Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1500) to redesignate the small triangular property located in Washington, DC, and designated by the National Park Service as reservation 302 as ``Robert Emmet Park'', and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1500, offered by our colleague, Representative Joseph Crowley of New York, renames a small triangular property owned by the National Park Service in Washington, D.C., as Robert Emmet Park.

Robert Emmet, sometimes referred to as the George Washington of Ireland, was a prominent historical figure known for his role in the Irish rebellion of 1803 and for his classic ``Speech from the Dock'' that inspired future efforts to gain Irish independence.

The small National Park Service reservation that is redesignated by this bill includes a statue of Robert Emmet, originally cast in 1916 by Irish-American artist Jerome Connor. In April of last year, the statue was rededicated at a ceremony that also jointly marked the centennial of the 1916 Easter Rising. The statue and park, located just a few blocks from the Irish Embassy, are a source of pride to the Irish community.

I wish to thank Representative Crowley for his sponsorship of this bill, and also Mr. Jack O'Brien of the Ancient Order of Hibernians for his tireless work in support of this legislation and his lifelong dedication to Irish cultural projects.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1073) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a structure for visitor services on the Arlington Ridge tract, in the area of the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1073, brought to us by our Natural Resources Committee colleague Congressman Don Beyer of Virginia, authorizes the National Park Service to construct a visitor services center at the United States Marine Corps Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.

The United States Marine Corps Memorial is one of the emblematic sites of our Nation's Capital. As a marine, the memorial is especially near and dear to my heart. It represents our Nation's gratitude and esteem for the Marines and those who have fought beside them.

While the statue depicts the flag raising on Iwo Jima--one of the most iconic events in World War II--the memorial is dedicated to all marines who have given their lives in defense of the United States since 1775.

Each year, the memorial attracts over 1 million visitors and hosts several popular events, including Summer Sunset Parades and the Marine Corps Marathon.

Despite this popularity, the memorial lacks basic visitor services such as permanent restroom facilities. The bill before us authorizes the construction of a visitor services center that includes permanent restroom facilities, thus allowing those visiting our Nation's Capital to visit and appreciate this grand memorial with increased comfort.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1135) to reauthorize the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Historic Preservation program.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

H.R. 295, introduced by Congressman James Clyburn from South Carolina, reauthorizes the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Historic Preservation program.

Since 1988, the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Historic Preservation program has awarded over $60 million in grants to assist Historically Black Colleges and Universities with needed maintenance and rehabilitation of historic buildings on their campuses. These projects may include repairing damaged masonry, upgrading electrical and plumbing systems, or fixing leaking roofs.

Although the needs of our Nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities exceed the amounts authorized by this legislation, future funding provided to this program will help to ensure that the rich history of these campuses remains preserved for future generations.

I urge adoption of this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1967) to amend the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 to authorize pumped storage hydropower development utilizing multiple Bureau of Reclamation reservoirs, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn).

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding public service of San Bernardino County Sheriff's Deputy Jeffery Dean, who is assigned to the department's Victorville City Station. For the past three years, Deputy Dean has served as a patrol deputy, traffic division deputy, and is also a certified Major Accident Investigation Team (MAlT) deputy.

On May 14, 2017, Deputy Dean was on patrol in Victorville, California when he made contact with a young man from the State of Washington who was working in the area as a magazine salesman. Deputy Dean noticed injuries to the man's face and was told that they were the result of a robbery in which the victim's wallet and cell phone were stolen.

Realizing the man's dire situation, Deputy Dean took it upon himself to pay for the man to stay in a hotel room, and he purchased a bus ticket so the victim could return to his family in Washington.

Every day, men and women in the law enforcement profession work tirelessly to make a difference in our communities. However, often times, their work goes unnoticed in the media and press. I would like to take a moment to highlight the great work of Deputy Dean and the entire San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department for their commitment to public service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the exemplary service and promotion of Bishop Roger Thomas to his current position. As a result of his keen awareness, understanding of humankind, his unquestionable devotion to serve God is boundless.

It is his effective stewardship that leads men and women to successful conclusions within the church and in their private lives. The sincerity of his voice moves individuals to be at their best regardless of the challenges they face.

