Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to remember the life of Steven Berger, a loving son, brother, and father of three. Growing up in Wisconsin, Steven was active in many sports. At 6'6", Steven was a standout basketball player in high school and later played in college.

Steven lived in Minnesota where he worked as a financial adviser and was a loving father to his three children. His friends and family describe him as charismatic, full of energy, and larger than life--the type of man who breathed life into every room.

He was also an avid fisherman and loved talking about stocks and competitive sports.

Steven traveled to the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas with friends to celebrate his 44th birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to extend my condolences to Steven Berger's family and friends. Please know that the city of Las Vegas, the State of Nevada, and the whole country grieve with you.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to remember the life of Jack Beaton, a loving husband and father from Bakersfield, California.

Jack traveled to the Route 91 music festival with his wife, Laurie, to celebrate their 23rd wedding anniversary. Jack died a hero, shielding Laurie from the gunfire.

Laurie said Jack made her feel loved every single day. He was also a loving father to his two children. He always had a smile on his face and was a kid at heart.

Jack was known as a hard worker who was always willing to give someone a helping hand. He was the type of person who had literally given someone the shirt off his back. His children's friends said that he, Jack, was a role model to them both as a father figure and as a best friend.

I would like to extend my condolences to Jack Beaton's family and his friends. Please know that the city of Las Vegas, the State of Nevada, and the whole country grieve with you.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to remember the life of Carrie Barnette, a woman who was known for her love of pickles, hummingbirds, and willingness to help others.

Carrie loved country music, and she grew up listening to it at her grandparents' house. She frequently went to country music concerts and had traveled to the Route 91 Harvest music festival with her childhood friend, Jenn.

Carrie was a lifelong Californian who had just celebrated her 10th anniversary as a culinary team member at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim.

Carrie loved the children of her relatives and friends like her own, and friends say that she would have made a great mother. She also had the nickname of Aunt Carrie because all the children loved her.

I would also like to extend my condolences to Carrie's family and friends. Please know that the city of Las Vegas, the State of Nevada, and the whole country grieve with you.

Madam Speaker, Wednesday marked the 1-month anniversary of the terrible shooting that happened in my hometown of Las Vegas.

Today I rise to remember the life of Dorene Anderson from Anchorage, Alaska, a woman who was known for her kindness and her smile.

Dorene was a loving wife, mother, sister, aunt, and friend who always went above and beyond for everyone in her life. Not only was she a dedicated mother to her two daughters, she was known as a mother to her community.

Dorene loved hockey and was the treasurer of the Cowbell Crew, a nonprofit hockey organization that supported hockey at all levels.

Her friends describe her as an all-around wonderful Alaskan who had a heart of gold, a person who was friendly to everyone.

I would like to extend my condolences to Dorene's family and friends. Please know that the city of Las Vegas and the State of Nevada and the whole country grieve with you.

Mr. Speaker, today marks the 1-month anniversary of the terrible shooting that happened in my hometown, Las Vegas, on October 1.

I rise to remember the life of Heather Alvarado, a woman who was known for her hugs, her love of hot pink, and her beautiful green eyes.

Heather lived for her kids, Syrus, Albie, and Charlie, and had traveled to Las Vegas to attend the Route 91 concert with her daughter.

Heather loved going on vacation with her family and spending time outdoors. She loved planning parties for her children and friends, including hosting elaborate Halloween parties every year. She was known for her caring nature and kindness. Heather's husband, Albert, said that she saw the good in everyone and would do almost anything to help others.

I would like to extend my deepest condolences to Heather's friends and family. Please know that the city of Las Vegas and the State of Nevada and the whole country grieve with you.

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I plan to speak on this floor about each victim who lost their life during the terrible shooting on October 1 in Las Vegas. My goal is to honor their lives and to ensure that they will never be forgotten.

Today I rise to remember Hannah Ahlers, a loving wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend, whose life was taken far too soon.

Hannah lived in Beaumont, California, and had traveled to Las Vegas with her husband, Brian, and three other couples to attend the Route 91 Harvest music festival.

Friends and family have described Hannah as a beautiful person inside and out, who was full of joy, and always went out of her way to help her friends and family.

Her commitment to her friends, family, and community was felt by everyone. She could light up the room at any moment she walked in. Her father-in-law described her as a young Mary Tyler Moore.

She was also an amazing and devoted mother to her three children, Briannah, Brice, and Hailey. Her kids' friends thought she was the cool mom, and they loved to be around her. She lived her life to the fullest, and enjoyed both the simple pleasures and outdoor thrills, like the skydiving community she was a part of.

