Judy Chu

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, as chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, or CAPAC, I rise to address the creation of the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. CAPAC strongly supports strengthening our economy and national security, and we have always recognized that there are legitimate concerns with the actions of the Government of the People's Republic of China. This committee could address these issues productively. However, I rise to remind all Members that this committee should not be used as an open invitation to traffic in blatant xenophobic, anti- China rhetoric that we know results in physical violence against Asian Americans. We certainly saw this with Trump's labeling of COVID as the ``China virus'' resulting in 11,500 hate crimes against AAPIs in this country. This committee cannot be used to promote policies that result in the racial profiling of Asian Americans but should directly focus on specific concerns related to the Government of the People's Republic of China. We know the danger for Asian-American communities if the committee devolves into xenophobic rhetoric and scapegoating. Back in the 1980s, when the economic competition between the U.S. and Japan reached a boiling point, Vincent Chin was out at a bar in Detroit celebrating his upcoming wedding when two laid-off autoworkers shouted: It is because of you that we lost our jobs. These men harassed Vincent, chased him, and bashed him in his head with a baseball bat, beating him until he died. Neither of them served a day in jail and only paid a $3,000 fine. Instead of attending his wedding, Vincent's family attended his funeral. This is part of our country's history, and what this shows is what we say and how we say it matters. We know how dangerous the consequences can be if we don't get this right.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, Americans across the country sent a resounding message at the ballot box. They support the right to access abortion and for people to have the basic freedom to make decisions about their own bodies with medical professionals and without the interference of extremist politicians. In every State where abortion was on the ballot, the American people called for freedom and bodily autonomy. Now, House Democrats' first action of the 118th Congress is to answer that call. If we defeat the previous question today, the House will take up my bill, the Women's Health Protection Act, which will guarantee abortion rights for everyone in every State. In the wake of the extremist Supreme Court's devastating decision last summer in Dobbs, Congress must stand up for the rights of every person to be able to make decisions about their own bodies and their own futures. House Democrats trust people, not politicians, to make decisions about their health and lives. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in defeating the previous question.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this bill. It is telling that the very first bill that the new Republican majority brought to the floor aims to protect wealthy tax cheats from following the law. For a decade, Republicans succeeded in stripping the IRS of the resources it needs to serve the American people, and the result has been frustrating and harmful to workers and families, but it is certainly fantastic for wealthy tax cheats who unfairly kept up to $1 trillion from the IRS every year. Congressional Democrats reversed this trend when we passed the Inflation Reduction Act. Now, the IRS will finally have the resources it needs to properly audit wealthy taxpayers and corporations with complex returns and ensure that average Americans don't have to wait hours on the phone to fix problems. Americans deserve an IRS that fulfills its most basic duty to ensure all taxpayers and corporations follow the law and pay their fair share in taxes. Vote ``no'' on this bill.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 9640, the Presidential Tax Filings and Audit Transparency Act of 2022. This week, I was shocked to find that the IRS did not comply with its own mandate to conduct annual audits of the President's tax returns. This mandatory Presidential audit has been in place since 1977. Yet, during Trump's 4 years in office, only one mandatory audit was even started and none of the audits were completed. The majority of audits weren't even started until Trump left office. The American people deserve transparency and checks and balances for the President, the most powerful person in the world. The bill before us would ensure the integrity of this audit in Federal statute and show the American public that no one is above the law. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3648, the Equal Access to Green cards for Legal Employment, or the EAGLE Act of 2022. While I, like many others here today, would prefer to see a more robust approach to fixing our broken immigration system, the bill before us today is an important step in the right direction. This bill will have a large impact on many immigrants and notably an overwhelming impact on Asian immigrant workers who have been historically barred from applying for U.S. citizenship. Right now, there are approximately 1.4 million individuals trapped in our backlogs waiting for available employment-based visas. The vast majority, as high as 80 percent, are Asian immigrants who are currently facing waiting times as high as 90 years from India or 44 years from China. Critically, the bill also more than doubles the per-country limit on family-sponsored visas from 7 to 15 percent, bringing relief to the nearly 4 million people who are forced to languish in limbo due to a backlogged and broken family-sponsored system. This backlog keeps families separated; causes birthdays, weddings, and funerals to be missed; and hampers the ability of