Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Ann Wagner for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 406, the Providing Appropriate Recognition and Treatment Needed to Enhance Relations, PARTNER, with ASEAN Act.

This is a bill that I introduced with my colleague, Representative Castro. I thank Ranking Member Meeks, and my colleague, and chairwoman of one of our committees, Ann Wagner, but more importantly, for her leadership on the ASEAN Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, much has been talked about with the importance of this legislation, but I think it is worth repeating that this bipartisan legislation extends the diplomatic privileges and immunities to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations under the International Organizations Immunities Act.

Similar international organizations such as the European Union, the Organization of American States, and the African Union currently enjoy these diplomatic privileges, but not ASEAN.

As chairwoman of the Indo-Pacific Subcommittee, I believe this legislation is a step in the right direction for improving America's standing in the Indo-Pacific and addressing the economic and security threats posed to the region by the CCP and their Belt and Road Initiative. To counter the Belt and Road Initiative, we must prioritize trade, economic, and diplomatic relations with Southeast Asian countries.

Without meaningful U.S. engagement and presence in the region, we will leave the region little choice but to turn to the CCP, whose conditions for these countries are erosion in democratic institutions and threats to their sovereignty.

This bill, while simple in scope, will signal to the region that the United States stands ready to engage in meaningful trade and have more discussions about security and human rights.

I thank my colleague, Representative Castro, coauthor of this bill, for his work on this legislation.

I join with my colleagues in saying that I am sorry that he could not be here to witness this legislation pass the House. I wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to getting back to work with him once he returns to the House.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman McCaul for yielding and for his leadership on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution condemning the Chinese Communist Party's use of a high-altitude surveillance balloon over U.S. territory as a brazen violation of U.S. sovereignty and international norms.

The balloon has been shot down, and I thank those who bravely completed the mission.

However, many questions remain, and intelligence reports show what we all knew: This was neither a coincidence nor something to be taken lightly.

This surveillance balloon was part of a larger program by the CCP that has collected information on military assets in Indo-Pacific countries like Taiwan, Japan, India, and the Philippines.

We all know that this balloon does not even scratch the surface of the CCP's surveillance capabilities. Millions of Americans are spied upon every single day through TikTok and other state-affiliated applications and technologies.

Whether in airspace or cyberspace, we cannot allow the CCP to spy on us. We cannot allow the CCP to threaten our way of life and the American Dream.

The time to project strength is now. We must defend our airspace, send a strong signal to the CCP that this behavior will not be tolerated, and equip our allies with the tools they need to deter and defend against CCP's aggression.

As the Indo-Pacific Subcommittee chair, I am committed to getting answers from the Biden administration about when they knew the CCP's balloon was entering the U.S. airspace and what they know about the CCP balloon program.

We need to ensure the United States responds to this type of aggression with strong, decisive action from our leaders.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 9 to denounce the atrocities perpetuated by socialism around the world.

If you want to see the difference between socialism and freedom, take a look at North Korea at night versus South Korea. As an immigrant who grew up in South Korea during the aftermath of the Korean war, I know firsthand the horror, the destruction that socialism has brought to millions of families in the Korean Peninsula under the evil regime of the Kim dynasty, from Kim Il-sung to Kim Jong-il to now Kim Jong-Un.

Socialism divided my family and friends between North and South. My mother-in-law, for example, crossed over the DMZ and back multiple times to rescue loved ones from the tyrannical North Korean regime. Tens of thousands of war-torn families remain separated to this day. Meanwhile, famines and the daily threats of a nuclear war in east Asia persist.

Although I was just a young girl, I remember the hope embodied by those brave soldiers who defended the freedoms of a country they never knew and a people they never met. It is because of them that I stand before you today as one of the first Korean-American women to serve in Congress.

The United States must continue to stand as a beacon of freedom, hope, and opportunity for the world. I urge my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to join us to say ``no'' to socialism.

Mr. Speaker, as we all know, deceptive drugs made of fentanyl are killing young people and destroying lives in southern California and across our Nation at an alarming rate.

In California, fentanyl is responsible for one out of every five youth deaths.

The top source of fentanyl is the U.S.-Mexico border, and last year, 60 percent of fentanyl found in 2022 was at southern California ports of entry in San Diego and Imperial counties near my district.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department seized more than 400 pounds of suspected fentanyl, and nearly 400,000 pills suspected to contain fentanyl during the first 10 months in 2022.

