Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize June as National Reunification Month, and to honor the tremendous reunifications efforts of individuals across the country who work tirelessly to ensure that safe, timely, and healthy reunification continues to be prioritized for the 400,000 youth in the U.S. foster care system. Each June, states and jurisdictions celebrate these efforts and extend their commitments to working to strengthen pathways to ensuring thriving, supportive families, and communities.

Federal initiatives including Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act, the Family First Prevention Services Act, Victims of Child Abuse Act Reauthorization of 2018 and the Supporting Foster Youth and Families through the Pandemic Act, have improved services and reunification for children and families in the foster care system, but there is more to be done.

Since 2020, four National partners of the U.S. Children's Bureau, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Prevent Child Abuse America, Casey Family Programs and now recently the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have joined the Thriving Families, Safer Children Movement within the child welfare community to bring a first-of-its-kind national, multiyear effort that spans the public, private and philanthropic sectors. It will create and enhance networks of community-based programming while also aligning government resources to offer a full continuum of prevention supports and services. Beyond building stronger families and communities, the movement seeks to end the harmful practice of family separation in child welfare systems. This work involves closely collaborating with children and families within the child welfare system and leveraging resources to create a more just, equitable, and humane well-being system. Twenty-two states and jurisdictions have committed to moving this work forward, including Arizona.

With that in mind, I want to thank all those involved for making this much-needed investment into our youth and families' futures including: biological and kinship parents, family members, social workers, foster parents, service providers, attorneys, courts, court appointed special advocates (CASAs), advocates, public child welfare professionals and the greater child welfare community at large.

And when honoring National Reunification Month, we must push to further assist migrant families that were separated at our southern border due to cruel and inhumane border policies denying them their right to seek asylum. I commend the Biden-Harris administration for fully repealing the Trump-era ``zero tolerance'' policy and establishing the President's Interagency Task Force on the Reunification of Families aimed at bringing families back together. Thousands of children were cruelly separated from their families, and I applaud the work of the President's Taskforce who is working to reunite hundreds of children that remain separated from their families to this day. More must be done to ensure all migrant families are reunited and no more families are

separated at the southern border. Their safety, well-being and reunification must be an uttermost urgency for the Biden-Harris administration and its officials.

It is time as a Nation to commit to providing the resources and programs necessary for the reunification of families, both for children in our domestic foster care system and for those who entered our country for refuge.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. Maloney, who is the chair of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, and the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus for their work and support for the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act.

As we celebrate Pride Month and remember the 53rd anniversary of the Stonewall riots, we recognize the progress, lived experience, and suffering of the LGBTQI+ community.

In many ways our Federal Government is falling short on the promise to craft and implement inclusive public policy, in part, because we lack the necessary data to address the issues affecting the LGBTQI+ community.

While some data is currently collected and Federal agents have made progress, far too many LGBTQI+ individuals remain overlooked in many Federal data collection efforts.

As the Center for American Progress has calculated, more than five in six LGBTQ adults cannot be identified by existing questions in non- experimental survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau such as the American Community Survey and the Census, which only accounts for cohabitating same-sex couples.

That is why I introduced this legislation, the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act, to ensure we have robust and accurate data.

The bill would require Federal surveys to include data collection on sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations of sex characteristics on a voluntary basis. Again, let me emphasize what the Chair emphasized, this bill would only collect voluntary, self- disclosed data.

An individual will not be required to disclose this information, nor would this information be used in a manner that would adversely affect any individual.

It would ensure that lawmakers and Federal agencies have the comprehensive data they need to address the LGBTQI+ issues.

We cannot craft policies that remedy the disparities faced by these individuals, particularly people of color, in issues of discrimination, unemployment, healthcare, housing instability, and more if we do not have the adequate and correct data.

We have seen how the pandemic has impacted many Americans, and we are still learning how the LGBTQI+ community were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 crisis. This is just one of many areas that our Federal Government lacks knowledge in how to respond to these issues.

In many ways, the tireless work of LGBTQ organizations in gathering this information has provided a better scope of the problems and disparities than the Federal Government itself.

