Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, let me first commend Ranking Member Raul Grijalva for fighting the good fight every day.

I rise today to oppose the polluters over people act. It is an extreme MAGA Republican bill that will increase pollution by lowering environmental standards. It will increase climate change by removing a lot of provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act designed to combat climate change. It also increases the deficit.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, it will increase the deficit by over $2.4 billion just on one bill alone. It is like a triple threat of badness. It increases pollution, it increases global warming, and it increases the deficit.

Now, let's just take a review of what we have done up to now. Last term when Democrats were in control, we passed laws that moved the American family forward.

We passed the American Rescue Plan that got our economy back on track as we were coming out of a pandemic.

We then followed that up with the infrastructure law to rebuild roads, bridges, and highways; to take lead out of water pipes; and to put broadband everywhere from rural areas to inner cities and everywhere in between.

We then followed that up with the CHIPS and Science Act. That is going to bring manufacturing back to the United States.

Then we followed that up with the Inflation Reduction Act, which not only helped reduce the deficit--Democrats reduced the deficit by over $1.7 trillion last year--but that Inflation Reduction Act also had the highest number of climate change projects and the highest amount of climate change funding in world history.

This term when Republicans took control, what did you all do? Well, let me tell you. You read the Constitution on the House floor. You took turns doing that. You also held not one, but two congressional hearings complaining about Twitter.

It is more than just stupid stuff. Extreme MAGA Republicans are trying to pass extreme MAGA Republican bills like H.R. 1 that is going to, again, increase climate change, increase pollution, and increase the deficit. It is also a monumental waste of time, because guess what? This bill ain't going anywhere.

It is not going to pass the Senate, because you need to override a filibuster. That ain't gonna happen.

Even if it miraculously does pass the Senate, the administration has already signaled they are going to veto it. We are just wasting time here when we should be focused on more relevant issues like how do we prevent gun violence at schools.

My heart goes out to the victims of the tragic mass shooting yesterday in Nashville. Three of the victims were 9-year-old children. Recently, a member of the Republican Caucus from Tennessee was asked what we are going to do to fix school violence.

His answer was: We are not going to fix it.

Well, Democrats have a different view. Instead of wasting time on political stunts like H.R. 1, let's pass universal background checks into law.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate Dr. Michael Allen, who passed away on February 25, 2023, in Santa Monica, California. He was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather and a distinguished professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Michael Allen was born on April 1, 1941, in East Sussex, England to Frederick ``Jack'' Allen and Ena Muriel Allen. As a young boy, Michael excelled in school, becoming one of the top students at his grammar school and eventually enrolling at Wadham College, Oxford University. After receiving his Bachelors and Masters degrees at Oxford, Michael made his way to the United States, teaching at Ohio University. In 1970, he received his doctorate at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he also met his wife, Elena. That same year, Michael received a job offer to serve on the faculty at UCLA.

Michael quickly distinguished himself as a professor and scholar. While his teaching focused on the range of English literature from the Anglo-Saxons to Milton, his research focused on the philosophical, theological, and mythological issues raised by fifteenth century Italian Platonists. Throughout his time at UCLA, Michael served as a faculty lecturer with the UCLA Travel Study program. He also took on many leadership positions at UCLA and wrote or edited approximately 21 books. By the time he retired in 2012, Michael had received many prestigious honors, including the Eby Award for Undergraduate Teaching, UCLA's top teaching honor.

Michael dedicated his life to academia and his family. He was a sought-after lecturer, enthralling audiences with engrossing lectures and discussions on philosophical and literary topics. He inspired generations of UCLA students as he made past worlds and perspectives come alive through his lectures, courses, and books. He loved hiking, botany, cooking, traveling, literature and most of all, his family. Michael was an inspiration to so many people and touched so many lives with his intellectual curiosity and love of storytelling. His loss will be felt by his friends, family, and the many communities he has affected.

Michael is survived by his wife, Elena; sister, Patricia; sons, Ben and Will; daughters-in-law, Claudia and Melanie; three grandchildren, and a dog. May his memory live on in his many contributions to his community and family.

Mr. Speaker, last term, when Democrats were in control, we put people over politics and passed a bipartisan infrastructure law to rebuild your roads, bridges, and highways; to take lead out of water pipes; and to put broadband internet everywhere, from rural areas to cities, suburbs, and everywhere in between.

