Floor Statements

Mr. Chair, I am literally losing my voice, but somehow I will find the strength to make my voice heard on this dangerous bill.

I rise today to speak against this bill's completely dated, out-of- date insistence on stripping women of their fundamental freedoms, not to mention the 80 percent cut to title I across this country. This is funding for our most at-risk students everywhere, in every community in this country. It will eliminate over 200,000 teachers and jeopardize the education of 26 million students.

First, I will take you back to a week ago when Americans all across this country from Ohio to Kentucky to Virginia came out in droves to reject extremist efforts to strip a woman's right to make decisions about her own body.

Now, Republicans here in Washington are doubling down on that same out-of-touch agenda, this time by sneaking partisan policy wins into what is supposed to be a bipartisan process for funding our government.

Conservatives have spent 50 years saying abortion should be left up to the States. They finally got their way when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Now, even after local communities everywhere are demonstrating clearly that they believe in a woman's fundamental freedoms, radical House Republicans are doing everything they can to make abortion illegal at a national level.

It is time to wake up, listen to women across this country from the coasts to the hills to the deserts who have spoken and will continue to say: Hands off our bodies. It is our choice. Let's leave it that way.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.'' This nonsense needs to end.

Mr. Chair, during rollcall Vote No. 637 on Amendment No. 87 to H.R. 4664, my vote was not successfully registered. Had my vote been registered, it would have been a ``no.''

Amendment No. 91 Offered by Mr. Rosendale

Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my Republican colleagues to end this MAGA meltdown and come together to avert a government shutdown and the chaos it will bring our country.

I just returned from my hometown of Las Vegas--the entertainment capital of the world--and spent the weekend talking to my constituents who are fed up with the political theater here in Washington.

They can't understand how extreme Members of this body won't stop until they force this country into a government shutdown.

Maybe those Members should have spent the weekend talking to the thousands of TSA agents who are going to be forced to work without pay; or the 53,000 women and children in Nevada whose vital nutrition assistance will be put in jeopardy; or maybe the 200,000 Nevada veterans whose VA claims processing and wait times will grow; or the tens of thousands of Nevadans whose Medicare and Social Security inquiries will be put on hold.

Most importantly, maybe they should have listened to the thousands of hospitality workers and small businesses who make Las Vegas the magical place that it is, and whose livelihoods will be put at risk by a shutdown.

Have no doubt, without funding to keep the 50 million visitors moving through Harry Reid International Airport each year, our city, our hardworking families, and our local economy will suffer the consequences of these extremists' political games, and the rest of the country will, too.

The U.S. Travel Association estimates that a government shutdown will cost the U.S. travel economy as much as $140 million every single day. Let's be clear: we all know how this story ends. It ends by working across the aisle, that is what will get us out of this mess.

House Democrats are ready to fund the government to avert a shutdown. The question right now is: Can Republican leadership stand up to the most extreme minority wing of their party and end this nonsense?

Madam Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on the rule.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Grace Vergara- Mactal, Executive Director of SEIU 1107, for her upcoming retirement and a career of service to Nevada.

Grace was born and raised in the Philippines where she earned her bachelor's degree and worked as a medical technician. Immigrating to the U.S. in 1989, her first job involved mopping floors for $3.50 an hour, but she worked her way back into the health care field as a hospital lab technician. As a leader and organizer for her fellow lab workers, Grace was suspended from her job while circulating a petition. Undeterred, she pursued this activism, climbing from volunteer, to organizer, Organizing Director, Chief of Staff, and eventually leader of Local 1107.

As one of the foremost leaders of the labor movement, both in Nevada and across the country, Grace has been a tireless advocate for good jobs and quality services during her incredible 3-decade career. As Executive Director, she represents nearly 20,000 health care and public service workers across the state.

