Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Maci Reed, the 4-year-old girl from Pima, Arizona, who was swept away by flood waters and tragically passed away this month.

Words cannot express the heartbreak and devastation of losing a child, and Maci's loss is one that will be felt throughout her community. I wish the Reed family strength and peace during this immensely difficult time.

In the wake of this tragedy, I am heartened to see an outpouring of love and support from countless in the community. I encourage every Arizonan to continue to show kindness to their neighbors.

I also urge everyone to prioritize safety above all else during the monsoon season. My wife and I are keeping Maci's family, loved ones, and the entire Pima community in our prayers as they mourn her passing.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately, on July 20, 2021, I was unable to vote on the Motion to Recommit for H.R. 2668, the Consumer Protection and Recovery Act. Had I been present, I would have voted against the Motion to Recommit.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately, on May 13, 2021, I was unable to vote for H.R. 2877, the Behavioral Intervention Guidelines Act of 2021. Had I been present, I would have voted in favor of H.R. 2877.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

I rise today to join my colleagues to honor National Police Week. I became a police officer when I was very young--20 years old. Many of the calls I responded to still stand in sharp relief in my memory.

Today, as we honor the many who have fallen while serving our communities, I first want to talk about a couple of friends of mine, Sergeant James Severin and Patrolman Tony Rizzato. They were my friends and colleagues who were killed by snipers as they were participating in a walk and talk program, an exercise designed to help police better get to know the communities they serve.

I think of my dear friend, Erwin Jackson, a patrolman, who just months before Severin and Rizzato had passed away, had saved my life while we were arresting a man wanted for murder. Erwin was killed in the line of duty while his partner attempted to disarm an offender with a gun. Their losses have left indelible marks on me.

Now as a Representative for Arizona's First District, I have known the pain of losing the hardworking men and women serving our State. Just before I started my first term in Washington, Show Low Officer Darrin Reed was killed in a hostage altercation attempting to save the life of a 15-year-old girl from her captor.

His loss shook an entire Arizona community and is a testament to his service and his kindness. I remember talking to his family at his memorial.

In February of last year, we lost White Mountain Apache Officer David Kellywood in the line of duty. On the day we laid him to rest, blue and black ribbons and American flags lined our State highways.

The loss of too many good officers working on the front lines this past year has left unbearable empty chairs at kitchen tables across our States and families that are suffering.

The officers I work with in Arizona's First District are kind, honest men and women who were drawn to service for the sake of others. At the end of the day, their names are too great to count and the sacrifices they have made too many.

As we honor this week, we also recognize the changes that must be made to our policing system to ensure that those who have sworn to protect and serve are held to the highest standards, and we, as Congress, must help with that.

We must rebuild broken trust between police and our communities and work in bipartisan ways to do so.

That is the type of police I worked with, many of us have, and we want to see that those officers who are participating in that type of community continue to work.

As a former officer, a member of the bipartisan Law Enforcement Caucus, and the sponsor of several bills to reform policing and better keep our communities and our officers safe, this week is not one I take lightly.

We must continue to honor the good, honest officers who have laid down their lives in the line of duty. We must also work toward equal rights, justice, and treatment for all Americans in our criminal justice system. Those goals can go hand in hand if we put aside our differences and work together.

Above all, today, we mourn and remember all those we have lost and hope that our words will offer comfort to their families.

As we keep close in our hearts the loved ones of our fallen officers, we also think of the families across our Nation who have lost loved ones to senseless violence.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately, on March 17, 2021, I was unable to vote for H.R. 1651, the COVID-19 Bankruptcy Relief Extension Act of 2021. Had I been present, I would have voted in favor of H.R. 1651.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Rena Ann George, a beloved resident of Winslow, Arizona, who passed away last month.

In 2019, my staff and I had the privilege of visiting Rena and her husband, Herbert, at their home in Winslow. During this visit, I spoke with Rena and Herbert about the impacts they experienced over the past four decades as a result of their forced relocation following the 1974 Navajo-Hopi Land Settlement Act.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to meet with the George family, learn about their life, and see some of Rena's beautiful arts and crafts.

Throughout her life, Rena dedicated herself wholeheartedly to her family, her many communities, and her arts and crafts business.

Her kindness, warmth, and hard work have made a profound impact on her community and her loved ones.

Pat and I are keeping Rena's family, friends, and the entire Winslow community in our prayers as we mourn her passing.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Colorado for yielding me the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of H.R. 803, an important package of public interest land protections.

Within this comprehensive legislation is the Grand Canyon Protection Act. Tomorrow, the Grand Canyon celebrates 102 years as a National Park, making a century of welcoming visitors from all over the country and the world, to this First District and to America. It is recognized as one of the world's greatest natural wonders.

