Floor Statements

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

Mr. Speaker, Representative Boebert's so-called Restoring American Energy Dominance Act would have only one effect: furthering Big Oil's dominance over our public lands.

This bill, H.R. 6009, would force the Bureau of Land Management to withdraw its proposed oil and gas rule. This rule will implement reforms that Democrats enacted in our historic climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act, along with other long-overdue reforms to the onshore oil and gas program. The rule will help hold Big Oil accountable for cleaning up after itself, provide a fair return for the use of taxpayer-owned resources, and end speculative leasing of our public lands.

This is important but also very basic stuff. If you make a mess, you should be responsible for cleaning it up. If a public company extracts a publicly owned resource for profit, taxpayers should get a fair return.

It makes sense to me. Those are not difficult concepts to understand.

It is for these reasons that BLM's rule has broad support across Western voters. Mr. Speaker, 92 percent of comments provided from all 50 States in response to BLM's proposed rulemaking were in favor of the rule. That is listening to the people.

What we are seeing here is out-of-touch House Republicans attempting to block this rule as a giveaway to the fossil fuel industry. It is a blatant effort by Big Oil and corporate lobbyists to game the system in their favor.

The proposed rule is common sense. The reforms have long been recommended by the Government Accountability Office and nonpartisan entities like Taxpayers for Common Sense.

Republicans call it Biden's war on American energy, but with domestic oil and gas production and profits soaring, it is hard to see how Big Oil is suffering. As I said, their pockets are not on life support at all, but our public health is.

It is past time to commit to reforms to protect taxpayers and the environment. We are talking about modest increases in royalty rates, going from 12\1/2\ percent to 16\2/3\ percent. Texas royalty rates are up to 25 percent. In the bill sponsor's home State of Colorado, they are at 20 percent.

To repeat, these rates have not impeded domestic production. Domestic oil and gas production and profits are at record highs. No one is disputing that.

As if that were not enough, these companies continue price gouging the consumer. It is obscene that these polluters, these extremely profitable corporations, are now pushing for more tax handouts. They are the last industry that needs it.

We must vote down this out-of-touch giveaway.

Mr. Speaker, I oppose H.R. 6009, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am so relieved to hear my colleagues from across the aisle continue to talk about national security concerns. It makes me question why they want to support isolationist values.

If we are so concerned about Russia and our adversaries, then why are we not voting on a supplemental to help Ukraine?

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Porter).

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

There is so much to fact check and so little time. My colleagues have mentioned bonding proposals, but the BLM's bonding proposal would help ensure that oil and gas foot the bill for cleaning up their messes, not the American people. By requiring them to post adequate bond money before they drill, we can help avoid them shirking that duty later on by selling off their exhausted wells to shell companies and similar tactics.

My colleagues across the aisle have said this proposal is unnecessary; no need to post bond ahead of time. Trust Big Oil. They are good for it.

Pardon me if I am skeptical. We have been hearing so much about posting bonds over the last week or so. It is often the same story: A company or an individual will brag and brag about supposed wealth, but when it comes time to put that money up, suddenly they come up short. Sometimes they even have to file for bankruptcy.

Many oil and gas companies operate in the same way. They benefit from resources but are afraid of regulations that would set bond amounts that ensure that they actually clean up after themselves instead of skipping town. The proposed BLM rule would require fossil fuel companies to provide reasonable collateral to ensure they pay to clean up after themselves.

I have another fact check for you before I yield. We have heard Republicans say that bonding reform isn't needed to make sure the oil and gas companies clean up after their messes, supposedly because BLM has identified only 37 orphaned wells on Federal land.

Well, let's widen the land to show the truth. An unplugged well can sit idle or even abandoned for many, many years before a Federal agency seeks to enforce reclamation requirements and finally have it declared officially orphaned. That process eats up valuable staff time and resources. In that time, these unplugged wells can leak oil and gas, creating environmental and public health hazards, regardless of whether or not they have been officially deemed orphaned yet.

