Lois Capps

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the House one last time as a Member of Congress. Over 18 years ago, I was honored and humbled to be elected to this House. It has been the job and the responsibility of a lifetime. After a career spent as a nurse and in our public schools as a school nurse, it was the start of a life I never expected, but I was eager to answer the call to public service on behalf of the citizens of the central coast of California. It was the same call that had beckoned my husband, Walter, before me. He was a religious studies professor who felt compelled to serve. Like Walter, I sought to help restore the bonds of trust between the people and their government. While the circumstances of my joining Congress were unexpected, it has been a tremendous honor to serve with all of you over these years. Together with our colleagues, our dedicated staff, and our constituents, I have been proud to work on behalf of issues so important to our congressional district on the central coast of California, issues important also to our entire Nation. We have worked hard to ensure that everyone has the chance to fulfill their American Dream, while moving our economy and our country forward. We have fought to protect women's rights, strengthen families, and push for equality. We have made great strides in making health care more accessible and affordable so that no one has to go bankrupt just because they get sick. And we have championed a clean energy future while protecting our beautiful landscapes, our coastlines, and our precious natural resources for future generations. In recent months, I have often been asked what I will miss most about serving in Congress. While there is much to miss, the answer is easy: it is the people. To me, this job has always been and always will be about the people: the people we represent, the people who work so hard to keep this place going, the people on my staff over the years who have been so dedicated to making our community and our country just a little bit better--and the people I serve with here, you, my colleagues. It has been such a privilege and pleasure to get to know you and work alongside many of you over the years, learning more about your districts, your backgrounds, and your families. After all, isn't this what Congress was meant to be? You, my colleagues, coming from all over the country, from all walks of life, to represent your neighbors and communities in this place, this Congress, to work together for the good of our Nation. During my time in Congress, I have been so proud of those laws we have passed that have made a real difference in people's lives. When I am home, I often hear about the positive impact of our work, the role our office has played in the district, the difference our efforts have made in individual lives. I am proud of the progress we have made as a country, but we need to keep this momentum going. As we all know, cooperation and progress is not always easy, but it is what we are sent here to do and it is what we must do, regardless of partisanship. We are here, each one, because we believe in the role of government to make the lives of everyday Americans better, and that has been my guiding light both as a Member of Congress and as a nurse before. As I have said, I may be retiring, but I do not want to consider myself retired. I prefer to say I am graduating to continue working locally on issues that have defined my time in Congress. Our work is cut out for us, but I am deeply optimistic about what the future holds. I trust that the next Congress will hold healthy debates about how to build a better country for our children. I urge my colleagues to remember that, even during the most trying times, as my husband Walter often said: There is much more that unites us as a people than that which divides us. Now I want to take one last opportunity to thank my staff, the people who have become family to me both here in D.C. and in the district. And I want to thank you, my colleagues, for your camaraderie, your hard work, and the friendship that has lasted over 18 years. It has meant the world to me. And finally, thank you. Thank you, truly, to the people of the central coast for trusting me as your Representative, for inspiring me every single day with your passion and your dedication for our Nation and for California's 24th District. You make our community a place in which I have been proud to raise my children and my grandchildren now, one I am proud to call home.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2713, the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act, a bill I authored to strengthen our Nation's nursing workforce. Nurses are there for the most intimate times of a person's life. They touch the lives of patients and their families every day, not only ensuring proper care but supporting them through difficult diagnoses and helping them navigate the many complexities of our healthcare system--and they do it well. Time and time again, my colleagues here on the Hill will tell me about the excellent nursing care they or a family member received. In many ways, nurses are the backbone of the healthcare delivery system. We need to keep that backbone strong. That is exactly what Title VIII has done for over 50 years. In fact, Title VIII is the primary program our Nation has to strengthen and grow the nursing workforce. And it does so through targeted investments in the recruitment, retention, and distribution of these highly educated professionals who comprise our Nation's nursing workforce. It bolsters nursing education at all levels, from entry-level preparation through graduate study. It helps nurses repay student loans in exchange for working in underserved areas. It provides support for institutions that educate nurses for practice in rural and medically underserved communities, with a special focus on ensuring nurses are ready and able