Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Robert Fellion who has announced the Napa County Fourth of July Parade for the past thirty years, from 1989 to 2017 and is the Grand Marshal of the 2018 parade.

Mr. Fellion was born in Berkeley, California and moved to Napa County when he was in high school. He graduated from St. Helena High School in 1963. After working for Sears Roebuck and Company for several decades, Mr. Fellion retired and opened Fellion's Deli in Calistoga, California in 1984.

Mr. Fellion has been a constant presence at our local Fourth of July parade as the announcer and many people look forward to hearing him announce the parade each year. This year the community looks forward to Mr. Fellion leading the parade as the Grand Marshal, a well-deserved honor.

Mr. Fellion's commitment to serving our Napa County community does not end with his work for the parade. He has served as an auctioneer for many community fundraisers, including St. Helena High School's athletic booster association and Soroptimist International of Calistoga. Mr. Fellion sponsored a little league team and provided the Calistoga High School football team with breakfast and packed them lunches when they played away games. In recognition for his support of youth activities, Mr. Fellion, along with his wife Carol and his brother Steve, won Calistoga's Citizen of the Year award in 1987.

Mr. Fellion is a current member and past president of the Native Sons of the Golden West, St. Helena. He is also a long-time member of the Rotary Club of Calistoga and an original member of the St. Helena Hall of Fame committee, which is committed to honoring high school athletes and coaches in our community.

Mr. Speaker, Bob Fellion is dedicated to serving our community and has done so for many decades. He is an involved community member who aims to give back to the community that he says raised him. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor Robert Fellion here today.

Mr. Speaker, the President created a humanitarian crisis that inflicts lasting trauma on children when he mandated that they be taken from their parents at the border.

The President's executive action just trades one trauma for another by locking up children indefinitely.

This is about the lives and the wellbeing of children. There are more than 2,000 kids who were taken from their parents. I want people watching this to think about those children. The President chose to put them through this to push his harmful and abusive immigration policies.

The Speaker could allow a vote on bipartisan immigration bills today to reform our immigration system and to put an end to the President's policy of traumatizing these kids.

Congress needs to stand up and fix our broken immigration system and put an end to the deplorable tactics of this administration.

Mr. Speaker, this isn't who we are as a Nation. We need to fix our immigration system and save these kids.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. George Matthew Cockerton, a veteran school administrator, who is retiring after serving twenty-seven years in the Kelseyville Unified School District.

Mr. Cockerton was born in Oakland, CA, and has two adult children, Cori and Ryan. He attended California Polytechnic State University in San Louis Obispo and California State University, East Bay where he received his Bachelor's degree in Kinesiology and his teaching credential. He also earned a Master's degree in Education and an Administrative Credential from the University of San Francisco and received a Tier II Clear Administrative Credential from National University.

Mr. Cockerton began his career in education as a Physical Education teacher, Athletic Director and Coach in 1985. In 1991, he became the Vice Principal and Athletic Director of Kelseyville High School. Mr. Cockerton was the Principal of Mountain Vista Middle School from 1996 to 1997. He has been Principal of Kelseyville High School since 1997. He is a member of the California Association of Teachers and the Association of California School Administrators. He was also a member of the Coastal Mountain Conference, a local high school sports league, for twenty-seven years and served as president for two years.

Mr. Cockerton has been active in our community. He is a long time coach for Westshore Little League Baseball and has served on their board. He is also a coach for Westshore Youth Football, where he has been the President of the organization.

Mr. Speaker, George Matthew Cockerton has served his community honorably as a school administrator and coach. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor him here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Patrick J. Sweeney upon his retirement from a distinguished eight year tenure as Superintendent of Napa Valley Unified School District.

Dr. Sweeney was born in Dublin, California and was one of eight siblings. He realized his passion for education at an early age and graduated from San Diego State University in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies. He then earned a Master of Arts in Administration and Supervision from San Jose State University in 1985, as well as a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of La Verne in 2000.

Dr. Sweeney has served Napa Valley Unified School District (NVUSD) as Superintendent since 2010. Under his leadership, NVUSD significantly increased its attendance and graduation rates, improved school safety and opened American Canyon High School. Dr. Sweeney also launched pivotal programs to improve student health and wellness, including opening Wellness Centers at the middle schools in the district. Dr. Sweeney guided the district through monumental changes in federal and state education policy and two significant natural disasters. During the October 2017 fires, he opened American Canyon High School as a shelter and focused on ensuring Spanish-speaking families were receiving accurate and up to date information.

