Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, last night, I had hoped to hear from the President that he would challenge both Houses to pass the first priority--a budget. The House has done it. The Senate has not for the last 3 years.

In this House, we talk a lot about the sluggish economy and our continual debt. We talk in trillions, so let's take the zeros away and talk in household income. If we were a household, we would, roughly, bring in $24,500 a year, but we would spend $35,500. That means we'd have to add $11,000 to the credit card each year, but when we'd look to the credit card, it would already have $160,000 on it.

We have to get the House in order. The Senate has refused to pass a budget in 3 years. The time is now to move America forward.

Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise in support of the amendment. This amendment will help bring transparency and accountability back to the budget process, something that has been sorely lacking under this President.

Let's just look at the facts:

The last budgets from this President that were voted on have not received one vote in support from the House or the Senate--that's on the Democrat side nor the Republican side;

Every year this President has been in office, he's had deficits of $1 trillion, adding $6 trillion to the debt;

Out of the last five budgets, four of them have been late;

The President has never submitted a budget to this House or the other that balances.

That is a record of failure that is distressing to this House and to the American people. We deserve better.

It's unfortunate that this House has to pass bills to get responsible budgeting. That's why I support this amendment and the underlying bill.

Section 2:

``The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.''

Amendment XVI:

``The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.''

Amendment XVII:

``The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures.

``When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies . . . ''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Dr. Romain Clerou, a local doctor from my hometown of Bakersfield, California who passed away on November 20, 2012. Romain selflessly served our community for over 65 years through his medical practice and will be remembered as a good friend to many, and a fixture on the sidelines at the local college and high school football games.

Born in Bakersfield to French immigrants, Romain attended Kern County Union High School, Bakersfield Junior College, the University of California at Berkeley, and Creighton Medical School in Nebraska before serving in the U.S. Navy's 41st Seabees during the Second World War.

In 1946, after the war had passed, Romain set up his medical practice in Bakersfield. Throughout the following decades, he would become well- regarded for his constant availability and the personal attention given to each of his patients. Dr. Clerou treated countless ailments, delivered thousands of babies, and befriended generations of families.

Additionally, Romain was the beloved team doctor for many athletes on Bakersfield football teams, a service for which he was known to never charge. Romain loved sports. He was a gymnast and football player and continued to play competitive rounds of golf up until late February of this year. Only a few months ago, Romain could be found at Bakersfield College taking in a football practice, sitting in a golf cart and smoking the cigars he was so well known for.

Mr. Speaker, it is this kind of dedication to community service that reflects the great characteristics of our nation's people. As someone who lived life to the fullest and spent most of that life serving the people of Bakersfield, Romain was not only a pillar of strength to his community, but also to his country. He is survived by Mrs. Mayie Maitia, along with her family, his six children, and five grandchildren. While I ask that my colleagues join me today in honoring the life of a great American, I have no doubt that Dr. Romain Clerou will be long remembered by the community he served so well.

Madam Speaker, to the committee, thank you for your work, and especially to Chairman Hall for his tenure on the committee and his history-making here in Congress. I thank you.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6612 to honor two great pioneers in American aeronautics and space exploration, Dr. Hugh Dryden and astronaut Neil Armstrong.

Some of us here today can remember the pride every American felt in the summer of 1969 when we heard Neil Armstrong utter those famous words, ``that's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,'' when he led the Apollo 11 mission and landed on the Moon.

Before this incredible trip, Armstrong served as a test pilot for 7 years at what is presently called the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in Kern County, California, which I'm proud to represent.

Armstrong accumulated 2,400 hours of flying as a test pilot there, mainly in experimental jets. He was also part of the team in the early 1960s that researched how to land on the Moon using the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle.

After the success of Apollo 11, Armstrong became NASA's deputy associate administrator for aeronautics. Under Armstrong's leadership, the center had one of its most far-reaching technological breakthroughs in a concept called digital fly-by-wire, the precursor to computerized flight control systems used on nearly all military and civilian high- performance aircraft, including the space shuttles.