I will keep fighting for solutions to secure our border and prevent these drugs from entering our schools, streets, neighborhoods, and homes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my community in celebrating Lunar New Year as we ring in the Year of the Rabbit and Year of the Cat.

We cannot ignore that this year's celebrations in southern California were rocked by the worst of evil. I have attended the Monterey Park Lunar New Year celebrations in years past, and my heart is with the loved ones of the victims of the shooting and our AAPI community.

However, I know that in the face of this tragedy, as we heal our wounds, we will persevere, come together, and come back even stronger. Our best days are yet to come.

Good prevails over evil. Love triumphs hate. Light surpasses darkness always. That is what Lunar New Year is all about.

I am rallying with my AAPI community, and I wish all who are celebrating joy, renewal, and many blessings.

I want to greet all the public in my special New Year's greetings.

(English translation of the statement made in Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Vietnamese is as follows:)

``Happy new year.''

Korean: ``Saehae bok mani badeuseyo''

Mandarin: ``Xinnian kuaile''

Catonese: ``Gong hei fat choy''

Vietnamese:``Chuc Mung Nam Moi''

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life and legacy of Bill Steiner, who devoted his career to making Orange County a better place.

He held many elected positions, serving on the Orange Unified School District school board, the Orange City Council, and the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

However, his true passion was his work for children. Mr. Steiner founded the Orangewood Children's Home in Orange and the Good Samaritan Boy's Home in Corona. He also served on the board of directors for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for over 16 years.

While we miss him dearly, his legacy lives on and his organizations will have an untold impact on countless children.

He is also an active member of the Rotary Club of Orange. In that capacity, Mr. Steiner epitomized the motto ``Service Above Self,'' and we are all better because of his tireless work. We will miss him dearly.

Celebrating Villa Park's 61st Birthday

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to celebrate the incorporation date of the city of Villa Park. Villa Park, known as the Hidden Jewel, was incorporated on this day in 1962 but was first settled around 1860.

Despite being the smallest incorporated city in California's 40th District, in both land and population, Villa Park has an outsized impact on our community. It is home to four public schools and is known for its charitable organizations and programs, such as Villa Park Rotary Club, Villa Park Women's League, and the Marine Thanksgiving program.

Villa Park's quiet neighborhoods, tree-lined streets, and low crime rate make the city an excellent place to live.

As your Representative, I am committed to doing all I can to help Villa Park continue to be a haven for families and workers striving toward their American Dream.

Happy 61st birthday, Villa Park.

Recognizing Korean American Day

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize Korean American Day.

Since the first Korean immigrants arrived on January 13, 1903, Korean Americans have made their mark from sea to shining sea and have found success in the classroom, workplace, and even right here in Congress to make our Nation a better place.

As one of the first Korean-American women to serve in Congress, and as an immigrant from South Korea, today, I reflect on the sacrifices my family made in the aftermath of the Korean war to have the chance at a better life here in the United States.

I remain grateful for those who came before me and paved the way for someone like me to have a seat at the table, and I will always fight for freedom and opportunity for all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 192 student teams that participated in my district's Congressional App Challenge making it the largest competition in the history of the app challenge. I want to thank and congratulate our winner, Walnut High School senior, Hudson Kaleb Dy, on his impressive app to create an affordable earthquake detection system using old smartphones.

STEM educational opportunities help our students learn the skills needed to get good-paying jobs, boost our Nation's competitiveness, and tackle some of the most pressing health and security challenges facing our Nation and our world.

I have been a very proud supporter to promote STEM opportunities as co-chair of the Congressional App Challenge, and I am thrilled that this year over 9,000 students participated across 335 congressional districts from coast to coast creating over 2,700 apps.

Mr. Speaker, I will always be a loud voice for educational opportunities for our students.

Honoring the Life of U.S. Army Private First Class Jang Ho Kim

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of U.S. Private First Class Jang Ho Kim from Placentia, a city in my 39th Congressional District. Jang Ho was a Valencia High School graduate who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq.

His found possessions included his watch, dog tag, and a coin he always carried with him with a Bible verse Ephesians Chapter 6, Verse 12:

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against

principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the

darkness of this age, against the spiritual forces of evil in

heavenly places.

