Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize Jackson Fine, a talented young man from Thousand Oaks, California, who was awarded a U.S. patent for his 3D imaging system. With only one percent of U.S. patents awarded to students 18 years or under, Jackson Fine is among a select group of young inventors who is already making a big impact in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

Jackson's invention, which has come to be known as the ``Iron Man'' patent, is a system that allows for easy guidance and manipulation of holographic tools and objects within a 3D sensor grid. His invention can be used to conduct remote medical procedures, repair equipment on orbiting spacecraft, and enhance gaming and next generation computing.

Jackson hopes that his invention will significantly enhance the quality of human lives.

Although Jackson acknowledges many entities as his source of inspiration, he attributes much of his motivation to his family, particularly his maternal grandfather. Jackson's grandfather had lost his arm as a teenager while working at a lumber camp. Despite the difficulties and challenges that he faced, his grandfather taught himself the trade of engineering and built and maintained several radio stations that he operated with his one hand. Similarly to his grandfather, Jackson is self-taught for the most part, but also recognizes his teachers and advisors--Mr. Jim Altizer, Mr. Jeff Morrow, Mr. Kenn Gorman, Mr. Matt Northurup, and Mr. Tim Fenderson--at Oaks Christian School for their nurturing advice and flexibility to work with his academic priorities while consistently encouraging him in his technology studies.

In addition to being a talented student, Jackson is also a celebrated athlete. As a member on the Oaks Christian Varsity Baseball team, Jackson received Perfect Game's USA All-American Honorable Mention team selection and was recently named an Under Armour 2014 Pre- Season All-American.

After completing his senior year at Oaks Christian School, Jackson plans to attend a university where he will pursue a degree in business and entrepreneurship while playing college baseball. I have no doubt that he will be just as accomplished in his adult life as he has been during his years at Oaks Christian School.

With such an impressive resume already, I look forward to seeing Jackson succeed in all of his future academic and professional endeavors. I join with Jackson's family, friends, and mentors in congratulating Jackson on such a momentous achievement.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize a local hero, Linda Alweiss, from Camarillo, California.

On December 30, 2013, Linda and her family were aboard a flight from Des Moines, Iowa to Denver, Colorado, when only twenty minutes into the flight, a call for medical assistance came over the intercom. Unbeknownst to Linda, the man in distress was the pilot of their flight. As Linda and another nurse, Amy Sorensen from Wyoming, were brought to the cockpit by flight attendants to assist in the medical emergency, they realized the gravity of the situation. The pilot, who seemed to be suffering from a blood clot or heart attack, was hunched over in his seat; his face was pale, his lips were blue and both nurses could barely get a pulse. They quickly realized that their pilot could no longer fly the Boeing 737 that carried 154 passengers. With the help of Linda's husband and another passenger, they moved the pilot to the galley where they hooked up an IV and set up a diagnostic defibrillator.

Without hesitation, Linda rose to the occasion and quickly began to administer medical attention to the pilot. Although they were 30,000 feet in the air, Linda acted with poise, professionalism and valor. Her selfless actions aboard that flight saved the life of the pilot and the safety of all passengers and crew members. As the plane conducted an emergency landing in Omaha, Nebraska, Linda and Amy stayed with the pilot until he was transported and taken into emergency care.

Linda does not call herself a hero, but rather, someone who just did what she was trained to do. She is quick to give credit and attention to the other individuals who assisted; this shows her moral character and modest demeanor.

Linda's background as a nurse is extensive and proved to be the saving grace that day. Linda earned her baccalaureate of science in nursing from the University of Iowa in 1983 and worked as a registered nurse at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics. In 1984, Linda moved from Des Moines, Iowa to Southern California where she has worked as a charge nurse at Saddleback Community Hospital and later, as a charge nurse for the pediatric intensive care unit at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. In 1990, Linda made the decision to focus her career on being an in-house Legal Nurse Consultant. For the next twenty years, she worked for the law firm of Magana, Catchcart, & McCarthy. Today, Linda is currently employed as a home health nurse for Buena Vista Home Health Care.

Aside from her duties as a nurse, Linda is also a dedicated mother, wife and community leader. When her daughter, Sarah, attended elementary school, Linda was involved in the Parent Faculty Organization (PFO) for the Mesa Union School District, where she served as the President and Chairperson of the allocations committee for 7 years. Linda is an exemplary role model and citizen. She continues to be active in the community and provides pro-bono legal nurse consulting and actively raises funds for charities, including the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

For her selfless and heroic actions, I want to recognize and thank Linda Alweiss. She is a true hero in the hearts and minds of those on the flight, especially in the eyes of her family and community.

