Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Camillo Wilde, a son of immigrant parents, who graduated from Los Angeles High School with Ephebinan honors in 1947. After graduation, he went on to serve in the Korean War and upon release, he joined the U.S. Army Reserve serving as a Mobilization Designee during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He further served with the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence at the Pentagon and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.

After 27 years of service, he retired with the rank of Colonel. In 1960, he moved to the California Central Coast serving as Lompoc Unified School District's High School Assistant Principal, Junior High and High School Principal, and Assistant Superintendent. During that time, he worked with the City of Lompoc to establish basketball courts on school property to allow practice of teams participating in City League BB Program. He further worked to establish the first onsite Community Vocational Resource Center. He retired after 31 years in public education.

After his retirement from education, he further went on to dedicate his life to public service, culminating in 34 years. He served on the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission from 1992 to 1996, during which time he was Chair and guided the Commission through the Orcutt Community Plan. As a member of the Planning Commission, he worked with the community to receive Coastal Resource Enhancement Funds for the Cabrillo High School Aquarium Project. Camillo further served on the County's Assessment Appeals Board.

Camillo also served on the Santa Barbara County School Committee District Organization, as well as the Allan Hancock College Measure ``I'' Bond Committee. Importantly, the Cabrillo High School Alumni Association inducted Camillo Wilde, Founding Principal and Legacy Leader, into its Hall of Fame.

Madam Speaker, Camillo Wilde is a testament to his community, and it is only fitting that he should be honored. I respectfully ask that you join me in expressing immense gratitude to Camillo Wilde for his extraordinary leadership and dedication to his community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Ron Cortopassi, Executive Director of Space Launch Delta 30, Vandenberg Space Force Base. Ron has served diligently for 39 years, beginning his career at Vandenberg Air Force Base in 1983 as a Flight Safety Analyst, Safety Office, Western Space Missile Center, 30th Space Wing. In 1990, he was promoted to Chief, Operations Safety Analysis. Then in 1992, Ron was chosen to be Chief, Flight Analysis Office. In 2000, Ron was once again promoted to Chief Engineer. His career culminated in being chosen the Executive Director of the 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg Air Force Base, which later was renamed as Space Launch Delta 30, Vandenberg Space Force Base. In his role as Executive Director, he worked directly with Space Launch Delta 30's Commander and provided continuity of senior management, offered technical advice and counsel for policy and direction for Vandenberg Space Force Base. Additionally, he oversaw the health and wellness of the civilian component of Vandenberg Space Force Base and ensured that Space Launch Delta 30 functions as a world-class range and test facility. Ron also served as the Executive Secretary for the Safe Training System Flight Termination Criteria Evaluation Committee, developer of the Safe Training System Range Safety Display and lead flight safety analyst for the 30th Space Wing's first Titan IV launch. Furthermore, Ron wrote collision avoidance software, terminal area hazard and caution area determination software, ship-hit probability software, and general mapping software for the use by the flight safety analysist. Ron is a product of Central Coast education, by graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California.

Madam Speaker, Ron Cortopassi leaves Vandenberg Space Force Base in a strong place, well prepared to continue its mission for missile testing, range operations, and provide installation infrastructure necessary to place satellites into polar orbit. I respectfully ask that you join me in expressing immense gratitude to Ron Cortopassi for his extraordinary leadership on the occasion of his retirement.

Madam Speaker, each year, through the Women of the Year Award, my office extends special recognition to women on the Central Coast who have made a difference in our community. I would like to recognize one outstanding Women of the Year Award recipient, Lawanda Lyons-Pruitt of Santa Maria, California.

A longtime resident of Santa Maria, Lawanda Lyons-Pruitt has been a leader on behalf of communities of color in Santa Maria and Lompoc for over two decades.

Lawanda has been the President of the Santa Maria-Lompoc NAACP chapter for more than 14 years. Inspired by her early childhood experiences in segregated Mississippi before eventually moving to Santa Maria after high school, Lawanda has long served as a record-keeper for Black families in the area and organizer of community events that emphasize the importance of honoring Black history.

