Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, as a former prosecutor, I rise to state the obvious: President Trump committed obstruction of justice.

We have direct evidence that the President asked the FBI Director for loyalty. He demanded it. He asked the FBI Director to drop an investigation into Michael Flynn.

The President fired the FBI Director. Then, on national TV, he said he did it because of the Russian probe. Then he told the Russians in the Oval Office that he did it to relieve great pressure because of the FBI investigation. That is classic obstruction of justice.

The Washington Post today has a quote from one of the prosecutors of Watergate. He says: ``I helped prosecute Watergate. Comey's statement is sufficient evidence for an obstruction of justice case.''

I call on Special Counsel Mueller to investigate the President of the United States for violating the obstruction of justice statute, which is a felony.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life of the Honorable Anthony C. Beilenson--father, husband, grandfather, California legislator, and United States Congressman--who passed away on March 5, 2017.

Tony Beilenson grew up in New Rochelle, New York. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1957, he moved to Los Angeles to practice law in the film industry. Always striving to give back to the world and do as much good as possible, Tony decided to forgo his legal practice to serve the public and he was elected to the California State Assembly in 1962. In 1966, he continued his service to the people of California and was elected to the State Senate.

During his tenure in the California State Legislature, Tony worked hard to protect the environment and reproductive rights, and was respected by his colleagues regardless of party for his unparalleled collegiality and civility when working to address the most challenging issues of his time. He was widely known for voting and acting according to his thoughtful and well-informed conscience, which inspired his colleagues to eschew partisanship and elevate constructive discourse.

Tony continued his legacy of effective and impactful lawmaking when he was elected in 1976 to serve in Congress, representing parts of the San Fernando Valley, Thousand Oaks and Agoura Hills. He will forever be remembered for his landmark 1978 legislation that established the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, protecting part of Southern California's most treasured natural landscape for future generations to explore and enjoy.

As a Member of Congress, Tony fought hard to support environmental initiatives such as the Clean Air Act and securing funding for the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Refuge and Lake Balboa Park, which was renamed the Anthony C. Beilenson Park in 1998. He was a powerful advocate for reducing government waste and promoting efficiency. Tony's former colleagues share a deep respect for the integrity, class, and sensibility that he championed throughout his tenure in office.

Tony is survived by his wife, Dolores; his sons, Adam and Peter; his daughter Dayna; and nine grandchildren. I hope that his family will take comfort in the remarkable legacy that he established at every turn of his life as an accomplished public servant. May his memory be a blessing to us all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose TrumpCare. This legislation is a ``bigly'' disaster. TrumpCare will cause Americans to pay more for less health insurance coverage. It doesn't just affect the 20 million people who are now at threat of losing their health insurance. It affects all 156 million Americans under employer- based health coverage whose premiums will now increase because of the chaos that TrumpCare is causing in the health insurance markets.

I agree with Republican Senator Tom Cotton about once every 3 years. This is one of those times. We both agree that TrumpCare is a disaster and that the House Republicans need to start over.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life of Louise B. Gabriel--mother, grandmother, wife, philanthropist, author, and visionary--who passed away on January 10, 2017.

Louise lived her life to the fullest with great passion, humor, love and dedication to community. Born in Detroit, Michigan, she was one of eleven children. At the age of five, her family lost their farm in a fire, taking with it all of her family's possessions and cherished mementos. It was this experience of loss that instilled in Louise a desire to preserve history.

In 1946, she married Bob Gabriel, an Officer in the United States Navy. Together, they moved to West Los Angeles, and eventually made their home in Santa Monica, a community with ``the ocean and palm trees,'' that Louise loved. Together, the couple celebrated 60 years of marriage and worked to support the City of Santa Monica.

Louise Gabriel was a champion of local Santa Monica history, and dedicated her life to preserving the community's unique background. With her husband Bob, Louise helped bring the Santa Monica History Museum to life, an institution dedicated to the preservation of the history, art and culture of the Santa Monica Bay Area. For 27 years, Louise served as the museum's President and helped find the permanent home that it still resides in today. With the museum, Louise left a legacy that will live on for future generations to enjoy as they learn about the history of the Santa Monica Bay Area.

Louise overcame tremendous obstacles in her life without complaint by taking life one day at a time. As she was famous for saying, ``I cried about having no shoes until I saw someone with no feet,'' a motto her family continues to live by. She is survived by her children Susan Gabriel Potter, Robb Gabriel, Sharyl Gabriel Szydlik, her sisters Josephine Van Buren and Elaine Bruner, her sons-in-law Pat Potter and Joseph Szydlik, her grandchildren, and her many nieces and nephews.

Though we have lost a champion and advocate for Santa Monica, I hope that her family and friends take comfort in the way Louise lived her life as an accomplished and astounding woman. May her memory be a blessing to us all.

