Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Mrs. Mary Esther Bernal who passed away on March 10, 2022. For decades, Mrs. Bernal was integral to the advancement of Mexican American and Latino rights in Texas. Her work changed the lives of countless Texans, and she will be greatly missed.

Mary Esther Bernal was born on March 21, 1935, in San Antonio, Texas. She earned her undergraduate and master's degrees from Our Lady of the Lake University. A talented pianist who was passionate about using music to connect with others, Ms. Bernal taught choir in San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) during an era when speaking Spanish in Texas schools was against the law.

Instead of bowing to pressures to suppress the culture of her city and her Mexican-American students, Mrs. Bernal celebrated both. Together with her husband, State Senator Joe Bernal, she pushed Texas schools to provide bilingual instruction to English language learners and end English-only laws. As a community leader, Mrs. Bernal served two terms on the SAISD Board of Trustees. Mrs. Bernal received numerous honors for her work as an educator and civic leader.

Mrs. Bernal was inducted into the San Antonio Women's Hall of Fame in 1991 and the National Hispanic Heritage Hall of Honor in 2010 for her contributions to education. Mrs. Bernal is survived by her husband Joe Bernal, sons Richard and Patrick Bernal, daughter Rebecca Villarreal, six grandchildren, and two step-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her youngest son, Bernard Bernal, who passed away in 2016.

Madam Speaker, San Antonio mourns the loss of a Hispanic icon. We will miss the music she played and the powerful voice she projected for equality. Her efforts benefited countless Texas families, including mine. Although she has passed, we take comfort remembering her through our heritage. I thank Mrs. Bernal for her fight. She will be missed. (Agredezco a la Senora Bernal, gracias por su lucha. Le vamos extranar.)

Madam Speaker, I rise today commemorating the 25th anniversary of the University Health CareLink. For more than two decades, CareLink has provided invaluable healthcare services to Bexar County's most vulnerable residents. I am honored to recognize their efforts this day.

Bexar County has long struggled to make sure that every resident can access consistent, high-quality health care. Many county residents live below the poverty line, are uninsured, and struggle to get by. Since 1997, CareLink under University Health System has stepped up to meet the needs facing our less fortunate. University Health has transformed the lives of the uninsured by offering its members comprehensive and flexible care based on each member's unique circumstance.

For 25 years CareLink has provided 461,472 low-income, uninsured residents access to a full range of medical services. CareLink now averages 27,850 members each month and connects 100 percent of its members with a health care provider. CareLink has become a model for the nation in providing access to essential and affordable health care services.

Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing 25 years of invaluable service by University Health CareLink. I am confident that

they will continue to provide vital services to our community for years to come.

Madam Speaker, the gun violence epidemic has horribly impacted American communities across the Nation. Texas is no exception, and neither was El Paso.

In 2019 the El Paso community was shaken to its core when a crazed gunman drove more than 11 hours to stop what he called the ``Hispanic invasion of Texas.''

All of us know that his hatred and bigotry was encouraged from the highest levels of our government and played upon stereotypes developed in American media from hard news to Hollywood for generations.

This appalling event led to 23 innocent lives being cut short and dozens injured in the deadliest targeted attack on Latinos in modern American history.

But El Paso did not collapse in the face of tragedy. Instead, they banded together to mourn their loved ones and rebuild their community, and we, as Americans, stood with them. That summer we were all ``El Paso strong.''

By designating the El Paso Community Healing Garden as a federally recognized national memorial site, we will continue to honor the victims and provide solace to survivors who have shown their remarkable strength and resiliency on their path to healing.

Madam Speaker, I strongly support my friend, Representative Escobar's, bill, H.R. 4380, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I proudly represent what is known as ``Military City U.S.A.,'' San Antonio, Texas, the home to hundreds, if not thousands, of veterans who, like others across the country, were exposed to open-air burn pits whose lives have been ruined, and for some, it has cost them their life.

We have to stand up for our veterans the way they stood up for our country when they were on Active Duty. Yet, what I keep hearing from Republicans is that there is not enough information. There is not enough money.

Mr. Speaker, how often do you hear people around here ask whether it is too expensive to buy a tank, whether it is too expensive to buy a jet or an aircraft carrier. Yet, when it comes to our men and women in uniform, who go risk their lives on behalf of our country and our allies, the question coming from Republicans is whether it is too expensive.

