Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I join with my Bengali constituents to honor and commemorate the tragedy that befell Bangladesh 50 years ago and the millions whose lives were lost or disrupted.

The 1971 Bengali Genocide was one of the worst human tragedies of the 20th century, with over 2 million lives lost and over 10 million displaced. In addition, over 200,000 women were violently raped. The campaign of sexual violence against women in particular was so severe that the United Nations was bringing in doctors to help treat these women.

These terrible events began on March 25, 1971, with ``Operation Searchlight''--a military operation that intentionally targeted civilians because of the language they spoke and the religion they practiced. It was a deliberately brutal response meant to silence Bengali voices and erase Bengali culture while snuffing out the flame of self-determination.

Fortunately, this genocidal attempt failed, but not before too many paid the ultimate price. And the survivors still carry their scars, even fifty years later.

This violence was made worse by the failure of the United States to speak out against it. That is why I am urging the U.S. government and all Americans of conscience to not only join me in remembering this genocide and those we lost, but also to speak out against this kind of violence against civilians wherever it occurs. I also encourage more Americans to learn about what happened in the 1971 Bengali Massacre so that we can start telling the truth about this genocide.

Mr. Speaker, eight lives were lost in Georgia this week when a gunman targeted three Asian-owned businesses. Six of these victims were Asian-American women.

I am heartbroken for all these lost souls, and I am heartbroken because this is just one of the latest in a string of attacks that have created fear throughout the Asian-American community.

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, there have been over 3,800 reported anti-Asian hate crimes and incidents. What started off as dirty looks and verbal assault has escalated into physical attacks that have become increasingly deadly.

There was Vicha Ratanapakdee, an 84-year old man who died after being assaulted outside of his home, and Noel Quintana, whose face was slashed from ear to ear on a New York subway.

These attacks have been almost a daily tragedy, and they must stop. We must stand united against xenophobia and slurs like ``China virus'' and ``Kung flu,'' which we know put lives at risk, and we must work together to stop Asian hate.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act, to put Dreamers and TPS and DED immigrants on a path to citizenship.

These are our friends, neighbors, and colleagues. They have graduated from our schools, served in our military, and worked in our communities. During the pandemic, they have kept our country running with over 200,000 Dreamers and over 130,000 TPS holders in essential jobs at hospitals, grocery stores, and schools.

As the chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I know this is important to so many, including the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community, who are 7 percent of the entire population but 16 percent of the undocumented. That means there are well over 100,000 Asian-American immigrants who urgently need relief.

This bill means so much to so many. I urge a ``yes'' vote for H.R. 6.

Madam Speaker, discrimination against women is a part of America's history, but it should not be our future. That is why we need the equal rights amendment.

It was not an accident that women were left out of the Constitution. The Founders very much believed us to be unequal and, as such, we could not own property, vote, hold certain jobs, or even serve on a jury.

The impacts of that discrimination are still felt today. Women are paid less than men and still face discrimination for being pregnant.

The Founders were wrong, and this is our chance to fix it by doing what they refused to do: assert in the Constitution that women, too, have rights.

The ERA will not end discrimination, but it will empower us to fight it in court. Already, 38 States have ratified this amendment, which satisfies the requirements in the Constitution. The vast majority of Americans support it.

Congress set a deadline for ratification, which means we can repeal it. It is time to affirm that there is no expiration date on equality.

Mr. Speaker, every day, constituents in my district are asking when the $1,400 survival checks are coming and when they can get help with their rent so that they don't become homeless. They are suffering, and they need help now.

Mr. Speaker, the American Rescue Plan is a real plan to crush the virus by speeding vaccine distribution and increasing access to healthcare. This will not only mean safer families but also safer classrooms for teachers and students. It means a continuation of $300- a-week checks in unemployment insurance, and it supports our businesses so they don't close.

Mr. Speaker, with over half a million dead, we need a way to end this crisis and help our people. That is exactly what today's bill will do. I strongly urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the American Rescue Plan.

This bill provides security to families with $1,400 survival checks. It provides relief to the unemployed, increasing their insurance to $400 a week. It expands loans to small businesses to help them stay open. And, most importantly, it improves the distribution of vaccines and PPE, and expands affordable healthcare coverage so we can stop the terrible deaths that have occurred, saving people's lives.