We are talking huge numbers here. In 2019, a nonpartisan GAO identified 2,294 unplugged wells that had not been produced in over 10 years. That is 2,294 wells specifically on BLM Federal land. The oil and gas industry should pay to plug and remediate those wells, not the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Huffman), who is the most illustrious Congressman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 45 seconds to the gentleman from California.

Mr. Speaker, my Republican colleagues always want to bash California, and then they find ways to sneak into the State to visit. California is bringing it today as it relates to H.R. 6009.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Mullin).

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

Mr. Speaker, I hope that we can stay focused on the issue. We keep talking about foreign policy issues, and I think we should just, then, pass the supplementals to support Ukraine and our other allies rather than supporting isolationist foreign policies that actually encourage the kinds of human rights violations that my colleague keeps talking about.

I am also very grateful that my colleague mentioned helping the military. I have to say that Republicans voting for H.R. 6009 doesn't, in fact, do that. It doesn't do that at all. Republicans could actually help our military personnel if they voted to support them with housing supports and making sure that our military personnel have access to quality healthcare, especially our female military personnel. Instead, they want to vote for tax breaks for oil and gas.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Levin).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Republicans have claimed that H.R. 1, their polluters over people bill, would solve all of our Nation's energy problems and that it is their number one priority for this Congress.

Lately, some of them have even started saying that Senate Democrats and Leader Schumer are letting this legislation gather dust on the other side of the Capitol. Let's just fact-check. I love doing it. It is false.

The truth is that the do-nothing Republican House hasn't even sent H.R. 1 to the Senate. Despite passing in the House a year ago, this bill has never been transmitted to the Senate and has languished in limbo with Republican leadership, gathering dust first on Speaker McCarthy's desk, then on nobody's desk, and now on Speaker Johnson's desk.

If Republicans are so proud of their energy policies for the American people, why are they burying their landmark legislation and trying to blame Democrats? Why are we here passing sections of H.R. 1 for the second time? It is because it is all show.

The do-nothing Republican House has no real solution. Instead of taking real action to invest in a cleaner and safer energy future for every American, House Republicans are just repeating the same stale, tired arguments and passing the same washed-up bills over and over again, fully knowing that these messaging bills aren't going anywhere.

The American people deserve better.

I reiterate that this Republican legislation is a messaging bill that, fortunately, is going nowhere. House Republicans should be doing the bare minimum work this week of funding the government and keeping the lights on. Instead, they are trying to win political points with people's lives and livelihoods on the line.

This legislation creates unacceptable risk, and the President should have every single tool to protect public health and the environment.

Mr. Speaker, I oppose this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose H.R. 7521.

Banning TikTok is an insufficient Band-Aid solution to the genuine national security concerns the app raises and exposes. The bill seriously undermines civil liberties by essentially banning a platform that 150 million Americans use to engage in free speech and expression. A statewide TikTok ban has already been paused by a Federal judge on First Amendment grounds.

Even without TikTok, the PRC could still be able to conduct influence operations on other social media platforms and obtain sensitive U.S. user data through hacking or data brokers.

Finally, this bill would greatly expand the executive's authority to ban tech companies with zero congressional oversight. I cannot sign a blank check to some future President who would easily and dangerously weaponize this legislation to profit and silence.

The creatives, artists, content creators, and businesses in my district will get caught in the cross fire of this bill, and deserve better than Federal overreach as a substitute for a thoughtful and incisive solution to this complicated national security challenge.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Leonard Clifford Tibbs, Jr., born on March 3, 1934, in Los Angeles.

Mr. Tibbs was the son of Aluia Lee Tibbs, a beautician, and Leonard Clifford Tibbs, one of the few Black pharmacists in Los Angeles at the time.

In 1952, Mr. Tibbs graduated from Manual Arts High School, in my district, where he played football. After obtaining a business degree from UCLA, Leonard pursued many successful entrepreneurial endeavors, establishing a real estate business, Tibbs Tacos restaurant, a catering business, and World of Curls.

He was a man of few words, yet he was always charming and friendly. He loved to golf, captain his boat, fish, and travel.

In 1999, Leonard met the Honorable Gloria Gray, and they shared 25 loving years together. They were partners in every aspect of life, with Leonard staunchly supporting Councilwoman Gray's journey through public service.

