Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I also thank my partner in this legislation and Chairman Graves for his positive comments.

As was mentioned, in 2017 an Air Canada plane at San Francisco International Airport got within 59 feet of crashing into four planes loaded with passengers, putting the lives of more than 1,000 people at risk, which would have been the greatest aviation disaster in American history. When the National Transportation Safety Board investigated, they found that the outdated NOTAM system was the largest part of the near disaster.

Since then, I and others have been working with the aviation industry, the FAA, the NTSB, and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to address the critical issues with NOTAMs. Updating them and making them more accessible to the people who use them is essential to the safety of the flying public and the confidence of the users.

Earlier this month, we learned what happens when there is an outage in the system: chaos and grounded flights.

In response to the Air Canada incident, I authored the Safe Landings Act, which would work to improve many aspects of aviation safety technology, including to the NOTAM system. With Members of both parties and the chair and ranking member, we have worked over the years to continue to hold the FAA accountable for the safety of passengers, crew, and aircraft.

In 2018, we included a requirement in the FAA reauthorization to speed up the modernization of the NOTAM system. Last year, more than 4 years after the provision passed into law, I led a letter with Ranking Member Larsen to the FAA asking why the system was still outdated.

The mass flight cancellations that resulted from the outage further emphasized the need to make rigorous and immediate updates to the NOTAMs, and brought public awareness to this critical system.

I am proud to have worked with my colleague and friend from Minnesota on this bill in a bipartisan manner and look forward to protecting the safety of the flying public. With the creation of this task force, this will be accomplished.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a good friend and a wonderful professional, Randy Sawyer.

Randy has been a dedicated public servant in the county I represent in San Francisco Bay Area, Contra Costa. Contra Costa is home to a heavily industrialized part of the bay area with refineries and chemical plants.

Randy has served important roles at the Contra Costa Health Services, beginning as a specialist engineer in the Hazardous Materials Division, then becoming the Chief Environmental Health and Hazardous Materials Officer, and ultimately ending as the Deputy Director.

Among Randy's efforts to promote public health, he helped to champion the county's community warning system, one of the best response teams in the State and the country, to alert county residents and businesses when they are impacted or in danger of being impacted by an emergency.

He also helped Contra Costa lead the county in refinery safety with his work on the industrial safety ordinance, which I am proud to be an author of.

The legacy of Randy's work will continue to protect residents in the bay area for years to come. Please join me in congratulating Randy on his retirement and honoring him for his 30 years of public service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of Dr. Chris Farnitano.

Dr. Farnitano has dedicated his career and his life to improving the lives of others and advancing wellness and compassionate care in the district that I represent in Contra Costa County and the San Francisco Bay area. Over the course of his 30 years, Chris has served in an important leadership role at the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center and its clinics and ultimately ended up as the Contra Costa County health officer in 2018.

Chris' commitment to promoting public health and well-being in our community is apparent in all of the work he has done. In 1997, he assisted in the development of the Pittsburg Health Center's HIV Medical Clinic, which was the first of its kind in the Nation. Chris was also instrumental in minimizing the spread of the coronavirus in our county and in the region.

Chris' work has had significant impact on our community, and our county admires his compassion and his dedication and wishes him well in his retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of Delano Johnson as he celebrates his 80th birthday.

Delano has dedicated his life to serving and empowering the East County community in Contra Costa, California. Delano is the founder of Bay Point Community All-N-One Inc., a nonprofit founded in 2012 that helps connect Bay Point residents with essential resources including housing, food, clothing, and hygiene products. The organization hosts a weekly event that provides critical support and services to up to 200 families each week. Further, thanks to Delano's leadership, the organization recently hosted a very successful Thanksgiving Giveaway, distributing over 1,000 turkeys and chickens to the community.

Delano participates with a number of nonprofits in the area to do more work to better his community, including White Pony Express, Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano, Village Keepers, and Stand Together Contra Costa. Additionally, Delano regularly hosts meetings between local charities, nonprofits, and other community-based organizations, allowing these groups to easily connect and to better provide for the residents of East County. Delano's hard work and dedication are admired by all who know him.

