Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 4 of rule XVI, I move that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow for morning-hour debate and 10 a.m. for legislative business.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today along with the entire California Republican Delegation to honor and pay tribute to former California Governor George Deukmejian, who passed away in Long Beach, California on Tuesday, May 8, 2018. Deukmejian served the people of California in many ways throughout his life and he will be deeply missed.

Deukmejian's parents, George Sr. and Alice Gairden, were Armenians who emigrated from the Ottoman Empire in the early 1900s to escape the Armenian Genocide. George Jr. was born on June 6, 1928, in Menands, New York. Deukmejian graduated with a B.A. in Sociology from Siena College in 1949 and then earned a Juris Doctor from St. John's University in 1952. Shortly thereafter he served for two years in the U.S. Army, assigned to the Judge Advocate General's Corps. In 955, Deukmejian moved to California and later met his future wife Gloria Saatjian. They married on February 16, 1957, and had three children.

Following a brief time in private law practice in Long Beach, Deukmejian entered politics and, in 1962, was elected to the California State Assembly. A few years later, Deukmejian was elected to the State Senate, where he would serve for twelve years and rise to become the Majority Leader. With a legacy of advocating for law and order, Deukmejian successfully ran for Attorney General in 1978. In 1982, Deukmejian was elected to his first term as Governor of California. He would later be re-elected to a second term in 1986. Throughout his time as Governor, Deukmejian was known as a fiscal conservative who was tough on crime and helped make the state economically competitive.

Along with the entire California Republican Delegation, I want to extend my heartfelt condolences to the Deukmejian family, his friends, and everyone who had the pleasure of serving with him. Although Governor Deukmejian may be gone, the many life-changing contributions he made in California will have a lasting impact.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of these appropriations bills on the floor.

I thank the full committee chairman, Rodney Frelinghuysen, for his dedication to regular order. We are committed to fulfilling our constitutional responsibility and pass these bills before the end of the fiscal year, and I commend the relevant chairmen and ranking members for their hard work on these bills.

One of the most important duties of Members of Congress is to provide for the United States Armed Forces. The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill does just that. In particular, the bill provides $50 million in force protection funding for each of the services. This money could be used for access control points, air traffic control towers, and fire stations.

This funding is particularly important for bases near my congressional district: March Air Reserve Base and Camp Pendleton. March Air Reserve Base is busier than ever, including managing the deployment of over 4,000 troops every month. In order to ensure the safety of these brave men and women, a new main gate complex is needed.

At Camp Pendleton, the fire stations are in dire need of replacement. Of the top six fire stations identified for replacement by the Navy, five are at Camp Pendleton. Of the full-time stations, all but three are spartan wood-

frame structures built in the 1940s. The funding in this bill would start the process of replacing old, outdated fire stations with contemporary structures able to respond to the needs of our United States Marine Corps.

I also support the Energy and Water portion of the bill put forward by my friend Mike Simpson. The robust funding for the Bureau of Reclamation will go to critical infrastructure, including $134 million for water storage projects. The bill includes language directing FERC to continue working with the industry on cost-effective ways to increase the resilience of our electric transmission system. This is especially important following one of the worst fire seasons in California's modern history.

The bill also provides strong funding for the Army Corps of Engineers, allowing them to update and improve water projects throughout the country. The report contains much-needed language for the Murrieta Creek project in my own district. The report highlights that the project is critical to the health, safety, and protection of the communities of Murrieta and Temecula.

Finally, the bill also repeals the disastrous Waters of the United States rule that would significantly restrict the ability of private landowners to make decisions about their own property. Deciding how water should be used is a State and local issue, not the Federal Government.

Mr. Chair, I thank the full committee chairman and ranking member, the relevant subcommittee chairmen and ranking members, and staff for their diligent work.

Mr. Chair, I urge passage of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act.

This agreement continues the subcommittee's critical work addressing wildland fire, domestic energy production, and the needs of our national parks. It makes significant investments in healthcare, law enforcement, and educational programs, honoring our longstanding commitments to American Indians and Alaska Natives.

The agreement includes a package of significant forest management and fire budgeting reforms that will provide budget certainty for Forest Service programs and activities, reduce litigation, and, most importantly, improve the health of our national forests. This is the culmination of a years-long effort to improve the way we budget for wildland fires and the way our national forests are managed. I want to congratulate Mike Simpson for his leadership on the issue.

