Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate October as National Spina Bifida Awareness Month, to honor the 166,000 Americans living with this condition, and to draw attention to the critical challenges we must address to ensure that each and every one of these individuals can achieve their full human potential and have the quality of life they deserve.

According to the Spina Bifida Association of America, Spina Bifida is the most common permanently disabling birth defect compatible with life in the U.S. Literally translated as ``split spine,'' it is a condition that occurs when a baby's neural tube fails to develop or close properly. Typically occurring within the first 28 days of pregnancy while the neural tube is forming, Spina Bifida often develops before a woman even knows she is pregnant.

Before 1960, the survival rate for all forms of Spina Bifida was 10 percent to 12 percent. But over the last 6 decades, advances in research and medicine, along with policies supportive of children with disabilities, have ensured that nearly two-thirds of Americans currently living with Spina Bifida have made it to adulthood. And while these strides are certainly worth celebrating, people with Spina Bifida--particularly adults--continue to face a crisis of care that could be largely prevented with the right resources and policies.

Spina Bifida is commonly referred to as the ``snowflake condition'' of birth defects because no two cases are the same. Children born with this condition typically undergo dozens of surgeries before they reach the age of 18. And

during their lifetime, someone with Spina Bifida will face at least a $1 million in medical expenses, including surgeries continuing throughout adulthood, and most can expect to spend much of their lives in a wheelchair or walking with braces.

One significant challenge facing this population is that, while we have a coordinated system of care designed to treat children with Spina Bifida in the U.S., there is no equivalent for adults. Spina Bifida is still largely taught in medical schools as a pediatric condition and education has failed to keep pace with the rapid rise in the adult Spina Bifida population. The result is that adults face a ``care cliff'' and enter a very fractured medical system where they are unable to find physicians willing or even knowledgeable enough to provide treatment. Thousands of adults are left with few options other than to seek care in the emergency room or continue to see their pediatric care team until insurance will no longer cover their care because of their age.

To make matters worse, many of these adults rely on Medicaid as their insurance provider, so even if they have the means to travel to an adult specialist who may be located in another state--as is often the case--their coverage is denied. Across the country, there are more than 100 pediatric clinics devoted to caring for children with Spina Bifida. There are less than 30 whose focus is on adults.

There are a number of concrete steps at the federal level we could take that would make dramatic improvements in the ability of adults with Spina Bifida to access quality care. One is to increase funding of the CDC's National Spina Bifida Program--the sole federal program tasked with improving the care and outcomes for people with Spina Bifida. In 2008, the Spina Bifida Program created a National Spina Bifida Patient Registry to collect the scientific data needed to evaluate existing medical services for Spina Bifida patients, and to provide clinicians, researchers, patients, and families a window into what care models are effective and what treatments are not making a measurable difference. Building on this in 2014, the Spina Bifida Program funded the development of a Spina Bifida Collaborative Care Network to identify and to disseminate best practices for the care of people with Spina Bifida at all ages. However, with only $7.5 million in annual funding, there are only 11,000 patients in the national registry, limiting the ability of medical professionals to glean knowledge that would advance research in areas critical to improving quality of life. Even modest increases to this funding would make an enormous difference.

Another important step would be to reform Medicaid policies to require coverage or treatment received across state lines for rare disorders, as there simply aren't enough specialists in each state to provide the care that people with Spina Bifida desperately need and deserve.

And finally, we must continue to allow patients to receive insurance coverage for telehealth services once the COVID-19 emergency declaration expires. Telehealth is a critical tool in improving health outcomes for everyone, particularly those with unique conditions where care isn't easily accessible geographically.

We are so fortunate today that our country is benefiting from the talent and contributions of the first generation of adults living with Spina Bifida. Today, I honor and celebrate all of them, along with their care partners, and also remember those we have lost to this condition. I urge my colleagues to not only increase funding for the National Spina Bifida Program, but to work together to reform insurance policies so that these Americans receive the care and treatment all of us want for our families and loved ones.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and thank Ron Herrera on his retirement earlier this summer from Teamsters Local 396 following nearly two decades leading his local union.