Please join me in recognizing and thanking Delano Johnson for his years of dedicated service as we celebrate his 80th birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of Amy Worth, a wonderful constituent and friend.

It has been my pleasure to have worked alongside Amy through her many contributions to the bay area and her community. From library commissioner to city council member to mayor to chair of the Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Amy has selflessly served the city of Orinda and the bay area for the last 24 years and has served as mayor of Orinda for 5 years.

As a member of the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, her leadership was critical in a major transportation improvement, the expansion of the Caldecott Tunnel in the east bay, which improved traffic congestion throughout the bay area. She also helped pass Measure J, a transportation sales tax.

Her passion and commitment to her family and community are extraordinary. Amy has always been a dear friend and a tenacious force for good in our community and in my life.

Please join me in congratulating Amy on her well-deserved retirement and honoring her for her many years of dedicated public service to her community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today with Congressman Jerry McNerney and Congressman Mike Thompson to recognize the service of Beverly Lane as she retires from the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) Board of Directors.

Beverly has been a strong advocate for Contra Costa residents and has worked tirelessly to help this community thrive. As former Mayor of Danville, she was committed to preserving open spaces and bolstering the town's transportation system. Additionally, she spearheaded efforts to protect local sites of cultural and historical significance and to educate others about the Bay Area's rich history through her work with a variety of organizations including the League of Women Voters (California), Central Contra Costa Transportation Authority, California League of Cities, the Oakland Museum of California History, the Contra Costa County Historical Society, and more. She is the author of four books on local history and led efforts to establish the Calaveras Ridge trail as well as an agricultural park in Danville. Beverly has received extensive recognition for her outstanding public service, receiving the Association of Bay Area Governments Growing Smarter Together Award for Distinguished Leadership, Save Mount Diablo's Mountain Star Award, Tri- Valley Hero and Woman of the Year, and many more.

Beverly joined the East Bay Regional Park District Board in 1994 representing Ward 6. During her time with EBRPD, she has worked to extend the Iron Horse Trail, establish the Sycamore Valley Open Space Park, and promoted a range of other projects to support our regional parks. Recently, Beverly has played a key role in the creation of Thurgood Marshall Regional Park--Home of the Port Chicago 50. Throughout her tenure with EBRPD, Beverly has continually advocated for improved access to parks and trails and shown her commitment to safeguarding Contra Costa's environment and open spaces. Her dedication and service have helped to connect Contra Costa residents to nature within their own communities, encouraging a healthy lifestyle for all community members.

Please join me, Congressman McNerney, and Congressman Thompson in congratulating Beverly on her well-deserved retirement after nearly four decades of service to Contra Costa County.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1518 and ask for its immediate consideration

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Reschenthaler) pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for purpose of debate only.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 1518, providing for consideration of four measures.

First, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1948 under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and a motion to recommit.

Second, the rule provides for consideration of S. 3905 under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and a motion to commit.

Third, the rule provides for consideration of S. 4003 under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary and a motion to commit.

Fourth, the rule provides for consideration of a Senate amendment to H.R. 1437. The rule makes in order a motion offered by the chair of the Committee on Appropriations that the House concur in the Senate amendment with a House amendment and provides 1 hour of debate on the motion equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations.

The rule also deems passage of a motion to concur in the Senate amendments to H.R. 2617 with a House amendment.

The rule further deems passage of H. Con. Res. 124 and H. Res. 1516.

Lastly, the rule provides the majority leader or his designee the ability to en bloc requested roll call votes on suspension bills considered from December 12 to December 15. The rule also provides roll call votes on suspension bills considered on December 12 may be postponed through December 15.

Mr. Speaker, as we come to the end of the 117th Congress, we are working this week to pass legislation that deserves to make it across the finish line before the end of the year.

First, the VA Employee Fairness Act. The healthcare workers at VA medical centers are exceptional at what they do serving our veterans. Many of them are veterans themselves. They deserve the same rights as their counterparts outside of the VA system to collectively bargain.

In today's world, the balance of power is disproportionately skewed towards employers over employees.

As a former union member and a small business owner myself, and as the current chair of the Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions subcommittee, I can think of no better way to honor these workers and the people they serve, who we all respect and honor, than to provide them the tools to empower them to have a voice in this important American workplace.

