Floor Statements

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

Mr. Chairman, local communities that have the most at stake when it comes to the forest in their backyards deserve their voices to be heard. As someone who lives in a national forest and has worked to review and provide feedback on proposed forest plans, I can assure you that these documents that guide the direction of individual national forests for years are, in fact, a major Federal action.

My firsthand experience is why I propose that we strike the language of section 801 of the bill before us. Section 801 proposes that forest plans not be considered major Federal actions under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. If this were to become law, local input would be reduced. We should be looking for ways to increase local buy-in, not undermine it.

In addition, section 903 proposes to modify the determination of extraordinary circumstances so wilderness protections and the protections of the Endangered Species Act do not have to be considered. This is a dangerous provision and allows our bedrock environmental laws to be ignored.

My commonsense amendment would simply remove these concerning sections that allow bureaucrats to make major decisions without considering all the facts. Mr. Chairman, I encourage all my colleagues to support my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the fact that there are many items within the bill that do allow for the issues to be addressed. But taking this part of the bill and understanding that, when our national forest plans are put forward, we are part of it--I live in the national forest. I have watched three fires outside my front window. I have lived through watching, time and time again, the ramifications of not addressing these issues appropriately.

I was co-chair of the Arizona Forest Health Oversight Committee for 3\1/2\ years and have been addressing forestry issues for 20 years. Mr. Chair, I just simply believe that, when it comes to wilderness areas and other areas of major concern, we should not disregard it.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am opposed in its current form.

Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill it or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, schools and counties across rural America are facing a funding and economic crisis. It has now been over 2 years since Congress has failed to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools program. This is beyond unacceptable.

Schools and counties across rural America are facing a funding and economic crisis, and the reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act will go a long way to helping ensure children get the education they need to achieve success in today's economy.

Across my district, I have heard families, teachers, and school administrators in forest counties tell me about the dire straits schools will be in if SRS is not reauthorized.

In Greenlee County, in eastern Arizona, the school superintendent shared with me that if the county doesn't see SRS dollars, they will have to close the school that provides special education services. This is after the school has already gone through major changes to save money.

Across rural Arizona, schools face issues with access to technology and the educational opportunities that came with them. Reauthorizing Secure Rural Schools will allow more schools to develop innovative educational opportunities.

In Yavapai County, where they are using distance learning, schools can share teachers. Making sure that students don't miss opportunities because they live in rural America is the right thing to do, and reauthorizing SRS will better enable coordination and support for students.

Mr. Speaker, the people of rural Arizona and America are tough and innovative, but the simple fact is that they need resources to keep schools open and educate children. It is past time that we reauthorize SRS, and I call on my colleagues to do so today.

Across rural America and rural Arizona, the need for infrastructure is only growing. In Gila County, a bridge is needed to make it safer for residents to cross a creek. SRS funding would make it possible for the county to make a greater contribution to get the project completed.

If we are serious about passing a bipartisan infrastructure plan, it is critical that we make sure that local communities can begin planning. Reauthorizing SRS would allow that to happen.

Nationally, there are 720 counties and 4,400 school districts that depend on Secure Rural Schools for education, as well as other critical services and programs, like law enforcement and infrastructure.

Rural America is ready for a renaissance, but for it to happen, we need to make sure that folks have equal access to opportunities in school and in the workforce. That means that we need to guarantee that schools have the resources that they need to educate our children and achieve their potential. That means we need to make sure that communities have infrastructure that supports local economies and keeps people safe. That means we need to make sure that rural Americans have a fair shot.

Mr. Speaker, I call on my colleagues to support my commonsense amendment on behalf of kids across rural America.

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

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, I am opposed in its current form.

Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, increasing accountability and transparency across our government is a shared principle we can all agree on among this body. Whether at the VA or other Federal agencies, the American people deserve to know that Federal officials from the top down are being held to the standards we expect of them.