In her longstanding commitment to resolving racial injustice like she experienced as a child, Lawanda worked in the Santa Barbara County Public Defender's Office for over three decades. After earning her degree in criminology from Cal State Long Beach, Lawanda became an investigator for the Public Defender's Office in 1984. Eleven years later, she was named the department's Chief Investigator, making her the first African American woman in California to serve in that position. Lawanda made a career of treating people with compassion and respect, working to ensure that each defendant received their constitutional right to a good defense.

Where Lawanda sees a need, she takes action. After the murder of George Floyd, she used her position on the Santa Maria Police Department's police advisory board to call for the creation of a civilian review board to investigate officers accused of abuse and help rebuild trust between the police and community.

With the many daunting challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, her leadership has guided many in the community to safely face those challenges. In the destructive wake of COVID-19, Lawanda became a trusted source for information about the virus and the vaccine. She is a strong advocate for COVID-19 vaccination within the BIPOC community, taking the time to talk through questions and fears, helping to ease vaccine hesitancy and encourage individuals to protect themselves and those around them. She gives so much of her time, energy, and resources to serve our community.

Lawanda's openness and commitment to her community is a testament to her selflessness. She is a worthy candidate for this honor and a role model for community leaders of all kinds.

I am honored to recognize Lawanda for her continued commitment to uplifting and advocating for Black communities across the Central Coast. I ask all Members to join me today in honoring an exceptional woman of California's 24th Congressional District, Lawanda Lyons- Pruitt, for her incredible service to her community.

Madam Speaker, each year, through the Women of the Year Award, my office extends special recognition to women on the Central Coast who have made a difference in our community. I would like to recognize one outstanding Woman of the Year Award recipient, Dee Lacey of Paso Robles, California.

A longtime Paso Robles resident and leader in San Luis Obispo County, Dee Lacey is dedicated to Paso Robles and the surrounding county. Her extensive efforts contribute to Paso Robles's strong sense of community and tradition.

San Luis Obispo County was built on a bustling agriculture industry in which Dee is an active leader. She has co-owned Lacey Livestock since 1963, maintaining a cattle ranch while serving terms on the San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, the California Mid State Fair Board of Directors and as president of both the San Luis Obispo County Cattle Women's Association and the California Cattle Women's Association. Dee's advocacy has been vital to promoting the SLO County beef industry raising awareness of activities that impact ranch life and helping to preserve the local agricultural heritage that shaped the county.

Dee's civic engagement stretches beyond the agriculture industry and over 50 years, beginning with the local school board. She is determined to provide quality education for San Luis Obispo County residents of all ages, in school and out. In addition to 20 years of service on the Paso Robles School Board, Dee has served on the Cuesta Community College District Board of Trustees and the Cuesta College Foundation Board of Directors. Dee was also a founding member of the Paso Robles Library Foundation and the Paso Robles Children's Museum.

Dee's passion for her community is further highlighted by her leadership and continued involvement in countless organizations. From the San Luis Obispo Community Foundation, the San Luis Obispo County Botanical Foundation and Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo, Dee is committed to creating opportunity across the community. She co-chaired the Paso Robles 125th Anniversary celebration and Studios on the Park, events that celebrate the best of Paso Robles. For her continued dedication, she has already been recognized as Paso Robles Citizen of Year, San Luis Obispo County Cattle Woman of the Year, and the 33rd Assembly District Woman of the Year for 2005. Dee's lifetime of service to Paso Robles and the San Luis Obispo County community is an inspiration to women and men throughout the district. Dee's tireless work sets a sterling example for a community of cattle ranchers as well as students and activists across the county. She is a worthy candidate for this honor and a role model for community leaders of all kinds.