There is no doubt that this is a special, sacred place that must be protected. That is why my colleagues and I introduced the Grand Canyon Protection Act, commonsense legislation, that would permanently ban uranium mining around the Grand Canyon.

It was stated no one is mining near the Grand Canyon. There is a mine six miles right outside the South Gate.

Somebody stated that there is nothing nearby that would impact the Grand Canyon. There are 500-plus abandoned uranium mines just outside the Navajo Nation, and just outside the East Gate of the Grand Canyon, and numerous streams and creeks and washes run from the east land into the Grand Canyon.

The Grand Canyon is the base of a $1 billion-a-year tourism industry for the Northern Arizona region.

Rural and Tribal communities throughout Northern Arizona are still grappling with the toxic waste that has been there for over almost--I should say, 80 years--80 years it has been there and caused health problems. Too many Tribal families in our district continue to fight the cancers and the disease caused by radiation exposures over those decades.

Expanding uranium mining in the area would not only aggravate these serious health conditions and risks, but also make the Colorado rivers susceptible to uranium mining pollution. Currently, the river and nearby aquifers are the main water source for over 12 million people in the Colorado River Basin.

Above all else, the Grand Canyon is a place of deep spiritual significance to many Native communities in the southwest, a home to the Havasupai Tribe. We must protect these lands for those who know them as sacred.

Also, in today's package, are measures I have championed, including the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Boundary Modification and the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument Boundary Adjustment.

In a typical year, the Casa Grande Ruins attracts tens of thousands of visitors; but more importantly, it also is a sacred place and the past home of the Hohokam irrigation projects throughout the southern part of Arizona.

This boundary modification will also ensure that the San Carlos Irrigation Project has access to critical irrigation infrastructure.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said, ``There is nothing so American as our national parks. The fundamental idea behind the parks is that the country belongs to the people, that it is in the process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us.''

I don't understand how we could stand here and say that we should not protect one of the greatest national wonders of the world.

Over the course of this pandemic, we have seen just how vital our treasured public lands and outdoor spaces have become for families across this country. An opportunity to get outside and celebrate what it is to be an American.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of former Navajo Nation President Albert Hale, who lost his battle with COVID this week.

Years ago, Albert and I served together in the Arizona House of Representatives, working on water issues and fighting to uphold Tribal sovereignty. As the second elected president of the Navajo Nation, Albert Hale taught me so much about the Dine people, their culture, and their long-overlooked struggles.

In this body, we are no strangers to the suffering the Navajo Nation has endured throughout the course of this pandemic--and still is. Forced to wait months for CARES Act funding to arrive, Navajo families were often at the epicenter of this global pandemic, several times experiencing the highest per capita infection rates in the world.

As a Congress, we must, once and for all, commit ourselves to discontinuing the shelving of Native American issues and concerns. I know that is what Albert Hale would have said.

We must wholeheartedly devote our efforts to serving all Americans equitably and come together reinvigorated to pass legislation to meet our obligations.

Today, I think of Albert's passing with a heavy heart for many reasons. I am saddened to lose his friendship and guidance, his smile, his sense of humor, and his sense of caring for his fellow Navajo and American people. And I am frustrated to see yet again that the community he fought to uplift continues to be left behind. Too many Dine mothers, grandfathers, neighbors, and friends have fallen to this deadly disease.

Since coming to Congress in 2017, I have strived to bring the voices of all 12 sovereign Tribal nations in our district to the discussion table in Washington. Today, I recommit myself to fighting for their needs and honoring their unique stories, as Albert Hale did during his time with us.

My thoughts are with the Hale family and the entire Navajo Nation as we mourn Albert's passing. His work, his light, and his mission will not be forgotten.

And I can't stand here today and not say that one of my last conversations with Albert was about COVID.

I am so sad that he and many other people who have died from this dreaded disease have not been able to be with their loved ones as they have passed away, or their friends. I am saddened that I didn't know at that time that Albert would have been stricken with this terrible virus. But we do know Albert would say to us, Please continue to fight the fight for the American people.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of David Snider, a constituent, a colleague, and a friend who passed away late last month. In every role, he dedicated himself selflessly and tirelessly to his community.

I was honored to spend years working together on our State's water conservation and management issues. Water is the lifeblood of the Southwest, and David helped ensure that families across our great State had access to clean drinking water.

David wore many hats, but the one that jumps out is his two terms as Pinal County Supervisor. His efforts helped to keep Arizona on track during the drought that still exists, and his plans and expertise have helped us form important multi-State water agreements.

I know David's legacy will live on. My heart is with the Snider family and the entire Casa Grande community as we mourn his passing.

Madam Speaker, I rise tonight in opposition to the objection.

