Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2899) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating areas within the island of Guam as a 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. 2899, introduced by my Committee on Natural Resources colleague, Delegate San Nicolas.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2899 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designated areas within the island of Guam as national heritage areas. The study would cover the entire island of Guam and identify areas of natural, historic, and cultural importance that reflect the traditions, customs, beliefs, and folklife that represent distinct and nationally significant aspects of the American story.

I congratulate Delegate San Nicolas for his strong advocacy in promoting this legislation on behalf of his constituents, and I urge support from my colleagues on this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Guam (Mr. San Nicolas), the sponsor of the legislation.

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

Ms. JACKSON, LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2899, ``To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating areas within the island of Guam as a National Heritage Area, and for other purposes.''

Different from national parks, national heritage areas are community- based efforts that preserve and share stories about a region's history and character. Heritage areas contain a mixture of public and private property, including towns, historic sites, parks, trails, commercial districts, and even working farms.

National Heritage Areas are a grassroots, community-driven approach to heritage conservation and economic development. Through public- private partnerships, NHA entities support historic preservation, natural resource conservation, recreation, heritage tourism, and educational projects. Leveraging funds and long-term support for projects, NHA partnerships foster pride of place and an enduring stewardship ethic.

When an area is designated as an NHA, its inhabitants don't have to leave. An important aspect of NHAs is that they are intended as a celebration of a living environment, and they improve the local economy around them.

The National Parks Service estimates NHAs average $5.50 for every $1.00 of federal investment, bolstering the local economies through their unique ``heritage tourism.''

Not only are NHAs economically friendly, but they are also climate friendly. Many NHAs improve water and air quality in their regions through restoration projects and encourage people to enjoy natural and cultural sites by providing new recreational opportunities.

Guam is much more than sun, sea, and sand. The island is awash with a history that dates back to the Latte Period of 2000BC, the period of Ancient Chamorro life before a Spanish expedition led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan arrived on March 6, 1521.

With 131 sites around the island listed on the National Register of Historic Places, these historical landmarks weave a fascinating tale of the island's struggles, resilience, and victories over thousands of years. Though the island's colorful history spans the Spanish era, the American period, and Japanese WWII occupation, today Guam is most widely celebrated for its native Chamorro culture and pride.

Chamorros are the indigenous people of the Mariana Islands of which Guam is the largest and southernmost on an island chain. Archeological evidence identified civilization dating back 5,000 years.

Their vernacular, called the Chamorro language, is interestingly not a Micronesian dialect but a distinct language with its own vocabulary and grammar.

Therefore, considering the richness of Guam's land and its peoples, it brings me much joy to rise in strong support of H.R. 2899. I urge my colleagues to do the same.

It is for that reason, Madam Speaker, that I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3113) to require the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works to digitize and make publicly available geographic information system mapping data relating to public access to Federal land and waters for outdoor recreation, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 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, I rise in support of H.R. 3113, the Modernizing Access to Our Public Land Act, or MAPLand Act, introduced by my Committee on Natural Resources colleague, Representative Blake Moore.

Our committee has long focused on sportsmen's access to public lands. I am pleased that shortly after I became chair, we were able to pass the bipartisan John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, which included an entire title on sportsmen's access.

The MAPLand Act would build on that law, as well as the investments made by the Great American Outdoors Act, to help ensure that hunters, anglers, and all Americans can more easily find information and resources to help facilitate public lands access.

Representative Moore's bill would direct the Department of the Interior, the Forest Service, and the Army Corps of Engineers to jointly develop and adopt standards to ensure database compatibility for the collection and sharing of outdoor recreation data related to Federal lands.

Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Moore for championing this bill on behalf of everyone who enjoys our public lands, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I concur with Ranking Member Westerman and 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 (H.R. 3197) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey to the City of Eunice, Louisiana, certain Federal land in Louisiana, 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 measure under consideration.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3197, the Save the Liberty Theatre Act introduced by my colleague Representative Mike Johnson.

This bill would direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey a small piece of the historic Liberty Theatre to the city of Eunice, Louisiana. Although the theater is owned and operated by the city, it is adjacent to the Prairie Arcadian Cultural Center, which is owned by the National Park Service as a unit of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park.

In the 1980s, the Park Service ended up building an annex to the theater in order to construct an ADA compliant ramp and to house an air conditioning system for the two buildings. Now, the city of Eunice plans to build its own HVAC system. Consolidation of the property is a win-win: It will allow rehabilitation of the Liberty Theatre to move forward and decrease operating costs for the National Park Service.