immigrants to build their lives here in the United States while their families are waiting overseas. Additionally, while not all communities are facing the same impact as ours, I want to reassure everyone that this bill does not adversely affect immigrants from other countries and those who do not benefit directly from these provisions. Finally, I am proud that this bill does not include the racist anti- Chinese language that was added at the request of former President Trump to the previous iteration of this bill. Instead, the manager's amendment before us today simply replicates what is in current law for all green card applicants. While I will continue to push forward for more comprehensive action that addresses many other parts of our immigration system for all immigrant communities, we must not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. We must pass this bill today in order to help hundreds of thousands of immigrants who are stuck in our employment visa backlogs.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I rise today to give my strongest support for the Respect for Marriage Act. It is hard to believe that today, in 2022, we are still fighting to protect the right of all Americans to marry the person they love. The Supreme Court's actions this summer have shown us that we cannot take our rights for granted. No one should have to live in fear that a Supreme Court decision could invalidate their marriage in the blink of an eye. The Respect for Marriage Act enshrines the right to marry the person you love, regardless of gender, race, or identity, into Federal law. It finally repeals the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act from our lawbooks, and it reaffirms our commitment to a promise of equality for all by ensuring critical Federal and State protections for same-sex and interracial marriages. I have spent my career fighting for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, both at the State and Federal levels, and so I am proud to stand on the House floor today in support of the Respect for Marriage Act. Sending this bill to the President's desk sends a powerful message that love is love, that family is family, and that this Congress stands together against hate and discrimination.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, it was such an honor to work closely with the late Representative Jackie Walorski. I was consistently struck by her dedication to her district and deep desire to find ways to make our healthcare system work for everyone. On the Ways and Means Committee, in particular, she and I worked together to co-lead bills on breast cancer equity and on medical nutrition therapy for those in the Medicare program with eating disorders. I also had the pleasure of co-chairing the Integrative Health and Wellness Caucus with her to help educate Members of Congress on the various ways that integrative health can help support our traditional medical system and lead to improved care for patients. I am thrilled that we are honoring her legacy with today's bill which reauthorizes the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program, or MIECHV. This bill also increases for the first time in a decade Federal investments into the program. Home visiting for pregnant women and families with young children have a proven record of improving outcomes for children's health, well- being, and readiness for school. But currently, less than 5 percent of eligible families each year have access to the program, including in my own district in Los Angeles County. An estimated 37,000 families were served through evidence-based home visiting models in 2021 alone, but 750,000 more families were eligible for services during this same time but could not receive them. In addition, recruitment and retention of home visitors are key challenges to adequately serving families. Low wages and poor benefits for the field is a main driver of these challenges, and additional funding is needed to address these workforce challenges and provide competitive wages to these vital providers. That is why I am so excited about the investments in this bill which will help increase capacity to serve those in need. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of John J. Kennedy, who passed away on July 21, 2022, at the age of 61. John was a respected leader and councilmember in the Pasadena community whose legacy will be felt indefinitely. John J. Kennedy was born and raised in Pasadena, California to his parents Thomas and Leola Kennedy as the eighth of ten siblings. John was always a natural leader, drawn to serving and representing those around him from an early age. He was student body president at Pasadena's Blair High School and went on to serve as student senator at the University of Southern California, where he received a dual bachelor's degree in Economics and International Relations. After earning his juris doctor degree from Howard University School of Law, John became the youngest person to be elected president to the Pasadena National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1987. His decades-long work with the NAACP as both president and a member represented his powerful commitment to creating opportunities for everyone in Pasadena. In 1987, John also founded John J. Kennedy & Associates, a management consulting firm that assisted in public relations, dispute resolution, grant writing, program development, and more. And from 1995 to 1998, John even served as Deputy Chief of Police for the Richmond, Virginia Police Department. After returning to California, John worked for Southern California Edison from 2004 to 2011 as Director of Special Projects, and from 2011 to 2013, he was the Senior Vice President for the Los Angeles Urban League, where he helped to fundraise and connect all levels of government with important policy issues affecting the local