This year, when Republicans took control of the House, what did they do? They spent the enormous resources of their committee staff and the time and attention of their Members to hold not one but two hearings complaining about Twitter. They also took turns reading the United States Constitution on the House floor.

How does that help you, the American people? It doesn't. But it is worse than that.

Republicans are actually trying now to pass extreme bills that are going to actively harm American families. This week, we are going to vote on a bill that is going to make it easier for books to be banned at schools. It is also going to violate the privacy rights of students. If your child, unfortunately, has an eating disorder or is cyberbullied or is harassed or bullied, that information is going to have to be posted on a public website that the school has. Every other student and every parent is going to know that this is happening at the school. That is an outrageous violation of privacy.

Let me tell you about the amendments that Republicans rejected when Democrats tried to make this extreme bill better. Here are some amendments the Republicans rejected.

Republicans voted no on an amendment to remove lead pipes from schools.

Republicans voted no on an amendment to ensure kids had access to healthy meals.

Republicans voted no on an amendment to help keep firearms out of schools.

Republicans voted no on an amendment to prevent schools from monitoring students' menstrual cycles.

Republicans also voted no on an amendment to prevent the censorship of the teaching of the Holocaust.

This extreme bill is going to do horrible things to students' privacy, and it is going to increase books that are banned at schools.

In addition to doing stupid stuff and trying to pass extreme bills, Republicans have now gone on a rampage about what the Manhattan district attorney is doing without even knowing what the purported charges are or what the grand jury evidence is.

What if the evidence is overwhelming? What if it is rock solid that an American by the name of Donald Trump committed crimes? How do Republicans know? They don't.

Do you know what else they cannot explain? When Trump's former attorney, Michael Cohen, was arrested, indicted, convicted, and went to prison for participating in an illegal hush money payment scheme to Stormy Daniels, not a single Republican leader complaining now said a thing about what happened to Michael Cohen.

They cannot explain why they are holding Donald Trump to a different standard. Michael Cohen served prison time for participating in an illegal hush money payment scheme to Stormy Daniels.

In America, we should apply the same standard to all Americans. No one is above the law--not the former President's enablers, not the former President's attorneys, and not the former President himself.

Let's let law enforcement do their work. Let's let the judicial process do its work. Let's wait to see if there are going to be any charges, what those charges may be, and what the evidence is.

A jury or judge will get to hear this evidence, and the American people will see it. The prosecution will have to show beyond a reasonable doubt what their evidence is.

Let me conclude with this: Every American, including Donald Trump, is entitled to the presumption of innocence in a court of law, and that presumption will also be applied.

Let's apply the law equally, the way our Founders wanted it to be done.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate Mr. Joseph Eskenazi, a decorated United States Army veteran living in California's 36th Congressional District who was honored at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans for his service. As the Nation's oldest living U.S. Pearl Harbor survivor, Joseph celebrated his 105th birthday on January 30, 2023.

Joseph Eskenazi was born on January 30, 1918, in New York. At the age of 7, Joseph and his family moved to Puebla, Mexico. Though he spent many of his formative years in Puebla, Mr. Eskenazi returned to New York in 1936 and he enlisted in the Army in 1938. In 1941, Private First Class Eskenazi was stationed at the Schofield Barracks as a member of Company C of the 804th Engineers. On the morning of December 7, 1941, Joseph witnessed the bombing on Pearl Harbor and lost a friend as a Japanese plane strafed their barracks. When his captain in the 804th Engineers Battalion sought volunteers to help clear debris, Joseph raised his hand without hesitation and drove a bulldozer, while avoiding gun fire, to clear the railroad tracks to allow other soldiers to move equipment and repair damage to the Hickam Airfield.

After the war, Joseph traveled back to Mexico, where he met his wife, Victoria Faradji. They moved to Redondo Beach. California, and Joseph worked at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Joseph assisted with the design of the runways at LAX. Throughout this time and after retirement, Joseph and Victoria followed their passion for travel, sharing many trips abroad together. They were happily married for 74 years.

At the age of 95, Joseph's military history was recognized, and he was invited to participate in local Veterans and Memorial Day events. With the assistance of the Gary Sinise Foundation's Soaring Valor Program, Joseph made the train ride from Los Angeles to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. Surrounded by family and local residents, Joseph and eight other veterans were celebrated and honored in a ceremony for their service in World War II. Joseph's oral history of his service was added to the National World War II Museum's archives.

I want to thank and recognize Joseph for his years in the service to our Nation, and to communities in Southern California. His heroic actions during World War II and the life of service he has lived is an inspiration to our country.