At NASA's Dryden 50th anniversary, Armstrong said in his speech: ``My years here were wonderful years. Dryden was a most unusual place--its enormous curiosity, wonderful intensity, and its unbelievable willingness to attempt the impossible here.''

H.R. 6612 would rename the center in his honor the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center.

The bill would also honor Dr. Hugh Dryden's contributions to aerospace engineering, some that made Neil Armstrong's achievements possible.

Dr. Dryden was an early pioneer in aerodynamics and helped with many scientific breakthroughs, including the X-15 aircraft that launched some test pilots to careers as astronauts, including Neil Armstrong.

Dr. Dryden was chosen to be NASA's first deputy administrator in 1958, placing him in charge of the programs that allowed the Agency to send those three brave men to the Moon in 1969. Dr. Dryden passed away in 1965, just a few years before his work was fulfilled and Armstrong took that first small step.

H.R. 6612 will memorialize both men by redesignating the Dryden Flight Research Center as the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center and the Western Aeronautic Test Range as the Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range.

Edwards Air Force Base, Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, and the NASA Flight Research Center in east Kern County remain a hub of scientific discovery, aeronautical innovation, and space exploration. I look forward to many more groundbreaking achievements from the men and women inspired by the legacy of Neil Armstrong and Hugh Dryden.

Madam Speaker, I will insert the following letters of support for my bill into the Record. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Bakersfield College Renegades, who captured the 2012 California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Championship in football on December 8, 2012.

Winning this championship was truly a team effort on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. But this thrilling victory was the product of months of skill, hard work, and unequivocal determination to win from every player, coach, and support staff--from summer practices, to winning the first game of the season against Santa Ana College, to defeating City College of San Francisco in the championship game, 35-14. Overcoming obstacles early in the season, this team practiced consistency and perseverance throughout the rest of the season to cap off an amazing 11-2 record, winning games by an average margin of over three touchdowns.

This championship is also a milestone for Bakersfield College, winning its first CCCAA state championship in football and paving the road for future victories. From the first game of the season at Memorial Stadium, our community has been 100% behind this football team, packing the stadium with roaring crowds, especially the championship game at home.

Above all, what makes this achievement so special has been the players' appreciation for each other as they fought hard for victories this season, never losing sight of their ultimate goal--the CCCAA state championship. Players often said they never lost faith and kept pushing each other to ensure win after win. Embodying the team concept, when running back Jalen Sykes, the team MVP, received his trophy after the title game, he handed it to another teammate saying, ``This is for the offensive line.''

I commend Renegade head coach Jeff Chudy and his coaching staff for their leadership and ability to mold this winning team. Coach Chudy brought all the players together so each one not only knew his individual responsibilities, but also knew of the importance of how the sum of each player's individual role cohesively formed a unit to successfully execute play after play, to win the day and ultimately the season.

As a former student at Bakersfield College, I join our community in congratulating the coaches and players for their achievement. The 2012 Renegade coaching staff includes: Head Coach Jeff Chudy, Defensive Coordinator/LB's Reggie Bolton, and Offensive Coordinator/QB's Carl Dean. The 2012 CCCAA State Championship Renegade football team includes: Mercy Maston, Brian Burrell, Curtis McGregor, Franklin Simmons IV, Grant Campbell, Brock Martin, Robert Burns, Chris Hannible, Juan Carbajal, Kelyon Hollis, Aaron Kolb, Austin Tijeriana, Shannon James, Alfonzo Jackson, Jr., Cody Jones, Daniel Cherry, Cole Murry, Chaz Adams, Hamid Camara, Sterling Fuggett, Tyler Schleicher, Joey Stuart, Donny Siewell, Walter Hunt, Brock Baize, Kwame Johnson, Jalen Sykes, Ryan Salinas, Salim Cleghorne, Mason Often, Keith Fingers, Daviyoun Golden, Osvaldo Sombo, Jim Leathers, Bruce Volaski, Zack Puente, Curtis Fainter, Brandon Tillman, John Oglesby, Beau-Riley Pearson, Kevin Boyer, Jorge Villarreal, Alex Cortez, Dominic Rutherford, Brodie Scott, John Christie, Josh Ringer, Braylen Lejander, Jordan Alvarez, Justin Verrell, Christian Barrios, Kenneth Dunston, Donovan Rutherford, Brandon Sarabia, Arturo Patino, Joseph Jaurez, Julio Regla, Ricardo Figueroa, Justin Wallace, Christian Soto, Hilberto Flores, Sabastian Prince, Leonel Del Toro, Ever Mondragon, Tyler Fries, Darryle Baker, Tim Martinez, John Palacios, Mike Dunn, Ron Douglas, Stewart Bandy, Hernan Rocha, Thomas Hearn, Tanner Melson, Dandy Hannible, Clinton Carter, Onosai Sotoa, Jacob Miller, and Randy Armstrong. On behalf of our proud community, Go Gades!

