Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate a true conservation leader who has dedicated years of her life to ensuring the Tule Springs Fossil Beds in Las Vegas would be declared a permanent national monument.

Jill DeStefano was one of the five founders of the Protectors of Tule Springs, and she worked tirelessly until the beds were officially designated the 405th unit of the National Park Service by President Barack Obama in 2014.

She has served as the board president of the Protectors of Tule Springs as they protect, preserve, support, and promote responsible stewardship of the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument and the Ice Age Fossils State Park.

Jill's passionate advocacy for Tule Springs has ensured they will always be safe and that our children and grandchildren can enjoy them for years to come.

These protected lands tell a story and teach the next generation about our American values for conservation and preservation of our most precious remnants of our national history.

I thank Jill for all of her hard work to protect Southern Nevada's beautiful outdoors. The people of Nevada's Third District are eternally grateful for Jill and all that she has done. I am wishing Jill the best of luck in her next chapter.

Azerbaijan's Blockade

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the proud Representative of a large Armenian-American community in southern Nevada as we mark 100 days since Azerbaijan began a devastating, heartless blockade of Artsakh, cutting off 120,000 Armenians from a critical humanitarian lifeline and their main artery to the outside world.

For 100 days, Azerbaijan has denied the citizens of Artsakh basic human rights and access to food, fuel, and medicine in freezing conditions on what is on its way to becoming a humanitarian catastrophe.

As if that wasn't enough, we have seen increasingly escalatory and troubling rhetoric from Azerbaijani officials in just the last few days.

It is long overdue that our government acts to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its heartless treatment of the innocent Armenian civilians in Artsakh.

That is why I was proud to join my colleagues as an original cosponsor of H. Res. 108 in February condemning Azerbaijan's brutal blockade and calling for an end to this manmade humanitarian crisis.

Mr. Speaker, I continue to urge the administration to take action here and to respond to Azerbaijan's aggression by cutting off U.S. military assistance in line with section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act. Particularly, as we enter the thick of the appropriations process, I will also continue to work to ensure that vital humanitarian assistance is delivered to civilians who continue to suffer from the blockade and ongoing fighting.

During these difficult times, I share the serious concerns of my constituents in southern Nevada's Armenian-American community. I will continue to be an advocate for solutions to this manmade crisis.

I will always stand with the Armenian people and to work to secure much-needed relief as they face down continued threats and unjustified aggression from Azerbaijan.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to shed light on a critical dilemma in the fight to address the worst drought facing the American West in 12 centuries.

Right now, water managers are doing everything they can to address and respond to the ongoing Western water crisis. At the same time, they cannot always readily access the critical data they need to measure water loss, respond effectively, and keep more water in Lake Mead for Nevadans.

I have said it before, and I will say it again: We can't manage what we cannot measure.

Nevada's plentiful sunshine is one of our State's greatest assets. It makes our State a top destination for outdoor recreation, the solar center of our transition to clean energy. It is also a key driver in evapotranspiration, or ET, water loss in Nevada, throughout the West, and across this country.

The situation at Lake Mead and across the West remains dire. We need to take action now. The future of our water supplies depends on us getting this information into the hands of people who are on the ground tackling this crisis every day.

That is why I am introducing the bipartisan, bicameral Open Access Evapotranspiration Data Act to formally establish a Federal OpenET program and fill the biggest data gap in water management by making critical ET data more accessible.

It will allow everyone access, from water managers and experts like scientists, academics, and advocacy organizations to farmers and ranchers to literally anyone with internet access; it is that accessible.

There is no time to waste in protecting our most precious resource. It is time to start better measuring, managing, and planning to protect Nevada's future.

International Women's Day

Madam Speaker, I rise today on International Women's Day as a woman in Congress who has served not one, not two, but three terms in this House where every single time we have shattered the record for the largest number of women serving in this body.

A woman's place is in this House, and I am honored to serve alongside such strong trailblazers who are setting the stage for the next generation of girls who will undoubtedly continue to shatter this glass ceiling.

