Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, for far too many Angelenos, a bus ride to work, school, or home takes far too long.

Today, we are changing that. I am proud to announce $149 million in new Federal funding for L.A.'s busiest bus corridor, through the Vermont Avenue Bus Rapid Transit project.

This investment will serve over 20 million riders a year, cut travel time by 24 percent, and create thousands of good-paying jobs.

Angelenos deserve transit that gets them where they need to go, faster, safer, and on time. This investment is a major step forward to a more connected, affordable, and livable Los Angeles.

Mr. Speaker, 13 months ago, when Trump's immigration raids began in my district, I warned exactly where this was headed. I warned that if ICE agents were allowed to operate without accountability, the violence would escalate. I warned that people would die.

I didn't want to be right, but here we are. This isn't normal. This isn't law enforcement. This is lawlessness: no due process and no Miranda rights.

Instead, some in Trump's ICE are acting as judge, jury, and executioner.

This is what happens when people who wear the badge are told that rules don't apply to them. Over the last year, we witnessed ICE become more violent, more reckless, and more deadly. We witnessed masked agents jump out of unmarked vehicles. We witnessed people tackled, beaten, and shot. We have even seen children used as bait to detain their parents.

What has this administration done? What have congressional Republicans done? Not a darn thing: no accountability, no transparency, and no consequences.

Last week, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo left work and never came home. His son, Ronaldo, said something every Member of this Chamber should hear: ``He did not deserve to die. He did not deserve to be reduced to a headline of `Mexican man shot and killed by ICE.' He deserved to live a quiet life as Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a husband, a father, and a job creator.''

Then, yesterday, a little girl in Maine watched her father's lifeless body being carried away by ICE.

Think about that, Mr. Speaker: two fathers and two families are shattered.

In both cases, ICE wasn't even targeting the men who died. ICE claims these men used their vehicles as weapons, but local news video tells a different story. It shows unmarked vehicles following them. It shows what happens before the shootings. It shows that ICE wasn't wearing body cameras, despite its own policies.

This administration is asking Americans not to believe our own eyes over and over again. That is not acceptable.

What is even more unacceptable is that my Republican colleagues have watched this happen and responded by giving ICE billions more dollars.

How many more families have to bury a loved one before Republicans admit that something is deeply wrong? The truth is they know it is wrong. They are just too afraid to say it. They are too afraid of Donald Trump and too afraid of political consequences.

I know, and they know, where this leads. When these raids began in Los Angeles, I flew immediately back from Washington to conduct oversight and protect my communities. When the Trump administration tried to block me from inspecting ICE detention centers, I sued them and won.

I have trained legal observers to document ICE abuses, organized townhalls, and introduced legislation to reclaim Trump's $175 billion ICE slush fund and put it into housing.

Every Representative here has a choice. They can keep writing blank checks for fear and abuse, or they can join us in saying enough--enough lawlessness, enough brutality, and enough deaths. We warned this country what would happen. We warned that, without accountability, violence would escalate. We warned that people would die.

Now, hear this warning: If you committed a crime, if you violated the Constitution, if you thought your badge put you above the law, you are wrong. We are watching. The American people are watching. History is watching. No matter who you are or the title you hold, you will be prosecuted.

Accountability is coming.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the ongoing public health emergency caused by the Lineage Logistics warehouse fire in Boyle Heights.

What started off in Boyle Heights has now spread smoke and fumes across Los Angeles. Our neighbors can't go outside. They can't open their windows. They are worried about the air they are breathing.

This disaster demands answers, but more importantly, it demands accountability. For far too long, working-class immigrant communities and communities of color have been forced to bear the burden of industrial pollution and environmental hazards.

Firefighters have worked around the clock to put out the fire, but the response can't stop there. We need air quality testing, soil testing, and frequent health monitoring.

I will keep fighting to ensure every affected family gets the answers, accountability, and resources they deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Mexican-American All Wars Memorial located in Boyle Heights.

