Ami Bera

Mr. BERA

Mr. BERA. Mr. Speaker, the other day, I was out in my community and was introduced to a young man, Tyus Ashby, of Boy Scout Troop 447. Tyus and I got into a conversation, and he discovered I was on the Space Subcommittee. He asked if he could write me a letter. It is one of the requirements to get a Boy Scout merit badge. The other day, my staff passed me Tyus' letter, and I want to read from it. Congressman, you told me you are on the committee that looks into why we aren't going to space right now. I hope you can convince them to try again. There is so much more for us to discover. I hope you tell the other people on the committee that kids like me hope they won't let the space program end before we grow up and get to be part of it. We might be missing out on something really fun and important. Mr. Speaker, let's dream again. Let's explore. Let's invest in the research that is going to take us to the next generation, to Mars, and all the technologies that come with it. Let's not let Tyus' generation down.

Mr. BERA

Mr. BERA. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained on Rollcall vote No. 292, the amendment offered by Mr. Sanford of South Carolina. Had I been present, I would have voted ``No.''

Mr. BERA

Mr. BERA. Madam Speaker, I am a doctor. I have been a doctor for over 20 years. When I graduated from medical school, I took an oath. That oath contains that promise of patient autonomy, that I am going to sit with my patients, I am going to answer their questions, and I am going to empower them to make the decisions that best fit their lives and their health care. That is sacred to the oath that I swore when I became a doctor. This bill will make it criminal for me to do my job as a doctor. It is all about empowering our patients to make the decisions that best fit their lives, answering their questions. It is personal. I think about this as a father of a daughter. I want my daughter to grow up in a country where she is in charge of her own healthcare decisions. When we think about limited government, none of us wants the government to come into the examining room and get between that doctor- patient relationship. This is sacred. This is what health care is all about. It is about working with our patients, answering their questions, and putting them in charge of their own healthcare decisions. This is a bad bill; this is a bill with massive government overreach. Vote against this bill, and let us do our job as doctors.

Mr. BERA

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

Mr. BERA. I am opposed in its current form.

Mr. BERA. Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill. It 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, we are in the midst of the worst drought we have ever experienced in California, in my home State, and across the Western United States. This is the fourth year of unprecedented drought conditions. Two-thirds of California is in extreme or exceptional drought. Almost twice the area as this time last year is experiencing exceptional drought. This is critical. When I go back to my district and talk to farmers, small-business owners, individuals, they are worried; they are worried about what the summer is going to bring. We are about to enter the driest part of the year. I have got a picture here. This is the Sierra Nevadas, one of the most beautiful regions in our country. When my wife and I first moved to northern California, we would scrimp and save so we could go on vacation and go skiing up here--beautiful snow. In fact, the 1960 Winter Olympics were held up here. But it is not a recreational area. What the Sierra Nevadas mean to California, this is our biggest reservoir of water. The snow falls in the winter, and in the springtime you get this melt-off. It fills our reservoirs; it nourishes our farmers; it allows the fishermen to go fish the salmon in the Sacramento River. This is what a normal snowfall would look like. But let's fast-forward to where we are today. There is no snow. The snowpack just last month was 5 percent of normal--the worst conditions that we have ever seen. This is dramatic. What that means is our reservoirs are going to be empty. That means the farmers in central California are going to struggle to feed their crops. California's farms are the breadbasket not just of our Nation, but of the world; some of the most productive farms, incredibly important to our economy. But the water is not there. Now, what we are asking for is not a lot. We face critical times here. These aren't Republican or Democratic issues, because a farmer or consumer doesn't look at drinking water or the water to nourish their crops as Democrats or Republicans. They are looking at their business, their livelihoods, their very existence. We are just asking for a small amount of emergency drought relief. Now, in my own district, a large part of my population depends on drinking water from Folsom Lake. Do you want to see what Folsom Lake looked like 1 year ago? Dry. Dry to the bone. This should all be under water. We are not going to fill this reservoir because it depends on the snowmelt. Now, these families are going to struggle. We are doing what we can to save water. We are doing what we can as consumers to better conserve. I know the farmers are stepping up to do what they can. We are not asking for a lot, though, here. My colleagues will talk about increasing surge capacity. Great. Let's do that. But that is not going to relieve the impact of this summer. It is going to be devastating. And it is not just my State. It is affecting Nevada. It is affecting Oregon. It is affecting Washington State. The funding that we are asking for is not just for California. All 50 States could ask for emergency drought relief to help families, to help businesses. We have got to address this. The climate is changing. We have noticed now for 4 years we haven't had that snow. More of it is coming down as rain, so we have got to capture that rain. We certainly have to store it, and we have got to move that water to where we grow our foods. But for this summer, in these emergency conditions, our families need relief. I am not asking for us to change the bill. I am asking for a bit of relief for families that are struggling. In fact, this will help them. It will help them get through it. It will help any of the 50 States plan for emergency conditions like this. In addition, we are asking for a brief bit of funding to help us beef up our cybersecurity for our electrical grid. We are vulnerable here. Can you imagine what would happen if those that want to harm us attacked our electrical grid? We are not asking for a lot. We are not asking for anything that is unreasonable here. We are Americans. Let's help each other. Let's do what is right. Let's amend the bill. Let's pass it, and let's provide relief for these families. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BERA. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. BERA

