drive to help others. Because of his vision and commitment, San Mateo is a better place. I feel privileged to count Robert as a friend and colleague and wish him well as he shifts his focus to his personal and family life.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to recognize the lasting contributions Robert Ross has made while serving as Mayor, City Councilmember and law enforcement officer. He will always be a role model and inspiration to his fellow San Mateo residents.

Mr. Speaker, my esteemed colleague Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and I rise to congratulate the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, commonly referred to as the Transportation Authority, on its 25th anniversary and its many accomplishments.

Established in 1989, the Transportation Authority administers and oversees the delivery of the county's half-cent local transportation sales tax program and New Expenditure Plan. The agency was founded by the people of San Francisco to administer Proposition B, a half-cent transportation sales tax program, which began in 1990 and was reauthorized in 2003 when voters approved Proposition K.

For the last quarter-century, the Transportation Authority has been responsible for long-range transportation planning in San Francisco and has analyzed, designed, and funded vital improvements for San Francisco's roadways and public transportation networks. It has significantly increased the region's mobility.

Since 1990, the Transportation Authority has also been the designated Congestion Management Agency for San Francisco, and has served as the San Francisco Program Manager for grants from the Transportation Fund for Clean Air. When passed by voters in 2010, the agency also began serving as the administrator of Proposition AA, a $10 annual fee on motor vehicles registered in San Francisco.

In these capacities the Transportation Authority has embodied its mission of providing prudent financial management, planning expertise, and project delivery oversight to create a better city for residents, workers and visitors. Through innovation, the Transportation Authority continues to study, plan, and invest in transportation infrastructure that supports San Francisco's thriving economy and meets the needs of its diverse community. The agency serves as a steward to help fund major capital projects such as the Presidio Parkway, Central Subway and Transbay Transit Center, as well as neighborhood-scale improvements that impact everyday San Franciscans and their families.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to recognize and honor the leaders of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority on its 25th anniversary. This agency, its Board, Community Advisory Committee members and staff deserve to be congratulated for their leadership during the last 25 years and we wish them continued success for the next 25 years.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert my statement in the Record that instead of attacking women's access to health care, this House should vote for bigger paychecks for women and better infrastructure for all.

I thank the gentlewoman from Colorado.

Madam Speaker, I want to first say to the other side of the aisle that I am grateful that some members of your caucus recognized that indeed extremism on this issue has got to come to an end and that you took steps to roll back the ridiculous bill that you had intended to bring up today but didn't have the votes for because they spoke up. And I am grateful to them.

In some respects, you look around this room and you think, Is this a Chamber of Congress or is this a doctor's office? We might as well have stethoscopes, stirrups, and speculums here because that is what you are doing. You are trying to come between a woman and her physician.

There is a lot of hoopla today because this is the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, and this is a messaging bill, so we are here messaging. Roe v. Wade was a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States of America, and when each of us became Members of this body this month, we swore that we would uphold the Constitution of the United States. But my colleagues on the other side of the aisle spend hours and hours wringing hands, trying to somehow find ways to undo constitutional decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court.

So we are here having yet another debate when American women in this country are far more interested in equal pay for equal work, paid sick leave, a child care tax credit that has some resemblance to what reality is in this country. But rather, we will continue to act like doctors here.

And I might add there are even some hypocrites on the other side of the aisle who have counseled their own girlfriends to have abortions. It is legal, Members. We have a right to maintain this legality.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the Centennial of Mercy High School Burlingame's Kohl Mansion, an historic and beautiful building with deep meaning for the community and for me personally. As an alumna of Mercy High and the mother of a daughter who also graduated from this outstanding school, this institution has shaped my life.

Today, Mercy High School Burlingame, a Catholic college preparatory high school, educates 400 young women a year, with the majority coming from San Mateo County. About three quarters of the students are Roman Catholic and 90 percent of the students are engaged in at least one extra-curricular activity. Mercy encourages students to discover themselves and explore their dreams; they receive an education of mind, body and spirit. This recipe and small class sizes prove to be highly successful. In the class of 2014, 87 percent matriculated to four year colleges and 13 percent matriculated to community colleges.

Mercy education finds its origins in Ireland in the ministry of Catherine McAuley, the foundress of the Sisters of Mercy. Their work is marked by a special concern for the needs of the poor, in particular women and children. This tradition continues to this day.

The Kohl Mansion was originally built from 1912 to 1914 by Charles Frederick ``Freddie'' Kohl for his wife Bessie. Kohl, born in San Jose in 1863, grew up in a mansion on an estate in San Mateo, now known as Central Park. His father had made a fortune as the founder of Alaska Commercial Company and so Kohl Junior was used to an opulent lifestyle. Freddie and Bessie's travels to Europe further inspired them to build the lavish four-story Tudor named ``The Oaks.''

In 1924, the Sisters of Mercy bought the house and turned it into a chapel. When the sisters moved down the hill to a new building, Principal Sister Mary Lorenzo Murphy and seven other nuns opened Mercy High School in the mansion in 1931, admitting 36 freshmen and sophomores.

