Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, it is simply unacceptable that the Nation's total student loan debt has surpassed credit card debt in our country. Student loan debt can follow a person for life, making it more difficult to raise a family, start a business, buy a home, or save for retirement.

That is why I introduced the Student Loan Repayment Assistance Act which will help college graduates more easily repay their student loan debts by incentivizing more employers to offer student loan repayment assistance.

This bill will help alleviate the financial and emotional burden of a student loan debt, and help employers attract and retain skilled, qualified employees. It is a win-win for all.

In Congress, I will continue to fight for a strong middle class where everyone can achieve the American Dream.

Mr. Speaker, today, I want to share the story of one of my constituents. Her name is Trisha.

In December of 2017, Trisha and her family lost their home and all of their belongings in the devastating Thomas fire. Since then, the family has been working hard to rebuild their home and their lives while supporting their two young children.

Now, because of the Trump shutdown, Trisha and her husband, who both work as air traffic controllers, have gone weeks without paychecks, facing very extreme hardship.

President Trump is holding them and 800,000 other Federal employees hostage, making an already stressful time even worse.

I welcome an honest, bipartisan discussion on border security, but we cannot have a full and transparent legislative process while the American people are being held hostage. It is time to open up our government now.

Madam Speaker, President Trump is forcing more than 37,000 Californians, including many veterans, to go without pay. From Coast Guard members at Naval Base Ventura County and Channel Islands Harbor to local air traffic controllers, Ventura County residents and their families are trying to make ends meet without their paychecks.

On the first day of this Congress, I joined my Democratic colleagues to pass legislation to reopen the government and provide for sensible border security.

The President should not use people's lives and our economy as hostages to build a campaign slogan. The President closed the government. A shutdown is not the answer.

Mr. President, reopen our government now.

Madam Speaker, on November 7, 12 lives were stolen from us during the shooting at the Borderline Bar & Grill in my district. As our community began to reckon with this tragedy, I said: ``Today we mourn. Tomorrow we work to end the senseless gun violence ravaging our Nation.''

But we didn't even have time to recover from our shock before wildfires raged through our community. Our trauma was made unthinkably worse, but we were also united by these dual tragedies, united in reflection and healing.

My community knows that there is no single solution to ending mass shootings, but we also know that to do nothing, to not even try, would be unimaginable. We cannot bring back those lives lost, but we can take sensible action to find solutions that will make the lives of our constituents better and safer.

One very obvious, commonsense solution that more than 90 percent of this country supports is universal background checks. H.R. 8 will not solve all of the gun violence that is ripping our Nation apart, but it will help. That is

what we are here to do. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 8.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Jonathan Sharkey, a dedicated public servant to the City of Port Hueneme for the past 24 years. As a city councilmember and mayor, Jon has been a

leader on improving both the physical and cultural infrastructure of the city, and he has consistently and effectively work towards improving the quality of life of the many people that call the City of Port Hueneme home.

As a city councilmember, Jon led the effort to write and pass the city charter, making Port Hueneme the second charter city in Ventura County. Additionally, Jon was instrumental in securing funding to rebuild the city's aging wastewater system, and has been a strong advocate at both the state and local level for library funding. He also led the successful effort to grow housing availability within Port Hueneme, revitalizing the city's core.

Throughout his career in public service, Jon has been recognized as a regional leader in coastal advocacy. Jon has continually provided the City of Port Hueneme with guidance and leadership in his roles as chair and boardmember of the Beach Erosion Authority for Clean Oceans and Nourishment (BEACON), one of the first regional organizations in the country dedicated to providing a public response to the challenges of coastal erosion and resiliency. I have also had the opportunity to work closely with Jon and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to ensure continued sand replenishment at Hueneme Beach.