I would like to extend my deepest condolences to Hannah's friends and family. Please know that the city of Las Vegas in Nevada and the whole country grieve with you. This is a tragedy that should have never happened.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the tragedy that happened in my home town of Las Vegas last Sunday, October 1.

Last week, a horrific mass shooting took place in the community that I grew up in. Immediately when I heard the news on Sunday night, like so many people, I felt helpless, and I rushed to the hospital to see how I could help.

This shooting was the deadliest in modern U.S. history: 58 innocent people have died, and over 500 were injured.

The 58 innocent victims came from all walks of life. They came to Las Vegas from all over the United States of America. Some were there to celebrate their birthdays, their favorite country singer, a night out with friends and family, and even celebrating their wedding anniversaries.

Even though these families will never get another Christmas, another Thanksgiving, or another birthday with their loved one, they will never forget them, and we won't either.

As we grieve for those who were killed or injured, and pray for their families, I want to recognize the heroes who bravely and selflessly rushed to help: law enforcement officers and first responders, including some who were off duty and attending the concert, who ran toward the gunfire to protect the concertgoers and provide desperately needed care for victims; people at the concert who shielded those around them, gave them medical care, and led others to safety, exposing themselves to the hail of bullets while they tried to save others; people driving by who used their cars to help take shooting victims to the hospitals; strangers helping strangers; the healthcare professionals, doctors, nurses, support staff, and volunteers who have been working tirelessly around the clock to care for the more than 500 injured people; hospitality industry employees, who rushed to help however they could; and the Las Vegas businesses and residents, who have generously donated their money, time, and blood to help the victims.

To all of these heroes, I say: Thank you. Thank you so much.

Over the coming days and weeks, I plan to speak on this floor about each individual victim to honor their life and to tell their story. I will also be speaking out about what Congress needs to do to prevent another tragedy like this from happening.

We should never forget the victims of October 1, 2017, but as we embark on the long process of healing, I am forever grateful for the incredible heart and spirit shown by the Las Vegas community. I have never been prouder to be a Las Vegan, and I have never been prouder to be a Nevadan, and I know that my city is and will always be Vegas Strong.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to defeat the previous question so we can consider H.R. 3440, the Dream Act, introduced by my friend, Representative Roybal-Allard.

Aside from being a Member of Congress, I am the proud son of a farmworker and a housekeeper. My family came to America when I was 8 years old, and they came here in pursuit of the American Dream.

They came here because they knew that, in America, if you worked hard, sacrificed, played by the rules, stayed out of trouble, and got a good college education, that you could become anything or anyone because America had compassion, America had empathy, because America was the land of opportunity, and my parents wanted a piece of that land of opportunity.

Less than 30 years later, their son, who came here with no money, no contacts, no friends, is a Member of the most powerful legislative body in the world. That is the American Dream. And when I got elected last year, in 2016, I became the first DREAMer in American history to get elected to this body, and also the first former undocumented immigrant to ever serve in this body.

So when we are talking about the Dream Act, we are talking about real lives. We are talking about 800,000 young Americans, 800,000 young Americans who are going to our universities, our colleges, who are our teachers, our doctors. Some of them are protecting our country, our liberties, and our freedoms in the military.

It is time for Congress to put their political games aside and start putting the interests of these young Americans first.

There are currently, right now, a few DREAMers out on the lawn who are fasting because they want that opportunity at the American Dream, that opportunity that was given to me and my family, that opportunity that has been given to so many immigrant families for so many years because, look, let's face it, at the end of the day, unless you are Native American, we all come from somewhere else. We are all descendants of immigrants or immigrants ourselves. And it is not right for us to come here and then close the door behind us. That is not what America stands for. That goes against all American values.

So I encourage my friends, forget about the tweets and the Facebook posts that you feel sorry for these DREAMers, that you love these DREAMers. If you really do, let's bring up that bill for a vote today, and I guarantee you that the votes are there so we can get it passed.

At the end of the day, if we take away this DACA status from these young Americans, we are going to have a potentially close to $500 billion adverse economic impact. There are currently 3,200 entrepreneurs who are DREAMers. These DREAMers are paying taxes. We educated them K-12, and now we are telling them that they can't go to universities or colleges. That is un-American. That is not the America that I know.

I encourage my friends today, on both sides of the aisle, Republican and Democrat, to come to the table and let's pass the Dream Act.

Mr. Chair, I thank the ranking member and the chairman for accepting my amendment.

Mr. Chairman, veterans have made an incredible sacrifice for our country, and they deserve the highest quality treatment and care when they return to their civilian lives.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has the obligation to provide critical services to veterans and ensure that America's veterans have access to high-quality and affordable healthcare in their communities.