The old Kohl Mansion has embraced technology and modern facilities. Mercy launched its website in 1999. Over the decades, a state-of-the art athletic center with an Olympic size pool, a commercial kitchen, a new cafeteria and a multi-media center were built, among the many improvements. At every step of the way, the focus of the school was to provide its students with the best education and learning environment possible.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to honor one of the finest high schools in the country, Mercy High School Burlingame on the occasion of the Kohl Mansion's 100th birthday. May this historic building remain the home of education and learning for centuries to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Bob Merwin, the Chief Executive Officer of Mills-Peninsula Health Services, who is retiring after a remarkable 27-year-career there and a lifelong career in health care. Bob knew early on that hospital administration would be his future and his passion.

Under his leadership for almost three decades Bob proved what he often said--that he is not afraid of change. He led Mills-Peninsula through major changes and transitions and is leaving it prepared for a long and strong future.

Bob came to Mills-Peninsula in 1987 as the Executive Vice President, rose to Chief Operating Officer and then in 1991 to CEO. One of his biggest and most recent accomplishments was the building and opening of the state-of-the-art Mills-Peninsula Medical Center in 2011. The 241- bed, 450,000 square foot hospital features private rooms with 21st century patient life technology, electronic charting and online capabilities that allow for efficient communication, family sleeping accommodations, advanced earthquake technology designed to withstand an 8.5 quake, and a top-notch emergency department. It also has its own chef preparing sustainably and locally grown food for patients, staff and for special events for the public.

Looking at the 241-bed hospital today, it is humbling to remember its beginnings. Founded by Elizabeth Mills Reid, the Church of St. Matthew Red Cross Guild opened in San Mateo in 1908 with just six beds. It was later renamed Mills Memorial Hospital. Due to significant growth during the following decades, Peninsula Hospital opened in 1954 in Burlingame. In 1985, Mills and Peninsula merged into Mills-Peninsula Health Services. Bob oversaw the integration of both hospitals. He was also at the helm for the next large merger with Sutter Health System in 1996 striving to further strengthening the system of care.

Under Bob's leadership, Mills-Peninsula developed and opened the first community hospital Breast Center with advanced diagnostic technologies, the Mack E. Mickelson Arthritis Center, the Family Birth Center, the Dorothy E. Schneider Cancer Center, the Women's Center, and a Behavioral Health facility. During the years leading up to national health reform, Bob kept his optimism and focus on building an organization that cares for its community.

In his career and in life, Bob has had a strong partner equally committed to health care. He married to Jean Merwin, a nurse for Sutter Care at Home, in 1999. The two first met in the early 70s when they both worked at Long Beach Community Hospital. Bob went on to earn his Master's Degree in Hospital Administration from UCLA and become the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Pacific Presbyterian Medical Center in San Francisco. Jean moved to the Mendocino Coast and worked as an administrator for a non-profit clinic. Nearly 20 years later, Bob and Jean re-connected at a conference on the Mendocino Coast. Between the two of them they have three children, two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

In their well-deserved retirement, Bob and Jean are looking forward to spending more time with family and pursue their common passion for golf.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to honor Bob Merwin for his remarkable career and dedication to health care. He has built Mills-Peninsula Health Services into an organization that will serve patients, provide jobs and advance our health care system for decades to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Robert Ross, a successful business owner, exceptional law enforcement officer and dedicated public servant who is retiring from the San Mateo City Council after five years of service. He was the Mayor in 2014 and Deputy Mayor in 2013. Robert is a genuine, hard-working and deeply committed city council member and will truly be missed.

Robert was first elected to the council in 2009 after a 27-year- career as a police officer in San Mateo. His experience in law enforcement made security and sustainability one of his priorities for the city. As a real estate agent for 25 years, Robert also brought substantial business experience to the Council, guiding the city toward financial stability.

While on the Council, Robert served on the City Council Audit and Budget Committee, the City Council Legislative Committee, the Community Development Department Audit Committee, the Grand Boulevard Task Force, the North B Street Improvement Initiative and the Planning Commission. In addition, he was very active in the Association of Bay Area Governments, the League of California Cities, San Mateo County Council of Cities, the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School Board, the San Mateo Oversight Board, the San

Mateo Union High School District Board, the Sister City Association and the South Bayside Waste Management Authority.

Robert received his Police Officers Standard & Training at the Modesto College Police Academy and his BSBA in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. He started his law enforcement career as a police officer in Hayward in 1979 and transferred to the San Mateo Police Department in 1981 where he rose through the ranks to Police Lieutenant in 2003. His professionalism and proactive approach have been recognized and he has been commended on numerous occasions. For example, in the late 1980s, then Corporal Ross was in charge of setting up a task force to fight drug crimes in San Mateo. The group became known as ``Ross' Raiders'' and their effective anti-drug campaign was lauded by the City Council, San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, the District Attorney, the San Mateo County Trial Lawyers Association and the late Congressman Tom Lantos.

Among the many awards Robert received was a Lieutenant's Commendation for proactive policing, the San Carlos/Belmont Exchange Club Officer of the Year Award, Employee of the Quarter by past Police Chief Don Phipps for ongoing leadership and proactive policing, the Trial Lawyers Association's Police Officer of the Year Award, the Peninsula Lions Club's Police Award for outstanding service to the community, the Gordon Joinville Special Merit Award for day-to-day excellence in policing, and the Medal of Honor, the Police Department's highest award for saving a life during a fire.

