Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the Dignity Health Dominican Hospital as the recipient of the 2021 Al Smith Friend of Agriculture Award. As a strong supporter of local agriculture, the Dignity Health Dominican Hospital has been instrumental in the COVID-19 vaccination efforts for our local farmworkers.

Dignity Health Dominican Hospital's values include compassion, inclusion, integrity, excellence, and collaboration. By leading the charge in providing COYID-19 vaccines to farmworkers in Santa Cruz County, they have demonstrated the impact and importance of their mission in our community.

Dignity Health Dominican Hospital will celebrate their 80th Anniversary later this year. It has always been the Hospital's steadfast mission to serve all who come through its doors, regardless of ability to pay. When its founders, the Adrian Dominican Sisters, arrived in Santa Cruz in 1941, they traveled from Michigan to reopen a failed hospital on West Cliff Drive. Even though only one of them was an active healthcare worker, they felt driven to provide care for our community. In 1988, the hospital joined what was then known as Catholic Healthcare West. Their founding tenets of community outreach and helping those in need have remained the driving values for the Dignity Health Dominican Hospital as it moved into the 21st century.

Dignity Health Dominican Hospital has evolved to offer the greater surrounding community the kind of cutting-edge technology typically reserved for large metropolitan areas, earning them the recognition they deserve. The 2021 Al Smith Friend of Agriculture Award was awarded to the Hospital for their creation of the first large-scale vaccination clinic in California that is focused on farmworkers. Additionally, they worked with local partners, such as the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau, to develop a formula to ensure equity in vaccine distribution to local farmworkers, Their ongoing efforts during vaccine distribution made Santa Cruz County a model for prioritizing farmworkers for counties throughout the country.

Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize the compassion, excellence, and community support exemplified by the Dignity Health Dominican Hospital, and I ask my distinguished colleagues to join me in recognizing their service. I extend my personal appreciation to the healthcare workers, administrators, and staff of the Dignity Health Dominican Hospital for their service to our community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the National Day of Silence this Friday, April 23.

It is a day when people around the country and in my community on the central coast of California take a vow of silence to raise awareness surrounding the many hurdles that LGBTQ youth face.

One of those students will be Lucia Umeki-Martinez. Lucia is a gay woman of color and a student leader at Watsonville High School. As co- class president and member of the Sexuality and Gender Acceptance Club, Lucia works to build bridges between her classmates and community.

She told me that taking the vow of silence for 1 day was her way of paying tribute to those who have been silenced by homophobia and hatred. It also is a way to show solidarity to those, like Lucia, who have ever felt unwelcome or

unsafe in an environment where they are supposed to thrive.

Countless students across this country will take the vow of silence on Friday for the same reasons as Lucia. That is why we as leaders must continue to step up every day to ensure that all Americans, whoever they are, are accepted and respected.

Madam Speaker, the Salad Bowl of the world lost a key ingredient this week with the sudden passing of Dennis Caprara. In his 74 years, Dennis contributed so much to our leading industry of agriculture and our fundamental identity in the Salinas Valley.

A true local boy, Dennis grew up in Gonzales, grew fond of farming, and grew to appreciate the hard work and sound judgment necessary to succeed in agriculture.

Starting RC Farms and RC Packing, Dennis and his family became the definition of what it means to be a successful family farm.

But Dennis was not just a farmer, he was a leader; chairman of the Grower-Shipper Association, director of the Salinas Valley River Coalition, and a distinguished fellow at a local college.

Dennis also gave back to the community that gave him so much; as a member of the Swiss Rifle Club, and always attending the local livestock auctions where he and his wife, Janice, were active bidders, supporting the kids of 4H and FFA.

Dennis was a friend and a mentor to many, including myself. And although he often fondly called me a donkey, not necessarily referring to my political party, he offered so much more to those who knew him, who worked with him, who listened to him, and who loved him.