Mr. Speaker, when Democrats were in the majority, we passed a bipartisan law to rebuild our roads, bridges, and highways. We passed a bipartisan law to make sure that our schools remained open. We passed a bipartisan law to bring manufacturing back to the United States, and we passed a bipartisan law to help our Nation's veterans. Unemployment is now at the lowest rate in over 50 years.

Republicans gained control of the majority last month. What is one of the first things that they did? They held a hearing on Twitter.

Let me repeat that again. House Republicans used the awesome power of the Federal Government, the committee staff resources, and the time and attention of their Members to hold a congressional hearing about Twitter.

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

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

Mr. Chair, this amendment would create an exception allowing for a drawdown of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve if the Secretary determines that the drawdown would result in a net profit for the United States.

Let me tell you what this is all about. I can summarize this debate of the last 2 days into one sentence: Joe Biden lowered your gas prices, and Republicans are upset about it.

That is what this is about. Joe Biden lowered your gas prices last year, and that makes Republicans mad.

How do we know? They said it out loud. The gentlewoman from Georgia earlier this morning just said that Joe Biden lowered your gas prices for political reasons.

I don't care why the President lowers your gas prices. If any President can lower your gas prices, we should support that President's action.

If prices surge later this year, if gas prices surge again, Joe Biden should be able to use the tools at his disposal and lower your gas prices again. We should be giving the President even more flexibility to use the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to lower gas prices.

Joe Biden lowered your gas prices, and Republicans want to keep him from doing that again.

We don't want to stop the President from lowering your gas prices. We want Joe Biden to lower your gas prices again if he can do that.

There is another reason this Republican bill is so stupid. Not only did Joe Biden lower your gas prices, but the United States of America made a profit on it. Buy low, sell high. It was brilliant what Joe Biden did.

He released the Strategic Petroleum Reserve at a time when gas was high, and that helped lower gas prices, and then he refilled it at the lower amount. The U.S. made $4 billion on Joe Biden's action.

Republicans always want to say: Let's run government like a business. Joe Biden did exactly that when he lowered your gas prices and then made a $4 billion profit for the United States of America.

Adopt my amendment, which would make this stupid bill better, and then vote against this bill.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

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

Mr. Chair, this amendment would limit oil and gas leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf if the leases would harm marine mammals.

Not only does the Republican bill keep Joe Biden from lowering your gas prices, it also is going to harm marine mammals. I rise today to try to improve this terrible underlying bill.

What this would do is it would prevent harm to marine mammals if my amendment were adopted. Currently, House Republicans are continuing their attacks on our public lands and public waters.

The U.S. is already the world's top producer of oil and gas, and the fossil fuel industry already has large portions of land that they are not using to drill. Of the over 26 million acres of public lands that fossil fuel companies control, half are unused.

As a co-chair of the California Coastal Caucus and a Member representing the beautiful Los Angeles County coastline, I know that my constituents and I want an end to all offshore oil drilling, not another expansion.

In October 2021, an estimated 126,000 gallons of crude oil spilled into our waters off the coast of Huntington Beach. This harmed our beaches, wildlife, and coastal communities.

Oil spills continue to be one of the greatest perpetual threats to our coastal communities and marine life. We simply cannot allow an expansion of offshore oil drilling.

We need to continue to build on the work of the 117th Congress to drive us toward true energy independence through renewable energies and new technologies.

Mr. Chair, I ask for adoption of my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Offered By: Mr. Lieu

Amendment No. 61: Page 2, line 11, insert ``and any

drawdown that the Secretary determines will result in a net

profit for the Federal Government'' after ``(d)''.

Offered By: Mr. Lieu

Amendment No. 62: Page 3, line 9, strike the closing

quotation mark and the final period.

Page 3, after line 9, add the following:

(4) Marine mammal protection.--The plan required by

paragraph (1) shall not include oil and gas leasing in any

tract located on the Outer Continental Shelf if oil and gas

leasing of such tract would adversely impact any marine

mammal.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor the life of Dr. Willie James Epps, who passed away on December 27, 2022. A Former Director of the East St. Louis Campus of Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (SIUE), he was a nationally recognized expert in early childhood education. Born on January 26, 1946, Dr. Epps was raised on a farm in Tchula, Mississippi, the poorest town in the nation's poorest county. His parents, Jonas and Nancy Ellis Epps, though literate and landowners, had never gone to college but insisted their children pursue higher education. Dr. Epps attended racially segregated schools, graduating in 1963 from Tchula Attendance Center, which the town's white leadership denied designation as a high school. Majoring in elementary education, he graduated from Mississippi Valley State University in 1966, having worked part-time as a custodian.