Jon has also contributed to prosperity of our region as a whole. As chair and boardmember of the Ventura Regional Sanitation District (VRSD), he led the effort to secure approval from the State of California to site and operate the only publicly owned landfill in Ventura County. Subsequently, the Toland Road Landfill has been recognized as a national leader in the use of landfill gas for electricity generation; and, the biosolids processing facility, during its operation, not only provided a local solution to biosolids disposal but also took nine million truck miles per year off the road.

In addition, Jon has served as Port Hueneme's representative to the Regional Defense Partnership for the 21st Century (RDP-21), a public- private partnership formed to support the military mission in Ventura County. RDP-21 has been instrumental in enhancing the mission of Naval Base Ventura County, bringing thousands of jobs to the area.

As he heads into retirement, Jon is representative of a steadfast dedication and tireless commitment to serving his community. For these reasons, it is with great enthusiasm that I join a grateful city and its residents in offering Jonathan Sharkey our heartfelt appreciation for his countless contributions to the City of Port Hueneme throughout his 24 years of public service. I wish him continued success and only the best in all of his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Roberto S. Juarez, one of Ventura County's most notable leaders and engaged citizens, on the momentous occasion of celebrating his 40th anniversary as Chief Executive Officer of Clinicas del Camino Real, Inc.

Throughout these four decades, Roberto has been tremendously effective and absolutely indispensable in serving as a voice for those who are underserved by our healthcare system. With Roberto at the helm, Clinicas del Camino Real, Inc. has provided quality, integrated, and comprehensive health care services at 13 locations in Ventura County that are accessible to the least advantaged in our community.

Roberto is a man that came from very humble means. As a son of immigrants from Mexico, he was the first in his family to attend college. He studied business administration, receiving degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles and California Lutheran University. Roberto's tenacity and ability to overcome obstacles played an instrumental role in all of his achievements.

Roberto has not only distinguished himself as a highly regarded citizen in our community, but also as a model and courageous patriot of our nation. From 1966 through 1970, Roberto served in the United States Army's elite Ready Reactionary Force. After serving courageously and with distinction in Vietnam from December 1966 to December 1967, Roberto was awarded the Bronze Star, the Combat Infantry Badge, the Meritorious Service Medal for outstanding admirable achievement, and the Purple Heart. These awards reflect credit upon him and are in the keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.

Roberto maintained his commitment to community by obtaining a position as an administrator at Ventura County Hospital shortly after being discharged from his military service. Soon thereafter, he assumed the role as Chief Executive Officer of Clinicas del Camino Real, Inc., which, at the time, consisted of only five employees while serving 1,300 patients a year.

Roberto's unparalleled vision, leadership, and desire to bring quality and affordable care to the residents of Ventura County quickly expanded the non-profit to a staff of well over 700 that now serve countless of patients over 370,000 visits a year. Under Roberto's direction, Clinicas not only treats illnesses and injuries, but it also has an emphasis on education and prevention that promotes wellness to help people lead healthier lives. Roberto's holistic approach to health care has been a model for Ventura County and the State of California.

For these reasons, it is with great enthusiasm that I offer Roberto Juarez my heartfelt appreciation for his years of outstanding service to Ventura County. I am so pleased to join his family, friends, and colleagues in celebrating his accomplishments and thank him for his unwavering service to our community throughout the past 40 years. I wish him continued success and only the best in all of his future endeavors

Mr. Speaker, I rise today because I am deeply concerned that the Department of Veterans Affairs is missing nearly a dozen key, very important leaders, which is a grave disservice to our Nation's veterans.

It has been 4 weeks since the President announced his latest VA Secretary nominee, but he has yet to formally submit the nomination to the Senate. The VA has been without a permanent Under Secretary for Health since February of 2017, and there are at least nine Deputy Under Secretaries and Assistant Deputy Secretary positions without a permanent appointee.

Without strong, steady leadership, how will the VA provide the best healthcare and timely benefits our Nation's veterans deserve?