This agreement provides additional moneys to the National Park Service, including an increase of $185 million to address deferred maintenance and construction needs. The Payments in Lieu of Taxes program is fully funded.

This legislation makes sizeable investments in water infrastructure, providing $2.9 billion through the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Funds, as well as $63 million for the WIFIA program, which will finance over $6 billion in infrastructure programs.

Before I close, I want to thank the ranking member, Betty McCollum from Minnesota. She has been a partner and a friend as we worked through our hearings, wrote the bill, and moved it through the legislative process.

I want to thank Chairman Frelinghuysen for his support of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, and for his leadership of the full committee. Congratulations to the chairman for bringing this bill and this process to a successful conclusion.

Finally, I would like to thank the staff, who worked so hard on this bill: Darren Benjamin, Betsy Bina, Jackie Kilroy, Kristin Richmond, Dave LesStrang. On my own staff: Ian Foley, Rebecca Keightley, Tricia Evans, and Dave Kennett.

I also want to thank the leadership staff, especially Kiel Weaver from the Speaker's office, for their hard work.

Mr. Speaker, I urge an ``aye'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to Brigitte ``Brig'' Kelley, who passed away in California on December 10, 2017. Brig was the loving wife of former California State Senator David G. Kelley and she will be deeply missed.

Brig was born in Potsdam, Germany, a suburb of Berlin, to Dr. Herman- Walter Frey and Marie Frey-Richter on Nov. 20, 1926. She spent her youth in Berlin, Germany; Salzburg, Austria; Rome, Italy; and Freiburg, Germany. She studied English at the University of Freiburg and in 1948 she received a Quaker Scholarship to attend Mills College in Oakland, California.

Brig spent two years in the United States and upon her return met David, her husband to be. They married in 1953 and returned to Hemet in 1955 to settle on their citrus ranch in Bautista Canyon. Brig taught German in Adult Continuing Education and Spanish at Mt. San Jacinto Junior College. She loved collecting art and antiques--in particular Spanish and religious art--and enjoyed traveling all over the world.

I have had the distinct privilege of knowing Brig for many years. I was proud to call her my friend and I will deeply miss her. I extend my heartfelt condolences to my good friend Dave Kelley as well as the entire Kelley family. Although Brig may be gone, her legacy and memory will live on.

Mr. Chair, the goal of the American with Disabilities Act is to provide access for the disabled. That goal must be pursued and protected.

It is important to distinguish, however, that the ADA is not intended to feed drive-by lawsuits and put good people out of business.

Unfortunately, my State of California has become ground zero for abusive ADA lawsuits. I have heard from many small businesses in my congressional district that have fallen victim to abusive ADA lawsuits that are not aimed at improving access to the disabled. In fact, California accounts for roughly 40 percent of ADA lawsuits nationwide, despite being home to just 12 percent of the country's disabled population.

Protecting small businesses from abusive lawsuits and ensuring disabled Americans have adequate access are not mutually exclusive goals. That is why I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 620 and believe its passage is critical to both the disabled and to our small businesses. By giving businessowners adequate time to make appropriate changes to provide access, we are returning to the original spirit and intent of the ADA.

I thank my friend from Texas, Representative Poe, for his leadership on this issue, as well as the bipartisan group of cosponsors for their support. I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this bill and ensure that serial litigants are no longer rewarded for taking advantage of an important and meaningful law.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this measure to fund the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2018.

Today marks the 122nd day that our military has gone without funding for FY 2018. Like the rest of the Federal Government, it has been forced to operate under a CR for the past 4 months. Secretary of Defense James Mattis explained the impacts of operating under a CR, particularly those related to readiness and maintenance. They include a scaled-back training exercise across the services, the delayed introduction of 11 ships by the United States Navy, the postponement of all noncritical maintenance work orders by the Army, the curtailment of hiring and recruitment, rising acquisition costs from severed contracts, and renegotiated terms due to the CR.

A CR means no new starts, and impacts to current readiness and future plans are disastrous. This must stop. Today's passage of this bill marks, as was pointed out, the third time we have passed the FY 2018 Defense Appropriations bill in some form. Let's hope the third time is the charm.

