Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, during the August work period, I visited the Dilley family immigration detention center with my colleagues to see conditions firsthand.

Over 500 people are being detained in inhumane conditions, including pregnant women, children, infants, and babies who are just 2 months old. These individuals should be living their lives, getting ready for school, and raising their families. Children should not be detained.

Dilley must be shut down, and ICE must be abolished.

While Republicans continue to let ICE run out of control, working families are struggling to afford basic essentials like groceries.

I visited the North Valley Caring Services in North Hills to see the work that the L.A. Regional Food Bank does to help families who are struggling with food insecurity. I spoke with healthcare workers about the importance of protecting Medicare for our constituents. I visited a Head Start program to learn about how Republicans' cuts make it harder for working families to thrive.

What I heard from my constituents at all of these visits is that they need relief from Republicans' affordability crisis.

Madam Chair, I missed three votes during a vote series today. Had I been present, I would have voted NO on Roll Call No. 255, NO on Roll Call No. 256, and NO on Roll Call No. 257.

Amendment No. 4 Offered by Ms. Boebert

Mr. Speaker, due to a technical issue on my voting card, my vote was not recorded. Had the vote been recorded, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 228, final passage of H.R. 7757 as amended.

Mr. Speaker, for 1,000 days, Armenian prisoners of war and civilians have been held in unlawful detention. Detainees are reported to have suffered from torture and abuse while being denied fundamental legal rights. These conditions are unacceptable, and their continued detention is a violation of fundamental human rights.

I am proud to cosponsor the Azerbaijan Sanctions Review Act to demand the release of these prisoners and hold officials accountable for these abuses.

The San Fernando Valley is home to one of the largest communities of Armenian Americans in the country. The stories that members of the Armenian-American community have shared with me throughout this conflict are heartbreaking. I stand with the Armenian-American community, my colleagues, and the families of the detainees in calling for the release and safe return of these prisoners of war.

Birthright Citizenship

Mr. Speaker, just moments ago, the Supreme Court struck down Donald Trump's illegal attempt to end birthright citizenship and ruled that 4 million children born in the United States, including many across the San Fernando Valley, have a place in this country as American citizens.

For 250 years, our country was built and defined by immigrants and children of immigrants. This includes people like my sister and me, who were born and raised in Los Angeles and are now pursuing our own American Dreams and contributing to the country that we love.

The Constitution is clear. Anyone born in the United States is a citizen of the United States. Donald Trump does not get to bend the rules and rewrite the Constitution just to comply with his illegal and anti-immigrant agenda.

Mr. Speaker, I will keep fighting to protect our immigrant communities like mine in the San Fernando Valley and across the country so that they, too, can have their chance at the American Dream.

Mr. Speaker, the San Fernando Valley mourns the loss of Nancy Oda.

Nancy was born in the Tule Lake Segregation Center during World War II, where her family was persecuted for their Japanese heritage. Her family's hope was that she would bring harmony into the world and overcome the challenges and discrimination they were facing at the time.

Nancy did what she could to bring that harmony by choosing a life of service to her community. She spent 32 years with the L.A. Unified School District, first as a teacher, then retiring as an elementary school principal.

Nancy's work didn't stop in the classroom. She served as president of the San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center and the Tuna Canyon Detention Station Coalition, where she worked tirelessly to preserve the history of Japanese-American incarceration and ensure that future generations would understand its impact.

Nancy believed that preserving history was not simply about remembering the past; it was about protecting the future. She used her voice to advocate for immigrant communities and ensure that they can live their lives with dignity.

Nancy will be remembered for her commitment to education, her devotion to community, and her unwavering belief in justice throughout the San Fernando Valley. Her memory will live on through the students whom she taught, the history she preserved, and the communities she strengthened.

We were all fortunate to have met Nancy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for a moment of silence in her honor.

Celebrating the Life and Service of Salvador Torres

Mr. Speaker, today, we celebrate the life and service of Salvador Torres from Pacoima.

Salvador was born and raised in Pacoima with his 12 siblings. After serving our country in Vietnam, Salvador came back to the valley where he worked at General Motors as a line worker to support his wife and three children, Marco, Fabiola, and Flor.

According to Marco, Salvador's love and kindness can be seen and felt in everyone that he knew. Salvador was able to form a bond with anyone, whether it be over stories from military service or their shared love of the L.A. Dodgers. This was evident at his memorial service, where over 400 people attended to pay their respects and celebrate a beloved neighbor, veteran, and leader.