to care for our Nation's aging population; and it provides support for nurse educators so that they will be there--ready and willing--to teach the next generation of nursing professionals. It is also worth noting that title VIII has been incredibly successful. From 2006 to 2013 alone, title VIII supported more than 520,000 nurses and nursing students in getting them trained and into the field. H.R. 2713 would continue this impressive track record. Our bill is a bipartisan effort to ensure that these programs can continue while updating them to recognize advances in the profession. That is why it has the support from so many of my colleagues here in Congress as well as from over 50 nursing organizations. I thank and acknowledge my Congressional Nursing Caucus co-chair, Representative David Joyce from Ohio, who joined me to lead this reauthorization effort. He has been a strong advocate for nurses and a great partner in that effort. I again thank Chairman Upton and Ranking Member Pallone and their staffs for moving this bill forward, and I thank my long-time health policy adviser, Adriane Casalotti, who has worked tirelessly with me, on behalf of this bill and the nursing profession, over the course of her career on Capitol Hill. Now I hope the House would indulge me for a moment. As a nurse myself before my coming to Congress and as cofounder and co-chair of the House Nursing Caucus, I could not be more proud that we are here today. As some of my colleagues may remember, in 2002, one of my earliest priorities in Congress--the Nurse Reinvestment Act--became law. It was an important update to the title VIII program to ensure that it would meet the most pressing needs of our healthcare system. The bill we are considering today is a continuation of that work I began so many years ago. Much has changed during this time in Congress, but our ability to come together to support nurses and the nursing profession in a bipartisan way has not changed. I thank my colleagues on my behalf and all of our Nation's nurses for this commitment then, now, and in the years to come. Making the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act law is a critical way to fulfill this commitment, so I urge strong support for this bill.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my dear colleague, the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1209, the Improving Access to Maternity Care Act, which I am proud to have coauthored with my colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess). We know that healthy women make healthy moms, and healthy moms make healthy babies. To support these women throughout their lives, they need access to preconception, prenatal, postpartum, and interpartum care--interpartum being that time between one child and the next, should there be another child. But too many communities lack the skilled maternity care professionals who are able to provide these services, and that is what this bill would address. H.R. 1209 would harness the power of the National Health Service Corps to better target maternity care to the communities that need this care the most. Maternity care professionals are already included in the program and doing great work in communities across the country. But at present, these providers' placement is based on data related to primary care access shortages, without regard to the specific maternity care which may be needed. So while they are doing important work, there is more that we can, and should, do to ensure that they reach the areas that would benefit most from high-quality maternity care. Our bill would start this process and ensure that the National Health Service Corps takes the steps to use data to help more accurately place maternity care professionals in the locations that have the greatest need. H.R. 1209 would set up a process to identify communities in existing health professional shortage areas that most need maternity care. And then it would require action to get maternity care professionals into these targeted areas. We know that the National Health Service Corps is one of our most effective programs which improves access to care in underserved areas. We just want to make sure that we don't leave any community behind, especially when it comes to the health of mothers and their babies. I want to again thank my colleague, Dr. Burgess, for partnering with me on this legislation. I thank Chairman Upton, Ranking Member Pallone, and all of the staff for helping us move this bill forward. And I want to thank my deputy chief of staff and health policy advisor, Adriane Casalotti, for her years of work on this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge full support of this legislation.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor my dear friend and committed community advocate Floyd ``Shad'' Meshad for his forty four years of work advocating on behalf of America's veterans. Shad served as a Captain in the U.S. Army and as Medical Service Officer in the Republic of South Vietnam. There, he counseled soldiers in the field who were suffering from a multitude of psychological and emotional problems resulting from their experiences in combat. Upon his return to the States, he continued this work, dedicating himself to serving American veterans through counseling and pioneered treatment techniques for what would later become known as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. Shad's accomplishments are a testament to his commitment to the wellness of veterans. In 1971, Shad started the Vietnam Veterans Re- Socialization Unit, where he spent eight years helping veterans readjust to civilian life. And in 1978, Shad worked to develop and lobby for the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Act, which launched an investigation of PTSD and other psychological issues experienced by some Vietnam veterans. The following year, he founded the Vet Center Outreach Program, which