We are not there yet. While women make up the largest voting bloc in the United States of America, we are still a minority here in the people's House. That is why I tell every little girl I meet crisscrossing southern Nevada to dream big and run for something.

Just over 100 years ago, we didn't have the right to vote in this country, and that is why so many of the laws and flaws of our system are stacked against us; whether that is equal pay for equal work, affordable childcare, adequate healthcare coverage for

mothers, and equitable access for women of color who continue to face disproportionately high maternal mortality rates, or the right to make our own decisions with our own bodies.

Today marks the first International Women's Day since the Supreme Court obliterated our rights less than a year ago in overturning 50 years of Roe; 50 years of a woman's right to choose.

In States across this country, the right to an abortion is under attack even in cases of rape, incest, and the health of a mother.

In this House there are extreme proposals to set us all backwards with a national ban on abortion. We will not go back, and we will not be intimidated.

I am proud to be from the Battle Born State, home of a majority woman Federal delegation in Congress, home of a majority woman State Supreme Court, and home of the first woman majority State legislature.

That is worth celebrating today. That is the model for this House by, for, and of the people. This is what I hope will inspire the next generation of girls to run, win, and lead our country forward.

Madam Speaker, I think all of us Members of Congress can agree on one thing; that one of the greatest joys of being a Member is knowing the great men and women who work for us day in and day out. These men and women also dedicate their lives to serving others and serving our country.

Today, I honor one such man, my former chief of staff, Brandon Cox, who as of Friday will be moving on to bigger and better challenges.

I first met Brandon 8 years ago as a staffer for my campaign, and I saw a confident young man who knew politics better than anyone, worked harder than anyone, had a memory for details

that is unmatched, and who demanded excellence from himself and others.

Brandon has been an accomplished manager, first of my campaign and for the last 4 years, of my entire congressional staff.

When you are elected as a freshman, you are often advised to not hire your campaign manager as your chief, but I did not listen, thankfully.

I knew I needed someone who knew Nevada's Third Congressional District, who always had my back, who knew me, and knew how to get things done. My office was better for it, but most importantly, my constituents were better for it.

Brandon, it has been a good run. Wishing you all the best.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

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

Madam Chair, I rise today in strong support of my amendment to H.R. 347, the Reduce Exacerbated Inflation Negatively Impacting the Nation Act.

My amendment underscores the fact that it is not the sole responsibility of the executive office of the President to reduce inflation, but that productive, bipartisan legislative action is the best way that we can collectively combat inflation and bring down the cost of living.

I represent southern Nevada, a part of the country that has been especially hit hard by the price hikes driven up by the pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

Nevadan families have been hurting. They have been forced to make difficult decisions about how to make ends meet and how to provide for their loved ones for far too long, and they are tired of finger- pointing. They are done with partisan potshots and bickering that achieve nothing to help them make ends meet.

Although the pace of inflation has slowed since hitting a peak last summer, the cost of living continues to remain far too high, and that is why they and the rest of America are calling on Congress for us to do our job, to take real action, and to provide relief. That is what we owe them.

We made progress in this direction during the last Congress with the CHIPS and Science Act, the bipartisan infrastructure package, and other landmark bills that continue to help strengthen our supply chains and relieve price pressures.

This Congress we need to continue that legacy and set aside political posturing and instead advance more thoughtful legislation that will actually bring down costs and meet the needs of our constituents.

I have said it before, and I will say it again: Congress is at our best when we put policy first and politics last.

I implore all of my colleagues to support this amendment because finding bipartisan compromise and real progress on our Nation's most pressing issue is not only right, it is what we were sent here to do.

Madam Chair, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin).

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as some extraordinary Durango High School students are making news and scientific history.

A team from Nevada's Third District, Durango High School, recently became one of only 60 teams nationwide to win the NASA TechRise student challenge. This year the challenge was to design an experiment that could be tested on a NASA-sponsored balloon flight.

The Durango team won with their entry, Project Nighthawk, which they will continue to work on for the rest of the school year. This summer, the project will be tested in a high-altitude balloon flight.