In addition to serving NVUSD as Superintendent, Dr. Sweeney has also greatly impacted other schools and districts. He was Principal of a Bilingual Magnet School in Santa Cruz County, California, Superintendent of the American School in Durango, Mexico and Superintendent, and later Director of Educational Services, of the Patterson Joint Unified School District. In all of his roles in various schools and school districts, Dr. Sweeney has focused on building relationships within each community and has committed himself to serving students and educators from a broad range of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.

Mr. Speaker, Dr. Sweeney is a passionate educator with an esteemed record for giving back to his students, colleagues and the community, who has dutifully served Napa Valley Unified School District as Superintendent for eight years. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor Dr. Patrick J. Sweeney here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor George MacLeod and remember his rich and full life. Mr. MacLeod leaves behind a legacy of successful winemaking and a passion for the industry and our community.

In his early career, Mr. MacLeod was a geophysical engineer, working in the electronics industry at Fisher Research Laboratories and Knapic Electronics in Silicon Valley. He then worked on the development of Light-Emitting Diode (LED) technologies at Monsanto.

In 1974, Mr. MacLeod and his wife, Greta Fisher MacLeod, bought their ranch, 50 rugged acres above Kenwood, California, which was called Indian Springs Ranch. Mr. MacLeod dove headfirst in grape growing and winemaking and did so with fervor. He took courses at Santa Rosa Junior College and the University of California, Davis and contacted grape growers in the Sonoma Valley to learn as much as possible about the industry and the process.

Mr. MacLeod liked to joke about his inexperience with farming and grape growing. He compensated for his newness to the profession with talent, drive and perseverance. The vineyard 's first Sauvignon Blanc harvest won a gold medal and Mr. MacLeod loved to tell that story.

Mr. MacLeod cherished the winemakers of the Sonoma Valley. He helped write the constitution for the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance and was its first president. In 2015, Mr. MacLeod was inducted into their Hall of Fame, the first person to receive this honor. Mr. MacLeod stayed involved with our community as the author of the Journey to Harvest column in the Kenwood Press. He also published a memoir, family history books and wrote a book on terroir and how it affects the flavor of wine.

Mr. Speaker, George MacLeod was always willing to lend a hand and help our community flourish. He was a devoted husband and dedicated father and an example of how to live life with integrity and generosity. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor him here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dennis Crandall and his fourteen years as principal of Archbishop Hanna High School in Sonoma, California. He was aptly honored at Hanna Boys Center's 12th Annual Evening with the All Stars on April 21, 2018.

Mr. Crandall is a Sonoma County native who graduated from Analy High School and received his Bachelor of Science in atmospheric science from the University of California, Davis. He also earned a Life Secondary Credential in physics and math from Sacramento State University and a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from St. Mary's College.

For the past fourteen years Mr. Crandall has been the principal of Archbishop Hanna High School, a school that serves at-risk teenage boys in Sonoma County. While at the helm of the school, he led the effort for the school to earn the Western Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation. Mr. Crandall also worked on restructuring and improving the curriculum, focusing on how to best serve a large and diverse population. Some of his many accomplishments as principal include adding college prep and online courses, expanding the day students' program to better serve those who need greater assistance, developing a vocational viticulture program and starting an organic garden and orchard program to promote sustainability.

Mr. Crandall is turning his energy to a new fundraising role in the development department of Hanna Boys Center. He believes he can make the greatest impact for the center and school by working on fundraising efforts for new facilities and an expanded educational program.

Mr. Crandall is a devoted husband to his wife, Marcia, and caring father to their three children. He is also a dedicated volunteer, having serving on both St. Joseph Catholic Church and Cardinal Newman High School's Board of Directors.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Crandall is a dedicated educator and compassionate individual who has made education his life's work. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor Dennis Crandall here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with the Honorable Jared Huffman to recognize the opening of the Wine Spectator Learning Center for the Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State University.

The Wine Spectator Learning Center has transformed the previous University Commons building into a state of the art facility complete with three advanced-technology classrooms, student commons, a cafe and garden areas and meeting spaces for students, faculty and business leaders.

The Wine Spectator Learning Center is a world class facility in which the next generation of California wine leaders can learn and grow through the Wine Business Institute. The Institute was established in 1996 as a public-private partnership for education and research within the School of Business and Economics at Sonoma State University. Sonoma State University is the first college or university in the United States to offer programs and degrees specializing in the business of wine, which is immensely important to our local economy. Additionally, the School of Business and Economics is the first in the world to offer an executive-level wine business degree.

