Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to House Republicans' polluters over people act, H.R. 1.

This dangerous bill appears to be doubling down on dirty fossil fuels to pad the profits of polluters and Big Oil. Our Republican friends seem to be oblivious to the fact that, as we speak, there are communities in this country devastated by extreme weather events, from deadly tornadoes to life-threatening atmospheric rivers to unprecedented snowfall. Instead of legislating with an eye toward the future, our colleagues across the aisle are bringing up a bill that pretends there is no climate crisis.

Scientists agree that action on climate is literally life or death. The recent IPCC report that just came out reminds us that we are out of time. It is now or never if we want to spare our kids from a future that includes more frequent and even worse extreme weather events and more climate-driven food insecurity.

The world's best climate scientists call this a climate time bomb. Our Republican colleagues call it a hoax, and they produce bills like this.

My colleagues seem to want to talk about speeding up permitting. Great, let's talk about permitting.

Democrats just secured $1 billion for permitting streamlining in the Inflation Reduction Act for that very purpose. Let me remind you, not a single Republican voted for that bill, which was actually a solution to accelerating clean energy.

What are they trying to do instead?

They are trying to claw back the funding that we approved. They are trying to slow down permitting and do the exact opposite of what they claim that they want to see with their so-called permitting reform package.

If they want to protect this planet for future generations, then anyone who cares about that really needs to read the fine print of this bill because it would force agencies to hold oil and gas lease sales on public lands even if they are not needed. If these sales don't get enough bids, they are replaced with more sales, at lower prices. So we are not just giving away our public lands, we are doing it at laughably low prices, locking in these lands for oil and gas development for decades to come. This is not just extreme. It is obscene.

The Inflation Reduction Act included multiple oil and gas leasing reforms, modest reforms, to ensure that the public finally gets a fair share for onshore and offshore fossil fuel development. If we are going to begin to address the impacts of the climate crisis, then ending massive fossil fuel subsidies is a pretty good place to start. Under this legislation, not only are we going in the opposite direction, we are removing even these modest provisions to allow taxpayers to finally get their fair share from the incredible profits that these polluting industries would receive.

This legislation lowers royalty rates, repeals interest fees, reinstates noncompetitive leasing, and it does all of this while fossil fuel companies are rolling in record profits of $451 billion for the oil and gas industry last year.

H.R. 1 is the biggest rollback of the Clean Water Act that we have seen in 50 years. It will remove important clean water protections for States and Tribal Governments specifically. Under current law, section 401 of the Clean Water Act gives States and Tribes authority to review water quality as well as requirements of State law on any project or activity that requires a Clean Water Act permit. This bill would slash that authority and shorten the time frame for which they can review such projects.

Make no mistake, this will make it harder to protect the waterways and the communities that depend on clean water in this country. Whether you are in East Palestine or Philadelphia or anywhere else in this country, we should know better than to take something as critical as clean water for granted.

I had an amendment that would retain these section 401 protections for Tribal Governments. This was a simple test because often some of my Republican colleagues say that they believe in Tribal sovereignty and they want to empower Tribal voices. So we came up with an amendment to let them do that, to just at least take away this terrible provision when it came to Tribal Governments. They declined to move that amendment forward. It was blocked.

Why do our Republican colleagues want to block Tribal voices?

One of the last details that we should note, if you listen to the debt ceiling debate, this cyclical, situational concern for fiscal conservatism which is coming around again, my colleagues on the other side shout from the rooftops now about the deficit.

Well, guess what? This legislation is not just bad for people, not just bad for the planet, it is fiscally irresponsible. The CBO projects that it will add to the deficit.

Just a reminder, the Inflation Reduction Act, which all of my friends voted against, paid for itself and reduced the deficit.

Look, we do need to be talking about permit streamlining for clean energy infrastructure. This is very important. We need more efficient procedures to bring more renewable energy online, to modernize and upgrade electricity transmission facilities, but this bill doesn't even begin to touch any of that. That is our greatest need, and it is nowhere in this bill.

If my Republican friends want to be taken seriously regarding permitting reform and not just giveaways to polluters, they need to offer real solutions. This package is not it.

