Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the House passage of my bill, the Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center Access Improvement Act, which is now on its way to the President's desk. This much-needed legislation will bring a paved access road to the Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center in Hemet.

The Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center is the only operational Indian Health Service youth treatment center in the entire State. It is the only place in California where Native youth can receive culturally relevant mental health care and substance use disorder treatment.

Yet, to get to the center, patients and staff have to traverse a dirt road that often cracks in the heat and washes out in the rain and hinders deliveries and services.

As a physician, I know how crucial culturally based care is to the health and well-being of our communities. That is why I advocated for the construction of Desert Sage since day one, and why I secured funding for its completion in 2016, and why now, I am working to deliver safe, reliable access to this facility.

Madam Speaker, I urge President Biden to sign this into law immediately to help pave a road worthy of the dignity of the people at Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center.

Madam Speaker, once again, we stand at the precipice of making a monumental change in the lives of our servicemen and servicewomen and veterans.

Yet, here we are voting on the Honoring our PACT Act for the third time because of a Senate technical issue. Enough is enough. Our veterans do not have time for technicalities. Their lives are literally on the line.

As a cofounder of the bipartisan, bicameral Burn Pits Caucus, I have spent years fighting to ensure that our veterans exposed to toxins from burn pits get the care and benefits they need and deserve.

My bill, the Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act is the foundation that the Honoring our PACT Act is built on. It removes the burden from the veterans to prove that 23 illnesses or conditions--including various cancers--that they are suffering from are due to their service near burn pits.

Madam Speaker, I implore the House to pass this fix to the Senate's blue slip error, and I urge the Senate to pass the Honoring our PACT Act immediately. Our veterans' lives are on the line.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of older Americans in my district to call for the repeal of the windfall elimination provision and the government pension offset.

For far too long, the WEP and GPO provisions have wrongfully penalized our Nation's public servants who have paid into Social Security by working second or even third jobs. That means that public servants in my district, like Fran, a retired schoolteacher from San Jacinto, are seeing their Social Security cut because of bureaucratic red tape. She wrote to me and told me that her Social Security benefits have been reduced by $500 per month. Fran deserves better.

Our Nation's retired teachers, police officers, and firefighters deserve better, too. After a lifetime of hard work and paying into Social Security, there is no justification for them to miss out on their earned income in their golden years. We have an obligation, a responsibility, to take care of them and ensure they receive the benefits that they have earned through years of hard work.

We must pass the Social Security 2100 Act to finally eliminate the WEP and GPO provisions, strengthen Social Security, and give our Nation's seniors a much-needed increase in benefits. This repeal is long overdue. Our seniors cannot afford to wait any longer for the fairness, relief, and peace of mind that they deserve.

In Support of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act

Mr. Speaker, as chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, I rise today to call on the Senate to stand with our Nation's farmworkers and pass H.R. 1603, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, immediately.

Yesterday, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus brought together over 20

key national and regional organizations that advocate for farmworkers who, despite carrying the burden of injuries and illnesses during the pandemic, kept our country fed.

We discussed injustices that our campesinos face when it comes to healthcare, education, housing, workers' rights, and immigration. Together, we are working together to craft meaningful solutions to these challenges that will help our Nation's farmworker communities thrive.

An immediate solution is for the Senate to pass the bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act that the House has passed. We need 10 Republican Senators to agree and pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act out of the Senate to make this much-needed legislation into law.

Right now, from vineyards in California to fields in the Midwest and ranches in the South, growers are concerned about an unstable workforce and a labor shortage. Many farmworkers toil in the fields with uncertainty and fear of being deported and separated from their families. The COVID-19 pandemic has only heightened these concerns.

Unfortunately, this uncertainty and these labor disruptions are contributing to the destabilization of our farms and to higher food prices across America.

We need the Farm Workforce Modernization Act to bring certainty and solutions for growers, farmworkers, and their families.

Now, more than ever, we must stabilize and modernize our farm workforce, keep families together, and secure a pathway to citizenship for our essential and vital farmworkers.

This Congress, the CHC recognized these urgent needs and led the charge to get this bipartisan bill passed out of the House.

Now, I repeat, we just need 10 Republican Senators to get on board so that we can pass this out of the Senate and make it law.

To them I say, Let's get it done.

To our Nation's farmworkers, I say, We stand with you. We fight for you. The CHC is doubling down. We will never stop fighting for our farmworker communities. We will fight ``with strength,'' ``con puno y fuerza,'' to ensure that their labor rights, immigration status, and access to education, healthcare and housing are secure.