area. John was a well-regarded leader among his constituents, peers, and elected representatives from every level of government. Prior to his election to the city council, John worked for the City of Pasadena in several capacities, including in the Finance, City Attorney, Police, and Public Works Departments. With a clear and unyielding passion for giving back to the city that raised him, John was elected to the Pasadena City Council in 2013 to represent District 3, which he served tirelessly until his death. In his nearly three terms on the city council, John served as Vice Mayor, Chair of the Public Safety Committee, served on the Finance Committee, and was one of three city representatives to represent Pasadena on the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority. John's powerful commitment to helping those around him defined his many accomplishments as an elected official. Particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, John stepped up to assist those who needed it most. In fact, during the peak of the pandemic John secured 60,000 face masks for the City of Pasadena, ensuring that city staff and residents would not experience any potential shortage. He also fought hard to establish local grants that were crucial in helping many small businesses keep their doors open. And John even continued his annual tradition of providing families with thousands of Thanksgiving turkeys and Christmas hams at a time of crisis and need. Despite the immense challenges of the pandemic, John was able to spearhead the creation of the Pasadena Police Oversight Commission, one of the most important accomplishments the City of Pasadena has achieved. This was an effort John had championed for six years that started with no support. And yet despite countless objections and hurdles along the way, John persevered, advocated, built coalitions, and ultimately succeeded in gaining the votes necessary to establish the commission. John was also a longtime advocate for increasing affordable housing throughout Pasadena. In 2020, John pushed the City of Pasadena to set an ambitious goal of building 1,000 units in 1,000 days. And because of his leadership, the city broke ground on a new housing project called Pasadena Studios, which will consist of 180 all-affordable units. Outside of affordable housing efforts, John was also an ardent supporter of several other projects to improve some of Pasadena's landmark facilities and institutions, including advocating for $20 million for Robinson Park, fighting relentlessly for $11 million towards the Playhouse Village Park, and supporting Measure J which transferred approximately $8 million a year to the Pasadena Unified School District. John always recognized that Pasadena's success was built by the hard work and sacrifice of our predecessors, many of whom were African Americans, Chinese Americans, Mexican Americans, Japanese Americans, and countless others from different backgrounds. Because he wanted to ensure that future residents of Pasadena were aware of its history, he fought hard to establish a monument that recognized this fact. And after months of hard work, along with the support of community members and organizations, the City of Pasadena erected a monument dedicated to minority residents and their incredible contributions to this city. This monument will serve to honor not only the unquantifiable contributions of these communities but will memorialize the honorable efforts of John himself. John's love for Pasadena and Pasadenans guided his public service as he strove every day to make it better for everyone. It is certain that he did just that. It was an honor to work with him and call him a friend. I ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating the life of this extraordinary individual.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my colleague, Representative DelBene's bill, the Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act. I have heard from countless patients in my southern California district whose care has been delayed for weeks and, in some cases, outright denied because of countless barriers and archaic approval methods. And I have heard directly from physicians who are at their wits end, unable to provide the care they know will help their patients because of endless red tape. The Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act makes thoughtful and much-needed improvements to the Medicare system to correct these problems. The bill before us today will promote modernization of the prior authorization system to speed up approvals of routine procedures. It moves the system of prior authorization into the 21st century, away from fax machines and toward electronic approval methods. By shortening the window by which insurance plans must respond to a prior authorization request, the bill will ensure patients get the care they need when they need it. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Inflation Reduction Act. This historic legislation will make real, tangible differences in the lives and livelihoods of people back home in southern California and across the Nation. It is imperative we pass this once-in-a-generation bill today. The American people are struggling to afford medications, health insurance, and their energy expenses, all while battling the impacts of climate change every day. They are desperate for Congress to take action to address the real challenges they are facing in their everyday lives. This is exactly what this bill does. It lowers the costs of prescription drugs for seniors to no more than $2,000 yearly. It curbs the rising costs of utilities and creates good-paying jobs nationwide in the process. It makes healthcare more affordable for millions of Americans by shoring up the Affordable Care Act. Today, we are going to combat climate change, ensure corporations pay their fair share, and reduce prices for workers and families. In fact, we are making the largest and most ambitious investment in clean and renewable energy in our Nation's history, finally reversing years of underinvestment at the IRS and building a fairer tax system that will invest in workers without raising taxes on families and small businesses. Today, we are delivering on a promise made to Americans by passing this critical bill. We must commit to putting people over politics. Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bill.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, we are the only country in the world where mass shootings continually happen. They happen in schools, grocery stores, malls, hospitals, parades, you name it. In America, there has not been a single week in 2022 without a mass shooting. Weapons of war, especially, have no place in our streets or schools or our grocery stores. They have no place in nail salons or churches or shopping malls. About their horrific impact on children like this, a trauma surgeon said the tissue destruction is almost unimaginable. Bones are exploded. Soft tissue is absolutely destroyed. It is like a bomb went off. But we in Congress can end this. We can end this uniquely American plague of mass death caused by gun violence. I support the assault weapons ban because we cannot wait to act until the next mass shooting. We must pass this bill today.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3771, the bipartisan South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act, which will not only raise awareness about the prevalence of heart disease in the South Asian community but save lives across our country. I thank Congresswoman Jayapal for introducing this very important bill. Language barriers, stigma, a lack of data surrounding AANHPI health, and the rise in anti-Asian rhetoric and violence are just some of the challenges communities of color face in accessing healthcare. South Asian Americans, in particular, have four times the risk of heart disease compared to the general population. The factors behind this epidemic of heart disease among this community are not understood, and, more importantly, preventative measures are rarely shared. This bill before us today will tackle these issues and help to reverse these frightening trends and better protect South Asian-American communities nationwide, as well as patients of all races and ethnicities. Specifically, this bill will create heart health promotion grants at the Centers for Disease Control to develop culturally appropriate materials to promote heart health, so that no one loses out on lifesaving information just because of the language they speak. It would also establish a clearinghouse of information on heart health through the NIH and conduct research on cardiovascular disease and other heart ailments among communities disproportionately affected by heart disease, such as South Asian Americans. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation and have been proud to support its endorsement by the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus which I chair. This bill is going to save lives, and we must pass it today.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, as the chair of the Contraception and Family Planning Task Force of the Pro-Choice Caucus and as a woman who lives in America, I rise today in strong support of the Right to Contraception Act, which would ensure every American has the federally protected right to access the birth control method that works for them. Birth control is healthcare, plain and simple, and it is critical to women's health and women's equality. And no one--not the Supreme Court, not Congress, not your boss--should be able to interfere with your family decisions. We have seen just how far this Court of unelected Justices will go to erode our constitutionally protected rights, which is why I am proud to support this very necessary bill today to create a Federal right for providers to provide and patients to receive contraceptive services. Madam Speaker, it is of great urgency that this House pass this critical bill today and afford us the agency to make our own healthcare decisions.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Rodrigo ``Rod'' Garcia, who passed away on July 2, 2022. Rod was a respected visionary, leader, and advocate whose incredible life was defined by his dedication to empowering the Hispanic community to achieve educational excellence, economic opportunity, and social equity. Rod Garcia was born in East Los Angeles, California in 1943. He graduated from California State University, Los Angeles with a bachelor's degree of science in engineering and also obtained an associate degree in engineering from East Los Angeles College, launching a lifelong career in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) field. Rod subsequently served as a civil engineer for the City of Los Angeles and worked for the Port of Los Angeles in Public Works, Building and Safety. Due to his expertise in the field of engineering and his leadership abilities, Rod went on to chair the City of Monterey Park's Planning Commission as well as serving on the Dean of Engineering's Advisory Board for his alma mater, California State University, Los Angeles. Rod also served as president of Century Diversified, Inc., an engineering and construction firm, for over thirty years. Rod was one of the few Hispanic engineers amidst a tech boom in California in 1973 and despite being in the minority in the STEM field, he gathered a cohort of fellow Hispanic engineers determined to contribute and diversify the sector. That's why, in 1974, Rod founded the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) with the mission of ensuring networking and education opportunities for Hispanic students and professionals in the Southern California region. Shortly