Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Terri Holland, who passed away earlier this year at the age of 70. Terri was a tireless advocate for fairness and justice who became a cherished friend and ally for many New Mexico public officials, including myself, over the years.

Born in Middletown, New York, Terri made New Mexico her adopted home and quickly became a force in the state. For over a decade, she oversaw operations at The Target Group and made sure that all facets of the business ran smoothly. When her boss at Target, Diane Denish, decided to seek public office, she was right by her side and went on to serve in a number of prominent roles including Director of Party Affairs at the Democratic Party of New Mexico and Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County. Terri also served our state as Deputy Director of the New Mexico State Personnel Office and Special Assistant at the Bernalillo County Assessor's Office.

When I decided to run for Congress in 2012, Terri was one of my most trusted advisors. She displayed fierce loyalty, a strong moral compass, and the courage to always stand up for what she believed in. These values were especially visible in her work assisting people dealing with bankruptcy and other financial difficulties. Terri believed that people shouldn't be denied fairness and dignity just because they are poor. Indeed, it was her passionate defense of the less fortunate that made her such an effective advocate.

Mr. Speaker, I want to express my sincere condolences to all of Terri's loved ones including her son, Ben; her brother Joe and his wife, Rosie; her nephew, Sean; and her dear friend of many years, Richard Cooley. I hope they are comforted by cherished memories of Terri and by the fact that so many in our community mourn her loss and celebrate her life with them.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Captain Joseph O. Quintana of the United States Navy, who is retiring this month after a distinguished 25 year career. Captain Quintana has spent the last quarter century serving our country in a variety of reserve and active duty leadership roles in the logistics, fuels, and transportation fields.

Captain Quintana received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of New Mexico in 1983. He went on to receive a Master of Science degree in Leadership from the University of Texas at El Paso. Captain Quintana earned his commission through the Navy's Direct Commissioning Officer Program in 1993 and completed the Basic Qualification Course at the Navy Supply Corps School in 1995.

From 2005 to 2006, Captain Quintana served in Kuwait and Iraq as Charlie Company Commander for Navy Customs Battalion Papa. In 2007, he served as Interim Fuels Officer at FLC Pearl Harbor, responding to a large fuel spill. From 2008 to 2011, Captain Quintana became the only Navy Officer ever assigned as Command Inspector General of Joint Task Force North at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. He then served with the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan from 2012 to 2013, where he was Officer-in-Charge of the In-Transit Visibility Cell. In this role, he was tasked with transporting over $2 billion worth of vehicles and ammunition to locations throughout Afghanistan.

Captain Quintana's distinguished career has earned him a multitude of honors including the Joint Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate Captain Joseph O. Quintana on his well-deserved retirement and thank him for his career of distinguished service to our country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Patricia Lowden of Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico for her role in the Pueblo Pottery Mug project and her success as a Native artist.

The Pueblo Pottery Mug project started as a collaboration between five Pueblo artists and the first Pueblo-owned Starbucks in New Mexico. The mugs were first sold in 2016 at the Starbucks store in Albuquerque. Each mug was hand-crafted by a different Pueblo artist to celebrate the opening of the new store and to symbolize the collaboration between New Mexico Pueblos and Starbucks. After quickly selling out of the unique mugs--selling over 6,000 mugs--the Shumakolowa gift shop collaborated with the artists to sell mugs at their location in the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

Patricia was born into a family of potters from the Big Sun and Eagle clan of Acoma Pueblo. She learned the art of pottery at fifteen years old from the three generations of potters that came before her. Patricia uses traditional methods to create her pottery, which entails soaking chunks of clay that have been carefully selected, then drying and grinding the chunks of clay into powder.

Patricia is known for her famed Anasazi revival black-on-white and traditional Acoma orange, black, and white polychrome style pottery. Her work features modern interpretations of traditional Acoma symbols such as rain, clouds, mountains, and rain parrots.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud Patricia Lowden for being a part of the Pueblo Pottery Mug project. This project has given the community, as well as visitors to New Mexico, an opportunity to appreciate usable pieces of art that are inspired by Native culture and traditions. I look forward to seeing this project continue to flourish and support talented Native artists from Pueblos throughout New Mexico.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Martha Romero of Nambe Pueblo in New Mexico for her role in the Pueblo Pottery Mug project and her success as a Native artist.