Together, we stand firm in our resolve and strong in our fight to protect farmworkers, our vital workforce, and their access to healthcare, education, housing rights, and citizenship.

As the proud son of farmworkers, I stand before this body today to let our farmworkers know, ``Together, we can. Yes, we can.'' ``Juntos podemos. Si se puede.''

Mr. Speaker, as chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, I rise today to call for immediate action to protect our Nation's Dreamers.

Yesterday, we marked the 10th anniversary of the DACA program with a relentless focus on our goal to provide a pathway to citizenship for our Nation's Dreamers.

Over the last 5 years, we have seen persistent attacks on DACA, and the need to act could not be more urgent.

You see, DACA has been a rocket booster for our economy. In my district alone, Dreamers contribute nearly $300 million in GDP. They are doctors, lawyers, essential workers, engineers, businessowners, and job creators. They make America stronger, and they shouldn't have to live in fear of deportation.

I call on 10 Republican Senators to do what is right: Support the House-passed bipartisan Dream and Promise Act, pass it in the Senate, and bring humanity back to our immigration system and restore American values.

To all the Dreamers who are watching, know that I celebrate you. I stand with you, and fight for you.

Estan en casa. You are home. Home is here.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on the Senate to immediately pass the Honoring our PACT Act.

In 2017, I met a veteran from Cathedral City, Jennifer Kepner, who developed pancreatic cancer due to her exposure to burn pits during her service in Iraq.

Despite being a young and otherwise healthy mother of two with no family history of cancer, she and her family faced roadblocks to getting the care that she needed from the VA.

At her kitchen table, she asked me to lead this fight, and I promised her I would. Now, 5 years later, we are closer than ever before to fulfilling Jennifer's vision for her fellow veterans.

With my provision included to get veterans the presumptive benefits they have earned and deserve, the Honoring our PACT Act will ensure that no other veteran will have to fight like Jennifer did for the care they need.

I urge the Senate to fulfill our Nation's promise to our veterans, honor Jennifer's memory, and pass the Honoring our PACT Act without delay.

Madam Speaker, I rise to commend pharmacies and health centers for their efforts in distributing COVID-19 vaccines to underserved communities throughout Southern California, including in the Coachella Valley.

In February of 2021, I called upon retail pharmacies, including Rite Aid, to expand the number of their vaccination sites located in high- risk, underserved communities in eastern Riverside County, where my district lies. Twelve communities in my district are defined by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as Medically Underserved Areas, including Blythe, Hemet, San Jacinto, Coachella, Indio, Idyllwild/Pine Cove, Banning, Beaumont, and Chiriaco Summit/ Desert Center. Many of these same communities were hit particularly hard by the pandemic and began to experience disparities in vaccination rates.

I am grateful to the businesses and organizations that answered this call and stepped up to promote vaccine equity. Following my letter, several additional vaccine sites and mobile vaccine clinics in vulnerable and underserved communities were opened in my district, increasing access for high-risk individuals.

I was honored to collaborate with organizations including Rite Aid Pharmacy, Desert Healthcare Clinic, Eisenhower Health, and the Riverside University Health System on multiple on-the-ground mobile clinics throughout 2021. As an emergency medicine physician, I was able to directly administer vaccines to my constituents, while observing the vital work that these groups brought to our region. Thanks to pharmacy organizations, health centers, several wonderful local organizations, President Biden's federal retail pharmacy program, and the Health Equity Task Force, we were not only able to bring COVID-19 vaccines to pharmacies located in the hardest-to-reach communities, but also take vaccines directly to the people.

Over the last 12 months, the Coachella Valley's vaccination rate for residents 12 and over has risen to over 80 percent. These high vaccination rates have proven to be lifesaving as the region continues to face challenges presented by COVID-19 and its variants. I am grateful for the collaborative effort that played a critical role in addressing vaccine equity and am happy that my high-risk constituents now have much-needed access to COVID-19 vaccines.

On behalf of the great people of California's 36th Congressional District, thank you to the pharmacies, health centers, health systems, and local organizations for your work to bring equitable health and vaccine access to our district. I look forward to continuing our shared work to address health disparities and protect underserved populations throughout communities across the nation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of an inspiring leader, a great visionary, and my friend, Dr. Tom Rivera.

