Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Bishop and Ranking Member Grijalva for their leadership. I also thank Congressman LaMalfa, Congressman Schrader, and all of the other Members for their hard work on this issue. In particular, I thank Congressman Gosar, who is here today, Congressman Tipton, and Congressman O'Halleran for cosponsoring our bipartisan amendment.

Mr. Chairman, the Sinema amendment ensures the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior are educated on how unmanned technologies are transforming the energy industry to improve maintenance, lower costs, and reduce the risk of wildfires. Unmanned technology is changing the way Arizonans do business.

Currently, energy companies use manned helicopters to check transmission lines and direct repair and maintenance crews. This work ensures Arizona's electric grid remains resilient, reliable, efficient, and that it

works when Arizona families and businesses need it. But utilities and cooperatives believe that unmanned technology can improve the way we manage our energy infrastructure. Unmanned technologies can monitor transmission lines quickly and safely in multiple locations, enabling more efficient operations and maintenance.

They provide better situational awareness to crews and managers, reducing accidents and workplace injuries. It also improves vegetation management, disaster prevention, and disaster response. These are critical issues in my home State of Arizona. In rural areas, our transmission and distribution lines run through Federal land that are prone to wildfires.

I am a cosponsor of the underlying bill because I recognize the importance of keeping these rights-of-way clear of dry brush and fallen trees. Streamlining the process that allows us to perform routine maintenance and prevent wildfires that too often endanger our communities is just commonsense. Our bipartisan amendment improves the underlying bill by ensuring that unmanned technologies integrate appropriately, quickly, and effectively into broader vegetation management, disaster prevention, and disaster response strategies.

Unmanned technologies have the potential to improve efficiency, lower energy costs for Arizona families and businesses, and reduce the risk of dangerous wildfires by ensuring that rights-of-way are reliable and properly maintained. Federal agencies should be prepared to embrace these smart technologies.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support the Sinema amendment and the underlying bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to extend my thanks to my friend and colleague, Mr. Gosar from Arizona. I encourage my fellow Members to support the amendment and the underlying bill.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I thank Mr. O'Halleran for yielding and for his leadership on this important issue.

Sexual abuse is abhorrent. It is particularly abhorrent when it is conducted by an individual in a position of authority: a coach, a trainer, a teacher.

The community of Mesa, Arizona, which Mr. Biggs and I represent, was rocked by a tragic event in which a young athlete was abused for at least 3 years before receiving help. Had he or other young athletes experiencing similar nightmares had access to resources and support, perhaps the nightmare could have ended sooner, perhaps it could have been prevented.

Our bipartisan amendment is simple. It builds on a very good bipartisan bill by requiring governing bodies to list dedicated information and resources for victims and families on official websites.

No individual should suffer from sexual abuse. No family should go without support when they are in need.

I thank the two gentlemen, my friends from Arizona, Mr. O'Halleran and Mr. Biggs, for cosponsoring this amendment. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on our amendment and to support the underlying bill.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 274.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a community leader, a U.S. Army veteran, a native Arizonan and a tireless advocate for economic, racial and social justice. Pete Garcia is truly an Arizona legend and his contributions to our community will live on for generations to come.

Pete volunteered for the U.S. Army in 1962 and served in Germany. After his honorable discharge, he worked for the U.S. Postal Service while putting himself through Phoenix College.

Pete worked for many non-profit organizations in Phoenix including Phoenix Job Corps, Valle del Sol, and perhaps most notably, Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC). Under his leadership at CPLC, the organization's operating budget grew from $3 million to over $60 million. In 2008 it was named the second largest Hispanic non-profit in the United States by Hispanic Business Magazine. During his tenure as President and CEO of the organization he received numerous awards and recognition, including being invited to participate in the Ditchley Foundation Conference in the United Kingdom three times. He was selected as a Johnson Fellow, named an AARP Inspire award recipient, received the Cesar E. Chavez Leadership Institute legacy award, Pioneer in Excellence by Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and ``One of the Valley's Most Influential People'' by the Phoenix Business Journal, among many others.

Pete was a dedicated husband to Sarah and a devoted father to Daniel, Hilario, and Illana. He was also a grandfather to Brenna, Morgan, Pete, Leila and Alya. In his spare time he enjoyed coaching his children's Little League teams, playing basketball, and playing with his own kids as well as other neighborhood children.

After his tenure at CPLC ended, Pete went on to be a successful philanthropist in his ``retirement.'' He started a whole new foundation focused on educational opportunities for underserved students, which he named the Victoria Foundation in honor of his own mother. From 2008- 2017 Peter raised more than $4 million to enable students to attend ASU, UA, NAU GCU, Maricopa County Community Colleges and several out of state schools. The foundation offered scholarships to 80 community college students, 60 university students, and 4 medical school students. Pete also raised money through the Victoria Foundation to provide 300 bikes for inner city youths, stockings to the elderly at Christmas, and to provide turkey dinners to veterans on Thanksgiving.