Mr. Speaker, alongside my colleague, Congressman Devin Nunes, we rise today to honor Phillip James Cline, District Attorney of Tulare County, on the occasion of his retirement.

Mr. Cline is a Tulare County native, having graduated from Exeter Union High School, College of the Sequoias, California State University Fresno, and San Joaquin College of Law. He also served in the United States Air Force as a Staff Sergeant.

After joining the bar and working briefly in private practice, Mr. Cline joined the District Attorney's Office in 1978. He served as a prosecutor for more than 30 years, specializing in homicide cases and winning numerous high-profile death penalty cases.

In 1992, Mr. Cline began serving as District Attorney. Re-elected three times, he initiated programs to address workers' compensation and automobile insurance fraud, domestic violence, major narcotics, sexual assault and child abuse, welfare fraud, auto theft, gang violence and child abduction, among others. He created the state's first Rural Crime Program, designed to protect the agricultural industry, and developed other programs addressing consumer fraud, career criminal prosecution, victim's services, elder abuse prosecution and the safe neighborhoods program. Mr. Cline and his staff also implemented programs designed to strike at the root causes of crime. These included a program to reduce teen pregnancy, which received statewide recognition, as well as a Veterans' Court to address the needs of combat veterans.

Mr. Cline is a member of many professional and philanthropic organizations. He is past president of the Tulare County Bar Association and is an active member of the California and National District Attorney's Associations. He is the only District Attorney ever elected president of the Tulare County Police Chiefs' Association. Mr. Cline has also served on the boards of the HEART after-school program and the Tulare County Library Foundation, among others. He has been active in Pro Youth Walk Run, the Justice Run and the annual Victims of Homicide Memorial Quilt Ceremony.

Please join Congressman Nunes and me in congratulating Mr. Phillip James Cline on his retirement from his position as District Attorney of Tulare County.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my good friend, Kevin Kester, on his retirement as President of the California Cattlemen's Association (CCA). He has been an effective and passionate advocate for ranching and the cattle industry in our

local community, our State of California, and across the United States.

Kevin hails from a long line of ranchers, and his family has been in the business for almost 150 years--running cattle since 1867. A graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, with a degree in agriculture management, he served in the City of Paso Robles Police Department for several years and later as a San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's deputy. Upon returning to help run his family's Bear Valley Ranch, today he operates the ranch with his wife, June, and their three children, Kayleen, Kody, and Kara, ensuring another generation of Kester leadership in California agriculture.

As President of CCA, Kevin was one of the unique individuals who was able to advocate for issues critical to the ranching and cattle industry, fighting to maintain and promote, as well as educate, policymakers both in Washington and Sacramento on the importance of ranching heritage and how California cattlemen and cattlewomen are proud stewards of the environment. Understanding the link between rangeland conservation, environmental management, and running cattle, he was successful in working with both sides of the aisle on a variety of issues, be it on taxes, trade or regulatory issues important to ranchers.

During his tenure as CCA President, Kevin was also able to better coordinate with and involve all the local and county cattle associations in California to more effectively promote issues of importance to them. Prior to being elected CCA President, he served as the CCA Wildlife Management Committee Chairman and is a past president of the San Luis Obispo County Cattlemen's Association. Kevin is also a past chairman of the California Mid-State Fair Heritage Foundation Board of Directors and the California Mid-State Fair Agriculture Committee, as well as a member of the Shandon Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees.