Whether in his capacity as a city council member, a peace officer, a small business owner or a San Mateo resident, Robert has always seized opportunities to help his community. He has given countless presentations at our schools to help troubled and underprivileged youths find a positive direction in their lives. He has visited homes of at-risk youth gang members during the holidays handing out presents. He has worked with the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center and the Tongan Interfaith Council to prevent and solve conflicts. He has worked with Samaritan House to assist needy families. He is a member of the San Mateo Lion's Club which supports local and international charities.

It is obvious from this long list of accomplishments and engagements that Robert Ross has a heart of gold and an inexhaustible drive to help others. Because of his vision and commitment, San Mateo is a better place. I feel privileged to count Robert as a friend and colleague and wish him well as he shifts his focus to his personal and family life.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to recognize the lasting contributions Robert Ross has made while serving as Mayor, City Councilmember and law enforcement officer. He will always be a role model and inspiration to his fellow San Mateo residents.

I thank the California Democratic leader and want to say very simply that Members come and go on the Hill, but some you can't imagine leaving. Tonight I rise to honor two public servants whose departure will leave an extraordinary void for years to come. Like the giant redwoods of California, these men are giants of the Congress.

Representatives Henry Waxman and George Miller have honorably served the State of California and this Chamber for a combined 80 years--we have heard that earlier--exactly 40 each. Both arrived in the shadow of Watergate, ushering in a new era of strong congressional oversight. They led some of the most significant legislative achievements in our history and set the gold standard for active oversight for all who follow.

Representative Waxman, the mustache of justice, never backed down. His book chronicling his congressional investigations, ``The Waxman Report,'' is the bible for conducting effective oversight and holding industry and government officials accountable.

His work combating the tobacco industry is one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century. But it is only one of many accomplishments, including the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Affordable Care Act, and holding the Bush administration accountable throughout the Iraq war.

His truth serum inquiries caused plenty of CEOs to squirm and brought American consumers cleaner air, water, and quality of life. His stature in this Congress is iconic, and his oversight techniques are legendary. He will always be remembered as the grand inquisitor.

Representative Miller was mentored by Phillip Burton, who famously said: People sent me to Congress to kick A and take names. Well, George Miller took that to heart, making his presence felt on the House floor through passionate speeches and actions to match. He didn't mince words or volume.

George looks like a warm teddy bear, but much like a teddy bear, he is ferocious in protecting his children, all the children in this country. He worked to protect educational opportunity for low-income students and children with

disabilities from preschool to graduation. Even in his final days of service, he has worked to expand access to early childhood education through a new White House initiative.

He has also been an unwavering champion for working families and our environment. He fought pay discrimination with the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, has worked to keep college accessible for all, and conserved the California landscape through his tireless efforts to preserve San Francisco Bay.

As chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, Mr. Miller helped pass the Central Valley Project Improvement Act of 1992, which increased water allocations for San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento- San Joaquin River Delta, and he spent the last 20 years defending those precious gains which benefit the bay area's wildlife, endangered species, and commercially critical salmon runs.

When George Miller arrived in D.C., he was intent on extending affordable health care to all, and thanks to his leadership on the Education and the Workforce Committee, nearly 11 million people are newly ensured under the Affordable Care Act. It is not often that Members achieve such lofty goals in Congress, but his masterful work has led to a law for the history books.

Henry Waxman and George Miller have represented the great heights in this Chamber and what can be achieved. I hope that we can all learn from their example and emulate their legacies.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the 100th birthday of the city of San Bruno, California, a city of about 40,000 residents spreading over 5.5 square miles between the flat lowlands near San Francisco Bay and the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains rising 700 feet above the Pacific Ocean. San Bruno is adjacent to San Francisco International Airport and bestrides the Golden Gate National Cemetery. San Bruno is located in my Congressional District and its scenic beauty and community life make it one of the most beloved cities on the Peninsula.

San Bruno is filled with natural beauty and stunning views of the ocean and bay. It has superb schools, a beautiful main city park, and top-notch businesses. The city has also contributed to popular culture and sports as it is the hometown of actress Suzanne Somers, soprano Luana DeVol, musician Ron ``Pigpen'' McKernan and three famous baseball players: Wally Bunker, Keith Hernandez and Pablo Sandoval.

Long before the city of San Bruno was incorporated, the Ohlone people lived in a village here named Urebure. In 1769, the area was explored by a Spanish expedition led by Gaspar de Portola, followed by a more extensive exploration by Bruno de Heceta. That second exploration resulted in the naming of San Bruno Creek which eventually gave the community its name.

When Mission San Francisco de Asis was established to the north, much of the land around today's San Bruno became pasture for livestock. Grazing continued even after the decline of the missions.