For the sake of the planet and future generations, I urge my colleagues to vote against this bill. There are real, workable solutions to addressing our energy needs, extreme weather, food insecurity, and all of the downstream consequences of climate change, but this bill doesn't do it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Robert ``Bob'' Praetzel, an extraordinary conservationist, attorney, and community leader, who passed away on February 4, 2023, at the age of 97.

Bob was born in San Francisco in 1925 and spent most of his life in Marin County, where he developed a passion for nature hiking on Mount Tam and fishing in San Pablo Bay. He joined the Navy during World War II and spent three years in the allied forces. After the war, Bob pursued his education at the College of Marin, UC Berkeley, and Hastings Law School. His professional career spanned 60-years in Estate Planning and Probate.

Bob became a renowned pioneer in protecting Marin County's open space. As one of the lawyers who challenged the development of the largest real estate projects in the county, Bob is credited with preserving the Marin Headlands and creating the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. His efforts have immeasurably shaped the landscape of Marin and will live on through the conservation of its natural beauty for years to come.

Bob was also a passionate community volunteer, serving on numerous philanthropic and conservation boards in Marin County. He served as President of the Marin Bar Association and was founder and President of the Estate Planning Council. Additionally, he was an active volunteer for many charitable organizations and worked hard to secure funding for environmental groups such as the Trust for Public Land, Cal Trout, Ducks Unlimited, Resources Renewal Institute, and the Marin Agricultural Land Trust.

Bob is remembered as an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed backpacking, hiking, and duck hunting, and shared many adventures with his wife of 66 years, Nancy, and their four children, Susanna, Matt, Eugenia, and Anne Marie. Even in his mid-90s, Bob was still active and highly motivated by his family, referring to them as his pride and joy. He leaves behind his wife, children, numerous grandchildren, and his siblings, Lola Saylor and Patrick Praetzel.

Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that Robert Praetzel was a well- respected community figure who will be missed, and whose many contributions to the region are a legacy worthy of congressional recognition. Please join me in extending condolences to Bob's family and many friends, and in expressing my deep appreciation for the positive impact he has left on the community and the environment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of Captain Jill James as she retires from the United States Navy after 34 years of extraordinary service.

Hailing from Sausalito in Marin County, Jill commissioned as an ensign in April 1989 after graduating from the University of Missouri- Kansas City School of Law. She was a direct commission to the active- duty Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps, and following her completion of Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island, she reported to Naval Legal Service Office, Treasure Island, in San Francisco, California, to begin her career.

After serving at Treasure Island, Jill was reassigned to Naples, Italy, where she worked on a mobile trial team for two years, traveling to various commands in an area of responsibility stretching from Scotland to Bahrain. Her final active-duty assignment brought her back to San Francisco, as the Head Defense Counsel at Naval Legal Service Office, West. Once she transitioned to the Navy Reserve, Jill went on to serve as Commanding Officer, Region Legal Service Office Pearl Harbor; Commanding Officer, Region Legal Service Office Japan; and Staff Judge Advocate, Navy Region Northwest, Reserve Component Command. Jill was recalled to active duty in September 2019 for twelve months to deploy overseas. Post-deployment, Jill was assigned to Region Legal Service Office Western Pacific.

Jill's public service is not limited to her work in the Navy. Jill has served on the Sausalito City Council since 2014, and performed duties as Vice Mayor in 2015 and Mayor in 2016 and 2021. She has served as the City's School District Liaison and as the alternate to the Marin Telecommunications Agency. Jill has also represented the City on the Marin Bay Waterfront Adaptation Vulnerability Evaluation (BayWAVE) and as the alternate delegate to the Association of Bay Area Government.

Jill has cultivated an extensive civilian career alongside her reserve service. After transitioning from active duty, she worked in civil litigation, managing trial teams in the San Francisco Superior Court and nearby jurisdictions as a lead counsel. She later specialized in wine and vineyard law, and went on to co-found an ecommerce company, Qorkz Wine, that facilitates wine sales from limited production wineries directly to consumers.