For the past 80 years, this Ceremony has stood as a sacred tradition of remembrance, unity, and gratitude. What began in the aftermath of World War II, has become a living testament to the enduring spirit of a community that honors the sacrifice of its servicemen and women with dignity and pride. Generation after generation, families, veterans, neighbors, and civic leaders have gathered here to reflect on the cost of freedom and to ensure that those who gave their lives in service to our Nation are never forgotten. This milestone anniversary is not only a celebration of history, but a reaffirmation of the values of courage, service, and community that define Boyle Heights.

As we commemorate the 80th anniversary of this cherished ceremony, we pay tribute to the veterans whose bravery shaped our Nation and to the organizers and community members who have preserved this meaningful tradition for decades. Memorial Day reminds us that remembrance is a collective responsibility; by honoring the past, we must also remind future generations to uphold the ideals of sacrifice, compassion, and unity.

May this 80th anniversary serve as both a solemn remembrance and a proud celebration of a community whose patriotism and resilience continue to shine through the decades.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Robert ``Bobby'' Ramirez, III. A devoted husband to Anne Ramirez and loving father of four children, Commander Ramirez exemplified a life of courage, duty, and steadfast commitment to his family, his fellow service members, and his Nation. In June 2022, he was promoted to the rank of Commander and entrusted with the leadership of SEAL Team ONE, a position reflecting the immense confidence placed in his character, experience, and distinguished record of service within the Naval Special Warfare community.

Commander Ramirez dedicated 27 years of honorable service to the United States Navy, having enlisted in 1996 and earned his commission in 2004. Throughout a remarkable military career marked by valor and sacrifice, he served in combat across three theaters of war and was awarded three Combat Action Ribbons and five Bronze Star Medals, including two bearing the ``V'' device for acts of heroism in combat. Though his passing came only one month after assuming command at Naval Base Coronado, his legacy endures in the lives he led, the fellow servicemembers he inspired, and the Nation he served with honor and distinction. May we remember Commander Ramirez not only for his extraordinary achievements, but also with compassion, gratitude, and reverence for the burdens carried by those who dedicate their lives to the service of others.

Mr. Speaker, on May 13, 2026, I was not recorded on Roll Call votes No. 165, No. 166 and No. 167.

Had I been present, I would have voted NO on Roll Call No. 165 and YEA on Roll Call No. 166 and No. 167.

Mr. Speaker, I was not recorded on Roll Call Nos. 138 and 139. Had I been present, I would have voted ``YEA'' on Roll Call No. 138 and ``YEA'' on Roll Call No. 139.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the retirement of James Conlon, the Richard Seaver Music Director of the Los Angeles Opera located in the community of Downtown Los Angeles.

Since 2006, James Conlon has served as Music Director of the Los Angeles Opera. Conlon has led the most operas in company history, including conducting over 500 performances and 70 operas. In this role, Conlon has prioritized uplifting works by composers who were silenced by the Nazi regime. His efforts led to the creation of the Los Angeles Opera's Recovered Voices series and the Ziering-Conlon Center for Exiled and Suppressed Composers at the Colburn School. Both programs champion composers whose works were nearly eliminated from history.

Over the last 20 years, James Conlon has received countless awards and honors, including the Vienna-based Zemlinsky Prize for his efforts to revive the composer's music, which had been suppressed by the Nazi regime. Additionally, Conlon's recordings of John Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles and Kurt Weill's Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny performed by the Los Angeles Opera, earned four Grammy Awards. Above all, Conlon's work with the Los Angeles Opera has had a profound impact on Los Angeles and the global community that will be felt for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring James Conlon for 20 years of service as Music Director of the Los Angeles Opera.

Mr. Speaker, I was not recorded today on Roll Call Nos. 125 and 126. Had I been present, I would have voted ``YEA'' on Roll Call Nos. 125 and 126.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this War Powers Resolution. This is a war of choice disguised as a war of necessity.