I am honored to recognize Dee Lacey for her continued commitment to San Luis Obispo County. I ask all Members to join me today in honoring an exceptional woman of California's 24th Congressional District, Dee Lacey, for her incredible service to her community.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my support for the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022. I want to especially commend Reps. Garamendi and Johnson, on their tremendous work cultivating a bipartisan agreement to address supply chain issues and unfair practices in the shipping industry.

I would also like to thank my colleagues for working with me and Chair DeFazio on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, the need for this legislation is clear by the fact that every American now knows the phrase `supply chain disruption'.

Whether its delayed shipments of agricultural goods or the current infant formula shortage, every family in America has been touched in some way by these bottlenecks and kinks in our supply chain.

We need robust solutions to address this crisis

This bill is the first step in doing so.

It eases our stressed supply chain by creating more transparency within our intermodal system and improves efficiency in transporting goods at a time when supply chain congestion is severe.

The increase in funding for the Federal Maritime Commission in this 4-year authorization is indicative of Congress's strong support for finding an effective solution to the supply chain crisis. Now is the time to ensure that the Commission has the ability to enforce fairness in ocean shipping practices.

I am pleased that the bill contains a number of provisions aimed at addressing wrongfully issued detention and demurrage charges. This includes holding shipping companies responsible for proving the reasonableness of the charges when challenged.

To optimize supply chain efficiency and streamline operations, the bill calls for a study to develop best practices for chassis pools that provide service to different types of stakeholders in the intermodal transportation system.

It also authorizes the collection and publication of equipment dwell time statistics at the top 25 ports.

I am proud of the Committee's work on this important legislation, and I look forward to seeing it signed into law.

Madam Speaker, I thank Representative McBath for yielding time.

Madam Speaker, 8 years ago, my own community of Isla Vista near UC Santa Barbara saw firsthand the horror and the trauma that a mass shooting brings. In 8 years since that attack, we have stood in solidarity with other communities reeling from the hundreds of mass shootings in our schools, our shopping malls, our houses of worship, and our Main Streets.

Madam Speaker, I share the outrage and frustration of the majority of Americans and many of my colleagues here in Congress that there are some in Congress who have kept us from doing our job to protect children by blocking commonsense gun safety measures.

I stand before you today as the author of a gun safety measure that has enjoyed bipartisan support, that has been implemented in Republican- and Democratic-led States alike, and that has been proven to reduce gun deaths and stop mass shootings before they happen. I am speaking about extreme risk protection orders or, as they are more commonly known, red flag laws.

These laws are simple. If an individual is showing signs that they may be a danger to themselves or others, a police officer or a family member can, through due process, go to a judge and request an extreme risk protection order, which temporarily bars that person from owning or purchasing a firearm. These laws are already on the books in 19 States and the District of Columbia, and in those places, they have saved lives.

Part of the reason these laws work is because warning signs of mass shootings are not as rare as you might think. In fact, a U.S. study of school violence found that the majority of incidents come with clear warning signs, which we have seen before in some of our most infamous school shootings: Columbine, Sandy Hook, Parkland, and even Uvalde.

That is why, in the wake of these tragedies, Republican- and Democratic-led States have approved red flag laws that have gone on to intervene in thousands of potentially violent attacks before they happen.

Florida residents, for example, have used ERPOs more than 8,000 times since they implemented their red flag law after the Parkland shooting. California implemented their red flag law after the UCSB Isla Vista attack in my community.

Police officers have used it to prevent numerous workplace attacks and other violent incidents. These red flag laws are also critical to reducing the largest form of gun deaths in our country, suicide by firearm.

Madam Speaker, as someone who lost one of my own siblings to suicide by a gun, I personally am proud to stand in this Chamber today in her memory, Carmen, to see my bill come to a vote.

This measure is popular, bipartisan, and common sense. That may be why Republican Senators have introduced similar legislation in the past, to incentivize States to expand red flag laws and support States that already have them.

There is no bill that we can pass that would be the panacea to solve our violence overnight, but with this measure and those that we passed yesterday, we can make a major difference. We need to do this now.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Steve Wagner, General Manager of the Goleta Sanitary District. Steve is currently completing his term as the California Association of Sanitation Agencies' Federal Legislative Committee Chair.