Mr. BERA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud the success of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, known as AAHOA. Founded in 1989, AAHOA is the world's largest hotel owners association and the leading voice of hotel owners in the United States. I am proud to count myself and my family as members. This year, AAHOA celebrates its 26th anniversary in Long Beach, California at its annual convention. AAHOA's growth and success over the years serves as a testament to the American dream. As first and second generation Indian Americans, AAHOA members and their families immigrated to the United States seeking opportunity. These entrepreneurs found this opportunity in the hotel business, and over a quarter century later, AAHOA members have a profound influence on the hospitality industry. AHHOA is comprised of more than 14,000 small business owners who own nearly 50 percent of all hotels in America, employ more than 600,000 workers, and have an annual payroll of almost $12 billion. AAHOA members are critical to growing the economy, creating jobs, and providing safe, reliable, and affordable lodging for millions of travelers. And, we in Congress owe it to these small business owners to create an environment where they can grow. I'm also honored to recognize AAHOA chairman Pratik Patel for his exceptional leadership this past year. A second generation hotelier, Pratik lives in San Antonio, Texas with his wife, Akta, his daughters, Jayna and Misha, and his parents, Ravindra and Lilawatiowns. As the co- founder and principal partner at REM Hospitality, he manages more than a dozen hotel and other real estate properties where he applies the lessons of hard work and perseverance he learned growing up in the hotel industry. Since becoming AAHOA chairman, Pratik has lead the association to record levels of membership, a unified public policy advocacy program, and unparalleled industry leadership. I am proud to commend Pratik on his accomplishments and his dynamic leadership in his community and industry. I would also like to recognize AAHOA's officers, Vice Chairman Jay ``Jimmy'' Patel, Treasurer Bharat ``Bruce'' Patel, Secretary Bhavesh B. Patel and President Chip Rogers, along with AAHOA's 25 past chairmen whose dedication to the organization and the hospitality industry have helped to create jobs, promote investment in their local communities, and grow America's economy. I am proud of AAHOA's growth and look forward to working with them in the future.

Mr. BERA

Mr. BERA. Mr. Speaker, we have got to honor the promises that we have made to our constituents and to the people of America. We have got to honor the promises that we have made to our patients and doctors. This is a good bill. I look forward to voting for and passing this bill today and to continuing to move America forward.