Dr. Tom was born on September 22, 1939, in Colton, California. After graduating from Colton High School, he attended San Bernardino Valley College; California State University, Los Angeles; the University of California, Riverside; and eventually UCLA, where he earned his doctorate in education.

It was at Cal State LA that he met the love of his life, Dr. Lily Rivera, who shared his passion for service. Together, they served in the Peace Corps in Colombia, South America, before marrying in 1965.

In all that he did, Dr. Tom strived to inspire his students to achieve their dreams. As associate dean for undergraduate studies at CSU San Bernardino, he was a pillar of the community. He devoted himself to the empowerment of local youth and maintained leadership roles in organizations including the Kiwanis Club of Greater San Bernardino, LULAC, the Pure Land Foundation, and more.

Dr. Tom was relentless in his advocacy. Even in the face of his own health challenges, he continued his pursuit of a better future where Hispanic youth could achieve their dreams.

In 1984, just 3 years after contracting a virus that left him paralyzed, he helped found the Inland Empire Future Leaders Program, joining forces with fellow educators, Susan Castro, Frank Acosta, Henry Vasquez, and Bill Allison.

Dr. Tom founded the organization to address dropout rates among Hispanic students. His vision was to encourage youth to be proud of their roots and to make a difference in their communities.

All these years later, that vision is fulfilled in the Inland Empire Future Leaders Program's tremendous success. It is fulfilled in the educators, lawyers, doctors, and countless other Inland Empire Future Leaders Program graduates who have gone on to achieve so many great things.

It is fulfilled right here in the Halls of Congress with the gentleman from California (Mr. Aguilar), my good friend, as Democratic Caucus vice chair, and with me as chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

I stand here because of Dr. Tom. Back in the early years, in 1986, I attended one of IEFLP's leadership trainings at Camp Seeley. That summer left a lasting mark on me and changed the course of my future.

I learned the tools of leadership and returned home, motivated to serve the community. I became the first in Coachella Valley High School to be class president and ASB president all 4 years, and I learned to identify problems that needed to be addressed and to become a part of the solution.

The experience strengthened my dream and my resolve to become a doctor and serve the community. You see, Dr. Tom's guidance fueled in me a passion for social justice, a passion I lived as a pre-med student organizer at UCLA.

It is with Dr. Tom's encouragement that I applied to Harvard Medical School to earn my medical degree and graduate with my master's in public health and my master's in public policy from Harvard University.

I am forever indebted to Dr. Tom for his unyielding devotion to my growth and the success of my peers. He was always there for us. He was always there to motivate us, to celebrate us, and to give us a smile when we needed it most.

He gave us a family, a familia, in which we found reassurance and strength. All IEFLP graduates share a common bond because of him. To this day, when I meet a fellow Inland Empire Future Leaders Program graduate, we reminisce about his kindness and grace.

We said good-bye to Dr. Tom just last month, in March 2022. However, we know that his legacy will live on in each and every one of us. We know that his memory will survive in the hearts of his beloved wife, Dr. Lily; his brother, Ray; his children, Evelyn, Patricia, and Tom; and all of his wonderful grandchildren.

Together, we mourn his passing and celebrate his full life, knowing that he was a good man and an extraordinary public servant whose impact will be felt for generations to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise today as chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to pay tribute to a champion for Latinos and Latinas and a leader for all, the late CHC chair, Congressman Esteban Torres.

He did everything in his power to increase Hispanic representation in Congress, dedicated himself to disenfranchised communities, and had an unwavering commitment to equity.

Esteban Torres was born in Arizona in 1930 to a proud Mexican family of migrant and copper mine workers. After the deportation of his father through the disastrous Mexican Repatriation program, his family moved to east Los Angeles. Torres never saw his father again.

As a self-proclaimed barrio kid, he grew up navigating the difficulties of a young Latino male without a father in Los Angeles, but that did not stop him from achieving excellence.

From a young age, Torres was consistently recognized as a peacemaker, consensus builder, and leader in his community.

He knew that leadership meant serving. And when he turned 19, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and fought in the Korean war.

Later in life, the necessities of raising a family pushed Torres to work as a welder on the assembly line at an auto plant. There, he became involved with the labor movement and assumed the role of chief steward in the United Auto Workers union's local branch.

His ability to lead, inspire, and defend workers' rights drove him to become the Nation's director of the Inter-American Bureau for Caribbean and Latin American Affairs, and so he began his political career.