While Steve has been a member of the CASA Federal Legislative Committee for many years, his committee leadership during the past two years helped guide the group through unprecedented times due to the COVID-19 pandemic and our successful support for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that will lead our Nation's investment in water infrastructure. Steve's tenure saw the successful implementation of CASA' s federal policy priorities that included the introduction of legislation to eliminate nondeteriorating single use wet wipes that contribute to plastic pollution in our environment, working to ensure that the polluter pays principle is preserved when PFAS contamination cleanups are initiated, and supporting commonsense approaches to climate change, such as water recycling assistance.

During his time as Chair, the Federal Legislative Committee fulfilled its responsibilities to establish CASA's' position on federal legislation that could impact its members, and keep policymakers informed on these and other vital public health matters. Of special note, in 2022 Steve oversaw the return of the annual Washington D.C. policy forum that was disrupted in 2021 due to pandemic restrictions. Steve performed the duties of Chair while also fulfilling his responsibilities as General Manager and Principal Engineer for the Goleta Sanitary District. As General Manager, Steve oversees the entirety of the District's 132 miles of wastewater collection services, as well as the District's role as the regional treatment facility for Goleta Valley.

Madam Speaker, Steve Wagner leaves CASA and Federal Legislative Committee in a strong place, well prepared to continue to respond to federal 'legislative and regulatory actions on behalf of CASA and the tens of millions of Californians that rely on CASA agencies to deliver water quality and public health improvements. I respectfully ask that you join me in expressing immense gratitude to Steve Wagner for his extraordinary leadership of the California Association of Sanitation Agencies' Federal Legislative Committee.

Madam Speaker, each year, through the Women of the Year Award, my office extends special recognition to women on the Central Coast who have made a difference in our community. I would like to recognize one outstanding Women of the Year Award recipient, Barbara Levenson, of Pismo Beach, California.

After 27 years as a pharmacist at Atascadero State Hospital, Barbara Levenson retired to focus on community service. But even before retirement, Barbara was recognized by the Tribune as an Unsung Hero for her dedication to serving humane causes. This is illustrated by her work with the Wellness Kitchen in Atascadero, where food was prepared for residents with special dietary needs due to health conditions. She was also a member of the Flying Samaritans, a team of medical professionals that flies to different areas of the world to provide free medical services to the needy.

Post retirement, Barbara remains committed to providing support and care to those who need it most and gives her time and energy to a range of organizations nurturing a healthy, welcoming community. She is a member of the San Luis Obispo NAACP, for which she has served as secretary, and is also a member of the SLO County Diversity Coalition.

Barbara served as a Long-Term Care Ombudsman in San Luis Obispo County for eight years, assisting residents of long-term care facilities and their families to resolve problems related to the health, safety, welfare, and rights of those in Long Term Care facilities. She is now the chair of the San Luis Obispo County Behavioral Health Board that evaluates the community's behavioral health needs, services, and facilities and advises the Board of Supervisors and the Behavioral Health Administrator.

As a volunteer, Barbara serves organizations that encourage growth and opportunity. For the San Luis Obispo Community Foundation, she reviews scholarship applications and even created an endowment in the name of her brother, John Renner, supporting students who identify at LGBTQ+. Barbara is also a member of the Central Coast Circle of Friendship Bridge which provides microfinance, education, and health services to build opportunities. In alignment with United Nations Millennium Development goals, the Central Coast Circle empowers Guatemalan women to build a better future. Lastly, Barbara is an avid reader and South County book club member, who volunteers with the Arroyo Grande Library, organizing donated books for the annual book sale.

I am honored to recognize Barbara, one of our community's ``quiet heroes,'' for her commitment to improving the lives of so many. I ask all Members to join me today in honoring an exceptional woman of California's 24th Congressional District, Barbara Levenson, for her incredible service to her community.