Madam Speaker, as a nation, we have endured trying times and overcome many challenges, and now we face an unprecedented effort to ignore the will of the American people and the people of Arizona. Given the facts and the unprecedented events of tonight, this effort must be finished, and America can be united again. That is going to take leadership.

We are all leaders.

We are elected to be leaders. And if we are going to do that, we have to do it from respect to others, the idea that truth is important, that factual content is important, that we are going to tell the American people what is going on in this country and not what we hope they hear from a 30-second sound bite.

I used to be a homicide investigator. My job was to follow the facts, develop a case, make decisions and recommendations based on where those facts led me. Following the process means that decisions cannot be made on rumors and innuendos alone.

I am proud to say that Arizona has used mail-in voting for over two decades. Both Republicans and Democrats

have long been proud of how our State has administered elections.

In 2020, over 65 percent of eligible Arizonans voted, a record number. Our Republican Governor, Republican attorney general, Democratic secretary of state, and our State's election administrators and volunteers worked with integrity to administer a fair election.

We saw turnout increases in both Republican and Democratic areas, and, in fact, more Republicans registered in this election than any other party. I am proud that many of our Tribal, rural, and underserved communities voted in record numbers, all during a pandemic. In 2020, Arizonans made their voices heard.

The fact is, multiple Federal and State judges, agencies, and State elected officials concluded the winner was Joe Biden.

In Arizona, this process was administered and overseen by officials from both parties. Election officials conducted random, hand-counted audits of many precincts that confirmed there were no errors that would change the result of the election.

The fact is that the Republican chairman of Maricopa County, the largest Republican county in the State, the biggest population county, stated: ``More than 2 million ballots were cast in Maricopa County, and there is no evidence of fraud or misconduct or malfunction.''

He concluded: ``No matter how you voted, this election was administered with integrity, transparency, and in accordance with State laws.''

The fact is, the President, his campaign, and several Republican-led groups filed eight election lawsuits, all of which were dismissed. The Arizona Supreme Court, a body where all justices have been appointed by Republican Governors, unanimously dismissed the case.

The justices found that the party had ``failed to present any evidence of `misconduct,' or `illegal votes' . . . let alone establish any degree of fraud or a significant error rate that would undermine the certainty of the election results.''

After these judicial rulings, the Governor said: ``I trust our election system. There's integrity in our election system.''

The fact is, Joe Biden is the certified winner of Arizona's 11 electoral votes. Arizona's elected and appointed officials from both parties followed the facts and came to this conclusion. I urge my colleagues to do the same.

To my colleagues across the aisle, I know we may disagree on who we want as President, but what we personally want is not what matters here. Rather, the people's influence, as reflected in the certified electoral college results, is what matters. Facts matter.

Undermining faith in our election process by attempting to mislead the American public only serves to weaken us and make us vulnerable to foreign actors who do us harm. For the good of our country, this must stop. Now is the time to come together to preserve our democracy and to protect our national security.

I know my constituents are looking to Congress to move past its divisions, find common ground, and pass legislation to improve the lives of struggling families. We must stay focused on fighting the pandemic. We must work to ensure all Americans can be vaccinated as soon as possible so we can save American lives, safely reopen schools, get people back to work, and visit loved ones again. I urge my colleagues to follow this.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Nadler and Ranking Member Collins for moving this bill through the Judiciary Committee. Similarly, I thank all the committee members for supporting the bill on a unanimous voice vote.

This legislation has the bipartisan and bicameral support of the Arizona delegation.

This simple, commonsense legislation allows current Federal judges to sit in existing courthouses or magistrates' chambers in Yuma and Flagstaff, two rapidly growing communities where constituents do not have full access to the Federal judicial system.

By allowing existing judges to sit in Yuma and Flagstaff, residents of rural Arizona will not have to travel the significant distances they currently do to Phoenix or Tucson to be heard by a judge.

This will mean that police officers can spend more time on patrol and that individuals won't have to travel to serve on juries or participate in matters that require a judge.

Easier access to courthouses will help Tribal nations that are under significant Federal jurisdiction. This will only further support Tribal sovereignty.

This legislation is a simple way to improve life for residents of rural America, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1569.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay respects to a hero and a warrior. William Tully Brown, one of the last surviving Navajo code talkers, passed away earlier this month at the age of 96.

The code talkers were a group of brave soldiers who used their native tongue to create unbreakable codes in the battlefield and to transmit messages during World War II. They participated in every major Marine operation in the Pacific Theater, saving hundreds of thousands of lives.

I was saddened to hear of the passing of another decorated hero from this important group.

William was born in Black Mountain, Arizona, in 1922, and enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1944. During his service, he received many military honors, including the American Campaign Medal and the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal.

We must never forget William Tully Brown and all code talkers for their service to our country and our veterans' service to their country.