Salvador's legacy lives on in his family, friends, and the community that he loved so dearly. He will be missed.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for a moment of silence in honor of Salvador.

Mr. Speaker, last September, the Trump administration announced that it would roll back the EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, or the GHGRP.

I led 29 of my colleagues urging the EPA to preserve the GHGRP. I also introduced a resolution to protect it from the Trump administration's attacks.

Since 2010, the GHGRP has collected and tracked greenhouse gas emissions from more than 8,000 sites, including landfills, power plants, and oil refineries. Federal agencies, State and local governments, businesses, and community-based organizations rely on this data to keep our communities and environment healthy. Rolling back the GHGRP will leave environmental justice communities unprepared to address the harmful environmental health and economic impacts of climate change.

My constituents in the San Fernando Valley have long lived in a sacrifice zone and a dumping ground for environmental pollution. This has led to more generational health problems and increased rates of asthma and other respiratory diseases than in surrounding areas.

The Trump administration is making it harder to keep our communities healthy and safe from pollution. I urge my colleagues to join me in calling for the administration to protect environmental justice communities and halt its rollback of the GHGRP.

North Hollywood Science Bowl

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate North Hollywood High School for placing fifth in the National Science Bowl. Led by North Hollywood teacher and coach Altair Maine, Connor Zhao, Connor Chang, Mingao Guo, Suzuko Ohshima, and Charles Huang, this team proudly represented Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley in a nationwide competition of 65 high school teams.

In a crowded and competitive field, the team showed their teamwork and exceptional STEM knowledge by answering complex questions about biology, chemistry, earth science, physics, energy, and math.

I congratulate Coach Maine for leading North Hollywood High School to another strong finish. Thank you for encouraging the North Hollywood High School community to become involved and interested in STEM.

North Hollywood High School's series of top finishes in the National Science Bowl is proof that the best science minds can be found in California's 29th Congressional District.

My office was happy to host the team and give them a tour of the U.S. Capitol when they were in Washington, D.C., this month. It is clear that they all have bright futures ahead.

I want to give a special shout-out to the three seniors on the team, Connor Zhao and Connor Chang, best friends since the fourth grade. They will be attending Stanford. Suzuko, who was a gold medalist in the International Biology Olympiad his sophomore year, will be attending MIT in the fall.

The future of this program, the students on the team, and the faculty who support the team is bright.

Congratulating Sylvia Fajardo

Mr. Speaker, the San Fernando Valley congratulates Sylvia Fajardo on her retirement as principal of Pacoima Charter Elementary School. After decades of service, leadership, and dedication, Sylvia is a true champion in our community.

Sylvia immigrated to the United States at the age of 13 where she quickly learned English and became a proud naturalized citizen. Sylvia believed in giving back to the country that gave her and her family new opportunities. She enlisted in the United States Marine Corps where she served 8 years before receiving an honorable discharge.

But her service to her community did not end there. Sylvia brought the same discipline, care, and determination into the classrooms of Pacoima Charter Elementary School where she uplifted students and their families. Drawing on her background in civil engineering, Sylvia built a comprehensive STEM program at Pacoima Charter, which opened doors for students of all backgrounds to explore their interests in the STEM field.

Sylvia's steady leadership was on full display when Pacoima became the target of Trump's ICE raids. Sylvia was at the forefront, protecting students, supporting families, and ensuring that none of the Pacoima community faced these challenges alone.

This is who she is as a leader and as a member of our community. It was my honor to invite her as my guest to this year's State of the Union Address.

Sylvia understands what it means to dedicate your life to serving our community and country with honor. We celebrate Sylvia's incredible career and the lasting impact that she has made in our community, and we thank her.

Mr. Speaker, I was recorded as YEA, when I intended to vote NAY on Roll Call No. 171, passage of H.R. 5625.

Mr. Speaker, the San Fernando Valley mourns the loss of Belinda Barragan.

Belinda was a proud, lifelong resident of the San Fernando Valley, graduating from St. Genevieve High School in Panorama City. For over 30 years, she was at the forefront of public service, advocating for working families and Latinos, ensuring that they had all the opportunities and support to thrive.

Belinda uplifted thousands of women and community members with her uniquely warm, funny, and love-centered leadership. Her career in public service has often been behind the scenes, and she has taught us the definition of steadfast leadership.

