Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to point out just one of the very troubling and extreme amendments in the NDAA, specifically Mr. Green's amendment which would effectively cut all Federal Government support to filmmakers who distribute films in China.

This amendment takes a page right out of 1950s McCarthyism, and it will devastate the film industry. It requires the DOD to create a blacklist of studios that often, by necessity, have made changes to films in anticipation of distribution in China.

It would decide, without any evidence necessary, to withhold assistance for filmmakers who edit sexual or violent scenes to make films more appropriate for children. Further, it would ensure that these American filmmakers can no longer film on U.S. public lands or access resources paid for by American taxpayers.

Filmmaking is a First Amendment right, and this amendment attacks that right by allowing the DOD to censor content and editorial viewpoints of American films. The Green amendment could also push film production overseas.

In my home State of California, this amendment would devastate an industry that brings in $226 billion alone in jobs and economic activities.

Sadly, this amendment is just one of many dangerous and extreme MAGA

amendments attached to what has been a historically bipartisan bill. This amendment would hurt American industries and workers, and it does not belong in the NDAA.

Thank you for yielding me the time, both Mr. Payne and Mr. Goodlatte, and good morning to everyone. What a pleasure it is to be here and to speak to you on one of our greatest programs, the Congress to Campus program.

As Bob mentioned, the program continues to grow and to reach wider audiences. It is great because we get to educate and to inform our youth.

Thanks to a grant from The Park Foundation these past 2 years, we have actively reached out to minority-serving institutions, such as historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, women's colleges, community colleges, Tribal colleges, and service academies.

The Park Foundation is a nonprofit, and it is dedicated to advancing a more just, equitable, and sustainable society and environment, both nationally and in our local communities.

They are committed to challenging the powers that threaten an independent media, a robust democracy, and the future of the planet.

The Park Foundation helps with funding, specifically for these minority-serving institutions, to put the program on their campus.

This year, we had 32 schools reach out to FMC to bring the program to their institutions. Seven of those were at these minority-serving institutions. The past spring, the number was four, and the fall before that, the number was three.

The word is getting out about our Congress to Campus, and it is spreading, and I think it is making a difference.

Most of us would agree that some students, or at least where I come from, I am a Latina, they don't get the opportunity to connect with current or former Members of Congress. Some don't even know what it is, quite frankly, and they want to be engaged. They want to be mentored, especially once they find out about what we are all doing here.

The program allows them to have one-on-one experiences, to inspire them, to show them the path that leads to public service.

A new vision and a possible extension of our current program is an idea that is called the Congressional pipeline.

FMC will expand and build upon the current program we have by encouraging the next generation of public servants. That is what we are really about, getting people excited about doing what we have done or being a staffer here or being in our Federal agencies. We want them to want to be public servants and demonstrating how respectful debate and a focus on solutions is really the root of our American democracy.

It is also going to provide unparalleled resources and opportunities to college students who participate in our Congress to Campus program and then want to take additional steps to become a public servant.

We envision accomplishing these goals by bringing some of these students who have experienced our program, for example, at an HBCU or an Hispanic-serving institution to Washington, D.C., for the total Washington experience.

The pipeline will do five things: It will provide equal access to opportunities for a wide range of students, including those students, like myself, who would have never had an opportunity to visit here or our district offices.

It will provide Congress to Campus students with information and resources on pursuing public service career paths, both in person and virtually.

It will facilitate opportunities for students to meet with individuals currently serving in Congress, and also the former Members because we are still important, including our staff, both in Washington and in the district offices.

It will create a one-semester fellowship for four and six students, which would include a semester internship at the FMC office here in downtown Washington, D.C.; scheduling meetings each week with current and former Members and staff and ambassadors and embassy staff here in D.C. on how to pursue the careers in public service; of course, free time on weekends so they can go and see everything that you Irish leaders all want to go and see.

It will establish a network of Congress to Campus grads and FMC fellows who, in turn, will help other students who are interested in following in their footsteps by becoming speakers, reaching out in their own home districts, et cetera, so that we can continue to move people into public service.

We ask you to be a part of our Congress to Campus program, to help us to identify students, to help students seek bipartisanship and civility, that they are still alive and thriving and that this is the way forward, especially during a time that has been a difficult time for our Nation.

One big testament to the program is our before and after surveys. I don't know about before, but 100 percent--imagine that--100 percent of students on their post-event survey say that their mind has actually changed for the better about Congress.