From our national security to the regulation of prescription drugs, the Federal Government relies on services of contractors and consultants to provide for the American people. It is critical that we know that these contractors are working in the best interest of the American people.

Unfortunately, the current Federal acquisition process allows bad actors to slip through the cracks without disclosing their potential conflicts of interest.

As a member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, I am proud of

the work that the committee has done to investigate McKinsey & Company for this very reason. This contractor--one of the oldest and most prestigious consulting firms in the world--was advising the FDA on the safety and efficacy of prescription pain medications at the same time the very same consultants were also advising Purdue Pharma on how to ``turbocharge'' sales of OxyContin, a major driver of the opioid epidemic.

While the McKinsey scandal shined a light on organizational conflicts of interest, the issue itself is not new. The Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition Act would require Federal contractors to disclose any potential conflicts of interest before they are awarded a Federal contract to ensure they are effectively serving the taxpayers. In the Senate it was bipartisan, and it should pass without objection and without delay.

Also included in today's rule is the Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act, which would direct the Department of Justice to develop trainings on alternatives to the use of force and safely to respond to an individual experiencing a mental health, behavioral health, or suicidal crisis. We shouldn't even have to be including this bill in the rule, but unfortunately, partisan politics caused it to need to be reconsidered this week.

On this topic, I am proud that the district I represent is leading the way with an initiative we call A3, anyone, anywhere, anytime. This program connects people in need of mental health support that is outside the police system to help respond to the emergency while simultaneously allowing the police to focus on more appropriate police matters.

This was a long, developed partnership between our behavioral health departments and our local law enforcement, which support it very strongly, and is working to protect the public.

Finally, the rule includes a 1-week continuing resolution. Appropriators are hard at work to come to a year-long agreement over spending, and they need an extra week to finalize it.

Mr. Speaker, we have a wonderful opportunity this week to make transformative changes with these bills.

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

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record an ABC news piece titled: ``Lawmakers aim to strengthen transparency in the lucrative--and murky--Federal contracting process.''

[From ABC News]

Lawmakers Aim To Strengthen Transparency in the Lucrative--and Murky--

Federal, Contracting Process

(By Soo Rin Kim)

A bipartisan coalition of senators introduced legislation

on Monday meant to improve transparency in the highly

competitive and notoriously murky federal contracting

process, taking aim at companies that accept lucrative work

from government agencies without having to disclose potential

conflicts of interest

The bill, called the Preventing Organizational Conflicts of

Interest in Federal Acquisition Act would seek to mitigate

conflict-of-interest concerns by forcing contractors to

``disclose other parts of their business that conflict with

the work they are bidding to perform for the government,''

according to Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., chairman of the

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

``If we don't know whether [federal contractors] are

serving other, potentially conflicting interest, we can't be

confident that Americans are getting exactly what they pay

for,'' said Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, a cosponsor of the

bill.

For many American companies, federal contracts represent a

crucial source of revenue, as well as visibility and

credibility. Firms from every major business sector compete

for this work, and winners often execute their end of the

agreement while pursuing outside business opportunities--

which sometime overlap with their frederal contracts.

While existing rules stipulate that government agencies

assess potential conflicts of interest before determining

contract winners, watchdogs say the process remains opaque.

``Based on current federal contract regulations, agencies

cannot always discern whether government contractors have

business relationships with foreign governments and private

entities that could create a conflict of interest,'' said

Noah Bookbinder, president of the nonprofit government

watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in

Washington.

Scott Amey, general counsel for the government ethics

watchdog Project on Government Oversight, warned that

``without more guidance, organizational conflicts of interest

can result in unfair competitive advantages and biased

contract awards--both of which compromise the impartiality of

the federal government and the integrity of the contracting

process.''

In a press release announcing the new legislation,

lawmakers cited reporting in ProPublica that raised conflict-

of-interest questions about consulting giant McKinsey &

Company's recent work for the Food and Drug Administration.

ProPublica reported that in at least one FDA contract,

McKinsey

allegedly failed to disclose its conflicts of interest with

corporate pharmaceutical clients despite its contract with

the agency obligating the firm to do so.