Madam Speaker, it has been over 40 years since the Supreme Court decided ROE v. WADE, affirming a woman's constitutional right to make her own health care decisions.

In 2012, campaigns across the country, including mine and that of the Presidency, were fought and won on this issue. Yet, here we are again.

H.R. 7, a bill being considered by the Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, is a shameful attempt to deny a woman a right given to her under our Constitution in pursuit of an ideology that has been repeatedly rejected by the American people.

Madam Speaker, that this House would even consider a bill that would require a woman to prove to the IRS that she was raped or the victim of incest in order to have access to affordable health care is beneath the dignity of this body, it is beyond my comprehension, it is reprehensible.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 3824 to end Republicans' refusal to extend unemployment benefits that protect nearly 239,000 workers in the great State of California.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize Mary Kay Rummel, a community poet, who was inaugurated on January 10, 2014 as the first Poet Laureate of Ventura County.

Nominated by the Ventura County Arts Council, Mary was ultimately selected as the county's first laureateship for her long and celebrated career as a poet in the region. In conjunction with the title of Poet Laureate, Mary will also serve a two year position as official poet and ambassador to the community, a position that is dedicated to putting a spotlight on poetry and expanding the audiences of the literary arts in the area.

Mary's work has been described as ``luminous meditations on the nature of love in which imagery and the beauty of language shine.'' Her literary work will serve to promote, encourage and inspire community members to develop their own creative interests.

Over the last 35 years, more than 350 of Mary's poems have appeared in national and international literary journals and anthologies. Throughout her career, she has also received over a dozen poetry awards that range from local accolades to multiple nominations for the highly prestigious Pushcart Prize.

Beyond her poetry career, and her duties as a wife, mother of three and a grandmother,

Mary is vigorously involved in the community, including being an active participant in poetry readings throughout the county. She has collaborated with visual artists, sculptors, musicians and dancers. Additionally, she has been a professor at California State University, Channel Islands since it first opened its doors in 2002.

I am confident that Mary's talents and passion for the art will be reflected positively in her new position. I am pleased to join with the Ventura County Arts Council and the people of Ventura County in congratulating our first Poet Laureate, Mary Kay Rummel.

Mr. Speaker, on December 23, I introduced H.R. 3804, legislation to repeal an ill-conceived provision of the budget bill that reduced the cost-of-living adjustment for military retirees.

As a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, I believe our servicemembers, veterans, and their families must receive the benefits they have so honorably earned and deserve. These benefits are owed to them without equivocation.

We should not balance the budget on the backs of military retirees who served our country so bravely for decades. They should not be punished because of Congress' failure to get our fiscal house in order. That is why I urge Speaker Boehner to allow a vote today on my bill, H.R. 3804, and repeal this egregious provision.

Clearly, there is substantial bipartisan support to correct this. Let's vote on H.R. 3804 for our military retirees today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on Speaker Boehner to allow the House to vote to extend emergency unemployment compensation, a program that is critical to thousands of my constituents in Ventura County struggling to find work.

We also need to extend unemployment insurance for the more than 20,000 veterans who were cut off while they make their transition to the civilian work force. We need to extend unemployment insurance for the nearly 2 million children whose families need it for food, clothing, and shelter.

Mr. Speaker, it is also an economic imperative. Extending unemployment insurance to nearly 214,000 unemployed Californians who will use it to buy groceries, put gas in their cars, or keep the lights on, would save over 46,000 jobs in my State.

Mr. Speaker, it is both a moral and economic imperative that we extend unemployment insurance, and that we do so without delay.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize Karen Heyrend, President of the Ventura County Coastal Association of Realtors, who has demonstrated a personal dedication and commitment in carrying out the mission of the Association, which is to be the primary source of real estate products and services for its member brokers and agents in West Ventura County.

Under her outstanding leadership during 2013, Karen has upheld the Association's priorities of maintaining the highest standards of ethical conduct, all while providing a wide array of benefits to the Association's membership of designated brokers, realtors, and affiliate members.