This is a commonsense piece of legislation, and I am pleased to support it today. I thank Representative Johnson for bringing this bill forward and bringing it to our attention, and I urge our colleagues to support the passage today.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support 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. 4380) to designate the El Paso Community Healing Garden National Memorial, 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 measure under consideration.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4380, a bill to designate the El Paso Community Healing Garden National Memorial, introduced by my colleague, Representative Veronica Escobar.

On August 3, 2019, El Paso, Texas, was the target of a horrific domestic terrorist attack that took 23 lives, injured another 23 people, and devastated communities across the Nation.

The mass shooting occurred at a Walmart Supercenter on the east side of El Paso and is arguably the deadliest targeted attack against Latinos in modern American history.

Following the attack, the county of El Paso approved the construction of the El Paso Community Healing Garden to provide the community with a space to honor victims and survivors and to heal.

My heart goes out to all the victims of this horrific attack. While I know there is nothing we can do to turn back the clock, I hope that our efforts to recognize this site as a national memorial will help bring some solace and healing to the community.

Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Escobar for championing this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Escobar), the sponsor of the legislation.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Castro).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for helping bring this to the floor.

Representative Escobar's particular piece of legislation is not merely a reminder or a political statement. It is a memorial, an acknowledgment of a tragedy, and an acknowledgment of the need for reconciliation, the need for healing, the need for understanding, and the need to have the conversations as communities that we need to have so that if we do nothing else to prevent this kind of deranged violence, we can at least begin to heal and talk about the issue in a way that maybe reaches

part of that end to reduce this kind of violence and violence in general.

I speak from limited experience but vital experience. Our former colleague, Representative Giffords, was in an attempted assassination. Six people died at the Congress on Your Corner where she would hold events for people to come and talk to her about the issues facing our Nation and facing the district, that unique ability of this democracy of ours for their elected officials to be accessible to the public that they represent.

She was shot, almost died, and survived, and we have a memorial to that event in Tucson. It has proven to be a rallying point, it has proven to be a great instrument for nonviolence, and it is a forum for discussion and growth, the growth of tolerance and understanding in Tucson, Arizona.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this legislation, I thank the ranking member for his leadership, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5001) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to continue to implement endangered fish recovery programs for the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins, 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 measure under consideration.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5001, introduced by my Natural Resources Committee colleague, Representative Joe Neguse of Colorado. This bipartisan bill will reauthorize two programs that are working to recover threatened and endangered fish in the Upper Colorado River Basin.

This legislation will continue the collaboration work of Tribes, water users, environmental groups, local utilities, and State and Federal agencies that are partnering to recover four fish species currently listed under the Endangered Species Act as either threatened or endangered.

These programs provide Endangered Species Act compliance for projects that use water resources from the San Juan River and Upper Colorado River Basins, so that these rare native fish can be recovered while human water use can continue.

With the conservation actions undertaken through the recovery programs, one fish was downlisted from endangered to threatened last year, and another fish is under consideration for downlisting to threatened as well. This good work is important, and it should continue.

I want to commend my colleague, the chair of the National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Subcommittee, Representative Neguse, for his leadership on this bill.

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

Madam Speaker, it is good to know that the ranking member has a weakness, and so we are going to put razorback in every piece of legislation from now on.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6434) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish, within the National Park Service, the Japanese American World War II History Network, 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 for the measure under consideration.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6434, the Japanese American World War II History Network Act, introduced by my Natural Resources Committee colleague, Representative Jay Obernolte.

This bill will direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Japanese American World War II History Network within the National Park Service.

Between 1942 and 1945, the U.S. Government wrongfully imprisoned approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans, most of whom were U.S. citizens. Many of the U.S. Government's activities during World War II were done in secrecy and were not accurately represented to the public in the years after the war.

Designating this network will support education and awareness of the people, places, and events that were associated with the wrongful incarceration of Japanese Americans.

This effort will be a welcome complement to the existing Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program, which we are looking to reauthorize and strengthen today through Representative Matsui's legislation, which we considered earlier this afternoon.

I thank Representative Obernolte for championing this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Obernolte, our colleague on the committee, and Ms. Matsui, a former colleague on the committee, for two pieces of very important legislation that look at the realism that we need to look at in terms of our history as a Nation. They are complementary and good pieces of legislation.