Mr. BERA. I want to thank my colleague from Massachusetts for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, as a doctor who has cared for hundreds of seniors on Medicare, this is an important step forward because, for over a decade, we have had this flawed formula that has put the security of seniors' health care access at risk. I want to applaud Dr. Burgess, and I want to applaud the bipartisan Doctors Caucus. You will hear from a lot of doctors here in Congress that this is a step forward because, when we took our oath to practice medicine, we took an oath to put our patients first. This is a good bill that puts our patients first: our seniors, folks who have worked their whole lives and who now, in retirement, need that security of being able to see their doctors. This bill repeals a flawed formula that has been patched 17 times over the years, and it replaces it with a better formula, a formula that moves us away from this fee- for-service model and that moves us toward practicing higher quality care and putting our patients first. It is not a perfect bill. Like many, I am disappointed to see the Hyde amendment included in this bill. I have always stood against the Hyde amendment and against other attempts to restrict a woman's right to make her own reproductive health decisions. The Hyde amendment is a temporary rider that expires every year; and we, along with many women across this country, look forward to the day when it will end. I came to Congress to put people first. I came to Congress to work across the aisle in a bipartisan way and to put our country first, and this is a great attempt. Again, I applaud the doctors in Congress. I applaud the members of the Energy and Commerce Committee, the members of the Ways and Means Committee, the Speaker, and the leader of the Democratic Party here in the House for working together to put people first. This is a good bill as 7.4 million patients will still have access to care at community health centers, 8 million low-income children and pregnant women will still have access to care through the CHIP program, 49 million patients are enrolled in Medicare, and another 10,000 baby boomers enroll every day. This is a good thing.

Mr. BERA

Mr. BERA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Sacramento County Sheriff Deputy Danny Oliver. Deputy Oliver had served the citizens of Sacramento County for 15 years when he paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty this past October. Later that day, Placer County Sheriff's Investigator Michael Davis, Jr., was shot and killed by the same assailant. Deputy Oliver grew up in the Del Paso Heights neighborhood of Sacramento and graduated from Grant High School. He loved serving the community where he grew up and dedicated his life to making it better. He was known for being part of the community that he served, answering emails from concerned citizens even when he was off duty, and never declining to attend a neighborhood meeting. Deputy Oliver was as dedicated to his family as he was to his job, and his family was dedicated to him. His wife, Susan Oliver, worked two jobs while Danny went through the sheriff's academy, where he graduated at the top of his class academically. She will be my guest tonight at the State of the Union. Susan and Danny have two daughters, Melissa and Jenny. The lives of Deputy Oliver and Investigator Davis are a reminder that our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day for our safety. They were true heroes, and we are forever indebted to them and their loved ones. Let's honor their memory by building understanding and trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, just like Deputy Oliver did.

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Oregon for her leadership on the Science Committee as well as our ranking member from Texas for her leadership. But I have to rise in opposition of H.R. 1442, the EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act, and here is why: it is absolutely accurate that the best science and the best advice comes from multiple perspectives. You certainly need the perspective of industry, but you have to independently have that perspective of science as well. You need a board that is unbiased, that is unfettered, that is transparent, that is looking at it from the perspective of advising Congress and giving us the best possible advice because our sole job is to protect our citizens, to provide that best advice to our citizens. That is what the advisory board is designed to do and should do. But it requires a delicate balance. It can't be stacked in one direction or the other direction. You have to create that transparency that allows for vibrant, unfettered dialogue. And I say this as a scientist, as someone who has been on advisory boards. Now, the importance of what the EPA does and what advice they provide Congress is incredibly important. I will just share: I am a lifelong Californian. I grew up in southern California. I grew up at a time where I could actually see the air that I was breathing, where there were days that they ordered us to stay inside. It is through legislation, it is through working with industry, it is through looking at science that you cannot only both protect our citizens, protect our environment, but also advance industry. I applaud the Science Committee and Chairman Smith for taking up this debate. But let's do it in a way that not only is built on sound science, is built on evidence, but also allows multiple perspectives, not just from one side or the other side, not just from one group or another group, but creates this context where we can have vibrant debate, where we can get the best and most sound science, and we can get the best advice, which is what this group is supposed to do. They are supposed to advise Congress and allow us to do our job, which is to protect the citizens of the United States.

