Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, I spoke on the connection between comprehensive immigration reform and the crisis that we have at our border. And I said then--and I will say it again--that it is the height of hypocrisy to be talking about trying to do something about our border security when we can't even bring comprehensive immigration reform to this floor that would have provided the funding for increased border security. You can't have it both ways.

But the Republican leadership said earlier this week and yesterday that, in fact, maybe the President should use his executive authority to deal with the issue at the border. But on Tuesday, they provided funding--some $2 million--to sue the President for excessive use of executive authority. Which is it? You can't have it both ways. But it seems like some of our colleagues want to do that.

And then finally, a colleague from the Valley just said this morning: The problem we have is that some of our people just don't want to govern. That is correct. They don't. Once again, we are seeing politics trump good public policy for the people of our country.

What we ought to be doing is returning back to regular order. What we ought to be doing is putting together a bipartisan effort to solve our border problems and to bring about comprehensive immigration reform for all the people of this country. That is what we ought to be doing.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of Eli Setencich, who passed away on July 12, 2014, at the age of 90. Eli was a veteran of America's greatest generation who will be greatly missed by residents throughout Central Valley.

Eli was born on April 10, 1924, in Sacramento, California and later moved to Sanger, California to live with relatives upon his mother's passing. In 1941, he graduated from Sanger High School and joined the Army Air Corps. During World War II, Eli flew 142 combat missions. He flew the A-36 Apache and P-47 Thunderbolt. Eli always showed great courage and superior flying ability during his combat missions. His service, heroism, and extraordinary achievements were recognized with two Distinguished Flying Cross awards.

In 1944, upon receiving his first Distinguished Flying Cross for the combat mission he completed in Italy, Eli was promoted from First Lieutenant to Captain. In 1945, Eli received his second Distinguished Flying Cross after flying a combat mission in Germany. He exhibited great leadership and determination.

When the war ended, Eli continued his service at the 144th Fighter Wing of the California Air National Guard. Later, he attended College of the Sequoias and began his legacy in journalism. After working in the radio and television industry for a short time, he started his remarkable career at The Fresno Bee. Eli worked at The Bee for 41 years. He started out writing a weekly column, and later in his career, he was writing three columns a week. In 2002, Eli retired, and the contributions he made to the paper and the field of journalism were highly commended. Eli was a very insightful journalist, and his writing was both witty and humorous. His way with words could go unmatched.

Eli was a mentor and friend to countless individuals. His humble demeanor and ability to poke fun at himself was always refreshing. Eli will be greatly missed by his wife, Yvonne, daughter, Amy, and two grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect that I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to honor the life of Eli Setencich, an American hero and distinguished journalist. His presence will undoubtedly be missed, but the impact he made on our community will never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Juan Esparza Loera as he receives the ``Service Above Self'' award presented by the Fresno Latino Rotary. Juan's dedication and commitment to reporting quality news to the community is something to be honored.

Juan was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, and immigrated with his parents to the United States when he was only three and a half years old. He moved to the San Joaquin Valley in 1969, and has lived there ever since. Upon his graduation from Delano High School, Juan continued his education at Bakersfield Junior College and then went on to California State University, Fresno, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism.

Juan's career in journalism began in Bakersfield as the high school sports editor for the Bakersfield Californian. His career would then take him to Modesto, where he worked for the Modesto Bee. During his time at the Modesto Bee, Juan held multiple positions ranging from general assignment reporter to business editor. His hard work in Bakersfield and Modesto created opportunities for him in Fresno. In May 1990, Juan was hired as the Editor and Publisher for Vida en el Valle. Twenty-four years later, Juan still holds the position.

Over the years, Vida en el Valle has been recognized for national awards. In 1998, Vida en el Valle was awarded the General Excellence Award by the California Newspaper Publishers Association. It was the first time a bilingual newspaper had ever won the award. Since then, Vida en el Valle has earned more than 20 additional awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association. In 2003, Juan was recognized by Hispanic Media 100 as one of the most influential Latino journalists in the United States.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect that I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to recognize Mr. Juan Esparza Loera. The contributions he has made to our San Joaquin Valley deserve to be commended.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on the importance of comprehensive immigration reform and the growing humanitarian crisis we are facing at our southern border.