We owe it to our veterans, to our seniors, and to the hardworking American taxpayers to ensure that their tax dollars are utilized appropriately and efficiently, as intended. Waste, fraud, and abuse, have no place at our agencies, and those who help uncover it deserve our admiration and our protection.

I am proud that we are coming together to increase protections for whistleblowers of Federal agencies, a long overdue effort. But, Mr. Speaker, in light of recent reports and events that have revealed a disturbing pattern of improper use of tax dollars on air travel by senior Federal officials, I believe we must go further.

The reports of Cabinet officials abusing the rules for air travel that applied to them are not isolated. Not one, not two, not three, but at least four Cabinet officials are facing scrutiny for irregular and irresponsible use of agency resources for official and nonofficial air travel. In light of Secretary Price's recent resignation, it is clear that Congress must conduct greater oversight.

That is why I am offering this final amendment on the underlying bill.

My amendment simply extends whistleblower protections that are created under the bill to Federal employees who disclose information about travel, including improper use of aircraft.

Not only would this make clear to agencies that any violation of laws, rules, or regulations concerning travel or government aircraft is unacceptable, it will also ensure those who come forward to expose any wrongdoing will have appropriate protection from retaliation.

Regardless of party, those who serve the American public must be held to the highest ethical standards. Our ability to hold government officials accountable to taxpayers is a hallmark of our democracy, and we must work to uphold that principle. The resources invested to agencies to fulfill their missions of serving Americans should not be abused or frivolously flaunted for personal gain or convenience.

This is not about Republicans or Democrats. We must come together to stand up for accountability and transparency. The moment we begin treating disregard for the rules by our elected and appointed officials as partisan politics, we risk ceding the very values that make our democracy great and unique in the world.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting my commonsense amendment on behalf of American taxpayers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, as a Member of Congress, as a father, and as a grandfather, nothing I do is more important than ensuring every child in Arizona and America has the opportunity to live up to their God-given potential. No matter where they live, kids deserve to grow up healthy, with every chance to succeed.

That is why it is beyond unacceptable that, for the first time ever, Congress missed the deadline to reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program.

For decades, CHIP has been a bipartisan program and has been reauthorized with broad support, until now. It has now been 11 days since CHIP expired. This is an outrage for children across the Nation who depend on the affordable, quality care they receive, thanks to CHIP. It is especially troubling for Arizona.

Arizona has had the unfortunate distinction of being one of the worst States for healthcare access for children. Until last year, it was the only State in the entire Nation without an active Children's Health Insurance Program.

Arizona froze CHIP KidsCare program in 2010. At its height, the waiting list for coverage after the freeze topped 100,000. I repeat: the list topped 100,000 because of a freeze put on by the State of Arizona.

Two years ago, Congress reauthorized CHIP and included enhanced match rate funding for States under the Affordable Care Act. Thanks to advocates on the ground and with bipartisan support in our State legislature, this enhanced funding finally paved the way for our State to reopen KidsCare.

Last year, KidsCare began enrolling children--over 23,000 so far. We have just begun the hard work of educating and reaching out to the working families who qualify for coverage.

Arizona is one of a handful of States, as you can see here in this chart in blue, that would run out of Federal funds to cover children by December of this year, absent congressional action.

Families in these States are the most at risk for losing critical access to care, until Congress steps up to the plate and passes a robust reauthorization with enhanced rate funding.

I have met and heard from many of these families and their providers. I know what is it stake for them.

Cate Arnquist is a mother from Tucson, Arizona, whose 8-year-old son, Zachary, was approved for coverage through KidsCare last month. This is a huge relief to Cate, who recently moved to Arizona with her husband and works at a local elementary school. Cate said:

It's important for me to know that if I need to take him to

the doctor, I will be able to take him. As a parent, your

kids are always your biggest priority. I think every parent

wants to make sure their kids are healthy.

Cate, I couldn't agree with you more. Kids like Zachary deserve to know that their elected officials here in Congress are looking out for them.