Through her work with HOPE Leadership Institute, Belinda empowered hundreds of Latina professionals and created opportunities for these women to strengthen their confidence and grow as leaders.

Her integrity and compassionate leadership helped build the careers of grassroots community leaders as well as those in the public and private sectors. She supported many Latino elected officials when they first started in politics, including former Congressman Tony Cardenas and Senator Alex Padilla.

Congressman Cardenas said that Belinda always helped everyone around her to be their best. Her intensity was infectious. Belinda's caring and loving personality matched her tough, ``let's get the job done'' attitude. He called her a force for good and positive change.

Senator Padilla called Belinda Barragan the nicest person you would ever meet and that she had a special ability to keep you on task and on deadline when there was work to be done.

Senator Padilla asked Belinda to be his campaign manager when he first ran for city council. He said that seeing Belinda at HOPE events over the years always brought him back to his early days in politics. Belinda will be remembered for her unwavering integrity, empathetic leadership, and her lifelong residency in the San Fernando Valley.

Her memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved her.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for a moment of silence in honor of Belinda.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Garcia and assistant Democratic leader Neguse for holding this important conversation on Trump's budget request for 2027.

We are here because Trump and Republicans led us to a cost-of-living crisis that is making life more unaffordable for working families. Trump's budget proposal will make this crisis worse. I have heard from people across my district that life is too expensive, from food to gas to rent.

Budgets are a reflection of our values, and Trump made his values heard loud and clear: Leave working families behind.

Trump's budget cuts $73 billion in programs that support working families. One of the programs that will be facing serious cuts is the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP. LIHEAP is a key program that helps families with reducing the costs associated with home energy bills, energy crises, weatherization, and minor energy- related home repairs. LIHEAP helps environmental justice communities like mine deal with the effect of extreme heat and climate change, and Trump wants to gut $4 billion in funding for LIHEAP.

Southern California is no stranger to heat, especially in the summer. However, due to climate change, periods of extreme heat in southern California, especially in the San Fernando Valley, are becoming more common, more intense, and more harmful. Eliminating critical funding for LIHEAP means my constituents will be less prepared to deal with periods of extreme heat while also paying more to keep their homes cool. Extreme levels of heat with no support or financial assistance to keep homes cool will be dangerous and even deadly.

Additionally, Trump is proposing a 52 percent cut in EPA funding. EPA has helped environmental justice communities like mine breathe cleaner air and drink cleaner water. By cutting EPA funding by over one-half, Trump will make our communities sicker.

Trump's budget proposal does not make life healthier or more affordable for working families in my district and across the country. In fact, prices will skyrocket. Since Trump's war in Iran started, gas prices in Los Angeles County have shot up to an average of nearly $6 per gallon with some gas stations seeing prices as high as $8 per gallon. Trump's budget request does not bring gas prices down for working families in the San Fernando Valley or across the country.

Trump's budget will also harm pregnant women, mothers, and children. WIC programs across my district help many of my constituents access the resources that they need for a healthier life, including food vouchers, nutrition education, and healthcare referrals. Trump's budget proposal slashes funding for WIC programs and will force millions of Americans to go hungry.

At a time when Americans are struggling to afford to put food on their table, Trump and Republicans are offering no life raft for those who need it the most. Trump wants to continue spending over $1 billion per day to continue his war in Iran while working families in my district and across the country continue to struggle with the rising cost of gas.

As Donald Trump turns his back on working Americans, my Congressional Progressive Caucus colleagues and I are fighting for them and the resources they need to succeed.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Pallone for yielding to me and for his continued leadership on the Energy and Commerce Committee, especially on environmental justice.

Mr. Speaker, I oppose the Republicans' RED Tape Act because it guts the Clean Air Act and strips the EPA's ability to inform the public of potential health concerns that they will face because of Federal projects.

The Clean Air Act makes sure that the EPA considers the health and environmental impacts of communities before a project begins. It has helped communities like mine in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles breathe cleaner air.

My district has some of the highest asthma rates in the country because of generations of poor land-use decisions. These decisions have placed freeways, landfills, and warehouses next to homes, schools, and parks.

I know that my community is not alone. Over 100 million Americans live in counties with unhealthy levels of pollution. In particular, children, the elderly, low-income communities, and communities of color are disproportionately at risk for serious health conditions.