Karen has worked to provide quality service, not only to realtor members, but also to their clients and customers. Representing the cities of Camarillo, Oxnard, Fillmore, Santa Paula, Port Hueneme, and Ventura, she has helped to strengthen the integrity, competency, and professionalism of the Association's members.

Karen's service to the Association goes far beyond her term as President. As a member of the Ventura County Coastal Association of Realtors for the past thirteen years, Karen has diligently served on the Association's Board of Directors as President-Elect, Secretary/ Treasurer and Director.

As the lead representative of the Association, Karen represented its members at the National Association of Realtors mid-year meetings, where she met with Federal, State and local government officials and elected representatives.

Through her work, Karen has demonstrated a proud and enduring enthusiasm for the real estate profession that she has chosen as her life-long career. I want to congratulate Karen on her successes and for her tireless dedication to the Association, both past and present.

I am pleased to recognize Karen Heyrend on her personal and professional accomplishments and exemplary year as President of

Ventura County Coastal Association of Realtors in carrying forth the organization's goals, and I extend my best wishes for all of her future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize Ventura County Supervisor Kathy Long, a long-standing community leader whose commitment to Ventura County has been immeasurable over the years.

Currently serving her fifth term as Supervisor to Ventura County's 3rd District, Kathy's dedication to the residents of Ventura County is reflected in her extensive work as a public servant. Since first being elected to the position in 1996, Kathy has made it her mission to strengthen our economy, ensure a sustainable environment, and create a safe community for all families. Her lengthy career in public service shows her unwavering passion for representing Ventura County and its residents, as well as always advocating for the region's best interests.

Kathy's lifelong work has always embodied the true definition of dedication, public service and community. She currently serves as the Board of Supervisor's representative on the Economic Development Collaborative of Ventura County where her efforts focus on the economic development of Ventura County through the attraction, preservation and expansion of local businesses. Kathy was most recently elected as their Board of Directors Chair for 2013.

Over her career of more than 16 years as Supervisor, Kathy has taken on many leadership positions and has effectively represented our community's needs and prosperity. She served as Chair of the Board of Supervisors in 2000, 2005, and 2010.

To honor all that she has done for Ventura County including her extensive work and advocacy for a strong and vital economy, the Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties Chambers of Commerce Alliance has recognized Kathy with the Lawmaker of the Year Award. This is a fitting and well- deserved accolade that represents the caliber of work that Kathy performs on a daily basis. Kathy's pledge to the economic vitality of Ventura County and the strengthening of our workforce makes her a fitting recipient of this honorable recognition.

I have personally known Kathy for many years and I am pleased to join the Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties Chambers of Commerce Alliance in honoring my friend and colleague, Supervisor Kathy Long.

Mr. Speaker, last year diabetes cost the U.S. economy $245 billion. That number will only continue to climb unless Congress supports critical medical research and treatment initiatives like the Special Diabetes Program.

The Special Diabetes Program contributes to groundbreaking research at the National Institutes of Health. Continued investment in this program will bring hope for a cure and a better life to the 26 million Americans living with diabetes. The Special Diabetes Program also funds treatment, education, and prevention programs for American Indian and Alaska Native families who are disproportionately affected by diabetes.

We must continue our commitment to fighting this deadly disease. Without a timely, multiyear renewal, work that could save hundreds of thousands of lives is put at risk. I urge my colleagues to support legislation to renew the Special Diabetes Program.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize and honor the life of Rodney Fernandez, a pioneer of affordable housing in Ventura County, California. The impact that Mr. Fernandez made on the community is significant and noteworthy. Mr. Fernandez was the Founder of the Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation (CEDC), a non- profit community development corporation and an affordable home builder, established in 1981, and served as Executive Director of CEDC until his retirement at the end of 2011.

In the mid-1970s through the Cabrillo Improvement Association, Mr. Fernandez assisted Latino farm workers living at Cabrillo Village in Saticoy to prevent the razing of their substandard homes and eviction by the farm's owners. Under Rodney's guidance, the farmers pooled money to purchase the land where their homes were located. The group then formed a cooperative, redeveloped their community and ultimately became captains of their own economic destiny through homeownership.

This work gave birth to the non-profit organization, CEDC, as a means to continue to empower and provide housing for those who cannot afford market-rate homes. Under Rodney's leadership, CEDC has grown from a start-up non-profit focused on farm worker housing, to a full- service, diversified organization that develops and manages affordable housing as well as offers homeownership education and lending services, and resident leadership development opportunities. Over 32 years, CEDC has developed 1,465 units of safe, high-quality affordable for-sale and rental housing in eight cities within Ventura County for farm workers, persons with low incomes, minorities (mostly Latinos) and the elderly.