It is the job of the Congress to face and resolve challenging issues like our broken immigration system. We ought to pass the bipartisan Senate bill that would provide commonsense solutions to address not only reforming our immigration system, but to deal with this immediate humanitarian crisis at our border.

Instead, the Republican House leadership refuses to allow a vote on comprehensive reform and has come up, instead, with a plan that would change the law passed in 2008 to combat human trafficking. In addition, this partisan bill will provide limited funding for this fiscal year.

Again, House leadership plans to pass a short-term fix, so that they can go back to their districts next month and say: well, we tried to fix this crisis that we are facing.

This is not how we should be solving our Nation's problems. Each day that our immigration system remains broken, jobs are lost, and our economy suffers. It is time to set politics aside and focus on fixing our current immigration system. In fact, failure to address reform is making it more difficult to deal with the thousands of unaccompanied children arriving at our southern border in hopes of finding safety.

The humanitarian crisis that we are facing is in part a result of the increasing turmoil in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, where drug trafficking, human trafficking, and violence is rampant. Families have been tortured and killed, and today, there are people who are literally running for their lives.

Atrocities are being committed in those countries, and they must bear the responsibility of addressing and resolving their issues. Mexico also has a role to play.

We in the United States must now face the humanitarian crisis this violence is causing at our southern border. In a joint statement, President Obama, along with Presidents from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, pledged to reduce criminal activity in Central American countries by promoting greater social and economic opportunity.

It is my hope that these leaders stay true to their word and demonstrate leadership by addressing the humanitarian crisis taking place within their own countries.

These young unaccompanied children must be treated in a humane and dignified way. Ultimately, these children's fate rests in the hands of our immigration judges, and those children who are not granted asylum must return to their countries. Playing politics with this grave crisis, as some are doing, is not productive.

It is the height of hypocrisy that Republicans want more border security, but have refused to allow a vote on a comprehensive immigration reform bill that would in fact provide more funding to secure our borders. That makes no sense. We have spent billions of dollars on border security, but clearly, our border is not yet secure.

The comprehensive immigration reform bill passed by the Senate in a bipartisan fashion requires that a long-term plan be developed and executed with an initial $8.3 billion in funding to focus on securing the borders today and an additional $6.5 billion in funding to be spent over the next 6 years to in fact secure our border.

What we need now, more than ever, is an open and honest discussion on the House floor about the relationship between immigration reform and this humanitarian crisis. Therefore, I urge my Republican colleagues to join together, in a bipartisan fashion, like they did in the Senate, to find an effective and humane short- and long-term solution to this crisis, which is directly related, in my opinion, to fixing our broken immigration system.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank my colleague for giving me time to speak on this important legislation. The Endangered Species Act is a fundamental environmental law, one that was enacted because we, as a society, decided that we have a responsibility to our generation and to future generations to protect species that are threatened with extinction, as we did with the American bald eagle, our Nation's symbol.

Unfortunately, its implementation has had a profound impact on many human activities in many areas of the country, including my own district in the San Joaquin Valley of California. This year, people that I represent will be standing in food lines due in part to the way the ESA is being implemented in the San Joaquin Valley as it relates to water.

Let me be clear, I support targeted reform of the Endangered Species Act and the use of best science. However, the reform must strengthen the policy goals of the ESA. We need to be improving its performance, not reducing its protections.

Unfortunately, as I have said too many times on the floor of this House, this bill, unfortunately, is going nowhere. It is going nowhere because the process to develop it was not transparent and was not bipartisan. It is going nowhere because this is another example of a single-Chamber bill to score political points that has no Democratic support.

If we are going to create law that benefits the American people, bipartisanship is no longer an option. It is a requirement. I will vote for this bill in spite of the flawed process on how it was developed and my serious reservations regarding the definition of best science.

I will vote for it because it is past time to roll up our sleeves and get to work on crafting serious proposals to reform the Endangered Species Act that ensures greater transparency, provides for more stakeholder input into the process, ensures that best science is used regarding species management, and creates a better balance between species protection and human impacts.

Mr. Chairman, I will vote for this bill because, for me, hope springs eternal that we can come together and become legislators that work together between the House and the Senate in a bipartisan fashion.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1799, the Victims of Child Abuse Act Reauthorization Act of 2013.

This bill, as has been noted by the previous speakers, is the Senate companion to H.R. 3706, which I sponsored, along with Congressman Ted Poe of Texas and Congressman Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania. Congressman Ted Poe and I cochair the Victims' Rights Caucus that we organized some 9 years

ago. He wanted to be here today to express his deep support for this legislation.