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

Madam Speaker, as stated before, today marks the first day of National Native American Heritage Month.

I want to thank the gentlewoman from New Mexico, the chair of the Subcommittee on Indigenous Peoples of the United States, Ranking Member Westerman, and Ranking Member Young for putting a package together for Congress to vote specifically on significant bipartisan pieces of legislation that deal specifically with Indian Country. I think it is noteworthy and symbolic, and as you see these pieces of legislation, very much necessary. I want to extend my thanks to all of them for that.

While it is a time to celebrate the histories and achievements of Native Americans in this country, it is also a time for Congress to fully recognize the trust and treaty obligations the U.S. Government owes to Tribal governments and to indigenous people in our country.

Ensuring equity for Tribal healthcare entities is an essential part of the Federal trust responsibility, which is the reason that I am proud to sponsor H.R. 5221, the Urban Indian Health Confer Act.

The accessible and culturally competent healthcare services that Indian Health Services provides to Tribal communities are critical to ensuring their well-being.

As stated by the chairwoman, over 70 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives began seeking healthcare outside of Tribal jurisdictions in our cities and nonreservation communities across this country. Urban Indian Organizations, UIOs, were created to fill that gap.

Today, IHS supports 41 of these programs that offer vital medical services, including dental care, mental health support, optometry services, and social services, such as nutrition, education, and home healthcare.

Although UIOs have been recognized as critical components of the Tribal healthcare system, they continue to experience parity and recognition of purpose and the attention that they deserve for the services they provide to indigenous people and the family services they provide to nonreservation Native people across this country.

At the Department of Health and Human Services, only IHS maintains an obligation to confer with UIOs regarding any healthcare policy changes that may affect urban Indian communities. This issue became glaringly obvious during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the Department excluded UIOs in the vaccine rollout discussions, leaving urban Indian communities among the last to receive vaccine allocations through their local urban Indian centers.

As a Member of Congress who represents a UIO, the Tucson Indian Center, I am grateful for their essential work to keep Tribal communities safe and healthy, especially as we go into a post-COVID-19 pandemic era.

H.R. 5221 will establish direct lines of communication between UIOs and the Department of Health and Human Services so that UIOs have a seat at the table for all relevant Tribal healthcare policy changes.

Ensuring that UIOs achieve equity at the Department is sound public health policy and upholds the U.S. Government's Federal trust responsibility to Indian Country. H.R. 5221 represents a much-needed change.

Madam Speaker, I urge the quick adoption of this bipartisan legislation.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Leger Fernandez) for the time and to Ranking Member Westerman.

I am proud to represent the Pascua Yaqui Tribe in Arizona's Third District. We both call southern Arizona our home. The Yaqui people are an integral and historic part of the fiber of southern Arizona, reflecting our history, our cultures, and our people.

H.R. 4881, the Old Pascua Community Land Acquisition Act, will take a 30-acre parcel of land into trust for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, the area known locally and to the Tribe as Old Pascua community.

As the gentlewoman from New Mexico outlined in her comments, as well as the ranking member, this was the initial focal point for the Yaqui people as they fled persecution. While some families relocated to this new land base, many families remained in the Pascua Village community, known as Old Pascua.

At the time in 1921, it was an isolated area outside the community and outside of Tucson, but things have grown out around them. I think the Yaqui community in Tucson, Arizona, considers Old Pascua not only the formally recognized area for the community but also a sacred site for the Tribe.

Before receiving Federal recognition and a formal reservation south of Tucson, many Pascua Yaqui families called Old Pascua in Tucson their home.

Today many families still call Old Pascua home, yet they continue to fear losing their Yaqui knowledge, culture, history, and traditions due to the encroachment of the growing city of Tucson. Other areas of concern for Yaqui families include the lack of ownership for sacred, cultural, traditional, and religious grounds.

The Tribe has worked tirelessly to ensure that they take care of their Tribal citizens. Earlier this year, as Mr. Westerman outlined, the State of Arizona and the Tribe negotiated a

State compact. This compact included gaming activities in the Old Pascua community to promote the Tribe's governmental operations, cultural and religious activities, job creation, increased Tribal housing, social and community services, healthcare, and educational facilities.

The Tribe has worked tirelessly with the State of Arizona, the city of Tucson, and the county of Pima to address their concerns, and have entered into an intergovernmental agreement supporting the legislation and the land transfer.

Since this agreement, the State has negotiated a compact that reflects that agreement and approved it, and the Department of the Interior has approved it.