Graciela is a working single mom who lives in Phoenix. Her 17-year- old daughter, who suffers from high blood pressure, relies on KidsCare coverage. Graciela says:

I just pray and ask everybody who is behind CHIP to think

about it. They don't know how hard it is sometimes when you

are a parent and you don't know what to do. Should I put a

plate of food on the table or should I take my kid to the

doctor?

These are questions no parent in Arizona or in America should have to ask themselves. Doctors in our community agree.

A pediatrician practicing in Gilbert, Arizona, shared an important story

with us about a family with five children in her practice. The father works as a grocer, but makes $20 too much to qualify for Medicaid. That is $20.

One of the children has significant developmental delays and another child has a serious neurological disease. After the youngest child was born, it became clear that he most likely had the neurological disease as well.

The doctor referred this child for evaluation, but the family was unable to take him to the neurologist because they could not afford the office visits and diagnostic testing necessary. Had KidsCare been open at the time, the family could have applied for coverage, since they qualified, based on their income.

This story and our experience in Arizona should be a cautionary tale for the rest of the States who may freeze their program if Congress fails to reauthorize CHIP now.

No family should be put at risk when they need help for their kids. Working families like these are doing their best to make ends meet and raise healthy kids.

Reauthorizing CHIP isn't just the right thing to do morally, but it is the smart, economic decision for our communities. I understood that when I was a Republican State legislator and fought for KidsCare, and I understand it now here in Congress.

We all know that when children have meaningful access to quality, affordable, comprehensive healthcare coverage, our schools, families, and our State's bottom line all win.

Healthy kids have a better shot in school and grow up to be healthy adults. When we invest in them, when we invest in their families, we are investing in their futures and our future.

We must do better. Instead of playing partisan games and spending time on bills that make coverage and affordability worse for Americans, we need to make CHIP reauthorization front and center of our focus.

While I am pleased that the Senate Finance Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee have started to take up action, it is past time to get a robust bill to the President's desk.

CHIP has long been a bipartisan program, and I will keep working with anyone, regardless of office or party, to make sure our kids have the care they deserve. They are counting on us. We cannot let them down.

I am pleased to be joined this evening by my colleagues who are committed to fighting for kids in our communities. I want to thank them for joining this Special Order hour to fight for CHIP and a strong reauthorization process.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Rhode Island for caring about our Nation's children.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore).

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Wisconsin for her comments.

Mr. Speaker, I am kind of new to this body, but when I came here, I came with the same intention as I did when I first got into the Arizona State Legislature. One of the first issues I worked on was this program, a program that helped kids stay healthy, a program so that they could be successful at school, a program that is imperative. Yet, today, millions of people around this country, millions of families around this country are asking themselves: What are they going to do about my children's health? What is going to happen? Who is going to be there for my child?

When I was a police officer, I had, sadly, the ability to see people in poverty day in and day out, what it meant to their families, but especially what sick children look like, what it means to see children taken out of homes in ambulances instead of having preventative care, what it means for a child to have to be in a hospital instead of having had the ability to have preventative care, what it means to a child with disabilities to have to go through that process and not have the physical therapy that is needed.

This happened time and time again before CHIP became reality. I don't think America wants to go back there. I think America wants to move forward and make sure our children are healthy and able to withstand the issues in our society that lead us to make sure that they do.

I cannot understand, for the life of me, why we would keep these families--it is 11 days now. It is going to mean many more. We will have to find some level of agreement. Yet, as was just mentioned by the gentlewoman from Wisconsin, we are funding this by taking money away from the elderly, from those also in need, from those also at risk.

I have to say that when I patrolled the streets of Chicago, I did so to make sure that people were saved and safe. And I can't believe that I have come to this body and found out that we are willing to keep these families waiting, we are willing to sit back and not understand the core issues of what it means to those families to have to suffer through this process of the unknown of their child's future healthcare.