I always enjoy meeting with Kevin and getting his counsel, whether it be on important policies facing ranchers or for advice on the best cut of steak for dinner. When we meet in San Luis Obispo, he's usually right off Bear Valley in his ranching uniform. When in Washington, he may put on a coat and tie, but true to his ranching heritage, I can always spot him amongst all the dark suits in the hallways of the Capitol in his cowboy hat, cowboy boots and belt buckle.

Kevin's dedication to ranching and our community continue to be exemplified through his commitment to service, and while he may be leaving CCA's top post, I look forward to working with him on issues of importance to agriculture in our community, California, and across the country.

I thank our respected leader for yielding.

From the moment ObamaCare was introduced, House Republicans and the American people have expressed concerns about the quality, the cost, and the effect that it would have on jobs. We're here today because the Supreme Court ruling made one thing clear: it's up to Congress to do the repeal of the devastating tax increase and what it would effect upon our economy.

As we all know, ObamaCare stands today because the Supreme Court said it's constitutional as a tax. The Chief Justice stated in his opinion:

Members of this Court are vested with the authority to

interpret the law; we possess neither the expertise nor the

prerogative to make policy judgments. Those decisions are

entrusted to our Nation's elected leaders, who can be thrown

out of office if the people disagree with them. It is not our

job to protect the people from the consequences of their

political choices.

But it is our job. And, unfortunately, we have learned over the past 2 years this law has proven to be bad policy. And you know what's more important? It's filled with broken promises.

We all remember President Obama's first promise: if you like the health care you have today, you can keep it. Well, that's not true. Eighty percent of those in small employer plans risk even keeping what they have today. The President also promised the law would bring down premiums by $2,500. But that's not true either because it's already been increased $1,200. The CBO says it will even rise higher.

President Obama did promise as I sat right here and listened to him that he would not add one dime to the deficit. Well, you know what? That's not true either. It's going to add billions of dollars. President Obama promised he would not raise taxes on those making less than $250,000. It turns out ObamaCare includes 21 new taxes--12 of them on the middle class.

Promises made, promises broken.

There was another President from Illinois who was quoted as saying:

As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We

must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our

country.

Well, now is the time to listen to the American people. Now is the time to put the patient first while they are empowered. Now is the time to repeal and begin to bring this country back together with a quality of health care where the patient has the choice, not the government.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor longtime Bakersfield icon, Wendy Wayne, who passed away on June 17 after a 4-year struggle with cancer. Wendy was the type of person who would go out of the way for those in need, personally taking action to make sure that those in need were helped. She was instrumental in leading the Community Connection for Child Care in Bakersfield, and later the First 5 Kern organization which served the youth of our community.

One of my fondest memories is from just 2 years ago when Wendy joined me in this House. She was my guest for the State of the Union. Sometimes we had philosophical differences, but it never changed our friendship.

Wendy will forever be known as the Mother Teresa of Bakersfield. She will be missed, but her deeds and her life will not be forgotten.

I want to thank freshman Cory Gardner for bringing this legislation to the floor.

Mr. Chairman, I want to for one moment imagine. I want to imagine a country, an America that doesn't have 40 months of 8 percent unemployment. I want to imagine an America with 3 percent unemployment. Could you imagine a country that had a trade deficit that was shrunk? Could you imagine a government that, instead of saying it wants to raise taxes, actually cut them? Imagine that, in a housing crisis, you're not sitting with foreclosures, but you actually need more houses to be built and that people are flying into the country because the jobs are there and it is the place to be. I want to imagine, when you go down to even work at McDonald's, you're making $15 an hour.

A lot of people in this country turn on the news and think that's farfetched. They think that's impossible to dream or to even imagine. But do you know what? That's taking place in parts of this country. That's exactly what's happening in North Dakota. And why is it happening in North Dakota? It's because they created a State energy policy that is unshackled.