Recently, the VA decided not to renew its contract with the Ely Community Clinic in my district, and it is forcing veterans in Ely and the surrounding communities to rely solely on the Choice Program to access care.

We owe it to our veterans not to use the Choice Program as a crutch, but to make the proper investment in the healthcare of our veterans and the healthcare that they deserve. Veterans

have already fought for their country. They shouldn't have to fight to keep their VA clinic in Ely.

The intention behind my amendment is to remind the VA that they have the responsibility to continue operating the healthcare clinic in Ely, Nevada, and to emphasize the importance of continuing to provide care in rural communities across the country.

The Choice Program was not intended to allow the VA to shirk its responsibility for certain veterans; instead, it was supposed to help veterans who have nowhere else to turn.

I was sent to Congress by the people of the Fourth Congressional District to fight for Nevada's veterans, and I will continue fighting to ensure that veterans in rural Nevada and communities across the country do not lose access to the VA and make sure that they receive the healthcare that they have earned and deserve.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, my amendment strikes language in the bill that would prohibit the closure of the Yucca Mountain project, which includes the storage of high-level nuclear waste in my district.

As you may know, in 1987, Nevada was targeted as our Nation's nuclear waste dump through the ``Screw Nevada'' bill. In the 30 years since the bill passed, Congress has wasted $3.7 billion of taxpayer money.

Yucca Mountain sits in a seismically active area less than 100 miles away from Las Vegas, which holds an urban area with over 2 million residents. Mr. Chairman, just last week, there was an earthquake 33 miles away from Yucca Mountain. This place is not safe for our nuclear waste.

Moreover, the city sees tens of thousands of visitors traveling to Las Vegas each and every year, many of whom are your constituents from your districts. In 2016 alone, over 40 million visitors traveled to Las Vegas.

I have grave concerns with the transportation of nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain should this project continue against the will of my constituents. This project will not just impact my constituents. It impacts constituents in 329 congressional districts in 44 different States and Washington, D.C. Putting a nuclear repository in our backyard means that this high-level nuclear waste must travel through your backyards first.

Your constituents will see high-level nuclear waste transported through their communities on rail and truck. A simple car crash or train derailment would leave your constituents at risk and cost our taxpayers more money to clean up the mess.

As it stands, Mr. Chairman, this transportation plan also damages our national security and the ability of the Nevada Test and Training Range, the largest air and ground range in the contiguous United States, to meet and train our servicemembers.

Mr. Chairman, I have been to Yucca Mountain. I have driven through the desert that is home to the bighorn sheep and desert tortoises and ancient petroglyphs and relics of the westward expansion. It is clear that reopening Yucca Mountain threatens the health and safety of Nevadans and Americans from across the country.

Our State, which has no nuclear energy-producing facilities, should not be the dumping ground for the rest of the country's nuclear waste. And the bottom line is this: If any of my colleagues would support this bill to bring Yucca Mountain nuclear waste to our State, then I am sure you support bringing it to your State. I am sure we can find a location in your State, and I would love to work with you on that. I am sure you wouldn't like your neighbors bringing their trash to your backyard. Don't bring it to my backyard either. Don't bring it to my constituents. Don't bring it to Nevada.

I urge your support for my amendment. Prevent billions and billions of dollars, taxpayer dollars, being wasted by continuing to pursue the Yucca Mountain project.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Rosen), my esteemed colleague.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Rebuilding America's Schools Act. Every day, students attend schools that put their health and safety at risk. The average school building is nearly 50 years old, and teachers and children struggle to learn in classrooms without heat, leaking ceilings, and no working internet.

Mr. Speaker, our children deserve better. Research shows that poor school facility conditions impact teaching and learning, and disproportionately plague schools that serve low-income and minority students all throughout America. Regardless of their ZIP Code, all children should have access to a quality education, and no child should have to learn in an unsafe or dilapidated environment.

The Rebuilding America's Schools Act would provide critically needed investments in Las Vegas and rural Nevada to improve our school infrastructure, helping teachers teach and children learn.

President Trump has repeatedly promised to rebuild our Nation's infrastructure. Passing the Rebuilding America's Schools Act would be the first step in making this happen. We must make an investment in our future generation to guarantee their shot at success.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this piece of legislation.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member for yielding me time and for her tireless work on behalf of working families in America.

Mr. Chairman, the Financial CHOICE Act is nothing more than a misguided attempt to return to the days where bad actors could put the entire financial system at risk.

There is bipartisan support to provide regulatory relief for community banks and credit unions. Just last

week, I met with credit unions in my district, and they talked about the need for thoughtful, tailored regulation. Unfortunately, that kind of thoughtful reform is not what is before us today.