Pete leaves behind a legacy of generosity, advocacy, and hard work. Arizona is grateful for his contributions to our community, May his memory be a blessing to his friends and family.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 258.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an Arizona business leader, health care advocate, and dedicated community servant, Richard Boals. Mr. Boals has served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona since 2003, providing strategic leadership and vision for the company through critical times of change and transition in the industry.

As a long-time advocate, Mr. Boals is active in the community and has been involved with countless professional and local organizations. His focus and dedication are aimed at youth and education, health, wellness and human services, economic and civic development, and arts and culture.

Mr. Boals is on the board of directors for Arizona Commerce Authority, Greater Phoenix Leadership, Arizona State University W.P. Carey School of Business Center for Services Leadership, Arizona State University President's Club, Arizona State University Dean's Council of 100, and the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation. He is a member of the Translational Genomics Research Institute's board of directors, Arizona Educational Foundation's advisory board, and the Phoenix Police Reserve Foundation board of directors. He is chairman of the board of directors for TriWest Healthcare and O'Connor House.

As a community and business leader, Mr. Boals has been honored with several awards: the ASU Alumni Leadership Award, the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation's Heroes of Education Award, the Victoria Foundation's Advocates for Education Award, the American Jewish Committee's National Human Relations and Centennial Leadership Awards, the Anti-Defamation League's Jerry J. Wisotsky Torch of Liberty Award, the Greater Phoenix Urban League's Whitney M. Young, Jr. Individual Award, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation's Globe and Anchor Award, and the Phoenix Business Journal's Silver Anniversary Honor Roll Award.

Mr. Boals received his associate's degree from Phoenix College and bachelor's degree in accounting from Arizona State University. He has completed executive development courses at Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, Haas School of Business at the University of California, Harvard University and University of Michigan. Mr. Boals served four years in the United States Air Force before beginning his career at BCBSAZ.

I congratulate Richard on an incredible career in the service of a healthier Arizona. I wish him and his wife Maryglenn a healthy and happy retirement filled with friends, family, and adventure.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 162.

Mr. Speaker, due to illness, I was unable to vote on roll call votes 138 through 158. Had I been present, I would have voted: nay on roll call number 138; nay on roll call number 139; aye on roll call number 140; aye on roll call number 141; aye on roll call number 142; aye on roll call number 143; aye on roll call number 144; aye on roll call number 145; aye on roll call number 146; aye on roll call number 147; nay on roll call number 148; aye on roll call number 149; aye on roll call number 150; aye on roll call number 151; nay on roll call number 152; aye on roll call number 153; aye on roll call number 154; aye on roll call number 155; aye on roll call number 156; aye on roll call number 157; and nay on roll call number 158.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a native Arizonan, a tireless community organizer and a valued member of the Southern Arizona political community. Laura Hogan passed away on February 24 in Tucson, Arizona. Laura was born in the small border town of Douglas, Arizona and she loved rural Arizona. She attended Michigan State University but returned to Arizona after graduation to work with former Superintendent of Public Instruction Carolyn Warner on educational policy and consulting.

Laura's passion was the working families of Arizona. She served as Field Director for the Pima Area Labor Federation, helping to organize and mobilize the labor community in Tucson to support candidates at the local, county, state and federal levels. She took that experience to Arizona List in 2007 where she served as the Political Director since. She simply loved to train and support women in their run for elected office. She has mentored countless young women and helped them plan and achieve their dreams of public service.

Laura was also active in the local Democratic Party, serving as the Chair of Legislative District 30 and a Vice-Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party. She was inducted into the Arizona Democratic Party Hall of Fame in 2016.

I considered Laura a friend and a colleague in the Arizona political community. She was widely respected and admired for her hard work and dedication to her values. She will be greatly missed. I join the Arizona labor community, Democratic Party and Arizona List family in remembering Laura and working to ensure her legacy lives on through our work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a community leader, a fighter for working families, and a tireless advocate for women. Rebekah Friend served as the Executive Director and Secretary/ Treasurer of the Arizona AFL-CIO since 2002, representing 180,000 union members through over 200 local union affiliates in Arizona. She is retiring this year and I want to personally thank her for her work and dedication to Arizona's labor community.

She was the first woman to be elected president of the Arizona AFL- CIO in 2002 and the state federation's first female Secretary/Treasurer in 2005.

I consider Rebekah a friend and a trusted advisor on any and all issues affecting Arizona workers. Since being elected to the State Legislature in 2004 I have counted on Rebekah to always tell me how policies will impact her members without pulling punches. Her integrity and honesty are just some of the reasons she has been a respected labor leader for so many years.

