Floor Statements

I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, in Arizona, one in four children live in food insecurity, unsure of when they'll eat next or where they'll find food. Cuts to SNAP will make this already grave situation even worse.

When I was a kid, my family went through tough times, and after my parents got divorced, my mom relied on food stamps to feed us kids. Later, when my stepfather was out of work and my family was homeless, food stamps once again helped my family survive. Yet, my family was lucky. We had friends and family and my parents' church helping us, in addition to SNAP. Today, SNAP provides hardworking families with food security while they're struggling to make ends meet. The program helped me, just as SNAP is helping kids and working families in Arizona today.

Both family farmers and hungry children in Arizona are waiting on Congress to pass a complete farm bill. I've called on Congress to put hardworking farmers and families ahead of partisanship. Congress should pass a bipartisan farm bill, just as it has for decades in the past. Today's bill unfortunately isn't a solution for families or farmers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the heroic efforts of Major Frederick Edgar Ferguson of the United States Army. Major Ferguson served in the 1st Cavalry Division and was awarded the Medal of Honor for supreme gallantry in action on January 31, 1968, in the Republic of Vietnam. Today he lives in Chandler, Arizona, in the district I have the honor of representing.

Major Ferguson was the commander of a helicopter monitoring an emergency call from wounded passengers of a downed helicopter under heavy attack. Without hesitation, Major Ferguson volunteered to respond to the call despite warnings to stay clear of the area.

Major Ferguson displayed superior flying skill by landing his aircraft under heavy fire. And although the helicopter sustained severe damage as the wounded men boarded, Major Ferguson flew his crippled aircraft to safety. That day, Major Ferguson saved the lives of five fellow servicemen with his brave and selfless act.

It is for his outstanding display of bravery that I am proud to honor and remember the actions of Major Frederick Edgar Ferguson.

Thank you, Major Ferguson.

Thank you, Mr. Cardenas, for holding this event this evening. I appreciate the time.

Mr. Speaker, many others who will be speaking this evening will spend time talking about the numbers or the benefits of changing our immigration laws in our country.

I'm going to tell just one brief story about my district. When I was elected to Congress earlier this year, I was invited, as many Members of Congress are, to address and welcome newly sworn-in citizens. As the swearing-in ceremony was happening on a day that I was in Washington, a member of my team back in Phoenix joined that citizenship ceremony and spoke on my behalf.

After the event was over, I asked her how it went. It was her first time speaking publicly on behalf of our office, and I asked her what it was like. She answered by telling me about her experience.

The staffer who went to the citizenship ceremony on my behalf is a young woman named Erika Andiola. Erika Andiola is a Dreamer. She was born in Mexico and brought to this country as a young person. She went to junior high and high school in Phoenix, Arizona. She later went to Arizona State University and graduated with high honors. She now works for me in my office as an outreach director.

Erika spoke to the individuals who had just become citizens at the citizenship ceremony and welcomed them as new citizens to our country. What she said to me afterwards was that one day she hopes to sit in that citizenship ceremony herself and to become a citizen of these United States.

Mr. Cardenas, members of the Ninth District, fellow citizens of this country, this is the reason we must get the immigration reform. Young people like Erika Andiola have lived in this United States for almost their entire lives and know no other country. While they watch others become citizens, they still dream for that day themselves.

Mr. Cardenas, we must make that happen for Erika.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing Mesa Community College student Sahba Zaare, recipient of a 2013 Phi Theta Kappa Hites Transfer Scholarship, recognizing academic rigor, engagement, and leadership.

Sahba was chosen from over 2,300 applicants to receive this award, which will assist in his attainment of a baccalaureate degree from a senior degree-granting institution. He plans to transfer to Arizona State University, my alma mater, this coming year. Sahba, a Mathematics and Physics major at MCC, is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the MCC Honors Program, and has been recognized as a Chancellor's Scholar, Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholar, and American Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges National Math Contest Winner.

