Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2004, Tyler's Law. This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a study and then to issue guidance to hospitals to test for fentanyl in emergency room screenings.

This may come as a surprise to many. Right now many hospitals do not test for fentanyl in emergency room screenings. This leads to cases where people who walk in the emergency room may not know that they ingested a drug laced with fentanyl, or they may walk out of the emergency room not knowing that they had taken fentanyl and not gotten the right resources. As a result, this could result in preventable deaths.

Tyler, the bill's namesake, is one such case of this testing blind spot. At 19 years old, Tyler's life was cut short when he died from a fentanyl overdose after initially going to the emergency room. He was not tested for fentanyl, and he was discharged. His toxicology screening came back with no indication of fentanyl, and he went home. The next day he returned to the ER and ultimately died from having ingested fentanyl.

Tyler's mom, Juli, came to my office sharing Tyler's tragic story and has been a fierce advocate of ensuring that no family experiences the same kind of devastating loss.

Since then, I have been working closely with Congressman Bob Latta, Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove, and our Senate counterparts on getting Tyler's Law passed. However, the real credit goes to Juli. She is here in the gallery today with other parents who also lost their child to fentanyl. She has been present for every step of the progress we have taken this Congress. I thank Juli for her fierce advocacy and for fighting to advance laws that will prevent future fentanyl-related deaths.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill so we can honor Tyler and prevent fentanyl deaths in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the Women's Beach Volleyball team from the University of California, Los Angeles. The Bruins Women's Beach Volleyball team took home the 2026 NCAA Women's National Collegiate Beach Volleyball National Championship on May 3, 2026. UCLA defeated the No. 1 seed Women's Beach Volleyball team from Stanford University in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

This year's championship secured UCLA's 3rd national title win in program history. It also marks the 127th overall NCAA title win by a UCLA Bruin team in any sport.

The UCLA Women's Beach Volleyball team should be proud of their achievement in earning the distinction of national champions, competing amongst the more than half a million student-athletes who participate in NCAA events each year. With guidance from Coach Jenny Johnson Jordan, the team's championship season culminated in a thrilling 3-0 win against Stanford in the final match.

I would like to congratulate the UCLA Women's Beach Volleyball team once again on winning the national championship for the first time since 2019 and wish them the best of luck next season. This win is a special moment in the collegiate athletic careers of each individual UCLA player and marks an exceptional accomplishment and historical achievement for the UCLA community. Go Bruins.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, during Roll Call Vote No. 173, on H.R. 8365, I mistakenly recorded my vote as YEA when I should have voted NAY.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the women's basketball team from the University of California, Los Angeles, which took home the 2025 to 2026 NCAA Division One National Championship on April 6, 2026. UCLA defeated the women's basketball team from the University of South Carolina by a score of 79-51 to clinch the title in Phoenix, Arizona.

This year's championship is the program's 1st NCAA national championship and 126th

overall NCAA championship earned by a UCLA Bruins team in any sport. In 1978, UCLA Women's Basketball won the AIAW Division One/Large College tournament championship.

The team should be proud of their accomplishments, earning a number one rating in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls ranking women's basketball teams. UCLA women's basketball finished the season with an overall 37-1 record and a perfect 18-0 record, capturing the Big Ten conference championship. Led by coach Cori Close, the team built a strong core of student athletes who won week after week in games around the Nation and on the hallowed court at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion.

After being selected as the number two overall in the NCAA women's basketball tournament, the UCLA women went perfect, making it to the National Championship game against the South Carolina Gamecocks. UCLA dominated the Championship game in Phoenix, winning 79-51 and securing the title for themselves in dramatic fashion. This Championship was celebrated by the team and the greater UCLA community. To further highlight the accomplishments of this team, six senior players from the UCLA women's basketball team were selected in the 2026 Women's National Basketball Association draft, five in the first round, which is a WNBA record.

I would like to sincerely congratulate the UCLA women's basketball team once again on winning the national championship and wish them the best of luck next season. Their performance throughout this season was incredible and a tribute to the achievements of student athletes throughout the Nation. Go Bruins.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and legacy of former Torrance Mayor Dan Walker, a devoted public servant and veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. His decades of public service have left a profound and lasting impact on the City of Torrance and the greater South Bay community. He passed away on December 6, 2025, at the age of 85.

