Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the accomplishments of Hermelinda Sapien.

Hermelinda dedicated 55 years to the Center for Employment Training, and for the past 25 years she has displayed her unwavering leadership as President and Executive Director.

The Center for Employment Training (CET) is an economic and community development corporation. Their job training and placement programs teach marketable skills to people of all educational levels and backgrounds, supporting them through the process of job placement. With 12 locations, including San Jose's, CET's impact is monumental.

Hermelinda's work with CET began as an Administrative Assistant, and her commitment served her well as she moved up to Human Resources Director, Chief Administrative Officer, Deputy Director, and ultimately, President and CEO.

CET's ability to work with our community and support the dignity of self-sufficiency is largely due to Hermelinda's hard work. She dedicated her career to ensuring CET's financial stability and guaranteeing that the needs of students at CET were being met.

Thousands of people have received the training and support they needed to find meaningful employment that supports them and their families. Hermelinda's work and that of all the CET staff has changed lives and our community for the better. Hermelinda's leadership has made a profound difference.

Hermelinda will be retiring in June of this year, and it is with great pride and respect that I recognize her accomplishments.

I share with CET's Board of Directors in their heartfelt farewell to Hermelinda Sapien, and we will always remember her impact on the Center for Employment Training's success.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the accomplishments of Hermelinda Sapien.

She has dedicated 55 years to the Center for Employment Training, and the past 25 years she has displayed her unwavering leadership as President and Executive Director.

The Center for Employment Training is an economic and community development corporation. Their job training and placement programs teach marketable skills to people of all educational levels and backgrounds, supporting them through the process of job placement. With 12 locations, including San Jose's, CET's impact is monumental.

Mrs. Sapien's work with CET began as an Administrative Assistant, and her commitment served her well as she moved up to Human Resources Director, Chief Administrative Officer, Deputy Director, and ultimately, President and CEO.

CET's ability to work with our community and support the dignity of self-sufficiency is largely due to Sapien's hard work. She dedicated her career to ensuring CET's financial stability and guaranteeing that the needs of students at CET were being met.

Thousands of people have received the training and support they needed to find meaningful employment that supports them and their families. Hermalinda's work and that of all the CET staff has changed lives and our community for the better. Hermelinda's leadership has made a profound difference.

Hermelinda Sapien will be retiring in June of this year, and it is with great pride and respect that I recognize her accomplishments.

I share with the CET's Board of Directors in their heartfelt farewell to Mrs. Sapien, and we will always remember her impact on the Center for Employment Training's success.

Mr. Speaker, my intended vote against H.R. 7521 must not imply I do not have concerns about cybersecurity in the U.S. but, rather, that I have concerns regarding this specific bill.

This bill's narrow focus on TikTok (which seems well-intentioned by my colleagues) overlooks the expansive landscape of U.S. cybersecurity threats. Adversaries like China unfortunately possess a multitude of channels through which they can harvest Americans' sensitive personal information. Banning a single app does not come close to adequately safeguarding our country's cyber landscape. Congress should enact a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy that fully addresses how our digital infrastructure can be compromised. Additionally, there is an urgent need for digital privacy protections. Rep. Anna Eshoo and I introduced the Online Privacy Act that would provide far more robust digital protections for Americans than those in this bill that could result in the American ban of TikTok.

Relatedly, the one-off focus on TikTok for potential algorithm manipulation is imbalanced, as the actions cited are widespread practices across the social media landscape. It is not wise to single out one platform for an industry-wide problem. The support for this bill in the House suggests a need for a more equitable and holistic approach to social media regulation.

If there are genuine national security concerns from my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, I also question why House Republican leadership brought this bill to the Floor before having us vote for urgently needed Ukraine aid. Smart national security policy must include not only the cyber realm, but also strong democratic international alliances.

Compounding these strategic concerns are possible First Amendment violations. There have been various legal challenges to similar state- level legislation, and this bill could infringe upon free speech rights. There must be a delicate balance struck between ensuring security and preserving Americans' fundamental freedoms. I would have preferred having more time to debate, scrutinize, and amend this bill before voting on it. I hope the Senate process varies from that in the House before this bill becomes law.