This is a big deal, but I know it is just the start of some amazing endeavors into STEM that these Durango Trailblazers will make in their future careers. These students will be mentored by the best and the brightest researchers and have an invaluable opportunity to learn about the edge of the Earth's atmosphere.

The ingenuity of these talented Nevadans reminds us that when it comes to exploration of our final frontier, the best is yet to come. I have no doubt that we will all benefit from their contributions in years to come.

Congratulations, Durango High School's Project Nighthawk.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today for the first time during this

118th Congress to call for unity and bipartisan action in this Congress.

This is a call that echoes across this House from commonsense Republicans and Democrats who are ready to focus on what unites us rather than what divides us. It is a call that echoes across my district in the State of Nevada from independent-minded folks who are tired of Congress playing games and politics as usual. It is a call that echoes across the entire country.

In November, every one of us in this Chamber won the support of our constituents, and the trends were clear: Extremism is out, and real results are in.

Last Congress was different. Democrats had control of the House, the Senate, and the Presidency, but we didn't close the door on our Republican colleagues. Instead, we brought them to the table and led together to deliver results for all Americans, and the track record shows it:

The bipartisan PACT Act, now law, protecting healthcare for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits and Agent Orange;

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, now law, the first major gun safety action in decades;

The bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, now law, increasing our economic edge in a global economy and ensuring that we make more of everything in America;

And, of course, the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, now law, the investment of a generation in every corner of this country: roads, bridges, ports, airports, internet access, water solutions for the West, and so much more.

These accomplishments are significant, and they will stand the test of time because we brought Democrats and Republicans together to make them happen.

Voters defied midterm predictions, recognizing that Democrats deliver by putting people over politics and joining hands with our commonsense colleagues across the aisle, but the work continues.

What we can work on together will always outweigh what holds us apart. We all want to tackle inflation. We all recognize the need to address the historic drought and to secure future water supplies for all Americans. We all want to fix our broken immigration system, to build one that strengthens our security without compromising our values as a nation of immigrants.

Congress is at our best when we put policy first and politics last. That is what the American people want.

Congratulating Rebel Girls & Company

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the UNLV Rebel Girls & Company dance team for winning yet another national championship title.

This program is no stranger to success, and this makes eight wins for the university in the last 15 years. This time they even achieved a 99.1, the highest hip-hop score in program history.

Coming from the entertainment capital of the world, the decorated dance team and crew have always represented Nevada well, and their stellar performances have even dazzled audiences across the globe. Their many titles are a reflection of the hard work of each and every person involved, especially the leadership shown by Head Coach Marca DeCastroverde.

The past, present, and future of this program is so bright, and I speak on behalf of all of Nevada as we continue to cheer them on.

Congratulations, UNLV Rebel Girls & Company, on yet another success.

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of my amendment to H.R. 21.

This amendment would ensure that the Federal Government is not forced into leasing public lands with low- or no-potential for oil and gas development to the fossil fuel industry as a result of this bill.

The reckless leasing of low- to no-potential lands, also known as speculative leasing, has allowed millions of acres of our Nation's invaluable public lands to be put in harm's way for no real economic benefit in return.

The problem is pervasive, affecting all Western States. However, it is particularly severe in my home State of Nevada where there are very few productive oil and gas formations but plenty of Federal land.

Speculative leasing is a serious problem that costs taxpayers serious money. These leases are cheap. They are easy to acquire, usually selling at near the minimum bid of $2 per acre.

Because they are so cheap, companies with purely speculative interests target these lands with little intent or likelihood of putting them into production.

Thus, the government is then forced to use taxpayer dollars to administer and monitor them, but the leases almost never generate royalties or other benefits for the American taxpayer.

In fact, according to the GAO, 99 percent of these noncompetitive leases, which are frequently issued with little or no-potential lands, never went into production or generated royalties for taxpayers.

In addition to burdening taxpayers, these leases also come with environmental risks. In many instances, low-potential lands receive fewer protections than areas with high potential because Federal land managers forecast low likelihood of development activity. This leaves land, water, and wildlife all incredibly vulnerable.