I have to say that this is an issue that most Americans and most of this body agree to. I don't know why we have gone down this path of taking money--or thinking of taking money away from the elderly. It is wrong. But I do know that we should get this dealt with quickly and make sure the families in America that need it can provide for their children's health.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to Representative Langevin, the gentleman from Rhode Island.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Rhode Island not only for his discussion today, but also for all his work on behalf of the children of America. I think that his record speaks for itself, and it is obvious that what we just heard came from his heart. So I thank the gentleman for his remarks.

I asked my fellow colleagues, when they start to work on this bill again--hopefully, they do it in a speedy fashion--that when they wake up in the morning, they think of what it means to have their child potentially without healthcare, what it means to have the unknown that we don't know if next month or the month later they will lose that coverage because Congress has failed to address the issue that they have all agreed on for 20 years. We have to and we must find a way to come to agreement.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that my name be removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 3005.

Mr. Chairman, my amendments address critical health needs in Indian Country by providing the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service additional funding to complete projects.

My first amendment ensures communities, including the Hopi Tribe in my district, have resources for funding to complete their arsenic medication project.

My second amendment fulfills part of our trust relationship with federally recognized Tribes by ensuring Indian Health Service clinics and hospitals opening this year receive staffing and operations funding.

In my district, the Gila River Health Care Red Tail Hawk Health Center is scheduled to be opened, but has not received staffing or operation funding. These healthcare facilities are badly needed to increase access to healthcare in the community.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 3440, the DREAM Act, to protect Riccy, a mother of two, who was recently arrested and detained despite having DACA.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am opposed.

Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, hardworking families across Arizona and across our country are sick and tired of Congress putting partisan politics ahead of creating jobs at home.

As I travel across rural Arizona and speak to workers, miners, farmers, and families, I am asked the same questions: ``When is Congress going to get serious about helping rural America?

``When are you guys going to work together and create good-paying jobs?

``When are we going to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure and roads?

``When are we finally going to get reliable broadband?''

In my 7 months in Congress, I have seen firsthand the failure to address these problems in a truly bipartisan manner. American workers are counting on all of us, Democrats and Republicans, to focus on bringing back jobs to our country.

The underlying bill before us does not go far enough to ensure pipelines, which involve major investments and can span hundreds of miles across sensitive areas, are made with quality, reliable, American-made materials.

My commonsense amendment simply requires Federal agencies to certify that all of the iron and steel products used in any cross-border pipelines are produced in the United States before they can be approved.

Mr. Speaker, foreign steelmakers now supply half the oil and gas drilling and extraction pipes used in the United States, and it is only getting worse. The American Iron and Steel Institute estimates that imports of steel pipes for the oil and gas industry are up 237 percent in the first half of 2017 from a year earlier.

Earlier this year, President Trump signed an executive order instructing the Secretary of Commerce to develop a plan that would require any company building a pipeline within U.S. borders to use American-made materials and equipment. My amendment mirrors the spirit of that executive order by applying the same rules to any proposed cross-border pipelines.

Mr. Speaker, we need to rebuild America. We need to rebuild America's infrastructure. We need to rebuild America's energy infrastructure, but we need to rebuild America by creating American jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I can think of no better message to send during President Trump's ``Made in America Week'' than by standing up for American workers and supporting this commonsense amendment. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

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

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, Arizonans I have spoken with are stressed and anxious as they watch politicians in Washington threaten to take away their health coverage.

While the Senate's misguided repeal and replace proposal has been defeated, we cannot rest. The newest repeal plan is irresponsible and will endanger the health and well-being of my constituents. It will send premiums and coverage costs skyrocketing and slash funding for rural and Tribal health clinics, forcing them to close.

There are 1.9 million Arizonans who rely on Medicaid and could be at risk of losing their coverage. Of those, more than 45,000 are Arizona veterans. More than 1 million Arizonans with preexisting conditions would lose vital protections that ensure they have access to affordable coverage.