The city had its origins in Clark's Station, an 1849 inn that served as a stop on the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach route. This inn was eventually renamed Uncle Tom's Cabin. Significant development of San Bruno didn't begin until after the 1906 earthquake. The first public school was completed that year. The paving of California's first state highway, El Camino Real, began in 1912 in front of Uncle Tom's Cabin, eventually replaced by 14 Mile House and subsequently by other structures and businesses. In 1914, San Bruno was incorporated following a campaign by the San Bruno Herald, the local newspaper. Incorporation allowed more streets to be paved and the population rapidly grew from 1,500 residents in 1920 to 3,610 residents in 1930.

San Francisco International Airport opened in 1927. One of the first visitors to SFO was Charles Lindbergh after his historic transatlantic flight. More aviation history was made when Eugene Ely completed the first successful shipboard aircraft landing, taking off from San Bruno's Tanforan race track, and landing on the USS Pennsylvania anchored in San Francisco Bay.

Golden Gate National Cemetery was created in 1939 under the direction of the Presidio in San Francisco. Today, the cemetery is the hallowed final resting place of citizen soldiers who defended our freedom from World War II to the present. San Bruno annually honors their sacrifices through multiple ceremonies great and small. This is a community that cherishes those who gave their all so that all might live in freedom and at peace.

The era of World War II left a dark stain on American history in the form of the internment of Japanese American citizens. Tanforan race track became a temporary internment center. Today a memorial plaque at Tanforan mall serves as a reminder that we must learn from history and never again allow such an infringement on civil liberties.

After the war, San Bruno continued to grow. U.S. Route 101, the Bayshore freeway, opened in 1947. San Bruno high school students had to travel to San Mateo and Burlingame, but in 1950, San Bruno finally had its own high school, Capuchino. Capuchino was the school of a remarkable history teacher who soon entered the State Assembly and then the House of Representatives: Leo J. Ryan. Congressman Ryan loved Capuchino and would sometimes reflect on the lessons that he learned in the classroom from his bright, energetic San Bruno students.

In 1954, the city dedicated a library and city hall. Skyline College, a two year community college, was established in 1960. Later in the 60s, Interstate 280 and 380 were built making San Bruno further accessible and attractive to retail businesses. In 2003, the Bay Area Rapid Transit system extended further into San Mateo County, and a station was opened in San Bruno, further tying this town to others in our region. Just this year, a new train station opened, making rail transit from San Francisco to San Jose even more convenient for San Bruno residents and markedly improving cross-town mobility and safety.

Mr. Speaker, San Bruno's daily life is based upon families. Families go to its churches. Families flock to sporting events, including nationally-competitive youth baseball. Families play in San Bruno Park and walk throughout the community enjoying the small-town atmosphere that makes San Bruno so special. There might be some millionaires or someday perhaps even a billionaire living in San Bruno, but fundamentally the community is where American families live so that they may enjoy great schools and great fun amidst like-minded people dedicated to hard work, honest commerce, and civic engagement.

Its 40,000 residents are a wonderful mix of ethnic backgrounds and ages. Under the steady guidance of Mayor Jim Ruane and councilmembers Rico Medina, Ken Ibarra, Irene O'Connell and Michael Salazar, City Manager Connie Jackson and an amazing city staff, San Bruno has reached the remarkable age of 100 years and yet it is still in its youth. No challenge, not even a 2010 explosion that cost the lives of eight precious souls and changed the laws of this nation, can dampen the love of residents for this beautiful city.

Some like to define a city by its history, but I prefer to defy convention and to instead define it by the predominant characteristic of its residents. When people ask me to describe San Bruno I offer one word in reply: Optimism. It is the defining characteristic of those who create families, the defining characteristic of those who remain after their children have left, and the defining characteristic of a long series of public servants who have walked in the hills of San Bruno, gazed upon its boundaries, and seen only a bright future in the land that lies between a wonderful college in the hills, the grand city park in the south, the great bay to the east, and precious neighbors to the north. Optimism is the drummer boy in the parade of San Bruno's story.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to celebrate the centennial of San Bruno, California. Yesterday, the Ohlone made their livelihoods upon its shores. Today, America thrives in its bosom. Tomorrow, history will be the child of its remarkable citizenry. Congratulations San Bruno, you are America's heartland upon its western shore!

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Len Stone who is departing the Pacifica City Council after serving with distinction during these past four years.

Mr. Stone is a local business owner and resident of Pacifica since 2002. He and his wife, Jessica, have two young children. In addition to his service to the community while on the city council, Len Stone served for five years on the Board of Directors of the Pacifica Chamber of Commerce.

Pacifica is a city nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the hills. Its young families are energetic and often part of Silicon Valley's high tech businesses. Its longtime residents are rightfully proud of many traditions of environmental protection that have shaped modern Pacifica. Newer residents move to Pacifica to enjoy the ocean, Pacifica's great beaches, its strong schools and its natural beauty.

During his four years on the Pacifica City Council, Len Stone focused tirelessly on all of the qualities of Pacifica that make it a special place in this nation. He led the effort to improve economic development. He successfully sought to have an economic development director position created in city government. He worked to recruit new businesses to town, and he wanted to expand the tax base by filling the vacant storefronts that sometimes exist in shopping centers and shopping areas in this marvelous community.