The current policy creates an opportunity cost. Once leased, low- potential lands are not prioritized for other uses like conservation and recreation, regardless of their development status.

My amendment will prevent speculative leasing from becoming an even bigger problem. It will exclude Federal lands with no or low potential for oil and gas development from the scope of this bill.

My amendment will save taxpayer dollars instead of strong-arming Federal agencies into spending those tax dollars on issuing and administering speculative leases that generate little or no revenue.

This means the Federal oil and gas program can more efficiently focus on managing leases that actually generate royalties and revenues for taxpayers.

My amendment will mitigate environmental risk. Nearly 50 percent of all leases in the West--spanning 9.9 million acres--are currently idle, with iconic landscapes they encompass frequently left neglected, and the unique cultural and natural resources of these storied places, likewise, are left largely unprotected.

This amendment will prevent additional acreage from being put in environmental jeopardy to satisfy leases that half the time are simply left to gather dust.

On balance, this amendment reins in the practice that has numerous costs and provides little or no return on investment for us, the American taxpayers.

So I implore all of you, Democrats and Republicans, to vote ``yes'' on my amendment, a clear example of commonsense land management and fiscal responsibility. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Offered By: Mrs. Lee of Nevada

Amendment No. 25: Page 3, line 2, strike ``provide for a''

and insert ``provide for--''.

Page 3, line 2, before ``total increase'' insert the

following:

``(A) a

Page 3, line 5, strike the period at the end and insert ``;

and''.

Page 3, after line 5, insert the following:

``(B) an increase in Federal lands described in paragraph

(1) that have no or low potential for oil and gas

development.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 25.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 520.

Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress

Axne (Pappas)

Beatty (Neguse)

Boebert (Gaetz)

Brooks (Moore (AL))

Brown (MD) (Evans)

Cawthorn (Gaetz)

Cherfilus-McCormick (Brown (OH))

Cicilline (Jayapal)

Clyburn (Butterfield)

DeFazio (Pallone)

Dingell (Pappas)

Doyle, Michael F. (Evans)

Dunn (Salazar)

Escobar (Garcia (TX))

Espaillat (Correa)

Gosar (Weber (TX))

Jacobs (NY) (Sempolinski)

Johnson (TX) (Pallone)

Kelly (IL) (Horsford)

Kim (NJ) (Pallone)

Kirkpatrick (Pallone)

Krishnamoorthi (Pappas)

Larson (CT) (Pappas)

Lawson (FL) (Evans)

Levin (CA) (Huffman)

Meeks (Horsford)

Newman (Correa)

Norcross (Pallone)

Ocasio-Cortez (Tlaib)

O'Halleran (Pappas)

Palazzo (Fleischmann)

Pascrell (Pallone)

Payne (Pallone)

Pressley (Neguse)

Rice (SC) (Weber (TX))

Rush (Beyer)

Sewell (DelBene)

Simpson (Fulcher)

Sires (Pallone)

Speier (Garcia (TX))

Stevens (Craig)

Strickland (Correa)

Tiffany (Fitzgerald)

Titus (Pallone)

Welch (Pallone)

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding work of one of my congressional classmates, now one of my closest friends here, Congresswoman Cindy Axne.

In 2018, less than 100 years after women gained the right to vote, we were elected as part of the largest class ever of women elected to the House--a record we broke again 2 years later. Breaking the glass ceiling was just the start.

Cindy Axne is a true trailblazer. No issue is too big or small. As a fellow mom in Congress and a lifelong education advocate, I have seen Cindy's passion for the next generation. Even before her time in Congress, as a mom at local school board meetings, Cindy fought to make real change and to promote education equity with the implementation of full-day kindergarten across her children's school district. That passion and can-do character has followed her to Congress, too.

Congresswoman Cindy Axne is a rare breed here on Capitol Hill. Bipartisanship is a word many of us use here in Congress, but few of us can back it up quite like Cindy. Her energy and enthusiasm are endless, and I have seen firsthand how she brings it to her work here in Washington.