He then moved to Biloxi, Mississippi, where he taught sixth grade at Perkins Elementary School, the city's only primary school for Blacks, comprised of 400 young children and 30 teachers. At Perkins, he met Barbara Bacon, a 1966 graduate of Alcorn State University, who taught fourth and fifth grade. The two married at King Solomon Baptist Church in Natchez, Mississippi, on August 12, 1967.

While earning a master's degree in elementary education at the University of Southern Mississippi, Dr. Epps served as Lexington Elementary School's principal in Lexington, Mississippi, before being promoted to assistant superintendent of the Holmes County School System. In 1970, he joined the faculty of Alcorn State University for a couple of years, before heading off to Kansas State University to pursue a Ph.D., which he was awarded in 1974.

In the mid- to late-1970s, Dr. Epps worked at the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in Washington, D.C., and as a faculty member at both Mississippi Valley State University and the University of South Alabama. After being recruited to the St. Louis region in 1980, he was associated with SIUE for more than two decades. Dr. Epps initially was director of the National Science Awareness Demonstration Program and later was named director of the University's Head Start Program in St. Clair County. On behalf of the University, he applied for and received about $15 million annually from state, federal, and private grants.

Dr. Epps assumed leadership of the East St. Louis Campus in 1994, retiring in 2001. During his administration he presided over tremendous growth, including the creation of SIUE East St. Louis Charter School, and securing $27 million for a new facility. Dr. Epps served as vice president of the Greater East St. Louis Community Fund, vice chair of the Logan College of Chiropractic Board of Trustees, and a member of the Education Commission of the States' Policy and Priorities Committee. He was a member of West Side Missionary Baptist Church. Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., and Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge.

He received numerous awards and honors, including Region V Outstanding Head Start Director of the Year from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Outstanding Leader of St. Louis from the Center for Leadership of St. Louis, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award from SIUE, and an Illinois State Senate Recognition on his retirement.

Prior to struggling with poor health, Dr. Epps founded Southern Research Associates and became an educational consultant to historically Black colleges and universities. He was a dynamic public speaker, traveling throughout the United States to speak at educational conferences and traveling abroad to consult with educational leaders in South Africa and China.

He also visited the Netherlands, Belgium, and France, among others. He was an avid fisherman and hunter. He loved playing the slot machines on the riverboats. Watching sports on television with family and friends was a favorite pastime.

Surviving are his wife of 55 years, Dr. Barbara Bacon Epps, who retired from SIUE in 2001; a son, Hon. Willie J. Epps, Jr., a federal judge who married Mischa Buford Epps; a daughter, Beatryx Epps Washington, General Counsel of O.C. Tanner based in Salt Lake City, Utah, who married Vincent D. Washington; three grandchildren, Gabriela Washington, Cambridge Epps, and Solomon Washington; two sisters, Dr. Fannye Epps Love and Dorothy Epps; and a brother, Sam Epps. His parents, Jonas and Nancy Ellis Epps, and siblings George Ellis and Alice Mae Epps Watson, predeceased him.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the women's soccer team from the University of California, Los Angeles. They took home the 2022 NCAA Division One National Championship on the 5th of December. UCLA defeated the women's soccer team from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina.

This year's championship is the program's 2nd national championship and 120th overall NCAA championship earned by a UCLA Bruins team in any sport.

The team should be proud of their accomplishments, becoming the first team ever to win the national championship after being two goals down. The team's perseverance allowed them to bring the game to overtime in the final seconds of regulation. While just over three minutes into the second overtime period, UCLA scored the winning goal taking the lead in dramatic fashion. With Coach Margueritte Aozasa, the Bruins have become the first women's soccer program to win the championship with a rookie coach in NCAA history.

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

Madam Clerk, I rise today to nominate Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker of the House.

Vote after vote, Democrats stand united and ready to work on behalf of the American people under the leadership of Hakeem Jeffries.