Air pollution is already associated with over 100,000 premature deaths in our country every year. Trump and Republicans will make this problem worse by ignoring the needs of environmental justice communities across the country. Trump and Republicans are prioritizing the profits of their billionaire and corporate interest friends over the health of our communities.

The RED Tape Act allows polluters to contaminate the air that we breathe without regard for the lives or livelihoods of communities that would be impacted the most.

There is a reason that all Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee voted against the RED Tape Act, and that is because it is a harmful bill for everyone, except for Donald Trump and Republicans' billionaire friends.

This bill will increase levels of air pollution and send more people to the hospital at a time when Republicans have already gutted working families' healthcare. This bill does not make life safer or more affordable for working families in my district.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the RED Tape Act and to stand up for environmental justice communities.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Dexter and Congressman Tonko for hosting this conversation that shines a light on ICE's cruelty.

I have seen firsthand the cruelty of ICE in my district, the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles.

Last year, a mother and two children were detained at the Van Nuys Courthouse after a judge dismissed their asylum case. They were immediately taken by ICE and sent to the Dilley detention center in Texas. My casework team worked to release them from ICE custody and return them back to Van Nuys.

I am grateful for my team, for working to keep my constituents safe, and for helping to bring them home.

However, they never should have been in this position. My constituents were following the rules and obeying the laws, and ICE still took them and sent them to Texas to live in horrid conditions.

They were part of the over 68,000 people who have been in ICE detention, and the kids were part of the over 3,800 children booked into ICE custody.

ICE is terrorizing families and inflicting unspeakable harm on our most vulnerable. Despite all of this, Donald Trump and Republicans continue to refuse to hold ICE accountable. Children, parents, and our communities are

not safe if ICE continues to operate as is. To truly protect them, ICE must be abolished.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record on the subject of my Special Order hour.

Mr. Speaker, I am here today because we have yet to see a bill offered on the floor during my time in Congress that would make life more affordable for working families.

In fact, since the last time my freshmen colleagues and I were on this floor talking about the Republicans' affordability crisis, Donald Trump unconstitutionally started a war with Iran. So far there has been no meaningful plan or strategy to ensure that America's national security interests or our servicemembers are protected.

We mourn for the families and loved ones of the 13 servicemembers who have already lost their lives in this war, and we hope that another life is not lost.

After just over 2 weeks, Donald Trump's war in Iran has cost the American people $11 billion. Donald Trump would rather pour billions of dollars to start a war with another country than address the affordability crisis that he and Republicans have created.

I recently conducted a survey of nearly 70,000 constituents in my district and asked them a simple yes-or-no question: Instead of the war in Iran, should Trump focus on making the cost of living more affordable? Over 90 percent of those who responded said ``yes.'' This sentiment is reflected across the Nation.

Donald Trump's war in Iran has the worst-ever support for a war at its start. Trump's reckless and illegal war with Iran is yet another example of how this administration has been out of touch with the priorities of American families since he has been back in office.

The American people do not want our country to get sucked into another forever war. The American people want the Epstein files released. The American people want ICE to be reined in. The American people want to pay less at the grocery store, at the gas station, and at the doctor's office.

Since the war in Iran started, prices for gas, food, and other essentials have spiked. Gas prices shot up 50 cents in just one week, and oil prices hit $100 a barrel.

Experts believe that Trump's war in Iran could push the average cost of gas to above $4 a gallon within weeks. Gas stations in Los Angeles have hit over $8 per gallon.

But Trump says he doesn't have any concern about skyrocketing gas prices. He even called anyone who is worried about the rising cost of gas a fool.

When asked whether Americans should feel scared about retaliatory attacks on U.S. soil, Trump replied: ``When you go to war, some people will die.''

It is not enough to say that Donald Trump is completely out of touch with the needs of the American people. He does not care about everyday Americans. He is more concerned about lining the pockets of his billionaire donors and starting wars to deflect from the issues people actually care about.

My House Democratic Caucus freshmen colleagues and I refuse to let Trump's distractions deter us from fighting for our constituents. We remain focused on lowering costs for our constituents and holding Trump accountable.

We all voted against Trump's war in Iran, to stop him from abusing his power. It is clear that the American public and Congress do not influence Trump's decisions, and he would rather be influenced by his impulses and emotion.