Mr. Speaker, Captain Jill James exemplifies what it means to be a community-minded public servant. Her dedicated service both on the Sausalito City Council and in the United States Navy has left a positive impact locally in Marin County and on Navy operations worldwide. Therefore, please join us in congratulating her for decades of inspiring work and in wishing her a fulfilling military retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Regina Bianucci Rus who is being honored as Citizen of the Year by the City of Novato for her exemplary public service.

A 25-year resident of Novato, Ms. Rus dedicated more than two decades of community service to the city through numerous and varied roles. As a business owner and accounting expert, Ms. Rus has shared her professional and leadership skills with the community, including as a board member and president of Novato Human Needs, a long-standing member of the Novato Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Novato Citizens Finance Advisory Committee, and a volunteer with the League of Women Voters of Marin County.

Her volunteer service varied from providing professional expertise and board leadership, to rolling up her sleeves to work on the annual July Fourth Buckaroo Breakfast, and volunteering at the Marin Food Bank. She also played a critical role in supporting the efforts to restore the Novato Theater.

Ms. Rus's commitment to improving quality education is also extensive. She was a founding board member, treasurer, and president of School Fuel, president of San Marin High School's Parent Teacher Association, a math tutor for elementary students, and a high school guest speaker on financial literacy.

She is also an active member of the Presbyterian Church of Novato. She was a member of the Finance and Administration Committee, and currently serves as an Elder of the Mission Committee. Through her work with the church, she has volunteered on trips to Juarez, Mexico to build homes for families-in-need; coordinated COVID-19 vaccination clinics in partnership with Marin County; and established the Snack Sack program, providing Marin County Mobile Shower recipients with lunches prepared by church members.

For her substantial volunteer service, Ms. Rus has been honored with numerous accolades, including the Novato Chamber of Commerce 2011 Women in Business Leadership Award and the California State PTA 2020 Golden Oak Service Award. Known for her grace, intelligence, and innovative manner, she is respected for always prioritizing the betterment of her community.

In her personal time, Ms. Rus is a musician and athlete. Since 2012, she has performed with the Las Gallinas Sanitary District Non-Marching Band. And, she has finished the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon 25 times and since assumed the role of volunteer race director.

Ms. Rus's commitment to the City of Novato has been and continues to be significant and enduring. Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask that you join me in expressing gratitude to Ms. Rus for her enduring public service, and in extending to her congratulations for being honored as the City of Novato's Citizen of the Year.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Lucy Kortum, an extraordinary environmental champion and community leader, who passed away on November 30, 2022 at the age of 94.

Lucy was born in Coronado, California in 1928, where her father was stationed as a Naval aviator during World War II. She graduated from Pomona College and moved to San Francisco where she met her husband, Bill Kortum, who would later be known as the father of the Sonoma County environmental movement. They married in 1953 and began their decades-long partnership in environmental and political advocacy.

Beginning in the 1960s, Lucy and Bill led numerous public campaigns to preserve Sonoma and the northern California Coast from overdevelopment. The couple successfully advocated for saving Bodega Head from a plan to build a nuclear power plant, protecting public access along the northern Sonoma Coast. They also succeeded in passing Proposition 20, which created the California Coastal Commission and the California Coastal Act in 1972.

Lucy was also a passionate historian and a champion of local and statewide architectural preservation. She earned her teaching credential at Sonoma State University, and later returned in 1991 to pursue her master's degree in history. Her master's thesis resulted in the addition of ten California Carnegie libraries to the National Register of Historic Places, and her work was later credited with adding the 1892 Petaluma Silk Mill to the National Register, saving it from future demolition.

Lucy was highly motivated by her family and strong sense of community. The Kortum's home became a community hub in Sonoma County, often hosting meetings about pressing local issues. I am among many of the beneficiaries of Lucy and Bill Kortum's wisdom and mentorship. She leaves behind her sons, Frank and Sam Kortum. her daughter, Julie Groves, and her five grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that Lucy Kortum was a community figure who will be missed and whose many contributions to the region are a legacy worthy of congressional recognition. Please join me in extending condolences to Lucy's family and many friends, and in expressing my deep appreciation for the positive impact she has left on the community and the environment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Phyllis Faber, who passed away at the age of 95 on January 15, 2023. Instrumental to the conservation movement in Marin County and the state of California, Phyllis was a trailblazing environmentalist who leaves a legacy worthy of high commendation.