I commend Chairman Frelinghuysen and Chairwoman Granger on their tireless persistence and relentless determination on behalf of the U.S. servicemembers. The bill provides robust funding for shipbuilding, aviation, combat vehicles, and more. It invests in our greatest assets, the men and women who wear the uniform, through increased funds for training, equipment, and the best healthcare.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I implore the Senate to act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to Hilda Eisen, who passed away last month in California at the age of 100. Hilda owned and operated Norco Ranch for many years and she will be deeply missed.

Prior to immigrating to the United States, Hilda was born and raised in the Polish village of Izbica-Kujawska. During the Nazi occupation of Poland, Hilda was imprisoned in a ghetto before escaping to hide with Jewish Partisans in the forest. Tragically, Hilda's entire family was killed during the war. Her classmate and future husband, Harry, survived the Auschwitz concentration camp before reconnecting with Hilda. Together, they moved to America in 1948 where they would invest their savings to buy 100 chickens and start a business in California.

In the early days of the family business, Harry would ride around town on his bicycle selling eggs. In a short amount of time, the business outgrew its facility and the Eisens purchased a five-acre ranch in Norco, California to build a chicken farm. Over the years, the business would be known as Norco Ranch and grow into a major supplier of eggs to regional supermarket chains. The business had nearly 400 employees before it was sold to Land-O-Lakes in 2000. In 2012, Harry passed away at the age of 95. Before Harry's passing, the Eisens became involved with the Lodzer Organization of Southern California, a group of Holocaust survivors that supported Jewish charities locally and in Israel.

I had the distinct privilege of knowing Hilda for many years and I will deeply miss her. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the entire Eisen family, including her three daughters: Ruth Eisen, Mary Cramer, and Frances Miller. Although Hilda may be gone, her selfless dedication to our nation and the human spirit will long be remembered.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Frelinghuysen for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4667, which provides $81 billion in Federal disaster assistance to States and territories recently devastated by natural disasters. This is not a small amount of money.

First, as chairman of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations, I am pleased to include $616.4 million for repairs, cleanup, and recovery at various agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Park Service, and others.

As chairman of the California Republican delegation, I have a particular interest in wildfire assistance in this bill. The coordination and collaboration between Republicans and Democrats on this bill to reflect the needs of California shows bipartisanship is alive and well.

Mr. Speaker, I would certainly like to thank Congressman Mike Thompson for his tireless efforts in regard to the fires in northern California.

Last month, I toured Santa Rosa, California, which was absolutely decimated after a wildfire tore through the area. Forty people lost their lives, and more than 14,000 homes were destroyed or damaged.

As a lifelong California resident, I have seen a lot of fires and the resulting devastation, but I have never witnessed anything like I saw in Santa Rosa. The stories of survival and heroics of our first responders truly are incredible. Now, in the aftermath, we must come together to recover and rebuild.

This bill is the first step towards recovery and provides $27.5 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund, a $4.5 billion increase from the request, a 90 percent Federal cost share for wildfire disasters; and $541 million for watershed and flood prevention efforts, which will be vital as the rainy season begins in California.

California will be eligible for nearly all the various sources of disaster funding in this bill, including for crop losses, Army Corps of Engineers projects, Federal highway damages, small business assistance, displaced employees, and student assistance, among others.

With my colleagues, I will continue to monitor the fire situation and respond as needed. The Thomas Fire in Ventura County has burned over 272,000 acres, on track to be the largest wildfire in California history; and, unfortunately, the fire rages on.

Mr. Speaker, I especially want to thank Chairman Frelinghuysen and the Appropriations Committee staff for their outreach and responsiveness to the fires in California. We greatly appreciate their assistance and ongoing support.

Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I didn't thank all my staff and the Interior Subcommittee, but in particular, my chief of staff, Dave Kennett, and on the Interior Subcommittee, Betsy Bina, both of whom went above and beyond to deliver results for California.

On a quick note, best wishes for Betsy, who is getting married today.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this emergency supplemental funding bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the continuing resolution, or the CR. I want to commend Chairman Frelinghuysen and the committee staff for their work on this legislation which provides for continuity of government operations through December 22. This CR will provide Congress time to work with the administration on a comprehensive budget agreement, which is necessary for Congress to complete its work on the fiscal year 2018 budget.

The House Appropriations Committee has worked tirelessly this year. Each of the 12 Appropriations subcommittees scrubbed the fiscal year 2018 budget request, held numerous oversight hearings, marked up individual bills in subcommittee and full committee, and each of those bills came to the House floor where they were amended and passed in the full House.