The Wine Business Institute, besides educating students, hosts conferences and symposia to the benefit of individual wine industry professionals, including winemakers, viticulturists, distributors and vineyard owners. The Wine Business Institute also provides programs and activities that help the wine industry evolve to meet the challenges of an increasingly fast-paced world. The Institute is particularly well- situated to address changing public policies and regulations and assist the industry in adapting to them.

Mr. Speaker, the Wine Business Institute has had a great effect on the wine industry both in California and worldwide, and I am confident that the addition of the Wine Spectator Learning Center will only continue to benefit our great district. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor the continued success of the Wine Business Institute and the Wine Spectator Learning Center here today.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am opposed to the bill in its current form.

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

Mr. Speaker, less than 1 week ago, 10 people were shot and killed in their school in Santa Fe, Texas. As usual, Members sent thoughts and prayers. They said that things have got to change, and then they did nothing.

We held our 47th moment of silence since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School 5\1/2\ years ago. For every Member who looks into the face of yet another grieving family and says, ``I am with you,'' and then does nothing, I have a message for you: You are complicit. You are allowing criminals and the dangerously mentally ill easy access to guns. Your inaction is leading to gravestone after gravestone.

We have not had one vote on legislation to keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them. If we are not allowed a vote, there is blood on the hands of Congress.

Since Sandy Hook, more kids have been killed by someone using a gun than all of our troops killed in combat since 9/11.

Let that sink in.

Seven thousand young kids are dead, in part, because of our inaction. I don't know about you, but that number keeps me up at night.

These are children who are robbed of a lifetime of experiences and robbed of their future. Instead of going to their graduation, their parents go and visit their grave.

This amendment is straightforward, and, if adopted, it will not kill the bill. It does two things:

First, it provides grants to States to get more records into the background check system. I think we can all agree, for the system to work, it has to have the most up-to-date records.

Second, it would expand background checks to all commercial sale of firearms. So if you walk into a gun show and try to buy a gun, you have to undergo a background check. If you go online and try to buy a gun, you have to undergo a background check.

This isn't some radical idea. 208 Members of this Congress, Democrats and Republicans, are cosponsors. Even 94 percent of gun owners support expanding background checks, and we can't get 94 percent of the people to agree that the sky is blue. This kind of consensus should unify us. It should empower us on this floor to do what is right.

We know that background checks work. Every day, background checks stop more than 175 felons, some 50 domestic abusers, and nearly 20 fugitives from buying a gun. But in some States, these same folks can walk into a gun show and buy the same gun without a background check. This motion would change that.

Yesterday, the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force heard from young leaders who are begging Congress to pass laws to help prevent gun violence. One of the hardest things for me to hear was one student saying that he was not actually surprised that there was a shooting at his school. Kids now have an expectation that one day it will happen to them. This is shameful, and it is the future that we are leaving for our children and our grandchildren.

I know what the chairman is going to say. He is going to say the NDAA is no place for this amendment.

First, this isn't an extraneous provision. The NDAA has language directly addressing guns and gun ownership. Without that language in the bill, we wouldn't be able to offer this amendment today.

Second, the NDAA has long been a place for extraneous provisions. In this bill alone, the majority has weakened environmental oversight and permitted drilling, has addressed medical fees in national parks, and has addressed yacht safety, just to name a few extraneous provisions.

So I ask you to join me: No more complicity. No more blood on the hands of Congress. No more moments of silence.

It is time for moments of action. Vote ``yes'' on this motion. It will not kill the bill, but it will save lives.

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

Point of Order

Mr. Speaker, I appeal the ruling of the Chair.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Al Haberger and his service to Napa County. Mr. Haberger was instrumental in conserving the natural beauty and character of the Napa Valley by establishing the Napa County Agricultural Preserve, the first of its kind in the nation.

The Napa County Agricultural Preserve helped secure the future of Napa County as an internationally renowned grape-growing region. Mr. Haberger had the foresight to recognize that without proper protections, Napa's wine industry would not be able to grow and flourish. It was Mr. Haberger's determination that led to his idea for an agricultural preserve receiving public attention, and his passion for Napa County that led to its public support.

The initial 1968 zoning ordinance protected 23,000 acres of agricultural land from overdevelopment, stretching from Napa to Calistoga. Today, the preserve has grown to 31,609 acres, from which no land has ever been removed. Instead, the ordinance allowed Napa County to grow steadily while balancing the needs of residents, developers, and farmers. All of us who enjoy the beauty and open space of Napa County today are indebted to Mr. Haberger's vision that agriculture is the highest and best use of the land.