Leonard peacefully passed away on November 22, 2023, and is lovingly remembered by Gloria, his daughter Allison, and the many loving bonus children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

I join them in honoring his life and legacy.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the Black women who won big at the 66th Grammy Awards, which were held in the heart of my district.

Best Album nominee SZA came away with awards for Best Progressive R&B Album, Best R&B Song, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

Victoria Monet became the third Black woman in 4 years to take home the Grammy for Best New Artist, following Samara Joy, who won Best Jazz Performance this year, and Megan Thee Stallion.

At the age of 22, Tyla became the youngest South African artist in history to win the Best African Music Performance award for her mega- hit, ``Water.''

Coco Jones came away with Best R&B Performance.

Still, the biggest awards--Best Album, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year--are seldom won by Black women. As Jay Z alluded to, a Black woman has not won the top prize, Best Album, in 25 years.

I mean, how much lemonade do we have to make?

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of the Central Avenue Farmers' Market.

The Central Avenue Farmers' Market in Los Angeles is run by Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles, SEE-LA, which has been a driving force in advancing regional food sustainability in California's 37th District. SEE-LA works hard to promote regional and local food vendors that offer a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, juices, eggs, and an assortment of prepared foods.

Back in August, I was fortunate to visit the Central Avenue Farmers' Market after a tour of a local WIC facility. I loved walking through the market and speaking to vendors as they discussed the importance of fresh produce and local business.

The market is open to everyone, accepts CalFresh EBT, and has helped expand access to fresh produce for families on WIC and SNAP.

While House Republicans continue to push for devastating cuts to programs like these, SEE-LA has been a lifeline for so many families in need.

Mr. Speaker, I hope you will join me in celebrating the 20 years of SEE-LA's Central Avenue Farmers' Market.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 705.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of A Place Called Home, a nonprofit that has served thousands of at-risk youth and families in the South Los Angeles community.

A Place Called Home provides free programs that focus on job readiness and mental health services as well as art and technology. It allows children to explore creativity through their arts programming.

Earlier this year, they hosted the Latinx Theater Festival in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, where the children helped with ticketing, light, and sound design for the productions.

A Place Called Home aims to increase children's likelihood of staying in school and graduating, and in the past 30 years, it has supported more than 500 first-generation students in their journey to college.

They serve 2,000 meals to students every week on top of the thousands more they provide to families at home in California's 37th District. None of this would be possible without their founder, Debrah Constance, and CEO Norayma Cabot, who work tirelessly with the board and staff every day to support my district's children and families.

I hope you will join me in celebrating this milestone for A Place Called Home, and I look forward to seeing all that they do in the next 30 years and beyond.

Honoring the Life and Legacy of Mike Watanabe

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Mike Watanabe. He passed away last month after 77 years full of life.

Mike began his service to the Los Angeles community when he joined the Asian American Drug Abuse Program as a counselor in 1975. He saw the impact that drug use had on his friends and community in the wake of the Vietnam war and wanted to find a way to advocate for recovery after earning his master's degree in social work. He became the executive director in 1982 before ascending to the role of president and CEO in 2004.

Through his decades of service with AADAP, he worked with community leaders to support substance abuse recovery. AADAP's efforts have served residents in California's 37th District for over 50 years.

Mike is remembered for his compassion, leadership, and unwavering belief in building a supportive community.

My friend Mike always kept it 100. He built a family at AADAP and throughout the Los Angeles area. Mike was a part of the Los Angeles County Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Commission for 16 years, chairing the Asian and Pacific Islander Constituent Committee and supporting several other AAPI-focused organizations all aimed at substance abuse recovery.

His support of early Asian-American community organizations left a lasting impact on the success of today's nonprofits and Asian-American services. We are all the better for having been impacted by Mike's jovial spirit and passion for community service. He will be greatly missed.

Please take a moment to honor the life of Mike Watanabe. My heart is with his wife, Suzanne, and their family during this time.

GOP Threat to Democracy

Mr. Speaker, I rise today for a moment of truth. House Republicans pose a deep threat to our national security. It is dependent on what we do domestically and upon how we support our allies abroad, like Ukraine.

