Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, San Diego and the entire State of California are facing a prolonged drought that is placing us at increased risk for wildfires. We are currently in the midst of what is expected to be one of the longest and hardest wildfire seasons in recent memory.

That is why I also agree that we have to take action immediately to ensure adequate funding for wildfires by bringing to the floor H.R. 3992, the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act of 2014.

It is a bipartisan bill with dozens of sponsors from both sides of the aisle. It is fiscally responsible and has broad support from Washington and beyond.

Mr. Speaker, in May, San Diego saw an early start to fire season, when nearly a dozen wildfires erupted over a 5-day period, burning 27,000 acres and destroying 65 homes. Every day, communities in the region are at risk of wildfires.

This is an elongated fire season. We are not used to seeing these kinds of events in San Diego until September or October. That means that the cost to contain fires and the damage they cause will increase, and it makes it vital that we provide sufficient funds for officials to respond to them.

So we need to make the existing disaster contingency fund open to cover part of the cost of wildfire response. I have seen the impact of catastrophic wildfires firsthand. It is clear to me that wildfires should be treated the same as other natural disasters like hurricanes or tornadoes or Superstorm Sandy.

Mr. Speaker, it is vital that we change the law in this way on which there is an agreement, so that natural disasters include wildfires and allow our States and localities to access the necessary funds, without forcing us to choose between disaster relief and disaster prevention, which is a silly budget policy, but the one we are following today.

So I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the previous question and amend the rule, so we can bring up H.R. 3992, the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act of 2014. We can bring it to the floor for a vote today.

Mr. Speaker, I, along with my fellow members of the San Diego Delegation including Representative Davis, Representative Issa, Representative Hunter, and Representative Vargas, rise today to pay tribute to the life of Mr. Tony Gwynn, a celebrated batting champion in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame and beloved San Diego Padre. For over 30 years, Tony's enthusiasm for baseball and life itself was a source of goodwill for our national pastime and for all San Diegans. He will be sorely missed by the many people he inspired to play the game and by the many lives he touched on and off the baseball diamond.

Tony Gwynn was a baseball legend. The 15-time All-Star led the Padres to two World Series appeararces. In his career, he accumulated 3,141 hits over 20 seasons, earning a career batting average of .338, the highest since Ted Williams. He also received a record-tying eight National League batting titles in addition to winning five Gold Glove Awards in recognition of his defensive skills. Gwynn was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2007, his first year of eligibility.

Gwynn's dedication to the sport was only matched by his remarkable character and his love for San Diego, earning him the nickname, ``Mr. Padre.'' While Gwynn had the option to play elsewhere, he loyally spent his entire career in San Diego. Following his time as a player, he remained in San Diego to dedicate the remainder of his life to coaching at his alma mater, San Diego State University. A role model to many, Gwynn focused more on brightening the lives of others than on pursuing fame and fortune for himself. He is remembered for his kindness and generosity as well as for his infectious laugh.

Mr. Speaker, it is with the utmost respect that I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in paying tribute to the life of Tony Gwynn, an outstanding athlete and exemplary citizen, friend, and family man. His love of the game, tireless dedication, genial attitude, and uplifting presence will be missed.

Mr. Speaker, I, along with my fellow members of the San Diego Delegation including Representative Davis, Representative Issa, Representative Hunter, and Representative Vargas, rise today to pay tribute to the life of Mr. Tony Gwynn, a celebrated batting champion in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame and beloved San Diego Padre. For over 30 years, Tony's enthusiasm for baseball and life itself was a source of goodwill for our national pastime and for all San Diegans. He will be sorely missed by the many people he inspired to play the game and by the many lives he touched on and off the baseball diamond.

Tony Gwynn was a baseball legend. The 15-time All-Star led the Padres to two World Series appearances. In his career, he accumulated 3,141 hits over 20 seasons, earning a career batting average of .338 that is 18th best all-time. He also received a record-tying eight National League batting titles in addition to winning five Gold Glove Awards in recognition of his defensive skills. Gwynn was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2007, his first year of eligibility.

Gwynn's dedication to the sport was only matched by his love for San Diego, earning him the nickname, ``Mr. Padre.'' While Gwynn had the option to play elsewhere, he loyally spent his entire career in San Diego. Following his time as a player in the major leagues, he remained in San Diego to dedicate the remainder of his life to coaching at his alma mater, San Diego State University.