In this position, Grace has led with a commitment to mobilizing and empowering workers and families while fighting for economic, racial, and social justice. Her work focused on growing Local 1107, passing historic legislation, winning major contract battles, and building vital community coalitions. She also serves as Vice President and Executive Board Member of the Service Employees International Union, officer of the SEIU Asian Pacific Islander Caucus, and Executive Board Member of the Nevada AFL-CIO.

In addition to being an important union leader, Grace is a trailblazer in our community. As the first member of the AANHPI community to serve as an officer for Local 1107, she is an important representative for one of Nevada's fastest growing demographics. Grace has a particular dedication to developing and supporting worker leaders, especially workers of color in her leadership with SEIU Local 1107 and the Nevada AFL-CIO.

Grace often says that she will always be an organizer at heart, so I am confident that her retirement will not be the last that I see of her.

Mr. Speaker, please join me today in honoring Grace Vergara-Mactal on her outstanding service to Nevada and our Nation, and in congratulating Grace on her retirement.

Mr. Speaker, during rollcall No. 367 on H. Res. 614, my vote was not successfully registered. Had my vote been registered, it would have been a ``nay.''

Mr. Chairman, I rise today as a Representative from southern Nevada, where we have Creech Air Force Base, Nellis Air Force Base, and hundreds of thousands of veterans that call southern Nevada home. As their Representative, I have extreme disappointment with this bill that we have before us, the MILCON-VA bill.

As a member of the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, I take great pride in our work. This traditionally has been bipartisan and laser-focused on the needs of our veterans, of our servicemembers, and their families, and on the military's construction requirements to meet global security challenges facing our Nation, not just today, but in the future.

Unfortunately, this bill is not a reflection of that MILCON-VA tradition of putting politics aside and putting our military, our servicemembers, our veterans, and our Nation first. Instead, this bill sacrifices our promises to veterans, our military readiness, and our national security, honestly, in favor of meeting the demands of a few extremist Republican politicians.

Instead of ensuring our Nation provides for Americans who have sacrificed to keep our Nation safe, this bill focuses on picking culture war fights, banning the VA from flying certain flags or banning them from taking steps to advance equal opportunity and health access for every veteran.

Instead of focusing on preparing our military to protect U.S. interests, the bill would prevent the VA from providing lifesaving reproductive healthcare to female veterans.

As my colleague just said, the mission of the VA should be respectful to our veterans. I say to every woman veteran who has put her life on the line for our freedom that we should show them the respect that they can make their own choice and be free to make their own choice for their own healthcare.

I want to be clear, as a woman who has undergone a D&C, that abortion care is healthcare. I will say that again. Abortion care is healthcare. Women who have put their lives on the line for our country, for our freedom, should have the ability to make that choice.

The policies that extremist politicians, in addition to that, have tacked on to this bill prevents the VA from providing that type of care, even in the case when a pregnancy is the result of rape, incest, or the life of the mother is at risk.

Policies that extremist politicians have tacked on to this bill are offensive to men and women who serve our country, including my constituents at Creech and Nellis Air Force bases.

I am especially alarmed at the $1.5 billion in proposed cuts to military construction. I am supportive of being thoughtful and responsible with our Federal spending, but at a time when our Nation faces mounting security challenges across this globe, I cannot understand how we can stand here today and cut nearly 10 percent of funding that would ensure that our military bases are fully equipped to handle global threats.

This bill would increase the backlog of projects at bases likes Nellis and Creech, where I have heard directly from my airmen and airwomen working out of temporary, cramped, and outdated, unsafe facilities; and this, at a time when our military is already struggling with recruitment and retention.

Full military construction funding is key to enable that our servicemembers meet National Defense Strategy demands, so we must invest fully in critical facilities, like Nellis' communication support center and the Weapons School Campus.

We also need to support the mission-critical Reconnaissance Operations Training Facility and to repair the base's taxiway at Creech.

We call on our men and women in our military to make our Nation and keep our Nation safe, but this bill does not meet the demands of our servicemembers and, instead, abandons men and women who we should be supporting most in southern Nevada and beyond.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' and, instead, please let's get back to working together to get servicemembers and our veterans the resources that they need, that they have earned, and give them the respect and the freedom that they have fought for.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor retired Colonel Jerry A. Brown for a career of service to our nation.