H.R. 4881 is a bipartisan bill that will raise the Tribal standard of living, improve system coordination and integration of service delivery, and promote the ongoing transmission of Yaqui knowledge, culture, history, and traditions for future generations.

This bill is a bipartisan bill. It merits the support of all Members, and I would add that it is for the people in southern Arizona an extension of a reality and a confirmation of something that already exists.

Under clause 2 of rule XIII, reports of committees were delivered to the Clerk for printing and reference to the proper calendar, as follows:

Mr. GRIJALVA: Committee on Natural Resources. H.R. 1619. A

bill to clarify the status of gaming conducted by the Catawba

Indian Nation, and for other purposes (Rept. 117-114).

Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of

the Union.

Madam Chair, my amendment will direct $4,000,000 within the International Border and Water Commission to clarify the responsibility for the operations and maintenance of the International Outfall Interceptor (IOI). This is in addition to, and separate from, the funding that currently exists for the long overdue repairs to the

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of a friend, not only to myself, but to his colleagues and to this country. I rise today to honor United States Army veteran, Alexander Lofgren. Alex served the veteran community on behalf of my office in Arizona's Third Congressional District. Born March 10, 1989 in Exeter, California, he spent many years of his life traveling and living in different states as his father served in the military. Alex followed in his father's footsteps and joined the military in 2011. He served as a Combat Engineer in the Army and only months after he joined, he was deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. During his service in the Army he lost 4 friends, who we also honor today. SFC Bobby L. Estle, PFC Jose O. Belmontes, 2LT David E. Rylander, and SPC Junot M. L. Cochilus.

After being honorably, medically discharged in October 2014, Alex began his studies at Arizona State University. He graduated with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Anthropology. Shortly after graduating, he worked at the Crisis Response Network where he did case management answering calls of veterans in crisis and helping them with immediate crisis intervention. He later served on then-Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema's Veteran's Advisory Council and Legislative Committee. In July 2019, Alex joined our District office in Tucson, AZ through the Wounded Warrior Fellowship Program. Alex worked as a constituent services representative helping local constituents resolve issues with federal agencies, serving as a liaison to local Veterans Service Organizations (VSO), and attending local events and meetings on behalf of my office.

Alex loved his plants, enjoyed nature, golf, greenhouses, cooking, and local coffee and donut shops. He was an avid photographer and always on an adventure that often included enjoying time with his partner, Emily, and their dogs, Gunner, Jane, and Nora. Alex had visited over 20 national parks. He was passionate about using outdoor activities as a means of helping other veterans and embraced the activities and serenity nature had to offer. Tragically he passed away on April 4, 2021 in a visit to Death Valley National Park.

We find comfort in knowing that Alex spent his last days doing what he enjoyed alongside a person he loved. We have no doubt that his heroic actions during the hike that ended so tragically helped keep his partner, Emily, alive until search and rescue brought her to safety.

I want to thank the community from Tucson and beyond for the outpouring of support during these difficult months, as well as the National Park Service and other federal and local partners who deployed every available resource to locate Alex and Emily. To know Alex was to know someone who had boundless energy for life and who was focused on making a difference in the lives of others. His loss has left a void in the hearts of his colleagues and his family. He will forever be a part of our family, and my heart is with his parents, Joe and Ruth, and his loving partner Emily. Our Nation has lost a hero. I am thankful to have known Alexander Lofgren.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Luis Carlos Moll, Professor Emeritus at the University of Arizona, for his election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy.) The Academy was created in 1780 and serves to honor leaders in various fields. Previously elected members include Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Martin Luther King, Charles Darwin, and Dr. Fauci. This year, new members include Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Maria Hinojosa, and Oprah Winfrey. The Academy also includes an ``Education'' section, to which Dr. Moll has been elected in 2021.

Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, Dr. Moll remembers his early experiences with school as extremely difficult. At the age of 15 he moved to Los Angeles with his mother and grandmother. Later in life he would often begin one of his prodigious talks by recollecting this move from his native Puerto Rico and would famously say, ``As soon as I stepped onto U.S. soil, I became a minority.'' His profound ability to recognize social inequity are emblematic of his enduring concern for deeply understanding the circumstances that shape lives and how these can impact educational futures. He joined the U.S. Army in 1966 and served for three years, including six months in Vietnam. After his military service he returned to study at Cal Poly, graduating with a B.S. in 1972. He went on to earn a master's degree in psychiatric social work from the University of Southern California. During his studies at USC he worked with Latino families at an East Los Angeles mental health clinic. He enjoyed the work, and later applied to the doctoral program in educational psychology at UCLA. Prior to his earning his PhD, Dr. Moll completed a PreDoctoral Fellowship at the Institute for Comparative Human Development at Rockefeller University in New York. In 1986, Dr. Moll joined the faculty of Language, Reading and Culture at the University of Arizona (VA).