According to documents obtained by ProPublica, McKinsey

allegedly advised the FDA's drug-regulation division for more

than a decade while simultaneously accepting work from major

pharmaceutical companies. In some cases, according to

ProPublica, McKinsey helped those clients navigate FDA

regulations while advising the FDA on how to strengthen

regulations for the pharmaceutical industry.

Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., said McKinsey's handling of its

work with the FDA demonstrates ``the danger that conflicts of

interest can pose in government contracting.''

``Our bipartisan bill would help ensure that companies that

enter into a contract with the government are acting in the

best interest of the American people,'' Hassan said.

McKinsey spokesperson Neil Grace told ABC News that

McKinsey's consulting work with pharmaceutical companies

``did not create a conflict of interest'' for the firm's work

with the FDA because it ``has not advised the FDA on

regulatory policy or on specific pharmaceutical products.''

Instead, said Grace, McKinsey's work for the agency ``focused

on administrative and operational topics, including

improvements to organizational structures, business processes

and technology.''

``Given the absence of a conflict of interest, there was no

requirement for any McKinsey disclosure,'' Grace said. ``That

said, McKinsey's proposals to the FDA frequently mentioned

the company's and personnel's experience with the

pharmaceutical industry, making the FDA aware of this aspect

of McKinsey's work in the field.''

Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa joined Peters,

Grassley, and Hassan in sponsoring the federal legislation.

Mr. Speaker, conflicts of interest are not a new issue, but it is clear that more needs to be done by this Congress. The American people ought to have faith that their tax dollars are being spent wisely on contractors who are working in their best interest. This bill will increase impartiality and integrity within the Federal consultant and contractor system.

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

Mr. Speaker, first of all, my good friend from Pennsylvania and the gentleman from Texas--you know, I am always open to working on these sometimes difficult rules that we have in our Congress. I respect the opinion, but I have a different perspective. What we are doing today is keeping the lights on.

With all due respect, the last time the Republicans were in charge of the Congress the lights went off. That is

not good for anyone. It is not good for the American people, and it is not good for the world economy.

What we are trying to do here in the House is make it a little bit easier for the arcane rules that, I think, most of us would agree to in the Senate to make it easier for the bill to come back over and, hopefully, have an agreement, a bipartisan agreement, on longer spending in an omnibus.

With all due respect, we have something that we have here in these Chambers: a disagreement. The tone, I think you can tell, of my voice is very different. But I do think the things that both gentlemen have brought up are real issues.

Immigration is a real issue. We have tried, many of us, to come up with something that is bipartisan that leads to solutions to a difficult situation that multiple administrations and Congresses have struggled for; that has a long history in this country when it comes to immigration, the benefit and the challenges around that; and being able to make sure that the beneficiaries of immigration are consistent with treaties that we have signed around the world, and principles, but also to American citizens.

On the other issues, those are all real issues. What we have here in front of us today in these resolutions are laws that will actually help the American people, too, and, lastly, will continue to keep the lights on by funding government.

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

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

We are not talking about the Federal budget in its entirety today. That will continue to be negotiated and debated, and there will be a vote on it.

What we are talking about are specific resolutions that the Committee on Rules has passed down here to this body to talk about protecting workers who protect veterans. That is what we are talking about today. We are talking about improving healthcare for America's veterans that we all say we respect, admire, and honor.

We know that when people are able to organize in the workplace, or at least to present the opportunity, they are safer. Research shows that hospitals that have had the ability for workers and nurses to organize and have a fair say in how they treat their patients, that mortality rates improve, that people are served better. That is what we are talking about today.

We are talking about giving police departments the resources they need in the world today so that behavioral health people can do their job, so that police officers can do their job and not respond to almost one in four calls in the United States that involve mental health, where the police officers are asked to do something that they shouldn't be asked to do.

As I mentioned in my opening comments, I have spent 30 years involved in my own district--from a mayor of a city of 130,000 people, to the legislature, to this body--developing programs with the police department in behavioral health, which started with a conversation with a beat patrolman and a mental health clinician. All it is about is improving the safety of Americans. That is what we are talking about here.

We are talking about helping with the opioid crisis. I haven't heard anything from the gentleman about the things that are actually in this rule.