Col. Brown is a 1996 graduate from the Army ROTC program at Emporia State University, and the second generation of his family to serve in the United States Army. He has faithfully served our Nation for over 30 years, starting as an enlisted Petty Officer in the United States Navy before commissioning as an Officer in the United States Army. During his career, Col. Brown deployed to the Mediterranean while serving on board the USS Forrestal CV-59 in April 1988, he conducted operations to support the Persian Gulf War, and he participated in combat in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2010 to 2011.

As a Congressional Legislative Liaison Officer of the 63rd Readiness Division, Col. Brown has supported Army Reserve priorities, programs, and resources by building relationships, educating, and informing Senators, Representatives, State Legislators, Mayors, and non- governmental organizations across the Division's seven-state regional footprint of New Mexico, Arizona, California, Texas, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.

Further, as a Congressional Legislative Liaison Officer, he is responsible for legislative actions with professional organizations, defense industry partners, and veterans service organizations that includes informing, advising, and representing senior Army Reserve leadership on congressional activities, and for telling the Army Reserve Story in the 7-state region.

In his last post, Col. Brown also provided support to the 7-state region as a board member for the 2022 Service Academy. He supports all local leaders of Nevada by providing them with information regarding the Army Reserve and the economic impact to states and cities. He has also supported the Army Reserve Ambassador Program, which supports students with full-ride scholarships to any ROTC program in the Nation with the hope that they will one day return to the Southwest as tomorrow's leaders.

In his over 30-year military career, including 10 different assignments and 2 different services, Col. Brown has shared his knowledge and experience with hundreds of officers and enlisted Soldiers, helping them to develop as leaders and enhance their careers. Col. Brown is an exceptional leader who will be greatly missed by the U.S. military when he moves into retirement, while his service will be long remembered by those he worked with. There is no doubt that the soldiers he helped train and mentor over his 30 years will continue to build on his legacy of service and working to make our Nation stronger.

Mr. Speaker, please join me today in honoring Colonel Jerry A. Brown on his outstanding service to our Nation and in congratulating him on his retirement.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk made in order by the rule.

Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of my amendment to H.R. 3564. This amendment serves one of my highest priorities, expanding access to affordable housing across southern Nevada.

My amendment is quite simple. It would direct the Government Accountability Office to assess how changes to the Federal Housing Finance Agency's pricing framework would impact first-time, low-income home buyers.

This is a critical addition to any proposed GAO report on new FHFA policies, and it follows my commitment to making sure that any Federal action on housing does right by all Americans and Nevadans, especially those seeking reliable, affordable housing or seeking to buy a home for the first time.

I represent Clark County, which ranks among the top 10 counties nationwide with the highest concentration of renters. Clark County also has one of the highest proportions of households that spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent, and the cost of rent has been going up. The cost of homeownership as well has been going up, and the American Dream remains out of reach for far too many.

We must focus how we can work across party lines, hand in hand with the entities that help families buy their first homes, and ensure that the American Dream can become a reality and not push it further out of reach. We must find bipartisan ways to make access to affordable housing easier, especially for the families of southern Nevada who most need additional support as they work to affordably purchase a home. This is just what my amendment will help us do.

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

I am prepared to close, Mr. Chair, and I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I am pleased to see bipartisan support for my commonsense amendment to support first-time home buyers across the country. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to secure meaningful Federal action to better support hardworking families in their efforts to buy their first home and to realize that part of the American Dream.

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

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk made in order by the rule.

Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of this amendment to H.R. 3564.

Quite like my other amendment, this one also speaks to a top priority of mine in Congress: expanding access to affordable housing across southern Nevada.

This amendment would direct the GAO to assess how changes to the FHFA pricing framework would impact affordable housing preservation, rural housing, and manufactured housing.