After serving under President Carter as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, and as White House Special Assistant for Hispanic Affairs, Torres represented California's 34th District, the City of Norwalk in the County of Los Angeles, from 1983 until 1999.

From his first year in Congress, he defended workers' rights, protected consumers, advanced environmental justice, and secured veterans' services.

Through it all, he never forgot his community. As chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, he pushed forward transformative legislation for immigrants in our country, such as the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act.

This historic legislation gave legal status to more than 3 million immigrants, ultimately protecting other families from the same horror his family experienced many years back.

Torres also led the CHC at a time when our communities did not have the representation we do today. After eight terms, he expressed: ``I have reached the pinnacle of success in my own eyes. It is time to let the younger generation succeed.''

Today, I succeed him as chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, a role I take with much responsibility because I know I have big shoes to fill.

Thanks to his efforts, our communities can feel seen in the 38 members of the CHC that, inspired by Congressman Torres, serve with determination and compassion. I know that we, inspired by the late Congressman Esteban Torres, carry the torch to expand Hispanic representation in Congress and create a House and a Senate that is more representative of our Nation.

Esteban Torres, mentor, leader, amigo, after 91 years of touching lives and changing this Nation, in January 2022 you passed away. You lived a long and impactful life of service, and you left this Nation better than how you found it for future generations. Gracias.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a local leader in public health, an exceptional community advocate, my constituent, and my friend, Rosa Lucas.

I first met Rosa during my freshman year at UCLA in 1991 while I was working at a farmworker health clinic. Ever since, I have admired her integrity, humility, selflessness, and passion for justice.

Rosa's story begins in Los Angeles, California, December 7, 1945. She spent her childhood in Beverly Hills before studying at UCLA-Berkeley and UCLA. In 1968, she graduated UCLA with her bachelor's in Spanish languages and literature. Shortly after, Rosa launched her career as a charge nurse of neurosurgical intensive care at the UCLA Health Sciences Center, eventually leading her to become a certified nurse practitioner in 1975.

Ten years later, she settled in our desert and began her work in the Coachella Valley.

Throughout her career, Rosa has worked to serve the poor, the marginalized, and the underserved. She has provided care to those most in need at rural and farmworker clinics like El Progreso del Desierto, Santa Rosa Del Valle Medical Group, Desert Hot Springs Arthritis and Medical Clinic, and the Borrego Springs Community Health Foundation. Now she works for Eisenhower Health Urgent Care Centers.

Rosa truly embodies what it means to think globally and act locally. She has devoted her life to addressing health disparities in our valley and has made it her goal to expand access to healthcare for our most vulnerable.

As a physician, I have seen her dedication to this mission firsthand. In the summer of 1996 during a summer fellowship as a medical student, Rosa taught me the well-child exam. I will never forget her passion to care for at-risk newborns, and I knew then that she would be a great partner in the fight for health and social justice.

Sure enough, in 2007 when I returned home from medical school, we saw patients together and provided free medical care to the poorest farmworker communities with the Flying Doctors.

Together, we joined the founding board of directors for a new nonprofit called Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine which is the only free clinic in the Coachella Valley that provides free healthcare to the medically underserved. In fact, we started the street medicine program and launched that in order to take care to the people and to the homeless under bridges, at the parks, and in the homeless camps. Wherever they find themselves, we took care to them, and she still does that.

In fact, Volunteers in Medicine was the first in the valley to implement the street medicine model during the pandemic. We took tests directly to our most vulnerable populations, including farmworkers and the homeless. This model later grew into a collaborative approach to vaccinating at-risk populations at work sites, schools, churches, and local trailer parks.

On top of that, Rosa feeds the hungry. She battled food insecurity throughout the pandemic, partnering with local organizations to coordinate food delivery for the hungry and the food insecure, partnering with local promotora organizations.

Rosa's compassion and incredible service have touched every corner of our communities. She has transformed care delivery in our desert and opened doors for many.

As a member of the clinical faculty at CSU San Bernardino, Palm Desert, and the UCR School of Medicine, Rosa has helped shape a new generation of healthcare providers. She has inspired our communities' young people on the advisory boards for the Head Start programs at Desert Sands Unified School District and Coachella Valley Unified School District.

For her outstanding service, Rosa has received numerous accolades, including the 2019 Senior Inspiration Award from Riverside County, and most recently, the 2021 Hometown Heroes Award from the city of Coachella.