Do we want to help people with the high mortality and suicide crisis in opioids that we know now, from the hearings that we have had, that the chair and I have asked for in the Committee on Oversight?

We brought the CEOs of the largest corporation, Johnson & Johnson, to testify in front of Congress about what they did at what used to be a great American pharmaceutical company that once had one of the most admired CEOs in the world and now has somebody who has lied on his college resume twice and has helped to kill Americans by deliberately turbocharging the sale of opioids to Americans.

That is what we are talking about in this rule, holding people accountable.

McKinsey & Company, a company that was based in San Francisco for years--I have known people who lived in my district and worked there. It once was a shining light of American innovation and management. Now, it has fallen to this epitome of greed and hypocrisy. That is what we are talking about, stopping that kind of behavior, in this rule.

We are talking about keeping the lights on in the United States Congress, and the Federal Government, for 1 week so that we can have an omnibus, and then we can debate those other things.

Do I agree that the process is not perfect? I agree. Do I agree we could do better? I agree, and I am open to those things. But let's focus on what is in this rule.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for closing.

Mr. Speaker, let me say that I always enjoy being on the floor and debating my friend from Pennsylvania. I will miss this if I am not afforded the opportunity to do it again.

Mr. Speaker, again, focusing on the rule here. First in this rule, we are helping veterans. We are helping the people who serve veterans to be able to organize.

One of my favorite quotes on the ability of workers to have a voice is from Dwight David Eisenhower, who said, Only a fool would try to stop an American man or woman in the workplace from organizing.

So that is the first point, helping people to have a voice in the VA to serve our veterans better.

The second point is on holding McKinsey & Company, a very large corporation, American company, accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic.

Third in the rule is helping our investment in public safety, a bipartisan effort that came out of the Senate, to help provide them to de-escalate when they are in a difficult situation.

Lastly, we are here to keep the lights on.

Mr. Speaker, while I appreciate the debate and the passion, we do have work to do today, and I would request and ask Democrats and Republicans to vote ``yes'' on this rule.

This rule is an important step in passing these bills that will make a difference in the lives of the Americans that we represent and help restore faith in this institution and the government.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the legislation, and I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule and the previous question.

The material previously referred to by Mr. Reschenthaler is as follows:

Amendment to House Resolution 1518

Strike sections 8 and 9.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1518, I call up the bill (S. 3905) to prevent organizational conflicts of interest in Federal acquisition, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

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 on the measure before us.

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

Mr. Speaker, S. 3905, the Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition Act, which was introduced by Senator Gary Peters, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has strong bipartisan support and passed the Senate this summer with unanimous consent.

In April, we introduced a companion bill, H.R. 7602, following one of the Oversight Committee's investigations, which highlighted the need to strengthen government contracting laws on conflicts of interest.

The committee's investigation found that a consulting contractor advised the Food and Drug Administration at the same time they were advising private-sector clients that were regulated by the FDA. Many times, it was the exact same consultants advising the FDA and private- sector clients on the same issue.

In this case, the consultant failed to follow the rules on disclosing these amazing conflicts, collecting millions of dollars from both the regulator and the private-sector client.

Although this is one extreme example, other organizational conflicts of interest, large and small, occur across government. The Government Accountability Office regularly fields bid protests involving organizational conflicts of interest.

In 2014, a major defense contractor paid a settlement for allegedly failing to disclose conflicts while advising the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Organizational conflicts of interest can occur when a contractor's competing interests raise questions about their ability to provide impartial advice to the government. It is crucial that government contractors are providing impartial advice, particularly when the government is paying for their expertise and objectivity on sensitive matters.

The rules on organizational conflicts of interest have not changed significantly since the 1990s. This bill would make long-overdue revisions to strengthen these rules.

The current rules set basic standards to prevent organizational conflicts of interest but leave the details up to individual agencies. The current patchwork system creates the risk of egregious breaches of the public trust.

In 2009, Congress asked for the organizational conflict of interest rules to be reassessed. Draft rules were issued, but the reform effort was eventually abandoned, and the rules were never finalized.

This bill requires the revisions that were then started to be completed. This bill would also mandate that rules on government contractor conflicts are thoroughly revised and ensure that there is a uniform set of standards.