The LGBTQI+ community deserves to be visible and heard so public policy can better reflect their needs. It is critical to close the data gap that often invalidates their lives.

Perhaps more importantly, this bill comes at a time when Republican State legislatures across this country have introduced more than 300 anti-LGBTQ bills that target youth and their families. This bill would force those individuals focused on denying rights to LGBTQ individuals to have a reckoning.

It will allow the community to be counted and, therefore, heard.

Not only is this bill necessary, it is a top priority of President Biden.

During his first day in office, President Biden issued numerous executive orders to strengthen the rights and improve the lives of LGBTQI+ people across this country.

He directed all Federal agencies that enforce Federal laws prohibiting sex discrimination to also prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Just last week, he established a new Federal coordinating committee on sexual orientation and gender identity for data which will lead efforts across agencies to identify opportunities to strengthen this data collection, while safeguarding privacy protection and the civil rights of individuals.

These are all great initiatives, but we need to go further and codify them into law. This is why this bill is so important.

In addition, this bill includes implementation of a process for Federal agencies to routinely assess changes needed in the collection of this data. This will provide enough flexibility for Federal agents to use the most effective data collection methods for their agency.

We are grateful for the invaluable support and input of more than 200 LGBTQI+ groups and allies that have helped get this legislation to where it is today. It could not have been done without them.

This is an important piece of legislation for each and every LGBTQI+ individual in our Nation. As a proud ally, I urge my colleagues to support this bill so that all our constituents are seen, heard, and counted.

We are not ignoring the current challenges facing Americans. They are not being ignored, as was brought up. Rather, we are treating all Americans equally and being inclusive.

And in this great legacy of our Nation, one of the great legacies that all of us who take pride in being part of this Nation, who take pride in being Americans, one of the great legacies is that this Nation offers, under the rule of law, an inalienable right of equality; an inalienable right of access, and for public policy to reflect the needs and respond to the needs of all individuals.

This bill takes us one step further in this direction. This bill is not punitive; it is inclusive. This bill is not mean-spirited; it is welcoming. And this bill, above all, is American for all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2773, Recovering America's Wildlife Act. I thank Representative Dingell and her colleagues that have worked diligently on this legislation for a considerable amount of time.

In the midst of the species extinction crisis that we have, accelerated climate change, the loss of biodiversity, droughts, the wildfires that we just heard about, it is important to note that this legislation was built from the ground up; 1,800 organizations, as diverse as Duke Energy on one side of the political spectrum and the Environmental Defense Fund on the other side, both agreeing that the approach of this legislation is the right approach; 180-plus cosponsors represented in a bipartisan fashion.

This bill before us today will transform the state of wildlife conservation in our country.

As we know, America's wildlife faces numerous threats, including habitat loss, pollution, climate change, wildfire, drought, invasive species, and emerging diseases.

It provides a historic $1.3 billion of dedicated funding for States and territories and $97 million for Tribes to assist in their efforts to conserve, restore, and protect wildlife and habitat each year.

With that protection comes the resiliency for habitat and the overall resiliency for communities and our environment.

In the long run, this investment will save taxpayers money. It creates jobs, promotes tourism, and provides safety and resilience to those communities across our country.

Through habitat conservation and restoration, this bill makes habitats and communities much more resilient to the ongoing and accelerated issue of climate change. This is an important piece of legislation for each and every State, territory, and Tribe in our country, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

My friends on the other side of the aisle, my Republican colleagues are fiscal conservatives when they are not in the majority. When they are in the majority, that is not the pattern of behavior.

At the present time, nothing should be done is what is being preached:

Nothing should be done about the climate crisis.

Nothing should be done about wildlife extinction.

Nothing should be done about January 6 and our democracy. That was merely a mirage, a walk in the park that we should all forget.

Nothing should be done about our children and the danger that they are exposed to in our very schools.

Nothing should be done about the rising healthcare costs and prescription drug costs.

We can't do anything because of inflation and the rising gas prices, so the best thing to do is to do nothing.