Rosa is relentless in her advocacy and never takes no for an answer when advocating for the medically underserved and her patients.

Rosa has been an incredible adviser to me and has had a profound impact on the entire Coachella Valley. In fact, I respect Rosa because she delivers. She delivers her heart, she delivers her mind, and she delivers food. She delivers tests, she delivers vaccines, and she delivers healthcare with every inch of her soul and body. Rosa delivers herself for the people.

We are all indebted to Rosa because she is the person who has led the charge for so many years and has been a consistent voice. When there was none, there was Rosa. When there was none, she provided care and delivery.

On behalf of California's 36th Congressional District, I thank Rosa for her incredible service. I am so privileged to have her in my life, and I am honored to call her a friend.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Dr. Paul Farmer, a visionary in global health, crusader for health equity, and accomplished physician with an unparalleled passion for social justice.

Dr. Farmer was my mentor, my professor, and my friend. He was completely selfless, and his relentless dedication to those less fortunate inspired me and helped shape me into who I am today.

His story begins in North Adams, Massachusetts, in 1959. He spent his childhood there and later in Tampa, Florida, where he was raised in an old school bus that his father had converted into a mobile home.

Encouraged by his parents, Dr. Farmer developed a strong interest in the

world around him at an early age. His intellect and incredible work ethic led him to excel in school and eventually to win a full scholarship to Duke University. It was there, at Duke, where his passion for service took root.

After graduating, he traveled to Haiti, where he worked in public health clinics before pursuing his medical degree and doctorate in anthropology from Harvard University.

In 1987, Dr. Farmer cofounded what would become his legacy, Partners In Health, whose mission is to bring modern medical science and high- quality care to those most in need and serve as an antidote to despair. Its banner has always been ``pragmatic solidarity'' in the fight for health and social justice.

Dr. Farmer also used his gifts to shape young minds and the next generation of providers. He served as chief of the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

It was there, at Harvard Medical School, where our paths crossed in what proved to be one of the biggest blessings in my life. As my mentor and professor, Dr. Farmer embraced me, trained me, taught me, and encouraged me in all that I did.

In short, I blossomed under his guidance. I was empowered under his wings. He taught me to channel that very same passion that I had as a student-activist into fighting for social justice with my medical training.

I remember one day in the class when he told us all: All of you are now part of the elite. The mere fact that you are sitting here at Harvard Medical School will make you an elite.

As someone who grew up in a trailer park and was the first generation of my family to graduate from high school, I immediately resisted that. No way. No way. Not me. How dare he say that?

Now, I won't say what I was thinking in that moment, but ever the mind reader, Dr. Farmer looked me in the eyes and said: ``Yes, you, too, Raul.''

His point was that now that we are at Harvard Medical School, we need to own that. We need to use our Harvard medical training and research skills for the poor and give them the best care always. It was then that I understood the opportunity that I had to make a difference and serve those suffering from inequities with the care I would provide as a doctor.

I spent many years under his wing, learning from him and training with him to provide humanitarian aid and care. It was in the classroom at Harvard, in the rainforests of Chiapas, Mexico, and in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti that I learned from Paul the powerful act of accompaniment. I admired his humility with the people; his fierce advocacy with the powerful; his selflessness; and the enormous respect that he showed to all he cared for, regardless of income or education. He treated everyone as equals and worked to earn their respect.

It is because of him that I stand before you all today, both as a physician and as a representative of the people.

Dr. Farmer was a great man, a humble servant, and a fierce warrior for health and justice. I miss him, and I know the world will, too.

In his memory, and in honor of all that he has done and achieved, I ask for all present to join me in a moment of silence.

Madam Speaker, Russia's unprovoked, unjustified war on Ukraine threatens peace, democracy, and stability around the globe. However, what it does not do is break us, and it has not broken the people of Ukraine.

Instead, the people of Ukraine have shown the world their resilience and the strength of democracy. As we work to hold Vladimir Putin accountable for his aggression, we must also ensure that we provide support for the Ukrainian people as they seek certainty and refuge.

As an emergency physician and the only trained humanitarian in Congress, I have seen firsthand what lies ahead for those fleeing a crisis. This is a complex humanitarian crisis and deserves a human response. The U.S. must contribute to that response, including helping our humanitarian partners on the ground and granting Ukrainians refuge and temporary protected status to Ukrainian nationals here in the country.

Madam Speaker, I stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people to protect their sovereignty, and my prayers are with them.

