Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an extraordinary public servant, Ally Castaneda, who is departing my office and Washington, D.C. for a new role.

Ally has been an outstanding member of my team since 2022. She began her work as a Legislative Correspondent before becoming a Legislative Assistant, and then a Senior Legislative Assistant.

In every role, Ally was the ultimate professional and went above and beyond. This job gives us all an incredible opportunity to better people's lives, and Ally embraced this ideal, She worked hard every day to serve the people of California's 52nd Congressional District.

Ally led critical pieces of legislation, including the Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act, and helped secure essential funding for our district. In part because of her tireless advocacy, our San Diego Congressional delegation has been able to secure millions of dollars in funding to address cross-border pollution. For instance, last year Ally worked with staff for the San Diego delegation to successfully advocate for funding to support environmental infrastructure in the Tijuana River Valley Watershed to be included in the Water Resources Development Act.

It is impossible to interact with Ally and not be impressed with her encyclopedic policy knowledge, attention to detail, and thoroughness. She was always a trusted voice.

On a personal level, Ally is kind, principled, funny, and generous. She cares about the people she works with and the constituents she served in California's 52nd Congressional District. She will be greatly missed in our office.

I thank Ally for her work, both past and future. We're always rooting for her.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Monica Martinez Chin, a real estate professional and a leader who has made a lasting impact in our community.

In 2005, Monica moved to San Diego where she worked to earn her real estate license and build a successful career.

Monica makes time to give back to her community as an active member of the San Diego Chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), an organization dedicated to increasing sustainable Hispanic homeownership.

Monica joined NAHREP San Diego in 2022 and was selected to serve as its president in 2024. Under her leadership, the organization saw tremendous growth with more and more local real estate professionals inspired to join and support its mission.

Monica believes that every individual deserves the opportunity to achieve the American Dream. Her leadership in the real estate industry and at NAHREP San Diego reflects her dedication to this goal. Her contributions have enriched the lives of those in her community.

Monica has proven that with determination and a heart for service, we can all make a positive difference in our communities. Monica's work has made San Diego a better place, and I am proud to recognize her as California's 52nd Congressional District Constituent of the Month.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Sorayda Santos as California's 52nd Congressional District Constituent of the Month for January 2025.

Sorayda is the co-chair of the nationally recognized Hermanitas Program at MANA de San Diego, which empowers Latina middle and high school students to reach their highest potential. This program pairs each student with a dedicated mentor to help guide them, inspire them, and provide them with the support they need to succeed.

During her three years as co-chair of the Hermanitas Program, Sorayda has increased the cohort size, improved seminar offerings, and built lasting partnerships with community organizations. Sorayda has also led efforts to bring a new project management seminar to the program, giving students a valuable, hands-on learning experience that will benefit them for years to come.

In addition to leading the Hermanitas Program, Sorayda currently mentors an eighth-grade student, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to giving back.

Sorayda is an exceptional leader and mentor who works hard every day to inspire the next generation of Latinas to dream big and achieve greatness. I can't think of a better person to have recognized during National Mentorship Month.

Mr. Speaker, this week, Republicans are attempting to pass a budget that will gut Medicaid, all to pay for tax cuts for the rich.

These Medicaid cuts aren't just numbers on a page. They will hurt real people.

My constituent Rosemary wrote to me and shared her family's story. Rosemary has a child with disabilities. She says that if Congress were to cut Medicaid, their lives would be upended.

She wrote: ``My child would no longer be able to receive therapies, and I would lose my ability to care for her and keep her safe. We have been stressed completely about our daughter's future without Medicaid. Please help our children by voting no on the cuts to Medicaid and other proposals that would take away these lifesaving services from people who need them, like my child.''

I ask if my Republican colleagues, my friends, are listening and hear Rosemary and the millions of moms and dads across the country.

Giving a handout to the rich at the expense of families' access to care is shameful. It is just shameful.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my Republican colleagues to stand up and fight for their constituents, not for their billionaire buddies.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Roosevelt Brown, an outstanding member of our community who has served the youth in San Diego for more than 40 years.

Mr. Brown spent his formative years in the San Diego school system, attending Logan Elementary School, Memorial Junior High School, and San Diego High School. At a young age, Mr. Brown struggled with a speech impediment that hindered his academic progress. He feared being called on by teachers to read or speak aloud due to his stutter. It is this limitation that inspired his community work.