These reforms will help government contractors as well by ensuring clarity

and consistency across the executive branch. This is especially beneficial to contractors working for multiple agencies.

It is outrageous that a contractor would be allowed to advise government regulators at the same time they are advising the industry that is being regulated.

If we do not take steps to prevent conflicts of interest, and thereby safeguard the integrity of government decisionmaking and operations, then we risk potentially serious breaches in the public trust.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I will speak briefly on the work we have done on oversight on the opioid crisis, in this case specifically on the role that McKinsey & Company played in, unfortunately, the tragedy that has been the opioid epidemic that led us to introducing this bill for greater oversight.

I will start by saying this is something that, for me, Chairwoman Maloney and some of my colleagues on both sides expressed a great deal of passion for.

We had hearings on the opioid epidemic and the role of some of these agencies, including requiring the chairman of Johnson & Johnson to come to testify in front of the committee. The committee spent a good deal of time, and I know that there was concern across the aisle, given the devastation that this epidemic has caused.

This particular initiative is directed at some of the things that were the most egregious part of what happened to the American public who suffered under the abuses of the opioid epidemic.

In this case, McKinsey was a contractor for the FDA, Johnson & Johnson, and other people who were making money off of this well-told tragedy of how they were inducing people to be addicted to the drug that was supposed to be relieving their pain.

The contractors play a critical role in supporting the Federal workforce and giving advice to government functions. These are contractors for which this initiative, this bill, would try to make sure the rules were clearer. It would help them, as well.

Taxpayers need to know that work is done ethically and transparently. Unfortunately, loopholes allow contractors, which this initiative, this bill, attempts to close or will close, to advise private-sector clients and the Federal Government at the same time. I think anyone would agree that that is a conflict of interest.

The most notorious example was what I just referred to, this conflict of interest playing out with McKinsey & Company's work on Perdue Pharma's roadmap, in this case, to ``turbocharge'' opioid sales. They were giving them advice on how to turbocharge an addictive drug that was causing devastation across this country.

One of the things that led me into this discussion was, when I was in the legislature in California, two parents separately brought tragic cases of how their kids had lost their lives because of this.

The conflict of interest fueled the opioid crisis that has claimed hundreds of thousands of American lives.

I am grateful and proud of the work that I was able to do with a former chair, Elijah Cummings, who had great passion for this and opening the committee's investigation of Perdue Pharma specifically. I am grateful to current Chair Maloney for continuing this work.

A vote to pass this bipartisan bill today will send it to the President's desk and will bring much-needed transparency to Federal contracting and help to address some of the things that led to the opioid crisis epidemic in this country.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of Myrtle Braxton.

Throughout her life, Myrtle has served her community in Richmond and has been a true champion for Contra Costa seniors and families. She began her career in public service at the age of 17, working at the Social Security Administration's (SSA) San Francisco office. She went on to work out of the SSA's Richmond office, serving with the SSA for a total of 35 years prior to her retirement in 1981.

After retiring, Myrtle continued to be engaged and active with a number of community organizations, including the League of Women Voters, California Alliance for Retired Americans, the Richmond Commission on Aging, and more. She is also a founder of the City of Richmond's Crime Prevention Program, promoting neighborhood safety and advocating for improved relations between community members and local law enforcement. Additionally, Myrtle has worked hard to preserve open and recreational spaces in our community through her work with the California Association of Parks and Recreation for Commissioners and Board Members and with the National Citizen Branch for the Recreation Park Association. Myrtle has worked tirelessly to improve her community and to serve Richmond residents. Her passion and commitment to activism are admired by many.

Myrtle's advocacy and leadership have been instrumental in Richmond and West County. Please join me in recognizing and thanking Myrtle Braxton for her many years of dedicated service.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of Dale Harrington.

Throughout his life, Dale has demonstrated his passion for advocacy and has worked tirelessly to promote equity within our community. He earned his master's degree from California State University at Sacramento, California and in 1963, he became Assistant Chief Probation Officer in Yolo and Santa Barbara Counties where he served for 15 years. In 1975, he was appointed chair of the Santa Barbara County Juvenile Justice Master Plan Task Force. Throughout his life, Dale was a strong advocate for criminal justice reform, firmly believing that no one is beyond redemption.