Born in 1940, in the City of Long Beach, Dan grew up in area attending school and eventually attending and graduating from Long Beach City College and California State University, Long Beach. He served for a time as lifeguard to help pay for his college education. After college, Dan joined the United States Coast Guard Reserve and later worked for an advertising company in San Francisco. While working for this advertising company, Dan had several clients including the City of Torrance, which he visited on several occasions and grew fond of.

Dan moved to Torrance in 1970, becoming involved with the Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce shortly thereafter. Because of his dedication to the community of Torrance, he was appointed as a planning commissioner for the city in 1975. A couple of years later, Dan was elected to serve as a Torrance City Councilmember serving on council for a record twenty-six years. This service would culminate in his election as Torrance's Mayor in 2002. During his tenure, Torrance remained one of the safest cities in Los Angeles County while maintaining fiscal stability and a strong business environment. His leadership helped revitalize key areas of the city, including the Del Amo Fashion Center and the Torrance Towne Center.

Mayor Walker was a strong advocate for accessible public spaces. He played a vital role in the development of Discovery Park in Torrance, and he established the West Coast's first universally accessible treehouse in Charles H. Wilson Park. In addition, Walker also supported the creation of the George Nakano Theatre and the Torrance Art Museum. Alongside these regional roles, he chaired the Ad Hoc Economic Development Partnership and spent 15 years as a dedicated member of the Friends of Child Advocates Board of Directors.

Dan's influence extended well beyond the borders of Torrance. In 1987, he was appointed by then Governor George Deukmejian to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board and represented Torrance with regional agencies, including the Southern California Association of Governments and the South Bay Cities Council of Governments.

Dan Walker's service will continue to have a lasting impact on the City of Torrance and the South Bay region. His commitment to public service, thoughtful leadership, and focus on long-term community improvement helped shape Torrance's growth over his years of service. Mayor Walker earned the trust and respect of his residents through his dedication and steady leadership. He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann, his stepson, Gary Lorge, daughter in law, Kathy Lorge, and stepdaughter, Kathy Hicks. May his memory live on through the many lives he touched in his work and service to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and legacy of Benjamin Soo Rhee. Benjamin was a respected physician, devoted family man and cherished member of his community. He passed away peacefully on December 25, 2025.

Dr. Rhee dedicated his life to the service of others through his work in medicine. He was deeply respected and admired by his colleagues and countless patients for his compassion, professionalism and integrity over the course of his distinguished career. He graduated from Korea University Medical School and later immigrated to the United States in 1964 from the Kyungi Province of the Republic of Korea, becoming a U.S. Citizen in 1976.

Dr. Rhee completed his residency in Internal Medicine in New York and went into private medical practice with his wife, a pediatrician. Together they would treat and heal patients for decades before retiring and moving to the City of Irvine, California.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Dr. Rhee had a passion and love for music, including singing karaoke. He also had a love for reading and writing, including authoring a 300-page book which documented the genealogy of his family dating back seventeen generations.

Benjamin was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He is survived by his wife Dr. Wha Ja Choi, his two children, Edward and Richard and his six grandchildren: Brandon, Colin, Jason, Chloe, Kendall and Christian, who were the lights of his life.

He will be remembered not only for his contributions to the field of medicine, but also for his kindness, intellect and deep devotion to his family and community. His legacy of service and engagement will continue to inspire and guide those whom he served in his life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the remarkable life and legacy of the renowned architect Frank O. Gehry. He passed away on December 5, 2025, after a brief battle with a respiratory illness, Mr. Gehry was not only one of the most influential architects of our time, but also a visionary whose work reshaped skylines and inspired generations.

Frank Owen Goldberg was born in Toronto in 1929 and later emigrated with his family to the United States, settling in Los Angeles, where he was raised. Working as a delivery driver while he studied at Los Angeles City College. Frank was inspired by his love of museums and art to study architecture. He later graduated from the University of Southern California's School of Architecture in 1954. Around that time, fearing the negative impact of antisemitism on his architectural career, Frank was persuaded to change his last name to ``Gehry.'' He moved with his family as he began his studies at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design but left the program before completion and returned to Los Angeles where his career in architecture began.