Ukraine will not be able to fend off Russia on its own, and Republicans will be responsible if they refuse to act to counter war criminal Putin's anti-West, anti-democracy assault.

I guess that makes sense, since the Republican Party has pledged fealty to Donald Trump, a master anarchist who is focused on government destruction, exploding democracy, and distracting and impoverishing the American people. He is someone who just 2 weeks

ago called people vermin. He is using white supremacist code words.

The global stage is watching us because they are all in for Ukraine and democracy, but Republican isolationism has hurt and will continue to destabilize our democracy, weaken our allies, and remove the United States from the global stage. When we leave, someone far more dangerous will take our place and hurt us more.

No more distractions, conflations, or profligations. Mr. Speaker, the time to get serious about this country is right now.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate former Ambassador and Congresswoman Diane Watson's 90th birthday. Congresswoman Watson paved the way for the many Black female legislators, myself included, who would come after her. She is a true trailblazer, becoming the first Black female member of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board and the first Black female California State Senator. Today we recognize her remarkable contributions to Los Angeles, the State of California, and the United States.

Born in Los Angeles, CA, Congresswoman Watson attended local Los Angeles public schools before earning her Bachelor's degree in Education from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), her Master's degree in School Psychology from California State University at Los Angeles (Cal State LA), and her PhD in Educational Administration from Claremont Graduate College.

Congresswoman Watson began her life of public service as an elementary school teacher and worked diligently up the ranks to become an assistant principal and a school psychologist, touching the lives of countless students. She also served as a Health Education Specialist for Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), at UCLA, and at Cal State LA. In 1975, distinguished members of the Los Angeles community encouraged her to seek election to the LAUSD School Board. She won her election, and in this role, she worked to expand school integration and to raise the rigor of academic standards for all students.

In 1978, Congresswoman Watson became the first Black woman elected to the California State Senate, where she served on the Senate Judiciary Committee and as Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee from 1981 through 1998. At the state level, she championed legislation for nutrition assistance programs, breast cancer research, and access to health care.

In 1999, President Clinton appointed Congresswoman Watson as the Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia, where she helped stop illegal toxic waste from being dumped into surrounding waters. After her election to the House of Representatives in 2001, she served California's 33rd District faithfully for a decade, representing areas of Los Angeles that are now part of the 37th District.

Congresswoman Watson became a vocal leader on issues related to racism and xenophobia, supporting reparations for descendants of enslaved Americans, educational system reform, and a comprehensive overhaul of the nation's criminal justice system. She also called out the rise of Islamophobia following the 9/11 attacks. Her tenure as a legislator demonstrated a dedication to creating legislation and initiatives for the betterment of all.

Throughout her career, Congresswoman Watson was a trailblazer, building a legacy of mentorship, leadership, and strength for others to emulate in their own public service careers.

I am honored to commemorate her impact on communities throughout California and the United States. I hope you will join me in wishing Congresswoman Diane Watson a very happy birthday.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to mourn the loss of Ruth Lavine, who passed away at the age of 103.

Ruth was born in Hamburg, Germany, but emigrated to Los Angeles as the Nazi Party was rising to power in the 1930s.

Ruth became a lifelong Trojan, receiving both her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Southern California. She was one of only five female students in her USC Law School class.

Ruth and her husband, Dick, married in 1944, spending 50 wonderful years together.

Ruth enjoyed an active role in her children's lives and maintained involvement in the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, the L.A. County Bar Association, and Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles.

Ruth established a scholarship in her husband's memory to help students at USC Law School, just one of her many philanthropic efforts for her alma mater in the heart of our district, the 37th.

She is survived by her children, Cathy and Raymond, and her three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, I hope everyone will join me in mourning the loss of Ruth Lavine and celebrating her life of full love and learning.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary Israel Houghton, a man who has devoted his career to creating music to inspire people and transform their lives. Israel Houghton, credited as Israel & New Breed, is a faith-based singer, songwriter, producer, and worship leader. The city of Los Angeles is fortunate to welcome Israel & New Breed to perform at the Crypto.com Arena tonight alongside his fellow distinguished gospel artists Kirk Franklin, Tamela and David Mann, the Clark Sisters, and Tye Tribbett.