Madam Speaker, on May 28, 1894 Percival Lowell arrived in Flagstaff, Arizona Territory and officially began operations at his new astronomical observatory. This was one of the first permanent scientific establishments in the western United States and one of the most storied centers for scientific research and outreach in the world. As we celebrate Lowell Observatory's 125th anniversary this year, we not only look back to honor its rich heritage, but also look ahead to a future in which the sky is not the limit but the starting point.

Percival Lowell was the scion of a Boston Brahmin clan steeped in the traditions of public service and community leadership. His siblings alone included brother Abbott Lawrence, president of Harvard University for 24 years, and Pulitzer-Prize-winning poet Amy. Percival Lowell established his observatory initially to study Mars and the possibility of intelligent life there. He transcended science into pop culture by writing several popular books and lecturing widely. His provocative ideas triggered much discussion and debate--both within and outside of scientific circles--about extraterrestrial life. This standard set by Lowell to not only carry out research but to share the wonder and awe of space with the public led to the observatory's dual mission of research and education.

Some significant contributions made at Lowell Observatory:

V.M. Slipher detected the first evidence of the expanding universe in 1912.

Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930.

At the urging of Lowell scientists, Flagstaff enacted the world's first dark skies ordinance in 1958. This laid the path for future regulations that culminated in the community's designation as the first International Dark Sky City, in 2001.

Flagstaff continues to serve as a model for dark skies protection.

The second class of astronauts, the so-called ``Next Nine'' that included Neil Armstrong, and Jim Lovell, visited Lowell Observatory in 1963 to learn about the lunar mapping efforts going on here. This was part of a training exercise in northern Arizona that proved an important step in preparing the astronauts for their missions to the Moon.

A team of scientists, including many from Lowell, discovered the rings of Uranus in 1977.

Using observations with several research instruments, including Lowell Observatory's Perkins Telescope, Vera Rubin and Kent Ford confirmed the existence of dark; matter in 1978.

A team of scientists, including many from Lowell, discovered Pluto's atmosphere in 1988.

Lowell scientist Will Grundy served as a team leader on the New Horizons mission's 2015 exploration of Pluto. This mission returned stunning images of the only planet in our solar system discovered in the United States.

Today, scientists at Lowell use a variety of ground-and space-based instruments for research--including Lowell Observatory's flagship Discovery Channel Telescope, one of the most versatile telescopes in the world. Meanwhile, the visitor program welcomes more than 100,000 guests per year and in the fall will complete construction of the Giovale Open Deck Observatory, the first stage of a multi-year master plan that will greatly increase the observatory's educational reach.

In recognition of Lowell's heritage of science, education, culture, and history, the observatory was designated a Registered National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service in 1965 and identified as an Arizona Treasure in 2005 by Governor Janet Napolitano. In 2011 Time magazine named it one of ``The World's 100 Most Important Places.'' Also, Astronomy magazine Editor Dave Eicher recently nicknamed Lowell Observatory ``America's Observatory'' because of its ``unique combination of astronomical history and famous discoveries''.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a selfless hero and warrior, Mr. Fleming Begaye, Sr., a Navajo code talker. He served our Nation during World War II and passed away last week in Chinle, Arizona.

He served with his fellow marines from 1943 to 1945 in the Battle of Tarawa and the Battle of Tinian, some of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific theater. He was wounded serving our Nation.

Mr. Begaye returned home and became a businessman and farmer in Chinle, where he raised his family.

We must never forget the service of these brave code talkers. They sacrificed so much for our Nation.

My prayers are with Mr. Begaye's family, and I know he has been reunited with his sweetheart, Helen.

Mr. Speaker, today, I join my colleagues to remember and honor a true patriot and someone I was honored to know and call a dear friend, Jerry Emmett.

Jerry lived a long, full life beyond reproach. She was dedicated to serving Arizona. She was a teacher for more than four decades. She was a passionate advocate for the rights of women and underrepresented groups. I mourned with our State when she passed away last month at the age of 104.

Jerry inspired people from every corner of Arizona and across the Nation, and that will be her lasting legacy.

I am in awe of what she has seen and what she has accomplished in her lifetime. She witnessed history unfold, from the suffrage movement to the nomination of the first female President candidate.

At the national convention, the world saw Jerry as we all in Arizona knew her, full of life and zeal, and she proudly represented Arizona for such a historic moment.

I will never forget the wisdom she shared with me over the years. She was truly an inspiration to all of us, and I never left her side without learning something important.

We come together today to mourn her passing but also to remember all she has done for our State. My prayers are with her family and with all the admirers and students she shaped and inspired over the years.

I will leave you all with a lesson she shared with her son Jim: No matter what is going on at the time, as long as you keep hope and you keep believing things will change and you are doing your best to help change, it will change.