Rodney dedicated his career with CEDC to increasing the supply of affordable housing, while empowering community leaders and being a leading advocate for economic development in the process. CEDC has received honors from various organizations over the years, including the American Institute of Architects, the American Planning Association and other professional groups, including the prestigious ``Affordable Builder of the Year'' award from Build It Green in 2012.

Rodney was especially committed to seeing that youth and residents in CEDC-built communities and the surrounding neighborhoods excelled at home and in life. In 2011, CEDC's Board of Directors established the Rodney Fernandez Community Building Fund to assist in cultivating the leadership capacity of CEDC residents to attain their goals and empower themselves to take action and improve the quality of life in their communities.

In heartfelt recognition and appreciation of the tremendous, far- reaching and impactful contributions that Mr. Fernandez made to Ventura County and beyond, I wish to send my sincere condolences to his wife, Melinda, his immediate family, and to all who knew him. His work and legacy are valued, and his presence in the community will be greatly missed.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am opposed.

Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to H.R. 992, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended.

My amendment is a simple, straightforward improvement that I believe both sides can agree is absolutely necessary and that I believe is also supported by the majority of the American people.

If my amendment passes, it will ensure that the American people, consumers, families, and businesses are protected from reckless speculation that is driving up the price of gas at the pump.

Specifically, my amendment ensures that nothing in this act would limit the ability of regulators to go after excessive speculation and manipulation of oil and biofuels. It simply clarifies that bank regulators have the authority to stop manipulation in the commodity markets.

This amendment also protects the wallets and pocketbooks of all Americans by ensuring that banks will not be given a free pass to destabilize commodity markets and drive up energy prices for all Americans at the pump.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, speculation in the energy sector is a very real, a very present, and a very serious problem. Volatility in oil markets since 2008, and more recently in biofuels, leads to dramatic price swings, causing pain for every American who depends on gasoline at the pump.

In September, The New York Times reported that prices for biofuel credits had recently surged 20-fold in just 6 months.

Because of these problems, many Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have called for investigations in both oil and biofuel price manipulation.

In fact, just last week, on October 22, 15 of our colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, asked the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission to look into whether fraud and manipulation was playing a role in the biofuel credit price swings.

The concerns of many Americans extend far beyond biofuels.

Earlier this year, both the E.U. and U.S. authorities began looking at oil price manipulation, which not only affects the price at the pump but also artificially increases prices on everything from food to manufactured goods.

According to the Energy Information Agency, 71 percent of the price of a gallon of gas and 63 percent of the price of diesel is directly related to the price of crude oil. Thus, there is no doubt that speculators who drive up the price of crude oil are impacting the price at the pump.

Every time there is a gas hike, it hurts working families struggling to make ends meet. It hurts commuters driving to work and to school, including most of my constituents in Ventura County. It hurts small, mid-size, and large businesses, driving up the price of doing business and impacting their ability to invest in new equipment and hire new workers. It hurts our military, including those at Naval Base Ventura County, costing more to move troops and supplies. It hurts seniors, many of whom live on fixed incomes and cannot afford an increase in retail grocery prices. It hurts the specialty crop growers in my district, including the strawberry, avocado, citrus, and lettuce growers, whose bottom line is so closely tied to the price of energy. It also hurts our overall national economy and threatens to slow job creation.

That is why it is so important that regulators retain the authority to prevent bad actors from taking excessive, or even manipulative positions, using swaps.

I believe that many Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are honestly concerned about speculation in our energy markets. Let's do something today to stop it.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the motion to recommit.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in recognition of Ron and Lisa Greenwood, who will be presented and honored with the Gold Coast Veterans Foundation's Founders Award for their dedication and commitment to the veterans of Ventura County.

As a decorated combat veteran in Vietnam, Ron knows the complexities of those who return from war. His personal experience and struggles with PTSD and social integration challenges allow him to relate to the issues that our returning veterans face. Committed to supporting our veterans, Ron has worked closely with many veterans' advocacy and community groups.

His personal narrative resonates in all aspects of his work. As President at Global Energy & Technology, Inc., Ron continues to give back to the community and to our veterans. He has provided employment opportunities, as well as professional guidance, to many of our returning servicemembers.