thereafter, SHPE's first collegiate chapters were established at California State University, Los Angeles, East Los Angeles College, and the University of Southern California. For five decades, Rod's high- spirited and fearless leadership propelled the SHPE to reach 13,000 memberships and 286 chapters nationwide. His unique ability to unite community partners and leaders around the country serve as evidence that closing the STEM education gap and increasing the number of Hispanics in STEM can and will be done. Rod will be remembered by his colleagues and thousands of current and former SHPE students and professionals for his devotion, service, mentorship, and immense contributions to expanding awareness, access, support, and development opportunities to Hispanics in STEM so that they may realize their potential and positively impact the world. His legacy of empowering the Hispanic community to achieve educational excellence, economic opportunity, and social equity will guide many members of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers for generations to come. I ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating the life of this extraordinary individual.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Secretary Norman Mineta, who passed away on May 3, 2022, at the age of 90. Norm was a pioneer of Asian American representation in politics and was an exemplary patriot. Norm was born in San Jose, California on November 12, 1931, to Japanese immigrant parents. In 1942, when he was just ten years old, Norm and his family were forcibly relocated from California to Heart Mountain War Relocation Center in Wyoming, where they were imprisoned at a Japanese internment camp during World War II. After 18 months of incarceration, Norm and his family moved to the Chicago area, where his father, an insurance agent, volunteered to teach Japanese language courses to soldiers in the U.S. Army. Only when Norm was a teenager were he and his family finally able to return to San Jose. After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley in 1953 with a degree in business administration, Norm served as an intelligence officer for the Army for three years and later took over his father's Mineta Insurance Agency. After serving on the San Jose Human Relations Commission, Norm was asked by San Jose's then-mayor to fill a city council vacancy in 1967. Following four successful years as a city councilmember, Norm was elected to be San Jose's mayor, making him the first Asian American to serve as mayor of a major American city. With a staunch belief that local officials should have more authority over how federal funding is used to improve roads and railways, Norm decided to run for Congress, promising to address these very issues. And he did just that. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1974, Norm went on to serve for ten terms from 1975 to 1995. In Congress, Norm successfully fought to strengthen civil rights for the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. He spearheaded efforts to pass the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which granted reparations to Japanese Americans incarcerated during WWII or their surviving family members. In 1994, he co-founded the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus to ensure that AAPIs have a voice in Congress and served as the Caucus' first chair. Seeing the need to increase the AAPI public service pipeline in Washington, D.C., Norm also founded the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) in 1994. Since then, APAICS has played a critical role in cultivating future AAPI leaders through internships and fellowships, and many alumni have gone on to such remarkable positions, including within the White House and Capitol Hill. Following his Congressional tenure, Norm was appointed to serve as Secretary of Commerce for the last six months of President Bill Clinton's term, making him the first Asian American member of a Presidential Cabinet. Then, under President George W. Bush, Norm became the first Cabinet Secretary to switch directly from a Democratic to Republican administration, where he served as Secretary of Transportation. Notably, he was also the only Democrat to serve in President Bush's cabinet, displaying his talents in bipartisan efforts. As Secretary of Transportation, Norm fought for investments in roads and bridges nationwide, and secured billions of dollars in federal funding for highways. Norm's time as Secretary of Transportation was defined by the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. When the second plane struck the World Trade Center, Norm was moved to a secret bunker under the White House alongside Vice President Dick Cheney. It was here that Norm made the historic call to ground nearly 5,000 planes in U.S. airspace, an unprecedented decision for which protocols had never been established. Following the attacks, Norm regularly worked 100-hour weeks to bolster security at seaports, airports, railways and facilities with oil and gas lines. Furthermore, he spearheaded the effort to establish a new federal agency, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), to successfully increase security at airports and avoid future attacks. In a time when Islamophobia was sharply exacerbated, Norm routinely drew parallels between his experience with Japanese American incarceration and scapegoating of Muslim Americans. For his extraordinary accomplishments, the San Jose airport was renamed in 2001 to the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport. Additionally, Norm was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honor, by President George W. Bush in 2006. Norm is survived by his wife, Deni, his sons David, Stuart, Robert and Mark, and 11 grandchildren. He was truly a trailblazer and defined what it means to be a public servant, paving the way for generations of Asian American elected officials, like myself, to come. I ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating this extraordinary individual.