The Pueblo Pottery Mug project started as a collaboration between five Pueblo artists and the first Pueblo-owned Starbucks in New Mexico. The mugs were first sold in 2016 at the Starbucks store in Albuquerque. Each mug was hand-crafted by a different Pueblo artist to celebrate the opening of the new store and to symbolize the collaboration between New Mexico Pueblos and Starbucks. After quickly selling out of the unique mugs--selling over 6,000 mugs--the Shumakolowa gift shop collaborated with the artists to sell mugs at their location in the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

Martha learned the practices of pottery-making from her mother, Rosa Alice Baca. After taking a hiatus from pottery, she took up the work once again, an experience which helped her reconnect to an art form closely tied to her Pueblo, tradition, culture, and mother. In the words of Martha, ``I am spiritually awakened when creating pottery! It brings me closer to my mother who has completed the circle. In relearning what she taught me, I find a connection to my mother and our beloved Nambe.''

Martha's unique unpainted pieces demonstrate the clay's natural shine and have a beautiful connection with her Indian name Kwahtenbay, which means rainbow. Using hand-gathered micaceous clay and traditional coiling methods, she crafts simple yet elegant designs that echo traditional utilitarian Nambe techniques.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud Martha Romero for being a part of the Pueblo Pottery Mug project. This project has given the community, as well as visitors to New Mexico, an opportunity to appreciate usable pieces of art that are inspired by Native culture and traditions. I look forward to seeing this project continue to flourish and support talented Native artists from Pueblos throughout New Mexico.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Helen Bird of Santo Domingo Pueblo in New Mexico for her role in the Pueblo Pottery Mug project and her success as a Native artist.

The Pueblo Pottery Mug project started as a collaboration between five Pueblo artists and the first Pueblo-owned Starbucks in New Mexico. The mugs were first sold in 2016 at the Starbucks store in Albuquerque. Each mug was hand-crafted by a different Pueblo artist to celebrate the opening of the new store and to symbolize the collaboration between New Mexico Pueblos and Starbucks. After quickly selling out of the unique mugs--selling over 6,000 mugs--the Shumakolowa gift shop collaborated with the artists to sell mugs at their location in the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

Growing up in the Pueblo of Santo Domingo, Helen learned traditional pottery techniques from her great-aunt at a very young age and has been making pottery professionally for nearly 30 years. Widely credited as being a profoundly influential figure in revitalizing Santo Domingo pottery, Helen sought to elevate it to an exquisite art form.

Helen's designs come from her Santo Domingo heritage. Her elegant pieces are well known for their signature bird designs from pottery found in the Bandelier National Monument.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud Helen Bird for being a part of the Pueblo Pottery Mug project. This project has given the community, as well as visitors to New Mexico, an opportunity to appreciate usable pieces of art that. are inspired by Native culture and traditions. I look forward to seeing this project continue to flourish and support talented Native artists from Pueblos throughout New Mexico.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Frederica Antonio of Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico for her role in the Pueblo Pottery Mug project and her success as a Native artist.

The Pueblo Pottery Mug project started as a collaboration between five Pueblo artists and the first Pueblo-owned Starbucks in New Mexico. The mugs were first sold in 2016 at the Starbucks store in Albuquerque. Each mug was hand-crafted by a different Pueblo artist to celebrate the opening of the new store and to symbolize the collaboration between New Mexico Pueblos and Starbucks. After quickly selling out of the unique mugs--selling over 6,000 mugs--the Shumakolowa gift shop collaborated with the artists to sell mugs at their location in the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

Growing up in the Pueblo of Acoma, Frederica's intricately designed work is a continuation of her long family tradition of hand-coiling and painting pottery. Much of the symbolism found on her pottery is connected to Mother Earth and prayers for rain.

Frederica's work heavily relies on the resources of the land. She hand-paints her vessels with fine-tipped brushes she fashions from the stems of yucca plants. She uses these traditional methods, taught to her by her mother-in-law, Mildred Antonio, to create her contemporary pieces.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud Frederica Antonio for being a part of the Pueblo Pottery Mug project. This project has given the community, as well as visitors to New Mexico, an opportunity to appreciate usable pieces of art that are inspired by Native culture and traditions. I look forward to seeing this project continue to flourish and support talented Native artists from Pueblos throughout New Mexico.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Robin Teller of Isleta Pueblo in New Mexico for her role in the Pueblo Pottery Mug project and her success as a Native artist.