Mr. Speaker, these are our children, our loved ones, our families, and our friends. We cannot stand here and play politics with their health. We must work together to stabilize the insurance markets and develop a long-term solution that improves our healthcare system. We need to include the public in this discussion. We owe them a better plan.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to fix it, not nix it.

Mr. Speaker, it is with respect and admiration that we honor Judge Ryan Reinhold for his outstanding legacy and service to the State of Arizona.

This week, Ryan retires after 41 years as Navajo County justice of the peace, municipal court judge, White Mountain Apache tribal judge, and Navajo County constable.

Throughout his career, he has been known for his tireless efforts to benefit his community in every aspect. I want to take a moment to share some of the highlights of his career.

Ryan was first selected as justice of the peace in 1978. In 1984, he received the Kenneth L. MacEachern Award for Outstanding Non-Lawyer Judge in the United States. He was reelected five times and honorably led the court for 22 years before retiring in 2000.

He was appointed Navajo County constable for precinct six in 2003 and elected in 2006.

He has led hundreds of volunteers as the district chairman of the Boy Scouts of America, and he serves as the president of the Blue Ridge High School Scholarship Fund and Lions Club.

In retirement, I hear that he plans to be making regular scuba diving trips, traveling the world, and spending quality time with his beloved family and friends--all well deserved.

Mr. Speaker, Ryan Reinhold is a pillar of his community and has done so much for Arizona. I extend my best wishes as Ryan begins the next chapter of his life.

Mr. Speaker, it is with respect and admiration that I rise today to honor Judge Ryan Reinhold for his outstanding legacy and service to the State of Arizona. On June 30, 2017, Ryan retires after 41 years as a Navajo County Justice of the Peace, municipal court judge, White Mountain Apache tribal judge, and Navajo County Constable.

Ryan was born in Phoenix, served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, and graduated from San Jose State University in 1972. He moved to Pinetop and married Lorinda ``Rindy'' Skousen in 1976. Rindy recently retired after 30 years as a kindergarten teacher. They have two children, Kent and Britni; Kent is a helicopter pilot and Congressional Liaison in the U.S. Coast Guard and Britni is a second-grade teacher in Lakeside, Arizona. Ryan and Rindy were blessed with their first grandchild, Lucas Robert, in October 2016.

Ryan was elected as Justice of the Peace in 1978. In 1984, he received the Kenneth L. MacEachern Award for the Most Outstanding Non- Lawyer Judge in the United States. He was re-elected five times and honorably led the court for 22 years before retiring in 2000. During his tenure, he adjudicated civil and criminal cases in 19 Arizona courts and four tribal courts. Ryan was appointed Navajo County Constable for Precinct Six in 2003 and elected in 2006. He was subsequently re-elected two times and served the citizens of the White Mountains with distinction.

Ryan is known for his tireless efforts to benefit all aspects of the community. He regularly donates his time to help area young people overcome societal challenges and establish proper footing towards purposeful lives. He has led hundreds of volunteers as District Chairman of the Boy Scouts of America, President of the Blue Ridge High School Scholarship Fund, and President of the local Lions Club, Chamber of Commerce, and Rotary Club. In 2007, Ryan was elected as Assistant District Governor of the Rotary Club and was instrumental in orchestrating a robust international exchange student program for dozens of teenagers.

On behalf of the State of Arizona, I would like to congratulate and thank Ryan Reinhold for his selfless and dedicated public service. In retirement, I hear he plans on making regular scuba diving trips, traveling the world, and spending quality time with his beloved family and friends. We extend our best wishes as Ryan begins the next chapter of his life. Cheers to a truly wonderful career.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my deep misgivings about the recent healthcare proposals put forth by the Senate. This bill, like the American Health Care Act, proposes drastic cuts to Medicaid and would saddle my constituents and Americans with skyrocketing premiums and deductibles.

