Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the remarkable career of an outstanding public servant and dedicated educator, Ted Alejandre, the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools. As he announces his retirement after nearly four decades of service to the youth and families of California's Inland Empire, it is appropriate that we recognize his extraordinary contributions.

Ted's commitment to his country and his community has been a lifelong pursuit. A veteran of the United States Air Force, he achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, serving with the Reserve's 701st Combat Operations Squadron. This dedication to service, duty, and excellence naturally transitioned into his second calling: public education.

Over the course of his nearly 40-year career in the San Bernardino County school system, Mr. Alejandre has touched nearly every facet of the education process. He has served as a teacher, a vice principal, a principal and an Assistant Superintendent of Business Services before being elected as the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools in 2014.

During his time at the helm, Ted oversaw operations for over 400,000 K-12 students across the county. He championed innovative, regional programs that expanded early literacy, pioneered digital learning to prepare students for the 21st-century workforce and fought tirelessly to ensure that every child, regardless of background, has a fair shot at success.

Furthermore, as a veteran himself, Ted spearheaded the Operation Recognition Veterans Diploma Project in San Bernardino County. This incredible initiative posthumously and retroactively awarded high school diplomas to local veterans who were forced to leave school to serve our Nation during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. This act of deep respect and gratitude exemplifies the type of leader Ted is: empathetic, grounded, and always looking to uplift those around him.

As a veteran and an educator, Ted understands the tremendous importance of supporting Inland Empire high school students who want to serve our country. Serving as a member of my office's Service Academy Board and later becoming the Board President, Ted helped nominate exemplary young men and women from throughout our region for the prestigious honor of attending a United States Military Academy.

Mr. Speaker, Ted Alejandre leaves behind an educational system that is stronger, more equitable, and deeply responsive to the needs of our diverse communities. While his steady, visionary leadership as County Superintendent will be deeply missed, his impact on the Inland Empire will be felt for generations to come.

I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Ted Alejandre on a stellar career in education and the military, and to thank him for a lifetime of unwavering dedication to the Inland Empire and our great Nation. I wish him, his family, and his loved ones all the best in his well-deserved retirement.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor and celebrate the 100th birthday of my constituent, Mr. David Wiener, a Holocaust survivor, a philanthropist, and a businessman whose incredible life is a testament to resilience and courage. His story is one of strength and perseverance that must be remembered and honored.

Born on May 30, 1926, in Lodz, Poland, David was one of Moshe Chaim and Hannah Sur Wiener's nine children. At the age of 13 during February 1940, after the Nazi occupation turned Lodz into a ghetto, David escaped alone. During the war, David survived slave labor camps, prison, and Auschwitz. Tragically, his parents and all but one of his siblings were killed by the Nazis.

Despite these unbelievable horrors, he endured and did not just go on to survive, but to thrive. After the war, David immigrated to the United States and began a new chapter and a new life. He married, had two children, and became a successful businessman, founding an upholstery company, while also contributing to causes close to his heart. Alongside his wife, also a Holocaust survivor, David has supported organizations such as the Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Boys and Girls Club of Fontana, and the United Hatzalah of Israel. In 2024, Pepperdine Caruso School of Law awarded him an honorary Juris Doctor degree in recognition of his lifelong dedication to education about the Holocaust. Through his memoir, Nothing to Lose But My Life, he details his full story and ensures that future generations understand what he and millions of others faced as well as the importance of confronting hatred wherever it exists in the world.

Today, I am proud to honor David Wiener for his extraordinary life, his unparalleled commitment to truth telling, his work to uplift communities and preserve history, and so much more. May we all continue to be inspired by his dedication to remembrance. I wish him the best in this next year.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privilege resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time.

Mr. Speaker, the American people sent us here to work together to address issues like the affordability crisis. Democrats are ready to work with anyone to make housing more affordable, to make childcare more affordable, and to make everyday goods like groceries less expensive.

Mr. Speaker, the policies within this big, ugly bill are going to raise costs and not lower them. Healthcare costs are going to go up as Medicaid gets gutted. Electric bills are going to go up when clean energy tax credits are wiped out at the request of the oil lobbyists.