In the case of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, which I have the privilege to serve as chairman, 80 amendments were offered by both Republicans and Democrats prior to final passage. This is a demonstration that the House Appropriations Committee continues to be the workhorse committee in the House. Even with all this work completed, a great deal of work remains.

This CR provides a bridge necessary to give our bipartisan leadership the time it needs to determine the top line number in both defense and nondefense discretionary spending for fiscal year 2018. Once that agreement is in place, my Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee and other subcommittees will get to work negotiating a comprehensive fiscal year 2018 budget. It is vitally important that we complete this work.

Another reason why I support this short-term continuing resolution is so we have time to determine the needs to ensure that sufficient funds are available to respond to the fires burning in my home State of California. There are three major fires burning today in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. The largest, the Thomas fire, which is north of Santa Paula, has already burned 96,000 acres. Earlier this morning, there was only 5 percent contained.

All Californians know about the infamous Santa Ana winds. They are blowing now. When these hot winds mix with the high temperatures and low humidity we are experiencing now in southern California, they make for very dangerous conditions.

Mr. Speaker, just one spark can result in devastating wildfire, putting life and property at risk.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the continuing resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in proud recognition of the Operation Recognition Class of 2017. Operation Recognition is a program organized by the Riverside County Office of Education, with assistance from the Riverside County Department of Veteran's Services, that presents diplomas to residents of Riverside County who missed completing high school due to military service in World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War, or due to internment in WWII Japanese- American relocation camps.

Riverside County's Operation Recognition is modeled after programs implemented in other states. Numerous county offices of education and school districts throughout California operate similar programs. The programs are yet another way to express our appreciation and gratitude for the significant contributions and sacrifices made by our veterans.

The Operation Recognition Class of 2017 includes: Timothy Lewis Basquez, San Jacinto, U.S, Marine Corps, Vietnam War; Manuel Blunt, Riverside, U.S. Army, Vietnam War; Edward J. Clark, Norco, U.S. Marine Corps, Korean War, Joseph J. Harrison, Perris, U.S. Army, Vietnam War, Bradford Hotchkiss, Riverside, U.S. Navy, Vietnam War, James Andrew Morrison, Canyon Lake, U.S. Navy, Korean War; and Mack Donald Salesky San Jacinto, U.S. Army, Vietnam War.

On behalf of all Riverside County residents and a grateful nation, I want to thank these veterans for their service to our country and congratulate them on being part of the Operation Recognition Class of 2017.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule for H.R. 2936, the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017. This bill is a commonsense, thoughtful approach to restore our forests and minimize forest fire risk.

First and foremost, I thank Representative Westerman for understanding the need for these vital reforms. He has been a great partner to work with and has a keen understanding of how to restore our forests.

This bill contains a number of needed reforms, but, in particular, H.R. 2936 will put an end to obstructionist litigation that has been paralyzing the ability of the Forest Service to manage their own land for years.

The legislation creates an arbitration pilot program that requires anyone suing to block a forest management activity to produce an alternative solution, providing effective resolutions to problems rather than frivolous litigant activity. The bill also puts a limit on the amount of taxpayer dollars that can go to pay legal fees of obstructionist groups when they sue to stop management.

It seems that every year we have a longer, more devastating fire season. In my home State of California this year, it has been particularly devastating in both lives and land lost. These fires demand that we act, and we need to act now, to fix our forest management.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for his leadership on this issue.

One last thing: Go Dodgers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge the House to approve H.R. 3567, a necessary and long-overdue piece of legislation. This is a straightforward, commonsense bill that authorizes the purchase of a small parcel of Natural Resources Conservation Service property in Riverside, California, by the Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District.

Since 1996, the conservation district has partnered with NRCS to acquire, colocate and manage what was previously the USDA Salinity Laboratory. Following acquisition of the property, NRCS has not obligated any Federal funds for plant materials research at the Riverside location in question.

On the other hand, the conservation district, as has been mentioned, has invested $2.8 million in improvements and upgrade to the property. All along, the conservation district has an understanding with NRCS that they would eventually transfer the property to its ownership.

Following a series of changes in personnel within NRCS, the conservation district was informed that legislation authorizing such a transfer would be necessary.

H.R. 3567 authorizes USDA to sell the NRCS property in Riverside to the conservation district for an amount equal to the appraised value of the property. The legislation further states that current NRCS operation at the property shall be allowed to continue at no cost to the Federal Government.