There is a team here, Mr. Chairman, that is called the HEAT Team, the House Energy Action Team. We went across the country and saw all walks of life--from California, to driving an electric car in Colorado, to going into the fields of North Dakota, which is where I went. Do you know what? I drove past the windmills. I looked at new technology which is able to extract in a much more pinpointed method and environmentally friendly way so that we can get those resources. What has it done? It has transformed the State with regard to job creation. More importantly, it has transformed our Nation because, yes, we are importing less today than in 1994, but that's only on private lands, not on public lands.

So today, on this floor, we are debating something that can change America. No longer will you sit back at home and think, one day, I could only imagine unemployment low, revenues high, and everybody who wants a job can have one.

This bill today is about jobs. It's about jobs that not only create a new America but that change our foreign policy. It creates a new America in which we invest today, and it makes us energy independent.

Mr. Chairman, I ask all to vote ``aye,'' and I thank the gentleman for bringing it to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Chuck Bikakis, who recently retired as the Director of the Kern County Veterans Service Department. Chuck has been a motivated and passionate advocate for our veterans in Kern County for the past 14 years.

A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Chuck received his Bachelor's degree from the United States Naval Academy and entered the Marine Corps in 1960. Chuck retired with the rank of Major after 20 years of service. In that time, Chuck served our country in Vietnam from August 1968 through September 1969.

After his retirement from the Marine Corps in 1980, Chuck relocated to Bakersfield and worked in real estate. He then worked in a Job Developer position with the Kern County Employers' Training Resource starting in January 1994 until the Kern County Board of Supervisors appointed him to the position of Director of the Kern County Veterans Service Department. Chuck held the position of Director of the Veterans Service Department since April 20, 1998.

Shortly after his appointment, Chuck relocated the Veterans Service Department to its current location and established the Kern County Veterans Services center. This one-stop Center now includes a Job Developer from Employers' Training Resource and a computer resource room. He was instrumental in bringing to Bakersfield the California Veterans Assistance Foundation, which operates a transitional housing program for veterans.

There are many other examples of Chuck's leadership that will continue to benefit veterans of Kern County for years to come. Chuck's concern for homeless veterans led to the first Kern County Homeless Veterans Stand Down during October 1999. With the assistance and support of veteran organizations, community volunteers, and local businesses, Stand Down has become an annual event that provides outreach and guidance to homeless veterans to give them the opportunity toward a new beginning away from life on the streets. Chuck has also collected funds to assist the families of deployed servicemembers and was an active participant in the design and development of the Kern County Veterans Memorial and the Bakersfield National Cemetery.

Dedicated to education and service on multiple levels, Chuck's retirement will leave big shoes to fill at the Kern County Veterans Service Department. I commend his service to the thousands of veterans in our area, thank him for his dedication, and join many members in our community in wishing Chuck our best wishes as he embarks into the next chapter of his life.

I thank the distinguished chairman of Ways and Means. It's an honor to be able to speak on this floor. It's an honor to listen to the debate on both sides. And what's so ironic is that when you listen to the debate, you wonder, what happens here becomes law, but more importantly, do we ever measure, do we ever measure what creates jobs? Do we ever measure in America who creates jobs?

Now, some of you know my story. I actually grew up in a family of Democrats. I got rather fortunate. I didn't have great grades, so I went to junior college. The family didn't have enough money to send me away. I worked through the summer, I took my money, and I created a small business. At the end of 2 years, I then had enough money to pay my whole way through college, so I sold my business.

I applied for a summer internship with my local Congressman, and he turned me down. But today on this floor, I sit elected to the seat I couldn't even get an internship to. That small business paid my way through college. But when I sit and measure and talk and listen to my constituents, they talk about jobs.

They know that there have been 11 recessions since World War II, and every other recession we've come out of it stronger and faster. Even the greatest recession of '82, when interest rates were double digit, and you measured until today, we'd have 13 million more jobs. But the policy holds it back.