Madam Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of my amendment to the Honoring our PACT Act, which includes language from my bill, the Burn Pits Registry Enhancement Act.

This amendment would allow veterans in the burn pits registry to designate someone to update the registry with their cause of death. I hope that makes common sense. This data is crucial to further identify illnesses that are causing burn pit exposed veterans to die and will help doctors recognize early symptoms.

I also rise in support of another amendment I submitted that was part of an en bloc package that passed yesterday. That amendment is from my Reducing Exposure to Burn Pits Act. It would require the DOD to consider safer alternatives to burn pits. This amendment will get us one step closer to ending the exposure to toxic burn pits once and for all.

I have fought for years to bring attention to this issue and its devastating toll on our Nation's servicemembers and their families.

I have told the story of Jennifer Kepner, an Air Force veteran from Cathedral City in my district. She was an otherwise healthy mother of two who lost her courageous battle with pancreatic cancer likely caused by her exposure to burn pits during her military service.

I have told the story of Alejandro Camacho, my constituent from Palm Desert, who developed testicular cancer from the toxic smoke and carcinogens he breathed in every day during his service in Iraq.

It is for Jennifer, Alejandro, and the millions of other veterans suffering from their burn pit exposure that I founded the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Burn Pit Caucus.

It is why I introduced the Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act to create a presumption of service connection for 23 illnesses related to service near burn pits.

That bill is included in the Honoring our PACT Act and highlights the urgent need to pass it now. The Honoring our PACT Act will take urgent and aggressive action to give the veterans the care they need and ensure we don't repeat the Agent Orange delays that our Vietnam veterans experienced.

Last night, I texted the widower of Jennifer Kepner, Ben Kepner, and I said: Tomorrow is the big day, my friend. He texted back: Tomorrow is Jennifer Kepner's birthday. So we will pass this bill on Jennifer Kepner's birthday, which is amazing.

Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to Chairman Takano.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Takano and the Veterans' Affairs Committee staff for their tireless work, their leadership, their courage and bravery to address this incredible problem.

I would also like to thank all the veterans who spoke up when nobody listened, like Rosie Torres from Burn Pits 360; and many others who have lost a loved one; and all the widows who have been crying to be recognized and pleading with us to do something so that other veterans wouldn't suffer these atrocities.

This is a self-inflicted DOD wound that our military did to our servicemembers, and now they are dying as delayed casualties of war due to those exposures. We need to save lives today. This is a life-and- death situation.

If there is ever a human face to policy, it is now in this policy because there are children wondering why, when their parents came back healthy from the war, they died 5, 6, 7 years later. This is why we need to pass this bill and ensure that our promise to our veterans, and our promise to our Vietnam veterans, that we will never allow their Agent Orange experience to translate ever again into the American experience.

This is our time to stand up for our veterans, not just in hugging flags, but also in pragmatic solidarity and support to give them the care and the relief that they need right now.

Madam Speaker, I wish the Kepner family a very happy birthday celebration in memory of Jennifer Kepner. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, as we stand here right now, our servicemembers have returned home from the battlefield only to become delayed casualties of war due to their battlefield exposure to toxic burn pits.

My constituents, Jennifer Kepner and Alejandro Camacho, both developed cancers from the burn pits' toxic smoke containing carcinogens they breathed day in and day out while serving our country. Jen Kepner died from pancreatic cancer, and Alejandro Camacho suffers from testicular cancer.

Let me repeat that. They got sick because they were exposed to burn pits' toxic smoke while doing their duty for our country.

To make matters worse, both Jennifer and Alejandro were turned down when applying for benefits because the VA said that there wasn't enough evidence to link their illness to their service.

To not give our veterans the proper care and benefits they earned and rightly deserve is a dereliction of our Nation's duty.

That is why I introduced the Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act.

It would create a presumption of service connection for 23 illnesses, including cancers related to service near burn pits, and it has been included in the Honoring our PACT Act.

My bill is the very soul of the Honoring our PACT Act. It would take the burden off of our veterans to prove that they are sick as a result of their service by presuming the reason they were diagnosed with this illness is because of their service near burn pits.

Now is the time to fix this, and anything short of including all 23 of these illnesses is not good enough. The Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act is not good enough. It will shortchange our veterans. It is like telling a pneumonia patient who needs antibiotics for the cure that, hey, listen, let's just give you Tylenol, call it a day, and we have taken care of the patient. That is medical negligence, and that is not what we are going to do to our veterans.