Mr. Speaker, it is with the utmost respect that I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in paying tribute to the life of Tony Gwynn, an outstanding athlete and exemplary citizen, friend, and family man. His love of the game, tireless dedication, genial attitude, and uplifting presence will be missed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary career of Army Colonel Robert D. Morig on the occasion of his retirement after 51 years of service in the Department of Defense. Colonel Morig enlisted In the United States Army in September 1962, and was commissioned as a field artillery officer in July of 1964 upon his graduation from Washington State University. He later continued his education, earning a Master's degree in Industrial Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Colonel Morig also completed extensive military training, attending the Airborne and Ranger schools at Fort Benning, Georgia, the General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the Army War College at Carlisle, Pennsylvania. During his time as an officer, he held staff and command posts in Vietnam, South Korea, and West Germany. For his commendable service, Colonel Morig received numerous awards, including a citation for valor in combat. At home, Colonel Morig worked with a number of different offices at the Pentagon, handling congressional issues, program analysis, and industrial base policy. Of particular note was his work in writing Army Doctrine and developing the Army Civilian Acquisition Workforce and Corps. After 30 years of distinguished service, Colonel Morig retired from the Army and joined the civil service. His final assignment in this capacity was teaching business and financial management to the acquisition workforce through the Defense Acquisition University. On behalf of my colleagues, I thank Colonel Morig for his service and wish him all the best in retirement.

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 H.R. 4435, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended.

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I am proud of the bipartisan work we did this year to craft the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act, and I want to thank Chairman McKeon, in his last year leading the committee, for his leadership and commitment to bipartisanship.

Mr. Speaker, in San Diego, Coronado, and Poway, we are proud of the role our region plays in national security. My district alone is home to seven military installations, including MCAS Miramar, the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Navy Region Southwest, Naval Base Coronado, and Naval Base Point Loma.

San Diego County is home to more than 235,000 veterans, and this year, we launched the national model Military Transition Support Project, which will provide nonprofit and volunteer help for servicemembers transitioning to the workplace and private sector. San Diego is a military town, and we are proud of it.

Defense is also a big part of our economy, responsible for more than 300,000 jobs in the region, accounting for almost $25 billion in direct spending last year, and we were the home port of 53 ships, with an economic impact of $4 billion.

It is fair to say, when the government makes investments in our military or sharp cuts like sequestration, we feel it locally.

This amendment would ensure that, as we make our investments in national security of nearly $600 billion, in San Diego and across the country, we use that money to foster economic opportunity and equality here at home.

My amendment ensures that the jobs we are creating are good jobs and pay the same minimum wage standard of $10.10 an hour as we are moving to statewide in California.

Those working full time to support our national security mission shouldn't be in poverty, struggling with the choice of food for their children, or keeping the lights on in the house.

My amendment would also ensure pay equity. It is not news, Mr. Speaker, that women across the country continue to face pay inequity. In San Diego, women still make 75 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts on average.

This amendment would prohibit defense contracts to companies that don't provide equal pay for equal work. That is not a women's issue; it is a family issue. Families in San Diego and across the country increasingly rely on women's wages to pay bills, educate their children, and save for retirement.

Along with working to close the wage gap for women, this amendment codifies into law a Department of Defense policy that is already in effect to allow women in combat, and this amendment keeps our promise to servicemembers through the GI Bill.

Recently, Sallie Mae agreed to pay $97 million to settle allegations that military servicemembers were charged excessive interest and fees on their student loans. That is absolutely appalling and unacceptable.

The amendment would require an investigation of these deceptive scam practices, ensure that they are stopped, and would require in the future that borrowers are informed of their rights.

Our men and women in uniform and our veterans deserve our protection against fraud and to see that their GI Bill supports a high-quality education that leads to a high-quality job and nothing less.

Finally, with the drawdown in Afghanistan and the rebalance to the Pacific, many of our servicemembers are traveling extensive distances to and from deployments.

During this travel, many in uniform are being charged excessive baggage fees by commercial airlines. The amendment would prohibit airlines from collecting these fees, much of which is being charged on lifesaving equipment that servicemembers are buying and bringing in on their own because the Department doesn't supply what is necessary.