to this day provides readjustment counseling for veterans at more than 300 locations across the country. In 1985, Shad also founded the National Veterans Foundation (NVF), whose mission is to support veterans in crisis and provide services to better the lives of veterans and their family members. The NVF operates a crisis hotline that offers on-the-spot crisis counselling and resource referrals for veterans of all wars. Shad has received many accolades for his efforts. He is a recipient of the Veterans Administration's Administrator's Commendation & the VA Special Contribution Award and has been featured on many major television networks and news programs including 60 Minutes, 20/20, Dateline, Nightline, and CNN News. He also authored the book, A Captain for Dark Mornings, which chronicles his experiences during the war in Vietnam. My family has known Shad since the 1970s when he worked with my husband Walter to develop the curricula for a class on the Vietnam War at the University of California, Santa Barbara in my district. By offering his personal experiences in Vietnam, Shad has helped thousands of young minds better understand the war through the unique perspective of both a soldier and a therapist. Shad is a dear friend and I am so grateful for his unwavering commitment to our nation's veterans. His dedication to easing our combat veterans' transition to civilian life is truly inspiring. Through his personal work and the work of the organizations he founded, more than 350,000 veterans have received help with financial problems, mental health issues, receiving VA benefits, healthcare, employment, housing, family counseling, and many other issues. I am honored to recognize Shad's countless achievements and I would like to express my upmost gratitude for his service to America's veterans. I wish him nothing but continued success in all of his future endeavors.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 1076, the bipartisan no fly, no buy legislation, to honor the memory of Lekeshia Moses, a victim of gun violence who never received a moment of action on this House floor.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of all Americans whose lives and communities have been affected by gun violence, and to highlight the Gun Violence Prevention Day of Action. After the tragic 2014 mass shooting in my Congressional District on the central coast of California, our community declared that not one more life should be lost to gun violence. Yet, today I stand before this Chamber with a heavy heart to mourn the many individuals who have been killed by a gun since that tragedy. And that number is staggering. In fact, over 2,000 men, women, and children have lost their lives to gun violence since the start of the congressional recess in July. That is 2,000 people in just 60 days. Right here in our country. Our country is better than this. House Republicans' decision to dismiss the House for 7 weeks without so much as debating gun violence legislation is shameful. Going home to our districts without addressing life and death issues is not what the American people expect of us. They deserve better. But here we are, back in D.C., with Democrats ready to work together to move commonsense gun safety measures. We just need a partner. We cannot ignore these problems because they are hard. We cannot stand by hoping the problem of gun violence will go away by itself. We cannot continue to shirk our duties as Representatives while those we represent are dying. There are commonsense regulations for Congress to debate. The American people overwhelmingly support closing loopholes in the background check system for firearm sales. Democrats, Republicans, gun owners, even members of the NRA support background checks; but the Republican leadership will not debate expanded background checks. The American people also support closing gun sale loopholes, which let dangerous individuals gain access to weapons without any review. Democratic and Republican lawmakers have introduced bills that would close gun sale loopholes, but the Republican leadership will not allow the House to debate closing these dangerous loopholes. The American people support the no fly, no buy bill, which would prevent terror suspects--terror suspects on the FBI watch list--from purchasing weapons. This is the very least we can do. But, again, the Republican leadership will not bring up no fly, no buy for debate. By not allowing these kinds of votes, or even these important debates, House leaders are failing the American people. We know that if we do nothing, if we don't even try, nothing will change. Our communities are hurting, and they demand action. It is time to answer that call. Mr. Speaker, whether or not you support this legislation, the American people demand that you do your job and hold a vote on the commonsense gun legislation they overwhelmingly support. It is the least we can do.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my extreme concern that you have dismissed this House without taking action on the critical issues that face our Nation, especially gun violence. I rise on their behalf--for the families who have lost loved ones to gun violence all over the country and in my own community. I rise for these mothers and fathers who wake up every morning, worried about the safety of their children and communities, who will continue to wait with no action due to your decision. On an average day, as has been stated eloquently, more than 90 Americans are killed by guns. How many more lives will it take until we come to terms with this reality? How many more days must go by until this House takes even one small step in the right direction? Every day counts. Every life counts. The American people deserve better. The decision to adjourn is shameful. I urge you to get this House back to work to address the gun violence epidemic so we can finally act on the call of ``not one more.''