Cutting food assistance programs like SNAP are going to hurt working people who are already getting squeezed at the checkout line because of these reckless tariffs. These are the same working people who were told by my Republican friends that lowering costs would be their top priority. That has not been the case. The American people are poorer, and it is more expensive to live here as a result.

Mr. Speaker, the economy is teetering on the brink. Every single piece of evidence tells us that a vote for this bill is a vote to make things worse, and I urge a ``no'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding. I am grateful for his leadership and the leadership of the Rules Committee Democrats, who are fighting back against these massive tax giveaways to billionaires and corporations raking in record profits.

Mr. Speaker, the American people are getting squeezed by reckless tariffs that are raising prices on every family, and it is only going to get worse. With prices still too high, I don't understand how my Republican colleagues can justify taking food off the table from women, children, and families.

While so many working families are struggling, I don't understand how they can justify a tax bill that only makes life easier for billionaires like Elon Musk.

In the dark of night, they want to pass this GOP tax scam.

We saw today that the President has said that a vote against this legislation represents an ultimate betrayal. The real betrayal, Mr. Speaker, is to the working people of this country, who will pay the price so that billionaires can pay less in taxes.

Mr. Speaker, our friends on the other side of the aisle said that they wouldn't cut Medicaid, and that is exactly what this bill does. They said that they would end taxes on tips, but they forgot to mention that the tradeoff is that Americans will lose their healthcare.

The American people didn't sign up for these broken promises. They asked their elected officials to work together to lower costs.

My colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus are waiting for these so-called reasonable Republicans to join us. Let's focus on bringing down the cost of housing, rent, gas, and groceries, and let's stop rewarding billionaires at the expense of the middle class.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the 100th birthday of Ms. Trinidad ``Trini'' Gomez, a constituent and friend who has led an incredible life and made our community better and brighter for everyone who crossed her path.

Born in Gallup, New Mexico, in 1925 as the eldest of 12 children, Trini was no stranger to hard work. From learning English so she could attend school, to joining the railroad industry alongside other women during World War II, to becoming the sole breadwinner for her household following her husband's passing, Trini Gomez never met a challenge she could not overcome.

As a San Bernardino resident. Trini has had a profound impact on the Inland Empire's culture and history. In 1986, Trini and her late husband, Graciano Gomez, founded the Inland Empire Hispanic News, a newspaper that aimed to advocate for the greater Hispanic community in the region. The publication quickly became the largest-circulated English-language community newspaper in the Inland Empire and had a lasting impact on the community. The Inland Empire Hispanic News provided a platform for Hispanic voices, shed light on important political and activist issues and recognized the achievements and contributions of the Hispanic community. After 23 years of service, the archive of the publication became an indispensable record of Mexican American history in the Inland Empire.

Today, I wish Trini Gomez a happy birthday and thank her for her dedication to and love for the Inland Empire and the people who call it home. I hope all of us can pay tribute to her achievements and the profound impact she has had on countless people. May the coming year bring Trini good health, happiness and time spent with loved ones.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

(During the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be considered as read.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in opposition to this Republican budget.

House Democrats came to Congress ready to work with our Republican colleagues to lower the cost of eggs, take on price gouging, expand the child tax credit, build more housing, and put the pocketbooks of working families first. This is what the American people told us was their top priority, and these are the issues that drive our Caucus.

Instead, Madam Chair, they have turned their attention to the only policy priority that they really care about: ensuring billionaires pay less.

My constituents can't afford eggs at the local grocery store while my Republican colleagues are fighting amongst themselves about who to hand out tax breaks to, corporations or individuals.

Tesla pays $0 in Federal taxes while teachers and firefighters in San Bernardino are paying more than their fair share.

Here is the reality, Madam Chair: My Republican colleagues are going to take away healthcare for more than 10 million Californians to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.

This is not going to make the cost of eggs cheaper or housing less expensive, but it is going to put children and seniors who need healthcare at risk.

House Democrats believe that the people who work for a living ought to get a little breathing room, and the wealthy and well connected shouldn't get special treatment.

The Republican budget is not good for the economy. It is not good for the country. It is a betrayal of the middle class. I urge a ``no'' vote.