While it may seem like a small change, it will ease the burden on servicemembers. Charging baggage fees is not the way we should be sending off or welcoming home our troops.

In today's bill, we are authorizing nearly $600 billion. As we support our national security and defense abroad, we have the chance to promote economic opportunity and equal rights here at home. Our warfighters and all Americans who work to support them deserve nothing less.

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

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a member of the Safe Climate Caucus to highlight an important program for resiliency and preparedness.

America's PrepareAthon! is taking place this Wednesday as a reminder to communities across the country that while we hope for the best, we must prepare for the worst.

In California, 1,108 wildfires have been reported this year--well above the year-to-date average. In 2003 and 2007, wildfires devastated communities in the San Diego region, especially affecting the 52nd District communities of Scripps Ranch, Tierrasanta, Rancho Bernardo, and Poway and claiming 29 lives.

The PrepareAthon! is a national day to refocus our attention on emergency planning and resiliency, as well as exercises and drills that can save lives in a disaster. Last year, I introduced the bipartisan STRONG Act to equip communities, State and local governments with better information and data on preparedness so we don't reinvent the wheel with every disaster.

While there is debate in this Chamber about climate change, there isn't among scientists. We must prepare our communities, families, and businesses for the hurricanes, more powerful storms, and wildfires becoming more common and powerful every day.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud the leadership, employees and partners of LPL Financial--the nation's largest independent broker-dealer and a RIA custodian--for their dedication to sustainability and social responsibility, demonstrated by the opening of the firm's new San Diego headquarters, Tower II at La Jolla Commons, on April 2, 2014. La Jolla Commons II was designed to be the largest net-zero energy commercial office building in the United States.

The focus of this project was to build an environmentally friendly workplace that would be reflective of LPL's values and work styles. With that in mind, the building design was guided by four pillars: sustainability, health and wellness, connectivity and flexibility. This design is currently under consideration for LEED Platinum certification, the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) highest standard for environmental design.

Among other sustainability features, the 13-story, 416,000-square- foot office tower will result in an estimated $300,000 annual savings in electricity costs due to the incorporation of fuel cell technology, and nearly 2.5 million gallons--about 88 percent of the water used in the building--will be reclaimed and reused. Additionally, the building boasts a number of health and wellness-related amenities including a state-of-the-art gym for employees.

I ask all Members to join me in applauding this incredible effort that demonstrates LPL's commitment to its employees, the city of San Diego, and to our environment.

I thank you, Mr. Murphy. I appreciate you and your work on behalf of seniors in Florida and around the country on this important issue.

I just want to recognize you and the bipartisan group we have here standing up for our seniors and Medicare Advantage. I was honored to be part of a group of freshmen in our party who met with Secretary Sebelius yesterday, and we were able to, with the help of our leadership, express to the Secretary our concern about the proposed cuts.

Part of what we told her was that Medicare Advantage continues to offer seniors and individuals with disabilities additional choices for high-quality, coordinated care in their communities.

With a focus on innovative services, prevention, and disease management, these plans have consistently delivered improved health outcomes while containing costs and requiring copayments or deductibles from beneficiaries.

Further, consistent with the goals of HHS, these plans reduce hospitalizations and readmissions, decrease the

length of stay in nursing facilities, and manage high-risk, high-need patients more effectively.

I thank the gentleman for letting me add my voice to folks who don't want to see us do something that is pennywise and pound foolish. We have a system that is incentivizing well-being and focusing on prevention.

It can really add a lot for the benefit of our seniors, and we all want to see it preserved as it is. Thank you very much for the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to bring attention to the Hobby Lobby case, which is being argued today at the Supreme Court.

In this case, a for-profit company is refusing to cover the birth control of its female employees, citing the owners' personal religious objections.

In 2014, the idea that a woman has to fight for access to birth control is astonishing. Ninety-nine percent of American women will use contraception at some point in their lives.

As I have said before, all health care decisions, including birth control and women's reproductive rights, should be between a woman and her doctor, not involving her boss or a politician here in Washington,

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the Military Transition Support Project, an innovative program to ease the transition for recently discharged veterans as they return to civilian life, which I helped launch last month.

Each year, over 15,000 servicemembers are discharged in San Diego, and around half will choose to stay there. Over the past year, we have worked with our local veteran leadership, our Navy and Marine commanders, and the San Diego philanthropic community to create a central system to help servicemembers navigate through their transition process.