Madam Speaker, today we mourn the loss of Dennis Caprara. But because of Dennis, every day we realize that the Salad Bowl of life tastes so good, not just because of its products, but also because of its people.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the indispensable advocacy of a Central Coast organization that gives a voice to some of our most vulnerable community members. Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Monterey County improves the lives of children in the foster care system by pairing them with trained volunteers from the community who advocate for them and stand by their side as stable adults they can count on as they go through the chaos of the foster care system.

CASA and its devoted staff and team of volunteers are guided by the needs of children in need of someone to stand by them and ensure they are not alone as they face instability, fear, and unfamiliar surroundings. Since 1994, the organization has continued to be the only local nonprofit of its kind that recruits, trains, and supports community volunteers to serve as court appointed advocates for abused and neglected foster children throughout Monterey County. CASA of Monterey County exists so that abused and neglected children in protective care have the chance to become successful adults.

Monterey County is home to over 400 children and youth in foster care. But thanks to the devoted advocates and the CASA team, these children have a voice as they navigate a tumultuous system. CASA provides these children the compassion, clarity, and care they so desperately need. And it is because of CASA that these children and youth have the tools they need to go on to successful adulthoods.

Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize this treasured community organization that has protected and advocated for countless foster children and youth. I thank all of those who have given their time and resources to help these children feel safe and succeed. I extend my gratitude to CASA Monterey's Board of Directors, Board Chair Jennifer Rosenthal, Executive Director Beth Wilbur, and its devoted network of advocates.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to extend my sincerest gratitude to U.S. Army Officer Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Anthony Heisler of U.S. Special Operations Command Legislative Affairs office (SOLA). He is truly a great American and has been a tremendous help to Congress in developing increased transparency and understanding into what Special Operations Forces brings to the fight regarding the National Defense Strategy.

LTC Heisler earned his commission through Georgetown University Army ROTC as a Field Artillery Officer in 2004 and was assigned 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) from 2005 to 2007 before he volunteered to attend Special Forces Assessment and Selection.

After completing the Special Forces Qualification Course in 2009, LTC Heisler was assigned to 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Germany, where he served as a Special Forces detachment commander, headquarters and support company commander, and the Aide-de- Camp to the Commanding General of Special Operations Command-Europe. He was later assigned to 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Carson, Colorado, where served as a Special Forces company commander, battalion executive officer, and Group operations officer. He has been serving at SOLA since May 2018.

LTC Heisler's operational deployments include Operation Iraqi Freedom (2005 to 2006), Operation Enduring Freedom (2009, 2010), Operation Juniper Shield (Niger, 2015), and Operation Atlantic Resolve (Germany, 2017). LTC Heisler has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Purple Heart, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and others.

U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) develops and employs fully capable Special Operations Forces to conduct global special operations and activities as part of the joint force to support persistent, networked and distributed combatant command operations and campaigns against state and non-state actors to protect and advance U.S. policies and objectives. SOCOM trains, organizes and equips U.S. Special Operations Forces and provide those forces to the geographic combatant commanders on the Global Campaign Plan for Countering Violent Extremist Organizations, Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction and Web-Based Military Information Support Operations.

While in the job at SOLA, LTC Heisler guided a Congressional Delegation to West Africa. His personal knowledge and experiences were priceless in making the visits to Niger, Nigeria and Mali a tremendous success in August 2019. We are very grateful for him escorting us around the continent.

He departs the SOLA office this spring after three years working with Congress and takes command of 3rd Battalion, 10th SFG. We wish Anthony and his family safe travels as they move to Colorado Springs, CO. There is a high likelihood that Congress will see LTC Heisler again as he progresses through the Army ranks. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our gratitude to LTC Heisler for his service to our country and the House of Representatives.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the indispensable advocacy of a Central Coast organization that gives a voice to some of our most vulnerable community members. Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of San Benito County improves the lives of children in the foster care system by pairing them with trained volunteers from the community who advocate for them and stand by their side as stable adults they can count on as they go through the chaos of the foster care system.