Instead, we have a bill before us that is a fundamental attack on working families in America. This bill will make it harder to go after bad actors in the financial markets by hamstringing regulators, and would completely gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It would eliminate important programs that ensure that taxpayers will not be on the hook for future bailouts. And it makes our financial system a whole lot less secure.

The district that I represent was one of the hardest hit in the entire country during the financial crisis. My constituents sent me here to ensure that we don't repeat the mistakes of the past, which is exactly what this bill does.

Mr. Chairman, this bill has been named the Financial CHOICE Act, and I think it is a fitting name.

Each of us here today has a simple choice to make: Do we side with the working families of America? Or do we side with the big corporations and the special interests?

Mr. Speaker, in 1988, Congress realized the danger posed by guns that can pass through security checkpoints undetected, and passed the Undetectable Firearms Act.

The act, signed by President Reagan, has since been reauthorized under every single President, both Democrats and Republicans alike.

When this bill originally became law, fully plastic guns were science fiction. But, today, plans for plastic guns are available online and can be produced at home with no technical expertise. Unfortunately, the Undetectable Firearms Act hasn't been updated since 1988, and glaring gaps exist.

That is why today I am introducing the Undetectable Firearms Modernization Act. This bill will make modest changes to the original act to more fully adhere to the spirit of the law.

Mr. Speaker, we need to be working to ensure that terrorists and criminals can't walk through security checkpoints with firearms undetected.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Roe and Ranking Member Walz for their bipartisan work on this issue on behalf of our veterans and our country. It is very refreshing to see bipartisanship here in this body.

Mr. Speaker, veterans have made the incredible sacrifice for our country. The Department of Veterans Affairs has the obligation to ensure that they have access to high-quality and affordable health care.

I support the aim of S. 544 to make key improvements to the Choice Program as Congress continues to work on longer term solutions.

While I am hopeful that this bill will help eliminate the problems and delays that veterans have experienced with the Choice Program, this program should be the option of last resort for veterans.

In Ely, Nevada, a rural community in my district, the VA is considering not renewing its contract with the Ely Community Clinic, forcing veterans to rely solely on the Choice Program for access to care. Just this week, hundreds of veterans turned out at a forum in Ely to voice their opposition to using the Choice Program.

Closing the VA clinic in Ely will be burdensome for many veterans in northern Nevada and central Nevada and could force them to travel hundreds of miles to get healthcare services that they rely on. These veterans have already fought for their country. They shouldn't have to fight to keep their VA clinic in Ely open.

Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, but it is not enough. We owe it to our veterans not to use the Choice Program as a crutch, but to make the proper investments in the health care our veterans deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am opposed in its current form.

Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, as a nation, we have the moral responsibility for providing for the men and women who have served our country. One of my highest priorities in Congress is ensuring that our veterans receive the care and benefit they have earned.

It has been almost 3 years since a whistleblower shocked the Nation by disclosing 1,400 veterans languish without care at the Phoenix VA. Since then, many others have come forward to report excessive wait times, substandard care, and dirty facilities in VA hospitals all across the country.

The issues we have seen at different VA hospitals have been completely disgraceful. However, what is even more shocking is that many of these whistleblowers have reported some sort of retaliation from hospital directors or the VA's Office of Inspector General, even though Federal law specifically prohibits harassment or retaliation of Federal employees who bring wrongdoing to light.

The recent reports about VA employees facing retaliation is disheartening and it is unacceptable. We need to protect these employees who are trying to ensure that the VA is transparent and accountable to all of our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, my amendment is very simple and commonsense. It merely builds upon existing language in the bill seeking to protect whistleblowers.

Under the bill, a whistleblower can still be fired during the expedited procedure with limited recourse. This amendment would close that loophole.

This amendment would also cover those who come forward to a central whistleblower office instead of just a special counsel.

And, as my colleagues have noted numerous times on the floor today, one-third of our VA employees are veterans. This amendment also works to protect them from unjust firings without due process.

We should never tolerate fraud, waste, or abuse on our Federal agencies. This is especially true when it comes to caring for our Nation's veterans. The brave men and women who have put their lives on the line should be provided with the best quality of care, and it is imperative that the whistleblowers who have stood up to protect our veterans should be fully protected from retaliation.

We should provide whistleblowers with the confidence to step up and help make a change. Helping improve our veterans' health care is dependent in part on the encouragement and protection of whistleblowers within the VA.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I say this. No one in this body wants to vote on a bill that may give potential whistleblowers doubt about coming forward. Let's give them the assurance they deserve by voting for this motion to recommit, which will strengthen the whistleblower protection language in the underlying bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.