This unique effort will improve the quality of life for servicemembers across San Diego. The program will begin in the last year of service and will give these dedicated men and women access to resources and continuous support throughout the transition process, beginning while they are still in uniform, by providing a central portal for benefits, employment, and housing.

This program has the potential to serve as a model for military communities around the country. It represents a groundbreaking, collaborative effort where the military, nonprofits, and private sector stakeholders can come together in the cooperative spirit that is a hallmark of San Diego to get our veterans to work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Todd Gloria on his excellent service as San Diego's Interim Mayor.

When Todd stepped in as Interim Mayor, San Diegans needed a leader more than ever. Even during his short tenure, Todd was able to reenergize San Diego's government. He continued his work from his position on the City Council, building the manufacturing and technology sectors, creating more jobs for San Diegans. He also continued developing an innovative solution for San Diego's backlog of infrastructure projects. A true public servant, he has worked diligently at forward-thinking strategies to maintain San Diego as one of America's finest cities.

In addition to his service as Interim Mayor, Todd has served as City Council President since 2013. We share many priorities: ensuring the livelihood of the middle class, protecting our environment in ways that actually address climate change, and keeping infrastructure in San Diego up-to-date and functional. I admire Todd for his commitment to practical solutions and for his ability to get things done.

It came as no surprise in 2013 when he was recognized by the Aspen Institute as one of the nation's most promising young political leaders, a fellowship bestowed on him because of his commitment to sensible and bipartisan governance. I eagerly look forward to Todd's continuing service leading the City Council, and expect him to continue doing great things for San Diego.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Todd Gloria for his hard work for the City of San Diego. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing Todd for his excellent service as San Diego Interim Mayor.

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Chairman, proponents of this bill are arguing, in part, that EPA's plan to require carbon pollution controls under section 111 is going to hurt electric utilities. But it was just last month in the Utility Air Regulation Group v. EPA case that those same leading utilities argued to the Supreme Court that if EPA intends to address climate carbon pollution, it should act under section 111, which is what this bill would prevent EPA from doing.

The Utility Air Regulatory Group represents about 60 utilities, from Duke Energy, the Southern Company, FirstEnergy, to the Salt River Project. On February 24, they told the Supreme Court that this was the appropriate way for EPA to address carbon pollution from utilities under section 111. That is exactly what the EPA would do, if it were not for this law.

I know there may be some ideological desire to deny climate change and simply hope that the issue goes away, but that is not going to happen.

More fundamentally, what we are getting caught up in today is this false choice that you hear over and over again that you have to choose, on one hand, between a healthy environment and, on the other hand, a prosperous economy. Americans deserve nothing less than both. We have to pay attention to this.

I just offer comments from some of our leading health organizations-- the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Preventive Medicine, the American Lung Association, the American Public Health Association, and others--who point out:

Cleaning up carbon pollution and other greenhouse gases

saves lives. Researchers found that efforts enacted now to

reduce greenhouse gases, including carbon pollution from all

sources in the United States, would prevent more than 16,000

premature deaths by 2030. The lives saved are a result of a

reductions in the ozone- and particulate-forming pollution

that is also reduced as carbon is reduced. Cleaning up carbon

pollution from power plants is essential to saving those

lives.

We know, in turn, that will save money.

So it is important to remember, too, the economic effect of unregulated carbon does not just extend to the climate but also to the by-products of clean air that come and help our economy and help people be healthy and ultimately contribute to the economy.

Mr. Speaker, today I have the distinct honor of introducing the guest chaplain for the opening prayer, my father, Pastor Harvey Peters.

Harvey Peters is a retired Lutheran minister whose service in a nearly 40-year career included stops in Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, Wisconsin, and all the way to California.

While I was a kid, he was an active leader in the movement to desegregate housing in the Detroit suburbs, an effort that, while unpopular among some of our neighbors, instilled in me and my three sisters the values of courage, integrity, and equality that I have tried to carry into my own service.

While my dad ran the congregation, my mom, RuthAnn, who is in attendance today, ran the family and worked part time as the church secretary.

It is an honor to welcome Harvey Peters, a longtime advocate for civil rights and the poor, a community leader, and dedicated father and grandfather, to the United States House of Representatives today to give the opening prayer.