CASA and its devoted staff and team of volunteers are guided by the needs of children in need of someone to stand by them and ensure they are not alone as they face instability, fear, and unfamiliar surroundings. Since 1994, the organization has continued to be the only local nonprofit of its kind that recruits, trains, and supports community volunteers to serve as court appointed advocates for abused and neglected foster children throughout San Benito County. CASA of San Benito County exists so that abused and neglected children in protective care have the chance to become successful adults.

Thanks to the devoted advocates and the San Benito CASA team, these children have a voice as they navigate a tumultuous system. CASA provides these children the compassion, clarity, and care they so desperately need. And it is because of CASA that these children and youth have the tools they need to go on to successful adulthoods.

Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize this treasured community organization that has protected and advocated for countless foster children and youth. I thank all of those who have given their time and resources to help these children feel safe and succeed. I extend my gratitude to CASA San Benito's Board of Directors, Board Director Robert Marden, Executive Director Esther Curtice, and its devoted network of advocates.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of teacher, activist, and social justice advocate, Joyce Ryder Vandevere, who recently passed away at the age of 94 on February 17, 2021.

Joyce's parents met while students at UC Berkley and instilled Joyce with the value of education and a firm sense that she could accomplish anything she set her mind to. Joyce graduated from Pomona College in 1948 and earned a master's degree in Psychology and Child Development from Stanford in 1950. Upon receiving her degrees, Joyce became director of a preschool in San Francisco where she would be introduced to prominent progressive leaders, including labor leader Harry Bridges. It was during this period that Joyce developed a commitment to social justice and equality.

In 1956, with her husband Judson Vandevere, Joyce moved to Monterey, where she would reside for the rest of her life and dedicate her time to social service and political activism on the central coast of California. During the Vietnam War, Joyce worked to provide soldiers at Ft. Ord with counseling and other services that would otherwise be unavailable to them. Additionally, she was an advocate for prison reform and worked with Friends Outside to support the families of incarcerated individuals.

Joyce returned to her teaching career in the 1960s as a volunteer teacher with Head Start in Seaside, California. In 1971, she co-founded the Learning Community, an open classroom, alternative program at Seaside's Del Rey Woods School, and would continue to teach until 1988.

Further, Joyce was a co-founder of the local chapter of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, the Peace Coalition of Monterey County, and the Monterey Peace and Justice Center. She remained active in all these organizations until her death. Joyce even learned to code and designed relational databases while in her 70s to produce a weekly Peace calendar.

Joyce's life is celebrated by her children, Keith and Gwyn, her three great-grandchildren, and her numerous nieces and nephews. Joyce's meaningful legacy of service and advocacy will always endure with the people living on the central coast of California.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the indispensable advocacy of a Central Coast organization that gives a voice to some of our most vulnerable community members. Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Santa Cruz County improves the lives of children in the foster care system by pairing them with trained volunteers from the community who advocate for them and stand by their side as stable adults they can count on as they go through the chaos of the foster care system.

CASA and its devoted staff and team of volunteers are guided by the needs of children in need of someone to stand by them and ensure they are not alone as they face instability, fear, and unfamiliar surroundings. Since 1994, the organization has continued to be the only local nonprofit of its kind that recruits, trains, and supports community volunteers to serve as court appointed advocates for abused and neglected foster children throughout Santa Cruz County. CASA of Santa Cruz County exists so that abused and neglected children in protective care have the chance to become successful adults.

Thanks to the devoted advocates and the Santa Cruz CASA team, these children have a voice as they navigate a tumultuous system. CASA provides these children the compassion, clarity, and care they so desperately need. And it is because of CASA that these children and youth have the tools they need to go on to successful adulthoods.

Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize this treasured community organization that has protected and advocated for countless foster children and youth. I thank all of those who have given their time and resources to help these children feel safe and succeed. I extend my gratitude to CASA Santa Cruz's Board of Directors, Board President Andrea Willy, Executive Director Lynne Petrovic, and its devoted network of advocates.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of H.R. 1868 to prevent these harmful budget cuts to vital agricultural programs that are relied on by farmers, farmworkers, and food-insecure families in all of our districts.