Len is deeply committed to making Pacifica a destination for more people from outside the community, and so his support of tourism is energetic. To this end, he and another councilmember recently negotiated an option on land that will, if purchased and improved, fill the missing link in the coastal trail. With the opening of the Devil's Slide trail just south of Pacifica, the city is an even greater magnet for tourists seeking vigorous, outside excursions. During both his term as mayor and while on the council, Len sought to position Pacifica as an unrivaled place to bring a family for an outdoor adventure.

Len joined the city council during the worst economic downturn in modem times. This downturn hit Pacifica's tax base hard. Residents had to leave town to do major shopping and to enjoy entertainment options such as movies. The city's budget, never flush, was in deficit. Len sought to balance the budget and to retain needed services. As a businessperson, he was aware that new ways of doing things were needed to help close the deficit. It is difficult for a community to change, but if any community can pull together to find solutions, I have faith that Pacifica is that community. Len, who participated in countless budget and study sessions, demonstrated the energy that many Pacifica residents possess when confronted with challenges.

Mr. Speaker, it is never easy or simple to serve in local government. If times are good then your neighbors expect a great deal. If times are not so great then your neighbors wonder why you are shuttering a popular local field or laying off longtime personnel or considering changes in the services of the city. Len Stone is an example of local councilmembers throughout our nation: he is smart, tenacious, and deeply committed to the community that he serves at great expense to his personal time and family life. Please join with me in honoring the public service of Len Stone, departing city councilmember of Pacifica. Thankfully, he will retire from public life but not from the community that he and his family love. Pacifica will therefore continue to have the talents of this resourceful young man to call upon in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Daly City Vice-Mayor Carol Klatt, who after serving on the City Council for 21 years, will be retiring on December 2, 2014.

Carol's commitment to Daly City can be traced back to 1965, when she served as a Girl Scout Leader, fostering good citizenship among Daly City's next generation of women leaders. In 1980, Carol was elected as the President and Secretary of the Serramonte Homeowners Association, and that same year she started to follow the City Council's activities closely. Then in 1991, Carol's enduring commitment to serve the Daly City community resulted in her appointment to the Parks and Recreation Commission.

Carol continued to serve on the Parks and Recreation Commission until she was appointed by the City Council to fill the unexpired term of former Councilmember Jane Powell in 1993. Carol was first elected in a special election to the City Council in June of 1994 and re-elected later that year in November. She was re-elected in 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2010.

During Carol's 21 years on the City Council, she served as Mayor five times, and earned a reputation as one of the hardest working elected officials in San Mateo County. She has served on numerous local, county and regional boards like the Association of the Bay Area Governments (ABAG), the Bay Air Quality Management District, the Clean Community Committee, the Anti-Graffiti Committee, the Airport Land Use Committee, the Airport Roundtable, the Daly City Host Lions, the Mission Street Merchants Association, and the North Peninsula Food Pantry & Dining Center of Daly City, just to name a few.

While on the City Council, Carol served with numerous Daly City Mayors like Al Teglia, Mike Nevin, and Adrienne Tissier, each of whom had a tremendous impact on San Mateo County. As you can see from her numerous volunteer and civic endeavors, Carol Klatt has her own proud legacy of county achievements, and she currently serves with Mayor David Canepa, Councilmember Mike Guingona, Councilmember Sal Torres, and Councilmember Ray Buenaventura.

Daly City was born out of a small town known as Vista Grande over one hundred years ago. Vista Grande was a town of about two thousand people, made up mostly of refugees from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. The name Daly City was chosen to honor John D. Daly, a local farmer who opened his land to refugees of the disaster.

Today, Daly City is home to a Bay Area-wide rail system, a developing shopping center, and a population of more than 100,000 residents. The city prides itself on its ethnic diversity, with many newcomers from Asia and Central or South American nations. Daly City is known as the Gateway of the Peninsula, as Carol Klatt regularly reminds residents and visitors.

Carol has not only been a friend to me, but to everyone seeking advice on the daily activities occurring in the city. I am sure Carol will be missed dearly by her city council colleagues and countless Daly City residents. I want to wish Carol and her husband John a happy retirement as they move to their new home in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Nelson Mandela once said: ``What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.'' Carol's life exemplifies the way one should meet this standard.

I ask that the House of Representatives rise with me to commend Carol Klatt for her many years of outstanding public service to the community she loves. Daly City returns her love with the same gusto as a player at the tables proclaiming a royal flush--loudly and with great pride. Las Vegas may be getting Carol Klatt as a resident, but she will remain the Queen of Hearts in Daly City.

Mr. Speaker, one of the great privileges of serving in this body is that occasionally we walk among giants. Most of us 435 Members are ordinary, but among us are a few extraordinary citizens who become Members of Congress and serve this great country.

We are saying good-bye this week to one of those giants. John Dingell, after serving some 59 years in this Chamber, is leaving us, and leaving us with a legacy of legislation that is truly astonishing: the Endangered Species Act, the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments, the Safe Drinking Water Act, legislation to create the first international wildlife refuge in North America, not to mention the Civil Rights Act or the Affordable Care Act or any number of other giant pieces of legislation.