Mr. Speaker, wind energy provides thousands of jobs in my home state of California, and it is powering us towards a clean energy economy. I am proud that California leads in all sources of renewable energy and that clean wind energy is creating 5,830 megawatts of power.

In California, we have attracted over $11 billion dollars in capital investment, and the land leases generate a least $27 million each year for the local government. Wind powers over 2.1 million homes in California. We have always been leaders in this area, and we will continue to lead in advanced energy.

In 2013, the advanced energy economy grew twice as fast as the global economy. In order for our wind companies to compete on a global level, we need to make sure that they have certainty in federal policy. Companies, wind or not, need stability in our policies so that they can plan their growth and investments accordingly. We cannot keep enacting one-year policies when it takes companies more than a year to apply for and receive appropriate permits. We must ensure that our tax policies, among others, are fair and encourage American businesses to grow.

Today, I would like to honor everyone who works in the American wind industry and all who benefit from its clean energy.

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

Mr. Chairman, California is experiencing its worst drought in decades, threatening local drinking water supplies, power generation and California's economy, and relief does not seem to be near at hand.

More than three-quarters of the State is in extreme or exceptional drought, and it affects every resident in my home State. It would be wrong to take action today that would help one part of the State but harm another.

In its current form, the bill is not clear on how reallocating thousands of acre-feet of water from the San Joaquin River restoration to the State's agricultural sector will affect future water supply. We must think about the long-term impacts of today's water decisions, and my amendment ensures that this bill will not adversely affect any community's water supply or water budget, especially during predicted dry years.

It is imperative that we figure out how to ensure sustainable water supplies so that next year or in 5 years or in 20 years, Californians on the farms, in the suburbs or in our cities will still have enough water to drink to pursue their livelihoods.

Water is our most precious resource, and we must manage it carefully. The underlying bill does not create more water and will not make it rain. We must make sure that decisions made here in Washington won't hurt everyday Californians.

Water decisions in California affect every part of the State, including my district in southern California. Recently, the State Water Project announced a zero allocation for this year. This unprecedented move means that southern California communities, including San Diego, will get no water from the Bay Delta in the northern part of the State.

Reallocating and rerouting water will not solve that problem. The real solution is to become resilient in the face of future droughts through improved conservation, expanded storage and increased diversity in our water supplies.

San Diego was devastated by drought in the 1970s, and since then, southern California has made necessary investments to better prepare for, respond to and withstand drought. Over several decades, San Diego has reduced its long-term water demand and has invested in increased efficiency.

Per capita water use has decreased about 27 percent since 2007, and local cities and water districts are on pace to meet their State- mandated water-efficiency targets for 2020. Total regional consumption of potable water in 2013 was 24 percent lower than in 2007.

By raising the San Vicente Dam, the largest dam raise in the Western Hemisphere, and constructing the Olivenhain Dam, San Diego has dramatically increased its storage capability, which will supply adequate storage during dry years. The San Diego County Water Authority and the city of San Diego are national leaders in recycling wastewater and in desalination, turning ocean water into usable potable water.

So San Diego has done, and is continuing to do, its part because we have done a good job of conserving, preparing and investing as needed to minimize the coming hardships. A real drought solution should not put any community at risk of losing future water supplies to another region without addressing better measures to conserve and store water.

This certainly is not the last drought California will face. We will continue to have water supply challenges, and we need to be continuing to prepare for the future. All users must become more resilient, and any action now should have the foresight to maintain water supplies for dry years that are sure to come.

I urge my colleagues to support my amendment to protect communities across California and to promote a long-term vision for protecting our scarce water resources. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I guess we have come to some agreement that the Government can't create water, and that is productive. I guess what I would say is that we are at 12 percent of snow pack in the Sierra Nevada, which has functioned as our water storage, and it is not there.

What I would say is that over decades, the State, the Federal Government, the cities and agencies within California have worked to deal with a framework for addressing this kind of situation, and the bill, as it is constituted, would change that.

All my amendment does is give some assurance to communities that in the event that there are water transfers that their particular water budgets would not be affected.

I think it is a reasonable assurance to give. I think the author of the bill might suggest it is already there. If it is, let's codify it, and it will make the bill much better to provide that assurance to cities, counties, agencies and the State that has worked so hard for developing a framework for dealing with this very situation.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.