After his time as a probation officer, Dale was appointed as executive director of two corporations responsible for providing housing for elderly and disabled persons in the East Bay. Dale went on to share his expertise with future generations, joining the University of Phoenix as a Professor of Management, Sociology, and Critical Thinking. As a faculty member, he published an article through the University of Kiev in Ukraine entitled: ``Professor and Student Responsibilities--How are they different?''.

As a strong proponent for affordable housing within the East Bay, Dale was involved with many community organizations, serving on the Board for the Golden Rain Foundation, City of Benicia Housing Authority, and the California Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. Additionally, he was a founder and Board Member for the Affordable Housing Affiliation.

Please join me in honoring Dale Harrington, who sadly passed away at the age of 84 on October 9, 2022. He will be remembered for his outstanding character and his commitment to his community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of Tim O'Keefe as he retires from his role as CEO of the Golden Rain Foundation (GRF) of Rossmoor in Walnut Creek.

Tim's compassion and commitment to advocacy have been evident throughout his career. In 1994, he began working for Catholic Charities, serving as Associate Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer. In 2005, Tim stepped into the role of Executive Director at Shelter Inc., helping to provide housing solutions, family support, mental health care, and childcare services for families in need and working to prevent homelessness in the Bay Area. Thanks to Tim's leadership, Shelter Inc. was recognized as one of the top 10 homelessness service providers of the Bay Area. After nearly a decade with Shelter Inc., he stepped into the role of CEO of the Golden Rain Foundation, working on behalf of Rossmoor residents.

In his position with GRF, Tim has spearheaded a variety of projects aimed at engaging Rossmoor residents and allowing residents to thrive. Under Tim's leadership, GRF has successfully provided a wide range of programs and amenities to the Rossmoor community. GRF maintains and provides recreational spaces within Rossmoor, enabling residents to easily connect with other community members and promoting an active, healthy lifestyle within the community.

Tim's hard work and dedication have helped to transform the lives of countless Contra Costa and Bay Area residents. Please join me in congratulating Tim as he retires after nearly three decades of public service.

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was unable to vote today as I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 502.

Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress

Bass (Cicilline)

Beatty (Neguse)

Brooks (Fleischmann)

Cole (Lucas)

Cuellar (Correa)

DeFazio (Pallone)

Demings (Blunt Rochester)

Doyle, Michael F. (Pallone)

Dunn (Cammack)

Frankel, Lois (Meng)

Gallego (Cicilline)

Gosar (Weber (TX))

Gottheimer (Pappas)

Grijalva (Neguse)

Herrera Beutler (Moore (UT))

Johnson (TX) (Pallone)

Kildee (Pappas)

Kirkpatrick (Pallone)

Lieu (Beyer)

Lowenthal (Beyer)

Moore (WI) (Beyer)

Newman (Correa)

O'Halleran (Pappas)

Palazzo (Fleischmann)

Pascrell (Pallone)

Pressley (Neguse)

Rice (NY) (Morelle)

Roybal-Allard (Correa)

Ruppersberger (Sarbanes)

Ryan (OH) (Correa)

Simpson (Fulcher)

Sires (Pallone)

Stanton (Huffman)

Steube (Franklin, C. Scott)

Titus (Pallone)

Welch (Pallone)

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of a friend and a dedicated public servant, Therese McMillan, who is retiring as executive director of the San Francisco Bay Area's Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

Therese began her work with MTC in 1984 and then moved to the Federal Transit Administration, most notably as the acting administrator from 2014 to 2016. In 2019, Therese returned to the MTC as its new executive director.

Under her leadership, MTC established an Equity Platform to advance policies and make investments that will ensure all residents of the San Francisco Bay Area are considered when discussing the bay area's transit needs. She also helped to establish minimum housing density targets near transit stations to foster ridership.

I have had the pleasure of working with Therese over the years. She has always been smart, kind, and dedicated to doing what is best. Please join me in congratulating Therese on a magnificent career of public service and wishing her the best on her retirement and her nearly three decades of service to our community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize John Clauser for receiving the Nobel Prize in Physics.