First working for Victor Gruen, the renowned Austrian American architect, and later the French architect, Andre Remonde, Frank quickly built his own unique design styles, and he returned to California. In 1967, he founded Frank Gehry and Associates in Los Angeles. His earliest designs included Santa Monica Place, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, the California Aerospace Museum, the California Museum of Science and Industry, and the Norton House in Venice, California. His designs combined imagination with civic purpose, producing buildings that were as much works of art as they were places for community life.

Mr. Gehry's daring and modern approach would later culminate in globally celebrated landmarks such as the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and the Walt Disney Concert Hall, cementing his reputation as one of the most influential architects of the modern era. Even in the later years of his life, he continued to devote his talents to projects in creative arts and fashion, including stores for Louis Vuitton and Bernard Arnault in Beverly Hills, California, and implementing the final touches on a 1,000-seat concert hall for the Colburn School of Music, right across the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Through these achievements, he inspired residents, policymakers, and artists alike to see architecture as a force for imagination and renewal. His ability to blend bold vision with functionality was extraordinary, and his legacy will endure in the skylines and communities he transformed. Mr. Gehry received numerous honors, including the Pritzker Architecture Prize (1989), the National Medal of Arts, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

In addition to these iconic works, Mr. Gehry dedicated significant time to pro bono projects and public service. He was the founder of Turnaround Arts: California, a nonprofit organization that expands access to the arts in under-resourced public elementary and middle

schools across California. In 2014, he began work with the LA River Revitalization Corporation to develop the Los Angeles River Master Plan, a groundbreaking restoration of the Los Angeles River to create green space for the communities and wildlife that thrive along its path.

In 2015, Frank designed the Children's Institute in Watts, waiving his design fee to support families who had experienced violence and poverty. He also designed the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) center, completed in 2021, which provides free instruments, music training, and academic support to students from disadvantaged neighborhoods. These projects exemplify his belief that architecture could serve not only as art, but as a force for equity and opportunity.

In his passing, Mr. Gehry is survived by his wife, Berta, and three children. I am thankful for the cultural contributions he made in Los Angeles County and his global design landscape that has centered architectural design to serve people. May his memory be a blessing to all who knew him.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the Men's Water Polo team from the University of California, Los Angeles. The Bruins Men's Water Polo team took home the 2025 NCAA Men's National Collegiate Water Polo Championship on December 7, 2025. UCLA defeated the Men's Water Polo team from the University of Southern California at the Avery Aquatic Center on the campus of Stanford University.

This year's championship secures UCLA's 14th national title win in program history. It also marks the 125th overall NCAA title win by a UCLA Bruin team in any sport.

The UCLA Men's Water Polo team should be proud of their achievement in earning the distinction of being national champions, amongst the more than half a million student-athletes who participate in NCAA events each

year. The team's championship season culminated in a thrilling 11-10 win against USC in the final match. With guidance from Coach Adam Wright, the team went on to improve their record to 103-94-1 all time in the series history.

I would like to congratulate the UCLA's Men's Water Polo team once again on winning the national championship for a second straight season, and I wish them the best of luck next season. This win is a special moment in the collegiate athletic careers of each individual UCLA player and marks an exceptional accomplishment and historical achievement for the UCLA community. Go Bruins.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life of Robert ``Bob'' Foster, a great public servant who passed away on November 30, 2025. Bob had a distinguished career in public service holding roles as a Senior California State Legislative Aide, a State University Official, and later as Mayor of Long Beach, California.

Bob was born in 1947 in Brooklyn, New York, and after being taught by his father, Ben, he took up a trade installing carpets in New York City. He was a hard worker who learned to work fast installing carpets in homes in the city, working alongside his father. Bob made the trek across the country to attend San Jose State University and through college he continued working in the flooring business to support his education.

After graduating in 1969, Bob was hired by the California State Senate where he worked on the Public Utilities, Transit, and Energy Committee. He took to the role so quickly that he was promoted to Chief of Staff of the Committee a year later. During his time working in the State Senate, Bob helped develop the first statewide energy standards, which would eventually create the California Energy Commission. After years in the legislature, Foster went to work at Southern California Edison, a utility company, eventually rising to the role of President of the Company in 2002.

Given his experience as a state university graduate and policy leader, Bob was appointed by former Governor Pete Wilson to serve as a member of the California State University Board of Trustees. While serving as a trustee, Bob taught briefly in the Department of Political Science at his alma mater, San Jose State. He used his experience as a policy leader and energy policy expert to help mentor students in his time teaching, passing on his knowledge just as his father did for him.