Israel has been actively pursuing a music career since 1997. His immense contributions and dedication to Israel & New Breed have not gone unnoticed, having received six prestigious Grammy Awards. He has also received several other awards and nominations, such as recognitions from the Gospel Music,Association (GMA) Dove Awards and the Stellar Awards.

Israel has embraced writing songs from the heart. In his music, he discusses the value of focusing not only on ourselves but on a higher purpose, which stems from his belief in how we should worship. That perspective continues to be a motif woven through his songs and has recently been captured in his song ``Blessing and Honor,'' featuring fellow artist Anna Sailors.

Israel remains focused on igniting the soul through song and prioritizes this grounding philosophy over superficial successes.

In addition to building his legacy through his music, Israel has also launched ``Faith and Familia,'' a video series with his wife, Adrienne Eliza Bailon-Houghton, discussing their journey to start their family and the role of faith during challenging times.

Israel has opened up about his faith and how it helped him through difficulties in his childhood and ministry as a worship leader. As a music enthusiast grounded in my own faith. I understand the healing power of music and applaud Israel for the lives he has touched through his work.

Israel continues to be a champion in music ministry and will soon be embarking on his upcoming 2024 ``Decades'' tour.

I am honored to commemorate the work of Israel Houghton, a fellow Angeleno, and am excited to continue seeing the profound impact music can have on people's lives.

Mr. Chair, the funds in H.R. 4821, The Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act to decrease by $3 million and increase by the same amount the $67,942,000 designated for the Department of Interior (DOI) Office of the Secretary are intended to be used for a Work Environment Survey for the Department of the Interior and all its bureaus. They will help generate data that can be directly compared to the Work Environment Survey done at Interior and the National Park Service in 2017 by the Federal Consulting Group and the CFI Group. The survey is necessary to determine whether progress has been made after years of efforts by the Department to address sexual harassment, discrimination, and other workplace satisfaction issues, and to determine how to target resources for future efforts. According to the Office of the Inspector General Report, the 2017 Work Environment Survey cost nearly $2.4 million. Assuming inflation rates assigned by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a survey conducted now would cost $3 million.

Madam Speaker, I have to tell you, there is a virus infecting this Congress, and it is not the 'rona. It is Republican testosterone poisoning.

All year long, we have heard not one peep from Republicans about Social Security or Medicare--nothing. They have been passing legislation that erodes the health protections of Americans and then high-fiving after these horrible bills pass.

They won't admit that 63 million seniors will be hurt by their cuts to Social Security--so watch out, granny, because they are coming for you--or that they will cut the lifeline of millions who depend on Medicare to survive.

Instead, we have been stuck in this Republican romper room.

The American people don't want to hear your lies, and they don't want to watch your Republican civil warfare meltdown.

They care about their healthcare, jobs, keeping the government open, growing the economy, and protecting us at home and abroad.

They care about being able to put food on the table and having a home to go to.

They care about having a Social Security check in the mail, one that they were promised for their years of work.

They care about what is real to them, and you are not it.

For this reason, I ask my colleagues to defeat the previous question so that we can bring up H.R. 178, an important piece of legislation affirming the House's commitment to protecting Social Security and Medicare.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Genevieve Ek, known as ``Jean'' by her beloved friends and family. Jean passed away last month after a life full of love, friendship, and kindness.

She was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin in December of 1941, growing up in Racine before moving to Two Harbors, Minnesota. She opted to stay in Two Harbors even after her family moved to Oregon because of the strong and lasting relationships she had built with her friends and the love of her life, Harold. Jean and Harold would go on to marry in 1963 and have 3 children--Adele, Lura, and John.

Jean was well known during her career in medical administration, helping mentor dozens during her tenure as she worked diligently to advance from receptionist to Executive Director of Crossroads Medical Center.

She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Harold, their 3 children, 8 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren.

While Jean will be greatly missed by everyone who knew her, her legacy of leadership, kindness, and compassion remains.

I am honored to commemorate the life of Jean Ek and wish her family and friends strength and peace in their grief.