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Respect for Marriage Act to enshrine the right to marry the person you love under Federal law by repealing the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act. In the wake of the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade, the doors have been swung wide open for unelected judges to further strip protections from the American people. This crucial bill reaffirms our commitment to a promise of equality for all, erasing further discrimination still on the books against same-sex marriage, and protecting the constitutional right to marriage equality, including interracial marriage. We will not allow the clock to be rolled back even further. Mr. Speaker, it is imperative we pass the Respect for Marriage Act.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill, the Women's Health Protection Act, or WHPA. WHPA is the bill that will protect the right to access abortion after the tragic fall of Roe v. Wade. It ensures in Federal law the right to abortion care for every woman in every State and ensures States may not erode that right. You will hear Republicans say our bill goes too far, but that is simply not true. Our bill preserves the protections of Roe that we have lived with for 50 years, affirmed through decades of subsequent court decisions. WHPA prohibits the bans and restrictions that violate the spirit of Roe, from outright bans to laws forcing women to undergo invasive ultrasounds, unnecessary waiting periods, or forcing doctors to give patients medically inaccurate information. You will hear Republicans repeat over and over again that Democrats are voting for abortion up until the moment of birth. Actually, for 50 years the Court had the provision of an exception for late-term abortion in Roe to preserve the life or the health of the mother. It is because they valued the life of the mother. Do Republicans actually believe the mother's life is expendable? Apparently so. What you will not hear is Republicans say that the vast majority of Americans do not want Roe to be overturned. You will not hear an apology to the 10-year-old who was raped and had to travel to Indiana for an abortion because it was prohibited in her home State. You will not hear an acknowledgment that women are capable of deciding for themselves whether to terminate a pregnancy. This bill respects our right to make our own decisions about our bodies. It is time to put control of our bodies back in our hands. Now is the time to pass the Women's Health Protection Act.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I was horrified when I heard about the plight of a desperate Houston woman. She was 1 week pregnant beyond Texas' 6- week abortion ban, and with four children already, she knew she was not in a position to have another. So she packed her husband and four children in a car and drove over 22 hours and over 1,500 miles to my district in Pasadena, California, for her abortion. Texas' law forced her into a situation no family should ever have to face, and the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe has made conditions far worse. H.R. 8297, the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022, will ensure that every American has the right to travel to seek abortion care. Madam Speaker, we will not give up in this fight. We will not go back.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I stand here in strong support of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. It was just 1 year ago when a young man went into the store, bought a gun, and, just hours later, went to an Asian spa in the Atlanta, Georgia area to murder Asian women. Then, he drove 27 miles away to two more Asian spas to kill more Asian women. In all, he killed eight people, including six Asian women. They were mothers, grandmothers, daughters, and I will never forget the tears and sobs of their loved ones when we went down to Georgia to visit. To see that again in Buffalo and Uvalde, where families had their lives ripped apart in an instant, is more heartache than our country can bear. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is an important step forward. There will be enhanced background checks for gun purchasers under 21. It provides funds for States for red flag laws. It closes the boyfriend loophole. This bill will save lives.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, today, I am so thrilled to join my colleagues around the country to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Pell grant. The Pell grant is essential to fulfilling our Nation's promise of higher education by ensuring low-income students have the same access and opportunities as their wealthy peers. As a former college educator for over 20 years, I know firsthand how life-changing a college degree can be for a student. That kind of opportunity should not be reserved for only the richest amongst us. During the 2021 academic year, nearly 850,000 students in my State of California received a Pell grant to help them access and complete a college degree. Nationwide, about 40 percent of all undergraduate students benefit from the Pell grant. With most of these students coming from working families, it is clear: Pell grants help make college more affordable, enabling students to focus on their education and complete their degrees faster. The Pell grant has spent the last 50 years helping students across the country access higher education, and it is now easier than ever for eligible students to apply.