The Pueblo Pottery Mug project started as a collaboration between five Pueblo artists and the first Pueblo-owned Starbucks in New Mexico. The mugs were first sold in 2016 at the Starbucks store in Albuquerque. Each mug was hand-crafted by a different Pueblo artist to celebrate the opening of the new store and to symbolize the collaboration between New Mexico Pueblos and Starbucks. After quickly selling out of the unique mugs--selling over 6,000 mugs--the Shumakolowa gift shop collaborated with the artists to sell mugs at their location in the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

Robin is from the Pueblo of Isleta, where pottery has historically been made for functional or ceremonial uses. Since 1988, she has become known for her iconic storytellers, nativity scenes, human and animal figures, and polychrome vessels that honor the traditions of her Pueblo. She uses the traditional method of digging clay, tuffa, and pigments from different areas of the Isleta Pueblo, some of which were used by generations past to collect clay.

Robin's work comes from the traditional designs of the Isleta Pueblo: red and black fluid geometric designs on a white background depicting nature's elements. Her work is also largely influenced by the generations of strong women in her family line.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud Robin Teller for being a part of the Pueblo Pottery Mug project. This project has given the community, as well as visitors to New Mexico, an opportunity to appreciate usable pieces of art that

are inspired by Native culture and traditions. I look forward to seeing this project continue to flourish and support talented Native artists from Pueblos throughout New Mexico.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Elizabeth Medina of Jemez Pueblo in New Mexico for her role in the Pueblo Pottery Mug project and her success as a Native artist.

The Pueblo Pottery Mug project started as a collaboration between five Pueblo artists and the first Pueblo-owned Starbucks in New Mexico. The mugs were first sold in 2016 at the Starbucks store in Albuquerque. Each mug was hand-crafted by a different Pueblo artist to celebrate the opening of the new store and to symbolize the collaboration between New Mexico Pueblos and Starbucks. After quickly selling out of the unique mugs--selling over 6,000 mugs--the Shumakolowa gift shop collaborated with the artists to sell mugs at their location in the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

Elizabeth is originally from Jemez Pueblo and married into Zia Pueblo where she now lives with her husband, fellow artist Marcellus. She learned how to make traditional Zia pottery from her mother-in-law, renowned potter Sofia Medina, using the teachings of the past and the resources of the land to create and shape her pottery. Her work is celebrated for its craftsmanship, exquisitely painted designs, and elegance of form.

Elizabeth's work typically combines traditional Zia symbols such as rainbows, birds, and flowers. Using kaolinite clay that is often featured in Zia pottery, she tempers it with basaltic rock to achieve a traditional finish. Her work displays a true appreciation for the teachings of the past and influences many of today's artists.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud Elizabeth Medina for being a part of the Pueblo Pottery Mug project. This project has given the community, as well as visitors to New Mexico, an opportunity to appreciate usable pieces of art that are inspired by Native culture and traditions. I look forward to seeing this project continue to flourish and support talented Native artists from Pueblos throughout New Mexico.

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

Mr. Chair, my amendment increases funding for community development financial institutions, CDFIs.

CDFIs are critical to New Mexican communities because they provide financial products like loans, investments, and tax credits to underserved communities, including poor, rural, and Tribal areas.

This helps New Mexican entrepreneurs obtain capital to start and grow small businesses. It enables pueblos to build housing, and it provides access to economic development opportunities for rural communities throughout my State.

There are currently 19 CDFIs in New Mexico, which have received $48 million in Federal grants since 1996. In total, CDFIs have provided 14,700 loans worth more than $830 million for New Mexico communities, organizations, and individuals. On average, every dollar in CDFI funding can be leveraged for 12 times that amount.

It should come as no surprise just how critical this funding is for the economic development of my State, which is still struggling to recover from the recession.

For example, when no other lenders would give them a loan, the Clinica la Esperanza in the South Valley received a $31,000 loan from the Accion CDFI to provide much-needed primary care to residents in the South Valley. A few years later, the clinic received an additional $76,000 from Accion to move to a larger location in order to serve a larger client base of 3,800 patients.