Dr. Moll has dedicated his career to the study of language acquisition and bilingual education, primarily in Latino students in the United States. His scholarship attests the value of transdisciplinarity, as his main research interest is the connection among culture, psychology, and education, especially as it relates to the education of Latino children in the U.S. Among other studies, he has analyzed the quality of classroom teaching, examined literacy instruction in English and Spanish, studied how knowledge is produced in the broader social contexts of household and community life, and, in collaboration with teachers, attempted to establish pedagogical relationships among these domains of study. He has focused much of his work on the application of Vygotskyan theory to understand the processes of language acquisition and learning in general for Latino children in the U.S. Furthermore, Dr. Moll is highly recognized for the development of the ``Funds of Knowledge'' theory, in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Arizona. His extensive work has a central theme: educators must uncover and

utilize the social, cultural, and linguistic processes of diverse communities as the most important resources for producing positive educational change. This powerful message has helped educators in Tucson and around the world ``see'' Latino families with respect and with appreciation for the wealth of resources they have accumulated as a result of living their lives. Dr. Moll has changed not only entire disciplinary fields, he has also changed lives. In collaboration with his colleagues, Dr. Moll excavated the rich relationships, knowledges, and histories of the local Tucson community. Their collected work on the Funds of Knowledge available to families in Latinx communities is one of the most impressive research efforts in the anthropology of education ever. They are a constant source of findings and insights that address questions not just about what is missing from poor and immigrant children in school, but also what resources they have and what resources they bring to the classroom. The concept of Funds of Knowledge continues to be one of the most significant theoretical developments in the fields of anthropology, education, and psychology. As a result of a lifetime of outstanding mentorship, his work continues to be utilized and expanded by new generations of educators and researchers throughout the globe. Dr. Moll's scholarship has evolved and traveled across sectors--early childhood, K-12, and postsecondary contexts--and many regions of the world, including Spain, the U.K., New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, South America, and Mexico, as well as all over the United States.

Dr. Moll's publications are often used in research focusing on education, language acquisition, literacy, the production and value of knowledge, and transnationalism to name a few. Most importantly, Dr. Moll's academic endeavors have always been centered on social and educational justice for minority families, children, and youth and as such it has been used to generate policy and educational strategies that prioritize the well-being and best practices for said populations. Simply put, his legacy to the fields of education, psychology and language studies in general is remarkable. He has served on the editorial board of several journals, including the American Educational Research Journal, Educational Researcher, Reading Research Quarterly, Journal of Literacy Research, and Mind, Culture, and Activity. Among his honors, he was elected to membership in the National Academy of Education (1998), named a Kappa Delta Pi Laureate (2013), and to the Reading Hall of Fame (2014). He was also named Fellow (2009), received the Presidential Citation Award (2010) and the Palmer O. Johnson Award (2011), all from the American Educational Research Association (AERA). He also presented the 2009 AERA Brown Lecture.

He became an academic counselor, friend, and family to most people he interacted with. Thanks to Dr. Moll many of his students, around the world, are continuing his legacy as educators, professors, and researchers.

Dr. Moll currently lives in Tucson, Arizona with his wife Ana. He has two children, Carlos and Eric.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the budget resolution and reality that is before us today. This resolution provides relief to the American people that has been needed and required for over a year.

I want to thank Speaker Pelosi, leader Hoyer, whip Clyburn and, of course, Chairman Yarmuth for the fine work he and his committee did in preparing this resolution to respond to the urgency before the American people.

As we have seen in the Natural Resources Committee, the effects of the pandemic, COVID-19, have been devastating to many populations across this country. It has particularly and severely impacted indigenous people and Tribes across this country disproportionately, four times higher than the national average in people that have been infected, and the mortality rate is reflected in the same way.

This resolution provides $20 billion for Tribal Governments, $5.8 billion for Indian Health Service, $900 million to assist Tribal Governments to develop culturally and linguistically appropriate programs for their communities, and provides adequate and necessary funding to Indian Health Service and providing a level of equity to the question of relief that has to be central in everything we do.