We cannot have another Agent Orange in our generation and ``delay until dead'' as our Vietnam veterans have said.

So I urge my colleagues to support passage of this lifesaving bipartisan bill. I urge them to stop the medical negligence and the dereliction of duty to come together as a country and do what is right because the science is there. It is not a secret. Carcinogens cause cancer. Burn pits' smoke have carcinogens. Our burn pits veterans are delayed casualties from cancers.

Mr. Speaker, I have been hearing these arguments or these pleas that our colleagues on the other side agree with the sentiment, that they agree that they want to take care of this. Well, those are just words. Whether they agree will be demonstrated by their votes. Those are actions.

I am hearing the same excuses that our Vietnam veterans heard when they were dying from Agent Orange and pleading for help, the excuse that the science is not there; we need more time; oh, it costs too much.

Well, listen here, the science is there. As a medical professional, I reviewed the science. The scientific studies were flawed. They did not ask the right questions. And there is enough evidence from other extrapolated data that shows that carcinogens can cause cancer, that heavy toxic metals in your lungs can cause pulmonary fibrosis. We have to make sure that if the burn pits are illegal in the United States, they should be illegal everywhere else because of this science.

Then we hear, ``We need more time.'' Well, look, it has taken us years to get to this point. I want them to ask the widows of General Kepner and all the veterans, the thousands of widows and sons and daughters who lost their parents, if they need more time. To them, it is too late, and we need to act now.

Mr. Speaker, this is reminiscent of the notion that our Vietnam veterans say, that what they want to do is delay till dead. Delay, delay, delay until they are dead. We cannot allow that to happen.

Then the next is, ``It costs too much.'' Well, that is a value statement. That is a value statement. To us, valuing the lives of our veterans and their family members is more important than giving billions of dollars to billionaires in a tax law that shortchanged the middle class. Their Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act will shortchange our veterans and their widows who need the care right now because they are dying from burn pits.

That is our value, and that is the value I am pleading to the folks on the other side to join us in, in a bipartisan way with unity to support our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, veterans are watching. They are listening. They care. Some are even listening to this with oxygen in nasal cannula taking their medications. Some could possibly be in their hospital bed taking chemotherapy. Some are in tears because a widow's and their father or mother's experiences are finally being recognized, and finally, we are able to do something. They are watching, and your sympathies will be reflected in your vote.

Madam Speaker, I rise today on the eve of President Biden's State of the Union speech to strongly urge Congress to pass immigration reform to boost our economy, grow our GDP, and create jobs across the country.

Right now, our economy is roaring back after the depths of a global pandemic, and workers and families are still feeling the effects. As we continue this recovery and work to grow our economy, lower costs, and create jobs, it is now more crucial than ever that we secure a pathway to citizenship for the millions of hardworking, immigrant, essential workers across the country who contribute to our economy every day.

We must secure a pathway to citizenship for the farmworkers and meatpackers who feed America, the construction workers who build American cities, the restaurant and hotel workers who serve our families, and the nurses, doctors, and healthcare workers who have cared for us in this public health crisis. Now is the time to deliver on immigration reform to boost our economy and keep families together.

Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus join me in this fight to urgently act. That is why we have worked tirelessly with the Biden administration to enact policy changes to build a more efficient, just, fair, and humane immigration system that reflects our American values.

We have pursued an all-of-the-above and any-which-way approach to achieving immigration reform using every tool at our disposal to secure a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, farmworkers, TPS holders, and essential workers.

In the House, CHC members have introduced and passed meaningful bipartisan bills to achieve that goal. As the proud son of farmworkers, I was thrilled when Democrats, Republicans, growers, and workers came together to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. This bipartisan bill would give farmworkers and their families a pathway to citizenship.

Doing so would stabilize our workforce and the price of our food, making your produce, my produce, and everybody's produce available at a reasonable cost. The CHC also led efforts to pass the bipartisan American Dream and Promise Act to allow DACA, temporary protected status, and deferred enforced departure beneficiaries to earn permanent residence and continue contributing to our workforce and economy.

CHC, with House Democrats, delivered. Unfortunately, Republicans in the Senate blocked these commonsense bills that would benefit all Americans and help keep families together. However, we didn't let their refusal to do what is right for this country and American families stand in the way of our work to enact positive change.