Madam Speaker, each year, through the Women of the Year Award, my office extends special recognition to women on the Central Coast who have made a difference in our community. I would like to recognize one outstanding Women of the Year Award recipient, Sigrid Wright of Santa Barbara, California.

A longtime resident of Santa Barbara, Sigrid Wright has been a leader in environmental non-profits and climate change advocacy on the Central Coast for more than 25 years. With the many daunting challenges of the growing climate crisis, her leadership has guided the community in facing those challenges.

Sigrid was named as CEO/executive director of the Community Environmental Council (CEC) in 2015, becoming the first woman to lead the 45-year-old non-profit. Driven by the environmental destruction seen along Santa Barbara's coastline due to the 1969 oil spill, Sigrid has championed CEC's mission to move the Santa Barbara region away from dependence on fossil fuels in one generation--Fossil Free by '33. As CEO, Sigrid has spearheaded CEC's climate goals by educating and activating the Santa Barbara community around sustainable practices, advocating for environmentally sound policies and laws, and building partnerships with other organizations to open new pathways for sustainable transportation, energy, and food systems.

In her longstanding commitment to resolving the climate crisis, Sigrid co-founded the Central Coast Climate Justice Network as well as the Central Coast Climate Collaborative, devoted to advancing social, economic, and environmental justice. Sigrid's efforts to effect real change in climate advocacy have already been recognized by her community. In 2020, California Assemblymember Monique Limon named CEC Non-Profit of the Year. Community initiatives sparked by Sigrid and CEC have included Santa Barbara's first ever wind farm which is expected to power 53,000 family homes with clean, sustainable electricity.

Where Sigrid sees a need, she takes action to fill it. She strategizes and addresses each of the root causes of climate change in her role as leader of CEC. Her influence over Santa Barbara's local food justice movement has led to produce and prepared food being redirected to impoverished peoples and families in need rather than end up at a landfill. Sigrid's quest to reduce consumption and waste has helped expand the Rethink the Drink program, providing access to thousands of hydration stations across Santa Barbara County and environmental education for participating schools. She gives so much of her time, energy, and resources to serve our community. She is a worthy candidate for this honor and a role model for community leaders of all kinds.

I am honored to recognize Sigrid for her continued commitment to environmental and climate change advocacy on the Central Coast. I ask all Members to join me today in honoring an exceptional woman of California's 24th Congressional District, Sigrid Wright, for her incredible service to her community.

Madam Speaker, Harris Gelberg, M.D. has been a Santa Barbara resident since 1978. He has served the community as a cardiologist for over 44 years, caring for thousands of Santa Barbara residents.

He has demonstrated extraordinary dedication to his patients, many of whom he cared for over several decades, answering their calls at night, on the weekends, and over the holidays. He took the extra time to not only treat his patients' heart conditions, but he coordinated their overall health care to help them remain healthy, active, and vibrant. He served as Chief of the Medical Staff of Cottage Hospital and mentored numerous physicians. Despite his busy medical practice, he is devoted to Bernice, his spouse since 1971, their children, Grant and Laura, and their grandchildren, Sam, Jonah, Theo, and Eli. After years of service to the community, he has retired from the practice of medicine.

This U.S. Congress honors Harris Gelberg, M.D. for his years of dedicated service to the people of Santa Barbara and commends him for his tireless efforts to improve the health and well-being of so many residents of our community.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1119, I call up the bill (S. 2938) to designate the United States Courthouse and Federal Building located at 111 North Adams Street in Tallahassee, Florida, as the ``Joseph Woodrow Hatchett United States Courthouse and Federal Building'', and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

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 S. 2938.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2938 which designates the Federal building at 111 North Adams Street in Tallahassee, Florida, as the Joseph Woodrow Hatchett United States Courthouse and Federal Building, and the United States Postal Service facility located at 120 4th Street in Petaluma, California, as the Lynn C. Woolsey Post Office Building.