As the lone Federal Democrat from the Hawkeye State, she has taken that Iowa-nice attitude to a whole new level--working with anyone, Democrat or Republican, to get the job done.

Las Vegas, Nevada, and Des Moines, Iowa, may be looking a little bit different, but Cindy and I have worked together to find common ground that transcends partisanship and works for every single American.

As the tallest woman in Congress--although Representative Lori Trahan might have a point of order on that--she also bears one of the tallest lists of accomplishments in her time in this House.

She personally helped her constituents recover from catastrophic flooding. She led the charge to keep our communities safe with the Invest to Protect Act. Cindy led the charge to tackle inflation with the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act, as well.

Her legacy for Iowa lives on in the millions of dollars that she has brought home for her constituents, in the legislation she has fought to get across the finish line, and in all of us fighting to end the divisiveness and to bring the collective spirit of compromise to Congress.

I thank Cindy for everything--for her leadership, for her unwavering spirit, and, most importantly, for her friendship.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as leaders of the Republican Party in both the House and the Senate have introduced legislation to ban abortion nationwide.

It doesn't matter if you live in a State where abortion is protected by the voters like Nevada. Abortion would be banned in every State.

The most extreme restrictions would be held in place, and women's healthcare decisions would be taken away from you and handed over to Lindsey Graham and his Republican colleagues.

The vast majority of Americans support Roe, but the Supreme Court has stripped away our freedoms and overturned 50 years of constitutional precedent.

Since Roe, extremist politicians have introduced nearly 590 bills to ban, restrict, and control our choice. That is right--nearly 600 bills.

They are obsessed with taking away our most personal healthcare decisions, and we can't let that happen. I will do everything in my power to stop the Washington Republicans who want to take away your freedom. We will not be intimidated.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership, as well as my cosponsors: Representatives Hudson, Herrera Beutler, and Ruiz for their hard work in supporting this piece of legislation.

I rise today in strong support of my bipartisan legislation, the MOBILE Health Care Act, which will help more Americans access the quality healthcare they need and deserve.

In my State of Nevada, more than two-thirds of residents live in a primary care health professional shortage area. In our rural communities, that number goes to 82 percent.

Needless to say, the situation is dire, and that is why expanding access to quality healthcare has been a priority of mine since I have been a Member of Congress.

Expanding the capabilities of Federally Qualified Health Centers, commonly known as FQHCs, has been a top

focus of mine when it comes to expanding access to healthcare. That is because FQHCs lead the Nation in driving quality improvement, while reducing healthcare costs.

Across this country, 1 in 11 Americans, including 400,000 veterans, and nearly 9 million children, rely on FQHCs for their primary healthcare. They have been a huge success in expanding quality care, but the reality is, smaller, rural communities do not have the population base to support full-time health centers.

There are also many Americans, in both rural and urban areas, who lack transportation to access their closest FQHC, and that is exactly where mobile health units come in. Mobile health units have the capability to bring high-quality healthcare to all Americans, especially those in underserved areas.

My bill will allow FQHCs this important flexibility to use their Federal New Access Point grants to establish mobile health units. This will allow health centers to better serve their communities, especially communities that have traditionally been hard to reach; and this does so at no additional cost to the taxpayer.

In my district, we have seen the difference these mobile units make. For example, the Nevada Health Centers currently runs three mobile health units: The Children's Mobile Medical Unit, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile Unit, and the Mammovan.

The Mammovan is a mobile mammography unit that travels to underserved areas of our State, providing mammograms to women in geographically isolated areas and those who may not otherwise seek this important preventative care that will allow for early detection and simply will save lives.

The First Person Care Clinic in Nevada also has a mobile health unit and is in the process of setting up a second one, which will expand access to primary care to more patients from Las Vegas, to Henderson, to Laughlin.

Recently, I had the opportunity to see firsthand the Mammovan in action, and I am proud of all of Nevada's health centers and the southern Nevada Health District who are leading the way in providing lifesaving mobile healthcare for Nevadans.

