Floor Statements

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

Madam Speaker, it is an honor to be on the floor of the people's House once again in support of this bill, as we hope to pass it out of the House. It passed in the 117th Congress, and I have great expectations that it will do so again.

H.R. 423, the Pala Band of Mission Indians Land Transfer Act, introduced by Representative Issa from California, will direct, as noted, the transfer of approximately 721 acres of land into trust for the Pala Band of Mission Indians.

The Pala Band is located in northern San Diego County with 918 enrolled Tribal members. Members of the Pala Band belong to the Cupeno and Luiseno Tribes, who were forced together by Spanish Franciscan missionaries during the 1800s.

The Pala Band recently purchased the property that includes the remaining portion of Gregory Mountain that is not on the existing Pala Band Reservation and other sacred and culturally significant sites in Gregory Canyon.

The land was purchased to protect and preserve Gregory Mountain, Medicine Rock, and other sites considered sacred by Luiseno Tribes.

Taking land into trust is an integral part of the government-to- government relationship between the United States and Tribal governments. By maintaining Tribal lands, Tribal governments can protect and preserve their ancestral homelands or sacred sites considered culturally significant.

This bill takes those 721 acres into trust for the benefit of the Pala Band to ensure that the sacred sites and cultural history located on those lands will be honored and appropriately safeguarded. As noted, it also stipulates that current land and water rights are not affected by its enactment, nor is there any effect on any rights-of-way or rights-of-use as currently permitted.

Madam Speaker, I would point out that the two bills we are considering on the floor today have significance beyond the acreage that is being transferred. As noted earlier, the United States has moved from an era when it systematically pushed Native Americans off their ancestral lands through treaties that were broken, as we heard about in the bill we considered earlier, into ever-smaller territories of reservation land.

There was an effort to try to destroy Tribal culture and ``kill the Indian to save the man.'' It has taken far too long, but Congress has finally recognized that Tribal nations will not and cannot be vanquished out of existence and that previous policies were pushing our indigenous nations and Tribes into extreme poverty.

The 1934 Indian Reorganization Act recognized that allowing Tribes to reacquire land and place it into trust was key to the future prosperity of Tribes and essential for them to maintain the culturally significant areas that are central to their identity, religion, and beliefs.

It has not been an easy path forward since then, but Congress has repeatedly adopted laws that also recognize and strengthen Tribal self- governance and sovereignty. Today's bills are continuity of this recognition.

Madam Speaker, I take this moment to thank Chairman Westerman for bringing these two bipartisan bills to the House floor for passage in the first few weeks of our legislative business in the people's House.

I often note that the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs, previously known as the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States, is some of the most bipartisan work in the House. It is extremely important work that we do for millions of Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians, who rely on Congress to act consistent with the trust responsibility we owe Tribal nations and peoples.

Congress must legislate on issues regarding criminal jurisdiction, health, and education funding, and so much more. Each Member of this body represents Native Americans, and many of us represent one or more of the 574 federally recognized Tribes. In some districts, like mine, they represent a significant portion of the population. In many districts, Tribes are major drivers of the economy.

Approximately 56 million acres of land are held in trust for Tribes and individuals, and they are proud stewards of the natural resources on those lands.

Last week, one of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle belittled this important congressional work by calling it similar to naming post offices. Such a statement does not recognize the importance of our work in Congress on Tribal issues.

In contrast, Chairman Westerman's presentation of these bills today demonstrates his commitment and leadership on Tribal issues. Once again, I thank Chairman Westerman for recognizing how important our work is for Tribal nations and peoples.

Madam Speaker, I support this bill. I thank Representative Issa for bringing it once again to Congress and the floor of the House, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Issa for that great summary of the importance of this land to the Pala Band, and the fact that we will actually probably see some economic benefit because they know how to be good stewards of the land. They know what they are going to be doing with the land, rather than letting it sit in the condition it does now.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 91.

Mr. Speaker, I absolutely denounce the brutal and Communist regimes of Castro, Maduro, Stalin, and other dictators in the whereas clauses of this resolution.

But, sadly, instead of spending our precious moments in the people's House expanding opportunity for hardworking Americans, supporting ranchers, farmers, and rural communities, lowering healthcare costs, and strengthening Social Security and Medicare, we are spending hours, actually days in pure political theater.

In the Rules Committee, when I offered Mr. Takano's amendment to clarify that this resolution does not also condemn Social Security, Medicare, and veterans' health benefits, Republicans blocked it.