We are placing our hardworking families and young children, our elderly, veterans, and Native Americans in harm's way by making coverage unaffordable and unattainable.

The cost of this legislation will be paid by those who can least afford it. Recent reports show that the cost of Medicaid cuts in this bill would cost Arizonans more than $7 billion. This means hundreds of thousands of people, including nursing home patients who rely on affordable, lifesaving coverage, will be kicked off their Medicaid coverage.

From the beginning, these pieces of legislation have been crafted behind closed doors without input from doctors, nurses, and healthcare leaders.

While we play partisan games, the health and well-being of our families, friends, and neighbors are at risk. If we want to get serious about fixing our healthcare system and bringing down costs, we must work together on bipartisan legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address an issue impacting communities throughout Arizona's First Congressional District and the country. We must take action on a comprehensive infrastructure bill. Our crumbling roads and bridges pose a greater threat to safety with every car, truck, and school bus that crosses them.

Our pilots land on runways long overdue for repairs, and rural and travel communities, without access to modern technology, lose their competitive advantage in business and education.

In Arizona, flood control projects in Winslow, essential broadband access in Tuba City, and transportation infrastructure in rural Gila County are all in need of attention.

This is something that impacts every State, every district in this country, and I believe we can find broad bipartisan support on this issue in Congress.

Ensuring that our communities have adequate resources to repair their roads, invest in technology, and protect their residents is of paramount importance. I call on my colleagues to continue working on this.

We cannot push this issue aside any longer. We must come together and pass a bipartisan infrastructure bill that invests in our rural communities.

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

Mr. Chair, as a former law enforcement officer, I know all too well what happens when our institutions fail to protect our most valued and treasured among us: our children.

The recent reports of young athletes experiencing sexual assault and abuse at the hands of trusted adults are not just abhorrent, they are unacceptable.

Last year, tragically, one of our own young gymnasts in Mesa, Arizona, came forward after years of abuse by a coach at his gym.

We must do better. No child anywhere should face the risk of abuse. That is why I am proud to support the bill before us today, which will go a long way in protecting our young athletes.

My bipartisan amendment, which is cosponsored by Congresswoman Sinema and Congressman Biggs, simply builds on the underlying bill's spirit by requiring national governing bodies to clearly list information and resources, which may include sexual assault hotlines and victim support resources, on their official websites.

As a former cop who has dealt with vulnerable victims, I know from my experience that resources like sexual assault hotlines are a critical tool between victims, families, local health providers, and law enforcement.

Requiring governing bodies, like USA Gymnastics, to clearly list this type of information on their websites is an important step forward in ensuring support for victims and their families.

As adults and parents, we place our children in the trusted hands of coaches, trainers, and others when we support and encourage their involvement in sports.

We all know sports play such a critical role in so many of our communities. It is where we learn about teamwork, resilience, hard work, and perseverance. These spaces should be safe for children to learn, grow, and develop as healthy athletes and adults.

We have a moral obligation to ensure our kids have protection and access to the information they deserve. My commonsense amendment helps do just that.

I thank Representative Sinema and Representative Biggs for their support on this amendment, as well as the sponsors of H.R. 1973 for their good work on this important bill.

I urge my colleagues to support my amendment.

Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. Sinema).

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay my respects to Yodell Billah, who passed away earlier this month at the age of 97. Mr. Billah was a Navajo code talker and World War II Army veteran, fighting against the Germans in Italy until their surrender in 1945. His heroic actions and the work of our code talkers saved the lives of innumerable soldiers and civilians.

For his service, he was awarded the American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, and the European African Middle East Campaign Medal.

We can never repay the debts that we owe Mr. Billah, code talkers from all our Tribal Nations, and our veterans, but I am proud and humbled to stand before you today to bring attention to his service and honor his legacy.

Mr. Billah will forever be remembered as an active member of his community, a loving father, a grandfather, and, above all, a hero.