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I was not recorded for the following Roll Call vote on July 12, 2016 and would like to reflect that I would have voted as follows: Roll call Number 409: NO.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Chairman, also to my colleague with whom I have enjoyed serving and with whom we share a particular affinity for a certain portion of a coastline along my district which I know he and I both appreciate, I want to close by reiterating that oil and gas extraction, transportation, and combustion is inherently risky and dirty. And this we do know. There is no denying it. But what we don't know equally concerns me. We have very little knowledge of the long-term impacts of offshore fracking and well stimulations on our oceans and our marine life as well as our public health, yet these activities continue to occur off our coast. Mr. Chairman, my amendment simply provides a pause in the use of fracking and acid well stimulation on the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf so that we have the chance to evaluate the need for and potential impacts of these practices. Let's make sure we fully understand the potential damage we are doing to our sensitive coastal and ocean environments, the species that live in them, and our public health. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Chairman, despite technological improvements, we know that extracting, transporting, and burning oil and gas is a dirty and dangerous business. There is simply no disputing that. Our reliance on these outdated fuel sources is placing people and our environment at risk. This is especially true for offshore drilling and the activities used to extract as much oil and gas as possible from these wells, methods such as hydraulic fracturing, called fracking, and acid well stimulation. Offshore fracking has been occurring for over 20 years off California's coast, and yet we know very little about the impacts on our oceans. That is why, last year, I introduced H.R. 1951, the Offshore Fracking Transparency and Review Act, which would require an environmental impact statement to be produced for fracking and acid well stimulation. We simply must know more about these activities before they should continue. While my legislation has not been afforded a hearing, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, BOEM, and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, BSEE, completed a programmatic assessment providing the first attempt to examine offshore well stimulation treatments, which resulted in a legal settlement with stakeholders in my congressional district earlier this year. This assessment confirmed that the potential for negative impacts on the environment and wildlife from offshore fracking and acid well stimulation, as well as the many unknowns as to the extent of the impacts, are well confirmed. Despite this, they decided that a more thorough analysis of potential impacts would not be undertaken. Regrettably, this has resulted in a missed opportunity to fully examine the risks posed by these treatments through a full environmental impact statement, as my legislation would require. Additionally, there is a severe lack of transparency as to what types of chemicals are being used for tracking and well stimulation activities and how they would be polluting our waters. So I join my constituents in expressing significant concerns over the impacts that these activities may have on our local environment, marine life, and public health. Given the many questions surrounding the impacts of offshore fracking activities, my amendment would prohibit the use of funds to process any application for a permit to drill or permit to modify that includes hydraulic fracking and acid well stimulation in the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf. This would provide a pause in activities to allow us to study both the need to extend the life of these wells as well as the safety and long-term impacts of these activities. My amendment provides a measured approach to a very uncertain practice that could have long-term and severe consequences to our oceans and public health. I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. I thank my colleague for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the so-called Conscience Protection Act. Despite its name, this bill actually does the opposite. It would infringe upon the beliefs and values of women across this country, putting their bosses' wishes over their own. This is wrong. It is yet another attempt to play politics with women's health. A woman's ability to control when, how, or whether to have children is central to her conscience, to her health, to her well-being, to her economic stability; but this bill would consider a woman's wish to be secondary to that of her employer's. Let me be personal for just a moment. I am the daughter of a minister. I grew up in a parsonage, and my father was a member of the clergy. I understand the importance of religion to the lives of so many, including to me. My faith was always a large part of what motivated me as a nurse, as a public health person, and what motivates me now as a Member of Congress. Perhaps it is because of this that I cannot stand on the sidelines when some are trying to use religion as a justification for discrimination or to take away the decisionmaking powers and responsibilities of another. Health care and the personal decisions a woman makes are not her boss' business. It is far past time to get employers out of the exam room. We need to trust and value women and let them make their own personal health decisions with their healthcare providers, with their family, with their faith, not politicians.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted: On rollcall No. 409, ``nay.''