He has often said when asked about the jurisdiction that he was in charge of as chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee that he would point to a map of the Earth when asked about his jurisdiction and would say,

``If it moves, it is energy, and if it doesn't, it is commerce.'' That is the way he would define the jurisdiction under his leadership.

We are thrilled that his wife now continues that extraordinary legacy by joining us as a Member of the next Congress, and I look forward to working with her on so many very important issues.

So to John Dingell I say, I walked among many here in this Chamber, none as giant as you, and forevermore I will remember your great leadership to this body and to this country.

Medicaid Primary Care Pay Bump and Women's Health

Mr. Speaker, I now would like to shift gears, Mr. Speaker, and speak about an issue that, frankly, John Dingell would be very concerned about as well, and that has to do with Medicaid primary care pay bump.

At the end of this year there will be up to 7 million more women who are eligible for Medicaid through the Medicaid expansion program who will not be able to get health care because they can't find a doctor.

Medicaid pays less than Medicare and private insurance for primary care. That is not surprising. In 2012, the average Medicaid rates were only 59 percent of Medicare rates for primary care services.

Now, you may be scratching your head and saying: Well, why would we somehow cheat the poor out of health care? That is precisely what we are doing. By reducing the amount of money available to physicians who provide care to the poor in this country, we are basically saying: ``Find it if you can.''

In my home State of California, the Medi-Cal reimbursement rates are on average only 43 percent of Medicare rates for primary care services. This map shows what the situation is. The very light color are those States which were at 33 to 57 percent, the medium blue is at 59 to 82, and the dark blue is at 85 to 98 percent of Medicare rates. As you see, most States are in that 59 to 82 percent range, but many large States, like California and Florida, are between 33 and 57 percent.

The Affordable Care Act addressed this issue by creating a 2-year Medicaid pay bump for certain primary care services for millions of low-income individuals newly eligible for Medicaid-covered care. Without congressional action by the end of this year, that pay bump expires and, with it, health care for millions of Americans.

I come to the floor today to demand that we extend the Medicaid pay bump past 2014 and protect health care for our low-income constituents.

Additionally, the way the current pay bump is structured disadvantages women, many of whom prefer to see their trusted OB/GYNs to access primary and preventive care services. As we know, primary care and preventive care are crucial to the general health of our citizens, as well as to the reduction of health care costs, but the pay bump doesn't cover these crucial primary care providers.

When I was in the State legislature in California, I, like many of us here, tended to find legislation that related to something that I knew. I realized that I never went to the doctor. The only time I went to the doctor was to visit my OB/GYN once a year.

When primary care providers were being identified, I thought: Why shouldn't OB/GYNs be allowed to be primary care providers as well? So I introduced legislation in California which became law that specified that indeed OB/GYNs could be primary care providers.

What we do know is almost 6 in 10 women report seeing their OB/GYN on a regular basis. It is the one thing that women do at least once a year. One-third of women view their OB/GYN providers as their main source of care, so Federal recognition of the primary care role that OB/GYNs play for women in the ACA's Medicaid pay bump lags behind this general recognition in many other sectors of our health care infrastructure.

Thirty-five States and the District of Columbia classify OB/GYNs as primary care providers for their Medicaid programs. In TRICARE, the Federal health care program for our military servicemembers, OB/GYNs are recognized as primary care case managers.

OB/GYNs are included under the primary care provider definition in community health teams, a grant program that supports primary care practices and patient-centered medical homes. In the primary care residency program called the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program, which aims to increase the number of primary care residents and dentists trained in geographically isolated, economically, or medically vulnerable communities, OB/GYNs are included as one of the primary care disciplines.

Let's be clear. Lack of recognition of OB/GYNs as primary care providers under the ACA pay bump puts women who receive their health care from Medicaid at a disadvantage. Twenty-three percent of women Medicaid beneficiaries report a problem finding a new doctor who will accept their insurance, compared to 7 percent of Medicare beneficiaries and 13 percent of women with private insurance, due very simply to the very low payment plans and rates that exist for Medicaid.

I urge my colleagues to extend the Medicaid pay bump past 2014 and expand it to include a protection for women's health by officially including OB/GYNs as primary care providers.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota, Congressman Rick Nolan, my very good friend and someone who I admire greatly as well.

(Mr. NOLAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Naomi Patridge who is leaving the Half Moon Bay City Council after serving a remarkable career of leadership spanning almost two decades.

Naomi and her husband, Howard, have lived in Half Moon Bay for nearly 45 years. Naomi is the Energizer Bunny of Half Moon Bay. For example, prior to serving on the council, she served for 14 years on the city's Parks and Recreation Commission. She has also served on the board of the Half Moon Bay Beautification Committee, the organizer of the annual Art and Pumpkin Festival. Half Moon Bay is a thriving, seaside community that annually hosts tens of thousands of visitors on one weekend in October when the pumpkins come to market and the tourists from around the country come to this charming town. The festival is a major fundraising event for civic improvements. Naomi has been at the heart of the festival for many years.