This is another critical addition to any proposed GAO report on any new FHFA policies, and it follows on my commitment to making sure that any Federal action on housing does right by Nevadans and their need for a fair and stable housing market.

I am committed to making sure that all Federal action on housing improves southern Nevada's stock of affordable housing, including manufactured and rural housing options.

This is not an area where we can risk unintended consequences, and, as such, my amendment will direct the GAO to study and make absolutely sure that our Federal Government is doing all it can do to improve affordable housing availability.

In Clark County, Nevada, this is of utmost importance as we continue to see a severe shortage in affordable housing stock. That means real stress and uncertainty for far too many hardworking Nevadans and their families. Again, I remain committed to working across the aisle to ensure that every family has access to affordable, reliable, and safe housing.

This amendment is a step in the right direction.

Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I am very pleased, again, to see bipartisan support for my commonsense amendment to ensure that the Federal policy that we create right here delivers affordable housing options across America.

I look forward to working with colleagues on both sides to better support hardworking Americans and their families in securing reliable and affordable housing in Las Vegas and across the country.

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

Mr. Chair, during rollcall Vote Number 267 on H.R. 1640, I mistakenly recorded my vote as No when I should have voted Aye.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the new Stanley Cup champions, the Las Vegas Golden Knights.

As many of our local fans know, the story of the Golden Knights starts long before last night's victory. Six years ago, our Las Vegas community was forever changed. On October 1, 2017, a gunman opened fire on the Route 91 concert, killing 60 and wounding hundreds more.

We were shaken to our core. We were resilient. We were united. We were Vegas Strong.

Something that captured that spirit so clearly was when, just days later, the Golden Knights stood shoulder to shoulder with the Las Vegas community and honored the victims of this tragedy at their very first home game, showing the true meaning of Vegas Strong.

With the whole city behind them, the Knights proceeded to win that home opener and became the first expansion team in NHL history to start their inaugural season with a 3-0 record.

The Golden Knights have always been more than just a sports team for our community. Now, for the first time, they are world champions.

Our unlikely heroes--6 years ago, a hockey team just getting to know their city--helped us heal in ways we never imagined.

I congratulate the Stanley Cup's Battle Born champs, the Las Vegas Golden Knights.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of two celebrations that are incredibly important to my community: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Small Business Month.

As the Representative of one of the largest and fastest-growing AANHPI communities in the country, I am beyond proud of the contributions our small business owners have made to our thriving southern Nevada economy, which include folks like: Alex Zen who curates Chinatown's Zen D'core, a boutique jewelry shop offering minimalist decor and jewelry; Amy Zhang Warthan, owner of No. 1 Boba Tea, which has proudly served the Las Vegas community since 1998; and leaders like Ken Cheng, manager of Chinatown Mall.

They have all worked tirelessly to create thriving commercial centers for our small businesses.

All of this amazing development would not be possible without the support of groups like the Nevada AAPI Chamber of Commerce, the Las Vegas Asian Chamber of Commerce, the Las Vegas India Chamber of Commerce, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce, the Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce, the Korean American Chamber of Commerce, the Sri Lanka America Association of Las Vegas, and so many more. They all work day in and day out to serve our AANHPI businesses across the Silver State.

From Chinatown to the Las Vegas strip and across the valley, southern Nevada draws its strength in our diversity, and the AANHPI Nevadans are key to that success.

Thank you to all of the AANHPI Nevadans who put the American Dream on full display by pursuing their passions and growing our small business economy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a law enforcement officer hero from Nevada who made the ultimate sacrifice serving our community: Officer Truong Thai.

Last October, while responding to a late-night domestic disturbance, Officer Thai was shot and killed at the age of 49, leaving behind his father, brother, four sisters, his daughter, Jada, and an entire community of law enforcement officers who relied on his mentorship and support.

A 23-year veteran of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Officer Thai's colleagues describe him as someone who could have served in the highest levels of the department as a sergeant or a lieutenant. Instead, he chose time and again to serve at all hours of the day and all hours of the night on the front lines of our communities because what he cared about most was keeping people safe.

