Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the retirement of Mr. Moe Ammar from Pacific Grove's Chamber of Commerce after 29 years of dedicated service to Monterey County and the central coast of California. Mr. Ammar's legacy of leadership and financial stewardship will continue to guide Pacific Grove's strong and vibrant Chamber of Commerce and business community.

Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Mr. Ammar quickly rose through the ranks of the hospitality industry after graduating from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1979. After developing hotels around the world, his work brought him to Pacific Grove in 1986 and Mr. Ammar quickly embraced our community and became the champion of Pacific Grove's businesses at the local and state level. He passionately fought against increased taxes, parking charges, and zoning laws that limit business growth.

Under his leadership and presidency, the Chamber passed four ballot measures in support of local business priorities. In 2001, the Downtown Business Improvement District was formed by the Chamber which benefits 230 businesses. In 2007, the Chamber helped form the Hospitality Improvement District that represents and benefits 23 lodging establishments, and in 2013, it established the Tourist Information Center.

Furthermore, events like ``Good Old Days'' grew from two city blocks to nine, and the Pacific Grove Car Auction was introduced at the Pacific Grove Golf Links. The organization also adopted the Holman Highway, volunteering to pick up trash and keep the roadway clean for the past 11 years.

Mr. Moe Ammar's dedication to the community did not stop with the Chamber of Commerce. He served on the Economic Development Committee for 27 years, taught the next generation of business leaders at Monterey Peninsula College for 17 years, and volunteered for picnics, parades, and the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. His enthusiasm for service was commemorated when he was awarded the Key to the City of Pacific Grove in 2000, becoming only the third person in the last four decade to be awarded this honor.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in recognizing Mr. Ammar's decades of service. I extend my personal appreciation to Mr. Moe Ammar and his dedication to the Central Coast.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the loss and the service of Salinas Police Officer Jorge David Alvarado, Jr. Officer Alvarado was fatally shot in the line of duty while conducting a traffic stop on Friday, February 25, 2022.

Born in in the City and County of San Francisco, Jorge Davis Alvarado, Jr. understood what it meant to give back to his community and to his country. After graduating from the Voice of the Pentecost Academy High School, he enlisted in the United States Army as an Infantryman. He earned the prestigious Combat Infantry Badge for his gallantry during combat operations in Afghanistan and was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and assigned as a Team Leader.

After completing his tour of duty, Officer Alvarado served the community of Colma on the San Francisco Peninsula for four and half years. He then joined the Salinas Police Department, and aftercompleting his required training, was assigned as a patrol officer.

Officer Alvarado displayed true bravery and duty to his community, staying in the fight to the end and paying the ultimate price. Officer Alvarado's passing marks the first city police officer lost in the line of duty in Salinas in nearly 80 years. Officer Alvarado is survived by his high school sweetheart and fiancee, Veronica, his mother and father, his three brothers, and his nieces and nephews.

As we look back upon his commitment and actions as we mourn his loss, let us also look to Officer Alvarado's legacy of service as a way forward. We must realize that our communities rely on the men and women in uniform for order, for safety, and for our upward mobility. Officer Alvarado did that by not only protecting and serving Salinas, but he got up every day and left his home knowing that his job was to run to the danger and not away from it.

Madam Speaker, Officer Jorge Alvarado ran to the danger on February 25th. Let us make sure that his service and his sacrifice are not in vain. Together, we must support his family and support the men and women in uniform who serve and protect. It is because of their service that we make it home to our families every night and thrive in safe communities.

Mr. Speaker, I support tonight's bills because we must fund the government, and of course, we must support Ukraine.

As the American people get out of COVID, get back to work, and get on with our lives, they are yearning to help Ukrainian lives. Tonight's bills do that by providing aid and armaments so that the Ukrainians can continue to punch Putin right in the face.

This bill, H.R. 6968, also punches Putin right in the gut by banning imports of Russian oil, by taking steps to remove Russia from the WTO, and by holding Putin accountable for his violating of rights with tougher sanctions.