Mr. Brown pursued several professional avenues following his high school graduation, and in his thirties, he decided to take classes at the University of Redlands and San Diego City College. These courses nurtured a newfound passion for reading. He decided to channel this passion into community work, with a goal to make sure children didn't have to wait as long as he did to discover the joys of reading. He knew that reading opened doors to learning and confidence.

Mr. Brown began his ``Children's Book Party'' in his backyard, aiming for every child to form a collection of books. The books covered a variety of subjects including math, science, short stories, and novels. His continued dedication expanded the program to the Education Cultural Complex and then the Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park. His book parties have come to fruition through the nonprofit he founded 35 years ago, ``Reading Literacy Learning, Inc.''

Mr. Brown's dedication to his nonprofit and community work has allowed him to overcome challenges throughout the years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he still delivered books to schools. His efforts have proven fruitful as his nonprofit has distributed over a million books to children in the San Diego Community.

Mr. Brown's family has been heavily involved in his community work, with the support of his wife aiding in the success of his nonprofit, and his children recently taking over the operations of his book parties.

Mr. Brown was honored as the 52nd District Constituent of the Month in February 2025, when Black History Month was celebrated, for his dedication to providing learning opportunities to the youth of San Diego, which will undoubtably impact generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Anne Evans, who was called home on February 12.

There are some people so important and central to a city and a community that their lives become intertwined. Anne Evans' life and the life of San Diego for the last 60 years were magnificently intertwined.

Anne was America's finest lady, and she made San Diego America's Finest City. Every major advancement in the last 60 years that made San Diego great, from developing our beloved Mission Bay to redeveloping our urban core, you could find Anne right in the middle of it.

Anne was a doer. She was fearless, brilliant, and a trailblazer, always anxious to make things better for everyone. This is why she became a leading philanthropist and gave back generously to the city she loved and taught her children to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, the city of San Diego's heart is broken with the passing of Anne. We would have never become America's Finest City without her. I pray for her family, her greatest legacy to our city, and I thank God for the life of Anne Evans, the guardian of San Diego.

Rest in peace, Anne Evans, and job well done.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Lincoln High School football team on winning their second State title in 3 years. This was a huge achievement, but it is even more amazing when you consider what this team had to overcome to get there.

The Hornets spent their entire season on the road, after their field was deemed unsafe due to water damage. The team boarded buses and traveled to every single practice. They never played a home game.

Despite these obstacles, this team never gave up. They demonstrated resilience, grit, and teamwork, and together they brought home the State championship.

Congratulations again to the Lincoln High School football team. All the incredible players and coaches have made our entire district and city proud.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about an urgent issue facing our Nation, and that is a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers. These were children who were brought to our country oftentimes as infants. Mr. Speaker, you have already heard about them.

It has been almost 13 years since President Obama announced DACA. Since then the program has provided needed relief for Dreamers, including work authorization and temporary relief from deportation.

However, more than a decade later, Dreamers still do not have permanent protections. As the program continues to be challenged in the courts, Dreamers are left stuck in limbo.

For so many Dreamers, again, this is the only country they have ever known. They came as children and infants. They grew up here. They studied here. They worked hard here.

As you heard, Mr. Speaker, they are nurses, teachers, businessowners, and they are beloved members of our communities. This is their home.

Congress must finally come together to make a real difference for our Dreamers and our families, our businesses, and our communities. We have to get this done. It is the right thing to do.

I also believe in the family.

Why are we not allowing these families to stay, Mr. Speaker?

It is the right thing to do. We are good-hearted people as Americans. Let's get this done.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 224, the Disabled Veterans Housing Support Act, sponsored by Representative De La Cruz.

While I appreciate Ms. De La Cruz's intention to better serve our veterans who have served this country, it is ironic that this bill seeks to improve a program that the Trump administration has already threatened to dismantle through an illegal funding freeze.

Specifically, the Trump administration and Musk's illegal DOGE unit continue to threaten to cut programs and

freeze Federal funding that has already gone out the door, including funds meant to serve veterans. In fact, committee staff continue to hear that some CDBG grantees remain locked out of their payment systems and are therefore unable to access Federal funds authorized by Congress. These are funds that are meant to help low-income and moderate-income communities, including disabled veterans, the very people this bill claims to want to help.