If we don't pass this bill today, $29 billion in agricultural funding would be subject to these sequester cuts. Those types of cuts would zero out funding for such crucial agricultural programs like EQIP, the Conservation Stewardship Program, and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program.

In my district on the mid-central coast of California, many farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners rely on those types of helpful programs not just to survive, Mr. Speaker, but to succeed. They use those programs to harvest their products and to be part of the climate solution.

The producers in my district understand and appreciate the old adage called usufruct, which basically says the land they use now must be kept fresh and fertile, not just for them, but for future generations. It is these programs that contribute to their current product and, yes, that type of forward thinking.

Sequester cuts would also prevent the Federal Government from purchasing and donating food to food banks through section 32 purchases. After the year we had, in which food banks contributed so much to the food security of so many of my constituents, we should be doing everything we can to protect and bolster our food programs.

We should also be doing everything we can to protect the production of food, but sequestration cuts would compromise many parts of the farm bill, like the specialty crop block grants or the agricultural research extension programs at public universities.

As the co-chair of the Congressional Agriculture Research Caucus, I know that these types of ag research programs help our farmers meet the challenges of 2021 and will allow them to prepare for challenges of the 21st century.

Mr. Speaker, as the Representative from the salad bowl of the world, it is my job to ensure that my farmers, farmworkers, and food-insecure families have all the tools that they need to live and lead healthy and productive lives.

Mr. Speaker, as Representatives in Congress for this Nation, it is all of our jobs to ensure that the programs for those tools and that food are here not just for today but tomorrow. We can live up to that responsibility by supporting H.R. 1868.

Madam Speaker, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act would simply protect our existing farmworkers and perpetuate an enduring farm workforce. It would do that by modernizing and streamlining our H-2A visa system and by allowing those who are willing to come here to stay here if they continue to work here in agriculture.

Now, this bill is a bipartisan bill. It is the right bill because it was a negotiated bill. No, it is not the perfect bill, but it is the necessary bill that was formulated after months and months of difficult talks between Democrats and Republicans and farmers and farmworkers.

Now, during those discussions, unlike what we are hearing today, we put negative politics aside and we focused on the positive policies for the people who are part of the solution to the number one problem for our farmers. We don't have a domestic workforce willing to do ag labor, so farmers are reliant on immigrants to harvest their products.

That is why, if we pass this bill today and the Senate does its job tomorrow, farmers will have a predictable and dependable workforce, farmworkers will get the legality and the dignity that they deserve, and we in Congress will have done our job for our agriculture and for our Nation that both rely on immigrants for our future.

Mr. Speaker, 1 year ago this week we left Congress early because of COVID-19. Since then our entire way of life has been upended with the worst pandemic in a century, where at times we weren't taming this COVID tiger, we were just riding it.

Yet, despite that rough ride, we did our job in Congress with five massive relief bills that kept the economy afloat, the poverty rate flat, and put us in the position where right now we are neck and neck in this race between injections and infections.

Yet my colleagues on the other side want to slow us down by voting ``no,'' claiming process or price or pork or politics.

Well, I support the American Rescue Plan, not just because we need to speed up our response but because this bill is about people; their health, their vaccines, their jobs, their businesses, their local governments, and getting our kids back to school safely.

So let's do our job. Let's defeat this disease. Let's win this race by voting ``yes'' on the American Rescue Plan.

Madam Speaker, what I am about to show you are the examples of the cycle of destruction from the climate crisis in my home district on the central coast of California.

Last year, my district was victim to a brutal wildfire season in which almost 650,000 acres were burned. What was left behind in many of those areas is called a burn scar, ground that has crusted and is hard for water to penetrate. As a result, when it rains, it leads to floods, mudslides, and devastation, including this damage to Highway 1 in Big Sur, in which water and debris flowed down the hills, blocked the culverts, then flowed up over Highway 1, and took out the road from that side.

Now, we know we have a lot of work to do when it comes to reducing our carbon output. In the meantime, we can stop this type of damage with reforestation of burn scar areas.