Ron Herrera grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Wilmington, CA as part of a proud union family. For generations, the Herrera family has fought to improve the lives of workers. Ron's grandfather was a veteran of the copper mines of Arizona, fighting the kinds of abuses and discrimination portrayed in the classic strike film Salt of the Earth. His father was a committed union man who worked the Ports of Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Oakland as a member of the Longshoremen's Union. He instilled in Ron a profound respect for worker rights, social justice, and the invaluable role the labor movement plays in advancing the interests of working people. Ron Herrera began his own union career in 1975 as a package car driver for United Parcel Service. At the time, he was one of a handful of Latino drivers employed by UPS. He first distinguished himself as a leader in the labor movement during the 1997 UPS Teamsters strike--the largest strike in U.S. history.

Teamsters champion freight drivers and warehouse workers but organize for numerous occupations. Teamsters Local 396 represents UPS and Sanitation workers in Southern California. The local union also serves members in other industries such as logistics, recycling, and feed delivery services. During his 24 years as a rank-and-file Teamster member, Ron Herrera represented his fellow members as a United Parcel Service Shop Steward. In 2000, he was hired as Business Representative for Teamsters Local 396 and in 2001 he became the President of his local union. In 2003, he was elected to the Local 396 Principal Officer position.

Ron Herrera has led many successful organizing campaigns and helped pass

groundbreaking legislation at the municipal and state levels. These campaigns have helped workers become Teamsters Union members, allowing them to provide a better-quality life for their families.

In 2011, Ron Herrera was elected as a Trustee of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Executive Board and he later served as Western Region Vice President from 2015 to 2022.

On September 16, 2019, Ron Herrera was nominated and elected President of the LA County Federation. The LA County Federation is the second largest labor council in the United States with over 300 affiliated union and labor organizations that represents more than 800,000 members in the Los Angeles County area.

In 2020, Ron Herrera cast his vote as one of California's fifty-five Electoral College Electors for now President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Ron's efforts over two decades included raising the standard of living for sanitation workers. He fought for higher wages, better benefits, and secured contract language to protect immigrant workers from unjust termination. He and Teamsters across the country mobilized to support Temporary Protective Status holders and immigrants. In 2019, the Teamsters supported my introduction of The Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 6), crucial legislation that will ensure the future of Dreamers and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders.

Ron, along with Teamsters Local 396, is part of the Don't Waste LA coalition of community, environmental, and labor organizations working to eliminate dependance on landfills and dangerous jobs in Los Angeles.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in thanking and congratulating Ron Herrera for his many years of exemplary leadership and outstanding service to labor unions. Let us wish him many happy years of retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Ana M. Figueroa, my District Chief of Staff who retired on March 4, 2022, after almost 30 years on my district staff. It also gives me great pleasure to help her celebrate her 53rd birthday today, September 14, 2022.

Ana is a proud Mexican immigrant born in the town of Cueramaro, Guanajuato. Her parents, Jose Dolores Figueroa and Consuelo Figueroa Laguna, immigrated to the United States with two of Ana's four siblings, Rigoberto, and Rosa Maria, in 1974 and settled in the Los Angeles area. Ana and her older sister, Maria Guadalupe, joined the family in Los Angeles one year later, reuniting the 7-member family which now included Ana's youngest sister, Maricela.

Ms. Figueroa grew up in Boyle Heights and the unincorporated East Los Angeles community. She attended Lorena Street Elementary School, Rowan Avenue Elementary School, Robert L. Stevenson Jr. High School and graduated from James A. Garfield High School in 1987. The proud Bulldog graduate then attended Occidental College where she majored in Cognitive Science and minored in Sociology.