When the girls of Half Moon Bay think of softball, they think of Naomi Patridge. She has spent decades with the Half Moon Bay Girls Softball League and was instrumental in creating a permanent field as a home for generations of young ball players. Some may mourn the recent passing of Candlestick Park in San Francisco, but in Half Moon Bay the citizens celebrate the field that Naomi spent decades to secure. Her focus is on healthy living, and it is evident in the energy she poured into teams that always had good sportsmanship and fun as the center of their purposes.

Naomi has also been instrumental in creating a coastside bike trail that bears her name. Half Moon Bay is filled with bicyclists who travel for both pleasure and work. Naomi was concerned about the workers who had to peddle in the early morning hours and who were not safe. She was equally concerned about tourists who might get into trouble riding along the coastal highway. While she joined with others to create this wonderful amenity, it was her advocacy before local funding agencies that helped to secure much of the money for a trail that ultimately bore her name.

Mr. Speaker, as fun as it may be to bicycle along the coast or on Main Street in Half Moon Bay, Highway 92 can be a real headache for coastside residents. Naomi Patridge pushed relentlessly for a coastal road that fit in with local sensibilities about growth and development while also helping to relieve the frazzled nerves of residents.

When one thinks of Naomi, one also thinks of the quiet, dedicated employee of the school district. One thinks of the quiet, dedicated advocate and volunteer for seniors. One thinks of the vocal advocate for Half Moon Bay's library, and of the woman behind the table dishing out a heaping plate of hot food at the annual Farm Day luncheon. One also thinks of the advocate for housing the elderly and lower income farm worker residents of Half Moon Bay.

However, when thinking of Naomi, one must inevitably also think of the cool city councilmember evaluating a tough decision, and then casting a tough vote. There were times in the city's history when its finances were in order and times, particularly after recessions or a court judgment, that the city's finances were in deep distress. Naomi took the heat for difficult decisions during all of these budget hearings. When improving, fixing or supplementing basic public infrastructure was the concern, Naomi was a well-reasoned voice.

In fact, Naomi has been a voice of moderation and common sense for so many decades that one might also call her a civic thermometer. If it gets too hot in the debate, Naomi acts to cool things down. If the community isn't concerned enough about needed services or improvements, Naomi switches on to heat things up a bit, and to stir up questions and dialogue. Always moderate, Naomi can be counted on to keep the civic area of Half Moon Bay as comfortable as possible despite the inevitable challenges that occur in local democratic governance.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to call Naomi a dear friend and colleague. I dare say there has not been a more constructive leader in Half Moon Bay than Naomi Patridge. While we will miss her service to us all, we will have her example of thoughtful citizenship to inspire us for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Allan Alifano, a retiring member of the Half Moon Bay City Council. Allan Alifano has served the people of Half Moon Bay with distinction through eight years on the city's planning commission and since 2009 on the city council.

Councilman Alifano has also served his community through countless meetings of the Local Agency Formation Commission and as a member of the local wastewater treatment board. While on the board during our period of intense drought, he supported recycling water from the treatment plant to meet local landscaping and golf course requirements.

During his time on the council, Half Moon Bay underwent tremendous challenges including the historic recession and consequent reductions in sales tax receipts, as well as a legal judgment involving land use decisions. The combined impact of these events placed the city's finances in great peril. Councilman Alifano was committed to seeing his community pull through despite the odds. Ultimately, Half Moon Bay emerged with essential services intact and a renewed commitment to community betterment.

Councilman Alifano is the proud owner of Alifano Technologies in Half Moon Bay. Among many offerings, it specializes in computer support, complex IT design and customer service through the provision of needed supplies. The company is a prominent business on Main Street, a location that demonstrates the commitment of Councilman Alifano and his family to Half Moon Bay's historic business district. Alifano Technologies is also philanthropic, with the proceeds of e-waste recycling going towards the Boys and Girls Club of the Coastside.

Mr. Speaker, serving on a city council is a challenging form of public service. Neighbors may have your phone number or buttonhole you in the store. You are privy to the most optimistic projections about the future of your town, and to some of the biggest challenges to continued prosperity. Allan Alifano handled his responsibilities with aplomb, enthusiasm and decisiveness. Half Moon Bay is a better community because he offered his services on behalf of its future. Please join me in congratulating Allan Alifano on his service to the outstanding community of Half Moon Bay as he returns to private life in a city that was guided by his hopes for its future and by his service to all.

I thank the gentleman from California.

You are right. For more than 25 years, I have actually represented UCSF in the State legislature and then here in Congress, except as a result of reapportionment in the last 2 years. So I no longer technically represent the institution.

Yes, and the same real joy in knowing that there is extraordinary research going on at both of those institutions.

I thank the gentleman for drawing such laser focus on the issue of Alzheimer's disease and why it is, in fact, the number one most prevalent disease in this country.

I brought down this Alzheimer's Association sash that many of us wore when our constituents came into town, pleading with us to do more about Alzheimer's research. Many of us took pictures with them and said, yes, we are very supportive, but it is really time for us to put our money where our mouth is. It is not good enough to wear a purple sash and say that you are supportive of Alzheimer's research when, in fact, what we are spending in terms of Alzheimer's research is so much less than it is with every other disease.