As has been noted, the children in our society are the most dear and precious to all of us, and they are also the most vulnerable. As a society, therefore, we must do all we can to ensure the protection of these children. Tragically, the physical or sexual abuse of a child is a horrific crime that touches, sadly, every community in America. In response to these unconscionable acts, Congress passed the Victims of Child Abuse Act in 1990 to provide funding for a network of Children's Advocacy Centers across the country, which do great work--over 700 of them.

These centers are essential tools to allow communities to care for our children when they are harmed and to deliver justice for the child abusers. Children's Advocacy Centers are a unique model and focus on teamwork. They bring together law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and child service professionals under one roof to do what is best for the child. The Community Action Partnership of Madera County, in my district, is an accredited child advocacy center in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley. I have visited with them. I have met with those who work there together to help our children. I know of the good work they do.

The Madera Community Action Partnership--or ``Madera CAP'' as they like to refer to themselves--depends on funding from the Victims of Child Abuse Act to care for victims and bring justice to the perpetrators of these heinous crimes. However, this important law expired in 2005, and the President has eliminated or reduced the funding for these centers in the last three budgets. Yet Congress, on a bipartisan basis, has chosen to continue to provide funding. That is why Senator Coons of Delaware, Senator Blunt of Missouri, Congressman Poe, Congressman Fitzpatrick, and I have introduced the legislation to reauthorize the Victims of Child Abuse Act and to, therefore, protect these Children's Advocacy Centers across the country. The bill includes strong accountability language to improve the oversight of the program, and it ensures that the money from the Crime Victims Fund is spent only for victim assistance purposes.

The bill before us today, once again, is a product of a bipartisan and bicameral negotiation, and I thank my colleagues again--Senators Coons and Blunt and Congressmen Poe and Fitzpatrick--for their hard work and for that of their staffs on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, finally, I want to urge all of our colleagues to strongly support S. 1799. Let's do the right thing by our Nation's children and swiftly send this bill to the President's desk.

I thank Congressman Scott, and I thank Congressman Franks for their time and their effort today.

Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to pay tribute to the life of Eli Setencich, a captain in the American Army Air Corps during World War II, a journalist, and a friend to so many of us.

Eli was an unsung American hero, a veteran of America's Greatest Generation. Eli hardly ever discussed, nor did he brag about, his World War II experiences, like many of those who served at that time.

However, he flew 142 combat missions in P-49s during the war. Eli's amazing courage and heroism was recognized with two Distinguished Flying Cross awards.

When the war ended, like most American veterans of that era, Eli returned

to his hometown to begin his career, in this case, Sanger, California.

For 41 years, Eli worked for The Fresno Bee, a major paper in the West, first as a reporter, and then a columnist. His insightfulness and biting humor always made the point.

Eli was a mentor to many young writers and a friend to all who knew him. He will be greatly missed by his wife, Yvonne; his daughter, Amy; and his two grandchildren.

It is with great respect that I ask my colleagues of the United States House of Representatives to honor the life of Eli Setencich, a true American hero and a distinguished journalist.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Gustine High School in celebration of its 100th anniversary. Gustine is a small, rural community located in the heart of California's San Joaquin Valley. For ten decades, the teachers and faculty at Gustine High School have enriched the lives of thousands of students. Many graduates have found success in careers in various fields.

In 1912, due to the growing population and inefficient school system, The Gustine Chamber of Commerce petitioned to have a high school established in Gustine. While the population in the area was small, demand for a more accessible high school was high. On July 26, 1913, the elementary schools in Gustine, Enterprise, Occidental, Cottonwood, Canal, Romero, and Ingomar voted to form a school district and build Gustine High School.

A small building was erected on Main Street, and Gustine High School officially opened on September 8, 1913. During that first school year, there were twenty students and two teachers, with C.R. Perrier serving as Principal. In the next month, a basketball team was formed and their first game was lost to Newman High School, thus beginning a great rivalry between the two schools.

The new high school was a success, and on March 14, 1914, a bond was passed to allow for further construction to expand. By 1916, the school was completed with new buildings, a gym and its first graduating class of two, Rosalie Bizzini and Rose Williams. Since the 1920s, agriculture has been a main focus at Gustine High School. In 1922, agricultural and mechanic courses were offered, and the school held its first Stock Show in the spring of 1927. Still, the indoor Stock Show is the oldest of its kind in California. In the 1938-1939 school year, Gustine High officially began their participation in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) program.

