Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, due to circumstances beyond my control, caused by a fall in front of the Capitol steps which required emergency medical care, I missed several votes on October 26, 2023. Had I been able to vote, I would have voted: NAY on Roll Call No. 558; YEA on Roll Call No. 557; NAY on Roll Call No. 556; NAY on Roll Call No. 555; NAY on Roll Call No. 554; NAY on Roll Call No. 553; NAY on Roll Call No. 552; NAY on Roll Call No. 551; NAY on Roll Call No. 550; NAY on Roll Call No. 549; NAY on Roll Call No. 548; and NAY on Roll Call No. 547.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the veterans of our country. There are over 16,000 veterans in my district.

Mr. Speaker, 16,000 people have given their heart and soul to our Nation. For so many, that call to serve has affected their health.

In my district alone, the VA has received 1,164 claims under the PACT Act as of this October. That was possible because of the incredible work of House Democrats to pass this law last Congress.

Currently, many VA centers lack the ability to provide care for gynecological cancers. That leaves female veterans to search for their own care. That must change. We need to fight for our female veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to reintroducing the Veterans' Cancer Care Coordinator Act this week. This bill would create coordinators to help female veterans receive the care they need from diagnosis through remission. This builds on the successful Maternal Care Coordination program at the VA.

As a Nation, we must protect our Nation's heroes. We must also put veterans above politics. We must thank them.

Mr. Speaker, I thank all the veterans for their service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate Lone Star Legal Aid on celebrating their 75th anniversary. Founded in Houston in 1948, Lone Star Legal Aid has grown to become the third largest legal aid provider in the United States, serving over 2 million across the Texas region.

Mr. Speaker, Lone Star Legal Aid holds a very special place in my heart, because that is where I started. I went to law school to be a legal aid lawyer. That is where I found my calling, fighting for the poor and the most vulnerable back in the eighties.

Here we are 75 years later, and Lone Star is still there for communities in their darkest and most challenging moments.

They played a vital role in desegregating public housing, improving children's healthcare, championing environmental justice, fighting for the poor, and helping those in their fight for public benefits. In short, they help people pursue their legal access to justice.

Today, let's recognize Lone Star Legal Aid for 75 years. I thank them for making a difference in people's lives.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 44\1/2\ years of service and dedication of Houston's own Judge Richard Vara. A trailblazer in 1974, when he was appointed judge, he was 23 years old. At the time, that made him the youngest person to be appointed as justice of the peace. He was just 23 years old.

Judge Vara grew up in the historic east end of Houston, graduating from Austin High School, the University of Houston, and the South Texas College of Law.

The judge got his first encounter with politics and people and fighting for all of us by going to meetings of LULAC with his parents. This sense of service to the Latino community remained with him throughout his service.

Both in the courtroom and in the community, Judge Vara has exemplified public service and commitment by bettering his community. He has created and volunteered for countless organizations in Houston, all aimed at improving the lives of people around him.

Please join me in congratulating Judge Richard Vara for his many years of service. Enjoy your retirement, Judge. You have earned it. Thank you and God bless.

Mr. Speaker, l rise today to honor the 44\1/2\ years of service and dedication of Houston's own Judge Richard C. Vara, a trailblazer who was the youngest person to be elected Justice of the Peace at that time.

Judge Vara grew up in the historic east end of Houston, graduating from Austin High School. the University of Houston. and South Texas College of Law.

The Judge got his first encounter with politics by going to LULAC meetings with his parents. This sense of service to the Latino community remained with him throughout his career.

Both in the courtroom and in the community, Judge Vara has exemplified public service and commitment to bettering his community.

He has created and volunteered for countless organizations in Houston, all aimed at improving the lives of those around him.

Please join me in congratulating Judge Richard Vara for his many years of service. Felicidades.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Hispanic Heritage Month is about recognizing the countless contributions of Latinos across the Nation.

We celebrate the Latino entrepreneurs who have built thriving businesses, the doctors and nurses who provide essential healthcare, the teachers who inspire future generations, and the activists who tirelessly advocate for justice and equality.

As we honor Hispanic Heritage Month, let us all commit to fostering an inclusive society where everyone, regardless of their background, can thrive and contribute to the American Dream.

Let's embrace the diversity that makes our Nation stronger and more vibrant and continue celebrating our heritage that enriches us all. Let's put diversity over hate, people over politics.

``Yes, we can. Long live the people''; ``Si se puede y que viva la gente.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Bill Richardson.

Former Governor Bill Richardson was a devoted public servant and a skilled diplomat whose career improved countless lives in New Mexico and across America, and indeed, the world.

As Governor of New Mexico, he tirelessly worked to improve the lives of his constituents while making history leading as a Latino, but Bill Richardson's influence extended well beyond the borders of New Mexico. He served as Energy Secretary and also as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, where his diplomatic skills and commitment to peace played a pivotal role in addressing many global challenges.

Today, we remember Governor Bill Richardson, and we also honor his legacy of public service and diplomacy, which continues with his work at his center. He was an inspiration to all of us, and he was a true American patriot.

His leadership and kindness will forever be remembered. Rest in peace, my friend.