In 2006, Bob was elected as Mayor of the City of Long Beach and led the city through the tumult of the Great Recession. During that time, Mayor Foster helped the city tackle a budget deficit, helped the city reduce crime and tackled traffic and pollution challenges for the major city. Bob helped worked with the City of Long Beach and Habitat for Humanity on the Mayor's Build House, a home that was given to a low- income family in the city. Later, the city would rename its Civic Chambers in honor of Mayor Foster, a testament to the legacy of service he left serving Long Beach residents.

Though he retired from public service, Bob and his family never stopped doing what they could to serve those in need. Bob opened a program teaching architecture, construction and engineering skills at the ACE Academy at Jordan High School. He and his wife also created the James Foster Endowed Scholarship at Long Beach State University to honor their son and help students in need. Bob's goal was always to help teach and mentor those coming up in the world and to help those in need.

Bob is survived by his wife, Nancy, one of his two sons and three grandchildren. May his legacy of service continue to inspire the communities that he served.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the contributions of visionary philanthropist Meyer Luskin. For decades, Mr. Luskin and his wife, Renee, have been civic and philanthropic leaders supporting academic and social causes throughout Southern California. Today, the impact of the Luskins' wide-ranging philanthropic giving can be seen across the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles, at local public schools and at leading medical centers in Southern California. It is my honor to celebrate his legacy on the occasion of his 100th birthday.

Meyer Luskin came from humble beginnings. Born in 1925, he was raised on the Lower East Side of New York where he lived until he was fourteen years old. His family then moved to Boyle Heights on the East Side of Los Angeles, one of LA's most densely populated and historic neighborhoods.

In 1942, Meyer began his college education at the age of seventeen, traveling seventeen miles every day by streetcars and buses to attend the University of California, Los Angeles. He left following his first year to serve in World War II with the U.S. Army Air Corps but returned thereafter to complete a bachelor's degree in economics in 1949. To this day, Meyer emphasizes that his ability to return to college was because of a $30 scholarship he received, deepening his appreciation for philanthropy in support of higher education. After UCLA, Meyer went on to earn a Master of Business Administration degree from Stanford University in 1951.

Taking a risk, Meyer left his job as a stockbroker to found and develop Scope Industries, a company that was ahead of its time in recognizing the benefits of transforming food waste into profitable and useful resources. As a result, Meyer became a trailblazer in the recycling industry and served as company president, CEO and chairman over the course of his leadership. Alongside the growing success of Scope Industries, opportunities also grew for Meyer and his beloved wife, Renee, to pay forward their achievements.

The Luskins have played a transformative role in shaping UCLA's future through major philanthropic gifts focused on innovation, education and public service. In 2008, Meyer and Renee founded the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, an institute that develops ongoing programs focused on sustainable urban solutions including smart water systems, parklets, electric vehicle plans, solar power options and more. Their charitable commitment to the university deepened even further in 2011 with a transformative $100 million gift that established the Luskin Conference Center. UCLA renamed the university's policy school to the Meyer and Renee Luskin School of Public Affairs in their honor. This philanthropic donation by the Luskins reflected their belief in the institution's ability to tackle society's most pressing issues and foster effective collaboration across various academic and professional disciplines.

In 2019, the Luskins were awarded the esteemed UCLA Medal, the university's highest honor, in acknowledgment of their extraordinary contributions and lasting legacy. They were later named the Edward A. Dickson Alumni of the Year in 2020, another prestigious award for outstanding service to the university. Continuing their generosity, the Luskins made a historic $25 million donation in 2024 to UCLA's Department of History, marking the largest single donation to both the department and the Division of Social Sciences. Most recently, Meyer was a founding donor to the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, part of the new UCLA Research Park at the former Westside Pavilion, which aims to support groundbreaking medical research and treatments.

In addition to pivotal donations to UCLA, Meyer has been involved in the university community and beyond through multiple leadership roles. He currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, and the boards of the UCLA Luskin Center for History and Policy, and the Luskin Center for Innovation at UCLA. Meyer also serves on an advisory board to UCLA's Chancellor called the UCLA Second Century Council. Several of his past roles include Chairman of the Board of both the UCLA Medical Center and Orthopedic Hospital and the Orthopedic institute for Children, as well as a member of the UCLA Centennial Campaign executive committee and the UCLA Foundation board of directors.