In 1944, an invitational basketball tournament was sponsored by the Gustine 20-30 Club, a service organization dedicated to serving youth. Under sponsorship of the Gustine Rotary Club, this tournament continues today as the longest running invitational basketball tournament operated by a high school in the state of California.

In the past 100 years, Gustine High School has gone through changes. Notably, in 1953, a new gymnasium was built to accommodate the larger number of students and the community's growing interest in basketball. In 1962, the original mission style of the school, designed by Trewhill and Shields, was remodeled in favor of a more modern design. Over the years, Gustine High School has seen thousands of students walk through its halls with a number of those students returning as teachers.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Gustine High School for their 100 years in providing quality education to the students of the San Joaquin Valley. The education that students receive at Gustine Union High School has enhanced many lives and created endless opportunities for achieving success.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today along with my colleague Mr. George Miller, to pay tribute to the life of Terry Reardon, who passed away on July 1, 2014. Terry led by example as his love and appreciation for life made him a mentor and friend to many.

Terry was born in Oakland, California to John and Marian Reardon. The Reardons were loyal Democrats, and from a young age, Terry was out walking precincts with his parents. His love for politics never wavered as he worked on every Presidential campaign from John F. Kennedy to President Barack Obama. Terry always showed his support of the Democratic party at their National Conventions, and later worked for his family friend, Congressman George Miller. Congressman Miller will always remember Terry as a wonderful friend who cared about policy and the possibility of creating change.

Terry graduated from California State University, Fresno, and was an active member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity which is where my lifelong friendship with Terry began. He was my confidant, best friend, and honorary brother. He served as my chief of staff for 24 years when I was in the California State Legislature and we continued to participate in political campaigns together until the very end. He worked diligently on legislation relating to comprehensive transportation, water, and housing policy. Terry's service to the State of California deserves to be commended. Every day, he proudly served the residents of our San Joaquin Valley.

When Terry was not working, he was exploring other parts of the world. He had the pleasure of visiting almost every continent. Terry's travels gave him a unique perspective and ability to empathize for others. He was an amazing individual whose kindness, compassion, and generosity were evident to all of those who had the pleasure of knowing and crossing paths with him. He touched the lives of countless individuals including my own.

Terry's strength and resilience were a testament to the life he lived and to the person he was. He lived each day to its fullest, and we can all strive to live life as he did. His sense of humor and vibrant spirit were contagious. He will be greatly missed by his brother, Tim and his wife, Julie; his nephew, Christopher; his niece, Stacey; his former spouse, Linda, and many relatives and friends.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect that Mr. George Miller and I ask our colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to pay tribute to the life of our dear friend, Terry Reardon. Terry's presence will undoubtedly be missed, but the contributions he made to make this world a better place will never be forgotten by those who knew him.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Bud Elliott as he celebrates his retirement as a reporter and news anchor for KSEE24. For 23 years, Bud has been a part of thousands of viewers' lives, and we will all undoubtedly miss watching him on the evening news.

Bud's career in journalism began years before his time at KSEE24. Bud worked at KHOW radio in Denver, Colorado, where he was news director for most of the 1970s. He also worked as a news anchor at CNN-2, which later became CNN Headline News. Before arriving in Fresno, Bud worked as the main news anchor at the ABC affiliate in Richmond, Virginia.

In 1987, Bud began his career at KSEE24. Since then, he has worked tirelessly to establish a solid reputation in the community for delivering accurate news. While at KSEE24, Bud has worked as the evening news anchor, morning newscast anchor, and morning show co- anchor. He has worked from both behind the desk and out in the field to deliver news that is relevant and important to residents in the Valley.

The commitment Bud has made to his career and the Central Valley has not gone unnoticed. Throughout his time in the San Joaquin Valley, Bud has earned a number of awards for excellence in journalism, including an Emmy and several Associated Press and Radio-Television News Directors Association awards. Most recently, Bud was recognized by the Fresno County Farm Bureau for his work on a four-part series focused on the water challenges that farmers face in California's San Joaquin Valley.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the outstanding contributions Mr. Bud Elliott has made to the San Joaquin Valley. The lasting contributions he has made to our community as a news anchor deserve to be commended.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today along with my colleague Mr. Valadao to recognize the 25th anniversary of the California Farm Water Coalition. The Coalition's contributions to California's agricultural industry deserve to be commended.