Sahba is a recent immigrant to the United States and through his achievements confirms the promise of our educational system. Our community colleges provide invaluable vocational and technical training while also inspiring students such as Sahba to pursue big dreams and continue their education. It is thanks to institutions such as Mesa Community College and organizations such as the Hites Family Community College Scholarship Foundation and Phi Theta Kappa that such opportunities are available.

Given his accomplishment as well as the support provided by Mesa Community College and the collaborating scholarship foundations, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Mr. Sahba Zaare for being awarded a Phi Theta Kappa Hites Transfer Scholarship.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing Mesa Community College student Theresa Jepsen, recipient of a 2013 Cherokee A Nurse I Am Scholarship. Each recipient receives $2000 toward defraying the cost of their nursing education.

Theresa was chosen for the scholarship on the basis of an essay she wrote in response to the documentary, A Nurse I Am. She was asked to consider aspects of cultural sensitivity demonstrated by nurses in the film, as well as to respond to how she would demonstrate such sensitivity herself. Theresa wrote that ``the nursing field requires a unique trifecta of emotional intelligence, adaptation, and cultural awareness . . . and it falls to the nurse to discover the client's cultural basis and the values therein in order to serve fully.''

I share Theresa's sentiments and applaud her thoughtfulness. Nurses interact intimately with patients, serving them face-to-face, every day. It is of utmost importance that we train nurses who treat patients holistically, caring for them with competence, kindness, and respect. Nurses have the opportunity to positively impact patients' health and thereby overall lives. I congratulate Cherokee Uniforms and Mesa Community College for their support of Theresa and this admirable scholarship program.

Given her accomplishment as well as the support provided by Mesa Community College and the collaborating scholarship foundation, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Ms. Theresa Jepsen for her reception of a Cherokee A Nurse I Am Scholarship.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing Big Surf Waterpark, a beloved institution of Tempe, Arizona for the past 44 years, for their designation as a Historical Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the Arizona delegation of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

No other amusement or water park has received this honor, and Big Surf is just the third landmark designated in Arizona by the ASME. It is easy to forget how innovative the design of Big Surf's Waikiki Beach Wave Pool was at the park's opening in 1969. Phil Dexter invented the wave generation process after a 1965 trip to the California coast. He sought to recreate ocean waves, first building a tabletop prototype for which he applied for patent rights in 1966, and then a 1,000-gallon, 40-foot by 30-foot prototype in an abandoned billiard hall. The Big Surf pool is an exact replica of the model and was built, designed, and engineered by John Hauskins, then a 19-year-old student at the University of Arizona, at the scale of 2.5 million gallons of re- circulating water within a span of 2.5 acres. To this day, children enjoy the same original components for generating waves as they did in 1969, and Mr. Hauskins continues to serve our county in innovative ways as director of transportation.

The innovations at Big Surf have come to define the waterpark industry and signify, then and now, the spirit of industry prevalent in Arizona's Ninth District. I am proud to congratulate Big Surf Waterpark, Phil Dexter, and John Hauskins on their honor conferred by ASME, and I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing their accomplishment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing Dr. Kenneth L. Mossman for nomination to membership of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.

Dr. Mossman has served for 23 years as Professor of Health Physics at Arizona State University and is internationally renowned as an expert in the field of ionizing radiation exposure. He has served in an advisory capacity to the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the National Research Council of the National Academies, the Nuclear Energy Agency in Paris, and the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. Dr. Mossman presently serves as an Administrative Judge for the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board provides a uniquely valuable service to the American people as an independent watchdog over the safety consequences of developments in the Department of Energy's defense nuclear facilities. I can think of no better candidate than Dr. Mossman to advise our nation's leaders of contingencies to protect public health and safety. I am proud that Dr. Mossman represents my alma mater and my district at the highest level of competence and governance in his field.

I have no doubt that Dr. Mossman will faithfully serve the public interest in his role as member of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board and I ask my colleagues to join

me in recognizing his dedication and accomplishment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing Desert Vista High School's Health Occupations Students of America Club for their achievement in the HOSA-Future Health Professionals National Leadership conference.