Our constituents sent us to Washington to make life more affordable for them, not to rubberstamp Trump and Republicans' agenda that actively makes their lives worse for them.

Tonight, we will hear from some of the freshmen Democratic Caucus members and the work that they are doing to make life more affordable for their constituents.

I will start with the Congresswoman from Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Johnson), my colleague and friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Grijalva), my colleague and friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Menefee).

I draw your attention, Mr. Speaker, to the poster behind me. This is a real photo that my staff took of a gas station in Los Angeles. It is a real photo. It is not AI, and it is not photoshopped. Your eyes are not deceiving you, Mr. Speaker. You are seeing a real gas station showing $8.71 a gallon for regular gas. In the span of 1 week, gas prices shot up 50 cents--in just 1 week--and oil prices hit $100 a barrel.

Gas prices are nearly $3.50 per gallon on average across the country, but experts believe Trump's war in Iran could push the average cost of gas to above $4 a gallon within weeks. Analysts say that Americans will spend nearly $1 billion more on gas next week. Diesel prices are up 86 cents to $4.60 per gallon, and jet fuel prices have skyrocketed, hiking prices for shipping and airfare.

Trump has not shown concern for how the rising cost of gas could hurt Americans' wallets saying: ``If they rise, they rise.''

The United States produces more oil than any country on Earth, and even that supply could not stop gas prices from surging 50 percent in 10 days. Drilling more will not help Americans at the gas pump when oil companies are shipping oil barrels overseas, and it certainly will not help when a strategic waterway, the Strait of Hormuz, is shut down.

Trump's only response is to call us fools and gaslight the American people into thinking he is doing a good job. That is an out-of-touch response from an out-of-touch person. Working families in Los Angeles and across the country cannot afford Trump's war.

Across the country, families are sitting around the kitchen table and are seeing their monthly costs rise with no help in sight. It is adding up quickly, but then they turn on the TV and see that Trump has unconstitutionally started a war in Iran without strategy or justification.

Housing costs are skyrocketing. Grocery costs haven't gone down. Healthcare is being placed out of reach for millions of Americans. Republicans estimate that Trump's war is costing taxpayers upwards of $2 billion a day, and yet they cannot find a dime to lower the cost of living in this country.

Already, the cost of this war could have likely paid for extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits this year. Instead, families across the country are seeing their healthcare costs double and triple. In my district, 31,000 families have seen their healthcare costs rise because of Republican inaction. Additionally, nearly 11,000 people in California's 29th District will lose access to health coverage because of Republicans' refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that annual out-of-pocket premium payments for ACA marketplace enrollees will increase from $888 in 2025 to over $1,900 in 2026.

Constituents in my district have made their voices heard: They would rather Trump and Republicans focus on making healthcare more affordable, not getting involved in another foreign conflict.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Hernandez).

Mr. Speaker, before I close, I want to once again take a moment to mourn the lives that have already been lost to this conflict.

My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the 13 servicemembers who have been killed in this war. My heart also goes out to the innocent lives that have been taken as a result of this war, including the over 170 people, mostly young girls, who were killed in a school.

As we have seen, Donald Trump does not have a strategy to keep innocent lives or our servicemembers safe. He started a war because he once again refuses to address the issues Americans actually care about: releasing the Epstein files, reining in ICE, and addressing the affordability crisis he and Republicans started.

My House Democratic colleagues and I know that working Americans are not interested in another forever war. They want to be able to afford their rent, pay for their groceries, see their doctor, and fill their tank without fear of going into debt.

I am proud to work with my colleagues to drive down the high cost of living, fix our broken healthcare system, and make sure that immigration enforcement in this country is fair, just, and humane. House Democrats stand with working Americans and will always work on solutions to alleviate their fears and keep their dreams within reach.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to deliver over $2 million in Federal funding to the city of Los Angeles' Crisis and Incident Response through Community-Led Engagement program, or CIRCLE.

CIRCLE is a 24/7 unarmed response program that sends a team of mental health professionals and individuals to address nonurgent LAPD calls relating to the homeless population.

Through the use of this Federal funding, CIRCLE will now expand to more communities in my district, including North Hollywood and Sun Valley.

By meeting people where they are, CIRCLE helps prevent crises from escalating and connects individuals with the service and long-term support that they need.

The safety and prosperity of communities in the San Fernando Valley are among my most critical priorities. I am working with stakeholders and leaders across my district to ensure that all people feel safe and welcome in my district.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to bring these resources that will improve mental health and address substance abuse within the homeless population.