His legacy of courage and service lives on through his loved ones, others he inspired, and all those who share his story.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the California delegation for backing my bill to designate a Placentia Post Office in his honor, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill when it comes up for a vote today so we can preserve his story for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to join the Whelan family to urge the Biden administration to get United States Marine veteran, Paul Whelan, safely home from being held hostage and wrongfully detained by Russia.

While we are glad to welcome Brittney Griner safely home to her family, to make it happen, the Biden administration ceded leverage and released a dangerous, convicted arms dealer who was in prison for conspiring to kill Americans.

This poses tremendous national security risks and will embolden Vladimir Putin to take more Americans hostage in the future.

Meanwhile, Paul Whelan and other wrongfully detained Americans remain imprisoned. I will continue to fight for their safe return home.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8844, the STEP Improvement Act of 2022.

I was proud to join Representatives Flood, Evans, and Newman to introduce this bill to help our small businesses expand exports and reach new markets.

The STEP Improvement Act would reauthorize the State trade and export program from fiscal year 2023 to 2026, for 3 more years, and improve the program by streamlining the application process for small businesses and implementing strong metrics so the program works as intended.

Since STEP's creation in 2011, my home State of California has received $8.5 million in STEP funding, helping more than 1,200 small businesses create jobs and generate more than $85 million in export sales. That is 10 times the return on our investment.

Mr. Speaker, I thank all of my colleagues who helped to pass this legislation yesterday in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to strongly support H.R. 3462, the SBA Cyber Awareness Act, which I introduced with Representative Jason Crow to improve cybersecurity and transparency at the Small Business Administration.

The SBA provided a record number of services during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide a lifeline to small businesses in need. But with that, the SBA also saw issues with their IT capabilities being able to keep up and safely store applicants' personal information.

We must ensure entrepreneurs can safely access resources available to them and have confidence that the SBA has the tools to keep their information safe from cyberattacks. Our bill will do exactly that.

Additionally, H.R. 3462 safeguards our supply chain by protecting SBA's IT components from the CCP's malign influence.

Mr. Speaker, I thank all of my colleagues who helped to pass this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to join our amazing city of Placentia and the residents that live in it and the entire community in California's 39th Congressional District as we celebrate the city's 96th birthday.

``Placentia'' is derived from the Latin word meaning ``pleasant place to live,'' and it certainly fulfills its name. Placentia is home to beautiful neighborhoods, good schools, stately churches, and endless outdoor recreation.

Our fast-growing community of 45,000 residents is tight-knit, hardworking, and dedicated to giving back. Some of my fondest memories include the city's concerts in the park, the annual Love Placentia event, and the always-lively Tamale Festival.

I am honored to represent Placentia in Congress and will do all I can to ensure our community continues to thrive.

Happy birthday, Placentia.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution authored by my colleagues, Congresswoman Jacobs and Congressman Meijer. This resolution condemns the use of hunger as a weapon of war and recognizes the impact that conflict has on global food security and famine.

Around the world, over 300 million people are in urgent need of food assistance. Many are facing emergency food needs due to years of protracted conflict, whether in Syria, Yemen, the Sahel, Nigeria, or South Sudan.

But shockingly, we are also seeing the increasing use of hunger and starvation as a deliberate weapon of war, with worldwide effects. Ukraine just commemorated the solemn anniversary of the Holodomor famine, which killed millions of Ukrainians at Stalin's direction. Ninety years later, Putin is reviving this evil, targeting wheat fields and grain silos, deliberately seeking to destroy vital sources of food for the Ukrainian people and the world.

The Kremlin's propaganda machine is attempting to blame international sanctions for the worsening global food crisis, but that is a lie. In reality, this crisis is a direct result of Putin's unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russia uses its influence at the U.N. to exert control over the vital food aid that millions of Syrians rely on in an effort to bolster Bashar al-Assad's brutal grip on power.

In Yemen, Iran-backed Houthi rebels have weaponized food aid, using it for military gains and personal profit, while millions of Yemenis continue to face famine-like conditions.

These atrocities must be condemned by all people of goodwill. The administration should impose severe penalties on those responsible, including through sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives Jacobs and Meijer, Chairman Meeks, and Ranking Member McCaul for introducing this measure and bringing it to the floor. An identical text unanimously passed the Senate in July.

Deliberately starving innocent civilians as a weapon of war must be condemned wherever it occurs. This resolution also condemns the acts of looting, diversion, or other denials of humanitarian access that impede the delivery of lifesaving assistance to populations who need it the most.