The President must take responsibility for these failures of leadership and immediately prioritize identifying, properly vetting, and appointing the qualified leaders the VA needs because this ``vacant VA'' is an insult to our heroes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a true American leader and patriot, Captain Chris D. Janke, on the momentous occasion of his retirement after 27 years of honorable service in the United States Navy. In March 2015, Captain Janke assumed his duties as commanding officer of Naval Base Ventura County, California. With great distinction, he dutifully oversaw a diverse installation that supported more than 100 tenant commands with a base population of more than 19,000 personnel, as well as 11 deployable commands and three warfare centers.

Captain Janke's career at Naval Base Ventura County was underscored by exemplary leadership, perceptive planning, and focus on both mission execution and community engagement. These efforts were clearly demonstrated by Captain Janke's remarkable command of major aviation, shore, and port facilities, comprised of three primary sites: Point Mugu, Port Hueneme, and San Nicolas Island. His leadership of Naval Base Ventura County supported numerous tenants--including the renowned Naval Construction Group ONE--who carried out missions for the security and the safety of our nation.

Naval Base Ventura County is home to three runways and the only deep water military port between San Diego, California, and Kitsap County, Washington. Captain Janke directed the day-to-day operations of a 1,000-person organization providing comprehensive support services to the Fleet, Fighter, and Family. He brilliantly directed diverse installation programs, including fleet support operations, facilities maintenance and construction, utilities, environmental stewardship, housing, childcare, recreation, safety, resource management, protocol, public affairs, family support service, and IT technology management.

His visionary leadership was key to the successful execution of 104,237 tower and 26,105 flight operations per annum, supporting 35 different series of aircraft. The air terminal launched and recovered 3,631 flights, processed 42,817 passengers and moved over 2.7 million pounds of cargo and baggage. The port adeptly supported over 1410 tenants and 91 visiting ship movements--handling tons of military cargo in support of major joint operations and military exercises per annum. During his tour, Naval Base Ventura County hosted multiple visits from the Littoral Combat Ships and quickly became a major port of choice for visiting warships and other platforms in support of the Navy's worldwide mission.

Naval Base Ventura County plays a critically important role in our national defense, and will continue to do so for many years to come. This is in large part due to Captain Janke, and this is a profound testament to his outstanding leadership. For these reasons, on the occasion of his retirement, I am pleased to join a grateful community to extend my most sincere congratulations and appreciation for his countless contributions to Ventura County, and our nation as a whole.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Minnesota for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4451, the Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Programs Reauthorization Act.

I thank the gentleman from Ohio, the chair of the House Veterans' Affairs Health Subcommittee, for partnering with me to introduce this important legislation.

Our Nation's servicemembers undertake enormous sacrifices every day to keep us safe, and we must ensure they can smoothly transition back into civilian life when they come home. Unfortunately, however, too many of our returning servicemembers are struggling with homelessness.

In 2017, HUD's annual survey found that veteran homelessness increased by 1.5 percent after years of declining percentages. Los Angeles County, which I represent a part of, saw a 57 percent increase in the number of homeless veterans just in the past year.

While our local partners are committed to working together with the VA and other Federal agencies to ensure all veterans have access to safe and affordable housing, clearly, we need to be using every tool in our toolbox to end veteran homelessness completely. That means supporting both the housing programs and wraparound services necessary to heal and to house our veterans.

Today's legislation will allow veterans who have struggled with homelessness to remain eligible for job services while utilizing VA housing programs. This will help more veterans break the cycle of homelessness, support themselves and their families, and get back on their feet.

Again, I thank the chairman for championing this issue together, and the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans for highlighting this problem in testimony before the committee, and for their support of the bill.

I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. Speaker, again, I thank the gentleman from Minnesota for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4334, the Improving Oversight of Women Veterans' Care Act.

I want to thank my colleague on the committee, the gentleman from California, for introducing this important legislation to improve the care we deliver for women veterans.