Well, my colleagues, I support H.R. 2773 because it does something. It does something in a bipartisan, comprehensive way. If my colleagues want to talk

about climate change, if they want to talk about droughts, if they want to talk about wildfire, if they want to talk about fiscally prudent things to do, let's talk about this bill today. Support it with dedicated funding. Make the investment that will guarantee the dividends for ourselves and future generations.

I applaud Representative Dingell and all the work of her colleagues and this piece of legislation, and I urge its support and urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 270) to amend the Act entitled ``Act to provide for the establishment of the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in the State of Kansas, and for other purposes'' to provide for inclusion of additional related sites in the National Park System, and for other purposes.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 270, the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site Expansion Act. This bipartisan bill would rename the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in the State of Kansas as the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Park.

It would also expand the park to include four affiliated sites in South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, and the District of Columbia relating to court cases on school desegregation that were consolidated into the Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, an acknowledgment that I think is important of the entire list of plaintiffs in that historic court decision.

This legislative effort will continue to elevate the important stories and education of the civil rights movement through these affiliated sites and national historic park designation.

This bipartisan bill passed the Senate with an amendment by voice vote in April. The House companion legislation is sponsored by our colleague from South Carolina, the majority whip, Representative James Clyburn.

Earlier this Congress, the House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on his bill and ordered it favorably reported by unanimous consent.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Clyburn for championing this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support its adoption. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn.)

Mr. Speaker, let me thank Representative Clyburn for his comments and for reaffirming that our national identity is driven by our history and that history is something that all of us need to learn.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2793) to reauthorize the Highlands Conservation Act, to authorize States to use funds from that Act for administrative purposes, and for other purposes, as amended.

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 under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2793, the Highlands Conservation Reauthorization Act, is led by my colleague, Representative Sean Patrick Maloney. The bill reauthorizes funding for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service to protect and conserve the Highlands region.

The beautiful Highlands region spans 3.4 million acres across Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

This area has retained its splendor due in part to the passage of the Highlands Conservation Act of 2004, which authorized the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Forest Service to work with State and local governments and NGOs to conserve this ecosystem.

Since 2004, $28 million in Federal funds, matched by $53 million in non-Federal funds, have permanently protected almost 13,000 acres of land. These lands protect clean, safe drinking water; sustain healthy forests and wildlife populations; encourage productive agriculture; and provide quality recreation opportunities for the public.

I commend my colleague for his leadership on this bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Highlands Conservation Act and ensure the continued success of this program.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney) and thank him for being the driving force in bringing this legislation to this point.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3525) to establish the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture, and for other purposes, as amended.

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 under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3525, the Commission To Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act, introduced by my friend and colleague, Representative Grace Meng.

This legislation would establish a commission to study and report on the potential creation of a national museum of Asian Pacific American history and culture in the District of Columbia and its surrounding areas.

The establishment of this commission is a first step in acknowledging the long history, role, and contributions of Asian Americans in American culture.

I thank Representative Meng for championing this piece of legislation. I urge my colleagues to support its adoption, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on House Administration,

Washington, DC, March 30, 2022.

Hon. Raul M. Grijalva,

Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Grijalva: I am writing to you concerning H.R.

3525. There are certain provisions in the legislation which

fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on House

Administration.

In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed

expeditiously to floor consideration, the Committee on House

Administration agrees to forego action on the bill. This is

done with the understanding that the Committee on House

Administration's jurisdictional interests over this and

similar legislation are in no way diminished or altered. In

addition, the Committee reserves its right to seek conferees

on any provisions within its jurisdiction which are

considered in a House-Senate conference and requests your

support if such a request is made.

I would appreciate your response confirming this

understanding with respect to H.R. 3525 and ask that a copy

of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in your

committee report on the bill and in the Congressional Record

during consideration of the bill on the House floor.

Sincerely,

Zoe Lofgren,

Chairperson.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Meng), the sponsor of the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Kim).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cardenas).

Mr. Speaker, this legislation is important. It comes at the right time. It is an affirmation of the inclusiveness, diversity, and the equal status of all of us as Americans.

I am very proud to support this. I urge its adoption, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5973) to reauthorize the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 1990, and for other purposes, as amended.

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 under consideration today.