In closing, this legislation will provide long-term security for the conservation district and the investments it has, and will continue to make, in the property. It also protects the interests of the NRCS and the Federal Government for as long as its limited use of the property is needed.

H.R. 3567 is a win-win solution for all stakeholders, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Crossroads Christian Church, located in my hometown of Corona, California, as it celebrates a major milestone in the church's history. On this date in 1892, a small group of about ten people joined together to worship in a small building in Corona, establishing the Crossroads Church. Now, 125 years later, Crossroads Christian Church continues to be a house of worship in Corona, though the church has grown a little larger than that original group of ten in 1892.

In fact, Crossroads has seen tremendous growth since its founding. Within its first year, the church was already in need of a larger space and looking for a new building. The growth experienced in those early days of Crossroads would become a trend over the next 125 years. Crossroads experienced moves and the building of larger churches in the 1960s under the leadership of Pastor Ted Smith, in the early 1980s under the leadership of Pastor Tim Coop, and most recently in 1993 under the leadership of Pastor Barry McMurtrie.

Today, the Crossroads Christian Church and the Crossroads Christian School are located at a beautiful site, where Kellogg Avenue meets Ontario Avenue in Corona. Together, the church and the school are integral parts of the Corona community and touch the lives of families far beyond those who attend them. Crossroads continues to take an active role reaching out to young people throughout the region and encouraging them to touch the lives of others with simple acts of care and kindness.

Mr. Speaker, over the past 125 years Crossroads Christian Church has made an invaluable impact in the lives of a countless number of members of our community. I join with everyone at the church in celebrating this remarkable anniversary and I look forward to the next 125 years. May God continue to bless Crossroads Christian Church and all of the people who worship there, and may God bless America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to residents of California's 42nd Congressional District who were tragically killed during the massacre at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday, October 1, 2017.

Thomas Day, Jr. was born and raised in my hometown of Corona, California. After graduating from Corona High School, Tom attended Riverside Community College and later went to work for Portrait Construction, a home building company founded by his father, Tom Sr. Those who worked with Tom knew him as someone who was easy to talk to and get along with. The Day family has been active in our community for many years, making a number of important contributions to non-profit organizations. Attending concerts and music festivals with his children was a win-win for Tom because it allowed him to do two things he loved at one time--listen to music and spend time with his family. Tom was attending the Route 91 Harvest country music festival with his children when he was senselessly taken from us.

Rocio Guillen grew up in Anaheim, California and attended Katella High School, where she ran track and cross country. Most recently, she worked as an assistant manager at a California Pizza Kitchen. Rocio was a tireless worker both at her job and at home caring for her children. She was blessed with four children: 18-year-old Marcus, 13-year-old Christopher, 1-year-old Sofia and 1-month-old Austin. Marcus recently described Rocio as ``an amazing mother. She worked so many hours at work and would come back and take care of all of us.'' Rocio's fiance, Chris Jaksha, attended the Route 91 Harvest country music festival with her and comforted her in those terrifying final moments of her life.

Pati Mestas lived in Menifee, California and was a graduate of Garey High in Pomona. While she previously helped manage the deli at a Corona gas station, Pati recently stopped working to spend more time with her three children, eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Pati loved going to country music concerts and having a good time with her friends. Her son Brandon wrote, ``She left this world surrounded by friends, singing and dancing with thousands of people. If I had to write the script myself, I could not have done a better job.''

Christopher Roybal proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy as a dog handler, completing multiple tours in Afghanistan. After leaving the Navy, Chris returned home to Corona, California, and managed Crunch Fitness gyms. According to family and friends, Chris loved to sing and enjoyed all genres of music--they say he was a karaoke king. Chris is survived by his wife Dixie Roybal, his mother Debby Allen, father Samuel Roybal brothers Jacob, Jayson and Nicholas, and sisters Nina and Jillian. We are eternally grateful for Chris' service to our nation.

Our hearts ache for all of those whose lives were cut short and forever impacted by the evil acts of that evening. We pray that their loved ones, colleagues and friends find comfort in the memories shared with those we have lost. We also pray for the speedy recovery of all of the wounded. As a country we must stand together in the wake of this horrific event and demonstrate that the love, decency and compassion inside all of us is far stronger than any evil act.