Mr. Speaker, the deceptively titled ``Protect Communities from DUIs Act'' uses a catchy name to mask the true intent of the bill. This flaw led me and others who care deeply about public safety and the threat of drunk drivers to oppose. There are already existing laws that make someone deportable if they are convicted of a ``crime involving moral turpitude,'' where the crime--including a serious DUI--is punishable by imprisonment of one year or more.

H.R. 6976 would expand current law for individuals who have been convicted of a single misdemeanor. This could include a legal resident who is 50 years old who had a single offense at age 18. Disrupting families and communities in such a case doesn't make sense and public safety would not be served.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the accomplishments of Mr. Bayard Rustin. His life was dedicated to civil rights advocacy, but because he was a gay man, his hard work and accomplishments were often shadowed.

Mr. Rustin was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, where he was raised by his grandparents, Julia and Janifer Rustin. Julia was an active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and Bayard was introduced to the fight for civil rights when he campaigned against the discriminatory Jim Crow laws.

In 1948, Rustin traveled to India to learn from leaders of the Gandhian movement on nonviolent civil resistance. He brought those skills back to his work in the United States, assisting in writing ``Speak Truth to Power: A Quaker Search for an Alternative to Violence.'' This was one of the most influential pacifist papers of its time, though Rustin remained an anonymous contributor due to fear that his known sexual orientation would compromise readers' respect for his contributions.

Rustin was instrumental in organizing the March on Washington in 1962. And yet, other prominent organizers did not want Rustin to receive any public credit for his hard work. His other accomplishments include organizing a group called ``In Friendship'' to provide legal assistance to people threatened with eviction and being named the first president of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organization's A. Philip Randolph Institute, which works towards integration and unionization of African Americans into formerly all-white unions. Later in life, he went on many humanitarian missions to provide aid and care to refugees in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Haiti.

Despite never receiving the recognition he deserved, he kept organizing and campaigning for what was right. Rustin worked for his own rights as a Black gay man and promoted values of nonviolence in civil resistance.

His unwavering dedication and vision of a peaceful and equitable nation is a guiding light. Though he was never given the recognition he deserved in life, I ask us to honor him now.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to join my colleagues in paying tribute to the incredible life and career of our friend and colleague, Eddie Bernice Johnson.

When I walked into Congress as a freshman, Eddie was already here. When I walked into the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology as a freshman, Eddie was already there.

Those of us who worked with her know what an unstoppable force she was. She worked hard for her constituents, and she worked hard to advance American science.

One of her focuses was on building a better future for everyone, where everyone could pursue STEM, no matter their race, gender, background, or ZIP Code. That was not just because of fairness for those individuals but because our country, unless we are able to get all the smart young people into STEM, is going to lose out. She made a difference there.

There are countless rising generations who will see doors opened because of Eddie Bernice Johnson, even though they may not know that she did that for them.

She always referred to the Science Committee as the committee of the future. It was also the committee of an island of bipartisanship. I am now the ranking member of the Science Committee, and I can see the tremendous work she did with our current chairman to make sure that the committee was focused on our mission, just to get the work done.

I know the job she did was excellent because of the excellent staff that she built to carry forward her legacy.

Mr. Speaker, I miss EBJ. We can all think of her as someone who helped America have a brighter future. She was one of a kind. I miss her greatly, and I honor her.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the many contributions of Sherri Sager, SVP and Chief Government Relations Officer at Stanford Medicine's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital (LPCH) at Stanford. After over 29 years of outstanding service with LPCH, Sherri has retired. Our community is grateful to her for her many years of advocacy and dedication to making our government's healthcare system work better for our most vulnerable patients and their families.

During her time at LPCH, Sherri organized and managed the government relations program, monitored proposed laws and public policy that could impact the Hospital, and oversaw the community partnerships and volunteer services departments. She served on numerous nonprofit boards and statewide task forces and was recognized for her knowledge of public policy, especially related to healthcare, organizing ability, and political acumen. Sherri believed that we could work to keep kids from having to come to the hospital in the first place by investing in improving the health of all children in the community.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize and commend Sherri Sager for her commitment to helping improve healthcare access for low-income women and children in our community. Sherri will be missed in her retirement, and we wish her the best in this new phase of life.