During my time on this committee, I have made it a special priority to ensure women veterans have access to high-quality, gender-specific care in a safe and welcoming environment. This bill will advance that goal in two important ways.

First, it requires the VA to practice additional oversight on the community care providers that the VA contracts with and report on the access women veterans have to gender-specific medical care in the community. This is especially timely, as the House recently passed a bipartisan update to the VA's community care programs. As we stand up the new community care program, we need to do a better job tracking the quality of care provided to women veterans.

Second, this bill requires the VA to report to Congress on their compliance with environment of care standards for women veterans.

Too often, we have heard reports of women veterans who experience issues at VA clinics. A VA Inspector General's report last year found that up to 20 percent of VA clinics did not meet the VA's own requirements for protecting the privacy of women veterans. This is unacceptable. We need to ensure that women veterans are well served, no matter where they get their care, and this bill will help us get closer to that goal.

I urge my colleagues to support the bill. I thank the gentleman from California for his efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Minnesota for yielding, and I thank him, also, for his leadership on the committee.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the VA MISSION Act because it makes significant improvements to the VA that our Nation's veterans have long been asking for, which will help deliver better care to the 9 million veterans enrolled in the VA.

While I recognize that this bill is not a perfect one, my mission and the Veterans' Affairs Committee's mission has always been to provide better access to high-quality care for our Nation's veterans, and this bill advances that goal in a few very important ways.

First, the VA MISSION Act consolidates the various community care programs, which will make it easier for veterans to use and for providers to participate in.

The bill also expands the caregiver program, which is critical for improving outcomes and quality of life for our veterans. This has been a key priority for our Nation's veterans service organizations for years.

Community nursing homes are five times more expensive than the average cost of the caregiver program. Expanding the caregiver program will save the VA and taxpayers money in the long run, all the while allowing veterans to receive quality care and better care at home from the people they trust the most.

The bill also makes important improvements to community care eligibility, which are more closely aligned with the veterans' needs rather than the arbitrary criteria currently in place.

Finally, I am planning to vote ``yes'' because time is of the essence. As you may know, the acting VA Secretary recently informed Congress that the Choice account will run out of funds by the beginning of June, meaning tens of thousands of veterans could lose access to community care in a few short weeks. The VA MISSION Act will ensure that this does not happen, which is another reason why the legislation is supported by 39 veterans service organizations.

With that said, I fully recognize that the bill's approach to realigning facilities, in my opinion, is flawed.

I also share the ranking member's concerns about the budget caps. Reimposing the sequester would be devastating for the VA and for other Federal discretionary programs. This is a real issue that must be addressed.

Since I have been in Congress, we have raised budget caps three times in

a bipartisan manner. We can and we must do so again in order to avoid devastating cuts to programs our constituents depend on.

As the ranking member noted, during the committee markup, Democrats tried to fix this issue, but his amendment was voted down. Today, our new colleague from Pennsylvania also has offered legislation to address this issue, which I supported, but the House did not adopt it.

While I am disappointed that the budget cap issue has not yet been fully addressed, I plan to vote for the VA MISSION Act today. It is past that time. Congress must take action to consolidate the community care programs and to expand the caregiver program.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to also support the bill.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the countless contributions of Debbie and Donald Johnson and the mark they have made on their community in Santa Paula, California. For a quarter of a century, Debbie and Donald have tirelessly served the City of Santa Paula and its residents by chronicling the community's news and happenings.

Santa Paula residents since 1979, Debbie and Donald Johnson founded the twice-weekly Santa Paula Times in 1993, following the closure of the 105-year-old Santa Paula Daily Chronicle, of which Donald was the publisher and Debbie was the office manager. Together they published the Santa Paula Times for 25 years, never missing an issue.

The numerous accolades they have received over the years are a testament to their civic virtue. Debbie and Donald Johnson have been honored as the 2015 Citizens of the Year by the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce; the 2015 Jesse Victoria Business of the Year Award by the Latino Town Hall; and the 1994 and 2009 Business of the Year Award; as well as the 1991 Good Practices Award by the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce.