Mr. Speaker, ensuring everyone has access to high quality and affordable healthcare is a top priority for me.

That is why, together with House Democrats, we have fought tirelessly in Congress to bring down healthcare and prescription drug costs.

Finally, Medicare can negotiate lower prescription drug costs for seniors and other beneficiaries, which will take effect in 2026.

I am excited that the first 10 Medicare part D drugs have been selected for the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program.

In my home State of Texas, 623,000 seniors will save money thanks to these negotiations.

We are building a healthcare system that prioritizes the well-being of all Americans, regardless of their age, income, or background.

When it comes to healthcare, we are all in this together. We are putting seniors over profits. We are putting people over politics.

Mr. Speaker, extreme MAGA Republicans have gone from Trump's caging children to Abbott's trapping children in the river.

Razor wire-wrapped barrels in the river, pushing children back into the river, and denying water during extreme heat are simply acts of deliberate, inhumane, and horrific torture. It goes beyond politics and crosses a line into human rights violations.

These buoys by the Governor will not stop migrants from crossing the Rio Grande. Instead, they will pose a grave threat to Border Patrol agents and increase the risk of drowning for children, disabled people, mothers and others.

Mr. Speaker, what if this were one of your own children, your niece or nephew, or your grandchildren?

Mr. Speaker, how would you respond if you saw your family treated this way?

Governor Abbott's anti-life actions do not reflect our Texas values. It is just simply bad and inhumane actions.

Migrants deserve to be treated with dignity and compassion, not by this relentless dehumanization.

Mr. Speaker, the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, of which I am a member, was meeting for official committee business when the vote series on 7/20/23 began. Chairman Jim Jordan kept the committee in order despite votes being called. The committee eventually recessed but the vote was held open long enough for me to cast my vote on the first 2 votes of the series, through no fault of my own.

For Roll Call No. 361, I would have voted NO, and for Roll Call No. 362 I would have noted NO.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to sound the alarm about the extreme heat in Texas that is putting people's lives in danger.

Workers in agriculture, construction, mail delivery, and landscaping are in danger and at risk for heat-related injuries or even death every day.

Many workers in my district are working outside at a heat index that is well above 100 degrees.

Heat is the number one cause of weather-related deaths in the United States--more than floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes.

Just last month, Felipe Pascual, a construction worker in the Houston area, collapsed on the jobsite and later died due to hyperthermia.

Mr. Speaker, that is why I introduced the Construction Injury Prevention Act to provide paid 15-minute rest breaks for workers every 4 hours.

This bill puts people over profits, it puts people over politics, and will literally save lives. We need to act to keep our workers safe, and we must act now.

Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague and friend and all the members of the Armed Services Committee for allowing me to encourage my colleagues to support amendments 723 and 731 of the NDAA.

Amendment 723 offers whistleblower protections in investigations considering evidence. We certainly want to protect those who are courageous enough to come forward, including preventing undue, adverse, and retaliatory personnel actions by their employers within DOD.

Amendment 731 is the Bereavement Leave for All amendment. This commonsense, plain and simple amendment will expand the definition of family members in bereavement policies to include nonbiological family members such as foster and adopted children.

Again, this is common sense and goes to just keeping families together in their very time of need. We do not want families in a situation where they lost a loved one and they are not allowed leave because they are not a blood child.

It is my hope that my colleagues support both amendments that afford our servicemembers and civilians the same protections and rights that we would want in their positions.

Mr. Speaker, Adam Schiff is tough. Adam Schiff is smart. Adam Schiff gets the job done. Adam Schiff holds the powerful accountable.

That is exactly why we are here today. Extreme MAGA Republicans are trying to punish our colleague for doing his job, holding the twice- impeached, twice-indicted former President accountable.

The MAGA wing of the Republican Party can't stop Adam. My friend Adam Schiff will always fight to defend our democracy. He will always do what is right.

Trump's pals in Congress can create whole committees to defend him. They can try threatening outrageous fines. They can try to outright waste all of our time trying to prop up a man that has threatened our democracy over and over again.

It is no surprise that former President Donald Trump was in a Miami courthouse last week, and we are here today discussing this topic.

Mr. Speaker, we have to stop enabling this nonsense. When the whole House entertains conspiracy theories, nonsense, and political vendettas, it is the entire GOP that is responsible.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the Federal Railroad Administration's recent funding to reduce train blockages in the Houston area.

Madam Speaker, $36 million will go to overpasses where trains block roads, intersections, and crossings in the Houston area. Schoolchildren have been crawling under train cars just to get to school. Ambulances and fire trucks are losing precious minutes to detour around trains that are blocking high-traffic areas.

Houston residents have filed more complaints of train obstructions than any other city in the United States.

Our fire chief tells us that, on average, there are 90 instances a month where emergency responders are delayed by trains, losing time, when lives are at stake.

Enough is enough. We must put people over politics. We must put people over trains.

The funding that we just received, Madam Speaker, is but the first step. There is still a lot more to go to ensure that our roads are safe, our children are safe, and our community is safer.

Mr. Speaker, during Roll Call Vote No. 255 on H.R. 1615, I mistakenly recorded my vote as ``yea'' when I should have voted ``no''.