John Clauser was born in Pasadena, California and obtained his Bachelor of Science in Physics at the California Institute of Technology. John then went to Columbia University in New York City, where he received both a Master of Arts and a Doctor of Philosophy in Physics. He then came back to the Bay Area to work at the University of California, Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He is current a resident of California's 11th Congressional District.

While at UC Berkeley, John carried out the first experimental test of the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt Bell Theorem predictions, which was the first experimental observation of a violation of a Bell Inequality. The Bell Inequalities was a mathematical relationship that would be satisfied by a hidden variable theory in which measurement of one particle would not instantly affect the properties of the other particle, which John became interested in as he began experimental testing. John worked with Stuart Freedman to publish the first experimental test of the Bell Inequalities in 1972, and their results showed a clear violation of

the Bell Inequality in accordance with those predicted by quantum mechanics.

In 1991, John came back to UC Berkeley as a research scientist for the physics department while he was a faculty scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where he carried out further tests of Bell's Theorem. John teamed up with three other physicists--Michael Horne, Abner Shimony, and Richard Hold--to further propose an experimental test of Bell's Theorem.

John was named one of the recipients of the Reality Foundation Prize in 1982 and the Wolf Prize in 2010 and was named the Thompson-Reuters Citation Laureate in Physics in 2011. Dr. Clauser was honored with the Nobel Prize in Physics on October 4, 2022, for the initial Bell Inequality experiment and the research that stemmed from it. The original groundbreaking experiment in 1972 along with the more recent research confirmed that quantum mechanics is correct and paved the way for quantum computers, quantum networks, and quantum encrypted communication.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Clauser on this incredible accomplishment and his contributions to Physics.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and service of Dr. Luman Hughes, Jr. Luman was born in Iron River, Michigan on July 21, 1930. He attended the University of Michigan where he played in the marching band, met his future wife, Marilyn Benson, and went on to graduate from the University's A.B./M.D. program.

After graduating, Luman was an intern at Presbyterian Hospital and was then drafted to the U.S. Navy. He served two years in Japan then completed his OB/GYN residency at Great Lakes Naval Hospital. After posts in North Carolina, Guam, and Oakland, Luman joined the Navy Reserves. Luman was the officer responsible for overseeing medical support for the entire Marine Corps Reserve System until he left the reserves in 1990.

Throughout his long and distinguished career in medicine, Dr. Hughes has always shown his dedication to providing compassionate care to the Contra Costa community. He joined John Muir's staff in 1968 as an OB/ GYN specialist and was instrumental in the development of many critical programs and projects at John Muir. In 1971, Dr. Hughes founded California's first free-standing surgery center, the Walnut Creek Ambulatory Surgery Center. Additionally, Dr. Hughes co-founded the Muir OB/GYN Medical Group in 1978, served on the Board of Trustees, and was appointed President in 1984.

Luman is also the founder of Walnut Creek Planned Parenthood, which has provided essential care to patients in our community since 1969. His expertise was also sought out by a variety of institutions and organizations. He has worked as a clinical preceptor at UCSF, assistant clinical professor at U.C. Davis, and consultant of gynecology for the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Martinez. Further, he was the founding president of the Diablo Valley Social Advocates for Youth and a member of Alameda Contra Costa Health Systems Agency's governing body and the medical representative of the agency's BiCounty Foundation Committee.

Beyond his professional practice, Luman was also a talented musician and an active member of the community. He sang and played trumpet at Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church, participated in several musical groups in the community, and founded the California Symphony alongside his wife, Marilyn.

Sadly, Luman passed away on June 7, 2022. He is survived by his brother Timothy Hughes, his wife of 68 years Marilyn, son Luman ``Sandy'' Harold Hughes III (Joan), daughter Laurel DePalatis (Ray), grandchildren Catherine Wrigley (Cody), Jessica Broich (Aaron), Erik Hughes (Erin), and Trevor DePalatis (Katrina), and great grandchildren Kolbie Arcangelo, Symphony Broich, Ezra DePalatis, and two step great grandchildren Mackenna and Kelton Wrigley. He will be remembered for his dedication to service, compassion, and devotion to his family. Please join me in honoring Dr. Luman Hughes, Jr. for his many contributions to our community.