Vote after vote, nomination after nomination, Democrats are united, just like we were united when we passed the American Rescue Plan to get our economy back on track; united when we passed the infrastructure law to rebuild America; united when we capped insulin at $35, passed historic gun safety legislation, and passed the PACT Act to help our Nation's veterans; united when Democrats passed the CHIPS and Science Act to bring manufacturing back to America; united when Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act to reduce our deficit and protect our environment. Democrats are unified to tackle the climate crisis while Republicans are mired in their own leadership crisis.

Madam Clerk, House Democrats are ready, willing, and able to get to work for the American people. We will do so under the leadership of Hakeem Jeffries, who has a plan for the American people. Therefore, as vice chair of the Democratic Caucus, I am directed by the vote of our Caucus to present

for election to the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 118th Congress, Representative-elect from the State of New York, Hakeem Jeffries.

Madam Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life of Dr. Chen Ching Ying, who passed away on October 2, 2022. He was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather and an outstanding leader for the professional world of medicine.

Chen Ching was born on May 6, 1930, in Qingdao, China, to Mr. Gua Ying and Mrs. De Zhen Li. After graduating from the National Defense Medical Center in Taipei, he served for 10 years in the Taiwanese military. After two years of service as a general medical officer, Chen Ching completed his residency training in Pediatrics for three years at Taichung Hospital.

Following the completion of his residency in 1966, Chen Ching became a staff physician at the Taipei Veterans General Hospital. On May 6, 1967, Chen Ching married his wife, Lily Fan. In 1968, their first son, Steve, was born. Chen Ching soon began studying for the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates and passed the infamously difficult exam. In 1972 their second son, Alan, was born. In 1973, Chen Ching began his internship in Internal Medicine at the University of Miami in Miami, Florida. After various residency programs, Chen Ching obtained his license to practice medicine and was able to settle down with his family in Ohio. His life is an excellent example of achieving the American dream.

Chen Ching dedicated his life to the medical profession and his family. His upbringing and life in Taiwan brought forth an ethic of perseverance and service. With 63 years of experience under his belt, Chen Ching proved to be an essential asset to the medical world. While his passion for treating and healing patients drove him. Chen Ching was known for his love of family and a passion for table tennis, history and music. He was loved by so many people and touched so many lives with his giving spirit and caring heart. The loss of Chen Ching will be felt by his friends, family, and the many communities he has treated and served.

Chen Ching is survived by his sisters, Lai-Ching and Ching-Ehr; brother, Chen-Zhe; and sons, Steve and Alan; and his grandchildren. May Chen Ching's memory live on in his many contributions to his community and family.

Madam Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life of Mr. Ernest Saul Cowell, a longtime community member and veteran leader in California's 33rd Congressional District, who passed away on July 26, 2022 at the age of 95. Ernest passed away after a short battle with lung cancer with his loving wife, Patricia, by his side and is preceded in death by his daughter.

Ernest was born in Los Angeles in 1927 to Ernest and Beatrice Cowell and was raised in San Francisco. At the age of 16, with his mother's permission, Ernest joined the United States Army and served in the Pacific Theater with the Army Infantry as a Private First Class. Ernest was on active duty during the Korean and Vietnam Wars and was a former Prisoner of War. He was honorably discharged on November 3, 1946, then served in the Army Air Corps reserves until September 11, 1949. Following his discharge from the Army, Ernest served in the United States Navy Reserve from March 15, 1950, to October 2, 1982, and retired a Lt. Commander from the Inactive Reserve in 1984. Ernest received several medals and citations during his service to our county, including the Bronze Star with ``V,'' two Purple Hearts, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Korean War medal.

After World War II, Ernest attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he received his bachelor's degree in Business in 1950. Ernest later obtained his master's degree and a certification in Urban Planning. Ernest began his career by working for an international lighting company, then later developed and managed his own company, Lighting Designs Inc., where he provided architectural lighting designs for residential, commercial, and institutional properties. During his career, Ernest was invited to lecture on architectural lighting at

Madam Speaker, in the first 15 months of the Joe Biden Presidency, over 8.3 million jobs were created, the most in U.S. history.

For the last 6 weeks, because of the relentless efforts of the White House and of Joe Biden to reduce gas prices, those gas prices have fallen every day for 6 weeks. That is because Democrats are focused on putting people over politics, and we want to lower costs, have better paying jobs, and safer communities.

What are Republicans focused on?

They want to end Social Security; they are attacking our democracy; and they want to criminalize women's healthcare decisions.

In fact, just last week, House Republicans voted ``no'' on providing access to birth control pills. Let me just repeat that again. We are in the 21st century, and House Republicans want government to ban birth control pills.