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. I thank my colleague for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 1217. It is a bipartisan piece of legislation called the expanded background checks bill, and I do so today in honor of a particular person who was a victim in the Orlando massacre. Her name is Mercedez Marisol Flores, a young woman who has never received her own moment of silence on this House floor.

Mrs. CAPPS. I thank my colleague for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to please bring up H.R. 1217. It is a bipartisan bill, the expanded background checks legislation, and I am doing this today in honor of this beautiful young mother of 2 from Chicago, a victim of gun violence. She never received a moment of silence on this House floor.

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 1217, which is the bipartisan expanded background checks legislation. I do so to honor the memory of Welland ``Buddy'' Short, a victim of gun violence who, himself, never received a moment of silence on the House floor.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I also rise on behalf of the families who have lost loved ones to gun violence, including in my very own district in Isla Vista, California, on May 23, 2014. That horrific act killed 6 and injured 14--young people full of life and promise: Katherine Cooper, Veronica Weiss, Christopher Martinez, Cheng Yuan Hong, George Chen, and Weihan Wang. When these lives were tragically cut short, our community banded together to say ``Not One More'' life should be lost due to gun violence. But that message has fallen on deaf ears with the leadership of this House, resulting in countless Americans wondering each day if their community will be next. This is simply unacceptable. We cannot delay action any longer. Mr. Speaker, this House must vote on a bill to address the gun violence epidemic in our country. Americans deserve a bill that will truly make our country safer, and they deserve a bill that seeks to ensure ``Not One More'' can become a reality.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Dr. Dave Cash, who is retiring as the Superintendent of the Santa Barbara Unified School District after 28 years of public service as an educator. After graduating from the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) in 1979, Dr. Cash attended law school at Willamette University where he received his Juris Doctorate in 1981. In 1990, he received his Master's Degree in Education at UCSB and in 2008, his Doctorate of Education from the University of Southern California (USC). He has served as an educator and administrator for several local schools in the Santa Barbara School District including Peabody Elementary School, Goleta Valley Junior High, and Dos Pueblos High School. Dr. Cash's distinguished career as an educator and leader in the Central Coast of California is only preceded by his commitment to his students and the local Santa Barbara community. His leadership has helped generations of students successfully prepare for the future. Over the years, Dave's passion and tireless efforts have succeeded in closing achievement gaps and improving student outcomes at all grade levels. During his tenure, Dr. Cash committed his career to addressing inequality in our education system by seeking to hire more Spanish- speaking teachers and invest in resources for English language learner students to ensure all Central Coast students have the opportunity to achieve. Furthermore, Dr. Cash's ingenuity and forward thinking mindset have earned the respect and admiration of so many in the educational field. His restorative justice initiative, aimed at reducing suspensions and keeping kids in the classroom, and initiatives to better integrate technology into the classroom are just two of his many accomplishments as Superintendent of the Santa Barbara School District, and they serve as a testament to his dedication to his students' success. Dr. Cash's work and influence have been immeasurable and will continue to have an effect on his students and the entire Santa Barbara community for many years to come. I am pleased to recognize Dr. Cash's countless achievements and would like to express my upmost gratitude for his service to his students and our community. I wish him nothing but continued success in his retirement and future endeavors.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the House Amendment to S. 2276. Millions of miles of natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines crisscross our country and touch countless communities. While these pipelines are an essential part of our nation's energy infrastructure, we all know--many from first-hand experience--that our reliance on these pipelines is inherently risky. Too often we hear of a pipeline failure, just like the Plains pipeline spill in my congressional district last year, which harms the health of local communities, the regional economy, and the environment. And we know that it really isn't a question of if there will be another spill in another community, but when. With that is mind it is clear that we must do all we can to prevent the next spill from occurring and mitigate the damage when it does. We need to make the oil and gas industries that rely on these vulnerable methods of transportation more