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Congressman Rahall for yielding, and for your leadership on this issue to make sure our veterans get the health care that they deserve. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of the Rahall motion to instruct our conferees. I look at this issue, not as a Member of Congress, but as a doctor who has worked in the VA system. Now, these are men and women who stepped up to answer the call to duty, to protect our freedoms, American freedoms, and we need to give them that same duty when they return. That is why we need to have enough doctors, nurses, and health care professionals in the VA system. It has been reported, many of these men and women, needing necessary care, often have to wait 30 days, 60 days. That is unconscionable. This isn't a Democratic or Republican issue. This is an issue of getting our men and women, our veterans, the necessary health care that they need. And as a doctor, you have to have a work force. You have to have necessary health care professionals that can address these needs in a timely manner. This is a very simple section of the Senate bill that Congressman Rahall is suggesting we move forward, section 203. It would directly address the workforce shortage and the doctor shortage in the VA by targeting funding to hire additional health care providers and prioritizing these additional providers for the facilities that need them most. It is common sense. It is the right thing to do to serve our men and women, to serve our veterans. Accepting these provisions is just one of many steps that we must do to ensure that they get the care that is necessary. There are other things that we can do, but this is something we can do immediately, and we shouldn't delay it another week, another year. Let's take care of our veterans. There is other legislation out there. We have a bipartisan bill, the Doctors Helping Heroes Act. It is Democrat and Republican. It is common sense. Once we get section 203 passed, let's do more to train those necessary doctors. We can do it, and we have got the will, and I really commend my colleague from West Virginia, Congressman Rahall, for taking the lead here. Let's do what is necessary to serve our men and women, our veterans, and let's move section 203 forward.

Mr. BERA

Mr. BERA. Mr. Speaker, last month's Supreme Court decision in the Hobby Lobby case is a serious step backwards for women's health. It sets a dangerous precedent where bosses are in control of their employees' health care decisions. And it worries me. As a doctor, I know that in order for a woman to make the best decision, she needs to sit down and have a conversation with her physician. It is important that we have all options available. Long-term contraceptive methods like IUDs are often the safest option and up to 20 times more effective than the birth control pill, but upfront costs can make it difficult for some women, particularly low- income women, to afford these methods. Prescription birth control can often cost up to $600 a year, and if women can't afford it, they are more likely to use it in an inconsistent manner. That is why I am proud to support the not my boss' business act, which ensures that employers can't pick and choose what health services a woman can receive. Health care decisions should be made between a patient and a doctor, not her boss.

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to this body about the outrageous Supreme Court decision, the Hobby Lobby case. I look at this, not as a Member of Congress, but as a doctor. Now, in my training, we took an oath. That oath was to put our patients first, to do good. My core job as a doctor is to sit with my patients, answer her questions, talk about the risks and benefits and the various options that are available, but then to empower my patients to make the decisions that best fit their lives. To women, there is no greater decision than when to start a family, when to become a mother, and that is why protecting those reproductive rights and reproductive options are so important. That is core to our oath as physicians, and that is why the Supreme Court's decision on Hobby Lobby was so outrageous. We have got to fight against this encroachment of the government or the Justices in the Supreme Court coming into my exam room and getting between me and my patients. That is outrageous. It is an affront to individual liberties. It is an affront to what we do as doctors. It is not just me speaking. This is doctors all across America. The American Congress of OB/GYNs calls this ruling outrageous. We need to have all options available. But what am I to do now if a Hobby Lobby employee comes to me as a patient, sits down and says: You know, I am not ready to start a family at this juncture. I would like to know what my contraceptive options are; I would like to know what some of the safest methods are. Well, IUDs often are 20 times more effective and are extremely safe, but the Supreme Court has now made that option unavailable for me. They didn't go to medical school. I did. As a doctor, it is my oath to provide all those options. Now, others might say, well, that patient can still choose to get it. The reason people have health insurance is because they want to have health care available when it is necessary. What if that patient can't afford that health care option? For many patients, hourly workers, often contraception can cost up to $600 a year. They are not able to afford it. That is why this is such an outrageous decision. We have got to keep the government and the Supreme Court out of our exam room. And it is even more personal than that. I am a husband and I am a father. I want my daughter to grow up in a country where she is in control of her health care decisions, where she is in control of her body.

Mr. BERA of California. So as a doctor, as a father of a daughter, I am proud to support the not my boss' business act because it puts patients back in charge of their health care decisions. We, as a country, prize individual liberties and individual freedoms above all. So this gives those decisions back to the patients.