The last thing we want is war with Russia. However, in order to stop Putin's paranoid adventurism, we need to bolster our commitment to NATO, and we must bleed him of his resources to wage war by crumpling his ruble and collapsing his economy. This will affect us, and it will force all of us to play our part.

But despite these costs, we must continue to be as united as we are inspired by this fledgling democracy that has flourished under fire. That is why we must play our part and pass this legislation to support the livelihoods of

Americans, to support the lives of Ukrainians, and to ensure that Putin pays his price for his attacks on a peaceful democracy.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the passing of the Reverend Darrell Darling.

The loss of Darrell Darling hits us hard in Santa Cruz but also throughout the Central Coast, for Reverend Darling was that iconic mentor to all of us based on his longtime fight for civil rights, for equal rights, for peace, for justice, for nonviolence, and for his never-ending work for a more perfect Union.

Reverend Darling's fight began when he almost got kicked out of college for pressing its administration about its racist policies toward African Americans. Reverend Darling then went on to attend the Yale Seminary, where, in 1965, he marched with Martin Luther King from Selma to Montgomery and crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge with our former colleague, John Lewis.

In California, Reverend Darling served in five parishes for over 25 years. After that, Darrell and his wife, Karen, ran the Darling House Bed and Breakfast, where they hosted numerous events for our community and continued to mentor young activists and future public servants.

In fact, I will never forget the conversation that I had with Darrell, seated in his backyard, that inspired me to stand here in Congress, for it was that type of impression that the Reverend Darling had on me, on Santa Cruz, and on the fight for equality in our American democracy.

Madam Speaker, I not only recognize his legacy of service, but we, in Santa Cruz, acknowledge and appreciate that Reverend Darling is why many of us stand, fight, and serve today.

Mourning the Loss of Jorge David Alvarado, Jr.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the loss and the service of Salinas Police Officer Jorge David Alvarado, Jr.

Officer Alvarado was shot and killed in the line of duty while conducting a traffic stop on Friday night. Before I flew back here on Sunday, I visited the growing memorial for Officer Alvarado at the Salinas Police Department and joined in the mourning, the devastation, and the disbelief of his fiance, his mother, his brethren in blue, and our entire community in Salinas.

Although the investigation of the incident is ongoing, the chief of police stated that Officer Alvarado stayed in the fight to the end and paid the ultimate price. As a result, the suspected cop killer is behind bars.

Jorge Alvarado understood what it means to give back to his community

and to his country with his time in the U.S. Army, as well as his 5 years as a police officer. Although we look back upon his commitment and actions as we mourn his loss, let us also look to Officer Alvarado's legacy of service as a way forward.

We must realize that our communities, no matter their makeup, rely on men and women who make up our police departments for order, for safety, and for our upward mobility.

Officer Alvarado did that by not only protecting and serving Salinas, but also Officer Alvarado got up every day and left his home knowing that his job was to run to the danger and not away from it.

Madam Speaker, Officer Jorge Alvarado ran to the danger on Friday night. Let's make sure that his service, that his sacrifice, are not in vain. Let's make sure that all of us support his family and support the men and women in uniform who strive to serve and protect so that we can make it home to our families and thrive in safe communities.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to support the bipartisan CAROL Act and my good friend, Representative Andy Barr, and so many others in this Nation who either have valvular heart disease or have lost loved ones to this disease.

The CAROL Act is necessary now more than ever, as each year 25,000 Americans lose their lives to this often hidden yet very deadly deficiency of the human heart.

This legislation would help prevent those deaths by authorizing grant programs at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute that will not only bolster research on heart valve disease but also will help identify those with this disease so that they can treat this disease before it is too late.

On behalf of the very fruitful life lived by Carol Barr, on behalf of the future fulfilled lives of Mary Clay and Eleanor Barr, I not only support the CAROL Act, but I, and I urge my colleagues to, stand in solidarity with Andy Barr to give him our vote and the full strength to fulfill Carol's legacy and to continue carrying the torch so that those with this disease can continue living their lives to the fullest.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership and for his love of this institution.

Mr. Speaker, the Build Back Better Act is about future opportunity for our districts and for our democracy.