Desert Vista students won first place in three events and two national service awards, and took home numerous other top ten finishes. Their record is astonishing for one school, and is a testament to their school's leadership and the students' effort. Katelyn Miyaski and Gen Fitzgerald won national championships in pharmacology and medical terminology, respectively, and the team of Jing Liong, Anshuman Bakshi, Sung Kwon Park, and Sanjeey Murty were national champions in biomedical debate. Alex Burton won the Barbara James Service Gold Award and the President's Volunteer Service Award.

The students, many of whom hope to pursue higher education in the medical, healthcare, and biotechnology industries, are to be commended and encouraged in their pursuit of science and service, as well as for their comprehensive knowledge in their fields of interest. Their dedication is reason for faith in our country's future, guided by such innovators and leaders. They represent their state and school well, and I am proud to represent them in Congress.

Given their record of accomplishment, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Desert Vista High School's Health Occupations Students of America Club for their dedication and achievement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and passing of Mr. John R. Lassen, Jr., a lifelong teacher in Tempe, Arizona, and a nationally distinguished innovator in secondary education.

A native fourth generation Arizonan, John served his country in the United States Air Force after graduating from high school in Tempe. Following his distinguished service to his country, John returned home to attend Arizona State University on a basketball scholarship, where he earned both a bachelor and a master's degree in mathematics.

John's heart never left Tempe--his passion was mathematics. He loved teaching in his hometown at Marcos De Niza and Mountain Pointe High Schools for nearly forty years, eventually serving as Mathematics Department Chairman for the Tempe Unified School District.

Under the administration of President George H. W. Bush, Mr. Lassen earned the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching, for which he was honored at the White House Rose Garden and the U.S. State Department. Mr. Lassen also initiated a dual-credit collaboration between Tempe public schools and Rio Salado College, offered first at Mr. Lassen's own Mountain Pointe High School and later throughout the greater Phoenix area. For this, he was given the President's Award for dedication and commitment to education in Arizona from the President of Rio Salado College.

It was to the great benefit of Tempe, his community, and the state of Arizona that Mr. Lassen served so dutifully and lived so well. I ask that my colleagues join me in posthumously recognizing Mr. Lassen and extending our condolences to his family.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I be removed as a cosponsor to H.R. 2027.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and passing of Dr. Clinton M. Pattea, a lifelong advocate for Native American sovereignty, president of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, and former chairman of the Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs.

As a state legislator, I worked with Dr. Pattea on issues important to our local communities, where his passion for education and providing educational resources to the underserved was renowned. Dr. Pattea tirelessly sought to fund scholarships for native peoples across the state and in my district at Arizona State University, where I am an Adjunct Professor in the School of Social Work.

Elected to the Yavapai Tribal Council in 1960, Dr. Pattea thereafter led a decade-long campaign to stop construction of the Orme Dam, which would have flooded 17,000 acres of tribal lands. The victory is celebrated annually, as is Sovereignty Day, commemorating a peaceful standoff led by Dr. Pattea against federal agents seeking to seize Yavapai property. The non-violent protest led to the negotiation with Governor Fife Symington of a pact considered a national victory for Native self-determination.

Dr. Pattea will be missed by all who knew him, and will be remembered by his family, his Nation, the state of Arizona, and Native people everywhere. I ask that my colleagues join me in posthumously recognizing Dr. Pattea for his dedicated service to his community, as well as in grieving with his family and the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation at the passing of their leader.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing the Blue Star Mothers of America, a national organization of military mothers devoted to supporting our nation's armed forces. Representatives LaMalfa, Swalwell, and Roby have joined me in introducing a resolution naming the month of August as ``Blue Star Mothers of America Month.''

I am proud to say that the East Valley Blue Star Mothers, a local chapter of the organization, meets in my district. They have dedicated themselves to supporting soldiers overseas, wounded warriors, families of fallen soldiers, as well as all veterans, homeless or thriving. They organize visits to VA hospitals, participate in Veteran's and Memorial Day events, and send care packages to homesick troops protecting our freedom abroad.