Madam Speaker, I will vote No on Roll Call No. 65, on H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2017.

Today, just two days after the 44th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling that protects the rights of women to control their own bodies, House Republicans have once again taken up a vote attacking the constitutionally-protected reproductive rights of women all across the nation.

As if this past weekend's Women's March on Washington (which was far more attended than President Trump's own inauguration) didn't signal anything to our elected leaders, President Trump took the GOP's war on women's rights and health a step further by signing an executive order reinstating the `global gag rule' and blocking foreign aid for international non-governmental organizations that provide basic reproductive health services globally. This decision not only increases abortion rates, it will cause more maternal complications, injuries, and unintended pregnancies and provide less information on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs worldwide.

Republicans continue their shameful, radical assault on women's reproductive health with today's vote on H.R. 7, a discriminatory bill that among other things would prohibit the use of federal funds to pay for any abortion services. Despite the fact that current law already requires that federal funds not be spent on abortions, this bill would prohibit individuals and small businesses from claiming tax credits for any private insurance plans obtained through the ACA Marketplace that include abortion coverage. Families buying their insurance in the Marketplace would also be ineligible to receive a premium tax credits if they enrolled in a health plan that covers abortion, likely resulting in no abortion coverage policies being offered in the Marketplaces. Furthermore, it undermines the District of Columbia's home rule, which allows D.C. to use its own Medicaid funds to offer abortion services. This is despite the fact that 17 states, including California, are currently allowed to do so.

Women should be able to make their own decisions about reproductive health care with dignity and respect, without the interference of politicians or their employers. We should not be in the business of telling women what they can and cannot do with their own bodies. Today's vote is just another step forward in the

Republican party's plan to Make America Sick Again and take away the comprehensive care women deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Tyrus Wong--father, artist, and an inspirational American-- who passed away on Friday, December 30, 2016.

Tyrus was born as Wong Gen Yeo on October 25, 1910 in Guangdong Province, China. A decade later, he and his father came to the United States in search of a better economic future. Forced to travel under the false identity Look Tai Yow, Tyrus and his father were able to overcome the obstacles of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 through luck and perseverance. They began in San Francisco, were separated shortly, but reunited and moved to Sacramento where his teacher Americanized ``Tai Yow'' to ``Tyrus''.

They eventually arrived in Los Angeles, where his father taught him art and trained him in calligraphy. While in junior high, Tyrus's drawing talent was recognized by a teacher who helped him receive a summer scholarship to the Otis Art Institute (located in my district) in Los Angeles. He found his calling and studied there for five years while working as a janitor before graduating in the 1930s.

Among friends, Tyrus founded the Oriental Artists' Group of Los Angeles to provide an opportunity for artists to exhibit their work, which was unparalleled exposure for Asian artists during that time. This group was dispersed, however, during World War II.

Before joining Disney in 1938, Tyrus was an artist for the Works Progress Administration from 1936 to 1938. Tyrus's moment came in the late 1930s when Disney started working on the now famous movie Bambi. Inspired by the landscape paintings of the Song Dynasty, he painted the masterpiece that Bambi became. While he was unofficially promoted to the rank of inspirational sketch artist, he contributed much more and influenced the movie from all aspects.

In 1941, Disney fired Tyrus after the employees' strike. From 1942, Tyrus was employed at Warner Brothers before he retired in 1968. In retirement, Tyrus continued to create art and was famous for building beautiful kites. He also created cards for Hallmark and painted Asian- inspired designs on dinnerware. As a testament to Tyrus's impressive work, Disney honored him in 2001 with the prestigious Disney Legend.

Tyrus is survived by his three daughters, Kay Fong, Tai-Ling Wong, and Kim Wong and two grandchildren. I hope his family can rest knowing his story is an inspiration for all Americans. I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing Tyrus Wong's incredible and resilient life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 720, the Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act of 2015, and in tribute to the bill's namesake.

On November 1, 2013, a gunman opened fire in Los Angeles International Airport, killing TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez and wounding three others before being apprehended. Mr. Hernandez's death was the first time a TSA officer had been killed in the line of duty since the agency's creation following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The tragic shooting at LAX jolted the city of Los Angeles and underscored the need to increase airport preparedness throughout the country. I believe the legislation we are voting on today is an important step in meeting that need.

H.R. 720 is a bipartisan bill that will direct the Department of Homeland Security to identify best practices for airport incident planning and to give necessary technical assistance to all airports under TSA's security supervision. The bill aims to verify that each of these airports have individualized working plans for responding to security incidents, including active shooters, acts of terrorism, and incidents that target passenger-screening checkpoints. The Department will be required to submit a report to Congress detailing its outreach findings so that Congress can continue its oversight role on this issue.

We owe it to Mr. Hernandez and his family to ensure that our airports are prepared and passengers protected. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 720.