One year into this crisis, we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, thanks to the approval of vaccines. But we still have months to go before we return to normal. That means more months of anxiety for families, businesses, and healthcare providers, all already stretched to the max. That is why today we must send urgently needed aid directly to Americans as quickly as possible.

This bill is too important to delay any longer. We must pass this aid today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 803, the Protecting America's Wilderness and Public Lands Act.

This legislation includes the text of my bill, H.R. 693, the San Gabriel Mountains Foothills and Rivers Protection Act, which is the result of decades of grassroots advocacy and community engagement to improve protections and access for these treasured lands of southern California.

The San Gabriel Mountains provide 30 percent of the Los Angeles area water, comprise 70 percent of the county's open space, and are home to historic habitats of species like the California condor and Nelson's bighorn sheep.

This immense natural beauty exists right in the backyard of one of the densest urban areas of our country, offering recreation opportunities like hiking, fishing, and camping to the more than 15 million Americans that live nearby. That is so important because the Los Angeles region is among the most park-poor areas in the country, which means that too many communities are deprived of the well- documented public and mental health benefits that result from access to outdoor recreation opportunities in their own neighborhood.

After President Obama granted my request to designate the San Gabriel Mountains a national monument in 2014, we immediately began to see cleaner rivers; improved facilities, like picnic areas; safer hiking trails; and more rangers to interact with visitors.

Most importantly, it brought the entire community together to develop a management plan for the monument with over 40 Members representing a variety of stakeholders, such as water agencies, local governments, the business community, and environmental advocates.

That is why this same level of protection is needed throughout the mountains and in the communities that serve as their gateway.

This legislation would make that a reality by expanding the Monument's boundaries to include the western Angeles National Forest, establishing new and expanded wilderness areas, and protecting more than 45 miles of wild and scenic rivers. It would also establish the new San Gabriel Mountains National Recreation area to bolster the connection between urban and wild spaces.

Mr. Speaker, for nearly two decades, so many stakeholders have worked together with a common vision of a community seamlessly connected to the beautiful wild lands in its backyard. Today, we have an opportunity to realize that vision.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the lives of Al Padilla, who passed away on October 4, 2020, at the age of 90, and his wife, Dora Padilla, who passed away on January 8, 2021, at the age of 86 from COVID-19. Al and Dora touched the lives of countless students in the San Gabriel Valley and were larger than life figures in their communities.

Hector Albert ``Al'' Padilla was born on March 22, 1930 in Tucson, Arizona, and moved to Los Angeles in 1939. Following high school, Al joined the United States Army and then enrolled in junior college. He transferred to Occidental College and was an all-conference guard on the Occidental football team. After years of playing sports at a young age, Al knew that coaching and mentoring young athletes was his calling. Al coached football at his alma mater, Roosevelt High School, before moving to rival Garfield High School. He went on to be the head football coach at East L.A. College, where he coached the Huskies to a state title in 1974 and was voted the California ``Coach of the Year.'' But it wasn't just wins and losses that made Al a legend in the East L.A. community, it was his impact on the lives of generations of players. Al demanded good grades and sportsmanship from all of his players, and taught them the importance of caring for their loved ones, teammates, and community. And long after his players would graduate, he would stay in touch with them, because he believed that his role as a mentor didn't end when he left the football field.

Al's wife, Dora Padilla, was born on October 4, 1934 to Mexican immigrants. Dora began her long career in education by helping in her children's kindergarten classroom and by leading fundraisers as her children grew up in the Alhambra Unified School District. As she became more involved in school functions, she personally saw what students needed and was determined to bring change at the district level. She ran for the Alhambra Unified School District Board of Education on the slogan ``Querer al nino es educarlo,'' or ``To love a child is to educate a child,'' and won her seat

in 1978. She became well-known as a reliable defender of arts and music programs at a time when the state cut the district's budget, and she has been credited as the reason the school district has maintained a K- 8 musical education program until today. She helped create the Alhambra Latino Association in 1995 and advocated for bilingual education, but also believed she represented all students regardless of their background. Dora was elected to five terms on the Board of Education and served for 20 years. In honor of her legacy, Alhambra High School dedicated a plaque outside of their new library in 1996, praising her ``continued support and love of students seeking the American dream and equal opportunity.''