Upon college graduation, Ana began her public service career with the office of Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley as the assistant to his Liaison to the Latino Community and Eastside Area Coordinator in 1991.

In July 1992, Ana was recruited by my California State Assembly office to serve as a field representative for Southeast Los Angeles cities, Boyle Heights, and East Los Angeles in the 56th Assembly District. She was then promoted to field deputy when I was elected to represent the 33rd Congressional District in January 1993. She became Senior Field Deputy and Casework Director in June 1995, and my District Chief of Staff in May 1998.

Ana earned the respect and gratitude of staff, colleagues, and elected officials at the congressional, state, and local levels as a result of her effectiveness, collaborative leadership, unwavering commitment to community service, and outstanding dedication.

With impeccable integrity, compassion, and distinction, she served the constituents of the 33rd, 34th, and 40th Congressional Districts I represented through the years as the first Mexican American woman elected to the U.S. Congress.

Ana officially retired from the U.S. House of Representatives on March 4, 2022, after almost 30 years as a member of my district office team.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing and thanking Ana M. Figueroa for her 31 years as an exemplary public servant and extending sincere best wishes for a healthy, prosperous, and richly rewarding retirement, and a very happy 53rd birthday.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 293.

Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress

Allred (Gomez)

Babin (Weber (TX))

Boebert (Bishop (NC))

Bonamici (Manning)

Bourdeaux (Correa)

Bowman (Chu)

Brown (MD) (Trone)

Bush (Williams (GA))

Cardenas (Gomez)

Carter (LA) (Williams (GA))

Carter (TX) (Weber (TX))

Cherfilus-McCormick (Williams (GA))

Cohen (Beyer)

Comer

(Reschenthaler)

Connolly (Beyer)

Costa (Correa)

Crist (Soto)

Davis, Danny K. (Gomez)

DeSaulnier (Beyer)

Doyle, Michael F. (Pallone)

Fletcher (Pallone)

Frankel, Lois (Kuster)

Garcia (IL) (Beyer)

Gohmert (Weber (TX))

Gosar (Weber (TX))

Gottheimer (Neguse)

Grijalva (Gomez)

Guest (Fleischmann)

Hartzler (Bacon)

Hayes (Neguse)

Huffman (Gomez)

Jacobs (NY) (Smucker)

Jayapal (Gomez)

Jeffries (Neguse)

Johnson (GA) (Manning)

Johnson (TX) (Stevens)

Katko (Meijer)

Keating (Neguse)

Kirkpatrick (Pallone)

Krishnamoorthi (Neguse)

Lawson (FL) (Soto)

McEachin (Beyer)

Moore (WI) (Beyer)

Moulton (Stevens)

Nehls (Cawthorn)

Newman (Beyer)

Obernolte (Steel)

Palazzo (Fleischmann)

Pascrell (Pallone)

Payne (Pallone)

Porter (Neguse)

Pressley (Trahan)

Rice (SC) (Meijer)

Rogers (KY)

(Reschenthaler)

Rush (Neguse)

Salazar (Diaz-Balart)

Sires (Pallone)

Spartz (Harshbarger)

Stansbury (Stevens)

Strickland (Neguse)

Suozzi (Neguse)

Swalwell (Correa)

Takano (Chu)

Tlaib (Gomez)

Torres (NY) (Williams (GA))

Underwood (Neguse)

Walorski (Baird)

Waltz (Gimenez)

Wasserman Schultz (Soto)

Watson Coleman (Pallone)

Wilson (FL) (Williams (GA))

Amendment No. 2 Offered by Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, which seeks to address our national mental health and substance use crisis. I thank Congressman Pallone for this package of bills, which includes my bill, H.R. 7105, known as the STOP Act.

The STOP Act advances a comprehensive and effective national effort on underage drinking prevention, which includes a national adult- oriented media campaign and grants for community-based prevention coalitions.