As an immigrant-fueled, frontier nation, we value individual mobility and reward hard work. That is the foundation of why we are the richest and most successful nation ever. However, we are at an inflection point in which the past failure to invest in our working families has led to the degradation of our common life. That is why now more than ever we must provide more for the people who have plied through the pandemic, who propel our economic prosperity and promote our national unity.

This legislation does that by focusing on children, education, healthcare, and affordable housing; by furthering our fight for clean energy and climate resiliency with e-buses, e-bikes, and microgrids; and by financing it in a way that protects our family farms and promotes our farm workers.

For those of you who vote against this legislation today, you will probably take credit for it tomorrow because this investment will benefit not just my constituents but yours, too, because this bill provides every working family, not just with the resources to succeed in our country but with the dignity they deserve by playing a part in our democracy.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize Thomas Harper, a Title 10 AGR Functional Area-59 qualified Major assigned to the Army National Guard G-5 as a Strategic Planner.

Mr. Harper began his service to our country at the age of 17 as an Infantryman in the Florida Army National Guard. He served 19 years in the Army at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels as a paratrooper, combat veteran, and qualified strategist. Mr. Harper served in units including infantry regiments, airborne special forces, the National Guard Bureau, the Department of the Army, the United States Special Operations Command, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He completed five operational tours in Afghanistan, Africa, and Central America.

Before returning to the Army National Guard G-5, Thomas Harper demonstrated his commitment to building and maintaining strong relationships between the Army and the legislative branch. Mr. Harper held the MILCON portfolio in the Readiness branch of the Programs Division at the Department of the Army's Office of the Chief Legislative Liaison from 2018 to 2020. In his work, Mr. Harper worked closely with Members of Congress and interagency partners. He assisted Army Senior Leaders with preparation for Congressional hearings and traveled with Members and their staff, as well as Armed Services Committee professional staff members. Mr. Harper was also selected twice as the detail to the Department of Defense COVID-19 task force.

Mr. Harper's achievements in his service to the United States have been recognized with countless awards. He is a two-time recipient of the Purple Heart Medal and the Bronze Star Medal for Valor. He received the French Cross of Military Valor at Division level (equivalent to the U.S. Silver Star) from the Ambassador of France for his combat actions in Afghanistan during December 2009. Mr. Harper is one of only seven Americans to receive this award since World War II. He has also been honored with the National Guard Association of the United States Patrick Henry Award, the National Guard Bureau's Outstanding Performance Award, the Georgia Military College Outstanding Young Alumni Award, and the Georgia Military College George C. Marshall Award.

Madam Speaker, Thomas Harper is an outstanding Army officer and model citizen who has served with honor for nearly two decades. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor him here today.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge all of my colleagues in Congress to fulfill our obligation, not just to the people of our districts, but to the people and the economy of our Nation.

Suspending and raising the debt limit simply lets our government pay our bills. It is a very simple responsibility that has been done 78 times since 1960, including 49 times under Republican administrations, and that includes three times during the Trump administration.

We raise the debt ceiling because we have to take into account the spending that we have already committed to, including this time, where 97 percent of the spending was done during the Trump administration.

If my colleagues are concerned with fiscal responsibility, they should know that breaching the debt ceiling will raise borrowing costs and add hundreds of billions of dollars to our debt.

Failure to act on the debt ceiling will not just result in economic catastrophe. It will affect every American family, as borrowing costs and unemployment will rise and markets will crash.

Provoking such a financial crisis through such a sovereign default would be self-sabotage, and it is flirting with brazen irresponsibility. We are better than that. Let's act responsibly, do our job, and raise the debt ceiling.

Mr. Speaker, I rise with pride and in support of tonight's passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

As we know, the right to vote is fundamental to our Nation. That is why we should be doing everything possible not to make it more difficult to vote but to enhance voting rights.

H.R. 4 does that by modifying the Voting Rights Act to restore and strengthen its antidiscrimination enforcement authorities.

Now, in my district, prior to the Shelby decision, we had a voting rights county. But, clearly, the threats to our ability to vote are not limited to my district as this year alone 18 States across the country have passed 30 laws making it harder to vote.