He inspires youth and adults to further their education in higher institutions of learning. Individuals in search of counseling, guidance, advice, employment and legal matters are aided directly and/ or indirectly by his influence.

Bishop Roger Thomas proves regularly that the service of God's children is more than an obligation but rather to care for the needs of all humankind is an honor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, San Bernardino Council of Governments Board of Directors, and school districts and agencies throughout San Bernardino County that have adopted the County's Vision2Read early literacy program.

The San Bernardino County Vision2Read National Press Conference was held on April 19, 2017 to announce a newly formed partnership between San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, San Bernardino County Preschool Services, First 5 San Bernardino, and the Children's Fund, which will offer the nationally acclaimed services of Footsteps2Brilliance to residents in San Bernardino County. Footsteps2Brilliance will provide free access to early literacy activities in English and Spanish to all families with pre-kindergarten children.

On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I would like to thank all agencies, organizations, and volunteers involved in this collaboration to provide the resources of

Footsteps2Brilliance and tools for our future leaders.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding service and induction of Ginger Ontiveros to the Victor Valley College Alumni Hall of Fame. Ginger was the previous Executive Director of Victor Valley College Foundation and was instrumental in changing the landscape of higher education within Victor Valley. As an alumnus of VVC, Ginger is extremely compassionate and thoughtful towards the needs of students and exceled in her role as Executive Director of the VVC Foundation.

During her 15 years with the Victor Valley College Foundation, Ginger provided Victor Valley College with vast opportunities through securing gifts for VVC, easing enrollment challenges for students, and assisted in the development of the renowned Dr. Prem Reddy Health & Science Building at VVC. This is only a few of the many programs that Ginger implemented which fostered mentors from the Victor Valley community to give back to students attending Victor Valley College.

On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I would like to thank Ginger Ontiveros for her tireless work and dedication to the students of the High Desert and faculty of Victor Valley College. Ginger Ontiveros' work has shaped education within Victor Valley and I am pleased to hear that she will be inducted in the Victor Valley College's Alumni Hall of Fame.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding service of Denny and Caroll Yule who will be presented the President's Award from the Victor Valley College Foundation on February 25, 2017.

Dennis and Carol were nominated for this award for their collaborative impact and contributions to Victor Valley College education and the Victor Valley Community. Dennis and Caroll have sponsored numerous college scholarships that have enabled students, who otherwise could not afford a degree, to pursue higher education. Without such generous donations from the Yules to the college foundation, some VVC students would not have received their associate degrees. Besides their monetary donations, Caroll has volunteered many hours of personal time to guest lecture at Victor Valley College. As described by Victor Valley College Foundation President, the Yules are ``irreplaceable members of our community.''

On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I would like to thank Denny and Caroll Yule for their tireless work and dedication to the students of the Victor Valley. I congratulate the Yules on receiving the President's Award from the Victor Valley College Foundation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding service of Mike Podegracz who will be presented the Distinguished Service-Community Service Award from the Victor Valley College Foundation on February 25, 2017.

Mike Podegracz was nominated for this award for his countless hours of service and civic engagement within the community of Hesperia and throughout Victor Valley. Mike has devoted 15 years to the economic and urban development of Hesperia. As city manager, Mike developed numerous necessary developments including the community's finest park and recreation center, city council facility, and police station. In addition to Mike's work as former city manager, he continues to contribute to various charities and non-profit groups such as: Hesperia's Relay for Life, Community Cleanup Day, and the Water Conservation Booth at the Hesperia Days Celebration.

On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I would like to thank Mike Podegracz for his tireless work and dedication to the High Desert Community. I congratulate Mike Podegracz on receiving the Distinguished Service-Community Service Award from the Victor Valley College Foundation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding service of Michelle Estrada who will be presented the Distinguished Service-Education Award from the Victor Valley College Foundation on February 25, 2017.

Michelle Estrada was nominated for this award because of her dedication to her students and staff at Hesperia High School. Ms. Estrada provides a one of a kind Early College Academy that allows students to receive college credit while attending Hesperia High School. The Early College Academy provides students with technical skills that enable them to become specialists before they graduate. Ms. Estrada is passionate about helping students who lack the support to succeed and is a pillar at Hesperia High School for students to strive towards success.