The legislation recognizes the importance of alcohol regulation and the fact that alcohol is different than other consumer products and is best regulated by states, consistent with the 21st Amendment.

Since the passage of the original STOP Act in 2006, we have witnessed a 12.7 percent decrease in alcohol use amongst 12-to-20-year-olds. Yet, alcohol continues to be the most widely used substance amongst youth, accounting for 3,900 deaths and 225,000 years of potential life lost annually.

We must continue to lead efforts to reduce underage alcohol use and ensure the safety of our youth. I urge my colleagues to vote YES on this bill.

Madam Speaker, we have a gun epidemic which is unique to America.

As a mother and grandmother, like the rest of the nation, I am heartbroken by the horrifying killings of innocent Americans, especially our children.

In 2021, homicides hit a 15 year high in Los Angeles. And this year, according to the Los Angeles Police Department, people are being killed at a faster pace than last year.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in 2020, 45,222 people died from gun-related injuries. Of these, 19,384, died violently.

These are not just numbers. They represent individuals whose lives were cut short as a result of gun violence. They were moms, dads, sons, and daughters. They belonged to a family, they were loved, and will forever be missed.

They should be here today.

Mass shootings must not be an acceptable norm.

Changing our culture of gun violence will not happen overnight. We must start the process now. There is no excuse for failing to try.

I urge my Republican colleagues to put partisan politics and special interests aside and join us in support of this commonsense legislation to help keep our children and fellow Americans safe.

Our thoughts and prayers are not enough if we fail to act and continue to ignore the gun violence which forever shatters the hearts of families across our nation.

Martin Luther King Jr., reminded us that ``the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.''

To my Republican colleagues, you do not need more time. Americans need you to bend towards justice now and help us to prevent another Uvalde, another Buffalo, Tulsa, El Paso, Parkland, Sandy Hook, and Columbine.

Enough is enough.

We must pass this legislation and the Senate must get it to the President's desk, without delay.

I urge my colleagues to make our children's lives a priority and support this commonsense legislation.

Madam Speaker, condemning Rising Antisemitism, H. Res. 1125, acknowledges the multitude of contributions that American Jews have made to our nation. This legislation also condemns the documented and dangerous rise of Antisemitism globally and domestically.

This month we celebrate Jewish American History Month and remember the contributions that Jewish people have made to our nation. As a Nation of immigrants, the United States is better and stronger because Jewish people from all over the world have chosen to become American citizens. Since first arriving in the America's in 1654, Jewish Americans have achieved great success, strengthened our country, and helped shape our way of life.

Through their deep commitment to faith, family, and community, Jewish Americans remind us of a basic belief that guided the founding of this Nation. We must take the opportunity to not only remember these contributions, but also thank the many Jewish Americans who defend our ideals as members of the United States Armed Forces.

I am proud to vote for H. Res. 1125 today. Anti-Semitic attacks and rhetoric must be met with clear voices of condemnation. Our Nation is facing a rise in Anti-Semitism and White Supremacist extremism. I will lend my voice to denounce Antisemitism today and every day and continue to stand in solidarity with Jewish communities in California and across our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1096 because I believe the time has come to recognize our Congressional Workers' Right to Organize. Just as celebrated Mexican American Civil Rights Activist and Labor Leader, Cesar Chavez said (`` Se Puede.''). Yes, you can.

Madam Speaker, the American Labor Movement was born out of a creed and fundamental belief rooted firmly in protecting the common interests of workers by promoting and advancing the social, political, and economic equality of every man, woman, and child.

Throughout our nation's history, workers have come together to bravely share their workplace experiences and illustrate their need for the protected right to organize. The earliest labor unions were inspired by a just society, deriving their ideals from the American Revolution. They sought to create conditions that fostered social equality, celebrated honest labor, and relied on independent and virtuous citizenship.

It was the American Federation of Labor, a union, that successfully negotiated wage increases for its members and enhanced workplace safety in the early 20th Century.