If Republicans are concerned about housing upgrades for disabled veterans who honorably served this Nation, then they should find the honor and courage to stop the Trump administration's and the billionaire boy's illegal actions that are harming our Nation's veterans, whether it is stealing private Federal data on millions of Americans or stealing the funding that would otherwise help a disabled veteran upgrade their home to make it more accessible and livable.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to stand up for disabled veterans and oppose co-president Musk's illegal takeover, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I believe this is the first time the gentleman from Arkansas has been presenting as the chairman, and I want to say that, as a friend, I am very proud of the gentleman, and it is good to see him as chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman), who is the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Capital Markets.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 10 seconds to the gentleman from California.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close if the gentleman from Arkansas has no further speakers.

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

Mr. Speaker, as the Trump administration continues its attack on the poor, the homeless, and on federally funded assistance with no Republicans stepping up to provide a check and balance on an illegal government takeover, House Democrats cannot sit here and have an honest debate about this policy.

What is more, the Trump administration has vowed to put more of America's housing in the hands of big investors and private equity firms.

The data shows what happens when private investors get their hands on more housing: Costs and junk fees go up, maintenance gets deferred, and evictions go up.

That is why I support this bill, most certainly. I think it goes the other way.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 386, the Chinese Currency Accountability Act, sponsored by my friend and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Davidson).

Mr. Speaker, this bill would require the Secretary of the Treasury to oppose a future percentage increase in the weight of China's currency in the IMF's international reserve asset known as the Special Drawing Rights, or SDRs, unless the Secretary of the Treasury independently certifies that China is in compliance with certain obligations to the IMF and with other international standards.

While I support this bill and its intentions, I will note that the Treasury Department stresses that, due to confidentiality between the IMF and its member countries, it is impossible for the Secretary to independently certify that China is complying with the IMF obligations.

I hope that Representative Davidson and his colleagues will work with us to make changes to this bill to ensure that it could be executed as intended.

I also must add that it is enormously ironic that we are passing a bill focused on a nation's transparency at a time when President Trump is running one of the least transparent governments in our Nation's history.

As the last Trump term starts, we, again, do not have disclosures or divestment from the President, meaning we don't know how he is personally benefiting from his administration's actions.

For example, President Trump introduced meme coins for himself and his wife, making it possible for any friend or foe with business before the President to trade millions in Trump cryptocurrency without any identification and verification.

Further, Trump's co-president, Elon Musk, is also refusing to publicly disclose and divest from his conflicted investments, despite being a fake employee of the government who has access to millions of Americans' taxpayer dollars and personally identifiable information. It is transparency for the average American, but not for Trump and his oligarchs.

To fight corruption and kleptocracy, it is vital for the United States to have transparency in government. If we expect it of others, then we should model it and demand it for ourselves.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, as China expands both its economy and global influence, it has been accused of manipulating its currency. This includes the use of its currency at international institutions like the IMF.

This bill would empower the Treasury Department to address that issue, which is a laudable goal. We should fight for the same type of transparency for our own government and government officials, including President Donald Trump and co-president Elon Musk.

It is a good bill, and I support it.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 692, the China Exchange Rate Transparency Act, sponsored by Representative Meuser.

China has a history of devaluing its currency against the U.S. dollar, making its exports unfairly cheap and harming American small businesses. One way to confront this is to impose greater accountability on China through the International Monetary Fund.

This bill would require the U.S. to press the IMF to report on the impact of China's exchange rate policies on key IMF tools and consider whether China has been a responsible partner in the international monetary system when evaluating China's voting power at the IMF.

While these are sensible actions that Congress can take to prevent China from using its currency as an economic weapon, they seem like a small step given the big threat. I don't mean solely the very real threat from an aggressive China. I mean, the threat from Donald Trump, whose comments and actions are all designed to weaken America's power on the global stage.

Trump is withdrawing America from global organizations such as the World Health Organization and parts of the United Nations. Trump is attacking our allies like Colombia and Canada, making our friends question whether they are better off in a world with America in the lead.

Trump is starting what even The Wall Street Journal calls is the dumbest trade war ever, driving our partners

away from our markets and the U.S. dollar. He and his co-president, Elon Musk, are illegally and unilaterally ending America's foreign aid programs, causing a disaster for the recipients of that support, but also creating a mammoth void which China will step in and fill.

Perhaps worst of all, President Trump is signaling that America will abandon Ukraine and Taiwan, telling the globe that we are an unreliable partner, especially as a security partner, regardless of law and treaty to the contrary.