Similarly, Lisa Greenwood has also been a tireless advocate in her pursuit of giving back to our veterans and their families. She has worked with the Association of Service Disabled Veterans (ASDV) in Washington, DC. She is currently the National Chair of the Silver Star Women of America, an arm of the Association of Service Disabled Veterans, and has testified before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.

With an extensive background and service history, Ron and Lisa opened the doors of the Gold Coast Veterans Foundation in 2009. With the Greenwood's vision, the Gold Coast Veterans Foundation has been able to successfully assist returning veterans in reaching their full potential. The Gold Coast Veterans Foundation has given our local heroes the resources to become productive and responsible citizens while helping them to make an easy transition back into their communities.

Their steadfast commitment to Ventura County's veterans has been invaluable and their work and efforts to address the needs of returning veterans are emblematic of their work that the Gold Coast Veterans Foundation accomplishes on a daily basis. The Greenwoods have created an organization that has far reaching impacts on our community.

In 2010, in collaboration with the Ventura County Community Foundation, the Gold Coast Veterans Foundation founded the Ventura County Veterans Fund to specifically facilitate the transition of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans back into our community. Their mission is to provide employment assistance, counseling, education, and housing to all of our returning veterans.

Earlier this year, the Gold Coast Veterans Foundation opened its Veterans Service Center to provide health and human services to Ventura County's veterans. This organization cultivates an open forum for veterans' groups and organizations that serve to develop and care for veterans. Their mission is not only to provide care, but to encourage, inspire, and motivate.

I applaud Ron and Lisa Greenwood for their continued generosity and dedication to serving our brave servicemembers and their families. It is my sincere honor to join the Gold Coast Veterans Foundation in recognizing the outstanding accomplishments and contributions of Ron and Lisa Greenwood, and I commend them for the difference that they make in the everyday lives of our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in recognition of the Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors Foundation, who will be honored with the Gold Coast Veterans Foundation's General Roger L. Brautigan Leadership Award for their unparalleled commitment to the needs of veterans in Ventura County.

Founded in 2011, Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors Foundation supports numerous organizations that aim to empower and enrich the lives of individuals and community. The Foundation's model of generosity and compassion reflects a new culture of giving that encourages their employees to increase their individual contributions and participation in charitable activities.

Through the support of the Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors Foundation, the Gold Coast Veterans Foundation can continue to provide essential services and funding to countless projects including housing coalitions, courts, memorials and activities that all serve the same mission to better the lives of all veterans and their families in California's central coast.

No one embodies the spirit of this generosity more than Gary Ghazarian, partner at Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors. As a Board Member of the Gold Coast Veterans Foundation, Gary has personified the true meaning of philanthropy and has been a stellar example

reflection of the quality of people and work that Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors and its foundation embodies. Because of generous people like Gary and organizations such as the Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors Foundation, the Gold Coast Veterans Foundation has received its largest donation to date.

I commend Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors Foundation and its generous contributors for their selfless work and dedication to Ventura County's veterans. I am pleased to extend my most sincere congratulations on their award and this well-deserved recognition.

Mr. Chair, I would like to thank the Chairman and the Ranking Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for including my amendment No. 20, related to the Navy, in the en bloc agreement today.

My amendment is a simple, straight-forward improvement to H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act.

As you know, Section 202 of the underlying bill requires the Army Corps of Engineers to assess the operation and maintenance needs of harbors used for a variety of purposes, including for commercial navigation; for commercial fishing; for transportation of persons; domestic energy production; public health and safety; the activities of the Coast Guard; recreation; and other purposes.

My amendment would add ``activities of the Secretary of the Navy'' to the list of activities that the Army Corps must consider when assessing the operation and maintenance needs of harbors.

Section 202 of the underlying bill also requires the Army Corps of Engineers to determine an equitable allocation of funds from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund.

The bill sets forth criteria, including an assessment of utilization; national and regional significance, and also states that the allocations shall not be based solely on tonnage.

My amendment would add a requirement for the Corps to consider--where appropriate--our national security needs in consultation with the Secretary of the Navy.

My amendment does not alter the delicate balance that the Committee

has sought to achieve between small and large harbors. It simply requires that the Corps of Engineers takes into account our naval fleet and our national security needs.

I believe better up-front coordination of our priorities is needed between the Army Corps of Engineers and the Navy because of a situation that has arisen in my Congressional District.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began dredging Channel Islands Harbor in 1960 because erosion was threatening Navy installations near Port Hueneme and the dredging provided the sand to replenish what had washed away.

Due to inadequate federal funding for harbor maintenance in 2013, the beach area--that borders along Naval Base Ventura County--received only a fraction of the 1 million cubic yards of sand it typically gets when the Corps dredges the Channel Islands Harbor sand trap.

Now, severe erosion is threatening coastal streets in Port Hueneme, which serve as a critical transportation artery to and from the Naval Base.

The erosion is also threatening military readiness at Naval Base Ventura County.

According to the Navy: ``Continued beach erosion creates a potential for mission impacts at Naval Base Ventura County. These impacts include risks to critical Navy facilities and infrastructure; such as ordinance magazines and transportation routes, lab and training buildings, runway lighting, etc.''

Since coming to Congress, I have worked tirelessly with the Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of the Navy to address these issues.

The Department of the Navy has communicated its clear national security interest to the Corps, and has informed me that the Navy stands ready to provide its legally required share of funds for the project. However, the project remains underfunded.

In the future, as the Army Corps of Engineers prioritizes the use of funds, I believe the Army Corps needs to consider the activities of the navy and our national security needs.

My amendment will require the Corps to take these issues into account when prioritizing the use of funds.

While I continue to work to find funds to address the immediate crisis, it is my hope that better up-front coordination between the Army Corps and the Navy will prevent this issue from occurring again in the future.

Again, I appreciate the Chairman and Ranking Members support for this common-sense improvement to H.R. 3080.

Mr. Chair, I would like to thank the Chairman and the Ranking Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for including my amendment No. 22, related to job creation, in the en bloc agreement today.

My amendment is a simple, straight-forward improvement to H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act.

This important amendment will require the Government Accountability Office to study and report to Congress on the effectiveness of the activities funded by the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund in maximizing economic growth and job creation in the communities surrounding low- and moderate-use ports.

The GAO will also be required to include recommendations relating to the use of amounts in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to increase the competitiveness of United States ports relative to Canadian and Mexican ports.

Under my amendment, the term ``low-use port'' means a port at which not more than 1,000,000 tons of cargo are transported each calendar year.

The term ``moderate-use port'' means a port at which more than 1,000,000, but fewer than 10,000,000, tons of cargo are transported each calendar year.

I came to Congress to move our nation forward, to create jobs, and to ensure that Ventura County has the resources necessary to succeed.

Like many of my colleagues, I view all of the actions that Congress takes--and all federal programs--through the lens of its potential to create jobs.

That is why I think it is critically important that GAO undertake a comprehensive study of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund and help us to maximize the job creation potential of the program and to increase our international competitiveness.

In my district, I am fortunate to represent several ports and harbors, including Channel Islands Harbor, Ventura Harbor, and the Port of Hueneme.

The ports and harbors in my district are critical to our local and regional economy--supporting both small, mid-size, and large businesses, as well as thousands of jobs both directly at the port and indirectly in our community.

In 2012, the Port of Hueneme--which moved approximately 1.3 million tons of cargo--undertook a study of the local and regional economic impact.

The study concluded that 9,448 jobs in the Port Hueneme metropolitan region and the State of California were in some way related to the activity at the Port's marine terminals. This included 2,277 direct jobs, 2,727 induced jobs, 620 indirect jobs, and 3,824 regional jobs influenced by cargo exported and imported through the Port Hueneme marine terminals.

In fiscal year 2012, marine cargo activity at the Port of Hueneme generated a total of $723.8 million of total economic activity in the region.

A total of $50.8 million of state and local tax revenue was generated by maritime activity at the Port's marine terminals in fiscal year 2012.

In addition, $12.9 million of state and local taxes were created due to the economic activity of the users of the cargo moving via the marine terminals.

The Port of Hueneme is just one example of how strategic and smart use of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund is helping to create jobs and generate economic growth.

Across the nation our ports and harbors are vital economic engines of our economy.

I think it is critically important for Congress to have a thorough report from the GAO on the use of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund across the nation so that we can maximize the use of these taxpayer dollars--supporting businesses and creating jobs.

Again, I appreciate the Chairman and Ranking Members support for this common-sense improvement to H.R. 3080.