That is why the CHC led efforts to pass immigration reform through the Build Back Better Act and provide a much-needed pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS holders, essential workers, and farmworkers, and meaningful protections and work permits. Out of the House, we passed significant reforms to address the historic labor shortages our Nation faces, grow our GDP, and fight rising costs for American families.

Now, with these much-needed provisions awaiting consideration in the Senate, I call on my Senate colleagues to take up the Build Back Better Act without delay and pass it with a pathway to citizenship. I call on the Senate to pass the American Dream and Promise Act. I call on the Senate to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act.

We must urgently pass immigration reform right now. We will work with the administration to achieve positive, meaningful immigration changes. It is our duty to our Nation to give hardworking, immigrant, essential workers the opportunity to stay in the country that they call home.

Our Nation's immigrants are professionals, entrepreneurs, doctors, nurses, and essential workers who make America stronger. We are at our strongest when we embrace our immigrant communities.

Later tonight, during President Biden's State of the Union address, CHC members will be virtually joined by Dreamers from our districts to highlight their contributions to our country, their home. Dreamers are part of our efforts to rebuild and to recover. They are our future and our constant inspiration in this fight.

Tonight, I am proud to be joined by Alma from Thermal, California, my constituent, to say: ``You are not forgotten.'' ``No son olvidados.''

You are home.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, the Burn Pit Registry Enhancement Act, which passed the House unanimously yesterday, and to urge a vote in the Senate.

The Burn Pit Registry Enhancement Act would strengthen the registry by allowing a registered veteran's data to be updated by their family with his or her cause of death.

This data is crucial to identify the vast array of illnesses that are causing young burn pit-exposed veterans to die and will help doctors recognize early symptoms of life-threatening conditions and save lives.

As a Nation, we have a responsibility to provide our veterans with the benefits they have earned and deserve. We bear that responsibility even more heavily when the use of burn pits by our own military is causing veterans to develop rare pulmonary conditions and cancers.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the Senate to take up my legislation and uphold our commitment to taking care of our veterans.

Alejandro Camacho's Story

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to tell the story of my constituent, Alejandro Camacho, of Palm Desert, a veteran who has been affected by our military's use of toxic burn pits, and to call for action.

After graduating from La Quinta High School, Alejandro served our Nation in the U.S. Marine Corps. From March to September 2009, he was stationed in south Sinjar, Iraq.

At great personal sacrifice to himself, Alejandro served as a member of the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, even missing the birth of his own son, Jacob, while he was stationed overseas.

Every single day in south Sinjar, Alejandro breathed in toxic fumes, particulate matter, and carcinogens from the batteries, medical waste, and jet fuel that was burned in large burn pits on his base.

When he returned home, the effects of breathing in those toxic fumes started taking a toll on his body. In 2019, Alejandro was diagnosed with embryonal carcinoma, an aggressive form of testicular cancer. He and his doctor believed his diagnosis to be linked to his exposures to fumes from burning jet propulsion 8 fuel, a known human carcinogen.

When Alejandro underwent the excruciating chemotherapy process, his body fell apart. He lost 50 pounds. He lost feeling in his hands and feet, and he constantly heard ringing in his ears.

Despite being deemed 40 percent disabled, despite his repeated exposure to jet fuel fumes, and despite the diagnosis, the VA denied his claim for coverage. Do you know why? Because the VA said there wasn't ``enough evidence'' to establish a connection between his burn pit exposure and the cancer he developed.

Mr. Speaker, I am an emergency medicine physician and a public health expert, and in public health and in medicine, it is practice that if there is

a high enough suspicion based on the evidence available of a harm that causes a severe enough illness, then we need to act on that suspicion.

We can't afford to wait decades, like we did with Agent Orange, for that perfect study to establish a perfect causality between burn pit exposure and cancers and pulmonary conditions our veterans are developing and dying from right now. There is enough evidence to act.

We must act for veterans like Alejandro and help him get the healthcare and benefits he earned when we sent him to war for our country. Alejandro is now cancer free, but the fight continues to get him the benefits he deserves.

We are making real bipartisan progress on this front, with legislation like the Honoring our PACT Act, which takes an aggressive and comprehensive approach to the urgent healthcare crisis that veterans like Alejandro are facing.

This legislation will keep our Nation's promise to our veterans that we will take care of them after they serve our Nation. It contains my bill, the Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act. It creates a presumption of service-related illnesses due to burn pits in order to take care of our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I urge this body to take up this bill to support Alejandro and the rest of our heroes in uniform.