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I rise today with Members of my delegation, the Honorable Mark Takano and the Honorable Alan Lowenthal, to honor the life of Dr. Eve Kurtin-Steinberg, who passed away on May 5, 2022, at the age of 68. From her career in the healthcare sector to her outstanding dedication to the Jewish community, Eve tirelessly put the needs of others before her own. We were also lucky enough to call Eve a friend. A graduate from the University of the Pacific's Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and the University of California, Los Angeles' Anderson School of Management, Eve used her medical and business expertise to kickstart a decades-long, prolific career as a healthcare executive and investor. With a passion for medical technology advancement and reducing the cost of patient care, Eve served in myriad leadership roles including as the managing director of Pacific Venture Group, founder and CEO of Physician Venture Management and CEO, and President of Kurtin Communications. She also served as vice president of American Medical International, was a founding member of the RAND Health Board of Advisors, and sat on numerous other healthcare boards, including that of her alma mater, the Pacific Board of Regents. This commitment to helping others also seeped into Eve's longtime advocacy for the Jewish community, of which she was considered a pillar. For decades, Eve devoted herself to the Stephen Wise Temple in Los Angeles, California, and served in many leadership roles including chair of the Wise Parents Association, chair of the Temple's Financial Oversight Committee, and even as president of the Temple's congregation from 2003 to 2005. Even when she was not in a leadership position within the Temple, Eve was known for being an active, vivacious participant in any service or event she attended. Eve's dedication to the Jewish community and Israel expanded beyond her work with the Wise Temple. Eve was also engaged for decades with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), where she served as Political Chair for Southern California and helped to foster an active AIPAC community within the Wise Temple. Furthermore, as director of the Union for Reform Judaism, Eve was invited to attend a meeting with former president Obama's then-chief of staff, Jack Lew, to discuss international relations with Israel, the Affordable Care Act and more because of her extensive knowledge on the matters. And a lifelong donor to the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, Eve served as cochair of their literary program KOREH LA and was a longtime member of their Community Engagement Committee. She even dedicated her time to being a volunteer for School on Wheels, a school tutoring program. Eve is survived by her spouse, Dr. Michael Steinberg, her children Beth and Drew, and her grandchildren Lev, Liam, and Micah. It is clear that a driving force in Eve's life was serving those around her, in whatever sector or group she touched. Eve will be remembered for this very service and dedication through the Hebrew saying Eshet Chayil, or Woman of Valor. We ask our colleagues to join us in commemorating the life of this extraordinary individual.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, we cannot let America be like this. Children shouldn't be texting their family good-bye as they lay barricaded behind desks. Parents shouldn't dread having to drop a child off at school, wondering if this is a death sentence. And a grandmother shouldn't have to fear being murdered as she goes into a grocery store to get dinner. The U.S. is the only country in the world with more civilian-owned firearms than people, and it is costing us our loved ones' lives. Thoughts and prayers are not enough. They never were. We have to take action. This is what we were sent to Congress to do, to act. The bill before us today, H.R. 7910, the Protecting Our Kids Act, will save lives. We can no longer act like we are powerless to stop mass murders in our communities when it is clear there is so much we can do. Pass this bill. Enough is enough.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I rise today during a dark time in our Nation's history when the right to an abortion--the fundamental right to decide what happens to your own body--is under threat. Today, I rise to tell the stories from patients and providers in my district. The stories I am about to tell provide a glimpse as to what life will be like if Roe v. Wade is indeed struck down in the final decision of the Supreme Court. These stories come from my local Planned Parenthood Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley who offer high quality healthcare--from STD testing to contraception and abortion care. Since the Supreme Court decided to allow State-based abortion bans to remain in place, it has become such an incredible resource, not only for my constituents but for those living in other States where abortion is not as accessible. Just last month, a mother of four and her husband drove all the way from Houston, Texas, to the Planned Parenthood Health Center in Pasadena, California, in my district because of Texas' draconian vigilante law, S.B. 8, because she was unable to get care at home because she was 7 weeks pregnant. This was just 1 week past the State limitation. She did not have options in Texas. She and her husband knew that another child was not the right choice for them. They put all four of their children in the car and drove for 20 hours to Pasadena. They came to Pasadena because after searching everywhere in surrounding States, the appointment in Pasadena was the soonest one she could get. She was not wavering in her decision. She was sure she wanted an abortion. She and her family spent a day and a half driving to California, a day in California when the procedure was done, and then had to spend another day and a half driving home. The time, the expense, and the time off work to have a 3-minute procedure done is an undue and egregious burden that people are already facing when trying to access safe and routine