And it was the dedication and efforts from unions like United Farm Workers, United Auto Workers, and United Steelworkers, that have long championed religious freedoms, the evolving demands of the environmental movement; the rights of farm workers; promoting human rights both domestically and abroad; advancing civil liberties; social justice, and economic equality for every American.

It took President Franklin D. Roosevelt's leadership and the hard work of unions for Congress to pass the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938, which is responsible for establishing the eight-hour day and five-day week for wage employees. As FDR once told union and civil- rights leader A. Philip Randolph, he agreed with the labor movement's ideas, but it was the work of the activists that made him go out and advocate for these reforms.

Throughout our Nation's history, workers and their unions have agitated lobbied, organized, struck, and voted for decades to achieve more equitable and safe working conditions.

For the past thirty years, it has been my great honor to serve the California's 40th Congressional District and the American people. I

have been able to do this through a hard-working, dedicated and committed staff.

I am happy to join my colleagues in bringing Congressional Staff closer to having the legal right to organize and bargain collectively.

Yes, you can.

(Si, Se Puede)

Madam Speaker, I rise to salute Noah Assad for his many positive contributions to Los Angeles, both as a prominent soccer player and as an active member of our Los Angeles community.

Noah Assad was born on May 5, 1990, in Puerto Rico. He is co-founder and CEO of the record company Rimas Entertainment and the Rimas Foundation and is the representative of the internationally known artist, Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio.

Mr. Assad acquired his gift for navigating the music business early. At age fourteen, he was organizing events in his native Carolina, Puerto Rico, bringing in hundreds of people; by age nineteen, he was booking local reggaeton acts to perform in Colombia. Assad started releasing free reggaeton compilations to increase demand for the acts he worked with. His success continued and Assad launched his own label, Rimas Entertainment, in 2014.

Assad has established himself as active leader in his fields. He is a hands-on strategist and a philanthropic citizen who utilizes his talents to create unique opportunities for all ages to thrive and effectively impact the world. His efforts have improved the lives of others and laid the groundwork to improve the quality of life of those he encounters and the community at large.

Madam Speaker, Noah Assad has shown exemplary commitment to the people of Los Angeles and beyond, and I am pleased to recognize his work as a music executive and philanthropist. I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing his many contributions and his positive impact.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio.

Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio was born on March 10, 1994, in Almirante Sur, Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. Mr. Martinez Ocasio wanted to be a singer since he was five years old and pursued the studied audiovisual communication at the University of Puerto Rico at Recinto de Arecibo before leaving the program to pursue his music career.

A native of Puerto Rico, Martinez Ocasio, has been a great force in the rise of the island's popular reggaeton music. His parents Lysaurie Ocasio Declet and Tito Martinez and family inspired his music aspirations. His mother Lysaurie encouraged Martinez Ocasio into music at a young age in his church choir.

Benito's family instilled in him the belief that life is not measured by the amount of money or trophies a person has but rather the challenges overcome and an appreciation for life.

Mr. Martinez Ocasio is actively involved in the betterment of his community, Los Angeles County, and in neighborhoods across our great nation including his hometown of Almirante Sur, Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. He has been recognized by countless local leaders in Los Angeles County and throughout California for his tremendous support to the community and dedication to assisting those in need.

In 2018, Martinez Ocasio was vacationing in Puerto Rico when he decided to make a generous donation of $100,000 to the nonprofit organization SER of Puerto Rico. The donation supported children with autism and muscular disabilities who require rehabilitation. At the end of a telethon that he participated in, SER received $1.7 million in donations. Martinez Ocasio has been a role model for disability communities and is working to ensure that one day the cure for autism is found. One in thirty five children born today will have Autism, but people like Mr. Martinez Ocasio have given hope to millions in the fight to find the cure one day.