Funding for Autodesk Technology Engagement Center

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to secure over $1 million in Federal funding for the CSUN's Autodesk Technology Engagement Center.

This center will be a tech hub where students and our community will be able to explore their curiosities in STEM through hands-on learning opportunities.

These funds will allow the center to purchase cutting-edge tools and equipment for their discovery lab, Student Success Center, and other state-of-the-art technology.

As challenges continue to plague our country, including climate disasters and health-related threats, it is important that we understand how STEM can be used to solve these issues. As an engineer and former STEM educator, I have seen firsthand what can be done when we provide accessible STEM education resources to communities with diverse backgrounds.

For over 65 years, CSUN has provided students across the San Fernando Valley with the educational opportunities that they need to succeed in our world.

With the funding I was able to help secure for the Autodesk Technology Engagement Center, CSUN will be able to continue preparing students for the workforce.

I am confident that with this support, students will feel encouraged to pursue careers in STEM and create innovative solutions to solve the demands of our ever-changing world.

Funding for Los Angeles Valley College Cybersecurity Center

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to deliver $1 million in Federal funding to Los Angeles Valley College for a new cybersecurity center.

This funding will provide the latest software and training for our current and future cybersecurity professionals to engage with.

Cybersecurity is one of the fastest growing career fields in California and across the country. In fact, California has promoted a statewide initiative to train 50,000 entry-level cybersecurity professionals by 2030. The expansion of STEM education in my district will help close equity gaps and barriers that traditionally exist.

Meeting the demand for careers in cybersecurity not only boosts our workforce but also ensures that the United States remains a global leader.

Cybersecurity education needs to be accessible, and this center will foster those opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds to gain experience from those who are in the cybersecurity field. It also ensures that our workforce is better equipped to prevent cybersecurity threats to our key infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with LA Valley College to continue paving pathways for students to access high-paying, in-demand careers.

Mr. Speaker, the San Fernando Valley mourns the loss of Stephen Botsford.

Steve passed away on January 11 at the age of 75 after living a life filled with love, generosity, and impact. Steve was a successful businessman and philanthropist, who supported small businesses across the country, including in Los Angeles.

Steve deeply understood the importance of making sure that communities have what they need to thrive, which is why he set up a scholarship fund that allowed first-generation students across the San Fernando Valley to attend college. Steve's legacy lives on through the first-generation students who benefited from his scholarships and the dreams that were made possible through his support.

I send my condolences to his wife, Kathleen, and his children, Alexandra, Stephen Jr., and Victoria.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for a moment of silence in honor of Steve.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material into the Record on the subject of my Special Order hour.

Mr. Speaker, just over a year ago, I was part of a talented and diverse group of 33 freshmen Members of Congress. We were veterans, doctors, engineers, lawyers, teachers, small business owners, and State legislators who were sent by our constituents to make their lives better. They sent us to Congress to protect their healthcare, lower the costs of their groceries, and make life more affordable.

Democrats are working on bills that would meaningfully help families deal with the affordability crisis. There are bills that have been introduced that stop price gouging at the grocery store, make housing more affordable, and make healthcare accessible for all, but Republicans have yet to take up any of these proposals.

We are in midst of an affordability crisis, and Republicans are refusing to work with us to address it. We are 13 months into our first term in Congress, and my colleagues and I have yet to see a meaningful piece of legislation from Republicans that makes life less expensive for our constituents.

Over the past year, Republicans chose to rename the Gulf of Mexico, redefine what a showerhead is, rename the Kennedy Center, look into annexing Greenland, regulate fridges and gas stoves, and perhaps the most egregious one is to make the largest cuts to healthcare in our country's history in order to give billionaires more tax breaks.

The fact that Trump and Republicans are prioritizing these bills over lowering the cost of living is insulting to our constituents. I fail to see how renaming the Gulf of Mexico, redefining the definition of a showerhead, or annexing Greenland will help families in our districts afford groceries or pay their rent.

Because of Donald Trump and Republicans' policies, families across the country paid an average of over $1,600 more due in everyday expenses. Californians are paying over $2,300. However, do you know who is benefiting from the Trump administration? Billionaires.

With the big, ugly bill, Trump and Republicans have implemented the largest cuts to healthcare in the history of our country and worsen the affordability crisis just to line the pockets of their billionaire donors.