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to celebrate an important milestone for one of Sacramento County's most important economic drivers, Aerojet Rocketdyne. It was one year ago that the formerly separate companies officially launched their future together as Aerojet Rocketdyne, a company that jointly represents 130 years of space launch and rocket propulsion. Aerojet Rocketdyne is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader providing propulsion and energetics to the space, missile defense, strategic, tactical missile and armaments areas. They also play a key role in our nation's space program. They employ more than 5,300 people nation-wide, and more than 3000 of those employees are in my home state of California. They represent the best our nation has to offer in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and contribute to our community and to keeping our nation a leader in aerospace and propulsion. Over this inaugural year, among Aerojet Rocketdyne's many accomplishments was successfully contributing to 11 rocket launches; and they have already contributed to the successful launch of 4 of the 17 rocket launches planned for 2014. They have powered every human mission to space since the Gemini and Mercury missions that preceded the Apollo Moon missions. Aerojet Rocketdyne will also power the next generation Space Launch System, which will launch humans into space farther than we have ever gone before, and they are working with commercial partners to provide affordable and innovative solutions to launching crew and cargo to the International Space Station. So, again, I want to recognize Aerojet Rocketdyne and the men and women who have worked to invigorate our economy and make our country a leader in propulsion and space exploration. Thank you, Aerojet Rocketdyne, for 130 years of success. I wish you many more!

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lou Weintraub. The oldest veteran in the Sacramento Jewish Community, Lou turned 100 earlier this year and will be honored at the Jewish Memorial Day Commemoration this weekend for his years of commitment to the Sacramento County community. Born to Polish immigrant parents in New York in 1914, Lou and his two siblings were children of the Depression. He attended City College of New York, and later the University of Pennsylvania. Soon after, he served as a clinical psychologist in the military for four years during World War II. A longtime executive with San Francisco's Jewish Community Federation before he retired, Lou has worked with and served on the board of many commissions and nonprofits in the Sacramento region, where he moved in 1989 after meeting his wife. He continues to be very active, delivering food to the home-bound for Meals-A-La-Car and on the boards of both the Community Services Planning Council and the Friends of the Sacramento Public Library. He is currently the Vice-Chair of the Emergency Food and Shelter Board. Lou is also an active congregant of Mosaic Law Congregation, attending its Daily Minyan and Shabbat and holiday services. He is known to regularly hold court after the services where at lunch in the social hall he is surrounded by people of all ages taking in his wisdom. Lou's wife Roslyn summed him up best when she told the Sacramento Bee earlier this year, ``What I see about Lou is that he cares more about other people than himself. He's always caring about somebody else.'' Thank you, Lou, for caring, and for your continued dedication to the Sacramento area community.

Mr. BERA of California

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

Mr. BERA of California. I am opposed to it in its current form.