Born during the days of segregation, Judge Hatchett grew up in Clearwater, Florida. He graduated from Florida A&M University in 1954 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. He entered Howard University School of Law in 1956, and when he took the Florida bar exam in 1959, Jim Crow regulations prevented him from staying in the hotel where the test was being administered.

After admission to the Florida bar, Judge Hatchett entered private practice in Daytona Beach, practicing criminal, civil, administrative, and civil rights law in State and Federal courts.

A series of judicial appointments that began in 1971 ultimately led to his placement on the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, making Judge Hatchett the first Black man appointed to a Federal appeals court in the Deep South. Judge Hatchett retired from the bench in 1999 and passed away in April 2021 at the age of 88.

Former Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey brought her unique voice and experience to the House of Representatives when she won her seat in 1993. Earlier in her life, a divorce had left her supporting three young children, and she worked at low-paying jobs and received various forms of public assistance.

Describing herself as the first former welfare mom to serve in Congress, Woolsey advocated for expanding school breakfast programs; encouraged girls to study math, science, and engineering; fought attempts to reduce welfare benefits; sponsored legislation that required the Internal Revenue Service to help enforce child support payments; and secured job-protected family leave for family members of injured soldiers. Woolsey retired from Congress in 2013 after serving 20 years.

Madam Speaker, I support S. 2938, which recognizes two great Americans: Judge Joseph Hatchett and Representative Lynn Woolsey, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor).

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Huffman).

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lawson).

Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 2938, which recognizes the tremendous contributions of Judge Hatchett and Representative Woolsey. I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on April 27, 2022, I regrettably missed a vote in the House of Representatives due to a meeting I had with a constituent.

Had I been present, I would have voted AYE on Roll Call No. 127, H.R. 7314, the Assessing Xi's Interference and Subversion Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the MORE Act, and urge my colleagues--on both sides of the aisle--to support this important and comprehensive cannabis reform legislation. It tackles inequities and historic criminalization associated with cannabis.

The MORE Act will begin the long-overdue effort to undo the damage to families and communities across our nation that has been caused by misguided and ineffective federal drug polices related to cannabis. It will finally establish a safe and well-regulated interstate marketplace for cannabis.

It is vitally important that at the federal level we finally recognize and invite this economic engine of job creation into the mainstream of our economy and workforce development. The vast majority of Americans support this long overdue change, and voters in many states including my home state of California have already taken action to legalize cannabis at the state level. It is time that we end this senseless and impactful disconnect between state and federal law.

I also want to bring my colleagues' attention to one outstanding issue as this legislation moves forward. California's farmers are among the most productive and innovative in the world. Not surprisingly, that is the case with our cannabis farmers too, including those in my congressional district. Unfortunately, cannabis farmers are in the same legal limbo as everyone else in the industry because there are grey areas in the law that need to be resolved: they can't enroll in crop insurance programs, they can't receive an official ``organic'' designation, and they can't access USDA programs and support. Yet cannabis cultivation is not significantly different from farming strawberries, wine grapes, cut flowers, vegetables, and other crops grown in my district and state. I am hopeful that as we work with the Senate on comprehensive cannabis reform, we can provide clear statutory direction to bring USDA into this conversation as well and eliminate this remaining area of ambiguity for the farmers in my state.

Once again, I urge a yes vote on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my support for H.R. 6865, this year's Coast Guard Authorization Act, which is named in honor of our departed colleague, Mr. Don Young, who tirelessly advocated for the Coast Guard and maritime issues in his many decades of public service.

With his legacy in mind, I wish to express my thanks for the leadership of Chairman DeFazio, Ranking Member Sam Graves, and Subcommittee Ranking Member Bob Gibbs that created this bipartisan agreement.

H.R. 6865 will renew and enhance support for the critical missions of the United States Coast Guard. Every day Coasties work to protect our national security and enforce the laws in the maritime environment.

They maintain our Nation's waterways for the sake of commerce, save lives, and protect the oceans from pollution. These brave servicemembers have time and time again demonstrated their resourcefulness, but they need our support today.

The increased authorizations in today's bill signals our confidence in the excellence of the Coast Guard and starts down the road to providing the resources Coasties need to successfully complete their missions.

H.R. 6865 also tackles current challenges to our Nation's supply chain which have recently caused frustration in not only the transportation industry, but in the average families who are being confronted with shortages and increasing costs for basic household goods.

H.R. 6865 reauthorizes the Federal Maritime Commission, the entity in charge of promoting fairness and competition in ocean shipping.

And it includes the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021 which would provide the Federal Maritime Commission with the authority to directly address international shipping's contribution to the inflation we are experiencing.

As chairman of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, I am proud that this bill also includes my legislation to amend an archaic 171-year-old maritime law that prevented victims and their families from seeking fair recourse against vessel owners who were found to be liable for maritime incidents. This provision was developed in response to the Conception dive boat fire in my district in 2019, which was the largest loss of life in a U.S. marine casualty in decades.

Finally, with this bill, we can make significant strides toward stamping out sexual assault and sexual harassment from the maritime industry. Provisions in H.R. 6865 strengthen transparency surrounding companies' sexual assault and sexual harassment policies, provide protections for mariners, and remove bad actors from the industry. Such criminal behavior and incidents have no place in the maritime industry.

I am proud to have worked with my colleagues on this important legislation, and I look forward to ensuring that it becomes law.

Madam Speaker, each year, through the Women of the Year Award, my office extends special recognition to women on the Central Coast who have made a difference in our community. I would like to recognize one outstanding Women of the Year Award recipient, Sister Theresa Harpin of San Luis Obispo, California.

With over 40 years as a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Sister Theresa looks at the world through the lens of

``everyone is our dear neighbor.'' While Cal Poly's Newman Catholic Center brought the gifted educator to the Central Coast, it is through her social and restorative justice work that she has truly made her mark.

On the heels of her energetic work with students and community parishes, and following medical leave for serious illness, she brought the ``Get on the Bus'' program to California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo County. A bus filled with the children and spouses of prisoners travels to the prison for a reunion party that offers hope for the families.

Sister Theresa has worked with the SLO County Sheriff, the California Department of Corrections, Parole and the Courts to make restorative justice a reality in San Luis Obispo County. This tireless, well respected community leader believes offenders were once victims whose own traumas were never addressed. She is devoted to healing those injuries so that once released, prisoners can move forward to productive lives.

Her fervent dedication to helping the incarcerated led to founding Restorative Partners, a program providing re-entry services to the incarcerated. Sister Theresa is a certified facilitator for the Alternatives to Violence Project, the Aggression Replacement Training and the Thinking for A Change Program. She has implemented and taught non-judgmental techniques and most importantly, restorative justice, which provides healing for all parties, both victim and offender.

Restorative Partners, founded over an In N Out Burger conversation with Sheriff Ian Parkinson, celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. The successful program has brought together law enforcement, private business and faith-based organizations, under the shared mission to ``get to the source'' of individual's issues and move forward.

In just ten years, Restorative Partners has expanded mentorship to help returning citizens navigate reentry. With an eye on the high cost of living on the Central Coast, RP now provides re-entry homes for men and women, including Anna's Home for Women and Children, which reunites formerly incarcerated mothers with their children while offering a drug treatment program. The challenges of COVID created an entirely new set of needs, chief among them domestic violence treatment and expanded drug and alcohol treatment. With Sister Theresa's leadership, Restorative Partners continues to evolve and offer life-changing support. What began started as an in-custody service, the non-profit organization has grown to meet any need of families affected by incarceration and the challenges of re-entry. And it is working: the recidivism rate for those Sister Theresa works with is only 10 percent.

Sister Theresa is an incredible presence in our community. I am honored to recognize Sister Theresa for her continued commitment to residents of San Luis Obispo County. I ask all Members to join me today in honoring an exceptional woman of California's 24th Congressional District, Sister Theresa Harpin, for her incredible service to her community.