abortion care. This mother was in and out of her appointment within 2 hours from start to finish but had to spend over 40 hours of time and money to access healthcare that should be readily available to anyone who needs it. Another patient from Texas came to Planned Parenthood in Pasadena in March of this year. She had originally been scheduled to go to Oklahoma for a medication abortion but felt that she needed more time to decide if terminating her pregnancy was the right choice for her. After taking a few days to think about her decision, she lost that appointment in Oklahoma. She flew to California to receive a medication abortion at 9 weeks pregnant. She and her support person had to incur the cost of the flight to Los Angeles and an overnight hotel stay, as well as time off of work to access abortion medication. These are just two stories out of the hundreds of patients that Planned Parenthood Pasadena sees every day, but it illustrates what we are talking about with regard to the right to an abortion. We mean real people and real women with lives and jobs and families whose right to decide what to do with their own bodies and their own futures have been taken away by politicians looking to score political points. It is wrong. It is cruel. It is unjust. I will not stop fighting to enshrine abortion rights into Federal law and for passage of my bill, the Women's Health Protection Act, which this body passed in September of 2021 by a vote of 218-211, making it the most supported abortion rights bill in the history of Congress. I will continue to fight for these patients, to fight for these women, and to fight for the hundreds of patients like them every single day who deserve quality healthcare.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation to fulfill our commitment to the small businesses hardest hit by the pandemic, like the many in my Los Angeles-area district. The Restaurant Revitalization Fund and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program have been crucial interventions to protect the industries most reliant on in-person, indoor crowds. These were some of the first businesses to close and among the last to return to full capacity. That is why we must pass this legislation to fund $42 billion in pending restaurant applications, give live venues and theaters more time and flexibility to use their funds, and create a new program for the hardest hit small businesses that still need help to keep their doors open. This bill would be paid for by going after funds stolen by fraudsters, showing the American public that the U.S. will not tolerate those who use the pandemic to take advantage of small businesses in their most dire time of need.

Ms. CHU

Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, Dolores H. Hickambottom is a true legend in Altadena, Pasadena and the Greater San Gabriel Valley. Widely admired and greatly respected in the community, she was at the forefront of many monumental issues for over five decades. Dolores led the effort to desegregate the schools who were part of the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD). After PUSD had failed to integrate its schools, they were sued by community members resulting in the 1970 landmark case of Spangler vs. the Pasadena City Board of Education. Dolores did everything she could to help the plaintiffs and organized hundreds of residents in the Pasadena area to support them, while at the same time educating people about the racial segregation affecting the school district. Due to the monumental efforts of Dolores and members of the community, the case went up to the U.S. District Court, which ultimately determined that racial segregation existed at all levels of PUSD. As a result, Pasadena was integrated and became the first school district west of the Mississippi to have crosstown bussing. Dolores also went to great lengths to raise the visibility of African Americans in government. During her early years in Pasadena, Dolores noticed that few African Americans in the community attended city council meetings. They saw the lack of representation in their local government and rightly believed their voices would not be heard. Dolores made it her mission to correct this problem and deliver the representation the African American community deserved. Through hard work and determination, Dolores helped to elect Pasadena's first African-American and second female mayor, Loretta Thompson-Glickman, in 1977, and later served as her field representative. Dolores went on to serve in other important political roles, including as a staff member for California State Senators Walter Stiern, Richard Polanco, and Jack Scott. Dolores had so many interests and passions, serving on the boards of numerous community organizations from the League of Women Voters to the Pasadena Chapter of the National Women's Political Caucus to Pasadena City College. However, most impressive of all was her service in the Korean War. Dolores was one of the few women serving in the United States Army, and one of the few people of color. Even though the odds were against her, she excelled in her position and was recognized as an outstanding basic trainee. Dolores never forgot her service in the military and joined organizations like American Legion Post 13 so that she could provide support to struggling Veterans. Throughout her years, she made it a priority to help Veterans in the community and was a crucial part in establishing a Veteran's Community Based Outpatient Clinic in the San Gabriel Valley. Dolores' commitment to her fellow veterans will live on and continue to serve those who were brave enough to stand beside her. For her entire lifetime, Dolores Hickambottom broke barriers, built bridges, and strove to make the world a greater place. She was a hero to the community and her incredible legacy will forever serve as an inspiration to us all.