That is why I voted for this bill. That is why John Lewis served and sacrificed, and that is why he crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965 and in 2020 when I was honored to cross it with him, hand in hand.

Tonight, we not only upheld the legacy of John Lewis but, by passing H.R. 4, we were able to eventually provide citizens with more opportunity to vote in our democracy.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of my bipartisan amendment No. 10 that would bolster agricultural research.

This amendment, offered with my co-chair of the Ag Research Caucus, Rodney Davis from Illinois, would support farmers all across the country in their ongoing efforts to produce bigger, safer, sustainable, and more agriculture.

In my district, on the central coast of California, otherwise known as the Salad Bowl of the World, with its hundreds of specialty crops, the farmers depend on USDA research programs, not just to survive but to succeed.

Two of those key programs that our amendment funds are the Agricultural and Food Research Initiative, or AFRI, and the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority, also known as AGARDA.

AFRI is the Nation's leading competitive grants program for agriculture research. Our amendment funds it with $450 million, a $15 million increase from last year.

AGARDA is a new program that was authorized in the 2018 farm bill, and for the first time, it is now funded with $2 million.

During the pandemic, Madam Speaker, it was clear that the work of our farmers and farmworkers is absolutely essential. The least that we can do in Congress is to provide this type of funding for the necessary research that will help not just our recovery right now, but it will also ensure food security for our future.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Colonel Gary M. Hausman on his departure from the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center.

Col. Hausman was commissioned in the U.S. Army in 1994 as a Military Intelligence Officer from the University of California, Irvine. He was initially assigned to the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado and served as a MI Platoon Leader, Assistant Battalion Intelligence Officer, HQ Company EO, Battalion Intelligence Officer, and Company Commander.

Throughout his well-decorated military career, Col. Hausman demonstrated exceptional leadership and dutifully upheld the seven core values of the U.S. Army. Because of these attributes, Col. Hausman was competitively selected for many prestigious assignments and postings, including Cryptologic Services Group Officer in Charge at the Joint Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Battalion Operations Office and Executive Officer for the 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade; Liaison Officer in support of the Special Operations Joint Task Force--Afghanistan; Liaison Officer for Joint Special Operations Command for the NSA in Fort Meade, Maryland; assuming command of the 743rd Military Intelligence Battalion, Buckley Air Force Base, Denver, CO; and as the Executive Officer to the Commanding General of Army Cyber Command and then the Deputy Chief of Staff, U.S. Cyber Command.

During these assignments, Col. Hausman deployed several times to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, demonstrating bravery and a commitment to democracy in our global fight against terrorism.

In June of 2018, Col. Hausman was appointed as Commandant for the Defense Language Institute Language Center and Presidio of Monterey, California. During his tenure, he oversaw the finest foreign language instruction of approximately 2,500 soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen, as well as select Department of Defense and State members. Col. Hausman's contributions to the Central Coast of California extend beyond the Defense Language Institute--he contributes to and supports our culture of service, learning, and community.

Madam Speaker, Colonel Gary M. Hausman is an outstanding Army officer and model citizen who has served with honor throughout his nearly three decades of service. I ask my colleagues in the House to join me in honoring him today.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize Mr. Timothy Goncharoff, an instrumental environmental advocate, on his retirement from his position as the Zero Waste Programs Manager for Santa Cruz County.

Mr. Goncharoff has been an environmental champion and leader on California's Central Coast since the first Earth Day more than fifty years ago. His advocacy dates back to the creation of the Santa Cruz Greenbelt in 1979, an initiative that preserved open space and ensured future development in the rapidly expanding areas of Santa Cruz, which included adequate affordable housing. He also played an instrumental role in the designation of Monterey Bay as the 11th national marine sanctuary in 1992.

Mr. Goncharoff has always been committed to reducing the impact of plastic pollution; he wrote the world's first law banning plastic straws, and authored ordinances restricting plastic bags and harmful styrofoam products.