Mr. Speaker, I am deeply concerned about the rise of anti-Semitism on campuses. We must do all we can to put an end to this disturbing trend. Yet, Rep. Stefanik's Resolution, H. Res. 927, which I voted against, does not do that.

The University presidents' responses at the House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, were wholly inadequate and failed to make clear that the genocidal statements they were asked about were unacceptable and must be unequivocally condemned. Despite that, Congress is not a hiring and firing authority for private educational institutions. The Resolution is a cynical political ploy by a Member of Congress who lacks the moral authority to take a stance on this issue for a myriad of reasons.

Rep. Stefanik is a supporter of known White Supremacists and their disgusting political ideologies. She is an avid supporter and endorser of ex-President Trump, who publicly described White Supremacists chanting ``Jews will not replace us'' as ``very fine people on both sides,'' who uses anti-Semitic tropes in campaign materials, and hosts holocaust revisionists at his home, including Nick Fuentes. Rep. Stefanik herself has echoed the messages of the ``Great Replacement Theory,'' a far-right, racist conspiracy theory that inspired the perpetrators of Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue massacre, among others.

Instead of taking concrete actions to stop the tragic rise of anti- Semitism on college campuses, this very serious issue is being politicized by the Majority. We all should vocally oppose anti-Semitism but this resolution is not genuine. I will not be a part of an over- reaching political ruse. I will, instead, support appropriate and actionable measures in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, this NDAA conference report contains several important provisions that I support. These include the authorization of $300 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, $300 million for construction of new military childcare centers, excluding the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) from the Basic Needs Allowance (BNA), and providing a 5.2 percent pay raise for servicemembers. The conference agreement also strikes many of the most problematic provisions from the House-passed NDAA, including provisions preventing female servicemembers from accessing reproductive care, preventing gender-affirming care for transgender servicemembers, and multiple provisions that would worsen our climate crisis. I'm relieved these harmful provisions will not become law.

I also strongly support a provision of the bill that is especially important to my Congressional District: the authorization of $40 million for the Fort Hunter Liggett Network Enterprise Center. Fort Hunter Liggett is the U.S. Army Reserve's largest training installation, but many of its facilities, including the Network Enterprise Center, are badly in need of repair or replacement. This funding will allow for the construction of a new Network Enterprise Center to enable the installation to continue to meet its mission.

However, the NDAA conference report regrettably also contains a very controversial extension of current warrantless surveillance authorities by intelligence and law enforcement agencies. Airdropped into the NDAA conference report is a seemingly-innocuous `short-term' reauthorization of Section 702 of FISA until April 19, 2024. However, this `short-term' reauthorization masks a de facto 16-month extension for surveillance programs that law enforcement and intelligence agencies admit bypass the Fourth Amendment. This extension greenlights continued use of Section 702 despite its well-documented history of abuse and allows the government's unchecked access to Americans' personal data without a warrant. I absolutely cannot vote to

extend FISA's Section 702, even temporarily, and therefore will cast a NAY vote on the NDAA conference report.

Instead of embracing the surveillance status quo, Congress needs to reform Section 702 to protect Americans' civil liberties. Congressional leadership must bring the Protect Liberty and End Warrantless Surveillance Act to the floor for a vote. The Judiciary Committee recently passed this pivotal surveillance reform bill, by an overwhelming bipartisan vote, that is largely inspired by the bicameral, bipartisan Government Surveillance Reform Act that I introduced with Rep. Warren Davidson.

Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, I missed votes due to a positive Covid result. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 698; NAY on Roll Call No. 699; YEA on Roll Call No. 700; NAY on Roll Call No. 701; YEA on Roll Call No. 702; NAY on Roll Call No. 703; and YEA on Roll Call No. 704.

Mr. Speaker, I missed votes due to testing positive for Covid. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 705 and ``nay'' on rollcall No. 706.

personal explanation

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, I missed votes due to testing positive for COVID-19. Had I been present, I would have voted on NAY on Roll Call No. 692; NAY on Roll Call No. 693; YEA on Roll Call No. 694; YEA on Roll Call No. 695; YEA on Roll Call No. 696; and PRES on Roll Call No. 697.