Another example of CDFI lending is Tiwa Lending Services, which provides loans and financial education to the Pueblo of Isleta and other surrounding Native American communities.

And just last month, Clearinghouse CDFI received a $3.2 million grant to build affordable housing in several States, including New Mexico.

Mr. Chairman, the evidence is clear. CDFIs have proven to be successful drivers of economic growth and development in underserved areas. They create jobs, provide American opportunity, and stimulate growth.

I urge my colleagues to support my amendment to increase funding for CDFIs to help spur economic development in communities throughout the country.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Jeremy Reynalds, who passed away last week at the age of 60. Dr. Reynalds touched so many members of our community over the years as Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest faith-based homeless shelter.

After growing up in England, Dr. Reynalds immigrated to the United States in 1978. He struggled at first after moving to our country, and was homeless for some time. However, he turned his difficulties into a positive for the community, and founded a coffeehouse in Santa Fe that eventually became the city's only facility for the homeless.

In 1986, Dr. Reynalds moved to Albuquerque and founded Joy Junction. Today, the organization provides assistance to as many as 300 people each night and serves more than 200,000 meals every year. In addition to addressing the physical needs of guests by providing food and shelter, the ministry also provides counseling programs that tackle their emotional and spiritual needs. In the 32 years since its founding, Joy Junction has expanded to several buildings sitting on over 50 acres, including a new 55-room apartment building that will soon be completed.

While serving as CEO of Joy Junction, Dr. Reynalds also earned a Master's Degree in Communication from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and a Ph.D. in Intercultural Education from Biola University in Los Angeles. In addition to his work at Joy Junction, Dr. Reynalds traveled to the Middle East to focus on social justice issues in that part of the world. He was also a prolific writer who authored several books on the topic of homelessness.

Mr. Speaker, I want to extend my heartfelt condolences to all of Dr. Reynalds' loved ones including his wife Elma, who has been named Interim CEO of Joy Junction. I am confident that his organization's extraordinary work for our community will continue for years to come

Mr. Speaker, I missed two votes on 7/16/2018. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 329 and YEA on Roll Call No. 330.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember Juan Jose Pena, who passed away this month at the age of 72. Mr. Pena was a dedicated community leader who committed much of his life to fighting for the civil rights of veterans and Hispanics.

Mr. Pena spent most of his childhood in the town of Las Vegas. He went on to receive Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, where he studied a range of topics including Spanish Language, Literature, and Political Science.

Mr. Pena was drafted into the Army in 1969 and went on to receive a multitude of decorations including a Bronze Star Medal for Valor. He was the most decorated member of the Fourth Infantry Division when it returned to the United States.

After serving our nation, Mr. Pena became a Spanish Professor at New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas. He went on to work as a supervisory interpreter at the United States District Court in Albuquerque for more than two decades. Mr. Pena continued to work as a freelance interpreter after he retired.

Mr. Pena was an active member of our community whose reach extended to a number of influential organizations. He was a leader in Partido Raza Unida, Commander of the Albuquerque and New Mexico branches of the American GI Forum, Chairman of the Hispano Round Table, and founding member of Dads Against Discrimination. Mr. Pena's tireless fight against discrimination earned him numerous honors including the City of Albuquerque Human Rights Award.

Mr. Speaker, I want to extend my heartfelt condolences to Mr. Pena's partner of 23 years Ann Tran, his brother Fernando, his daughter Margarita, his grandchildren Shar and Mariana, as well as the rest of his loved ones. I hope they are comforted by cherished memories of Mr. Pena, and by the fact that so many in our community mourn his loss and celebrate his life with them.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate New Mexico native Mike Smith on completing horse racing's Triple Crown earlier this month. Mr. Smith deftly rode his horse Justify to victory in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes to become just the twelfth Triple Crown winning jockey. Furthermore, at the age of 52, Mr. Smith is the oldest person to achieve this feat.

Mr. Smith was born in Roswell, New Mexico and spent his childhood in the nearby town of Dexter. Horses were an integral part of life for Mr. Smith, who spent much of his time working with them on his grandparents' farm. Mr. Smith's professional jockeying career began when he was just a teenager and included races at tracks like Ruidoso Downs in Southern New Mexico.