For over 37 years, Rebekah has been a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and a committed advocate for working families. Throughout her career, she has played an integral role in developing legislation to improve the lives of working people in Arizona. She served as the first President of the Coalition for Labor Union Women in Maricopa County, lobbying state legislators on pay equity bills affecting female workers. Rebekah successfully chaired the Minimum Wage Coalition, which brought Proposition 202 to the ballot in 2006 and raised the minimum wage along with a cost-of-living adjustment every year.

Rebekah has received numerous awards of distinction for her public service. In 2004, Rebekah was awarded the YWCA's Woman of the Year, their highest award for a civic leader. In 2016, Rebekah was awarded the Pima Area Labor Federation (PALE) Community Partnership Award. She has also received the Arizona Capitol Times Leader of the Year in Public Policy Award (2007). Recently Rebekah received the AFL-CIO 2017 MLK Unsung Hero Award for the work done on the BASTA Arpaio campaign.

Rebekah has also served on numerous boards and commissions, including the Governor's Council on Workforce Policy, the Arizona Skill Standards Commission and the Governor's Prisoner Re-Entry Task Force. Rebekah is also a co-founder and board member of Emerge Arizona, which helps to identify and train Democratic women to run for elected office. Rebekah has also volunteered her time to assist local food banks and has done extensive mentoring with young women.

I congratulate Rebekah on an incredible career in the service of working families and communities across Arizona. I wish her a well- deserved retirement filled with friends, family and relaxation.

Mr. Speaker, during Roll Call Vote number 128 on Tabling the Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair, I mistakenly recorded my vote as yes when I should have voted no.

Mr. Chair, I thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle for working with me, yet again, on this bipartisan bill to help entrepreneurs and startup companies create jobs and grow our economy.

American startup businesses are growing both in number and diversity. Entrepreneurs are finding new and better ways to bring together talent, innovation, and investment capital in an increasingly competitive small business environment.

The HALOS Act clarifies SEC regulations to ensure small businesses may participate in educational demo days without the burden of having to verify that attendees are accredited investors. Demo days provide invaluable opportunities for entrepreneurs to meet and exchange ideas with students, professors, business professionals, and potential future investors.

The HALOS Act creates a clear path for startups to participate in demo days sponsored by a government entity, nonprofit, angel investor group, venture association, or other entity permitted by the SEC. Specifically, the act clarifies the definition of general solicitation to exempt communications and presentations at these events where advertising for the event does not make specific investment offerings and where no specific securities offering information is communicated at the event.

This permits startups to connect with business experts, potential future investors, and other entrepreneurs, all while maintaining existing accredited investor verification requirements and exemptions under Regulation D for the actual purchase or sale of securities. It does not, in any way, permit the sale of securities to unaccredited investors at demo days.

Companies such as Amazon, Costco, Facebook, Google, and Starbucks were all initially funded by angel investors. As we work to make America more

competitive in the new global economy, we need to encourage the growth of innovative startups and job-creating small businesses.

Again, I thank Representative Chabot for working with me on this commonsense, bipartisan bill. I am committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure that Arizona startups have the support they need to grow their businesses and create jobs.

``. . . or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 77 and 78 I missed the votes to attend the signing of the Clay Hunt SAV Act into law, a bipartisan law that will reduce veteran suicides. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on 77 and ``yea'' on 78.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in remembering the Honorable John D. Driggs, former Mayor of Phoenix and a member of one of the early pioneering families of Arizona. Mayor Driggs passed away on December 11, 2014, surrounded by his wife Gail and his devoted family. He leaves behind a history of public service to Phoenix that will be remembered for generations to come. His family and everyone who had the opportunity to work with John Driggs will miss him beyond description because he was a man of integrity, with a strong belief in civic responsibility.

In addition to serving as Phoenix Mayor from 1970-1974, John Driggs was a passionate Arizona historic preservationist, and in 2005 was named ``Arizona History Maker'' by the Arizona Historical Society. In 1969, John Driggs spearheaded the successful Phoenix Growth Committee Bond Elected, which provided funding for the Phoenix Public Library and other cultural venues. He then ran for Mayor of Phoenix and served for two terms. During his time in office, the Phoenix Mountain Preserve was established, which he later described as one of his most important accomplishments.

John Driggs served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he started the Second Harvest National Food Bank Network, and he was the cornerstone of the 2012 Arizona Centennial Commission. Arizona State Senator Adam Driggs is one of Mayor Driggs' five sons, and I had the honor of serving with Adam in the Arizona Legislature from 2005-2012. The dedication and commitment to service that John Driggs instilled in Adam is apparent in everything that he does as a legislator, and I am proud to call Senator Adam Driggs my friend and colleague. Members, please join me for a moment of silence as we extend our deepest condolences to the Driggs family and as we remember the remarkable life of John Driggs--one of Arizona's great leaders.