Officer Thai represented the best of our law enforcement, someone willing to put his life on the line for his community, but also a family man who never stopped giving back.

He coached girls' volleyball and enjoyed playing with his daughter, Jada. He went on fishing trips with colleagues and their children. He never hesitated to help someone in need.

We should all be grateful for the service of Officer Thai and inspired by his dedication and generosity as we remember his service.

In addition, I take a moment to honor the sacrifices of far too many other law enforcement officers from Nevada, also lost in the line of duty, including: The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Detective Justin Michael Terry; Officer Edward Aaron Contreras, Jr.; Sergeant Douglas Michael King; Officer Philip Carl Closi; Bailiff Gerald Raymond Smith from Pahrump Justice Court; and Officer Ray Edward East from Walker River.

This week, I thank our law enforcement officers for their service and remember those like Officer Thai, whose dedication to his community and family we will never forget.

Congratulating Ms. Dee Heard on winning the Clark County School

District Teacher of the Year Award

Mr. Speaker, I rise in celebration of last week's Teacher Appreciation Week to congratulate my constituent and winner of the Clark County School District Teacher of the Year Award, Ms. Dee Heard.

Ms. Heard is a sixth-grade teacher at Sedway Middle School and an innovative leader who is constantly thinking of ways to engage her students outside the textbook.

When students struggled after the pandemic, she designed a schoolwide math competition, complete with pep rallies and digital workspaces, to create learning incentives and help students track their progress and goals over time.

Ms. Heard also leads outside the classroom. She regularly collaborates with school staff to assist with everything from bus tickets to emotional support to food for her students.

I could not be more proud to represent teachers like Ms. Heard, and to know that our next generation of leaders is in such great hands. I thank her for all her hard work, and I congratulate her on her well- deserved honor.

Mr. Speaker, I thank all the incredible southern Nevada teachers who deserve our appreciation, not just this week, but every week.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the 2023 graduating class of the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Touro University Nevada.

This week is National Osteopathic Medicine Week, and I cannot think of a better way to celebrate than by highlighting the incredible success of our future doctors of osteopathic medicine.

Not only did these graduates achieve a 100 percent residency match rate, but I am also proud to say that 50 of them will be staying in Nevada where they will help fill critical healthcare needs in our State by helping combat our dire shortage of physicians.

Nevada ranks 48th in the Nation in doctors per capita. These future healthcare providers will fill in the gaps across our healthcare system from family medicine and pediatrics to emergency medicine, neurology, and psychiatry.

Too many Nevadans in rural and underserved communities do not have access to specialists in their area, which significantly restricts their ability to access healthcare services.

I am so proud that these doctors will be filling those critical needs, and I congratulate Touro University.

Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the Nevada Air National Guard

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the Nevada Air National Guard for their 75 years of service to Nevada and the entire country.

In that time, our servicemembers have supported national security, combat operations, and humanitarian efforts across the globe.

The Nevada Air National Guard began as a small fighter squadron comprised of World War II-era P-51 Mustangs. Its units have since evolved: flying in the Korean war, aerial reconnaissance throughout the Cold War, and numerous deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Here at home, the Nevada Air National Guard has also carried out significant humanitarian operations such as Operation Haylift, a daring supply drop to farmers and miners trapped by winter storms in 1948.

Today, the Nevada Air National Guard is perhaps best known for its continued use of our military's workhorse, the C-130, which, among other impressive capabilities, has been routinely deployed for firefighting operations with the U.S. Forest Service.

In 2021 alone, the Nevada Air National Guard made 331 flights, dropping more than 8 million pounds of fire retardant to help contain wildfires, preserve our public lands, and save lives.

Looking ahead, I look forward to working with the Nevada Air National Guard on their priorities, including a well-deserved upgrade to their fleet of C-130s, as they take on an even better 75 years ahead.