Since 1989, the California Farm Water Coalition has been working with farmers, lawmakers, and the news media to provide factual information emphasizing the importance of farm water to California's food production. The Coalition was instrumental in increasing public awareness about the resourceful water use practices that farmers partake in daily. Some interest groups falsely criticize farmers for not using their water efficiently, making these public awareness efforts even more important.

The Coalition is the largest organization in California that focuses solely on water for agriculture and is comprised of a diverse membership, which includes water districts, agencies, farmers, and organizations from the entire state. For the past 25 years, the Coalition has provided an outlet for their members to share their views and accomplishments with the public.

The California Farm Water Coalition works diligently to increase public awareness so individuals understand the important role that water has in California's economy. Since 1996, they have reached millions of motorists through a billboard campaign with the slogan, ``Food Grows Where Water Flows.'' They strive to stay innovative in their marketing techniques so that consumers are educated about the importance of water to growing their nutritious fruits and vegetables.

In addition to educating the public on the importance of farm water, the Coalition participates in key legislative meetings to provide valuable data pertaining to farm water and pending legislation that will affect farmers and their use of water. Their participation and resources were useful in the development of the Central Valley Water Plan.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to join Mr. Valadao and myself in recognizing the 25th anniversary of the California Farm Water Coalition. The State of California's agricultural industry has benefitted immensely due to the hard work and efforts made by the California Farm Water Coalition.

Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today in honor of the life of Terry J. Hurne, United States Army Specialist, who died on June 9, 2014. Terry made the ultimate sacrifice while serving the United States in the Logar province of Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Specialist Hurne was raised in Atwater, California, graduated from Atwater High School, and joined the military in 2007. During his time in the Army, Terry served two tours in Afghanistan, and for the past 5 years, he served as a generator mechanic and a builder. He was assigned to Company B, 710 Brigade Support Battalion, 10th Mountain Division, stationed in Fort Drum, New York.

His family and friends will hold memories of Terry in their hearts forever. His smile, his laughter, his kindness to everyone will never, ever be forgotten; his fondness for sports, and a big lover of animals, especially his dog Trinity. He will be remembered as a hero who fought for our freedoms.

Terry is survived by his wife, Natalie, as well as his father, his mother, stepmother, three sisters, and a brother.

It is with great respect that I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to honor the life of our fallen soldier, Army Specialist Terry Hurne, an American patriot who did extraordinary things.

God bless him.

Mr. Chairman, as a Nation, we must work together if we are ever going to get a realistic energy policy that will provide clean, reliable energy for all America, that will reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources and preserve the beauty of our land.

We need a comprehensive energy plan for a country that includes not only the conventional resources like oil and gas, but also takes advantage of the new and renewable resources such as wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal energy.

At the end of the day, I don't believe we can simply afford to take any of these energy resources off the table. I, for one, am a firm believer that using all the energy tools in our energy tool box is the way that we must go forward.

In the San Joaquin Valley of California that I represent, we have shown that we can take an all-of-the-above approach. We have oil production taking place just down the road from our solar fields and our wind farms; yet, of course, we are all concerned about the rise of gas prices, but as the gentleman from Oregon said, there are multiple factors that are causing those rising gas prices.

I represent one of the newest University of California campuses in Merced, and it is blazing a trail for energy efficiency, crafting technology necessary for the next generation of solar energy production.

Conventional energy, together with renewable resources and a strategy for energy conservation--which we do quite well in California--I think will best serve our long-term energy needs. That is why I have cosponsored the

American energy opportunity act of 2014.

We must create a viable energy policy that not only acknowledges our short-term challenges, but our medium and our long-term challenges as well. We must enhance our path toward energy independence--which we have made remarkable progress in the last 4 years--from over 60 percent of importing our energy needs, now down to less than almost 40 percent.

We can do more. Expanding responsible domestic energy production on the Outer Continental Shelf, advancing alternative energy, including wind, solar, biomass, wave, geothermal, and other clean alternatives.

Developing clean coal technology, developing additional nuclear energy technology, expanding the energy of efficient products and alternative fuel vehicles, and restoring and protecting our Nation's wildlife refuges and national parks and lakes and waterways are not mutually exclusive with a good energy policy; and if we do this, we can also pay off our national debt.

