Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman.

In the spirit of good sportsmanship, I accept the gentlewoman's wager and the barbecue that I will get to enjoy next week.

The Houston Astros are an amazing team, with 101 wins, but the Dodgers are better, with 104. I know that the Astros stumbled across that finish line to make it to the World Series. I know it is going to be a hell of a game between the two teams.

If we lose, I will bring some French dip sandwiches from the Louisiana institution, Philippe's, in downtown Los Angeles.

Let the best team win. Play ball.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 1858, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Post Office located at 4514 Williamson Trail in Liberty, Pennsylvania, as the Staff Sergeant Ryan Scott Ostrom Post Office.

Born in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, in 1979, Mr. Ostrom graduated from high school and then joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard while beginning his studies at Mansfield University. A sports lover, Ryan could frequently be found playing and coaching basketball in his free time.

In 2002, Ryan joined his father, Scott Ostrom, on a peacekeeping mission in Bosnia, and he later deployed to Iraq with the 109th Infantry Regiment.

Staff Sergeant Ryan Ostrom tragically made the ultimate sacrifice in August of 2005, when he sustained fatal wounds from enemy small-arms fire in Iraq. He was, as mentioned, awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, and Combat Infantryman Badge from the Department of the Army, as well as the Pennsylvania Meritorious Service Medal from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to recognize the bravery and selflessness of the honorable service of Staff Sergeant Ryan Scott Ostrom.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 1858, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 452, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Post Office located at 324 West Saint Louis Street in Pacific, Missouri, as the Specialist Jeffrey L. White, Jr. Post Office.

A native of Missouri, Jeffrey White, Jr. graduated from Pacific High School in 2008, and joined the United States Army. After graduating from basic and advanced training at Fort Benning, Georgia, Specialist White was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

He deployed to Afghanistan in 2011, and tragically lost his life in April of 2012, after insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Specialist White was just 21 years old.

Specialist White is remembered for his love of the St. Louis Cardinals, as well as his distinguished service, for which he received many awards, including a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.

As an avid Dodgers fan, I think Specialist White would get a kick out of the fact that I am here and that the St. Louis Cardinals are still beating the Dodgers.

Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to commemorate the life of Specialist Jeffrey White, Jr., who selflessly sacrificed his life in defense of his country.

I urge the passage of H.R. 452, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 2254, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Post Service located at 2635 Napa Street in Vallejo, California, as the Janet Capello Post Office Building.

H.R. 2254 was introduced this year by my colleague and friend from California, Mr. Thompson. Unfortunately, Mr. Thompson is unable to be here today, as he has remained in his district in California this evening to assist in wildfire relief and recovery efforts. I am, along with the entire House of Representatives, praying for Mr. Thompson and our fellow Americans in this time of need.

A lifelong resident of Vallejo, California, and granddaughter of Italian immigrants, Janet Capello took great pride in her heritage. Her deepest passion was the Sons of Italy, an organization where she served as a dedicated member of Lodge Number 1626 for over 63 years.

She held two of the organization's most prestigious posts--vice president of the Grand Lodge of California, and Secretary of the United Lodges--and led efforts to bring the group's scholarship program to Vallejo. In doing so, she helped hundreds of young men and women attend college.

Ms. Capello oversaw a number of charity efforts, and helped raise thousands of dollars each year for Alzheimer's research in conjunction with the University of California-Davis. Ms. Capello's dedication to these causes earned her the Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro Award, the highest honor granted by the Sons of Italy.

In addition to these accomplishments, Janet Capello was an active participant in local Vallejo politics, serving on the city's Planning Commission, the Civil Service Commission, and the Charter Review Committee, and others, and was an active member of the St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church until her passing in 2012, at the age of 77.

Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to commemorate the life of Janet Capello, and recognize the lasting contributions she has made to the Vallejo community.

I urge the passage of H.R. 2254, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 294, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Post Office located at 2700 Cullen Boulevard in Pearland, Texas, as the Endy Nddiobong Ekpanya Post Office.

Endy Ekpanya reflected the best of America. Born in Nigeria in 1985, Endy immigrated to the United States in 1996. Here, he obtained U.S. citizenship, a college education, and two master's degrees.