Born in New York City, Phyllis pursed a bachelor's degree in zoology from Mount Holyoke College and a master's degree in microbiology from Yale University. She eventually moved to Marin County in 1970, where she began her career as a wetlands biologist while teaching biology and natural history at the College of Marin. She became an effective advocate for wetlands restorations projects in the San Francisco Bay.

In 1980, Phyllis and Ellen Straus co-founded the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT), the first land trust in the nation dedicated to protecting farmland. Leveraging a coalition of ranchers, environmentalists, and community leaders, MALT has since secured more than 55,000 acres in Marin County and invested more than $1.8 million in projects aimed at improving and protecting the health of soil and water quality.

Phyllis was an active member of the California Native Plant Society, as well as editor of the organization's journal. During her membership, she was credited with improving the botanical literacy of elected officials and helped promote the preservation of native plants in legislation and public policy. Additionally, she served as a regional officer for the California Coastal Commission and as a trustee on the Buck Institute Board of Trustees.

Phyllis was known for her dedication, energy, and passionate advocacy for environmental stewardship. Without her efforts, Marin's landscape would be vastly different today. While she will be greatly missed, her legacy will live on through the preservation of Marin's natural beauty.

Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask that you join me in expressing my deep appreciation for Phyllis' pioneering and lasting work in conservation and extending condolences to Phyllis' family and many friends.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Harry Bosworth in celebration of his extraordinary life and longstanding community involvement.

Born in Geyserville, California in 1938, Mr. Bosworth graduated from Geyserville High School in 1956. He enlisted in the United States Army and was trained in electronics. Following his service in the Army, Mr. Bosworth moved back to Geyserville, married his wife, Karen Bosworth, and opened a hardware store.

When his father passed away in the 1980s, Mr. Bosworth merged his hardware store with his parents' historic Bosworth and Son store, which was opened in 1911. Over the years, the store served many purposes and has become a local institution. Currently it provides hats, apparel and gifts, and appropriately, it houses the Geyserville Historical Society Museum.

Like the store and his family, Harry Bosworth became a fixture in the community, and Sonoma County has benefited greatly from his extensive community involvement. Mr. Bosworth, in fact, was often referred to as the ``unofficial mayor'' of Geyserville. He served on the Geyserville School Board, the Geyserville Chamber of Commerce, the Kiwanis Club, the Odd Fellows, the Geyserville Community Foundation, the Geyserville Historical Society, and the board of the Geyserville Fire Protection District (now the Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District).

Mr. Bosworth also served as President of Friends of Lake Sonoma from 2013 through 2015, where his extensive community relationships and passion for local advocacy were instrumental in the completion of an on-site fish weir. He is known locally by his friends and peers for his endless energy and passion for the community. He is survived by his wife, Karen, brother, Charles Beers, his 2 daughters, Rachel and Gretchen, and granddaughters.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Bosworth's enduring and positive impact throughout Sonoma County and decades of public service are worthy of commendation. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor his legacy and express our deep condolences to his family and friends on his passing.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Dora Marie Knell, who passed away at the age of 98 on December 19, 2022. Dora was a political activist in her community and a champion of women's rights.

Born in Sonoma County in 1924, Dora grew up in Guerneville, CA and attended Santa Rosa Junior College where she was the first woman elected student body president. She later earned her bachelor's degree in English and Journalism from UC Berkeley. Dora became a successful small business owner in Marin County, founding her own printing business, Copy Desk, in San Rafael and starting a publishing company, ETRI. In 1989, she sold her businesses and purchased several commercial properties, managing them herself.

A dedicated political activist and feminist, Dora was committed to increasing women's participation in the political process. She was a founding member of the National Woman's Political Caucus, an Emeritus Member of the Marin Woman's Political Action Committee and elected to serve two terms on the Marin Democratic Central Committee. In addition, she also served on the Marin County Grand Jury and the Marin County Housing-Family and Child Advisory Committee. Known for her vocal activism, Dora is remembered for speaking her mind and fighting for a healthy democracy.

Along with her hard work ethic and commitment to making a positive difference for others, Dora was known for her quick-witted humor, fierce determination, and generous spirit. While she will be greatly missed, her legacy will live on through the positive impact she has had on her community and beyond.