Again, that is why I am a cosponsor of H.R. 4956. This bill does all of those things. It could do them in different ways, though, because clean energy is a critical component of our future.

Before we debate any energy legislation, I think we must acknowledge that a green energy supply is not happening as fast as we might like it to.

However, this transition must happen in order to address the continuing impacts brought on by climate change--yes, climate change-- and regardless of whether or not one acknowledges the human contributions of climate change, it is a fact.

As a matter of fact, it has been changing for millions of years.

A combination of increasing our own domestic supply of natural gas and oil as well as reducing demand will lower energy costs, create jobs, and allow us to transition to cleaner fuels.

It also has another important factor. As we know, our European allies are focusing and refocusing after the events of Ukraine and Russia, which seems to be here and there about focusing as a responsible energy supplier.

H.R. 4899 is an important measure that we are discussing. I agree with my colleague from Washington, Representative Doc Hastings, when he said that the ``best way to create jobs and help address rising prices is to develop the American energy resources we have right here at home.''

And there are beneficial provisions within this bill, such as expanding domestic energy production on the Outer Continental Shelf, expanding domestic energy production on our Federal lands, directing the administration to complete an energy strategy every 4 years, and reducing the Federal debt, which are all good, commonsense public policies.

Unfortunately, this bill is not perfect. No bill ever is. The bill prioritizes--and I am concerned about this--extractive energy policies and fails to take into account the need to diversify our energy portfolio.

I voted in favor of both the offshore and onshore provisions of this bill because I think we need to expand their utilization for domestic use.

But it is clear that this bill will not become law as it is, as my colleague from Oregon has indicated. We have previously voted on these measures before in other bills in this Congress, and the United States Senate has failed to take them up, nor will they take this bill up.

So if the Senate is not going to take up this bill and our constituents are counting on us to create legislation that, in fact, will solve problems and, therefore, truly make a positive impact in their lives, then we cannot continue to push talking points over well- crafted, thoughtful public policy. The only way to accomplish that is for us to start working together and stop talking past one another, which is what we must do.

Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to honor the life of Terry J. Hurne, United States Army Specialist, who died on June 9, 2014, at the young age of 34. Terry was an American hero who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving the United States in the Logar Province of Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Spc. Hurne was born to Norman and Shirley Hurne on April 9, 1980. He was raised in Atwater, California. He graduated from Atwater High School in 1998 and joined the military in 2007 after working for Central Valley Electric and various construction jobs.

During his time in the Army, Terry served two tours of duty in Afghanistan. For the past five years he served as a generator mechanic and builder. He was assigned to B Company, 710 Brigade Support Battalion, 10th Mountain Division stationed in Fort Drum, New York.

Terry will undoubtedly be remembered nationwide as a hero who fought for our freedoms. His family and friends will hold memories of Terry in their hearts forever. His smile, laugh, and kindness will never be forgotten. Eight years ago, Terry married the love of his life, Natalie, and they built a beautiful life together. Natalie as well as Terry's father; mother; stepmother; Ruth, three sisters; Cheryl, Christina, and Sam, and brother; Bryon will miss him dearly.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect that I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to honor the life of our fallen soldier, Army Specialist Terry Hurne. He was an exemplary individual, and we will always be grateful for his service to our country.

Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 150th anniversary of the Yosemite Grant Act that was signed into law in 1864 by then-President Abraham Lincoln and the creation of Yosemite National Park, one of our Nation's greatest treasures.

Yosemite receives over 4 million visitors annually, all who come to experience our breathtaking scenery and wonderment that the park provides for all Americans.

As a Californian and a longtime park supporter since my early childhood, I understand the importance of safeguarding our precious national resources.

Yosemite is an integral part of our communities and our country, and it is also a great source of pride for all Californians. Therefore, we must work together, despite the challenges that we face, to not only preserve Yosemite National Park for future generations to come, but for all of America's great natural resources.

Yosemite is just one of many of the crown jewels of America's national park system. Its beautiful and majestic park is, obviously, something to behold and where visitors come every year from not only across America, but from throughout the world.

For all Americans, we must remember that Yosemite National Park represents among the best of America. As it has been said before: America's national parks, perhaps America's best idea.

Therefore, it is my honor to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Yosemite National Park, the first park designated in our country.