On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I would like to thank Michelle Estrada for her tireless work and dedication to the students of Victor Valley. I congratulate Michelle Estrada on receiving the Distinguished Service-Education Award from the Victor Valley College Foundation.

I thank Mr. Bilirakis for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, as a combat veteran, I am deeply concerned that the men and women of our Armed Forces continue to struggle to find jobs upon their return to civilian life. These individuals have not only displayed great courage in serving their country, but have acquired certain skills that make them ideal candidates for employment.

I am not going to go over many of the things that were said about how the program is an incentive, as I think that has already been covered. I just want to underscore the fact that this is a problem. It is not a new problem. You can have the statistics, but one has to ask oneself: Why do we have a lower percentage of veterans who are getting the jobs?

As was already mentioned, I am a product of the Vietnam war; and the veterans who were getting out there, a lot of people were afraid to hire them. They didn't know whether they would be recalled back into the service, and they didn't know whether they had post-traumatic stress disorder. They were not going to take a chance on them, and that was sad. That was many, many years ago, but the stats don't lie.

I am very, very supportive. I get passionate about these programs because the bottom line is we have to make sure that we take care of the troops, and this is a bill that, with the cooperation of private industry, has those incentives built in there. I am optimistic. We had bipartisan support the last time. We went all the way up there and were waiting the last time for the Senate--holding our breath. Everybody knows you don't always get what you want. I am not going to give up and neither will the people who have been supporting this bill because we are all very, very passionate about veterans.

I thank Chairman Roe. I thank Ranking Member Walz for his great support and military service. I thank Representative Tulsi Gabbard for, once again, being the original cosponsor of this important legislation and for always being there for the veterans and the military. I also thank Congressman Bilirakis for his great support.

Once again, this passed out of the House last November and had unanimous support. I urge my colleagues to once again vote in favor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding public service of outgoing Victorville Sheriff's Station Captain Sam Lucia, who has spent 13 of his 27 years in law enforcement servicing the people of Victorville,

California. His departure from the Victorville station is due to his promotion to lead the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Employee Resources Division.

On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I would like to thank Captain Sam Lucia for his tireless work and dedication to the residents of the high desert. It has been a pleasure to work with him over the years, but I know he will continue to excel in his new role with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 10 years of service of outgoing Hesperia Parks and Recreation Board Member Rebekah Swanson. Rebekah was elected to the Hesperia City Council this past November and is stepping down from her current position on the board.

Rebekah was first elected to the Hesperia Parks and Recreation Board in 2006. Since that time, Rebekah has vociferously fought to improve the quality of recreation programs within the city, culminating in the construction of competition level soccer fields. She also championed better utilization of Hesperia's Civic Park and spearheaded improvements to all of the parks throughout the district. Perhaps her most impressive achievement was that she, along with her colleagues on the board, accomplished these important projects without raising taxes or exceeding the district's budget.

On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I would like to thank Rebekah for her leadership and tireless advocacy for the people of Hesperia. I look forward to working closely with her in her new role as a member of the Hesperia City Council.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the life of Riverside County Supervisor John Benoit, who passed away on December 26, 2016 at the age of 64. John was a lifelong public servant, having spent 31 years in law enforcement prior to his first foray into elected office in 1999 as a board member for the Desert Sands Unified School District.

In 2002, John was elected to the California State Assembly, where I had the pleasure of

calling him a colleague. I was always impressed with John's keen understanding of developing sound public policy on behalf of his constituents. He was a true statesman in every sense of the word. John was elected to the California State Senate in 2008 and was eventually appointed to the Riverside County Board of Supervisors in 2009 by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

On the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, John represented the largest and, arguably, most diverse district in the county. Yet, he never let his partisan leanings interfere with his duty to serve his constituents. This, undoubtedly, will be one of John's many lasting legacies.

John is survived by his wife, Sheryl; son, Ben; daughter, Sarah; and two grandchildren, Abrielle and Nick. On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I would like to offer our condolences to John's family and friends during this difficult time. May he rest in eternal peace.