Dora is survived by her children Gregory, Catalaine, Theodora, Valerie, Vivian, Geoffrey, Derek, and her 21 grandchildren and great- grandchildren, many of whom have carried on her passion for politics and public service.

Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask that you join me in extending condolences to Dora's family and many friends and in expressing my deep appreciation for her decades of public service in her community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of Jack Gibson's 28 years of service as Marin Municipal Water District's (Marin Water) Division I Director.

A longtime resident of Sleepy Hollow, Mr. Gibson is a proud graduate of the University of San Francisco School of Law and has worked as an attorney since 1971. In this capacity, he has spent countless hours sharing his professional expertise with his community, providing pro bona legal services to several local nonprofit organizations and serving on their boards of directors. He owns his own practice in Marin County, where he specializes in business, estate planning, and real estate law. In 1994, Mr. Gibson was elected to serve as a Marin Municipal Water District director.

Throughout his tenure on Marin Water, Director Gibson distinguished himself as a stalwart advocate for the communities of Marin Water Division I, including Gallinas Valley, Sleepy Hollow, Marinwood, and the coast north of McNears Beach to John F. Mcinnis Park. He worked productively on many district committees, including Watershed, Finance, Communications & Water Efficiency, and others. He was known for his open-minded approach toward problem solving and never shying away from developing and considering innovative solutions.

In addition to his service as a director, Mr. Gibson developed a renowned legacy for building alliances with other resource agencies and government partners. During his extensive tenure on the Marin Water Board of Directors, he was a key advocate for cooperative efforts and coordination between water managers and staff in the North Bay. Toward this end, he faithfully represented Marin Municipal Water District on multiple regional committees, including the North Bay Watershed Association, the North Bay Water Reuse Authority, the Mayors and City Councils of Marin Group, the Sonoma County Water Association Contractor's Water Advisory Committee, the Community Choice Aggregation, and OneTam.

Mr. Gibson is both a teacher and student of history. Prior to his law and water district careers, he taught history in San Francisco. Later, drawing on his extensive knowledge and research skills, he went on to author Mount Tamalpais and the Marin Municipal Water District, a comprehensive history of Mount Tamalpais and its adjacent watersheds, and of the water district formed to preserve natural sites and resources for community use.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Gibson exemplifies what it means to be a community- minded public servant and environmental steward. His dedicated service to the Marin Water and to the people of Division I has played a significant role in resource conservation and land management in Marin County. Therefore, please join us in congratulating him for decades of inspiring work.

Mr. Chair, I have amendment No. 15 at the desk.

Mr. Chair, this amendment would ban leasing for offshore oil and gas drilling off the northern California coast.

Offshore drilling poses unacceptable risks. Where you drill, you spill. That is why Republican and Democratic Governors on both the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts have voiced their opposition to any new oil and gas leasing off their coasts.

We should not put our oceans, fisheries, coastal communities, economies, and planet at risk just to enrich the fossil fuel industry.

While folks were hurting at the pump, Big Oil companies were raking in record profits, and they were sitting on millions of acres of unused leases, capitalizing on the war in Ukraine in order to gouge U.S. consumers. Giving them even more control over our public lands is not necessary, and it won't do a darn thing for consumers.

At a time when the climate crisis is ravaging communities across the globe, adding new leases on public lands makes no sense unless you value Big Oil profits above making sure our children have a livable planet.

Now, the north coast of California is an amazing, pristine place that I am privileged to represent. It supports a thriving blue economy, including fishing, tourism, and some of the other values that we have heard discussed here today. It deserves the same kind of protection that President Trump gave reluctantly and very selectively to certain communities in Florida and on the East Coast after there was a backlash from Republican Members of Congress and Republican Governors to his drill everywhere plan.

The north coast of California deserves at least that same level of protection, and by passing this amendment, it will get it.

Mr. Chair, I thank my friend and colleague, the gentleman from my neighboring district, Congressman Mike Thompson, for joining me on this measure.

Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson).

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

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chair, I have amendment No. 65 at the desk.