Mr. BERA of California. Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to the committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage as amended. Mr. Speaker, instead of voting on divisive bills that threaten communities and their water supply with toxic mining waste, we need to focus on creating jobs and getting unemployed Americans back to work. Mr. Speaker, we have no more urgent mission than getting our veterans back to work. That is our priority. American families want their leaders to work together, Democrats and Republicans, to rebuild an economy that works for the middle class, not more partisan politics. Today, over 2 million unemployed Americans have been waiting for Congress to restore Federal emergency unemployment benefits since December. Among veterans who have served since 2001, the unemployment rate is 9 percent. This is disgraceful. During these tough economic times Americans need to focus and Congress needs to focus on getting Americans back to work. This amendment would do just that, allowing priority hiring of veterans and those who have received unemployment insurance. To help create more jobs, we also need to make more products here in the United States. There is a greater opportunity for our people to make it in America if we make things in America. That means we need to focus on creating the best conditions for American businesses to manufacture their products, to innovate, and to create jobs right here in the United States. Already, more and more U.S. companies are bringing overseas manufacturing back home. Let's continue to encourage these U.S. companies to continue to bring those jobs back here and to build things here in America. We have seen the American auto industry come back, Apple computers, alternative energy companies, just to name a few. We need to continue to encourage these companies to make their products here. That is exactly what this amendment does, and it will help set us on a solid path forward to a future of greater economic competitiveness, more jobs, and longstanding, long-term economic success. Let's show the American people what our priorities are. It is about creating jobs and getting Americans back to work and, most importantly, getting our veterans back to work. That is exactly what this amendment does. I urge the adoption of this important amendment. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BERA of California. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to congratulate the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) on celebrating their 25th anniversary. Founded in 1989, AAHOA is the largest hotel owners association in the world and represents over 12,500 members nationwide. My family and I are proud to be counted among them. AAHOA's achievements over the past quarter century are one of the greatest examples we have today of capturing the American Dream. Comprised of first and second generation Indian Americans, AAHOA members and their families immigrated to the United States seeking opportunity. These entrepreneurs found a niche as hoteliers and soon became a profound influence on the hospitality industry. Today, AAHOA members own over 40 percent of all hotels in the United States employing over 600,000 people with an annual payroll of almost $10 billion. It is also my pleasure to recognize AAHOA's chairman, Mehul ``Mike'' Patel for his exceptional leadership this year. Mehul and his family came to the United States from Valsad in Gujarat India when he was a teenager and they lived and worked in a motel in Garland, Texas. The lessons of hard work and perseverance he learned while growing up in the motel have served him well and today he is the chairman and CEO of NewcrestImage, Hotel Development and Management Company, with multiple hotel properties across the United States. Mehul's vision has been instrumental in elevating AAHOA to the next level. Under Mehul's stewardship, AAHOA has reached record levels of membership, and advanced its position as the voice of hotel owners with members in nearly every congressional district in the United States. Mehul is a dynamic leader in his community and industry and I am proud to commend his accomplishments. I would also like to recognize AAHOA's officers, Vice Chairman Pratik Patel, Treasurer Jay ``Jimmy'' Patel, Secretary Bharat ``Bruce'' Patel and President Fred Schwartz, along with AAHOA's 24 past chairman whose dedication to the organization and the hospitality industry have helped to create jobs, promote investment in their local communities, and grow America's economy. I look forward to addressing AAHOA's annual convention later this month and continuing to work with this extraordinary organization in the future.

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. Mr. Speaker, today, I want to speak about a case the Supreme Court is going to hear in a week, the Hobby Lobby case. As a doctor, I took an oath to provide my patients with the best medical advice possible and empower them to make the decisions that impact their lives and to put them in charge. Women should be free to make the health care decisions that work best for them and respect their own faith and personal circumstances. Allowing bosses to pick and choose the health care their employees receive sets a very dangerous precedent that could have far-reaching consequences. That is why the Hobby Lobby case that will be argued before the Supreme Court later this month is so important. CEO David Green may oppose birth control--and that is his personal decision--but individual Hobby Lobby employees have their own moral and religious views, and they shouldn't have to subscribe to his. This case isn't about the rights of corporate CEOs. It is about the rights of workers and patients everywhere. It is about the individual freedom to choose and make your own health care decisions. We need to stop bosses and out-of-touch politicians who want to come into our exam room and make those health care decisions. Let's keep these bosses out of the exam room and allow women to make the health care decisions that impact their own lives.

Mr. BERA

Mr. BERA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. This week, they open a new exhibition called ``Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation.'' One out of every 100 Americans traces his or her roots back to India, me included. As a first-generation Indian American born and raised in California, I am here today largely because of the Indian Americans of my parents' generation who paved the way with their dedication to hard work, education, and family. It is important for us to recognize this remarkable community's contributions to our country. The new exhibit examines the daily experiences of Indian Americans and highlights the impacts they've had on our Nation, from breakthroughs in medicine and technology to the election of Dalip Singh Saund, the first Asian-American member of Congress, elected in 1956. It is the first exhibit of its kind to explore the Indian American experience and celebrate the history and achievements of this community's political, professional, and cultural contributions to American life and history. I commend the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History for their support and recognition of this country's 3.3 million Indian Americans and their dedication to furthering national dialogue about a community that has become integral to the fabric of American life.