Mr. Speaker, I am here to tell Mr. Trump that we will not stand silent as you tear down America and America's role in the world.

Mr. Speaker, let us stand up to China at the IMF, but if, as our majority is signaling, we should adopt Trump's aggressive isolationist policies, then we are giving up the globe to a China that is more than happy to step into our void. That reduces this bill to nothing more than a hollow gesture.

Mr. Speaker, I will urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

China has been accused of manipulating its currency to expand both its economy and global influence. Concerns about this include its effects on American interests at international institutions like the International Monetary Fund. This bill proposes a way to address that, and I support it.

I reiterate my concerns, however, that to do so in light of President Trump's efforts to defy the law, Congress, and the Constitution by ending our foreign aid programs, withdrawing from global institutions, and attacking our allies is folly. In order to actually stand against Chinese aggression, one must stand up against our own President's aggression and his malign policies.

Mr. Speaker, again, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, despite the ill-named bill, I rise in support of H.R. 736, the Protect Small Businesses from Excessive Paperwork Act, sponsored by Representative Nunn.

This bill extends the deadline for existing reporting companies under the Corporate Transparency Act, an essential piece of national security legislation designed to help law enforcement, financial institutions, and others root out the anonymous shell companies that are so often abused by domestic and foreign oligarchs, drug dealers, and terrorists to launder and hide their illicit funds.

Extending the reporting deadline gives businesses extra time to comply with the law and additional time for the U.S. Treasury to do the vital outreach needed to raise awareness among applicable businessowners.

I appreciate that Representative Nunn and Chairman Hill have chosen to offer this bill on the floor today, especially given the broad support for issuing this extension within our committee, but I have to say, given where things stand with the Trump administration, these concerns fall a little flat.

Since the inauguration, President Trump has disbanded Task Force KleptoCapture, which was designed to identify and pursue illicit Russian funds. He has declared that he will no longer prosecute most foreign corruption cases. President Trump has fired hundreds of bank examiners, who are responsible for ensuring that financial institutions are keeping up with their obligations to detect and report possible instances of financial crime. He shuttered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has returned $21 billion to defrauded Americans. Further, he and his GOP have fired criminal investigators at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service and prosecutors at the Department of Justice. He himself has offered cryptocurrency products that can be purchased without any verifiable identification, undercutting the very financial crime-fighting agencies that the CTA intends to bolster.

Yes, I urge Members to vote for this bill, though it has little meaning if my GOP colleagues remain silent as President Trump dismantles the national security and law enforcement capacity of the U.S. Government.

Also, it is ironic that I hear my good friend from Arkansas talk about the most sensitive, vital information that

we have, our personally identifiable information, and at this moment, we don't even know who has access to it.

That is one of the things that angers most Americans. They don't know what Elon Musk is doing with this information or which young kid is running through these organizations getting that information and for what purpose they are using it.

Rome is burning, and my colleagues across the aisle need to stop fiddling and pick up the fire extinguisher.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I am prepared to close if the gentleman from Arkansas has no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Corporate Transparency Act has been called the most important improvement to the U.S. anti-money laundering framework in a generation. To both effectively enact the law and to assist companies whose reporting is essential to fight against oligarchs and criminal cartels, we need the extension provided by this bill.

As my good friend from Arkansas said, we, too, see and hear small businesses and businessowners. In fact, California has the largest number of small businesses in the United States. We don't want them to get swept up in the Corporate Transparency Act, but at the same time, we also need the ability to identify, investigate, and prosecute the bad actors.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to stand up and speak out against what we are seeing today, unfortunately, which is President Trump's vengeful and self-interested destruction of our American national security, and to demand that we get information on how Elon Musk and his young marauders are using Americans' personal information.

We want to know: What are they doing with all of this information that they are gathering about all of these Americans? What is he doing with it? We have no idea, and no one is asking questions on the other side.

Again, it is important that my colleagues listen to their constituents right now, on both sides of the aisle. I know in my district, Republicans and Democrats want to know: What is going on with all of this information that Elon Musk is drawing out of the Federal Government? What is he doing with it? We have no idea. There is no investigation of this. We demand answers, and we think our friends on the other side should demand answers to this also.

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

THE SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the President.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Hill and Ranking Member Waters for their support throughout this process.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 975, the Credit Union Board Modernization Act. Credit unions are a vital part of our country's economic stability and success. These not-for-profit, member-owned institutions serve over 140 million Americans. Yet for over 40 years, volunteer-led Federal credit union boards have been burdened by an unnecessary requirement on meeting frequency.