transparent and safer. We need to ensure that the federal regulator, the Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA), has the tools it needs to ensure the safe operation of natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines under federal jurisdiction. And we owe it to the communities who are still picking up the pieces from these incidents to do all we can to learn from these tragedies to protect others in the future. The bill before us today is an important step to do just that. This bill would provide PHMSA with the emergency order authority to appropriately respond to systemic pipeline issues. And it would ensure that important, long overdue rules are finalized and implemented, including the rules for automatic shutoff valves and leak detection. This technology is critical to minimizing the damage when a spill does occur. This bill also includes specific provisions that apply the lessons learned from the Plains spill. Specifically, this legislation would mandate a study on the causes of corrosion including risks associated with insulated pipelines--the underlying cause of the Plains failure-- and the best methods to prevent corrosion from occurring in this infrastructure. This legislation would also improve protection of coastal areas, including coastal beaches, marine coastal waters, and the Great Lakes, by explicitly designating them as ``unusually sensitive areas.'' This will bring more stringent safety requirements to these particularly vulnerable areas like my community. Finally, this legislation would require a report examining ways to improve hazardous liquid pipeline safety through integrity management actions, including an analysis of risk factors that may warrant more frequent inspections. While nothing can take us back to prevent the Plains spill, this bill as a whole is an important, bipartisan effort to protect my and other communities going forward. And that is why I support it. We must embrace this opportunity for the sake of the health and safety of our constituents and the environment. I would like to thank Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Upton and Ranking Member Pallone as well as subcommittee Ranking Member Rush for working with me to craft a bill that addresses the failures that led to the Plains spill. I would also like to commend staff from both the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for working in a bipartisan and bicameral way to get to this final product. Our constituents are relying on us. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation, and I hope we are able to send S. 2276 to the President for his signature in the very near future.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Wade Clark Roof, who is retiring as the Director of the Walter H. Capps Center at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Wade has had a distinguished career as a leader, educator, and colleague on California's central coast and exemplifies the qualities of a true academic. Wade graduated from Wofford University in 1961 magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Having formed an interest in theological studies and religion, Wade moved to New Haven, Connecticut where he studied at Yale University, receiving his Master of Divinity degree in 1964, before earning a Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of North Carolina in 1971. Following the completion of his doctorate, Wade accepted a professorship at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where he taught research methods for studying religion, religious pluralism, and religion and society. In 1989, Wade moved to the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB), where he was named the Rowny Professor of Religion and Society. He has been an irreplaceable part of the UCSB community ever since. Wade is a gifted educator who constantly challenges his students to reflect on the changing roles of religion in society and analyze how changes in religion, faith, and spirituality have affected how we define ourselves as Americans. He is also a prolific author. Throughout his academic career Wade has produced many works of scholarship, including 17 books and edited collections, 88 journal articles and book chapters, and dozens of newspaper editorials. In addition, he has provided professional commentary for various media outlets including Time, Newsweek, New York Times, Washington Post, and the LA Times. It is also important to note that Wade is a trusted colleague and friend, something I have experienced firsthand. Wade worked with my husband Walter in the Department of Religious Studies at UCSB. After Walter's passing, Wade raised $2 million in matching funds to establish the Walter H. Capps Center for the Study of Ethics, Religion, and Public Life at UCSB. Serving as the center's founding director from 2002 to 2016, Wade has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the center's mission: ``the belief that public dialogue and an informed and engaged citizenry are vital to democratic society.'' He is a dear friend, and I am so grateful for his indispensable contributions to honor Walter's legacy through the Capps Center and their innovative programming. Wade has announced his retirement and will be starting a new chapter. He can do so knowing that his work and influence have been immeasurable and will continue to have an effect on his students and the entire UCSB community for many years to come. I am pleased to celebrate Wade's countless achievements and I would like to express my utmost gratitude for his service to his students and community. I wish him nothing but continued success in his retirement.