Mr. Chair, this amendment would block this legislation from allowing increased oil and gas leasing on any Federal land where outdoor recreation takes place. Our public lands are for the public, not for the wealthiest industry in the history of the world to drill and to spoil with impunity.

Being active in the outdoors and experiencing wild places is a way of life not just in my district but for many communities around this country.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when we were unable to gather the way we liked to indoors, we learned just how important our parks and our public lands are, how getting outside helps our well-being. This is why we must protect and expand our public lands for recreational use, not give them away to a single polluting industry.

We all depend on the ecological, economic, and mental health benefits that our public lands provide. That is why my amendment protects these important lands.

If we are good stewards, our public lands can simultaneously support a thriving outdoor recreation economy as well as natural resiliency against the climate crisis, all while preserving and protecting these precious lands for future generations.

These are the goals of the Biden administration and the State of California in their efforts to protect 30 percent of our lands by 2030 because these lands are meant for everyone to use, enjoy, and pass down to future generations to do the same. However, H.R. 21 would create an arbitrary increase in oil and gas development for the benefit of one single group: the oil and gas industry.

This bill may seem simple--it is just three pages long--yet it does something really big and dangerous. It stands to open up over 300 million acres to be destroyed for oil and gas drilling, an area equivalent to three times the size of California or six times the combined size of all our national parks. This is unacceptable, and it is another example of the dangerous extremism we see from this new Republican majority.

The fact of the matter is, there are currently 9,000 permits held by the oil and gas industry right now that are not being used. Additionally, the majority of the roughly 26 million acres that are currently under lease to oil and gas companies on our Federal lands and waters are not being used. Industry is simply sitting on them to keep prices artificially high.

What would industry do with the dramatic expansion of new leasing opportunities on our valuable public lands? Well, the evidence shows that they will simply lock them up so that they couldn't be used for other activities such as recreation or renewable energy.

I represent the north coast of California, and my constituents know the value of public lands for outdoor recreation, from hiking and climbing to kayaking and angling. I hope folks on both sides of the aisle agree that we need to protect the future of these cherished recreational activities on our public lands. Our public lands used for outdoor recreation should not be sacrificed at the altar of Big Oil.

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

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Offered By: Mr. Huffman

Amendment No. 65: Page 3, line 5, strike ``percent.'' and

insert ``percent, nor shall it include any tract of Federal

land where oil and gas leasing would decrease land and water

available for outdoor recreation.''.

Offered By: Mr. Huffman

Amendment No. 15: Page 3, line 9, strike the closing

quotation mark and the final period.

Page 3, after line 9, add the following:

``(4) Offshore exclusions.--The plan required by paragraph

(1) shall not include oil and gas leasing in any tract

located in the Northern California planning area.''.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to point out to my colleagues some context and facts that are totally missing from this debate.

Exports of oil from the SPR regardless of destination were not a problem before 2015. Many of us were here, and we remember exactly why that 40-year policy of the United States, a ban on crude oil exports, changed. It changed because that year a Republican-controlled Congress insisted on lifting the export ban.

The Republicans in charge at that time refused to consider an amendment that was offered by our friend and former colleague, Representative Gene Green. That amendment would have required exporters to have a permit finding that their export of crude oil was consistent with the national interest. Republicans did not create any restrictions on the destination of oil exported from our strategic reserves or any other source.

If Republicans had not lifted that export ban, we would not have this problem. If Republicans hadn't blocked Representative Green's amendment from even being considered on the floor of the House, we would not have this problem.

Instead, we are left with a Republican messaging bill which purports to address a small part of the problem while ignoring the much bigger problem that they created back in 2015.

If my friends across the aisle were truly concerned with U.S. oil exports going to China, then they would put a more serious measure forward. At the very least, they would block not just some small amount of petroleum from the SPR, but the sale of all crude oil exports to China which includes much larger volumes outside of the SPR.

In the international market, we don't know where crude oil ends up once it hits the global marketplace. That is the way it works. Sales to entities with connections to China may not go to China. Sales to entities with no connection to China may go straight to China. That is just how it works.

The fact is the only way we can be sure that U.S. crude doesn't end up in the hands of foreign entities of concern is to reinstate that crude oil export ban.