Yet, I still know that our love and respect for our veterans, seniors, and retirees will always guide our work to ensure they receive all the benefits they have earned. I will not stray from our obligation to create prosperity, hope, and a future everywhere in America.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Grijalva and Ranking Member Obernolte, as well as Majority Leader Hoyer and others, for working to bring this and several other commonsense bills serving Indian Country to the floor today.

Though I think most folks are already in the holiday cheer, it was just a couple of weeks ago, in November, that we celebrated Native American Heritage Month.

Last November, we were able to consider a number of bipartisan Tribal bills under suspension of the rules in recognition of this commemorative month and in honor of Tribal communities across this country.

We must not only recognize and commemorate Native Americans, but we must act in Congress to reaffirm Tribal sovereignty, Tribal self- determination, and our own trust responsibilities to the Tribes.

So, even though we are a couple of weeks off this time, I am thrilled that we could again dedicate House floor time to Tribal nations and communities. It is my hope that we can continue this tradition in the 118th Congress and beyond.

I stand here today in support of S. 314, the Klamath Tribe Judgment Fund Repeal Act. As Chair Grijalva noted, and Representative Obernolte seconded, we considered this bill in our committee in order to right a historical wrong.

We heard directly from the Klamath Tribes' chairman about what this bill means to him and his people, and the importance of enacting it to finally truly acknowledge their self-determination and Tribal sovereignty.

Upon enactment of this bill, we will finally provide control of the Klamath Tribe Judgment Fund to the Tribe in recognition of its important role.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. Speaker, this bill does acknowledge the long and painful history of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians in this country. I support S. 789 because it moves us one step closer to recognizing and remembering that painful history but then addressing it by removing from our statutes that which is so ugly, harmful, and painful.

This bill repeals those outdated and offensive legislative provisions that robbed Native American populations of their dignity and their sovereignty for decades. In New Mexico, we are keenly aware of the damage inflicted upon Native youth and families by so-called reform schools, coercive policies around work, and countless other forms of mistreatment.

Legislation like S. 789 reminds us of that painful history. But we cannot only acknowledge historical wrongs. We must do the work to make things right. I am pleased to voice my support for this bill and look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues from both parties to fulfill the Federal Government's full trust and treaty responsibilities.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Madam Speaker, I thank Chair Grijalva for keeping the vision alive of educating our future leaders that will bring to us the solutions and resolutions of conflict issues around Native American self-determination and so much more.

We feel the Udall Foundation's impact across our country, and certainly in New Mexico, from the Halls of Congress to environmental conflict resolution to our universities and students. In fact, New Mexico's very own Congresswoman Stansbury is a Udall Foundation alum, and over 255 American Indian and Alaska Native interns have worked in more than 60 congressional offices thanks to the foundation.

This bill from Chair Grijalva will ensure that the Udall Foundation can continue to implement its valuable mission and work for years to come. I thank Chairman Grijalva for keeping this vision alive.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the hundreds--no, thousands of DACA recipients and Dreamers who inspire us every day with their art, resiliency, and strength.

Their stories of success, hope, and dreams are the stories of our country and those who truly believe in the American Dream.

Last week, I went to the Kennedy Center, one of the world's most prestigious performing arts venues, here in this very city, to see the Ballet Hispanico.

There, I saw Hugo Pizano Orozco, an artist, a dancer, and a Dreamer. He is a constituent of mine from Espanola, New Mexico.

Hugo and his family are originally from Guanajuato, Mexico. He came to the United States before he was 2 years old.

After moving from Mexico to Espanola, he fell in love with the art that is dance. He attended the New Mexico School for the Arts, which is a very prestigious school in New Mexico dedicated to the arts.

But like many others, his future remained uncertain because of his immigration status. As a senior, he didn't know if his DACA status would be granted.

Once it was finally approved, though, he applied and was accepted to Juilliard, one of the world's most prestigious performing arts schools. Today, he is a renowned dancer and on tour with Ballet Hispanico.

I have a picture of him here because he does inspire with his art form. He inspires me. He soars across the dance floor at the Kennedy Center.

I was moved, so I asked him for his permission to highlight his story, his inspiration to our community and to America of what our Dreamers can do when we let them live their dream, when we let them accomplish what they are capable of doing in our beautiful country.

His story reminds us of the inspiring stories of thousands of Dreamers across our country. His family brought him to the United States in search of a better life, and he found his American Dream.