Why don't you just tell them that it is too goddamned expensive to save their lives? Why don't you tell them that they are not worth the money? Because what you are saying is that you want tax cuts for billionaires and cancer for veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 956 to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier today, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine and demand an immediate withdrawal of their forces from Ukraine.

Only four nations out of 193 stood with Russia. 140 stood with Ukraine. The world is united in condemning this invasion, and the House of Representatives must speak as one and lead the way.

As we debate, Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians continue. Hundreds of thousands huddle in bomb shelters. Over 600,000 Ukrainians have already fled the country. Vladimir Putin is on a disastrous quest to rebuild the Russian empire at the expense of Ukrainian sovereignty.

This should be a simple vote.

Now is our chance to show that Congress stands with the people of Ukraine. Now is our time to do what is

right. That is why I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I rise to oppose Representative Steel's amendment.

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

Representative Steel and I share a lot of the same concerns about China,

in fact: its human rights record; unfair competition; its aggression in the South China Sea, for example; its troublesome Belt and Road Initiative. However, this amendment misstates how global climate negotiations work.

The United Nations climate negotiations are designed to have countries submit their own nationally determined climate mitigation goals. They are designed this way to ensure that no one can tell America what our climate policies should be. I would think that my Republican colleagues would understand and support that.

We should be doing everything we can to pressure each country, particularly China, which is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gasses, as the Representative mentioned, to upgrade its commitments and commit to more ambitious nationally determined contributions.

The Biden administration and the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, Secretary John Kerry, have been clear that the People's Republic of China must make stronger commitments to cutting its carbon emissions.

The Government of China has said that they are targeting carbon neutrality before 2060. Well, that is clearly too late. The world needs to reach net zero by 2050 at the latest.

I completely agree that the United States must put pressure on China to reach net zero at a faster pace, but arbitrarily tying it to our timeline isn't the way to do that.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Again, we agree that the United States should do everything possible to put pressure on China to reduce emissions and to combat climate change. However, this is a bad way to do it.

We can treat the climate challenge as an opportunity for America to shine, to rise to the occasion and show the world that they can rely on us, and that includes pressuring other nations to also combat climate change.

Whether my colleagues across the aisle acknowledge it or not, the world is transitioning to renewable energy and electric vehicles.

The choice we face is whether our Nation leads in this century as we did in the last, or whether we allow others to lead instead.

My home State of Texas recognizes this. We may be the fossil fuel capital of the United States, and have been for a long time, but we are also the wind energy capital of the United States.

The task ahead of us is to pressure and verify to ensure China meets its goals. We need to do that bilaterally, and we need to hold China accountable in multilateral forums. This amendment only distracts from that important task, and I urge my colleagues to oppose it.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson and all of the chairs of the committees and members who helped bring the America COMPETES Act to where it is.

Madam Speaker, today I offer my amendment to the America COMPETES Act. My amendment simply adds ``media and entertainment'' to the list of eligible programs for nontraditional industries or occupations.

The U.S. media and entertainment industry plays a prominent role in defining who we are as a nation, not only within our borders but across the world. The media, as I know the media is plural, but the media as an institution continues to serve as one of the main narrative-creating and image-defining institutions conveying America's values and ideals to audiences around the world.

Yet the lack of diverse talent in the industry's workforce fails to reflect our population, therefore, stunting our ability to accurately portray the U.S. as a multicultural symbol on a global scale, and also sidelining millions and millions of Americans from participating in an industry with well-paying jobs.

By expanding apprenticeship programs, we can build a foundation for more Americans to begin professional careers in the media industry, particularly those that have been traditionally excluded, such as Latinos and other minority communities that are often underrepresented and undervalued.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, to address some of the concerns, the media and entertainment industry is one that involves different STEM fields such as a wide variety of engineering positions, for example, many of which have gone unfilled in different media corporations.

Also, as the gentlewoman knows, the GOP in particular has made a big deal about our film industry yielding to different Chinese demands, for example. So it is important that our government collaborate with the industry to make sure that we have a well-prepared workforce that is able to, again, make sure that the America media is robust.

We also want to be sure that--as you have industries like the media industry that continue to, for example, go film television and movies overseas, that American workers are well-prepared to take on those jobs so that industry does not have a single excuse to go somewhere else but to one of our cities and States in the United States. That is exactly what this amendment will help do, is to bring about a more prepared workforce to take on these roles so that industry doesn't have an excuse to go somewhere else.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to amendment 56 by Representative Crenshaw.

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

Madam Speaker, I believe the information being solicited is important, although I don't think that we need to pass a law to get it, and we shouldn't have to pass a law to get it. In that sense, I think the amendment is overkill.

As chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs last Congress, I saw how incredibly difficult it was to get basic information and simple briefings from the Trump administration. So I am sympathetic to getting information from an administration.

The checks and balances put in place by the Constitution require the executive branch, no matter the party, to be responsive to congressional oversight. As we saw during the last administration, the executive branch has become increasingly empowered to not cooperate with Congress on basic oversight matters; that much is true.

The Foreign Affairs Committee has found statutorily mandated briefings, however, generally backfire. They give the executive branch an excuse not to provide basic briefings on important subject matters on which we do not mandate briefings through legislation.

These topics vastly outnumber those with statutorily required briefings. By writing mandatory briefings into statute, Congress is conceding to the executive that it does not need to be responsive to legislative branch inquiries unless a statute says so.

Although I am opposing this amendment, I think the information is important. I would also join Representative Crenshaw in a letter requesting that kind of briefing from the Biden administration this year and the next and until the next administration.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, again, I agree this is important information. However, this should not be our approach, except on issues where the executive branch has continuously, and over a period of time, refused to respond to basic inquiries.

On climate issues, the Foreign Affairs Committee has not had any issues obtaining core information that is shared on a bipartisan basis. In fact, both Secretary of State Blinken and Special Envoy Kerry addressed this question in their hearings in front of our committee last year.

Again, I would be willing to work with Representative Crenshaw, and everybody else who is interested in a bipartisan way, to request this hearing.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to oppose Mr. Perry's amendment.

Madam Speaker, the gentleman from Pennsylvania's amendment would undermine the U.S. leadership on climate change and isolate the United States on the world stage on a critical issue for the future of our Nation and the future of the world.

Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues claim that they are deeply alarmed by China. They implore us to counter a threat from the People's Republic of China, yet when a comprehensive bill is in front of them to strengthen the United States' competitiveness on the world stage, including on our diplomacy, all of that urgency goes out the window.

And why? Why aren't Republicans clamoring to vote for America COMPETES Act? This amendment makes clear that it is at least in part because of their climate denialism. Republicans just don't want to address climate in this China bill, even though China is the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases and is outcompeting us at the same time in creating the green energy jobs of the future. The truth is, they don't want the United States to address climate change, period.

Our closest allies were aghast when President Trump pulled us out of the Paris climate agreement, and China took advantage of that in every way that it could, painting the United States as the irresponsible party on the world stage. Now Mr. Perry's amendment would have us make the same mistake again.

If we want to hold China accountable for its coal power plants and its rising emissions, we need to be at the table to pressure it to do better, and we need to lead multilateral efforts to combat climate change and invest in green energy and green projects, because if we don't, China will be more than happy to fill in with its unsustainable Belt and Road Initiative projects and its financing, which always comes with strings attached.

For those reasons and others, I oppose this amendment and ask my colleagues to do the same.

I reserve the balance of my time, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, regarding Mr. Perry's amendment, if the United States does not choose to lead on the issue of climate change, we can't outcompete China or expect the world to join us in countering China's policies.

To compete, we must lead the world forward, and we must face reality and be willing to enact policies that deal with reality. This amendment is about taking America backward, and so I ask my colleagues to oppose it.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of World War II veteran, Roland Eugene Dullnig, who hails from my hometown of San Antonio, Texas. Today marks Mr. Dullnig's 100th birthday. I am honored to recognize his milestone on this joyous day.

Roland Eugene Dullnig was born in San Antonio, Texas, on December 3, 1921. The eldest of three children, Mr. Dullnig graduated from Fox Tech High School whereafter he enlisted in U.S. Army Air Corp in 1942. Mr. Dullnig served as a Crew Chief with the 668th Squadron of the 416th Bombardment Group maintaining the A20 and the A26 light bomber aircraft. His 416th Bombardment Group participated in the battles of Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, Central Europe, and Air Offensive Europe. Mr. Dullnig continued to serve until the end of the war, being discharged as a Technical Sergeant in January 1946.

Upon completion of military service, Mr. Dullnig returned to San Antonio and worked in the printing trade for 40 years. He was married to his wife, Evelyn, for almost 69 years having two children, Carolyn, and Ron. In February 2020, Mr. Dullnig was presented with the French Legion of Honor Medal given by the people of France to American Veterans who fought for the liberation of France during World War II. Today, Mr. Dullnig continues to reside in the family home in San Antonio.

Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing World War II veteran, Mr. Roland Dullnig, on his 100th birthday. I thank Mr. Dullnig for his many years of service to our country and community. It is my hope that he is surrounded by loved ones on his special day.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to provide context on my present vote on November 3rd for H. Res. 760. While I echo many of the sentiments in the resolution and appreciate Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Rep. Sires, and Rep. Diaz-Balart efforts to draw attention to the rights of the Cuban people to protest their government and to condemn the Cuban government for its repressive actions, I share the concerns of my colleagues that the resolution would perpetuate the isolation of Cuba that the Obama administration worked to reverse. I stand firmly behind the people of Cuba as they fight for their rights, which is why I did not vote against the bill.

However, I believe that such a statement on U.S.-Cuba policy should also affirm a policy of engagement and reject the use of sanctions-- like those applied by the Trump administration--that hurt the Cuban people and do nothing to support their democratic aspirations. Furthermore, I was disappointed that this resolution was brought to the floor under suspension of the rules and did not go through a markup on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, preventing the opportunity to include language that underscores our commitment to finding real solutions to the current impasse in U.S.-Cuba policy.

I look forward to working with my colleagues on a clear path forward that upholds human rights and democratic values while paving a way for practical engagement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mr. Jesse Vidales who hails from my hometown of San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Vidales celebrated his 100th birthday this past August. Born and raised in San Antonio's Westside, Mr. Vidales emulates what it means to be a proud San Antonian. I am truly honored to recognize him this Veterans Day.

Mr. Jesse Vidales was born on August 9, 1921 to Mr. Jose Ramos Vidales and Mrs. Maria Rios. At the time, Westside San Antonio experienced widespread poverty. Through their tireless efforts, the Vidales family rose above, knowing that education was the surest path to success. During the height of World War II, Mr. Vidales enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corp where he served with Army Intelligence until the end of the war. After, Mr. Vidales married the love of his life, Mrs. Victoria Perez Vidales, and followed in his father's architectural footsteps and became a successful contractor for more than 50 years.

Madam Speaker, please join me in commemorating the life of Mr. Jesse Vidales. I wish Jesse a happy 100th birthday and Happy Veterans Day. He has reached a milestone, and I thank him for his service to our country and community. May God bless and watch over him.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mr. Heinz G. Bachman, a 100-year-old World War II veteran who hails from my hometown of San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Bachman was stationed at Hickam Field, Hawaii during Pearl Harbor. Throughout his life Mr. Bachman exemplified the best of us and I am proud to recognize him on this Veterans Day.

Mr. Heinz Bachman was born on October 22, 1921 in Mulhausen, Germany. Shortly thereafter, his family immigrated to the United States, landing on Ellis Island in 1924. By 1934 his family fully emigrated and became U.S. citizens. With the rise of the Axis powers and seeing conflicts across the globe, Mr. Bachman's father encouraged him to enter the armed forces. By 1939, Mr. Bachman joined the United States military beginning at Fort Dix, New Jersey. During his time in service, Mr. Bachman worked as a translator serving in the Army Air Corps, reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant.

In 1941, Mr. Bachman was stationed at Hickman Air Force Base when the Imperial Japanese Forces bombarded Pearl Harbor and surrounding military installations throughout Hawaii. Mr. Bachman was fortunate to be away from the main building on detached service where bombardments hit the buildings center. Upon completion of service in 1945, Mr. Bachman went on to interview German civilians for the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey. Mr. Bachman married the love of his life, Mrs. Virginia Bachman and raised a family together.

Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing Mr. Heinz Bachman for service and commitment to our great country. I thank Mr. Bachman for everything he has done for our community and country. It is my hope that he will continue to share his story. Happy Veterans Day.

Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Ruiz for organizing this Special Order.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to share the story of Marine Corporal William Garza, Jr.

William joined the Marines in the summer before 9/11. His first deployment was to Iraq in 2003, where he participated in the fall of Baghdad. It was there, during war, where he was exposed to burn pits.

When I met William, he told me that he and his fellow marines would sleep and work around burn pits 24/7. These burn pits were as big as football fields, burning tires, human waste, metals, and electronics. William, like many servicemembers, didn't know the dangers of burn pit exposure.

After serving his country with honor, he returned home to Texas, and he soon met the love of his life, Melanie, and they would marry, buy a home, and start living their American Dream.

Soon after his marriage, William developed a sore on his tongue, but he struggled to get an appointment with the VA. When he did, it confirmed his worst fear: cancer.

