Pete Aguilar

Mr. AGUILAR

Mr. AGUILAR. Madam Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. AGUILAR

Mr. AGUILAR. Madam Speaker, earlier this week, we marked the 100th day of the 117th Congress, and I rise today to reflect on some of the progress we have made in the House. In our first 100 days, we passed the Equality Act to ensure full equality under the law for our LGBT community. We removed the ratification deadline from the ERA to extend that same equality to all American women. We passed the Dream and Promise Act, giving young immigrants who call this country home a chance to build their lives here. We passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to reform our broken system of policing. We took meaningful, lifesaving action to prevent gun violence and stop further tragedies. The recent tragedies our country has endured have further highlighted the need for the Senate to take action quickly on these bills. We passed the American Rescue Plan, the most important and ambitious investment in the American people into nearly a century. This bold legislation gives us a roadmap to help us build back better and to emerge from this pandemic stronger than ever. It has helped 50 percent of Americans receive a lifesaving vaccine and put money in the pockets of people. I am so proud of all we have achieved, and I know our work is just getting started.

Mr. AGUILAR

Mr. AGUILAR. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. AGUILAR

Mr. AGUILAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the Inland Empire of Southern California, the region that my family has called home for generations. In my community and around this country people are hurting. Businesses are struggling to keep their doors open. Families are wondering where their kids' next meal is going to come from, and our healthcare system is being pushed to the brink of failure. Our communities are hurting, and they are wondering if people they sent to Washington to represent them are going to do anything about it. We need relief, and it can't come soon enough. The American Rescue Plan represents real, tangible relief for our communities. This bill will bring more than $600 million into my community of San Bernardino County to help protect first responders, teachers, and other essential workers. It will give small businesses the access to funding they need to stay open and to put money in people's pockets to help them make ends meet. It will help crush the virus by expanding vaccine distribution and access. And it will give our schools the resources they need to safely reopen and put kids in the classroom. This is a unique moment in American history, and this legislation provides bold solutions that this moment calls for.

Mr. AGUILAR

Mr. AGUILAR. Madam Speaker, on January 3, we stood here on this floor and swore an oath to defend our Constitution against enemies, foreign and domestic. Three days later, that oath was put to the test when a violent mob tried to break down those doors to stop us from performing our constitutional duty. This mob was not without a leader. On that day, the President told them to walk to this Capitol, 16 blocks from where he stood. They were radicalized by his lies and conspiracy theories he spent months fueling, many of which I have heard on this floor the last week. He needed to say only two words to end the violence: ``I concede.'' Because that is what leaders do in a democracy. Because that is what we do in the United States. They put politics aside and put country first. Madam Speaker, as I look to our colleagues over on the other side, I wonder how many of them will demonstrate that leadership and join us in holding President Trump accountable for inciting this deadly attack, and I wonder how many will uphold our oath and put our country first to defend this Constitution from the threat in the White House. To do anything less, is to turn your back on the oath altogether.

Mr. AGUILAR

Mr. AGUILAR. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. The agreement before us today recognizes that to get our economy moving again, to return to something that feels like normalcy, we must get this virus under control. In this agreement, Democrats secured billions to rapidly distribute a free and safe vaccine and to invest in nationwide testing and tracing measures that will save lives. It isn't perfect, and more action is required to address the challenges that Americans are facing, but it is everything we can do right now with this Senate and this President. With this bill, we have averted a sudden end to unemployment benefits that millions would have faced and added $300 per week to the benefit. We funded a new round of survival checks and emergency rental assistance, included an eviction moratorium, and boosted SNAP and child nutrition benefits. And for the small businesses struggling to keep the lights on, this bill provides billions in economic assistance to forgivable loans. Across this country, people in communities like mine are hurting. Frankly, they have been hurting for far too long. We are going to work with the Biden-Harris administration to build on this progress and deliver for the American people, and I am confident that brighter days are ahead.

Mr. AGUILAR

Mr. AGUILAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the Inland Empire of southern California, the region my family has called home for generations. As we stand here today, people in communities like mine and across the country are hurting. They are mourning loved ones, they are missing paychecks, and they are wondering what their government is doing to make the situation better. Right now, Democrats in Congress are laser focused on providing the relief the American people need in this pandemic. We have been for months. We passed the CARES Act in March, but we didn't stop there. We passed the Heroes Act in May, and then we passed the updated Heroes Act. We have continued to work on behalf of the American people, and our Republican counterparts have not met us halfway. Senate Republicans' months of inaction have led to a dire situation across this country, and it is unconscionable for them to continue to do nothing as we approach the holidays. We have lost valuable time, and it is my hope that, using the bipartisan framework, we can reach an agreement as soon as possible. To do nothing in the face of this much pain is unacceptable. The people we represent have entrusted us with an enormous responsibility, and we cannot let them down.