Founded in 1941, Blue Star Mothers of America boast 11,000 members brought together by their sons' and daughters' service. Chapters flourish in 42 states, and in all corners of my own state, Arizona. Blue Star Mothers are unsung heroes of the ongoing fight to preserve our country's safety and liberty.

The Blue Star Mothers are a truly patriotic organization and deserve our body's commendation. I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing the Blue Star Mothers of America for their service to their communities, to our country, and to all of us individually.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing United Methodist Outreach Ministries, an organization devoted to the service and shelter of homeless families in Arizona. Since 1964, they have provided the state of Arizona with the highest quality of service, providing families and individuals with temporary and permanent housing, medical care, child care, and education to rebuild lives traumatized by desperate circumstances.

In addition, I would like to commend the Department of Veterans Affairs for their work in facilitating UMOM's outstanding service. The VA, since 2011, has awarded grants to 319 deserving organizations in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia as part of their Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program. In July, 2013, for use in the upcoming year, they awarded $300 million that will help approximately 120,000 homeless and at-risk Veterans and their families. UMOM has been awarded an SSVF grant in all three years the program has been active.

One of UMOM's Veterans housing facilities is in my district, and I am thrilled that such an organization is raising the level of care provided to my constituents--the veterans who have given so much to our country. I would like to encourage UMOM and other such organizations to continue serving the most in-need and deserving of Arizona residents with such admirable dedication.

UMOM is a wonderful representative of the non-profit organizations across the country serving our Veterans with the efficient help of the Department of Veterans Affairs. I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing United Methodist Outreach Ministries for beginning to pay the debt we owe our most honored Veterans.

Thank you, Congressman Cardenas, for being a leader on this issue and for inviting me to speak today.

Madam Speaker, Arizona is Ground Zero for the Federal Government's failure to address our immigration crisis with a comprehensive solution. Arizona has been waiting too long already. We deserve a solution now.

Comprehensive immigration reform is the number one issue about which I receive constituent feedback. Over 70 percent of the feedback encourages us to get comprehensive reform done. In short, my district wants us to get to ``yes.''

In our State, there is broad agreement among businesses and towns that conduct international trade, among schools that recruit international talent, among local chambers of commerce; there's agreement that comprehensive reform is an economic imperative. For this reason, Senator McCain and Senator Flake led a bipartisan effort in the Senate to pass a comprehensive bill. Our Senators worked across the aisle to get this done.

Senator McCain and Senator Flake understand that securing the border is a critical component of comprehensive reform. Controlling our borders prevents dangerous criminal cartels who traffic guns, drugs, and people from entering our country. It also creates an opportunity for those who want to do good to join us and contribute to our economy.

Business leaders at home agree that comprehensive immigration reform will help us meet our labor demands. It will create opportunities for us to recruit and invest in the world's top talent. This much-needed reform will fortify our international trade relationship with Mexico. That's Arizona's and one of America's largest trading partners.

Mayors in my community are unified. They believe a hyperpoliticized border is bad for business and it's bad for our economy.

We can no longer continue to educate young dreamers, cultivate their talent, and then send them to a different country where they're competing with us. Their pathway to citizenship is vital for our economy.

When hardworking families are able to come out of the shadows and take part in the American Dream, our community grows stronger.

Arizona's families and our economy depend on the U.S. House's commitment to a bipartisan solution. I call on my colleagues in both parties to put aside ideology and work to find a workable, practical, and pragmatic solution.

Arizona has been waiting too long already. We owe it to our State to pass immigration reform this year.

Thank you, Congressman, for yielding time to me to speak on this important issue.

Mr. Speaker, due to my attendance at the memorial service in Arizona for the Prescott Fire Department's Granite Mountain Hotshots who lost their lives in the Yarnell Fire, I will miss votes this evening, July 8, 2013. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on all three measures, H.R. 1341--Financial Competitive Act of 2013, H.R. 1564--Audit Integrity and Job Protection Act, and H.R. 11711--FOR VETS Act of 2013, under consideration this evening.