We must build off these success stories and ensure health centers across America can utilize mobile health units where they make sense to better serve their communities.

We must keep working to ensure that every American has access to healthcare they need and deserve; and that is why I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this critical piece of legislation today.

Madam Speaker, I rise today as this week marks 300 days since we signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law.

But we didn't stop there, we have accomplished so much more in the last 100 days.

For years, Washington has been all talk, no action when it comes to infrastructure. Congress after Congress, President after President, all promised to finally tackle our Nation's crumbling infrastructure. This Congress finally delivered--and delivered with bipartisan support.

It was truly a historic moment, but in the 300 days since it was signed into law--on this very floor, amidst all of the noise and divisiveness--this Congress has continued to make history.

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant gun violence legislation in nearly 30 years. Now law.

The PACT Act, to provide generations of veterans and their families the care and benefits they have earned and deserve. Now law.

The CHIPS and Science Act, which will allow us to compete with China, boost our supply chains and American innovation, and bring jobs back to America. Now law.

The Inflation Reduction Act, the biggest step our country has taken to tackle climate change, while also delivering lower prices for prescription drugs and expanded access to affordable healthcare. This, too, is now law.

Nevada was ground zero for the economic devastation of this pandemic. Nevada was also ground zero for the most urgent effects of climate change, but Nevada also stands to gain the most from the Inflation Reduction Act. A record 14.5 million people--and more than 100,000 Nevadans--have signed up for coverage through the ACA marketplaces. Now, that coverage will be even more affordable with the expanded tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Medicare can finally negotiate lower drug prices, which means savings for our seniors and every single taxpayer. Not only that, the Inflation Reduction Act caps out-of-pocket costs for part D drugs and insulin for seniors and individuals with disabilities on Medicare.

All of this means better, more accessible healthcare, and more money in Nevadans' pockets. I am also incredibly proud that this bill will tackle our climate crisis and stand up for Nevada's future. The West is facing the worst drought in 12 centuries. In my district, the dire situation at Lake Mead is making headlines all over the world.

This bill will help mitigate the harmful effects of our drought by funding environmental restoration projects and investing in conservation projects to increase water levels in the Colorado River.

It is going to take all of us to fight the climate crisis. This bill supports Nevadans on the ground in their effort to save energy and save money all along the way.

Do you need to replace a stove or a refrigerator? Do you need to install solar panels or perhaps buy an electric vehicle? This bill will help you with direct rebates to buy more energy-efficient options.

Overall, Nevadan families that take advantage of the clean energy tax credits could save more than $20,000 in a single year. All of this is fully paid for by cuts to our deficit by $300 billion, by finally making the ultra-wealthy and big corporations finally begin to pay their fair share. Let me be clear, not

one person earning less than $400,000 a year will pay a penny more in Federal taxes.

Madam Speaker, a lot can happen just in 300 days--from infrastructure to gun violence prevention to helping our veterans and building a stronger American economy. The Inflation Reduction Act is perhaps the biggest achievement of this Congress, and House Democrats delivered it alone.

Not one Republican voted to lower the cost of prescription drugs and insulin. Not one Republican voted to lower healthcare costs. Not one Republican voted for a fairer tax system.

Not one Republican voted to put people over their politics. The fight continues, and House Democrats will do everything in our power to deliver the results and put the American people first.

Mr. Speaker, I rise as the water level in Lake Mead sits at yet another all-time low. Today, Lake Mead, which provides water for 25 million Americans, holds just 27 percent of its capacity.

Just 40 years ago, as you can see here, Lake Mead was actually above full capacity. But now we face the threat of the worst megadrought in 12 centuries.

The clock is ticking, and we must act now.

That is why I am supporting the Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act. This package includes three of my bills to tackle our drought, conserve water, enhance our research capabilities, and keep more water in Lake Mead for Nevadans.

We cannot let politics get in the way of this. Water is not a partisan issue.

Every Nevadan, every American, whether Democrat, Republican, or Independent, needs a stable water supply.

Let's pass this package and help secure our future.