The Luskins' philanthropic support extends across the greater Los Angeles area, including the backing of arts and cultural entities such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Center Theatre Group and many other organizations.

This October, Meyer Luskin reaches the age of one hundred years old. The decades of leadership and generosity that he and his wife Renee have shown have served countless residents of Southern California and beyond. Los Angeles County and its institutions are stronger because of Meyer Luskin's civic engagement and generosity.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the remarkable life and legacy of my friend Marc Saltzberg. He passed away peacefully on June 27, 2025, surrounded by his loving family following a prolonged battle with cancer.

After his retirement from a successful career in information technology, Marc dedicated himself to political activism. He became an integral member of local advocacy organizations, tirelessly supporting causes that he was passionate about. More than just a supporter, Marc sought to create spaces for open and thoughtful civil and political discourse within his community, fostering engagement at the grassroot level in ways that uplifted those around him.

Born in Chicago, Marc's journey took him to Carleton College, where he met his beloved wife, Nancy. Their shared passion for travel led them to countless adventures as a couple. In their youth, they hiked in Nepal, explored Turkey, and cycled in France. In later years, they returned to Turkey with their three children, Jenny, Alex, and Maria, as a testament to their lifelong sense of wonder and curiosity.

Marc's contributions to his community and to the causes he held dear are a true testament to his character. His commitment to the betterment of society was unwavering, and he and his family were committed to supporting organizations serving communities in need and environmental causes. Some of these organizations included Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union, Doctors Without Borders, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and many more. These causes reflected Marc's enduring belief in justice, compassion, and a better future for all.

Marc is survived by his wife Nancy, his children Jenny, Alex, and Maria, and his grandchildren. May his contributions to serving people in need live on through the people and organizations that he touched throughout his life.

Marc was a proud father, grandfather, and dedicated activist. His legacy of service and engagement will continue to inspire and guide many after him. May his memory be a blessing to all who knew him.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the City of Santa Monica, California.

This milestone marks one hundred and fifty years since July 14, 1875, when the town of Santa Monica was first mapped out and the initial plots of land were sold, following its co-founding by Senator John P. Jones and Colonel Robert S. Baker on July 10, 1875. Officially incorporated in 1886, Santa Monica has grown from a quiet coastal settlement into a thriving urban community.

Known affectionately over the years as the ``City by the Sea,'' ``Pearl of the Pacific,'' and ``Jewel of the Sunset Bay,'' Santa Monica has long been admired for its natural beauty, but its true strength lies in the spirit of its people from its early days as a destination for leisure and tourism to its role today as a growing center for art, culture, sports, technology, architecture, environmentalism, and more, Santa Monica continues to evolve dynamically.

This year, the city is marking its sesquicentennial with a series of community celebrations spanning July through December 2025. These events offer opportunities to reflect on the city's journey, honor its achievements, and acknowledge the complex history that has shaped it-- including the legacy of the Gabrielino/Tongva peoples, the original stewards of the land now known as Santa Monica. In October 2013, the City of Santa Monica dedicated a beautiful landscape in their honor called Tongva Park, located on Main Street across from city hall.

With a population of more than 90,000 residents, Santa Monica remains a place where people from all walks of life come together. As the city commemorates another year, I express my gratitude for the generations of residents, public servants, and visionaries who have contributed to its enduring success.

I wish a happy 150th anniversary to Santa Monica.

Mr. Speaker, in February of this year, Attorney General Pam Bondi went on national TV and told the American people that Jeffrey Epstein's client list was ``sitting on my desk right now.''

Why won't she release that client list?

Why won't House Republicans vote to release that list?

In fact, House Republicans are shutting down Congress early. Shortly after my speech, Congress is going to shut down until September because House Republicans want to avoid voting on releasing the Epstein files.

Why? I will tell you why.

The Wall Street Journal just confirmed that in May of this year the Department of Justice told Donald Trump to his face that he is in the unreleased Epstein files.

House Republicans are facilitating a coverup of epic proportions.

Release the Epstein files.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to amend the rule to make in order the amendment at the desk that protects against any cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.