The agricultural preserve has ensured that Napa County will be an agricultural center of California well into the future, and the continued source of some the finest wines in the nation and in the world. In addition, the Napa Valley Agricultural Preserve has led in agricultural protection and preservation in California for the last half century, thanks to Mr. Haberger and his efforts.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Haberger is proof that one person can truly make a difference, as he did in helping establish the Napa County Agricultural Preserve. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor Al Haberger here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Susan Eakle and her commitment to public school education. Ms. Eakle is retiring after 42 years of service in public education at Pope Valley Union Elementary School in Pope Valley, California.

Ms. Eakle was born in San Francisco, California and grew up in Mill Valley and St. Helena, California. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and a multiple-subject teaching credential with a specialization in bilingual education at the University of California, Davis. She also received a Master of Arts in Educational Administration and an administration services credential from Sonoma State University. After graduating from college she lived in Yountville, California until she moved to Pope Valley in 1983.

At Pope Valley Union Elementary School, Ms. Eakle has taught combinations of kindergarten and first and second grades and has been the Principal and Superintendent. She currently teaches transitional kindergarten and first and second grades. Ms. Eakle is a natural educator who encourages her students to continue learning after they leave her classroom and inspires them with her love of reading and appreciation for knowledge. She is also active in the Pope Valley Scholarship Fund and has been a member of the California Teachers Association and National Education Association.

In addition to her work in education, Ms. Eakle is active in our community in other

ways. She was a Board Member of the Northern California Coastal Region of the American Red Cross and served on their Disaster Action Team. She has been a project leader in 4-H and a volunteer for liturgies at St. Helena Catholic Church. .

Mr. Speaker, Ms. Eakle is a passionate educator who is dearly loved by her students, her colleagues and our community. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor Susan Eakle here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Holly Finkelstein for her dedication to improving the health and well-being of children and families in our community and her involvement with the Community Health Initiative Napa County.

Ms. Finkelstein has served three terms on the Board of Directors for Community Health Initiative Napa County. She has been a member of the Executive Committee as Treasurer, Secretary and Vice President. She currently serves as the Fundraising Chair. Ms. Finkelstein has been a passionate supporter of the Community Health Initiative's mission to ensure children and their families are covered by health insurance and have access to health care services. Since 2005 Community Health Initiative Napa County has enrolled 18,000 children and their families, individuals and seniors in health insurance.

Ms. Finkelstein is involved in our community in other ways as well. She has served on multiple committees for the Napa Valley Vintners Association and is a graduate of Leadership Napa Valley, a Napa Valley Chamber of Commerce program. In 2007, Ms. Finkelstein was named one of the ``Forty Under 40'' Business Leaders by the North Bay Business Journal.

Ms. Finkelstein is married to her husband Judd, with whom she has two daughters, Ruby and Talulah, who have followed in their mother's footsteps by spreading kindness through their Be Kind campaign.

Mr. Speaker, Ms. Finkelstein is a giving person to those in need and her love for others is contagious. She has been an essential part of the Board of Directors for Community Health Initiative Napa County for nine years. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor her here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. James Cotter for the positive impact he has had on the health and well- being of our community for many years and his work as President of the Board of Directors of Community Health Initiative Napa County for the past nine years.

Dr. Cotter received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and his medical degree from the George Washington University Medical School. He completed a three year residency in family medicine at the UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center. Dr. Cotter also holds a Master of Public Health from Touro University.

Dr. Cotter has served three terms as Board President of the Board of Directors of Community Health Initiative Napa County. Prior to his position on the Board, he helped the organization develop their first evaluation plan, which has helped inform the community of their impact. Dr. Cotter has provided guidance and support for Community Health Initiative's efforts to enroll children and their families in health insurance and ensure that they have access to services. Community Health Initiative has enrolled 18,000 individuals in health insurance since 2005.

Dr. Cotter has been an active and passionate advocate for access to healthcare for children and vulnerable populations from the beginning of his career. He served in the National Health Service Corps in Lake County from 1981 to 1985. From 1985 to 1990 he practiced as a solo family physician in Clearlake, California. In 1993 Dr. Cotter was appointed the physician in charge of the Kaiser Permanente Napa medical offices, a position he served in until 2014. He currently works at Partnership HealthPlan of California, which serves 560,000 Medi-Cal members in fourteen Northern California counties.