Al and Dora were married for 64 years and made a lasting impression on their community and on many constituents in my district. I was fortunate to have known Dora well and to have seen the impacts of her achievements in Alhambra, and I saw first-hand the impact that Al had on his players when we both worked at East L.A. College together. Al and Dora leave behind an enduring legacy of public service and the development of generations of children and young adults. I ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating the lives of these two extraordinary individuals.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of getting the American people the help they need and getting it to them fast.

The budget resolution before us today is simple. It allows Congress to act quickly to deliver much-needed assistance to the American people so that we can defeat this pandemic. That means more survival checks, enhanced unemployment benefits, new grants and loans for small businesses, State and local aid, education funding, faster vaccinations, and much more.

This winter has been the most challenging period of the COVID-19 crisis. People have been driven to desperation with skyrocketing cases, hospitalizations, and 440,000 deaths nationwide. But now we see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Every day, over a million more Americans receive safe and effective vaccines, and that rate is increasing. That means that it is absolutely crucial for Congress to act now to provide enough stimulus and support so that our economy, healthcare facilities, local governments, and schools have the resources needed to survive and begin to recover.

The urgency can't be overstated. Last year, Republicans allowed unemployment benefits to expire and pushed 8 million Americans into poverty. By acting now, we can avert a repeat of this disaster when benefits expire again in just 6 short weeks. We can make substantial improvements to make sure that we have a more inclusive recovery that includes low-wage workers and immigrant families.

Let's pass this bill and truly help the American people.

Mr. Speaker, last week, I hid in an office for hours, terrified to open the door because I did not know if a rioter was on the other side ready to attack, kidnap, or murder me. But my experiences were just the tip of the iceberg. The U.S. Capitol was targeted, besieged, and ransacked on January 6 by a murderous mob holding a noose for Vice President Pence and targeting Speaker Pelosi. Their rampage resulted in destruction and five people dead.

We were attacked by terrorists, but this time the terrorists were radicalized right here in the United States. Worse, they were radicalized by the President, who intentionally lied to his supporters that the election was stolen and then told them when to come to D.C., where to protest, and whom to direct their anger at.

The need to remove this President could not be more urgent. He is too dangerous to remain in office. Donald Trump must be held accountable. He must be impeached.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Rose Matsui Ochi, who passed away on December 13, 2020, at the age of 81. Rose was a dedicated public servant, a longtime constituent of mine in Monterey Park, California, and a dear friend.

Rose was born on December 15, 1938, in East Los Angeles, but her early childhood was spent imprisoned at Rohwer concentration camp in Arkansas along with countless other Japanese Americans during World War II. This childhood experience with systemic racism helped forge her passion for social justice and solidified her determination to break barriers. At a time when people of color were not expected or encouraged to seek higher education, Rose graduated from UCLA in 1959 and received her graduate degree in education from Cal State Los Angeles in 1967. After witnessing the 1968 East L.A. walkouts by Latino students demanding equal conditions in schools, Rose was inspired to pursue a career in law to create a more just and equitable society. She graduated from Loyola Law School in 1972 and was admitted to the California Bar that year.

Seen by many as a rising star who possessed an incredible legal mind, Rose quickly became involved in public policy at the federal level. In 1979, she was appointed to President Carter's Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy, where she pushed for immigration reform and helped secure a pathway to citizenship for thousands of undocumented immigrants. She then took from her childhood experiences and helped secure a federal apology and redress for Japanese American detention camp survivors in 1988. And in 1997, Rose was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the director of the Community Relations Service at the Department of Justice, becoming the first Asian-American woman to serve as an assistant attorney general.

She also had incredible achievements in her service to Los Angeles communities. She served for two decades as the director of the City's criminal justice office, where she helped reduce gang violence by supporting programs for at-risk youth, designed successful community policing methods, and increased the number of women and officers of color within the Los Angeles Police Department. And in 2001, she broke yet another barrier by becoming the first Asian American woman to serve on the Los Angeles Police Commission.

On top of her long list of accomplishments, Rose Ochi paved the way for people like me. There were so few Asian-American women in leadership positions as I was growing up that I never dreamed I could be an elected official,

let alone a Congressmember. But Rose's spirit, determination, and boldness were an inspiration to me. She was passionate and compassionate, and always had a word of encouragement for me. I was lucky to have her as my constituent and I was lucky to have known her. I ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating the life of an extraordinary woman and a trailblazing public servant.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6, the Dream and Promise Act.

