Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be present to cast my vote on Roll Call Nos. 327, 328, 329, 330, 331, 332, 333, 334, and 335. Had I been present, I would have voted NO on 327, NO on 328, AYE on 329, YEA on 330, NAY on 331, YEA on 332, NAY on 333, YEA on 334, and NAY on 335.

Mr. Chair, I was unable to be present to cast my vote on Roll Call Nos. 318, 319, 320, 321, 322, 323, 324, 325, and 326. Had I been present, I would have voted NO on Roll Call Nos. 318, 319, 320, 321, 322, 323, and 324; AYE on Roll Call No. 325, and NO on Roll Call No. 326.

Mr. Speaker, I would have voted NAY, but the vote was closed as I was approaching the entry to the House floor. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 283.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate President Biden's historic gun safety accomplishments.

The Biden administration recently closed a loophole that let unlicensed dealers sell guns without a background check. This action clarifies who qualifies as a gun dealer, and it gives the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives the ability to hold gun sellers accountable to the American people.

This is just one example of President Biden's commitment to tackling gun violence. The White House also created the first Office of Gun Violence Prevention to investigate how to reduce gun violence and create safer communities.

Each death from gun violence is one too many. Congress needs to step up and do its part to stop preventable gun violence.

Mr. Chair, our servicemembers deserve the best medical care and often they get world-class care, but sometimes military doctors fail our servicemembers, making grave errors.

In the civilian world, patients can file malpractice claims in court against doctors and have a jury hear their claims, but military doctors are immune from that scrutiny.

Instead, several years ago, Congress and the DOD developed a process for evaluating servicemember malpractice claims, but that process is clearly broken.

We all have constituents who have been victims of military medical malpractice, and we need to hold DOD and its doctors accountable.

That is why I cosponsored Congressman Issa's HERO Act and that is why we need this amendment. We need an independent, objective analysis of how military medicine is failing our servicemembers.

My bipartisan amendment would address servicemember traumatic brain injury stemming from blast pressure in combat and in training.

Brain injuries among servicemembers are on the rise. Just last month, there were reports that artillery soldiers are also suffering these career-altering injuries. Whether injuries are the result of training or combat, our servicemembers and their families need the best healthcare we can offer. That is what this amendment does by requiring the DOD to explore new technologies for the treatment and prevention of brain injuries.

Last year, this amendment passed the House with bipartisan support. We must do it again because it was not included in the final legislation with the Senate.

Mr. Chair, I urge my House colleagues to pass it again and my Senate colleagues not to delay this important amendment.

Too often, our servicemembers rely on decades-old equipment that can't be updated at a fair price. Open system interfaces solve that problem. These systems are already in our daily lives. They are in our phones and in our cars. They have been embraced by some defense programs because open systems promise faster and cheaper upgrades. That is because they allow the government to embrace competition for new parts and software that make equipment more effective.

For small and innovative companies to offer their solutions to the Pentagon, they need to know what standards the government is using.

This amendment will give businesses access to the information they need to compete. My amendment would grow small businesses and give our servicemembers the tools they need to win.

Mr. Chair, I rise to support our military families. Military child development centers are a lifeline for our servicemembers who move frequently and often work long hours, past when childcare centers are open.

Serving more than 20,000 children, the military has offered childcare on its bases for decades. Yet, like many families, military families struggle to find childcare. A shortage of providers has left roughly 9,000 children waiting months for a spot at a military childcare center.

Childcare is a quality-of-life concern for Active-Duty servicemembers, including those in my district at Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach. My amendment would provide a strategy to construct an adequate number of child development centers to support our military families as they tirelessly serve our country.

Mr. Chair, I urge Members to support this amendment.

Mr. Speaker, dealing with a flight delay or cancellation is tiring and frustrating, and it often feels like the airlines are working against you rather than treating you as a valued customer. When things go wrong, even getting a refund can be discouraging or impossible.

Not anymore, because thanks to the Biden administration's new rule, airlines must now automatically refund customers for tickets and fees when a flight is canceled or significantly delayed.

I applaud the administration's rule, and Congress should do even more to stand up to the airline industry.

I have consistently taken on airlines who spend tens of millions of dollars each year lobbying Washington to prevent protections for travelers.

This Congress, I introduced four bills to protect Americans from corporate abuse when they fly, and I will keep working to hold airlines accountable and do right by travelers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the University High School boys' tennis team for winning California's first-ever statewide tennis championship. The Trojans' top-tier athleticism and exceptional motivation led the team to victory in one of the country's most competitive boys' tennis leagues.

Under Coach John Kessler, the University High School boys' tennis team has racked up nearly 900 wins, 18 consecutive Pacific Coast League titles, 8 Ojai Tournament wins, 15 California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section championships, 4 Southern California Regional crowns, and 4 National All-American titles.

Their win at the CIF State Championship cements Uni High in the record books and is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the players and Coach Kessler.