The impacts of Mr. Goncharoff's work can be seen beyond Santa Cruz County. A law authored by Mr. Goncharoff inspired Starbucks to establish its policy of only using recyclable and compostable products in thousands of locations worldwide. His ordinance creating a drug and sharps takeback program paid for by the pharmaceutical industry inspired a statewide law now rolling out across California. Further, his initiative to reduce single-use personal care products in hotels led to a new statewide law in California and changing standards in hotels around the world.

During his time as the Zero Waste Programs Manager for Santa Cruz County, Mr. Goncharoff developed dozens of environmental protection laws that have improved the environmental outlook of the county, and served as examples for countless cities, counties, and states.

Mr. Goncharoff has fought for a sustainable and equitable future for Santa Cruz County and his leadership has inspired others to do their part to address the climate crisis. Mr. Goncharoff's work has been honored by Governor Jerry Brown with the presentation of the Governor's Economic and Environmental Leadership Award, and by local environmental advocates Save Our Shores with their Ocean Hero Award.

Madam Speaker, Mr. Goncharoff is an outstanding community leader and environmental advocate whose work has influenced those around the world to save our precious resources and create a brighter and more sustainable future. I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in honoring him here today.

Madam Speaker, the child tax credit is a tax cut for working-class families.

By passing the American Rescue Plan, we enhanced, and we advanced this tax cut, so that if you are a parent that works or a parent that cares for children, you will get a tax cut.

We enhanced this tax cut so that per year working-class families will receive up to $3,600 for each child under 6 and $3,000 for each child under 18.

We advanced this tax cut so that working class families will get this benefit starting July 15.

Now, in my district on the central coast of California, the tax cut will benefit over 150,000 children and lift 15,000 children out of poverty.

Working-class parents from the central coast to the center of America can use this support to provide healthcare, childcare, and daycare for their kids so that those same parents can continue to work, or better yet, get right back into the workforce.

Madam Speaker, the child tax credit will not only help us recover from the economic shutdowns of the pandemic, it is a tax cut that will lift parents out of poverty, reward working-class families, and really represents what we stand for as a Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my amendment to the INVEST in America Act that would save our Nation's pollinators.

In my district, on the Central Coast, we grow over 100 different specialty crops that greatly contribute to our Nation's food security. But what many people don't realize is that our agriculture, from the Central Coast, or to the center of America, would not be possible without our pollinators.

Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, those pollinators and their habitats on are the verge of extinction. That is why the robust investment, as provided in my amendment, is needed now more than ever. The amendment sets up grant programs that State transportation departments can use to grow more flora and fauna, from grasses to wildflowers to milkweed, so that pollinators can thrive.

I want to thank Representative Carbajal, my Central Coast neighbor, for his partnership on this amendment, and our work together on bills and amendments like this to revive our pollinators habitats and regrow their population.

By passing this amendment, we not only can save the pollinators, but we can also secure the food supply of our Nation.

Madam Speaker, I along with Representative Lofgren, rise to recognize the Gilroy City Council for its historic celebration of Pride Month: the Pride flag will fly for the first time at Gilroy City Hall.

Everyone in our community deserves to feel seen, heard, and loved. By displaying the Pride flag, the City of Gilroy reminds everyone in our community that they have a safe and welcoming home here.

Our country has made so much progress, but despite this, one in three LGBTQ+ Americans have faced some kind of discrimination in the past year. Members of the LGBTQ+ community continue to face discrimination in their personal lives, in the workplace, and in their access to necessary healthcare.

The significance behind the Pride flag's display is not only to demonstrate acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community in Gilroy, it's also to celebrate the contributions to progress made by so many LGBTQ+ individuals.

Everyone should be able to live their truth without fear of discrimination or violence. Members of the LGBTQ+ community deserve equal rights under the law, to be treated as full and equal citizens, and to be celebrated for their impact on history locally, nationally, and internationally.

Madam Speaker, it is our pleasure to recognize the historic nature of this occasion, and we ask our distinguished colleagues to join us in recognizing this celebration of Pride Month. We extend our personal appreciation to the Gilroy City Council for their support of Gilroy's LGBTQ+ community.