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

H.R. 5973, the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Reauthorization Act, is sponsored by the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Dingell), my friend and colleague from the Natural Resources Committee.

This bill reauthorizes funding for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to combat pollution, invasive species, and habitat loss in the Great Lakes region.

The Great Lakes Basin is the largest body of fresh water on the planet, holding 18 percent of the world's freshwater supply. Some 35 million people across 8 States and Canada depend on the basin for drinking water, jobs, and recreation.

The Great Lakes are also a habitat to more than 500 migratory bird species, more than 140 species of fish, and many endangered and threatened species.

However, agricultural and industrial waste pose a threat to the water quality in the basin. There are extensive populations of harmful invasive species. And wildlife species are at risk due to habitat loss.

Fortunately, since 1990, the Fish and Wildlife Service has worked with local communities and NGOs to restore the Great Lakes Basin by tackling pollution, removing invasive species, and restoring essential habitats.

Congress has reauthorized funding for this important program three times, and I urge them to do so again today so that the Fish and Wildlife Service can continue the excellent work that they are doing in protecting that extraordinary and necessary ecosystem.

I commend my colleague, Representative Dingell, for her work on this important bipartisan bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Dingell).

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6023) to require the United States Postal Service to continue selling the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp until all remaining stamps are sold, and for other purposes, 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 measure under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 6023, the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Reauthorization Act is led by my friend and colleague on the Committee on Natural Resources, Representative Jim Costa.

The Multinational Species Conservation Fund Semipostal Stamps are a unique way for Americans to contribute to important conservation projects. Semipostal stamps are postage stamps sold at higher rates than standard stamps. When purchasing this type of stamp, Americans elect to contribute the extra charge to a specific fund or cause--in this case, the conservation of threatened species worldwide.

African and Asian elephants, great apes, turtles, rhinos, and tigers are threatened from decades of habitat loss, poaching, pollution, and climate change. These stamps support efforts to tackle poaching, improve community engagement and outreach, restore habitat, and raise public awareness about wildlife trafficking. In fact, between 2011 and 2017, these stamps raised almost $4 million for conservation projects.

However, the U.S. Postal Service has had to stop selling them when the program's authorization ran out. Approximately 49 million stamps remained. Annual appropriations bills have been directing the Postal Service to continue selling the stamps but in a piecemeal fashion. This bill would fix it once and for all.

The bill directs the U.S. Postal Service to sell all the rest of these stamps. In doing so, we can continue to support the ongoing conservation efforts for endangered species around the world.

Let me thank Representative Costa for his work on the legislation, urge support for it, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Oversight and Reform,

Washington, DC, February 28, 2022.

Hon. Raul M. Grijalva,

Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Grijalva: I write concerning H.R. 6023, the

Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp

Reauthorization Act. This bill contains provisions within the

jurisdiction of the Committee on Oversight and Reform. As a

result of your having consulted with me concerning the

provisions of the bill that fall within our Rule X

jurisdiction, I agree to forgo consideration of the bill, so

the bill may proceed expeditiously to the House floor.

The Committee takes this action with our mutual

understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 6023,

we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter

contained in this or similar legislation, and we will be

appropriately consulted and involved as the bill or similar

legislation moves forward so we may address any remaining

issues within our Rule X jurisdiction. Further, I request

your support for the appointment of conferees from the

Committee on Oversight and Reform during any House-Senate

conference on this or related legislation.

Finally, I would appreciate a response confirming this

understanding and ask that a copy of our exchange of letters

on this matter be included in the bill report filed by the

Committee on Natural Resources as well as in the

Congressional Record during floor consideration thereof.

Sincerely,

Carolyn B. Maloney,

Chairwoman, Committee on Oversight

and Reform.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6201) to extend the authority for the establishment of a commemorative work to honor enslaved and free Black persons who served in the American Revolution, and for other purposes, as amended.

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 under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6201, the National Liberty Memorial Preservation Act, introduced by my friend and colleague, Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman.

This legislation would extend the authority for the establishment of a commemorative work to honor enslaved and free Black persons who served in the American Revolution. Extending this authorization would allow the congressionally authorized National Mall Liberty Fund D.C. to continue fundraising and construction of this memorial near the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Watson Coleman for championing this bill. I urge my colleagues to support its adoption, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman), the sponsor of the legislation.