Finally, I take this moment to commend the humanitarians who put their lives at risk every day to get food to vulnerable children, women, and men who need it just to stay alive. Their efforts deserve our support, and so does this resolution.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bipartisan measure that condemns Iran's state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority and calls for the release of all religious prisoners in Iran.

In recent months, the Iranian regime has responded to the Iranian people's peaceful demands for change with violent suppression. The world has been a witness to that brutality.

Sadly, Iran's Baha'i community is very familiar with the regime's cruelty. For years, the Baha'i have been subjected to a campaign of state-sponsored persecution. Baha'is across Iran face arbitrary arrest, forced disappearance, property expropriation, and economic discrimination every day.

The regime's deplorable treatment of the Baha'i shows how the Ayatollah denies Iranians access to basic human rights.

Persecution based on religious belief is abhorrent and warrants condemnation in the strongest possible terms. This resolution is a reminder of Congress' continued commitment to promoting and protecting human rights in Iran, including freedom of worship and belief.

Mr. Speaker, I thank our former colleague, Ted Deutch, for his longtime work to support the Baha'i in Iran and for his original authorship of this bipartisan measure.

The House of Representatives will continue to work tirelessly to protect and defend the human rights of the Iranian people.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of my bill, H.R. 4785, the Uyghur Policy Act.

I thank Chairman Ami Bera of the Subcommittee on Asia, The Pacific, Central Asia, and Nonproliferation for leading this with me, as well as the 79 bipartisan cosponsors--Ms. Sara Jacobs from California being one of them. They all made consideration of this important bill possible.

The Uyghur Policy Act comes at a critical time as the world is seeing past the Chinese Communist Party's censorship filters and sharing videos of thousands of people in China standing up and speaking out against strict lockdowns and against the CCP.

Since Xi Jinping solidified his rule during the Communist Party Congress last month, anti-lockdown protests have erupted all over China, including in Xinjiang, where at least 10 people under COVID lockdown were killed in an apartment fire with their doors locked from the outside.

The people of China are waking up to the CCP's oppression and are demanding basic freedoms. Whether it is lockdown of protestors in Shanghai, or Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, the United States must show through words and through actions that we will have their backs in their fight against the CCP's tyranny.

The People's Republic of China continues to deny carrying out genocide against the Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities, and we have verified reports of forced sterilization, forced labor, brainwashing, and gang rape in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

The Uyghur Policy Act will help us lead from a position of strength and will address several shortcomings in our existing approach to responding to these human rights abuses. It authorizes the State Department to appoint a special coordinator for Uyghur issues, which will consolidate the State Department's diplomatic strategy to ensure that department-wide resources being used to respond to the Uyghur genocide are better coordinated.

H.R. 4785 will also mandate Uyghur language instruction at the Foreign Service Institute and require the State Department to station a Uyghur-fluent officer at Mission China locations.

The bill also authorizes support for Uyghur human rights activists and directs the U.S. Agency for Global Media to disseminate news and information regarding Uyghur genocide.

We must act now to leverage U.S. soft power, garner international support for Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, and equip the State Department with the tools it needs to better respond to Xi Jinping's genocidal campaign.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who is a champion for human rights around the world, including for Uyghurs in China.

Mr. Speaker, seeing no other Members on my side, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I again thank Asia Subcommittee Chairman Ami Bera, Speaker Pelosi, my colleague, Representative Smith, and the many cosponsors who helped bring this legislation to the floor.

I am pleased that the House of Representatives, in the spirit of bipartisanship, is taking a significant step in defending the human rights of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities subject to the CCP's oppression and genocide.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes,'' and I urge the Senate to immediately take up this critically important legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Mr. Dennis Salts, who was a dear friend and leader in the Buena Park community in my 39th Congressional District.

Dennis had a passion for service as a member of Rotary International, and president of the Buena Park Rotary Club. He was instrumental in founding both Interact and Rotaract Clubs for high school and college students.

He had a special passion for mentoring our youth to get involved in community service and was dedicated to making sure our students received the best education possible as a trustee on the Centralia School District.

Dennis was recognized for his distinguished service as a Buena Park Citizen of the Year, Buena Park Rotarian of the Year, and Rotary District 5320 Business Rotarian of the Year.

Dennis' kindness and passion will be missed, and I pray for God's peace for his wife, Christiane, his daughter, Carrie, and anyone who knew him.