The 76 percent--and I don't know what happened to the other 24, but 76 percent say they want the Congress to Campus program to come back to their school again.

I love this program. I love it because it makes me younger, right? When you are interacting with the young people, it makes you feel young. You hear their voices, their ideas. You hear their dreams about a better tomorrow. It makes me feel better about what kind of world we are leaving for our kids. They inform me. They inspire me. I see them, their minds clicking, thinking about how they can shape the world.

Many of the students come up to me afterward and they say: How do I get involved in politics? And I hand them my card, and I say: Let's keep in touch; and we do. Many of them are working in their local areas now to become politicians, and they are not afraid of it. It is not a bad thing to be a politician.

If you want to get involved, please contact Patricia Ochs, our Congress to Campus program manager.

L.S., let me thank you again and echo what Bob said earlier about your exceptional leadership at FMC, and thank you for the opportunity. I really think it is a godsend to be able to participate in the Congress to Campus program. Thank you also for giving me the opportunity to report on the program.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn the Azerbaijani Government's blockade of Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Artsakh's Armenian population to the world. Today marks the 52nd day of the blockade.

My district is home to one of the first Armenian communities in southern California and was formed by survivors of the Armenian genocide. Now, in the face of Azerbaijan's aggression, many of my constituents fear a second genocide.

Last week, I spoke with a constituent who was stuck behind the blockade and who reported a dire situation: Over 100,000 Armenians have been denied access to food, fuel, and medicine, and the region has been left without heat or power this winter. If this continues, I fear a humanitarian catastrophe.

We must make it clear to Azerbaijan that imposing its will on the Armenian people by force is unacceptable. I call on the administration to ensure that aid reaches the people of Artsakh.

Today, my thoughts are with those suffering under these inhumane conditions, and I reaffirm my commitment to ensuring that Azerbaijan is held accountable for its aggression against the Armenian people.

Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise to honor the life of the late Henry Perez Huerta. Henry was one of the most important voices in the labor movement in California. He led an incredible life protecting the rights of working families in Southern and Northern California and inspired other leaders to follow in his footsteps.

Henry was a child of the farm worker movement. At 16, Henry watched his father organize a massive rally in Gonzales, California where Cesar Chavez spoke to farmworkers. From that moment, Henry was inspired to live a life where he fought for workers. Outraged by the disenfranchisement of farmworker families like his own, Henry became the youngest deputy registrar in the state of California. He registered countless farm workers to vote and make their voices heard.

After graduating from the University of Oregon, where Henry was one of the very few Mexican-Americans on campus, he worked for the State of California's Department of Industrial Relations for 31 years. His work was so impactful to so many--often acting as a one-person investigation team for the Labor Commission. Thinking of his own family's experience, Henry felt a deep sense of fulfillment helping farm workers receive wages they were unfairly denied.

While working in San Francisco, Henry quickly ascended to Senior Deputy Labor Commissioner, investigating the workplace conditions of sweat shops, agricultural companies, car washes and construction sites. Henry always understood the importance of empowering workers, which led him to lead the charge in unionizing carwash workers in LA.

Henry and his wife, Martha, eventually settled down in Whittier, California, but Henry's passion for political change and empowering working families never faded.

In his final months of life, Henry continued to register voters, and volunteer countless hours to get out the vote. As a result of his tireless activism, Henry was honored by the Los Angeles County Democratic Party as ``Democrat of the Year.''

Henry was such a great activist not just because of the time he spent on work, but also the time he invested in mentorship, friendship, and guidance to local leaders. I am proud to have called Henry a friend and a role model.

Henry Huerta left us too soon. His absence is greatly felt by my community, but his legacy as a voice for the disenfranchised will be remembered for generations. I join Henry's wife, Martha, his 2 children, Enrique Jr., and Zenaida, and all his family and friends in celebrating the difference he made in our community through a full and meaningful life.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor and celebrate the life of Rod Garcia, a respected visionary, leader, and advocate in Southern California. Rod dedicated his life to empowering the Latino community in educational excellence, economic opportunity, and social equity through the science, technology, engineering, and math fields. He was a trailblazer for Latinos in STEM, and his work to continue diversifying this essential workforce lives on.

Rod graduated from California State University in Los Angeles with a Bachelor's Degree of Science in Engineering. During the tech boom in California in 1973, Rod became one of the few Hispanic engineers to be a leader in the STEM field.