Madam Speaker, I urge support for the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6651) to establish an Alaska Salmon Research Task Force.

Madam 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 under consideration.

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

Madam Speaker, H.R. 6651, the Alaska Salmon Research Task Force Act, establishes a task force of fisheries scientists and Alaskan stakeholders to study, address, and prevent salmon fishery disasters in Alaska.

Led by the late dean of the House, our colleague and friend, Representative Don Young, this bill is a perfect example of how he fought for what is best for Alaska.

Salmon are a vital part of the Alaskan way of life. Their cultural, economic, nutritional, and recreational impact cannot be overstated. But, over the past decade, there have been several fishery disasters that have put those very salmon at risk.

These financial, ecological, and cultural strains have created an increasingly dire situation for the Alaskan communities that rely on salmon, especially Native Alaskan communities.

This bill creates the Alaska Salmon Research Task Force, a group of members from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, and Alaskan stakeholders, to ensure that Alaskans are at the forefront of the Alaskan salmon research efforts taking place in their backyards.

I believe the bill is a fitting tribute to our departed friend. It elevates Alaskan voices, especially Native Alaskans, and it brings stakeholders together to build consensus and find a practical solution to this pressing issue in our 49th State.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation to safeguard Alaskan salmon fisheries for generations to come.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I urge support of the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 497) to establish the American Fisheries Advisory Committee to assist in the awarding of fisheries research and development grants, and for other purposes.

Madam 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 matter under consideration.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 497, the American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act, led by Senator Sullivan and the late Representative Don Young.

This legislation establishes a committee to manage awards for fisheries research and development grants. This important funding, provided under a grant program at NOAA, helps maintain sustainable, competitive fisheries and working waterfronts.

The fishery advisory committee would be comprised of representatives from the different coastal regions of the United States and would include members of the seafood harvesting and processing industries. This structure ensures that research and funding decisions are informed by those who work and live in each region.

The inclusion of seafood harvesters and processors, recreational and commercial fishers and growers, and members of the fishery science community as representatives for each region will promote equitable, sustainable, and science-based fisheries management, ensuring longevity and productivity of this vital industry.

I urge support of the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have the same response as the gentleman, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 441) to provide for the conveyance of certain property to the Tanana Tribal Council located in Tanana, Alaska, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam 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 matter under consideration.

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

Madam Speaker, H.R. 441, the Don Young Alaska Native Health Care Land Transfers Act of 2022, serves as a testament to the legacy of advocacy that the late dean of the House and our friend, Don Young of Alaska, provided Alaska Natives.

This particular legislation was something that he was urging--as recently as right before his passing, before we all left--upon me to move as quickly as possible, and I am glad that we have been able to get it to this point.

This legislation directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to convey certain parcels of land to the Tanana Tribal Council, the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium for the purpose of expanding social and healthcare services.

Together, these three nonprofit entities support the Alaska Native communities as Tribal health and social service providers in both urban and rural settings.

The Tanana Tribal Council, located in Tanana, Alaska, provides outpatient services to Alaska Natives. Since the council is rurally located, healthcare services are often underfunded and harder to come by.

This legislation's conveyance of approximately 11.25 acres of land to the council will allow it to build a new facility and expand existing services to its Indian Health Service beneficiaries, thereby increasing the quality of care available.

The Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium delivers care to Alaska Natives as one of the oldest and largest Native-run healthcare organizations in the United States. The consortium operates the Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital, a 25-bed critical access facility located in Sitka, Alaska, which is in serious need of renovation due to its age and current condition.

This legislation's conveyance of roughly 10.87 acres of land to the consortium will facilitate the planned modernization of the hospital by granting the consortium title to the acreage.

The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium serves the healthcare needs of thousands of Alaska Native and American Indian patients in south-central Alaska. The consortium provides medical services at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, Alaska, and provides wellness programs, disease research and prevention, rural provider trainings, as well as water and sanitation systems construction.