That is why I will reintroduce the REPLANT Act, to fund those types of projects, and I plan to work on bipartisan legislation to help manage forests to prevent fires and not just suppress them. It is that type of reasonable and practical legislation that is the foundation for how we in Congress can protect our communities and prevent the effects of the climate crisis.

Madam Speaker, after one long year of this pandemic, many of my constituents are anxious. And, yeah, they are angry. Their health has been harmed, their businesses have been shut down, and they are absolutely frustrated waiting for their vaccines. They are not happy with our ex-President's response, and they are not pleased with the local response. That is why now, more than ever, we in Congress need to continue our response to COVID-19.

Madam Speaker, in the past year, we passed five bipartisan bills that kept

the economy afloat and the poverty rate flat. That is why on this night with this pandemic raging this year we must support this rule, which will put shots in arms, checks in pockets, kids in schools, food on tables, strike teams in nursing homes, keep police and firefighters on our street, keep pensions secure, and provide vaccines for essential workers, including my farmworkers on the Central Coast of California, so that they can do their job for their families and for our food security.

Madam Speaker, let's do our job tonight for our constituents and for this country and pass the American Rescue Act.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the achievements of the University of California, Santa Cruz African American Theater Arts Troupe (AATAT) to enrich student life at UC Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz community by providing a space for expression and empowerment. This year, AATAT is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Since its founding in 1991, AATAT has been a steward for theater arts by fostering performing arts, providing a space for community and expression, and furthering cultural enrichment.

The creation of this organization at UC Santa Cruz was not without challenges. AATAT began without a budget, dedicated space, or theater amenities. With the guidance and tireless work of founding instructor Donald Williams, AATAT was able to grow over the years into a full theater production troupe that performs, inspires, and uplifts thousands of people each year.

The artistic and generous spirit of AATAT goes beyond the stage. AATAT strives for inclusivity by making their performances free and accessible to all UC Santa Cruz students. The group's sense of duty has led them to work with high school students across California, tutoring an average of 2000 students each year. In the spirit of uplifting others, AATAT has been able to provide over $100,000 in scholarships through the years.

Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize the history, dedication, and contributions of the UC Santa Cruz African American Theater Arts Troupe. I ask my distinguished colleagues to join me in recognizing the UC Santa Cruz African American Theater Arts Troupe as an exceptional group of community and artistic leaders on the central coast of California.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Sharon Esther Papo, a community activist in the Santa Cruz County community on the central coast of California, for over fifteen years of work standing for justice and lived equality for the LGBTQ+ community.

It is my honor to recognize her as she leaves her role as Executive Director of the Diversity Center of Santa Cruz County to spend more time with her family. Her leadership over the past eight years has allowed the organization to excel through funding, policy, and COVID-19 pandemic challenges.

Sharon's activism and professional career have followed her educational journey, where she earned a B.A. in Feminist Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a Master's Degree in Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley, and soon became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Sharon has worked with the LGBTQ+ community for more than 15 years, beginning with her time as Program Coordinator for the STRANGE youth program at the Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center.

During her time as Executive Director, Sharon has led the Diversity Center to put a more specific focus on the needs of the most vulnerable segments of our the LGBTQ+ population on the Central Coast, including youth, seniors, queer people of color, and people who identify as transgender or gender neutral. Sharon has also collaborated with key local

health organizations to train hundreds of clinicians and frontline medical staff in providing culturally appropriate services to the LGBTQ+ community.

Sharon's strong strategic partnerships with social service organizations in our community have ensured a visible queer presence and access to necessary services throughout Santa Cruz County. She has led the Diversity Center to steady financial footing, tripling its financial support from community members, governmental agencies, and foundations, allowing for an expanded offering of services for the LGBTQ+ community on the Central Coast in a permanent setting.

Sharon's positive attitude, graciousness, and dedication have served her well as she represented the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ people in her work with community leaders. She has been a thoughtful and strong advocate for creating anti-racist awareness and action as a primary element of the Diversity Center's mission in its community. Madam Speaker, the people of the Central Coast are proud of Sharon Papo and her tireless work on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community. I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating her dedication and wishing her the best wherever the future may take her.