Endy's deep love of family and community inspired him to join the police force so he could help those in need. He hoped that his hard work in the classroom and the field would help him be a role model for his young son, Julian.

As a rookie member of the Pearland Police Department, Officer Ekpanya took his duty to protect his community seriously but always found a way to brighten his fellow officers' days. Tragically, on June 1, 2016, Officer Ekpanya was killed when a drunk driver struck his police cruiser as he was responding to a call.

Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to honor Officer Endy Ekpanya's dedication to his education, family, and community, and to remember the sacrifices he made while working to protect those he loved.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 294, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life of one of my constituents, Michelle Vo, who lost her life in Sunday's mass shooting in Las Vegas.

Michelle was described by her friends and family as an ambitious, hard worker, known for her charisma and fierce independence. She embodied the American Dream in every single way. Her middle name, My, means ``America'' in Vietnamese.

Her mother emigrated from Vietnam and raised Michelle and her sisters near San Jose. Michelle would go on to graduate from UC Davis before moving to Eagle Rock, in my district, to work as an insurance agent in nearby Pasadena.

My heart goes out to Michelle Vo, her family and friends, and the other victims of the Las Vegas shooting.

I am heartbroken and angry about the events in Las Vegas. These incidents are far too common in our country, and it is my sincere hope that Congress takes action to lessen these types of tragic events.

Mr. Speaker, I can't believe Congress has closed legislative business for the week without addressing a critical deadline that will impact the health of our country. On September 30, authorization for the Community Health Centers and the Children's Health Insurance Program--CHIP--will expire.

Well, it is September 28, and we just closed legislative business. That means funding for this critical program will lapse and the health of millions of Americans will be in jeopardy.

Our Nation's Community Health Centers have served low-income, rural, and underserved communities for more than 50 years. In that time, they have increased the number of patients they serve and the services they offer so that they are now the primary healthcare option for millions of people.

CHIP is another program that Congress will allow to lapse.

No matter how big the differences between Republicans and Democrats, when it comes to healthcare, we have always come together to ensure our Nation's children do not go without the care they need, yet here we are leaving D.C. and abandoning the 9 million children on CHIP and the millions more at the Community Health Centers.

I ask that we come back into session and that we extend these critical programs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of 800,000 DREAMers abandoned by this administration. Any doubt about the administration's senseless cruelty was put to rest on September 5, when they chose to end DACA.

Immigrant youth and their families fuel our economy and help create a more dynamic society.

Terminating DACA is a heartless and vile act that will upend lives, ruin families, and disrupt local economies.

DREAMers are the embodiment of America's promise, the idea that no matter where you are from, the color of your skin, or the God you worship, if you come here, believe in our values, work hard, and contribute to our country, then you deserve a place here in the United States of America. That is what we are fighting for: to keep the promise of this great country.

To my Republican colleagues: you can't profess to support the DREAMers yet fail to support the Dream Act. It is time to put up or shut up. I call on my colleagues to sign the discharge petition and support a clean Dream Act.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted Nay on Roll Call No. 392

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank everyone for the warm welcome.

I also want to thank Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy for all the attention he has given me for the past several weeks. Thank you so much.

I am truly honored to be here and to be joined by my mother, Socorro; my brother, Gerry; my mother-in-law, Sally; and, of course, my amazing wife, Mary.

My approach to public policy, politics, and government is shaped by the experiences of my family and of my community. As the son of immigrants who believes in this country and everything it promises, I am a living embodiment of that promise. I have a profound commitment to protecting the rights of immigrants no matter where they are from and no matter what God they worship.

I am also a fighter for universal healthcare, because when I was 7 years old, I ended up in the hospital with pneumonia, and that 1-week stay in the hospital almost bankrupted my family.

I also believe that young people from working families should have access to debt-free education, because I know from my own personal experience that a high school degree is not always enough, and that is why a higher education can actually transform an individual's life.

I believe everyone deserves access to clean air and clean water and that climate change has exacerbated that challenge.

And lastly, I don't believe in the hype and the false divides that progressives can't be for working families and for families from all over America.

To the people of the 34th Congressional District, I know why they sent me to Congress. They want me to fight for our families, our State, and our values, and I will do that every single day, and I won't let them down.