His story reflects the best of us and what the American Dream is truly about: hopes and dreams for a better future. Like so many others, his story inspires me, gives me hope, and is why I stand here today.

He soars from New Mexico and graces America with his stunning performances, but we find Dreamers in every State and every community.

I want to echo his words today. He said: ``Don't think because you are from a small town in New Mexico, you can't go out there and do the thing you want to do.''

We need to remember that small places can do big things. Yes, small places can do big things.

Our Dreamers come from all walks of life--small towns, big cities, the rural areas, suburbia, everywhere. They believe they could do more, and with DACA they have done more.

Like Cindy Nava, a fellow New Mexican who came from Chihuahua, Mexico, seeking a better life. Now, as a 35-year-old, she is actually the first-ever DACA recipient to achieve a presidential appointment to work in the Biden administration as a senior policy advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. She now works for Marcia Fudge.

Hugo and Cindy are two of the more than 5,000 DACA recipients who make New Mexico a more vibrant place to live.

None of this would have been possible if we didn't have DACA. With the recent court rulings, however, DACA is in immediate danger. We need our Senate Republican colleagues to rise to the moment.

We passed out of this House in the spring of 2021 the American Dream and Promise Act. We now need the Senate to act and work with us to pass bipartisan legislation before the end of the year because it is now or never for our Dreamers.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Garcia).

Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Garcia. We know that Americans want DACA to be codified. They want our Dreamers to live here.

Indeed, in the United States we know that a bipartisan poll conducted in October 2022 found overwhelming support,

Democrats, Independents, and Republicans all support this. Democrats support it at 93 percent, Independents at 75 percent, and our Republican neighbors, they also support it at 71 percent.

This needs to happen. This needs to happen for us to truly live up to the promise that we could be.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is holding this Special Order hour. I welcome all of my colleagues who have come to speak before us here today.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Ruiz), the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, who has come with his two daughters, to share with us his thoughts on Dreamers.

Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Ruiz for bringing Sky and Sage to the floor of the House today, because as we look at these beautiful, intelligent, curious children--and curious is one of the best things to be, you know, because that means you are curious about the world around you--they are the age of many of our DACA recipients who came with their parents. Their parents made the choice and the children came with them. This is the only home many of the DACA recipients have ever known.

What have they done in this home?

They have brought so many of us joy. They have helped make our schools vibrant. They are caring for our children, for your children, as doctors, teachers, nurses, and accountants. They are in all walks of life. Some of them choose to go into accountancy.

We have the stories here, numerous, from every State and every district, of those who chose to apply for DACA protections.

Right now we know that because of the Fifth Circuit decision that declared DACA unlawful, that these hundreds of young Dreamers and families are afraid for their futures. We must act.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa).

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for bringing us the story of such bravery and sacrifice, because across this country Dreamers are participating in every single aspect of our lives, whether it be defending our country in the United States or abroad.

They are firefighters. I have a story here of an amazing firefighter who is from Sacramento, California, and was one of the first Dreamers who became a firefighter. He has now moved on and is pursuing additional studies so that he can pursue a career in health to serve as a PA.

We know that in so many of our areas, we don't have enough doctors and nurses and PAs and nurse practitioners and, yet, this Dreamer is engaged in that very area of study.

Over and over again, if we deny the Dreamers their ability to continue to contribute to our country, we will suffer, whether that be in the area of health, as we just heard from one of our speakers, from our chair, or the area of the arts, or as the numerous teachers, the numerous Dreamers have chosen as their area of expertise and their way of giving back to teach our youngest.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Garcia) to share with us what he knows is happening in Illinois with the numerous Dreamers that live in both his city and in his State.

I thank the gentleman for sharing the economic impacts of DACA recipients because we need to highlight that; that any opposition to the American Dream and Promise Act is not based on the benefits it brings to our country because the economic benefits are amazing, so I appreciate the fact that the gentleman raised it.

The gentleman said how much taxes are paid. Households with DACA recipients pay $5.6 billion in Federal taxes and $3.1 billion in State and local taxes every single year. They create lots of after-tax income that leads to economic activity in the communities that they come from.

In fact, the importance of DACA and our Dreamers is so great that on October 20, 80 major businesses and trade associations wrote to congressional leaders in support of a bipartisan American Dream and Promise Act. The letter was signed by, among others, the National Association of Manufacturers, the National Retail Federation, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Microsoft, Amazon, and many, many more because we know that Dreamers are essential to our economy.