During the last several days, President Trump offered a shifting list of justifications: regime change; retribution; helping protesters; stopping Iran's missile and nuclear weapons program, a program that Trump claimed just last year that he obliterated; and a ballistic missile program that the Department of Defense says is not going to be capable of reaching the U.S. until 2035.

The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, offered another. He said that we had to strike first in case Iran might retaliate after a possible Israeli attack.

Think about that. It is not because Iran posed an imminent threat, not because Congress authorized war, but because someone else might attack.

This is not a strategy. This is cherry-picking facts and lying to the American public to justify a predetermined decision to launch a war.

So Americans are asking two questions: Why are we doing this?

And how does it end?

The Constitution is clear. The President cannot start a war alone.

We need to make sure that the people's Representatives are involved.

That is because once troops are in harm's way, missions expand, and working families get a knock on the door that changes their lives forever.

The cost of this war will not just be measured by dollars spent but in lives lost, bodies broken, and conflicts that rarely stay confined to where they began.

Mr. Speaker, I was not recorded on roll call vote no. 71. Had I been present, I would have voted ``YEA'' on roll call vote no. 71.

Mr. Speaker, I was not recorded on Roll Call Nos. 57 and 58 today. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 57 and YEA on Roll Call No. 58.

personal explanation

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the 45th Anniversary of Arroyo Vista Family Health Center located in Northeast Los Angeles.

In February of 1981, Arroyo Vista Family Health Center was established to ensure access to health services ``for the community, by the community.'' Over the last 45 years, the non-profit community health center has become a trusted service provider, with a mobile clinic and four locations across Northeast Los Angeles. Every year, the center serves roughly 18,000 patients with a wide range of services such as family medicine, behavioral health, prenatal care, dental services, and pharmacy.

For more than four decades, Arroyo Vista Family Health Center has cemented its status as a pillar for accessible, high-quality health care services for all. As our Northeast Los Angeles communities continue to grow and transform, Arroyo Vista Family Health Center remains committed to addressing the current and future health needs of residents through access to comprehensive health services. The impact of their efforts can be felt in every corner of Northeast Los Angeles, where residents no longer have to travel long distances for care and instead receive affordable, quality services from trusted providers.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Arroyo Vista Family Health Center on their 45th Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, it is about damned time that this bill is actually going to get a vote. Here is why. The Republicans in the summer passed their One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which I am glad they are not trying to rebrand anymore. It cut Medicaid by almost $1 trillion. It took away food stamps. Then they refused to extend the ACA subsidies that would help ACA tax credits, that would help people in their own States.

That is what the Democrat majority next year is going to do. We will continue fighting for our own people throughout the country. It doesn't matter if a constituent is in a red State or a blue State, if someone is hurting because of the Republican majority this year. Donald Trump has taken away healthcare. He has taken away food stamps. He has taken away opportunities. We are going to make sure that we reverse all that.

The first step is these ACA tax credits because it is going to help working families. The party in the majority now said they were going to lower the cost of living, but they failed. Now we are going to step up.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Koreatown Youth and Community Center--KYCC--as it celebrates 50 years of dedicated service to Los Angeles.

Founded in 1975, KYCC has grown into a leading multiservice organization in Koreatown, serving more than 12,500 people each year.

From youth development and counseling, to housing, health care, and economic empowerment, KYCC has met the evolving needs of families across Koreatown

And we have seen KYCC give back year after year.

During the pandemic, during the unrest in the 1990's, and through the economic challenges our city has faced, we have seen how their work reminds us that our city is stronger together.

KYCC represents the very best of us. They understand that people come from all different walks of life, and that people need to be supported, uplifted, and heard.

KYCC's work reflects a simple truth: when families are supported, communities thrive.

I thank all the dedicated staff, board members, and everyone at KYCC who makes this work possible every single day.

I am proud to congratulate KYCC on 50 years of impact and service, and I look forward to 50 more years of them serving, lifting up, and strengthening our community.