This bill gives financially sound and well-managed Federal credit unions the flexibility they deserve. It will adjust the board meeting requirement by allowing qualifying Federal credit unions to move from the current monthly meeting to meeting a minimum of six times annually with at least one meeting each fiscal quarter.

This is a commonsense fix that allows Federal credit unions with a proven record of stability to dedicate more time and resources to the local communities they serve, like in San Diego, my hometown, and across the country.

This fix also makes it easier for more Americans who currently are not able to serve on these boards, due to the time commitment, to have an opportunity to bring their perspectives to the table. This bill contains key safeguards to ensure stability and mitigate risk.

Newly formed credit unions and those with poor ratings, as Mr. Hill stated, will still be held to the current monthly meeting requirements. Under this bill, only Federal credit unions with strong ratings from our Federal regulators and proven management capacities and capabilities will be eligible for the new meeting requirements. This reasonable bipartisan bill passed the House twice in both the 117th and 118th Congresses.

Again, I thank my colleague, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Huizenga) for working with me on advancing this legislation and his deep knowledge of the issues. It was actually a pleasure working with him again.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, credit unions are vital to our economy and to our communities. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and the consumers and small businesses that they serve.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 965, the Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act sponsored by Representative Sherman. I thank Mr. Sherman for his work on this bipartisan bill which ensure homeless veterans, including those who may have higher incomes due to their disability benefits, can access supportive housing through the HUD-VASH program.

However, an important distinction in this bill will expand access to housing for more disabled veterans who are experiencing homelessness, while preserving limited rental assistance for those with the lowest incomes.

I also want to take this opportunity to talk about the importance of preserving the HUD-VASH program as the Trump administration threatens to trample on Congress' constitutional powers of the purse by freezing Federal funds that have already been designed and designated for the American people.

HUD-VASH is arguably the most successful Federal homeless program to date. In fact, under the Biden administration, Democrats were successful in lowering veteran homelessness to its lowest level ever on record. That is what we can get done when we prioritize housing for people, not profit.

HUD-VASH is the only Federal program that is built to end veteran homelessness through the Housing First approach, which Republicans have time and time again tried to discredit. Housing First works because it solves the root of the homelessness crisis, which is a lack of affordable housing.

Specifically, the program ensures people who are experiencing homelessness can first get off the street and into stable housing where they are then supported with wraparound services, such as case management, job training, healthcare services, and more. If Housing First works to help end veteran homelessness, it can work for everyone else, too.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill and look forward to a more bipartisan effort to scale up proven Housing First solutions to end homelessness nationwide.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman), who is the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, who is the sponsor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for closing.

I would again thank Congressman Sherman for working across the aisle, in particular with Representative De La Cruz from Texas on her companion bill, to make sure our Nation's HUD-VASH program works as effectively as possible.

This bill is a step forward in ensuring that every veteran who is experiencing homelessness can access the supportive housing they need, facilitating their successful reintegration into civilian life.

This is especially true for disabled veterans who experience unique barriers to housing that is inaccessible and increasingly unaffordable.

With this bill, we can assure and ensure disabled veterans have the resources they need to lead stable, fulfilling lives after their invaluable service to our Nation.

Again, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Michael Price, an outstanding citizen who serves the south San Diego community as a chef and small business owner. Mr.

Price is the proud owner of Chef Budda Blasian Soul Food, a food truck that incorporates the traditions of Soul Food alongside a creative Asian flare to provide a unique culinary experience for its consumers.

During the pandemic, Mr. Price and his wife, Lily Nachampasak, turned their focus to their passion for food and brought their dreams of cooking professionally to life when they started a pop-up kitchen in City Heights. They succeeded not only in supporting their family through this new business venture, but also in enriching our community by providing joy and a flavorful dining experience for all.

Their pop-up kitchen quickly found success, leading to invitations to serve food at music festivals, night markets, and more. Through hard work and determination, they expanded their business and purchased a food truck. Now, Chef Budda Blasian Soul Food is a cherished part of the local food scene and can be found all throughout our communities.

It was great to have been able to meet and speak with Mr. Price about how he built this thriving small business, recognize him for his contributions to the community, and get some delicious fried chicken, shrimp, and catfish and fixings.

Mr. Price's dedication has made our community a better place, and I can't think of a better person to have recognized during National Black Business Month.