Seeing the lack of Latino representation in STEM, Rod founded the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). He sought to diversify the field by offering networking and educational opportunities for Hispanic students and professionals in the Southern California region.

Rod had the unique ability to unite community partners and leaders around the country in the commitment to closing the STEM gap among Latinos.

Over the course of five decades, Rod propelled the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers to reach 13,000 members and 286 chapters nationwide.

Today, Latinos continue to experience some of the most noticeable disparities in representation within the STEM field.

But Rod's legacy will live on through his devotion and work to close that gap. His work will continue to help future generations of Latinos realize their fullest potential to positively impact the world.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my amendment which would require the Department of Defense and the VA take steps to investigate and mitigate the spread of disinformation within their ranks.

Bad actors are taking advantage of new technologies to effectively manipulate the public, spreading false information faster and further than ever before. Extremists are trying to blur the line between fact and fiction, which undermines confidence in reliable sources of information. The result is more polarization and less trust in our government.

This ultimately makes it easier for violent groups to recruit individuals, including servicemembers and veterans, to their causes.

We saw the devastating effects of disinformation in this very Chamber on January 6 of 2021. I will never forget sitting on the floor of my office in the dark, a baseball bat in my hand, hoping that I would live to see my son grow up.

Insurrectionists, motivated by disinformation, stormed the heart of American democracy. Over 80 of those charged in relation to January 6 had some form of military service.

America's military is not immune to the rising tide of extremism, nor is it immune to disinformation and conspiracy theories. Experts have shown that extremist groups target active military and veterans for recruitment.

We must act before it is too late. We must remain vigilant to the weaponization of disinformation that aims to polarize our society, create division, and damage trust in our institutions.

If left unchecked, the reckless spread of disinformation poses an existential threat to our democracy. I urge all my colleagues to support this amendment and the underlying package.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer), my colleague on the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Mr. Speaker, this amendment is simple. It simply asks for a report evaluating the spread of disinformation within the military ranks and how that can be mitigated.

Respecting our troops and our veterans means protecting them from exploitation and from manipulation by bad actors such as Russian trolls.

Disinformation and propaganda not only create divisions in our society, they exploit vulnerabilities that already exist. This is a direct threat to our national security because it undermines trust and confidence within the ranks.

We must do more to reach out to all members of society, especially those who are most vulnerable to propaganda. Defending our democracy and bolstering our societal resilience requires it.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this amendment and the underlying package.

In the face of what we have seen, the problems that disinformation and misinformation can cause, those who choose to willfully ignore it and not prepare for it are contributing to the potential violence.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Pell Grant program.

When Congress created the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant in 1972, they did so to provide direct financial aid to working families, like my own, who faced numerous challenges in paying for college.

My parents arrived in the U.S. in pursuit of the promise of the American dream for themselves and their seven children.

When I was accepted into UC Berkeley, the question of how to pay for it loomed large over my parents and me. It took me 20 years to pay off my school loans, which I always considered an investment in myself.

However, at 17 years old, taking out student loans was terrifying. And these days, paying for college has only gotten harder. Most of the families receiving Pell Grants earn incomes of $40,000 or less. That is why the federal Pell Grant program eases families' student loan burden and is critical to ensuring folks can pursue higher education.

My district is made of families like my own-working families trying to ensure their children have access to the economic mobility that college can provide. In the 38th district of California, a little over 15,000 students are receiving almost $59,000,000 in Pell Grant awards. That's only a portion of the 7 million students that can attend college because of Pell Grants.

As we approach the 50-year mark on the Pell Grant program, I encourage the United States to celebrate ``National Pell Grant Day'' on June 23. Let us recognize the current students and successful graduates who have benefited from the program.

Madam Speaker, I hope we can count on another 50 years of bipartisan support for low-income students through the Pell Grant program. I urge my colleagues to support the bipartisan resolution declaring June 23, 2022, National Pell Grant Day this year, and in the future.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Chief Brad Keller, a dedicated public servant for the city of Montebello. Chief Keller is retiring after 31 years of service to his community and the Montebello Police Department.

Chief Keller began his law enforcement career with the Montebello Police Department in 1991, after graduating from Rio Hondo College Police Academy.