What would happen if we let DACA die? If we let DACA die, an average of 1,000 Dreamers will lose their jobs each week in labor markets already experiencing shortages, such as healthcare, education, service industries, food production, and more because they would lose their jobs as their ability to renew would disappear. So every week, we would lose that.

It is like a drum, a drum, a drumbeat toward financial trouble when we already need to address the need for more workers in our country. We would lose the benefit that they develop for our economy; $400 billion in economic benefit if we pass the American Dream and Promise Act, because we need to say, we are not just trying to save DACA, we actually want DACA to end because we are going to replace with the American Dream and Promise Act. We are looking for the American Dream and Promise Act because that ends DACA the way it should; not by death to a core that doesn't understand the benefit of this, but to the codification to give our Dreamers the path to citizenship they deserve.

That is why we are calling upon the Senate. We are asking to have-- all of the Democrat Senators presently support the American Dream and Promise Act. So what we are looking for is 10 Republican Senators to join with the Chamber of Commerce, to join with the trade associations, to join with the people across this country, to join with their own constituents, with their own constituents.

I think we need to remember the amount of Republicans who supported the Dream and Promise Act in the 1970s. It is what our constituents want us to do. It is what the Senate constituents want them to do, from whatever State you are in.

We must ask the Senate to take action now. Let's codify this. Let's not punt down the road any more times. Let's actually pass the American Dream and Promise Act. Everybody wants it because we know without it, the consequences are dire.

I also want to remind everybody that many of these Dreamers are in mixed-status households, as we say. The Dreamers live with their children, if they are old enough, who are citizens; they live with spouses who may be citizens and legal residents; and they provide for the families at the same time that they are providing for our communities. They are providing for their families.

They come from many, many countries, not just Latin American countries. If you will notice up here, I cannot read it, but Koreans-- we have many, many DACA recipients who speak Korean.

We have DACA recipients who speak all of the different languages of our world because they come from the many countries of our world to the United States. They have been brought here; and, once here, we have to remember the Dream and Promise Act has been introduced time and time again.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, DACA, was put in place as a placeholder so that we could pass the American Dream and Promise Act. The placeholder is calling upon us now to act. The placeholder must be replaced with the American Dream and Promise Act so that our children, those who will lead us up and will lead great lives in our community can find that path to citizenship.

So that is what we are asking our colleagues in the Senate to do. We sent you this bill months and months ago. You saw this bill in the 115th, 116th, and 117th Congress, and now it is time to pass it; now or never because we cannot wait. We cannot wait for the courts to act because Congress' duty is to act. Our duty is to see a problem and take action to correct it.

In Jeremiah 29:11 God's plan for us is not to suffer, but to have prosperity, hope, and a future. Our job in Congress is to create that prosperity, hope, and a future. This bill, the American Dream and Promise Act, has accomplished that plan to create prosperity, hope, and a future for those who have come and lived in our communities from the youngest of age. So, we call upon the Senate to act.

On behalf of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, I am proud to stand with my colleagues who stood here and spoke in favor of passing the American Dream and Promise Act because, make no mistake: The DACA program is the result of the failure of Congress to live up to its obligation to create that prosperity, hope, and a future.

We need the DACA kids to continue their education. We need those who have been in this country from a very young age to be able to assert and have the protections of those who are presently enrolled in DACA.

Dreamers have been raised and educated here. They work in our communities. They raise their families. They attend our colleges. They serve in our military. They die for the country and the home that they have known.

We now ask Congress, we ask the Senate Republicans to hear those dreams and to pass the American Dream and Promise Act in whatever vehicle it must be. We urge them to consider including it in the omnibus, to include it in the NDAA, but to pass it.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this Special Order.

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

Mr. Speaker, I was not present on December 2, 2022 during the Roll Call No. 500 vote, H.R. 8876, the Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate a hero.

Yesterday morning, the city of Gallup and all New Mexicans lost a leader and patriot when Corporal Hiroshi ``Hershey'' Miyamura passed away.

Corporal Miyamura volunteered to serve in the Korean war after his defense of our country in World War II. The call of service is one that a select few among us choose to answer. He chose to answer it twice.

In 1951, he fought a barrage of enemy attacks that threatened his company, engaging in hand-to-hand combat. He singlehandedly held the line, giving his squad time to reach safety. He would spend the next 27 months as a prisoner of war.