This legislation will grant the consortium ownership over two parcels of land totaling approximately 3.5 acres, thus allowing the consortium to streamline its operations and conduct building refurbishments without reliance on the Federal Government.

My late friend and colleague, Representative Don Young, championed these three land transfers, now combined into H.R. 441, to promote health equity among rural Alaska Natives. His work on behalf of Indian Country never ceased throughout his time in Congress.

I am grateful that we are here today to support this legislation and these three critical Tribal health entities in Alaska, a reminder of the support that Indian Country received from Don Young.

I urge my colleagues to support the bill and call for its swift passage, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Bentz for his work on these pieces of legislation today and acknowledge his work on Representative Meng's H.R. 3525, in particular. There were difficult things to navigate there, and we appreciate the effort on his part. Hopefully, we were as cooperative.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 268) to provide for the boundary of the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park to be adjusted, to authorize the donation of land to the United States for addition to that historic park, and for other purposes, as amended.

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 under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 268, the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park Boundary Adjustment Act, introduced by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Vela).

H.R. 268 expands the boundary of Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park to include approximately 166 acres of land that is to be donated to the Department of the Interior.

The donated land was the site of Fort Brown, a crucial outpost during the Mexican-American War, which remains the last standing physical structure associated with that war.

During its life, Fort Brown transformed from a site designed for a confrontation into a post that served to protect the growing Mexican- American population of the region.

Palo Alto Battlefield was designated as a national historic landmark in 1960, as a national historic site in 1978, and a national historic park in 2009. Today, the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park is the only unit of the National Park Service focused on the Mexican- American War.

I congratulate Representative Vela for championing this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Vela), the sponsor of the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I have one additional request to address the legislation.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Vicente Gonzalez).

Mr. Speaker, I join with the ranking member to urge adoption of the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1908) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating certain land as the Ka'ena Point National Heritage Area, and for other purposes.

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 under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1908, the Ka'ena Point National Heritage Area Act, introduced by the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Case), my Natural Resources Committee colleague.

This bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating Ka'ena Point National Heritage Area in the State of Hawaii.

The study focuses on the undeveloped area of the point on the west end of the island of Oahu and home to some of the richest and most well-preserved cultural aspects of Hawaii's history along with invaluable and unique environmental and natural resources.

This area is the site of the last intact sand dune ecosystem in Hawaii and an important cultural site that, according to some Hawaiian tradition, is where the souls of the deceased leapt into the next plane of existence.

Rich with wildlife and thriving biodiversity, the area is home to various protected species, including laysan albatrosses, the wedge- tailed shearwaters, monk seals, and fragile native plants.

I congratulate my colleague, Representative Case, for championing this bill on behalf of his constituents. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Case), the sponsor of the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers on the legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, we all know Hawaii is a beautiful State. The bill will help protect and conserve that rich environmental and cultural heritage. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.

And I urge Representative Case to invite all of us to Hawaii when it is time to see the site.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1931) to provide competitive grants for the promotion of Japanese American confinement education as a means to understand the importance of democratic principles, use and abuse of power, and to raise awareness about the importance of cultural tolerance toward Japanese Americans, and for other purposes, as amended.

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 under consideration.

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

I rise in support of H.R. 1931, the Japanese American Confinement Education Act, introduced by my colleague, Representative Doris Matsui.

In 2006, Congress established the Japanese American Confinement Sites grant program for the preservation and interpretation of U.S. confinement sites where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II.

These grants are awarded through a competitive process to entities working to preserve historic Japanese American incarceration sites. They require a 2:1 Federal to non-Federal match.

H.R. 1931 would authorize increased and much-needed funding for the program within the National Park Service, ensuring that the lessons and history of the unjust incarceration of Japanese Americans is not forgotten, and that we continue to learn from the transgression of the past.

The bill will also establish a new competitive grant within the program that would support nonprofits to create and share educational materials about the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.

I congratulate my colleague, Representative Matsui, for championing this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui), sponsor of the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Case).

Mr. Speaker, I urge approval of H.R. 1931. The sponsor of the legislation, Representative Matsui, and also Representative Case have made, I think, the profound argument for the legislation and its support.

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