I agree with my friends across the aisle. We shouldn't be exporting our strategic oil reserves to China. I just wish they hadn't gotten us into this mess in the first place, and I wish they would put forth a more serious bill now.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor George Mills who passed away on November 18, 2022, to celebrate his extraordinary life and commitment to serving his community.

George grew up in Dearborn, Michigan where he played varsity football at St. Alphonsus School. In his youth, he worked at the Dearborn Independent, a weekly newspaper published and co-owned by his father. In 1959, the family moved to San Francisco where George earned a degree in Political Science from the University of San Francisco. He then attended the Naval Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island and served 3 years on the USS Ticonderoga. In 1964, George decided to further his education at the St. Patrick Catholic Seminary in Menlo Park, returning to the San Francisco Bay Area to earn his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy.

George's long and impactful career in education began with his return to the University of San Francisco, where he earned both his teaching credential and his Master of Arts in Education. His entire teaching career was with the San Rafael High School District (District). He started as a teacher at the San Rafael Continuation School, and within a decade, he established a Title I Language Arts Learning Center at San Rafael High School. In total, George dedicated 32 years to teaching English, Yearbook, and Journalism in the District. He was also active in the San Rafael Federation of Teachers in San Rafael and a respected advocate for his profession and colleagues.

During his decorated career, he received the ``Classroom Excellence'' award from the California Association of Teachers of English in 1983 and was selected as a Bay Area Writing Project Fellow at U.C. Berkeley in 1985. Fittingly, he was named an ``Outstanding Teacher'' in Marin County in 1997.

In addition to teaching, George was deeply involved in the San Rafael community with his wife Gayle. As Chairman of the Sun Valley Neighborhood Association, George traveled door to door to convince his neighbors to contribute to a community purchase of the land around Sun Valley Trail. This effort preserved the land for public use in 1985, which today is managed by Marin County Open Space District. George also coached his son's soccer and baseball teams and served as Assistant Scoutmaster for his Boy Scout troop.

George is survived by his beloved wife of 53 years, Gayle Mills, his 2 children: Christopher and Claire, and 2 grandchildren: Georgia and Donovan Illingworth. While he will be greatly missed, George's legacy will live on through the positive impact he had on his family, Marin County, and beyond.

Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that George Mills was a dedicated civil servant who will be missed and whose many years of service are worthy of commendation. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor his many contributions and express our deep condolences to his family and friends.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life of Robert Scott Thomas, who passed away on October 23, 2022.

Descending from a storied line of Marin pioneers and California cowboys, Robert spent his childhood learning about the value of hard work and business ethic. This was evident from the age of 12, when he managed the ranch and family business while his adult family members were away fighting in the Second World War. Following their legacy of service, he would go on to join the United States Army in 1951, serving at Fort Ord, California.

Robert returned to Marin County after serving in the military and went on to play an instrumental role at John Oglesby Engineering, designing Marinwood, Sausalito, Tiburon, Mill Valley, and other subdivisions across Marin County. Robert would eventually become President of McNear Block Company, the historic firm that was crucial in rebuilding San Francisco following the 1906 earthquake.

Throughout his life, Robert carried on the legacy of a family steeped in California history. In 1868, his great-great-grandfather, Captain John August McNear, purchased 2,500 acres of land at Point San Pedro in San Rafael, where he ran successful dairy and brick manufacturing operations. After seeing the poor treatment of Chinese workers in San Francisco, Captain McNear offered the Chinese community employment and safe refuge on his land. Robert upheld these family values in his professional career, notably as Senior Advisor for Roots of Peace, a humanitarian organization dedicated to removing landmines and reviving sustainable agriculture in war-torn regions.

Robert exemplified humility, positivity, resilience, and love for family. He met the love of his life, Barbara, while at San Rafael High School; they would go on to spend over half a century together until she passed in 2006. He leaves behind his daughter Heidi, son Robert, Jr., 10 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. While he will be greatly missed, Robert's legacy will live on through the positive impact he had on his family, Marin County, and beyond.

Madam Speaker, there is no doubt that Robert Scott Thomas was a community figure who will be missed and whose many contributions to the region and nation are worthy of commendation. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor his many contributions and express our deep condolences to his family and friends.