Since the early 1990's, Mr. Smith has cemented himself as one of the top jockeys in the world. His long list of accomplishments includes seven victories in Triple Crown races as well as a record 27 Breeders' Cup wins. His success at these top races has earned Mr. Smith the nickname ``Big Money Mike''. In recognition of his impressive career, Mr. Smith was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2003.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the state of New Mexico, I want to congratulate Mike Smith on winning the Triple Crown. He has brought our state great pride and we wish him the best of luck in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am opposed in its current form.

Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended.

When DACA was terminated in September, this Chamber promised hundreds of thousands of young people and the American public that we would have a public debate and vote to protect Dreamers. We gather here today, instead, to vote on legislation that fails to protect these young people, radically changes our immigration laws, and derails the bipartisan queen-of-the-hill effort that would give us a solution.

H.R. 4760 is a hyperpartisan, sweeping bill which would fundamentally change our legal immigration system and negatively impact our economy, which is why it is opposed by the majority of the Republican Conference, faith groups, businesses, chambers, and, quite frankly, everyone in between.

If enacted, these policies would undermine local law enforcement, hurt businesses, and rip apart communities through mass deportation, while telling hundreds of thousands of American Dreamers that they can only be a guest in the only country most of them have ever known, but that they will never truly be American.

The truth is that this bill is a poison pill-ridden effort that does nothing to get us closer to passing a bipartisan, narrow, and targeted solution for Dreamers.

Congress--that is each and every one of us--has a responsibility to address this Trump-created crisis in a bipartisan, rapid, compassionate, and meaningful way. This is what the American people want us to do. But since the start of the Trump administration, a divisive and twisted narrative has been perpetrated to villainize, scapegoat, and hurt immigrant families.

This week, the pain of immigrant families was felt by each and every person in America who heard the terror and cries of children being torn from their parents. This week we have experienced the horror many immigrant families feel every single day, and we have seen how ugly it is to use vulnerable immigrant children, mothers, and fathers as political pawns.

But we have also seen Americans stand up for these families. We saw them rebuke the President and his heinous policy. Today we must do the same thing by standing up for Dreamers. We must meet our responsibility as Members of Congress by voting for legislation that fixes this Trump- created DACA crisis, not by voting for legislation that makes it worse.

Every time that a bipartisan fix for Dreamers is within our reach, this chaotic Republican Conference caves to those who aim to exploit Dreamers in order to impose radical changes to our immigration system.

The provisions in H.R. 4760's partisan anti-immigrant bill betray our most fundamental American values. It is a reflection of the xenophobic agenda of the Trump White House which prioritizes billions upon billions on a wasteful wall, cuts legal immigration, and ends our obligation to protect Dreamers.

This is the latest example of Republicans putting Trump's anti- immigrant demands above moral decency, families, Dreamers, and the will of the American people. It is indefensible and immoral that this House continues to derail bipartisan efforts to protect Dreamers. The antics that we are witnessing are why the American people have lost faith that their Representatives can find bipartisan solutions to our Nation's most pressing issues.

But as a Member of Congress in the minority party at a time of deep political division and instability, I still believe it is possible for us to work together to improve the well-being of families, children, and young people. Mr. Speaker, that is why I am asking and I am imploring you to join me in voting for the bipartisan Dream Act that upholds our values and fulfills our promise to protect Dreamers and their families.

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

Madam Speaker, this past week, my colleagues and I traveled to different parts of the border to see firsthand how children, mothers, and fathers are being terrorized by the most anti-immigrant, xenophobic, and racist administration of my lifetime.

We did this because we cannot stand by, cannot stand idly by, and watch the most powerful country in the world tearing children from their mothers and their fathers at their most vulnerable and desperate moments. The stories of babies and toddlers being torn from the arms of their mothers and fathers, the heartbreaking audio of children crying and screaming for their parents, the account of a distraught father taking his own life after his own child was wrestled from his arms, and of a mother who was deported before she could recover her son from detention, these are the atrocities perpetrated by President Trump, and they must stop.

Families fleeing violence deserve and have a right to petition their claim for asylum, for that is the law of the land.

I am here with two children today to call on this administration to stop this cruel, inhumane practice that betrays who we are as a country.

The President could make the decision to end this practice right now and do the right thing. Failing that, Congress must act.

Madam Speaker, I yield to my distinguished colleague from Washington (Ms. Jayapal).

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez).