Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, America faces a housing crisis. One part of the solution to that crisis, though, lies right in our backyards. The solution has many names: granny flats, backyard cottages, or accessory dwelling units, but all expand our affordable housing supply.

When I was mayor of San Jose, we made building backyard apartments easier by enabling thousands of homeowners to be able to get their permits online in a single day. The problem, though, is that many homeowners of modest means could never get a shovel in the ground because they couldn't get financing.

We talked to the banks and the banks said they would lend if homeowners could get FHA insurance, or if Fannie or Freddie would backstop the loans.

Today, along with my Republican colleague Andrew Garbarino, I have introduced a bill to do just that. The bipartisan SUPPLY Act will empower homeowners to become home providers.

Mr. Speaker, together we can make affordable housing a reality for thousands more Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the life and contributions of U.S. Army Intelligence Officer and Vietnam veteran Thomas Frazier, a model of service.

Tom dedicated his life to law enforcement, public safety, and community service. His life was defined by his kindness, dedication, and quiet strength that touched all who knew him. His service to the San Jose Police Department, the Bay Area as a whole, and the United States will continue to inspire those he left behind.

As a decorated U.S. Army veteran, Tom's service was recognized with a Bronze Star, Air Medal, and Combat Infantryman's Badge. He attended San Jose State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree. Tom dedicated his life to public service, launched his career with the San Jose Police Department while in college, and rose through the ranks to become Deputy Chief of Police.

In 1994, Tom was appointed Police Commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department, overseeing more than 3,000 officers and 600 civilian personnel. He also served as President of the Board of the Police Executive Research Forum, advancing innovation in law enforcement nationally and globally. A few years later, Tom served as Director of the Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services in the U.S. Department of Justice, where he oversaw the hiring of 100,000 new police officers nationwide. He also served as Executive Director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association for ten years. He led a consulting company that served a diverse clientele, including the Department of Homeland Security, NASA, Johns Hopkins University, and various cities across the Nation.

Tom also dedicated time to education and community service. He spent years teaching hostage negotiation techniques throughout the United States and Canada. While doing so, he collected police patches given to him by those he taught. He also lectured at Johns Hopkins University, mentoring future leaders in public safety and organizational leadership. Tom coached youth soccer teams in Los Gatos and Baltimore, in addition to coaching the San Jose Police soccer teams. He generously contributed to local projects through his involvement with Rotary in Petaluma and Novato.

Most importantly, Tom was a devoted father of three children and a grandfather to six. He will be remembered for his warm smile, easy laugh, unwavering integrity, and generous spirit. May his enduring commitment to education, public safety, and love of country serve as a guiding light for future generations.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the life and contributions of U.S. Coast Guard veteran and community leader Rear Admiral William Patrick ``Bill'' Kozlovsky--a model of service and passion.

Bill was born in Antigo, Wisconsin and grew up in Wausau, Wisconsin. Upon graduation from high school, Bill received an appointment to the United States Coast Guard Academy. At the Academy, he became the Battalion Commander of the Corps of Cadets and graduated first in his class in 1954, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering and a commission as Ensign in the United States Coast Guard.

After graduation, he was stationed at Coast Guard Island in Alameda, California, where he met and started dating his beloved wife, Teri. After getting married, Teri and Bill spent more than 32 years experiencing many adventures with the Coast Guard as they moved 19 times all over the United States. Bill became the 14th District Commander in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he was responsible for U.S. Coast Guard missions throughout much of the Pacific. Hawaii grew to be one of his favorite places to the extent that after his retirement from the U.S. Coast Guard, Bill dedicated years to causes on the beautiful island of Oahu and took on multiple positions to serve the community in Hawaii. He became the Chief Financial Officer of Aloha United Way and then CEO of the Hawaii Maritime Museum in Honolulu.

Eventually, Bill made his way back to California and became the Executive Director of the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos. Bill left his mark in the Bay Area when he shared his love of aviation and began the annual air show that continues to this day.

Notably, Bill was a devoted father and husband. He loved Teri deeply during their 66 years of marriage and ardently strived to ensure that his children were taken care of and well-supported. During every move he confirmed that his kids were in the right schools and supported his kids in all their extracurricular activities--from attending horse shows, swim meets, piano recitals, and dance recitals--to coaching and announcing 4-H horse shows. He was also a man of strong faith and always made it his priority to identify a Catholic Church for worship in every location at which he lived. He and Teri frequently volunteered at St. Francis of Assisi in San Jose, working on the finance committee and assisting with the construction of the chapel that the parish uses today.

Bill was a straight shooter who told it like it was and always believed in doing the right thing. He stood up for his crew, whether that was his family, friends, the Coast Guard or any organizations to which he belonged.

I had the pleasure of getting to know Bill in the late 1990's, through his daughter Kaela, who has become a dear friend, and his boundless positive energy, his love of family, and sharp mind made him a favorite of everyone who came to know him.

Bill's great legacy lives on in his five children, their spouses, eight grandchildren and great grandchild: Susan (Kozlovsky) Husk and Mike Husk, Bill Kozlovsky and Ann (Ducharme) Kozlovsky, Patricia Kozlovsky and Paul Martin, Janette (Kozlovsky) Blee and Robert Blee, and Kaela (Kozlovsky) Bernal and Mark Bernal; grandchildren Kirsten Kozlovsky Abercrombie, Karen Kozlovsky, Christina Kozlovsky, John Blee, Shannon Blee, Mary Blee, Aidan Bernal, Declan Bernal; and great grandson, Edward Abercrombie.

On May 11, 2025, Bill Kozlovsky passed away peacefully in his San Jose home, surrounded by family, music and prayer. His family and friends will always remember the love and kindness he shared, the Irish twinkle in his eye and his wonderful sense of humor, as well as his devotion to family and the United States Coast Guard. He will be greatly missed, but we know he is happy to finally be reunited with his beloved wife, Teri.

Mr. Speaker, I rise along with my colleague, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren--and I know Congressman Ro Khanna also would like to be represented--to recognize the life and contributions of U.S. Army veteran and community leader Alcario ``Al'' Castellano for his dedication to advancing education, arts, and leadership in San Jose and the greater Silicon Valley of California. He is not simply a tremendous model of generosity but, more importantly, of purpose.

Al Castellano won the lottery. No, I am not just talking about his unique fortune of building a beautiful family with his wife, Carmen, or his three beloved children, Armando Castellano, Maria West, and Carmela Castellano-Garcia. In 2001, Al and his wife, Carmen, won a $141 million California Lottery jackpot.

More importantly, the Castellanos were already pillars within the community, known for volunteering on committees and boards for local schools and civic organizations like San Jose GI Forum and contributing to arts and cultural organizations like Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana and the School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza.

It came as no surprise when the family turned their moment of good fortune into a lifetime of impact. It is often noted that their generosity and values didn't change after the win, only the size of their checks did.

With their winnings, Al and Carmen created the Castellano Family Foundation to uplift San Jose's Latino community. Through the years, the foundation awarded millions of dollars in grants and scholarships to over 150 Silicon Valley nonprofits. Together, the Castellano Family Foundation and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation created LatinXCEL Fund, a $10 million effort to support Latino leaders and groups in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.

Al and Carmen were married for 57 years before she passed away just a few years ago in 2020. In the years after her passing, the Castellano children were the driving force behind the foundation until its operations concluded in 2023. The impact of their monetary contributions is exceeded only by the change they cultivated on behalf of the Latino community by pushing for cultural preservation and more diverse representation in nonprofit leadership.

On April 26, Al Castellano passed away in his Saratoga home surrounded by loved ones. His most important role, of course, was that of a loving husband, father, and grandfather to his family.

It wasn't just Al who won the jackpot. We were the ones who hit the jackpot by having him as a wonderful friend and neighbor.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren).

Mr. Speaker, you remember this friendly and famous fellow, Bill, as in: I am just a bill here on Capitol Hill.

I go back to ``Schoolhouse Rock!'' because I think the President needs a civics lesson that the rest of us received as kids watching Saturday morning cartoons with our mouths full of Corn Flakes.

Today, I am proud to join Representatives Dave Min and Eugene Vindman and 30 cosponsors in introducing the Protect Our Constitution and Communities Act. It is just a bill on Capitol Hill, but it offers an opportunity to Congress to restore the rule of law against President Trump's unconstitutional highjacking of Federal spending.

As we all learned in school, two separate provisions of Article I of our Constitution allocate what is known as the power of the purse to Congress. As articulated by James Madison and Alexander Hamilton in the Federalist Papers, our Founders made the spending power the bedrock of the Constitution's allocation of powers in our government. They sought to ensure that the expenditure of the people's money would remain in that body that is closest to the people.

No longer. Under the dodgy dictatorship of DOGE, we have seen the unconstitutional and haphazard seizure of billions of Federal dollars critically needed in communities throughout our country for everything from food safety inspections to healthcare for veterans. Although DOGE has failed to meet any of Elon Musk's overblown claims for saving taxpayer dollars, DOGE has done a superb job of creating chaos.

With cuts of thousands of employees in the SSA, for example, the website that millions of Social Security recipients depend upon for services and information has crashed four times in only 10 days. We have seen shutdowns of critical health research. Tens of thousands of renters will be unable to pay their summer utility bills, and thousands more parents will be stranded without Head Start childcare.

All of this is in violation of our Federal appropriations laws, laws that this Congress passed and the President signed, a far cry from the constitutional imperative that the President ``shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed,'' so says Article II.

If the President wants to spend differently than the law dictates, the Constitution provides him with a couple of options.

First, he can introduce a bill, and he can ask Congress to change its spending priorities. It shouldn't be hard to persuade this Congress because our Republican majorities in both Houses have been unable to muster the courage to oppose other Trumpian blunders, whether they are tariffs that burden families with higher grocery bills or the deprivation of millions of Americans without healthcare coverage or the kleptocratic meme coin schemes to enrich the Trump family by more than $200 million. President Trump can simply ask Congress to pass a bill here on Capitol Hill.

Another option is provided through a 1974 law, the Impoundment Control Act, or ICA. Under the ICA, the President can notify Congress when he intends to withhold or impound funds through either deferral or rescission. The law requires the President to provide Congress and the public with the reason for the impoundment, along with the estimated impacts on our communities.

The Presidents, throughout the history since the passage of the ICA in 1974, have followed the law providing notice to Congress on 243 occasions since it was enacted; that is, until President Trump took office this January. Instead, Donald Trump and DOGE have haphazardly frozen, blocked, and unlawfully impounded funds.

Now, President Trump may have told a reporter 2 weeks ago that he does not know if he has an obligation to follow the Constitution. He actually took an oath to do just that only 115 days ago.

POCCA, Protect Our Constitution and Communities Act, will hold him accountable for doing so. It will empower American States, cities, and individuals to fight back when they are harmed by the executive branch's unlawful impoundment of funds. By giving Americans a right of action to seek injunctions or damages, POCCA gives the ICA and Article I of our Constitution real teeth. By waiving qualified immunity, it would make Elon Musk and any other administration officials who willfully break the law personally liable.

Mr. Speaker, our Constitution is not negotiable.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.J. Res. 87, H.J. Res. 88, and H.J. Res. 89.

Mr. Speaker, I wish I was here to speak about different policies, policies that the American people actually want to see to help them pay their bills and to lower the cost of living that is choking millions of American families.

Instead, in this administration's first 100 days, I have seen this Republican majority capitulate to the largest sales tax in U.S. history in the form of Trump tariffs, costing the average American family perhaps $4,900 annually at the checkout counter. I have seen this Republican Congress authorize the imposition of even more excessive overdraft fees which will cost American consumers another $5 billion.

Where is the action to help Americans pay their bills? Mr. Speaker, you won't find it in any of these three measures. Instead, my Republican colleagues seek to undermine waivers from Federal regulations that California and 13 other States have relied upon for half a century to protect our clean air.

This waiver has done much to clear the once smoggy air of the Golden State, and eliminating these standards will result in the release of 1.6 billion metric tons of pollutants into the air. That pollution will imperil our children, our seniors, and the tens of millions who suffer with respiratory illness like asthma and COPD.

As if the harm to our health and environment isn't enough, the GOP proposals in each of these three measures will cost American citizens even more in their pocketbooks. Over the next 15 years, eliminating these fuel standards will increase Americans' spending at the gas pump by $89 billion. Even if it is adjusted for different vehicle purchase costs, Americans will pay $55 billion more out of pocket because of these efforts to make our cars and trucks less fuel efficient.

Indeed, it will also cost us in higher medical bills. The waiver for the Advanced Clean Cars II rule will save

Californians some $13 billion in spending on healthcare for respiratory ailments.

The health and cost benefits are even greater under the heavy-duty truck regulations. In the heavy- and medium-duty truck sector, we are seeing zero-emission and low-emission trucks that are 2 years ahead of schedule in sales set by California requirements.

To my friends on the other side of the aisle, the global industry and the market have left them behind. House Republicans have no agenda to lower the costs for the American people. They are attacking California by putting on this political Kabuki show for political benefit.

Let's talk about California. Despite our many faults, my State has used this waiver and these clean air standards to clear skies that were once filled with smog when I grew up there in the 1970s and in building the world's fourth largest economy. It is larger than Japan, India, the U.K., and, yes, even Texas.

Madam Speaker, I am not entertained by this Kabuki, and the American people aren't either. Do you know what would entertain them? If we actually did something to lower their costs.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Black April.

As Pulitzer Prize-winning author and one of San Jose's favorite sons, Viet Nguyen, has written: ``All wars are fought twice; once on the battlefield and a second time in memory.''

On this day, 50 years ago, fathers, mothers, sisters, and brothers looked out across a vast ocean as Saigon was falling behind them. Among them was Helen, my constituent, who watched as her aunt boarded a boat, and days later she would also follow the path of Vietnamese refugees on to San Jose in my district, which proudly boasts the largest population of ethnically Vietnamese people of any city in the world outside of Vietnam.

Helen's journey was filled with horror and hardship, but rooted in hope, hope for a life with freedom and opportunity. We must honor her hope by living up to the promise of America, by fulfilling our democratic values, and by embracing those who come to America from around the world earnestly seeking freedom, as she did.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding time.

Mr. Speaker, I am here to commemorate liberation month. A week ago, Liberation Day brought us President Trump's tariffs which will liberate a typical American family from 3,800 of their hard-earned dollars each year, according to one study.

The Trump slump, moreover, has liberated our retirement accounts from more than 6 trillion of those hard-earned dollars through market losses.

In week 2 of liberation month, the Republican majority proposes S.J. Res. 18 which will increase the annual cost of bank overdraft fees on American families by an average of $225, collectively liberating all of us of 5 billion more of our dollars in a given year.

Remember, the average debit card overdraft is less than $26. Mr. Speaker, it is repaid typically within 3 days on average. A typical overdraft fee of $35, which is what we had before the rule, amounts to an interest rate of more than 16,000 percent APR on the bank's loan of $26. Mr. Speaker, that is usurious. American families cannot afford any more liberation.

It is not as though we have a history here in which banks have always complied with the notion that these overdraft fees are simply to offer a service. We know that it has been used to pump up profits, in fact, illegally on several occasions.

Mr. Speaker, in 2017, TCF National Bank was cited by CFPB and ultimately settled. It paid $30 million for its abuse of overdraft fees.

In 2020, TD Bank was sanctioned $123 million for, among other violations, deceptive practices related to debit card overdraft.

Mr. Speaker, let's make corruption criminal again.

Three days before his inauguration, President-elect Trump launched the Trump meme coin. Trump's partners and some investors based in China pumped up the price, making hundreds of millions of dollars with early selling while the price was high.

As they sold, though, the price plummeted. They duped more than 800,000 Americans, who collectively lost $2 billion. Welcome to what experts refer to as a ``rug pull.''

When I was a criminal prosecutor, we had a different name for this. It was ``corruption.''

Foreign interests got the best Presidency money can buy. Donald Trump got richer, and Americans got screwed.

Today, I introduced the MEME Act, which prohibits top Federal officials from issuing, sponsoring, or promoting financial assets, with criminal and civil penalties.

Mr. Speaker, our public offices do not belong to us. They belong to the American people, and they are not for sale.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 14, H.R. 144.