Mr. Speaker, Dr. Cotter cares deeply about the health of children and their families. He has played a fundamental role in the success of Community Health Initiative Napa County as the Board President. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor Dr. James Cotter here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Steven Moulds, who has been named Napa Valley Grapegrowers' 2018 Grower of the Year. Mr. Moulds is an individual who has made a lasting impact on our community through his viticulture work, expertise and personal commitment to public service.

Mr. Moulds was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in Palo Alto and Los Altos in California. He graduated from Los Altos High School in 1962. He studied at Foothill College and graduated from San Jos State University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1972. In 2005 he graduated from Napa Valley College with an Associate of Science in Viticulture.

Mr. Moulds began his public service journey as a Peace Corps volunteer in Porcupine, Honduras in 1964. His involvement with the Peace Crops established a foundation for his work as a social worker and his continued volunteerism. From 1964 to 1976 he worked with migrant farm workers in Irony, California, helping them remove barriers to employment.

In 2000; after working in commercial real estate, Mr. Moulds and his wife Betsy purchased eleven acres in the Oak Knoll District of the Napa Valley appellation where he planted Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. He is focused on producing high quality grapes and maintaining strong partnerships with winemakers.

In addition to growing his own grapes, Mr. Moulds is active in our wine community. He is a Board Member and past President of Napa Valley Grape growers, a Board Member of the Napa Valley Farm worker Foundation and a previous Board Member of the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley appellation. His philanthropic efforts include founder and sustaining member of NorteAmericanos Para Orocuina, Board Member and President of the Board of Peninsula Center for the Blind, and Board Member and President of San Jose Repertory Theater.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Moulds has been recognized as the Napa Valley Grapegrowers' 2018 Grower of the Year. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor Steven Moulds here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognIze May 6 through 12, 2018 as National Travel and Tourism Week in Napa County, California, an occasion to commemorate, congratulate and celebrate the people who work in tourism and hospitality.

Travelers and their spending are essential to Napa County's, and all of California's, economy. The tourism and hospitality industries are responsible for strengthening the economy in California's Fifth Congressional District. Tourism is the second largest industry in Napa County and supports over 13,000 jobs in our community, mainly in the restaurant, hotel and retail sectors. In 2016, 3.5 million visitors to the Napa Valley spent nearly $2 billion, an increase of 17.5 percent from 2014. This spending generated over $80 million in tax revenues

to our local governments in Napa County. These tax dollars supported and benefitted our community in many ways, including improving infrastructure and public safety.

National Travel and Tourism Week recognizes the important impact travel and tourism have on our economy and celebrates our community and the people that work in this important sector. Through their customer service and positive interactions with visitors they promote Napa County as a world-class destination. This week is a chance to commemorate members of the hospitality and related industries and acknowledge the work they do and the important role they play in our economy and community.

Mr. Speaker, travel and tourism are essential to our region in terms of our economy and our community's character. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we recognize May 6 through 12, 2018 as National Travel and Tourism Week in Napa County, California.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Julie McClure's advocacy for community and after-school programs, in particular her leadership at CalSERVES, and I join CaliforniaVolunteers in recognizing the important work she has done.

Ms. McClure is currently the Associate Superintendent at the Napa County Office of Education. For more than two decades, she has been a champion for the values AmeriCorps and national service can bring to a community. Ms. McClure has been essential to the success of AmeriCorps in California as a mentor to new programs and as a board member of Voices for California.

In 1998 Ms. McClure started the CalSERVES tutoring program, in partnership with CaliforniaVolunteers and the Corporation for National and Community Service. She launched CalSERVES so students at Napa County Office of Education schools would have tutoring support. CalSERVES has been a model for community and after school programming and is known for its innovative use of AmeriCorps resources. More than 4,600 members have served 6.7 million hours in the community due in no small part to Ms. McClure's efforts. In 2009 Ms. McClure started the CalSERVES Volunteer Infrastructure Program in order to expand CalSERVES' outreach and services. Currently, 60 AmeriCorps members provide programming in Napa and Sonoma County schools and 140 Corps members work on building volunteer capacity at other organizations throughout California.

In addition to her work with CalSERVES and AmeriCorps, Ms. McClure's advocacy work has included leading the California After School Demonstration Program and Healthy Behavior Learning Center.

Mr. Speaker, Julie McClure has been a key contributor to the AmeriCorps experience in California for the last two decades and a tireless advocate for public service. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor her here today.