So I thought I would go back and I would analyze just the nearest time in America's culture of where we created jobs. So I went back to the end of the last recession, 2001, to the beginning of this recession in 2007. When people look at America, they think that was a pretty good time in America. The jobs grew, the economy was strong, and people were able to buy houses. And I analyzed who created the jobs. Do you realize during that time in America, small business added 7 million jobs? Large corporations cut a million.

So to hear somebody on the floor, Mr. Speaker, say they're some special constituency? Well, I'm very proud to stand with the constituency that will grow jobs. I'm very proud to stand today to cut 20 percent to put people back to work in America.

Mr. Speaker, I will stand proudly behind this bill because statistics, the facts, and the history of America have proven we are the strongest when small business is strongest, we are strongest and create jobs through small business, not through more politics.

Policy matters, small business matters, and jobs in America matter. That's why I tell Members on both sides of the aisle, this is an American bill for American jobs, for small business to be strong again in America, and America will be strong again.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the life and service of longtime Kern County veterans' advocate and Vietnam veteran, Vernon Valenzuela, who recently passed away due to cancer at the age of 63.

Vernon began his career in service to our country during the Vietnam war where he was wounded in 1968. Upon returning home, he attended Bakersfield College and became president of the Associated Veterans Student Club, where he developed his passion for helping his fellow veterans and their families in Bakersfield and around Kern County.

Vernon cared deeply about the well being of veterans, and he eventually became a Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in helping veterans with Post Traumatic Stress transition into civilian life after experiencing combat. In 2008, after advocating for a Vet Center to be built in Kern County, Vernon was hired as the Team Leader for the Bakersfield Vet Center where he was further able to help veterans transition and re-enter civilian life.

His most recent legacy is the establishment of the Veterans Justice Program in Kern County, which helps provide veterans--some of whom may have mental or other combat-related illnesses--who get in trouble with the law a second chance by ensuring they receive access to mental health and substance abuse programs provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. While many doubted such a justice program could be formed and much less work, Vernon made it happen by bringing everyone together on behalf of all the local veterans returning from war and in need of help.

Vernon's work has touched the lives and benefited thousands of local veterans and their families. The loss of Vernon will surely be felt in our communities, and we express our deepest condolences to his wife Lise, his son Robert, and his daughters Alison and Katherine. His selflessness, perseverance, and service-minded dedication will continue to serve as an inspiration in our community and remain a constant reminder we must all continue to have of our commitment to the men and women in the Armed Forces who bravely serve our country.

I thank the chairman of the Budget Committee for the work that he's done, both sides.

We've watched a lot of debate. This floor is supposed to be devised to have the power of the idea to win.

Mr. Chairman, we watched the President's budget come here and, unfortunately, unite us when nobody thought that was the direction to go.

We watched history be made on this floor for many years. It's always said that history repeats itself. In my short lifespan, if I'm really looking at where America stands, it stands much where we stood in 1980--a choice between two futures.

Have you ever thought for a moment the similarities of 1980 to today?

In 1980, America was afraid that Japan was going to surpass us in our economy. Today, we have fear of China and India being larger.

In 1980, Iran was holding Americans hostage. Today, they want to close the Strait of Hormuz. They want to develop missiles that hold the world hostage.

We had an energy crisis. Today, the price of gasoline is the highest it's ever been.

Every generation in America has been able to improve on the generation before it, but do you realize 1980 was the first time a majority of Americans believed the best days were behind us? 50.4 percent. Today, it's at 74. We had a challenge in our foreign policy. We literally had a President put a sweater on and tell us to turn the heater down.

Our biggest challenge is our debt that faces us.

Well, today we have a choice, a choice of two futures, just as we did in 1980. So the choice today is: Do you want that European model; or do you want something that faces our challenge, honest to the American people, and rises to the occasion?

When Ronald Reagan was sworn in at his inaugural, he said:

Our willingness to believe in ourselves and our capacity to

perform great deeds; to believe that together, with God's

help, we can and will resolve the problems which now confront

us. And after all, why shouldn't we believe that? We are

Americans.

Winston Churchill once said of America:

You can always count on them to do what's right after

they've exhausted every other option.

We have exhausted every other option. This is an opportunity for a new path, for a new future.