In addition, Donald is a veteran of the Vietnam War, serving in the United States Army from 1968 to 1970. For his distinguished service, he received the Bronze Star, the National Defense Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal. Donald continued his public service by serving two terms on the Santa Paula City Council and was appointed as mayor twice.

Debbie Johnson was president of the Downtown Merchants Association, which staged the annual Hot Summer Jazz and Art. Both Donald and Debbie are co-founders of the Citizens Patrol and founding directors of the Santa Paula Police and Fire Foundations, and Debbie has been a leading force for the annual Moonlight at the Ranch fundraiser that benefits public safety organizations in the region.

Debbie and Donald Johnson strongly support many charitable activities in Santa Paula and have been lauded for their steadfast commitment to organizations including the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce, the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Paula, the Santa Paula Optimist Club, and the Santa Paula Education Foundation.

For these reasons, it is my honor to recognize Debbie and Donald Johnson for their dedicated efforts in serving the Santa Paula community and embodying a level of civic engagement and participation to which we should all aspire. I thank Donald and Debbie for establishing the Santa Paula Times, a local journalistic institution that will not soon be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2123, the Veterans E-Health and Telemedicine Support Act, or VETS Act.

As we approach Veterans Day, a time when we honor the service and sacrifice of those who fought bravely on behalf of our nation, we must rededicate ourselves to ensuring that the VA has the tools it needs to be the 21st century, world-class healthcare system that our veterans deserve. One way the VA can modernize is by embracing telehealth and using new technologies to provide more timely and convenient care for our veterans.

The VA has seen tremendous growth and interest in telehealth over the past few years, and we should continue to find innovative ways to connect veterans with the providers that they need, no matter their physical location. This will particularly help rural veterans, and will help us expand access to specialty care from the medical centers to the community clinics, and even into veterans' homes. I have seen this firsthand at the Oxnard community clinic in my district, which is able to connect veterans to retinal specialists and audiology specialists using telehealth technology, making it easier for veterans to get better care closer to home.

The House Veterans' Affairs Committee has also heard from many veterans who have used telemedicine services. For instance, at a field hearing in my district, Zachary Walker, a Navy veteran, testified about the fast and efficient service that telemedicine can deliver to our veterans, getting him in the door to his local clinic faster than a traditional appointment.

Our bill is a commonsense solution that will allow us to further expand on these telehealth services by permitting VA providers to conduct telehealth treatment across state lines no matter their location, connecting more health professionals with the veterans who need their care.

It has been my pleasure to work with Congressman Glenn `GT' Thompson, and Senators Joni Ernst and Mazie Hirono, to advance this bipartisan, bicameral bill, which has received widespread support from the Veterans Service Organizations and the VA. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a true visionary leader and my dear friend, Denny Zane, on the momentous occasion of his 70th birthday. Over his career which spans more than four decades, Denny has been a tremendously effective and tireless advocate for the critical investments necessary to meet our region's infrastructure and transportation needs that indispensably keep our communities and its residents moving and thriving.

Denny has been a true public servant with an unwavering commitment to serving others. He has served as a city councilmember and well- regarded mayor of the City of Santa Monica, as the director of the Coalition for Clean Air, as a local teacher, and perhaps his most profound impact has been made as the founder and executive director of Move LA.

In conjunction with his 70th birthday, this year also marks the 10th anniversary of Move LA. The organization was founded to provide adequate funding sources to develop a clean, efficient, and robust transportation system for Los Angeles County. The formation and establishment of Move LA was no easy task, but Denny provided the right vision and leadership to coalesce a cohort of influential and adept stakeholders from the business, labor, environmental, and political leadership from throughout Los Angeles. There are very few individuals in this world that could bring this movement together, but Denny did and did so successfully.

Most recently, with extraordinary foresight and initiative, Denny led the campaign and was instrumental in the passage of Measure M, which will generate billions of dollars and one day erect the world's most modern transportation system for Los Angeles. This ``smart growth'' will enhance the city's global competitiveness, significantly increase the region's economy, and improve air quality and traffic congestion as well as promote environmental sustainability.

Additionally, through Denny's unwavering passion and the powerful advocacy of his organization, Los Angeles' voters passed local measures that will raise $350 million per year to fund essential services and resources and housing opportunities for the county's most vulnerable and homeless populations.

Denny's notable leadership and unfailing hard work has strengthened our community as a whole, and for that we owe him our ardent gratitude.

For these reasons, it is with great enthusiasm that I offer Denny my heartfelt appreciation for his many years of remarkable service. I would also like to express my most sincere congratulations on the occasion of his 70th birthday. I am so happy to join his family, friends, and colleagues in celebrating this milestone with him. I wish him many more happy years to come.

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

I am in its current form.

Madam Speaker, this is the final amendment to H.R. 36, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended.

Madam Speaker, as many of my colleagues know, I am a mom. I have two wonderful children. I am so very proud of them because both of them have decided to pursue careers that will save lives. My daughter, Hannah, currently lives in Africa, working for an NGO to fight poverty and AIDS. My son, Fred, is a doctor at Northwestern.

Looking around this room, I see many other moms. We know the amazing joy that comes with parenthood. Most of us have been fortunate that our children were born without complications. Unfortunately, for some women, this is not always the case.

Throughout this debate, Members have been sharing the stories of women who wanted to be moms, but who found themselves in unimaginable situations and who were forced to make one of the most gut-wrenching decisions of their lives--whether to terminate her pregnancy due to health risks.

This is much like one woman from Michigan, who I will call Pam.

Pam was already raising children and was excited and proud to be pregnant with another child. But Pam's pregnancy was causing her heart to fail. She consulted with multiple specialists, who all told her that her own health was in jeopardy if the pregnancy continued.

Pam's doctors advised her that the safest option was to terminate the pregnancy. But it was a very difficult decision for Pam and her family to make, as anyone in this room can surely imagine.

Pam, of course, had to think about her children, her family, and her own life. Imagine what that decision must be like. Just take a moment and think about that.

Now, imagine finding out that politicians in Washington, D.C., have told Pam that she was not allowed to make that decision on her own, with her family. Imagine that: politicians putting her health in jeopardy, telling a woman and her family that the government was going to criminalize a doctor providing her care, that her children might not have a mother while growing up. That is what this bill would do.

As currently written, H.R. 36 shows no concern for the long-term health of the mother, her future ability to bear children, or her ability to care for her family. This bill would force women to carry pregnancies to term, even when their health is at risk. Even if the fetus has no chance of survival, this bill would require a woman to go to full term. Imagine what that would be like.

Madam Speaker, my amendment simply adds the health of the mother to the existing exemptions in this bill.

Without my amendment, H.R. 36 devalues the health and well-being of women and puts their life at risk. It tells our mothers, our daughters, our nieces, and our granddaughters that decisions about their long-term health are not their own.

This is not the first bill that has been brought to the floor that shows disregard for women and their families. This bill fits a disturbing pattern.

Just this year, the House has considered legislation that tells women that they need to get their employer's permission if they want affordable birth control.

The House has considered bills that would eliminate women's essential health benefits, like maternity care and mammograms.

The House has considered legislation to cut funding for women's healthcare centers.

The House has also considered legislation that would allow insurance companies to charge women higher premiums and label pregnancy as a preexisting condition.

Tomorrow, we will consider a budget that decimates programs that are critical to the health and welfare of women and families so that we can give a massive tax cut to the wealthiest 1 percent.

Just take one moment to think about those priorities.

Madam Speaker, bills like this one disrespect and devalue women. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the motion to recommit, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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