Throughout his career, Chief Keller's work in the community was recognized through multiple promotions, until eventually becoming Montebello's 10th Police Chief in 2018. Through his advanced leadership and peace officer training, Chief Keller recognized that protecting a community also requires an increased understanding of the diversity of the community.

While Chief Keller always sought to protect and serve his community, he took care to do so while maintaining a relationship of trust and respect with the citizens of Montebello.

Notably, Chief Keller was awarded the Medal of Courage and the Medal of Merit in 2000 and the Medal of Lifesaving in 2003.

Chief Keller dedicated his life to serving Montebello, and he leaves behind a legacy that will inspire current and future public servants.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life of the late Congressman Esteban Torres, a dedicated public servant, trailblazer for Latino political power, and a champion for the working class.

Congressman Esteban Torres dedicated his life to serving his community, early on as a labor leader and eventually in Congress and the White House.

He was among the first Latinos elected to Congress, paving the way for increased representation across all levels of government.

As a Member of this body, Congressman Torres proudly represented the community in which he was raised and much of the community that I am proud to serve today.

He fought with integrity for the rights of immigrants, environmental justice, and economic empowerment.

His legacy will live on in the communities he represented and in the hearts that he touched.

I send my sincere condolences to his family and all who knew him.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor David N. Shafer, a constituent who lives in Whittier, California, as he retires after 31 years of work providing affordable housing for American families.

David has dedicated his life to increasing access to affordable housing for Californians. During his tenure at WNC, a leading affordable housing fund, David served as Chief Legal Officer and oversaw all legal affairs. In this role, he was instrumental in the underwriting, negotiation, and acquisition of more than 1,400 affordable housing communities representing over 93,000 apartment units for low-income families, senior citizens, and veterans.

David contributed his extensive insight and knowledge of affordable housing to his industry by serving as president and long-time member of the board of directors of the California Council for Affordable Housing and as director for the Council of Affordable and Rural Housing. Guided by an unwavering commitment to ``do the right thing,'' David has been a respected mentor to a countless number of colleagues in his career.

David has been married for 34 years to his wife Monica. David and Monica are blessed with three children and seven grandchildren. David's children describe him as the rock and foundation of their family. They praise him for his kindness, compassion, attentiveness, and love.

I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing David Shafer a happy retirement and thanking him for years of service in the affordable housing space. His work has improved the lives of many individuals and will continue to do so for years to come.

Madam Speaker, as a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 441, a former labor lawyer, and current co-chair of the Congressional Labor Caucus, I rise today to honor Richard Trumka's life, work, and unwavering commitment to America's workers.

The son of Pennsylvania coal miners, Trumka was a relentless and outspoken advocate for the rights of all workers. While he was a giant in the fight for workers' rights, he was also a loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather. My thoughts remain with his family and all those who knew and loved him.

As President of the AFL-CIO, Richard Trumka fought for justice. He helped make the labor movement more inclusive, standing with immigrant and undocumented workers and calling out racism.

I was proud to work with Richard Trumka throughout my time in Congress, and most recently on the U.S. Citizenship Act. He understood that our immigration system enables employers to exploit migrant workers with impunity and undermine the rights of all workers. He knew that building power and transforming the lives of working people would require bold, structural changes to our nation's immigration and labor laws.

From his time at the Mineworkers to his last days leading the AFL- CIO, Trumka created a legacy of championing labor. He made tangible changes that improved the lives of working families, enabling more people to work in safer conditions and receive better pay and benefits.

I will miss Richard Trumka, as will so many who worked with him and countless others whose lives were made better by his passion and leadership. I'm deeply proud to have had the honor of calling him my friend. And I am confident that his memory will live on in the progress he made for workers across America.

Madam Speaker, as co-chair of the Labor Caucus, I rise today to commend Ron Miller, the Executive Secretary of Los Angeles/ Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council, for his years of service. The Building and Construction Trades Council represents 150,000 skilled construction workers in 14 trades and 48 affiliated unions and district councils. Throughout his time with the council, Ron has helped advocate for workers and fought for education, opportunities, and jobs.

Ron, a 43-year member of the United Association and Pipe trades, rose from the rank-and-file of the building trades. He served as business representatives for UA Plumbers Local 78 and became executive secretary of the Building and Construction Trades Council in 2012. After 9 years of leading the building trades, and 43 years of working for unions, Ron retired on August 1, 2021.