The big, ugly bill is also the largest cut to food assistance in American history. The bill cuts SNAP benefits by 20 percent for all participants, or roughly $200 billion, jeopardizing SNAP benefits for more than 40 million people, including 16 million children and 8 million seniors who rely on this for nutritional assistance.

Republicans turn their backs on making life affordable for our most vulnerable in order to help billionaires afford another yacht.

My House Democratic Caucus freshmen colleagues and I are focused on making life better for the American people and driving down grocery prices, utility bills, rent and mortgage payments, and childcare and elder care costs so that hardworking people can breathe easier.

To help working families, especially multigenerational households, deal with the rising costs of living, I am introducing the Multigenerational Family Tax Credit Act. My bill gives multigenerational families a tax credit for expenses that they incur when they upgrade their houses to make them more accessible for their aging parents who live with them. This includes upgrades like grab rails in the shower, an additional bathroom or bedroom, or even assistance to go up and down stairs. This tax credit will help multigenerational families afford to make the upgrades necessary for seniors to age gracefully in one place.

Tonight, we will hear from some of the freshmen of the Democratic Caucus and the work that they are doing to

make life more affordable for their constituents.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Whitesides), my colleague and friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Bell), my colleague and friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Mannion), my colleague and friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the great State of Maryland (Ms. Elfreth).

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Elfreth for her remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the great State of Arizona (Mrs. Grijalva).

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.

Mr. Speaker, over the past year, Republicans have chosen to focus on nearly everything except addressing the affordability crisis.

One of those items includes renaming the Gulf of Mexico. As a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, I saw this bill make its way through the committee thinking that it was a joke. I was correct to think that because the origin of renaming the Gulf of Mexico was from a joke.

In 2011, Stephen Colbert joked about renaming the gulf during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, stating that: ``I don't think we can call it the Gulf of Mexico anymore. We broke it; we bought it.''

When the big, ugly bill was being marked up in the Natural Resources Committee, I led an amendment that would make this unserious proposal more beneficial for working families in my district. My amendment made it so that the gulf cannot be renamed until Secretary Burgum can assess how the bill will actually lower grocery prices, improve the GDP, lower unemployment, and create jobs. Of course, Republicans rejected my amendment.

That seems to be the pattern that we are all seeing, and that is why we are here today to share the stories on how the affordability crisis is affecting our constituents.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Dexter).

Mr. Speaker, in July, Republicans voted to betray our values as a Nation and turn their backs on children, working parents, veterans, and our most vulnerable.

Under direct orders from the President, the big, ugly bill ignored the concerns of a majority of Americans to instead cater to billionaires. For over a year, Republicans have done nothing to save Medicaid, protect immigrant communities, provide food for needy families or children, or address the skyrocketing cost of living. Republicans voted to stand with billionaires and make life harder and more expensive for working families.

What Republicans somehow fail to see is how the big, ugly bill would harm their constituents. House Democrats all voted to save Medicaid and SNAP, protect our immigrant communities, and stand with working families across the San Fernando Valley and across the country.

As you heard from many of my freshmen colleagues who participated today, Republicans are turning their backs on everyday Americans. We all have constituent stories, constituents who have reached out to us to share the impact of these policies on their daily lives.

Just recently, I heard from an elderly couple in my district from Valley Village who are facing serious health concerns, including chronic heart problems and cancer. He and his wife make regular visits to the oncologist and are going through multiple rounds of chemotherapy. They live on a fixed income from Social Security. Between regular visits to the doctors and the monthly increase in their rent, they are struggling to make ends meet.

No one should have to make the choice of paying for their rent or a visit to the doctor that they need in order to survive. Unfortunately, these are the decisions that this administration is forcing everyday Americans to make. Republicans must work with House Democrats to bring these costs down for families in the San Fernando Valley and across the country.

Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. Speaker, the work we do in Congress should improve the lives of our constituents, not focus on vanity projects for an egomaniac or line the pockets of people who don't need it.

We heard from several talented and dedicated Democratic freshmen tonight about the work that they are doing to make life more affordable for their constituents.

The true test of how great we are as a country is how we treat and care for our most vulnerable. Time and time again, Democrats are rising to the occasion to pass this test and make life more affordable for all. By doing literally everything except for addressing the affordability crisis that they created, Republicans are failing that test.

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