Martinez Ocasio has not forgotten his humble roots and the neighborhood that had a profound impact on his upbringing and has given back his time and resources to his community. In one instance, Martinez Ocasio helped a 13-year-old Cayman Islands boy who was residing in a hospital and in need of thousands of dollars to cover his medical expenses including a needed heart transplant surgery. When the boy's story caught his attention, Martinez Ocasio brought public awareness to the boy's critical need for an expensive surgery and called on other artists as well as ordinary people to donate any amount they could afford. Together they successfully raised the necessary resources for the boy's surgery.

Martinez Ocasio has led the way in helping others in California in the City and County of Los Angeles, focusing on assisting Angelenos with developmental disabilities. He has established himself as a leader and a charitable American utilizing his talents to create unique opportunities for all ages to thrive and impact the world.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mr. Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio and applauding his contributions and philanthropic endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5487, the Stillbirth Health Improvement and Education for Autumn Act, or the SHINE Act.

For far too long, stillbirth has existed in the shadows of our maternity care system. Yet, each year, in the United States, about 24,000 babies are stillborn. This is more than 10 times as many deaths that occur from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, yet SIDS is much more recognized and researched than stillbirth.

Due to our failure to invest in stillbirth research, the United States lags behind 181 nations who are more rapidly reducing their stillbirth rates than us. And similar to most adverse maternal and infant outcomes, our minority communities are disproportionately impacted by this heartbreak.

Also, families who experience a stillbirth tragedy are not well- supported by our healthcare system or their communities. This leaves families feeling isolated and unprepared to deal with their tragic loss.

As co-chair of the Congressional Maternity Care Caucus, I am proud to have worked with my co-chair and author of the bill, Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler, and my colleagues, Congresswoman Kathy Castor and Congressman Markwayne Mullin, to introduce the SHINE for Autumn Act this fall.

And I thank Debbie Haine for sharing her family's story of losing Autumn, and for her decade-long crusade to shine a Federal spotlight on this heartbreaking maternal health concern.

The SHINE Act will establish a Perinatal Pathology Fellowship program at the NIH to increase research on stillbirth. It will provide critical resources to Federal and State health departments to improve surveillance and data collection. And it will increase awareness and understanding of this perinatal tragedy by supporting the development of educational materials and guidelines for State and local health departments.

The SHINE Act also directs the Surgeon General to produce a report on stillbirth risk factors and requires the Secretary of HHS to report on the progress and effectiveness of the NIH training programs.

Today, this House has the opportunity to bring stillbirth out of the shadows and to invest in the education and research that will save babies lives.

I am proud to vote ``yes'' on the SHINE for Autumn Act, and I urge my colleagues to support this critical legislation.

Madam Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.

Madam Speaker, each year, the first and most important responsibility Congress has is to determine how taxpayer dollars will be spent on behalf of our constituents. The continuing resolution before the House will prevent a government shutdown and give us sufficient time to complete the full-year funding bills if the minority will finally come to the negotiating table.

Some friends on the other side of the aisle have suggested simply enacting a yearlong CR, which would effectively wash our hands of our constitutional duty. My subcommittee is responsible for drafting the funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security. If, as my Republican colleagues have suggested, we were to pass a full-year CR, DHS would lose critical increases in the House bill that are imperative to the security of the United States. This includes a historic 20 percent increase for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; funding to increase FEMA's capacity to respond to the growing frequency of disasters linked to climate change; a quadrupling of funding for trade facilitation and security at our ports of entry; a 6 percent increase for Homeland Security Investigations; and an 8 percent increase for critical Coast Guard operations.

Let's quickly approve this short-term CR and then roll up our sleeves and work together to fulfill our constitutional duty by negotiating full-year bills.

Madam Speaker, I rise to salute Javier Hernandez Balcazar for his many positive contributions to Los Angeles, both as a prominent soccer player and as an active member of our Los Angeles community.