Congratulations to these extraordinary athletes, their families, and the entire Uni High family on this incredible achievement.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be present to cast my vote on Roll Call No. 248 and Roll Call No. 249. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 248 and YEA on Roll Call No. 249.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be present to cast my vote on Roll Call No. 243, Roll Call No. 244, Roll Call No. 245, Roll Call No. 246, and Roll Call No. 247 on June 5, 2024. Had I been present I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 243, YEA on Roll Call No. 244, NAY on Roll Call No. 245, YEA on Roll Call No. 246, and NAY on Roll Call No. 247.

Madam Speaker, I was unable to be present to cast my vote on Roll Call No. 235 and Roll Call No. 236 today. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call 235 and NAY on Roll Call No. 236.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be present to cast my vote on Roll Call No. 237, Roll Call No. 238, Roll Call No. 239, Roll Call No. 240, Roll Call No. 241 and Roll Call No. 242. Had I been present I would have voted No on Roll Call No. 237, No on Roll Call No. 238, No on Roll Call No. 239, AYE on Roll Call No. 240, No on Roll Call No. 241 and NAY on Roll Call No. 242.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be present to cast my vote on Roll Call No. 233 and Roll Call No. 234 today. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 233 and YEA on Roll Call No. 234.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court's decision to desegregate public schools.

Despite this landmark case and the integration that followed, segregation in schools has increased by more than 60 percent over the last few decades, driven by so-called school choice and Federal courts rolling back desegregation commitments.

Every student should have the opportunity to get a quality education. Federal, State, and local leaders must work hand-in-hand to reverse the harmful policies, including the housing costs that have contributed to this new wave of segregation.

In Orange County, which I represent, students challenged school segregation in one of the first cases of its kind, Mendez v. Westminster, which integrated California schools and laid much of the groundwork for Brown v. Board of Education.

Mr. Speaker, as we mark the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, I hope my colleagues will join me in recommitting to fighting segregation.

Thanking Military Spouses

Mr. Speaker, I rise to extend my sincere gratitude to our Nation's military spouses.

We recently celebrated National Military Spouse Appreciation Day, a reminder to reflect on how military families support our servicemembers and our country through their selfless dedication.

The Biden administration recently came to an agreement with the Department of Defense and State Department to strengthen the Federal Domestic Employees Teleworking Overseas program for military spouses working for

the Federal Government. This agreement will help military spouses keep their jobs and advance their careers while their partners are stationed overseas.

Yesterday, I joined my Oversight Committee colleagues to build on this success and advance a bill that would codify these protections into law.

Our military is stronger and more capable when military spouses can build their careers because families choose to reenlist. I applaud their service and selfless dedication to our country.

Paying Tribute to Jeffrey Jackson

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the passing of the past president of the Orange County Realtors, Jeffrey Jackson.

Jeff's presidency came at a tumultuous time for real estate, with changes to commission structures, historically low inventory, and high interest rates. Those challenges didn't inhibit his willingness to serve. As his association stated, he willingly embraced the opportunity.

Jeff was a passionate advocate, and the struggles of his clients to find housing drove him to fight for housing for all. He fulfilled all of his roles, including at the State and national associations, until the final weeks of his battle with cancer.

Jeff had four loves: his Hoosiers; his dog, Niles; jazz; and housing. He moved to California in 2010 and, in 2014, began his 10-year real estate career.

Jeff was loved by many, including me, and he will be dearly missed.

Pausing Expansion of LNG Export Capacity

Mr. Speaker, Big Oil has long exploited and profited from our dependence on fossil fuels.

I rise today proud that our President is finally standing up to Big Oil and putting people over polluters. I applaud President Biden's decision to pause the expansion of America's liquid natural gas export capacity.

For too long, the United States has rapidly approved LNG terminals without verifying economic benefits and making sure that Big Oil companies are accountable to clean up their messes.

The United States is already the top exporter of LNG, and future projects are not expected to go online for several years, handcuffing future generations with the harms of pollution.

We need rigorous oversight of LNG exports to protect families, communities, the environment, and our national security.

The Biden administration's announcement is an incredible first step to making sure the American people, not just Big Oil companies, actually benefit from changes to our energy policies.

Mr. Speaker, each year, millions of Americans pay third- party software companies to file their taxes. Having to pay hundreds of dollars in fees just to pay your taxes makes no sense.

I championed a program called Direct File to change that, which was included in the Inflation Reduction Act. As a result, thousands of Americans filed their taxes directly with the government this year for free.

Despite Big Tax Prep lobbying against Direct File, 140,000 Americans, including 33,000 Californians, used the pilot program this year. People want this program. Even better, 9 out of 10 people who used Direct File had a positive experience and said it made them more confident in the

Mr. Speaker, to hear Republicans tell it, the only problem with our immigration system is the border. That is a lie. Our process for legal immigration is badly broken.

In 2023, 35 million people applied for green cards; some for economic opportunities, some to bring their families together, and some to flee violence.

Of the millions in the green card lottery, what percentage got them? Go ahead. Take a guess. Twenty percent? Five percent? One percent? Nope. Mr. Speaker, it was 0.2 percent. That is wholly unacceptable.

This deeply dysfunctional system for lawfully entering the United States worsens unlawful immigration. The two are connected.

Congress can fix immigration, not just point the finger at those seeking a better life. Instead of blaming everyone else for our broken immigration system, Republicans should own up to the fact that Congress, under their leadership, is what is broken.