Corporal Miyamura was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service, only learning of his achievement upon his release in 1953. He was the second-to-last living Korean war Medal of Honor recipient. Now, his passing reminds us of the sacrifices our veterans make to defend our Nation.

Madam Speaker, we will remember him and miss him. Most of all, we will always honor him.

Madam Speaker, today, I rise for students. Today, I rise for teachers and doctors. Today, I rise for nurses. I rise for those who care for our youngest and those who care for our elderly and disabled.

Today, I rise and ask for bipartisan support for the Dream and Promise Act. I rise for those who have been in our country and have contributed so much.

I rise for our economy because we know that the Dreamers, if we lose them, we lose half a trillion dollars of economic benefit for our country.

If we lose our Dreamers, our labor force will be decimated because we rely and depend on them. They pay $5.6 billion in Federal taxes and $3.1 billion in State and local taxes each year.

If the Senate does not take action and pass the Dream and Promise Act, we will lose our Dreamers and all that they contribute to our United States of America, which we love.

Madam Speaker, I ask for everyone to reach out to their Senators and encourage them to support those who have given so much to our country.

Madam Speaker, I thank Chair Lofgren for the hard work that she and her cosponsor, Representative Cheney, have done on this bill.

I rise today to safeguard a simple yet sacred pillar of our democracy: The candidate who wins the election takes office. Only the voters' votes count. It will not be overturned by our Vice President or any State officer or any threats of political violence, threats, intimidation, and lies. We cannot let violence undermine over 200 years of a peaceful transfer of power in this country.

I rise today to safeguard the rights of every American to have their will reflected in those public servants lucky enough to serve them.

We must not forget January 6. Our Republican colleagues fighting this bill seem to forget that January 6 was a violent day of action. We must pass this bill so that we do not have a repetition of that.

Today, I will vote for the Presidential Election Reform Act to fulfill a hopeful future for our country. American democracy is the best answer to fulfilling our Constitution's promise of inclusion for everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, creed, or economic circumstance.

A truly inclusive democracy that helps everyone thrive is a constitutional promise we can and must make a reality.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the last remaining Navajo Code Talkers. They are the definition of strength and honor in the face of adversity. To represent Navajo Nation in Congress is a privilege. It means representing a place where culture and values thrive from the heart.

Eighty years ago, when our country needed heroes, 29 young Navajo men answered. As World War II raged on, they took their heart language of peace and harmony to create a single indigenous language code. Hundreds more Navajo men fought for our freedoms in the war as well. At Iwo Jima in particular, they encoded, transmitted, and decoded without error hundreds of messages. Their service was key to the Allied Victory in the Pacific Theater.

Today, I am honored to share the stories of the three remaining Code Talkers:

Thomas H. Begay, 94, is originally from Chichiltah, New Mexico and currently resides in Window Rock, Arizona. He enlisted at age 16 and served in the United States Marine Corps. Upon his original enlistment, Mr. Begay was unaware of the secret program for Navajo speakers. He served on six combat missions from 1943 to 1946. He was honorably discharged on July 23, 1946 after serving in the 5th Signal Company, 5th Marine Division; 27th Marine Regiment, and 5th Marine Division.

John Kinsel, Sr., 98, is from Lukachukai, Arizona and served in the United States Marine Corps. He enlisted at the age of 18 and was honorably discharged on January 1, 1946. Mr. Kinsel Sr. was awarded the purple heart on April 11, 1989, for wounds suffered in action at Iwo Jima on March 2, 1945. He also received the congressional silver medal in 2001 for his service as a Navajo Code Talker.

Peter MacDonald, Sr., is from Teecnospos, Arizona and joined the United States Marine Corps at the age of 15. He served from 1944 to 1946 in the 6th Marine Division. His service took him overseas to the South Pacific and North China. He also received the Congressional Silver Medal for his service. Beyond his military service, Mr. MacDonald served as Chairman of the Navajo Nation from 1971 to 1983 and 1987 to 1991.

Today, we offer our gratitude and admiration for these three remaining Navajo Code Talkers and their families. I have no doubt that the world as we know it would not be the same without them. Their stories remind us of our commitment to fight for our democracy. Because of them we all walk in freedom.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life of Mr. Samuel Sandoval, a Navajo Code Talker of World War II.