In addition, at the recommendation of the House Natural Resources Committee, to ensure that we can deal with a pandemic in the making, the package contains funding for tools to limit dangerous wildlife trade and monitor wildlife-borne diseases at home and abroad.

I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I thank the chairman for the time and his hard work.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the objection.

Madam Speaker, this exercise in futility that Congress is undertaking is at the behest of Republican Members of Congress. The effort to overturn the Presidential election and grant Donald Trump 4 more years is the motivation behind it. And to continue a baseless conspiracy-fueled threat to our democracy makes no sense because there is no viable constitutional or legal path to overturn the election that will make Vice President Biden and Senator Harris President and Vice President of the United States after January 20.

One certain outcome of this whole process is the weakening of our democracy and the threatening of our democracy. Beginning with Arizona, Congress is being asked to chase down a rabbit hole baseless, discredited, and judicially discarded fringe conspiracy theories.

Madam Speaker, for the record, let's talk a little bit about Arizona. Arizona and State and local officials did an unbelievable job to ensure that the 2020 elections ran smoothly. Mr. Hickman, the Republican chairman of the Maricopa County board, the largest county in the State of Arizona, said: ``No matter how you voted, this election was administered with integrity, transparency, and in accordance with State laws.''

Arizonans showed up to the polls in record numbers. More than 3.4 million people voted, with increases in every county, and 65 percent of all eligible voters in Arizona voted in the 2020 election. Arizonans cast their ballots up and down for Republicans and Democrats, and 11 electoral votes were granted to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris based on their victory in Arizona. That is the story.

Arizonans voted in hundreds of races this year. In addition to the Presidency, these races include nine members of the State's congressional delegation that are with you--four of them, my Republican colleagues. These Members have already been seated in the 117th Congress. They do not question the accuracy of Arizona's 2020 elections to select the congressional delegation, yet my four Republican colleagues question the Presidential election.

Our colleagues may say they are only asking questions and seeking to reassure voters, but let us be clear: These questions have been answered by the voters and by the courts. Rather than accepting the answers and the results of the election, they are fanning the flames of unfounded suspicion and once again creating a threat, a very real and dangerous threat to our democracy.

Again, our friends do not question the outcomes of their own elections. That is because they have no reason to, just as they have no legitimate reason to question the results of the Presidential election in Arizona.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to reject this objection, to respect the will of the voters in the State of Arizona and throughout this country, and to fundamentally add some preservation to our democracy from any future damage, that this effort that we are undertaking in this House and in the Senate today does not further damage our democracy.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Colorado for yielding time.

I will be very brief, Madam Speaker. There is really nothing left to say. This challenge brought by Members of this House, Republican Members from this House from Arizona and a Senator from Texas, the whole discussion today, this challenge to the 11 electoral votes that are designated for President Biden and Vice President Harris, the discussion today proves there is no merit to denying those electoral votes. There is no legal standing. The courts have proven that in Arizona time and time again. There is no precedent. There was no constitutional violation.

But we are here today, Madam Speaker, because of one man and those who are desperate to please him.

So what do we have to show for this process today? Fear, a lockdown, violence, and, regrettably and sadly, death, arrests, present and real danger, threats, an assault on our institution, this House, this Congress, and the very democracy that we practice here.

And to what end? What did we accomplish?

The reality is that the challenges will be defeated. Come January 20, President Biden and Vice President Harris will be the President and Vice President of the United States.

So what have we accomplished? To further divide this Nation? To continue to fan the same rhetoric of division and us versus them? To paralyze and dismantle our democracy? Is that what we attempted to accomplish today?

The mob that attacked this institution, I hold no Member specifically responsible for that madness that was around us, but we do share a responsibility, my friends, to end it. It is past time to accept reality, to reaffirm our democracy and move on.

I would urge my colleagues from Arizona who filed this challenge to withdraw their challenge to this, to Arizona and to the electors that have been chosen to give their 11 votes to the winners in that election.

But if that doesn't happen, then I would urge my colleagues to reject this challenge and defend all voters, defend the voters of Arizona and that democracy that we practice daily in the representation of our constituents. That is what is at stake today.

Madam Speaker, on Tuesday, June 18, 2019 I inadvertently switched my recorded vote for Roll call No. 345. The vote was on Amendment No. 24 to H.R. 2740 offered by Reps. Amash and Lofgren. My intended vote should be noted as a ``yea'' on roll call 345.