He would receive treatment at Brooke Army Medical Center, where the doctors would perform a miracle throat cancer treatment. William beat cancer.

Then, a few years later, he received terrible news during a VA checkup. He had two tumors in his lungs, and he would need immediate treatment.

But then, making matters worse, he received a letter from the VA denying his service-connected disability claim. This time around the chemo and immunotherapy would not be as successful, and his cancer spread. On March 4, 2019, in San Antonio, Texas, William died, and our Nation lost a hero.

His mother, Rose, who I had the pleasure of speaking with, calls him ``William, my Hero.''

Marine Corporal William Garza, Jr., deserved better.

I hope William's story creates an urgency in Congress to address this generation's Agent Orange.

Burn pits have destroyed servicemembers' lives and American families. Let's not let another veteran receive a denial of benefits letter. Let's work together to honor our Nation's sacred obligation to our men and women in uniform.

Madam Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today in celebration of the Guadalupe Dance Company's 30th anniversary of its first performance on September 15, 1991. The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center founded the Guadalupe Dance Company in 1991 through a collaboration with the City of San Antonio and the lnstituto Cultural de Mexico.

The Guadalupe Dance Company was created to build and promote a professionally-trained Mexican Folkloric Dance Company to represent South Texas, and has grown to be a premier professional dance company in the region.

The Guadalupe Dance Company was brought to life with cultural activists, community leaders and master artists led by then Executive Director Pedro Rodriguez. With dancers from in and around the San Antonio area, the Company debuted its first performance to

a full house for the Citysponsored Grito Ceremony on September 15, 1991 at the Lila Cockrell Theatre.

In 1994, Maestro Rafael Zamarripa was commissioned to create, choreograph and fully stage Rio Bravo, an original production telling the story of South Texas through a chronology of dance and music. With a cast of over 25 dancers, musicians and stage and film star Jesse Borrego, Rio Bravo helped set the course for the dance company. The Guadalupe Dance Company continues to create original productions as well as its ongoing First Friday events and staple annual productions which include Historias y Recuerdos, Dia de los Muertos, Alma de Mujer, Pastorela Folklorica and Celebrando Tradiciones.

The 30th Anniversary Celebration features the Guadalupe Dance Company and Mariachi Azteca de America. It will commemorate 30 years of dance, success, and evolution with repertoire from various states of Mexico. I am proud to honor the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, and its remarkable impact on San Antonio, and I look forward for many performances to come.

Madam Speaker, today I rise in commemoration of United States Army Lieutenant Colonel Edward Andrew Zawora Sr. who is turning one-hundred years old on October 21, 2021. Lieutenant Colonel Zawora resides in my hometown of San Antonio, Texas, with his wife, Mary Carolyn Peak. This milestone is so joyous for Lieutenant Colonel Zawora and his family, and I am honored to celebrate him on this day.

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Andrew Zawora Sr. was born in East Chicago, Indiana, on October 12, 1921. His parents, Joe and Ana Zawora emigrated from Poland in 1908 with only six dollars. At an early age he demonstrated hard work and resilience, growing up as one of six children during a time of financial hardship. He held many jobs as a young man to support his family, helping them make ends meet while attending school.

Shortly after graduating from high school, Lieutenant Colonel Zawora enlisted in the United States Army. He moved to Panama from East Chicago to complete his basic training and was assigned to Fort Bliss thereafter. During his time in El Paso, the Army observed great potential in Lieutenant Colonel Zawora and brought him to the White Sands Proving Grounds. It was here that the Army was developing the first missile defense program, as well as the first atomic bomb. Lieutenant Colonel Zawora participated in these projects as a team member with top secret clearance.

Lieutenant Colonel Zawora was assigned to the Explosive Ordinance Detachment during the Korean Conflict, in which he excelled and was quickly promoted. He was the youngest First Sergeant in the Army when he received his stripes. Throughout his career, Lieutenant Colonel Zawora participated in courageous assignments, such as diving into the ocean in order to disarm underwater mines while wearing heavy protective gear. He also served in World War II, participating in EOD activities. Lieutenant Colonel Zawora served his country in two wars and completed duty assignments in various parts of the world. In 1966, he retired as the top Army officer assigned to the EOD at Fort Monroe, Virginia.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to recognize the life and service of a person who dedicated themselves to family and country above all else. The entire San Antonio community celebrates this great milestone of an American hero. I thank Lieutenant Colonel Zawora for his service, his courage, and for his unending commitment to our country.