This is a historic day. H.R. 6 provides a long-awaited pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, to temporary protected status recipients, and deferred enforced departure status individuals.

A floor vote on this bill could not have come soon enough. More than 2.5 million immigrants currently living in fear that they would be torn from their families could find relief in this bill.

Losing them would be disastrous to our communities, and it would harm our economy. It would be devastating to so many. This includes 130,000 Asian American Dreamers and 9,000 TPS recipients who urgently need relief from the President's xenophobic threats to tear apart immigrant families.

The Dream and Promise Act unites us around the shared ideal that anybody can live the American Dream if they are willing to work for it. That is the lesson that has inspired generations of immigrants to build this country, and that is the lesson we cannot afford to forget.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this bill.

Parliamentary Inquiry

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2940. The bill authorizes the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and the Child Care Entitlement to States, which expire on June 30. These are vital programs that help keep children and families out of poverty.

TANF provides an important safety net for families, and States use the money to give very low-income families with children direct cash assistance, childcare, and work training.

In my home State of California, TANF is critical to so many families. Administered through the CalWORKs program, California supplements its Federal TANF programs with its own State dollars to help lift individuals out of poverty, and it is working.

In Los Angeles County, where my district is located, an additional 71,000 children would be living in poverty and 31,700 children in deep poverty without TANF. Altogether, that would be over 100,000 more children living in poverty.

California sees the value in TANF and is supplementing its TANF dollars with increased State investments for cash assistance and restoration of cost-of-living adjustments.

Reauthorization of Federal funds is key in ensuring that there is progress in reducing poverty, so I urge all my colleagues to vote in support of H.R. 2940. We must ensure that funding for families in need continues until the end of this fiscal year.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Edgar G. Griffin, who passed away in April at the age of 94. Mr. Griffin was a World War II veteran, proud member of the Knights of Columbus, and a longtime resident of California's 27th Congressional District.

Mr. Griffin was born in Leon Guanajato, Mexico on December 7, 1924 and emigrated to Los Angeles as a teenager with his mother after the death of his father. Although he held American citizenship through his father, Mr. Griffin joined the Army to secure his mother's residency. A paratrooper in the 101st airborne division of the Army, Mr. Griffin survived the Normandy landing on D-Day in 1944. He was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for his service, as well as a Purple Heart and numerous other medals. At the time of his passing, Mr. Griffin was the only surviving Mexican-American veteran of the landing at Normandy.

After the war, Mr. Griffin returned to California, where he met his wife Mimi and they raised their nine children together. After first settling in the City of Commerce while Mr. Griffin worked in their Aircraft Assembly Radar Section of Hughes Aircraft, the family eventually moved to Monterey Park. There, he worked as a sound and lighting engineer for the Century Plaza Hotel, until he retired at the age of 68. He was also an active member of the Knights of Columbus, elected Grand Night four times.

Mr. Griffin was due to return to Normandy next month for the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. He would have been nearly a century old and one of very few surviving veterans of the battle that heralded the end of World War II. While his passing deprived him of that distinction, I would like to take this opportunity to honor the memory of a true American hero.

Madam Speaker, climate change is a crisis that demands our immediate attention. Its effects are ongoing. It will impact all of us eventually, whether through worse storms, bigger wildfires, less food and water, or conflicts over resources.

The good news is, we still have the time and ability to halt the worst effects. That is what the Paris climate agreement achieved. This landmark agreement was the first ever to unite 195 countries around the common goal of protecting our planet from the worst impacts of our own actions. That is why we must pass H.R. 9, to keep the President from pulling us out of this deal and require the administration to develop concrete plans to meet our emissions reduction targets.

Under the Paris Agreement, each country agreed to meet our own goals to keep global temperatures from raising more than 2 degrees Celsius. Despite Trump's step backwards, I am proud that my State of California shows change can be made with commonsense steps.

Investments in important technologies like renewable energy, clean cars, and green buildings mean that California is on track to drop our emissions to 80 percent of 1990 levels by 2050. Now the Federal Government must follow.

The urgency of fighting climate change cannot be in question. Neither can our commitment to the Paris Agreement. I urge passage of this bill.