In 1922, Mr. Sandoval was born in Nageezi, New Mexico. At just 16 years old, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and joined other Navajo servicemembers in the fight for freedom and liberty. He endured five combat assignments including at Bougainville, Guadalcanal, Guam, Okinawa, and Peleliu. He was highly decorated for his actions throughout the campaigns. In fact, Mr. Sandoval was the person who received and decoded the message of Japanese surrender on August 15, 1945.

Mr. Sandoval's devotion to service and his community continued long after World War II. He became a certified substance use counselor to restore harmony to the lives of many of his kinsmen from his military service. He worked to preserve Dine Bizaad, the heart language of the Navajo people, and to emphasize the Navajo language code's impact on the country.

At 98 years old, Mr. Sandoval served as the Vice President of the Navajo Code Talkers Museum Corporation. He pushed for the realization of a museum to showcase and honor the code and the culture of Dine.

Mr. Sandoval and his wife, Malula Sandoval, raised 11 children. On July 29, 2022, Samuel Sandoval--warrior, teacher, and motivator--drew his last breath and passed away.

May we all give thanks for his service and honor his legacy.

Madam Chair, I thank Chairman Grijalva and everybody who has worked to bring this bill to the floor today.

A historic drought has forced ranchers in our parched Eastern Plains to sell their cattle early.

We don't collect and share data about our precious water resources with the ranchers, Tribes, and farmers who need it most.

Four brave firefighters lost their lives battling wildfires across my beautiful State. Five more people died in the fires and the floods from the burn scars. Today, I honor each of those nine souls and their grieving friends and family.

The Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act is like a gentle monsoon rain falling on our thirsty landscape. It brings real solutions to these problems.

It includes my Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon fire bill to compensate those who lost their ancestral homes, businesses, and ranches when the Forest Service started not one but two fires that became an inferno of destruction. These fires scorched 534 square miles of land in Mora, San Miguel, and Taos Counties.

When I visited the burn scar, Brandon Bustos, a third grader evacuated from his beloved village, said: ``Mora will be back. I guarantee it.'' He has not given up on his future. Neither have I, and neither have any of us who will vote for this bill because this bill will help Mora rebuild.

It will pay firefighters a minimum wage that is necessary because they risk their lives for us. It will invest in burn centers of excellence and the science, technology, and data sharing we need to build resiliency and make every precious drop of water count because agua es vida.

Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote for the bill today.

Madam Speaker, as we mark National Latino Conservation Week, I rise to celebrate the resiliency of the people of Las Vegas, Mora, and the surrounding New Mexico communities. Since April, the Forest Service-caused Hermit's Peak Fire and Calf Canyon Fire has ravaged the area. I am proud to join my resilient community to celebrate our combined strength and capacity to recover during challenging times. The Hispano heritage of this area is a strength we will rely on to heal.

Now in its fourth month, the fire has burned over 340,000 acres and become the biggest

wildfire in New Mexico's history. It forced thousands of New Mexicans to evacuate and burned hundreds of homes and structures. Make no mistake, the negligence of the U.S. Forest Service caused this fire, and the federal government bears responsibility for the cost and the damage. I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their support of my legislation to fully compensate affected residents and businesses, which passed through the House last week.

After the fire ignited, hurricane-force winds and an historic drought enabled the wildfire to strengthen and spread dangerously quickly. It destroyed places where I, and so many others like me, grew up and explored; places where we gathered wood and tended to our acequias; places where we buried loved ones and practiced our faith; places where we raised our children; places where we hunted and fished; and places of cherished memories. Yet, my hometown of Las Vegas and the communities in Mora and San Miguel counties, and our other dear neighbors continue to persevere despite devastating destruction. Hispano, together with Indigenous and Anglo families, have been stewards and conservationists of these lands for centuries, and they will not give up on their lands now.

There is one common thread among the countless people I've talked to and their stories of loss and heartache: resiliency. Residents bravely defended their land, honoring shared ancestors. Families and neighbors from across the community opened their doors to one another in a beautiful, shared sense of New Mexico community. Firefighters and first responders risked their lives to save others. We honor their sacrifice along with those who donated their time, resources, and money to help those forced from their homes.

Our land, water, culture, and communities will endure despite the catastrophic wildfires and ongoing floods. Our faith in each other remains unbroken. Our traditions remain unbroken. We remain unbroken.

I draw strength and determination from our shared commitment to protect the natural, cultural, and recreational resources that make these areas so beautiful. We will Rise from the Ashes and, as we have done for generations, continue to fight for what we love.