As you were pointing out with your chart--I have a very similar chart as well--we are spending $566 million a year on Alzheimer's disease. Good. There is no question about it. But it is not good enough. It is not good enough in comparison to what we are spending on cardiovascular disease, on HIV/AIDS, or on cancer--$5 billion, $5.5 billion on cancer research.

But let's talk about the big elephant in the room. I mean, we already know that we are not spending nearly as much money on Alzheimer's research as we are on other conditions and we need to pump that up, but let's talk about the elephant in the room. The elephant in the room is not the Republican elephant. It is the elephant on the issue of Alzheimer's.

Why is it so important for you and me and every American to be concerned about Alzheimer's research? Because it is going to choke us financially in a very short period of time. We are now spending about $214 billion a year on the cost of health care. Now, that is $150 billion in costs for Medicare, and then another $37 billion in costs for Medicaid.

So it is costing us a lot of money today, but the real choker is how much it is going to cost us in 2050. In 2050, it is going to cost us over $1.2 trillion. So we owe it to our families, we owe it to our constituents; we owe it to the American people, we owe it to the Medicare system and the Medicaid system to find a cure or find a way to early detection and then to slow the process of this particular disease.

Now, in my county, we have about 15,000 people living with Alzheimer's right now and more than 45,000 caregivers. Nationally, in 2012, 15.5 million caregivers provided an estimated 17 billion hours of unpaid care, valued at $220 billion, which brings me to my next point, and it is about women.

This issue is a women's health issue. Now, it is true that women--60 percent of Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers are women. They are often unpaid in providing those services. But nationally, a woman in her sixties has an estimated lifetime risk for developing Alzheimer's of something like 1 in 6. For breast cancer, what we have been so focused on, it is 1 in 11.

Here is the most stunning figure of all. Two-thirds of the 5 million seniors with Alzheimer's disease in this country are women. Two-thirds are women. So this is, indeed, a women's health issue and one that we have to take very seriously.

So with that, Mr. Garamendi, I know you have other participants in this, and I thank you for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate San Bruno Police Chief Neil Telford upon the occasion of his retirement from the San Bruno Police Department after 32 years of distinguished service. Chief Telford's story is an example of a boy who grew up to serve his neighbors.

Neil Telford was raised in the adjacent city of South San Francisco. He graduated from South San Francisco High School and attended two of our outstanding community colleges: the College of San Mateo and Skyline College in San Bruno. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from San Francisco State University, an outstanding institution also located in California's 14th Congressional District.

In 1982, San Bruno hit the jackpot when it offered Neil Telford the chance to be a volunteer Reserve Police Officer. During that time, he attended the basic police academy in San Jose and was then sworn in as a full-time San Bruno police officer in 1984. He immediately demonstrated his leadership capability by serving as a Field Training Officer and as a Detective. San Bruno promoted Detective Telford to Sergeant in 1991. From there, his rise was swift as he was promoted to Lieutenant in 1997 and to Captain in 2002. He became San Bruno's sixth Police Chief in 2006.

San Bruno is a wonderful city of 42,000 nestled on the bay and across the hillsides of the San Francisco Peninsula. It is characterized by families. There are families in San Bruno Park, families in its churches, families supporting its outstanding schools, and civic engagement that rivals that of any community in America. It is home to the Peninsula's middle class, an outstanding community college, and amazing youth baseball. The city is blessed with beautiful trees, quaint streets and a new train station that will soon be a centerpiece of downtown revitalization. It is also a

community that supports its police and fire departments, and a town in which children respect public safety professionals.

In both the State Legislature and Congress, it has been my privilege to represent this remarkable city, and to interact with Chief Telford on many occasions. However, none of my interactions with the Chief were marked by tragedy until one late afternoon on September 9, 2010. Eight precious lives were lost that fateful afternoon when a natural gas transmission pipeline exploded in a residential neighborhood of San Bruno. Throughout the night and on through the days to follow, bravery and compassion in the line of duty were an every-moment event on the front lines. The explosion shaped this nation's laws and practices on pipeline safety.

Chief Telford led his police force through the fire and the difficult days thereafter with outstanding compassion, strength and calm. In those difficult weeks, events that might otherwise have marked decades of experience cascaded upon Chief Telford and other public safety professionals, the leadership and the residents of San Bruno. Through it all, Chief Telford stayed focused on recovery, protection of public safety, and the preservation of the dignity of every resident of San Bruno. While he has many other notable accomplishments in his career, Neil Telford will always be remembered as the Chief who cared when caring counted for everything.

Mr. Speaker, Chief Telford is a graduate of the State of California's Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), the Command College program, and he also holds Advanced, Supervisory, Management and Executive certificates from POST. California law enforcement is marked by a high degree of professionalism. In truth, Neil Telford could have written the definitive textbook on police leadership.

Please join with me in congratulating Chief Neil Telford upon the occasion of his retirement after 32 years of public service to the residents of San Bruno. He and his wife, Cindy, have lived for 22 years in the city that he protects. They have a son, Anthony, who also resides in this special place on the Peninsula. We wish the Telford family much happiness in the coming years.