Mr. AGUILAR

Mr. AGUILAR. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva), a key advocate and champion of this legislation, and chairman of the Natural Resources Committee.

Mr. AGUILAR. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar), another strong advocate of the legislation.

Mr. AGUILAR. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).

Mr. AGUILAR. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline).

Mr. AGUILAR. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the ranking member for his support of this legislation, and the gentleman from Texas, who never misses an opportunity to give shout-outs to San Antonio and the individuals associated with this who are from San Antonio. I should also thank Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren from the House Administration Committee, who worked with Mr. Davis and who guided this legislation through the committee so we can have an opportunity to vote on it. This is truly a bipartisan piece of legislation, and I tip my hat to Mr. Hurd and Ms. Herrera Beutler for whipping votes and getting some colleagues to be supportive as well and, as Mr. Hurd mentioned, the Friends of the American Latino Museum, an outside group that has been supportive of this legislation in a key way and stands ready to work with us to accomplish this mission. As my colleagues have said, the time is now. It is important to pass this piece of legislation. It is important to start this process and to recognize the rich contributions that Latinos have made to American history. Madam Speaker, once again, I would just like to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2420, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. AGUILAR. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2420) to establish within the Smithsonian Institution the National Museum of the American Latino, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. AGUILAR. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, this bill and the creation of the National Museum of the American Latino has traveled a long road, stretching back to 1994 and, legislatively, back to 2003, 17 years ago. In 1994, the Smithsonian Institution Task Force on Latino Issues issued a report, titled, ``Willful Neglect: The Smithsonian Institution and U.S. Latinos.'' This report concluded that ``because of both indigenous roots and Spanish heritage, Latinos predate the British in the Americas. They have contributed significantly to every phase and aspect of American history and culture. Yet the Smithsonian Institution almost entirely excludes and ignores Latinos in nearly every aspect of its operations.'' In 2003, our former colleague Representative Xavier Becerra introduced a bill to establish a Commission to Study the Potential Creation of the National Museum of the American Latino. Language establishing this Commission was finally enacted in 2008. In 2011, the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of the National Museum of the American Latino issued its report. The Commission reported that ``the time has come for the creation of the new museum on The National Mall'' that ``reflects the contributions of Latinos in every aspect of American history and culture.'' Since then, our colleague, Representative Jose Serrano, has carried this legislation, and fought tirelessly to ensure American Latinos, our history, our culture, and our contributions to this Nation are recognized on The National Mall. Representative Serrano has spent a career championing the civil rights and civil liberties of all Americans; first, in the New York State Assembly, where he served for 16 years, and then in the House, where he served for 30 years. He has educated us on everything from Puerto Rico to New York, to the story of American Latinos, to, yes, a little bit of Sinatra, too. I remember a committee hearing last year, shortly after Representative Serrano announced his retirement, where he told the committee: ``If you want to give me a going away present that I will cherish forever, give me a museum.'' It is true that there are plans to open the Molina Family Latino Gallery at the American History Museum, which is a step in the right direction. But to once again quote Representative Serrano: ``No matter how hard we try, hundreds of years of history, art, and culture cannot be contained in one 4,500-square-foot exhibit. We deserve a dedicated museum of our own in the heart of Washington, D.C. We need a Latino Museum.'' Mr. Serrano is right: We need a Latino Museum. H.R. 2420 follows the plan for the creation of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It would establish the position of director, as well as board of trustees, and follows the successful cost-sharing framework of the National Museum of African American History and Culture by providing for a 50/50 split between Federal and non-Federal funds in constructing the museum and support facilities. Let me remind my colleagues of the history of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened in 2016. This history stretches back to 1988, 28 long years. And it took 16 years since the legislation establishing the museum for the museum to open its doors. Passage of this bill today is not the first step in realizing the creation of the National Museum of the American Latino, nor is it the final step, but it is an important milestone on a decades'-long journey and the culmination of years of effort and advocacy by Representative Serrano, my Hispanic Caucus colleagues, and countless outside advocates. The Latino community represents one-sixth of the American population. Latinos are an integral part of our history and culture and have been at the center of American progress for generations. And yet, study after study has shown that the story of this community within the broader scope of American history has not been told. Passage of H.R. 2420 brings us closer to being able to tell this story, a story intertwined with the very history of our country. This is a story that deserves to be honored and recognized. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this H.R. 2420, and for my colleagues in the Senate to pass it quickly and send it to the President for his signature so that we can begin the journey of realizing this important addition to the story of all Americans. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Natural Resources, Washington, DC, June 22, 2020. Hon. Zoe Lofgren, Chair, Committee on House Administration, House of Representatives, Washington DC. Dear Chair Lofgren: In recognition of the goal of expediting consideration of H.R. 2420, the ``National Museum of the American Latino Act,'' the Committee on Natural Resources agrees to waive formal consideration of the bill as to provisions that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Natural Resources. The Committee on Natural Resources takes this action with the mutual understanding that, in doing so, we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and that the Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as the bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues within our jurisdiction. Our Committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving this or similar legislation. Thank you for agreeing to include our exchange of letters in the Congressional Record. I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward to continuing to work with you as this measure moves through the legislative process. Sincerely, Raul M. Grijalva, Chair, House Natural Resources Committee.