From Carson City to Reno and the 232nd Combat Training Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, I again thank everyone who has made Nevada Air National Guard strong for the past 75 years. Our State and country are safer because of it.

Restricting Abortion

Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak about the frightening recent developments concerning the personal freedoms of millions of Americans.

A single judge in Texas has dramatically restricted decades-long access to safe and effective abortion medication in all 50 States.

Anti-choice extremists have made it clear that this is not the end. They did not stop at overturning Roe v. Wade. They will not stop at preventing women from accessing FDA-approved medications like mifepristone.

They have made it clear about their intention to restrict control and ban a woman's right to choose with Federal legislation. From the courts to Congress, a woman's right to choose is under attack. We will not be intimidated, and I am doing everything in my power to stop this.

My home State of Nevada, where voters decided by a 2-to-1 margin in 1990 to protect a woman's right to choose and just last fall voted to reject the extremist politicians leading this crusade to ban abortion nationwide, has made it clear where it stands.

I have made it clear that I am here to represent my district and my State.

Last week, I joined hundreds of my pro-choice colleagues in signing on to an amicus brief that has been filed with the Supreme Court, asking the Court to reverse the Texas judge's radical decision.

I am not giving up and neither should you. I support choice. The majority of Nevadans support choice. The majority of Americans support choice.

It is time for Congress and the courts to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, during rollcall Vote number 187 on H.J. Res. 27, my vote was recorded as a ``yea'' when I intended for it to be a ``nay.'' Let the record reflect that I oppose H.J. Res. 27.

personal explanation

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize March 27th to March 31st as National Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Week.

The AHEC program was originally authorized in 1971 to enhance the workforce of health professionals who staff brick-and-mortar Community Health Centers. Today, Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) offer hands-on and innovative health career curriculums for pre-college level students, and are committed to continuing education, clinical training of health professionals and responding to community health needs. The nation's 300 AHECs are in nearly every state and in multiple U.S. territories. Administered by the HRSA, AHECs are federally funded, and many are also supported by state governments, foundations, or other partners.

AHEC clinical training placements put health professional students in a variety of real-world settings, such as migrant, urban, and rural community health clinics and health departments that provide healthcare to rural and underserved populations, Connecting students to community populations helps facilitate future engagement and help build network alliances for health career students who wish to remain in their clinical practice regions and continue providing more sustainable healthcare in rural and underserved areas following their training.

AHECs are also responsive to community priorities. They are dedicated to collaboratively developing community health education curriculums, for both online and face-to-face training programs, through unique partnerships that meet the broader range of public health needs of diverse and severely rural and underserved populations.

The need to strengthen the healthcare workforce, particularly for underserved communities, has become far more acute over the past several years. According to new Association of American Medical Colleges, the U.S. could see a shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2034, and the American Hospital Association says more than 200,000 new registered nurses are needed each year to meet increasing health care needs and to replace nurses entering retirement. AHECs continue to be committed to addressing shortage areas and expanding the healthcare workforce, while maximizing diversity and facilitating distribution, especially in rural and underserved communities.

In the past 5 years, the AHEC program has trained 2 million healthcare professionals, who are prepared to deliver culturally appropriate, high-quality, team-based care, with an emphasis on primary care for rural and underserved populations.

I have developed a close relationship with and am proud to support the Nevada AHEC program. I have previously led efforts to increase funding for the national AHEC program in recent fiscal years. As highlighted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Nevada's health workforce needs to be prepared to meet their communities' needs now more than ever. The Nevada AHEC program is one way we will be able to continue to make a significant and sustainable impact in improving healthcare services for the rural and most underserved areas of our state. By having programs that are responsive to local and community needs, and by connecting health students and professionals early on in their careers to the most vulnerable communities, the Nevada AHEC program continues to create a culturally and structurally competent health workforce to tackle the unique challenges our state faces.

On behalf of my constituents, the Nevada AHEC program and the national AHEC program more broadly, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing March 27th to March 31st as National AHEC Week.