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

I rise today in support of this bill that I proudly cosponsored. I also thank my colleagues, Representatives Caraveo and Collins, for leading this legislation, as well as Chairman Lucas for his support. I also thank Senators Peter Welch and Ted Cruz over in the other body for their work.

Synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, have taken a terrible toll on communities across this country, including in my own district. Fentanyl is now involved in more deaths of Americans under 50 than any other cause of death.

This epidemic is a horrifying ordeal, and now our communities must deal with various chemicals being added to these drugs to enhance their effects and also make them harder to detect. One chemical that criminals have started to use is a common animal tranquilizer called xylazine. When added to fentanyl, this animal tranquilizer can have terrible side effects, including horrible wounds at the injection site.

These additives are also consequential to our first responders and law enforcement as they deal with these drugs on the street. Drug mixtures usually contain a very small amount of synthetic opioids, which makes it very difficult to detect and hard to identify new variants. Even small amounts of some substances can be dangerous for law enforcement and public health officials to handle.

H.R. 1734 would address these challenges by leveraging the National Institute of Standards and Technology's unique research capabilities to help develop technologies to quickly characterize and safely handle street drugs. For decades, the Nation's measurement laboratory has helped to develop safe and effective drug detection techniques and handling practices. NIST also collects and analyzes drug samples in circulation, and this helps health authorities and law enforcement to better respond to this crisis. This bill would codify and enhance those ongoing efforts. It also adds reporting requirements for NIST and the GAO so that Congress can better understand our Federal capabilities in responding to this crisis.

This is a good example of how we can activate the unique expertise in our government labs to benefit communities across this country. It is also a good example of the bipartisan work that we do in the Science Committee. I thank my colleagues again, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, as Mr. Collins has just remarked, he and Dr. Caraveo took the lead on this legislation. We are grateful and fortunate, indeed, that Dr. Caraveo is here in our body, dedicated to our constituents, but also bringing the expertise that a medical doctor can have to an item like this.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Caraveo).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bipartisan bill introduced by Chairman Lucas and myself authorizing cross-cutting, joint research and development between the Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Together, these agencies leverage their incredible capabilities to address some of our multidisciplinary research challenges in crop science, carbon storage, and precision agriculture technologies.

Codifying the partnership between these agencies is a testament to our commitment to combat climate change and to serve the agricultural communities like those in my district and throughout the Nation.

We generated substantial momentum through the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, which included research support toward agricultural productivity improvement goals.

This bill will sustain and strengthen this momentum by empowering deeper cooperation between two of our top science agencies, enabling national research and ag capability to fully realize the opportunities presented by new and emerging technologies.

The technologies that are being used on farms in my district are really cutting edge. For example, on farms in my district, there is in use a giant machine that roams the fields, and by computer, identifies weeds and zaps them with lasers.

This is done automatically, it doesn't use any pesticides, and those weeds are permanently gone. It is really an example of how we are entering a high-tech area in precision agriculture. The Federal Government can help facilitate progress in this field through bills like the one before us today.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this bill, and as I have no additional speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bipartisan bill introduced by Ms. Stevens and Mr. Baird authorizing collaborative research between the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation in critical areas of our national competitiveness.

It builds on the longstanding partnership between these agencies to leverage each other's investments and expertise in a wide range of fields, including quantum science, artificial intelligence, fusion energy, and advanced manufacturing.

Alongside these research partnerships, it also authorizes collaborative initiatives in education and training and development of a strong STEM workforce. We will not be able to succeed unless we have the talented workforce to get the job done.

Lastly, it promotes secure data and information transfer capabilities between both agencies to develop a shared, agile data ecosystem.

In a time when many emerging technologies are on our doorstep, it is important that we empower our leading science agencies to work with each other to capture these interdisciplinary opportunities.

Both NSF and DOE have an extensive history of joint activities such as support for the development of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, a world-class tool for scientific discovery in astronomy.

The DOE and NSF Interagency Research Act strengthens the legislative foundation that was set in the CHIPS and Science Act, and this enables both agencies to foster a more collaborative

research environment to maximize their collective impacts on our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, for all of these reasons, I strongly urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, the Science Committee is blessed to have many talented Members of Congress dedicated to science and our future.

One of them is one of the coauthors of this bill, a senior Member of the committee and a talented Member of Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens).

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