Mr. AGUILAR. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cisneros).

Mr. AGUILAR. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 2420.

Mr. AGUILAR. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cardenas), a strong supporter of the legislation.

Mr. AGUILAR. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the majority leader of our Caucus and an incredible advocate and supporter for years of this piece of legislation.

Mr. AGUILAR. Madam Speaker, I would inquire how much time remains on each side.

Mr. AGUILAR. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta).

Mr. AGUILAR. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Garcia).

Mr. AGUILAR. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), a member of the Judiciary Committee and a key advocate for civil rights.

Mr. AGUILAR

Mr. AGUILAR. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the life of Tim Staples, a devoted husband, brother, son, and teacher. Tim gave his life working to save the life of another. As a volunteer for search and rescue team of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, Tim joined the search for a missing hiker last month on California's Mount Baldy. Tragically, this would be Tim's final rescue operation. Despite the risks, Tim's endless dedication to serving others guided him through 9 years as a volunteer with the search and rescue team, where he assisted countless operations to help save the lives of fellow San Bernardino County residents. But his passion for search and rescue was not the extent of Tim's desire to serve his community. Tim's desire to serve the community spanned across education and community and civic activities. He grew up in San Bernardino County, attending Damien High School in La Verne before getting his college education at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Tim was a Cub Scout and Boy Scout before becoming an Eagle Scout. He completed the Buckskin Leadership training and dedicated his time to training other Scouts. Tim was an educator, spending his career as a teacher and coach at both St. Lucy's High School in Glendora and at his alma mater in Damien. He is remembered by his family and friends for his love of helping others and often helping complete strangers. From stopping traffic to help push a car through a crowded intersection to driving over 2,000 miles to help a friend move, Tim was always willing to put his full energy and effort behind helping other people, including on his last day. He is survived by his two sisters, his parents, and his loving wife, Katie. Tim's students, athletes, friends, family, and all of San Bernardino County are better off as the result of Tim's endless compassion and drive to serve others.

Mr. AGUILAR

Mr. AGUILAR. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman from California offering me some time, and I want to thank Representative Cook, as well, for his efforts. I rise in support of the Big Bear Land Exchange Act. My community in San Bernardino County experiences some of the highest levels of air pollution anywhere in the country, and, in order to combat this pollution, we must find ways to reduce emissions in our region. This bill will help us do just that. This land exchange between the county and the Federal Government will allow the establishment of a recycling and recovery center in my neighboring district. This facility would decrease the long distances that trucks have to travel to dispose of waste and will allow us to divert this waste by repurposing recyclable materials. This legislation is good for our communities and is a smart way to help mitigate pollution and combat climate change. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague, Representative Cook, for his work in championing this bill and for his bipartisan collaboration. I have worked with Mr. Cook on a number of issues representing San Bernardino County. Nobody is more thoughtful when it comes to what our future direction holds. I know his heart is in San Bernardino County, as well, and no one will ever doubt that about his intent. Just because he doesn't want to hang out here with us in this facility oftentimes doesn't mean that he isn't publicly driven and publicly minded in order to deliver for his constituents. This bill is one of those examples. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with my colleague the remainder of the next 12 months and in the years ahead, and I want to thank him for his efforts in this regard.

Mr. AGUILAR

Mr. AGUILAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize El Chicano, an Inland Empire institution that has given a voice to Latinos in my community for 50 years. Owned and operated by Gloria and Bill Harrison, this publication highlights the important role Latinos have played in shaping the history and culture of the Inland Empire and continues to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of the Hispanic- American community in Southern California. From lack of representation in public office to limited educational opportunities, El Chicano set out to address the inequities felt by Mexican-Americans in our community. Founded by young activists who sought to highlight their own experiences and perspectives as Latinos, the publication began to run independently in 1969, and has celebrated the unique culture and accomplishments of the Southern California Latino community ever since. Over the years, El Chicano has stayed true to its original mission; to give a voice in media to those who needed to be heard. This Hispanic Heritage month, it is my privilege to recognize 50 years of El Chicano, which plays such a crucial role in the media landscape of the Inland Empire. I want to thank Gloria and Bill Harrison for their unwavering commitment to this publication and to our community, and I look forward to celebrating another 50 years of El Chicano.