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my bill, H.R. 3218, which would designate the United States Postal Service facility that is actually on State Street in Santa Barbara as the Special Warfare Operator Master Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Louis ``Lou'' J. Langlais Post Office Building. Lou was a soldier and beloved family man. He dedicated his life to protecting our freedom and our country. This is an important bill not only for my community of Santa Barbara, but for the memory of a brave member of our armed services we lost way too soon. Naming the Santa Barbara post office in honor of Lou Langlais is a fitting tribute. Born in Quebec, Lou grew up on the central coast. He was an avid rock and mountain climber who spent much of his free time rock climbing some of California's most renowned and challenging locations, including Yosemite National Park and Joshua Tree National Park. After graduating from Santa Barbara High School, Lou joined the Navy in 1986. He spent 3 years on a warship before being accepted into and graduating from SEAL training class 162 in February 1989. He was a member of the Navy Parachute Team, the Leap Frogs, and served in the Persian Gulf War with distinction and valor. Then in 2000, Lou joined the highly selective Naval Special Warfare Development Group, where he eventually rose to become a troop leader in the Navy SEALs' elite Team Six before serving multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. During his 25-year military career, Lou earned many personal and unit decorations, including five Bronze Stars with Valor, the Purple Heart, a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and three Presidential Unit Citations, as well as several other campaign and unit decorations. It is also important to note that he is most remembered as a trusted friend, family member, and teammate for so many. On August 6, 2011, Master Chief Special Warfare Operator Langlais was one of 30 Americans killed in action when their helicopter was shot down in eastern Afghanistan. At the time, he was serving what was supposed to be his very last deployment. He had plans to return home to his family and continue his service as a trainer in the Navy SEAL program. But alas, he made the ultimate sacrifice. Lou is survived by his wife, Anya, and their two sons, Gabe and Jake, who also have given so much for their country. This bill honors them for their sacrifice and perseverance in the face of tragedy. As our community and Nation still mourn, I am proud to have authored this legislation. The naming of the Santa Barbara post office after Master Chief Lou Langlais is a fitting tribute and a way for Santa Barbara to remember and honor one of our own. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I was not able to be present for the following Roll Call vote on April 12, 2016 and would like to reflect that I would have voted as follows: Roll Call Number 139: YES.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I was not able to be present for the following Roll Call vote on May 11, 2016 and would like to reflect that I would have voted as follows: Roll Call Number 183: NO.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. I thank my colleague for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1818, the Veteran Emergency Medical Technician Support Act. As the ranking member of our committee just said, our military medics receive some of the best technical training in emergency medicine on the battlefield, and it is proven in extreme circumstances. However, when these medics return home and attempt to apply their skills to work in the civilian EMT sector, they are often forced to start back at square one. Repeating coursework isn't just a waste of time, it is also incredibly expensive. Similarly, civilian EMTs who are also in the military or in the reserves often must let their civilian certifications lapse when they are deployed. In either circumstance, this is an unfair burden on our military men and women who have bravely defended our country. It is also so shortsighted for our communities, which could benefit from their expertise. We need these valuable medical personnel to be working in our communities, especially as we now deal with this opioid crisis. That is why I am so pleased to have again joined with my Republican colleague, Representative Kinzinger, to introduce the Veteran EMT Support Act. The bill is a small but straightforward effort to help States streamline their EMT certification processes to take military medic training into account for civilian licensure. It is the least we can do to help ensure that our military medics' transition home is a little bit easier, and it is the least we can do to ensure that our communities have the best civilian first responder personnel working for them. I thank Chairmen Upton and Pitts and Ranking Members Pallone and Green and their staffs for their support in getting this bill to the floor. I urge my colleagues to support it.