As executive secretary, Ron led negotiations for billions of dollars' worth of project labor agreements with public and private entities. Through his work, Ron helped guarantee that a skilled and trained workforce from building trades affiliated unions would be on the job. Many of the agreements that Ron worked on renew into 2025 and beyond, ensuring that his work will continue to help workers for years to come.

Ron led the building trades in fighting for change to benefit working people. Throughout his time, Ron helped the building trades in efforts to fund education, affordable housing, and mass transit. Under Ron's leadership, the Council created the nonprofit Apprenticeship Readiness Fund. This fund coordinates more than 15 grassroots programs that facilitate entry to apprenticeship and lifelong trades careers. In doing so, Ron has helped the building trades drive economic equity and guarantee that there are avenues to pass on skills to the next generation.

Although Ron has retired, I am confident that his legacy will live on in the victories that he has fought hard for and delivered on. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have worked with Ron, and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the American Rescue Plan, and I want to thank Chairman Neal for his work to ensure that this package keeps our promises.

This rescue plan is transformative. It is the biggest investment in American families in a generation.

It puts shots in arms, money in pockets, children back to school, and people in jobs.

It invests in research, development, and production to get vaccines out to all Americans.

It helps keep people in their homes and apartments.

It puts food on the tables of families who are experiencing hunger.

It supports 27 million children with an expanded child tax credit.

It helps more than 17 million workers through the earned income tax credit.

It lowers healthcare costs and helps families keep their health coverage

through a provision in the bill that I coauthored with Congresswoman McBath.

A vote for this bill is a vote for investing in the dignity of America's families. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this relief package.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Neal for his leadership in crafting such a big part of this bold package. It has been almost 1 year since our lives were turned upside down. In that time, we have lost loved ones, friends, and neighbors; and millions more families are out of options.

We cannot afford to leave anyone behind. That is why this plan extends critical lifelines, so that families can meet their basic needs of putting food

on the table and paying their rent while we finally get this pandemic under control. I don't know what fantasy la-la land my colleagues on the other side of the aisle live in, but families are hurting in this country, and this bill will help them.

Mr. Speaker, you cannot stand up here and say you support the working class and families when you plan on voting ``no'' to helping them.

I am proud that this package includes many good things that help deliver on behalf of families that are in need. But I am especially proud that this package includes a bill that I introduced with Congresswoman McBath from Georgia, which will provide those on unemployment benefits with a guaranteed subsidy for healthcare so they don't lose their coverage in the middle of the worst pandemic that our country has seen in 100 years.

I am also pleased that this package includes an expansion and an improvement of the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit that I have long championed. These robust resources will help us meet the moment. This rescue plan will keep families and children from falling into poverty.

Mr. Speaker, this is not the time for small thinking. My Republican colleagues don't get that. They oppose this bill, despite the fact that it is wildly popular even among Republicans. Their opposition, I think, is simply because it is a Democratic bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' for the American Rescue Plan so that all families can see better days ahead.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the tireless work of school counselors across the country and in the 38th district of California that I am honored to represent. These public servants help develop well-rounded students by guiding them through their academic, social-emotional, and career development.

Marla Diaz, a counselor at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, California, is exactly the type of champion students need. Marla has been a counselor since 2001 and has been instrumental in the lives of the students she works with in the school.

Not only does Marla know all the students in her caseload of 400 but she also has created workshops and presentations for students and parents on the programs available at the school. Her leadership within the Project Lead the Way Biomedical Sciences and Engineering programs has helped students learn and apply a hands-on approach to solving and designing

solutions to health and engineering challenges, respectively. With her support, she has helped many students learn and find opportunities after high school. Her office is not only filled with her warmth but with pictures of former students, each one a life she has impacted and inspired. She is even known to have former students and families reach out for her guidance.

Counselors like Marla, provide so much for our students. Not only do they help with career and college choices, but they are often the ones who help students cope with serious and common challenges of growing up, including peer pressure, bullying, mental health issues, trauma, disciplinary problems, and more. Unfortunately, the average student- counselor-ratio is 430-to-1 nationally which is almost double the American School Counselor Association recommended ratio of 250-to-1. Our students deserve to have the support of school counselors, and school counselors deserve our support.

That is why I am proud to introduce a resolution to designate the week of February I, 2021, through February 5, 2021, as National School Counseling Week. I ask that all Members join me in recognizing the extraordinary work and dedication our school counselors have done to better the lives of young students.