Javier was born on June 1, 1988, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, to Silvia Balcazar and Javier Gutierrez. He began playing soccer at the junior club level when he was 7 years old. After signing his first professional contract with a local club at the age of 15, he was selected for the Mexico national under-17 team. In July 2010, he was acquired by the Premier League club Manchester United and became the first-ever Mexican player to be selected for one of the leading Premier League teams.

Javier's extraordinary soccer career and his hard work to reach his goals are an inspiration to young people around the world. As a new member of the Los Angeles Galaxy, he has become an incredible role model throughout Southern California.

Javier joined the Galaxy as the team's Designated Player on January 21, 2020. Since joining the team, Javier's passion for giving back has inspired his many philanthropic efforts in the Los Angeles community.

On December 5, 2021, Javier will once again support his community by appearing for fans in Bell Gardens, California, in my 40th Congressional District. The event will be one of the largest toy giveaways in the history of Southern California and will be hosted by DEL Records, the largest Latino record label in the region.

Madam Speaker, Javier Hernandez Balcazar has shown exemplary commitment to the people of Los Angeles and beyond, and I am pleased to recognize his work as an athlete and philanthropist. I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing his many contributions and his positive impact.

Madam Speaker, today I recognize my good friend Mary Anne Chern, ACFRE, FAHP, a highly regarded healthcare fundraiser who has retired from Adventist Health White Memorial in Los Angeles after 24 years of dedicated service. White Memorial is the region's leading faith-based, nonprofit hospital and is located in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of East Los Angeles. For years, Mary Anne served as president of the Adventist Health White Memorial Charitable Foundation and as a member of the hospital's Executive Team. I thank Mary Anne for her years of friendship and counsel and her unrelenting dedication to the healthcare fundraising profession.

Over the course of her 40-year career, Mary Anne has raised over $500 million for healthcare institutions in principal and major gifts, private grants, and government funding. She is highly respected by her peers and is a friend and mentor to healthcare development professionals across the nation and worldwide. Mary Anne is one of only seven fundraising professionals in the world to have achieved both the Advanced Certified Fund Raising Executive (ACFRE) and the Fellow of Association of Healthcare Philanthropy (FAHP) certifications. She is also a Si Seymour Award winner for ``career excellence and outstanding leadership.'' The Si Seymour Award is the highest international recognition in healthcare fundraising and has only been given to a total of 41 fundraising professionals since 1970.

In 2010, Mary Anne was elected to be the international chair of the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) by its over 5,000 members. The AHP is the leading authority on healthcare philanthropy and it represents development professionals at more than 2,000 nonprofit hospitals, medical centers, health systems and related facilities throughout North America and abroad.

Mary Anne has extensive experience teaching fundraising best practices and she served on the two boards that certify professional fundraisers internationally: the CFRE Board of Directors and the AHP Board of Certification, the latter of which she chaired. She also served on the national board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and its greater Los Angeles chapter, as well as the boards of CFRE International, which credentials fundraising professionals; the Milton Murray Foundation for Philanthropy, which develops the expertise of nonprofit leaders; and the Southern California Association for Healthcare Development (SCAHD).

Mary Anne is the co-author of a book and the author of numerous articles on fundraising. She won the AHP Journal Award in 2009 for her article, ``Hispanic Fundraising: Myths and Realities.'' She has a special interest in social determinants of both individual and population health, and she currently serves on the Steering Committee of the Los Angeles County Community Health Assessment and Action Partnership.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing Mary Anne's immense contributions to the healthcare fundraising industry and her outstanding leadership and commitment to providing quality and accessible health services to the greater Eastside Los Angeles community through Adventist White Memorial. Thanks to her years of service, my constituents have been able to access high-quality care in a modern and technologically advanced facility. Mary Anne's ability to make others feel special and welcome in the Adventist Health White Memorial community is something we will all miss. I thank her for her warmth and her dedication to ensuring that the healthcare industry has the funding it needs to implement the highest possible care for Angelenos, Americans, and patients around the world.