J. Correa

Mr. CORREA

Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 100th birthday of my good neighbor, Dan Oldewage, another one of our Greatest Generation. Dan began serving our country as a B-24 Liberator nose gunner with the U.S. Army in World War II. Just a few years later, he was again called to serve our great country, this time in the Korean war. On a bombing mission over Korea, his plane was hit by enemy fire, and the crew was forced to parachute over enemy territory. Dan was captured by the North Korean army, where he was tortured for 30 months. He survived and returned to the United States in 1953. At that time, he moved to Orange County, where his family has lived since then. Today, I wish Dan a happy birthday and thank him for his service to our great country. Celebrating Lowrider Culture

Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate ``Lowrider Culture in the United States,'' a traveling exhibition that is currently on display in the city of Anaheim. Lowriding is a Latino tradition that has been alive in this country since the 1940s. This car restoration tradition captures a blend of Latino soul, creativity, and perseverance. This new exhibit by the Smithsonian tells the stories of Mexican Americans in the United States since World War II. From the beginning, Mexican Americans have always been part of this great country and our great national history. I invite everyone to visit the Muzeo Museum in Anaheim to celebrate this great culture. Recognizing Beth Martinko

Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Beth Martinko for her advocacy for people with disabilities on Medicaid. Beth's son, Josh, is an adult with severe autism who relies on Medicaid programs for medication and support. She asks all of us not to cut Medicaid. Beth moved her family from Maryland to Anaheim not just because her son loves Disneyland but also because of California's visionary healthcare programs. Beth is her son's primary caregiver and knows just how devastating Medicaid cuts would be to her and her son. In her words, she fears that her son will ``fall out of the network and die.'' I call on my colleagues to join me in defending these programs that so many of our constituents rely on, on a day-to-day basis. Recognizing Katrina Joy

Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Katrina Joy for winning the National Education Association Foundation's 2025 Award for Teaching Excellence. Ms. Joy has taught at Magnolia High School in Anaheim for 20 years. At Magnolia, she is active both inside and outside the classroom in helping students become better citizens. Ms. Joy has always encouraged students to give back to their communities. Recently, her students built a pop-up library to help more students in the community have access to library books. During the pandemic, she founded the nonprofit Magnolia SAFE to address food insecurity and other basic needs of Magnolia High School students and the surrounding community. She has also raised more than $100,000 since March 2020. I thank Ms. Joy, Teacher Joy, for being a role model in our community, and I congratulate her on an honor well-deserved.

Mr. CORREA

Mr. CORREA. Madam Speaker, I strongly oppose this measure. Let me repeat: Reentry into this country is already a felony. Bottom line, if you are a hardcore criminal, with or without documents, you should be fried, period. The one thing about this bill that is lacking is simply this: We don't talk about the big magnet. What is the big magnet for people coming into this country? Jobs. People come to work. We need the workers. Wisconsin dairy farmers, up to 90 percent of those dairy workers at those Wisconsin dairies are undocumented. Undocumented workers are in manufacturing. They are farmworkers. They are in food processing. Who takes care of our seniors? Mainly, undocumented workers. I ask my colleagues, is there anything in this bill going out to the employers? What about when those undocumented are deported and come back to the U.S.? Do you say to those employers: You are going to be doubled down, double felony, and you are going to go to prison for life? That is the big issue here. Who is going to do those jobs? I ask my colleagues on the other side, let's work on immigration reform. Let's get some visas going for these workers. Instead, the situation we have right now, we tell employers to go ahead and hire an undocumented because they don't have any others to hire. That is the only way they stay in business, but when they do that, they are essentially breaking the law. Give them the other option. Mr. Employer, fire those undocumented, and guess what? They will go out of business. That is the scenario we have right now. Let me conclude by telling a story about my district, as well. Mr. Barranco, 25 years in this country, not a traffic ticket to his name, was at the Home Depot doing what he is supposed to do: buy parts and do a job. He got picked up by ICE. His son called me. This man has three sons, and all three are serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. Alejandro just finished, honorable discharge. The two others are still in the Marine Corps in California. What do you tell the American public when you tell them that the father of three marines who took an oath to defend this country, to make the ultimate sacrifice for this country, we are deporting their father because he is a criminal? I asked Alejandro if, at Camp Pendleton, there are other marines in his situation. He said yes. There are plenty of marines there serving our Nation--

Mr. CORREA. Madam Speaker, there are many marines right now whose parents are undocumented who are ready to lay down their lives for this country. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle, let's work on immigration reform. This does nothing to strengthen our country or our national defense. It hurts our economy. Why are we going down this path? Let's get serious about immigration reform. Let's pass some laws that enable workers to work legally and let employers hire these workers legally, as well.

Mr. CORREA

Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to celebrate my good friend, Tom Kiesla, who is retiring from a long career in the City of Orange. Tom started in 1986 as a reserve police officer with the Orange Police Department. He worked his way up to officer, sergeant, lieutenant, and then chief of police. Tom retired from the Orange Police Department in 2021 and was then appointed to become the interim city manager for the City of Orange. Under his leadership, the city's economy boomed and community outreach grew. Mr. Speaker, I thank Tom for always being there for the citizens, for the community of the City of Orange. I congratulate him on a well- deserved retirement, and I look forward to seeing the next chapter in his life. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Tom.

Mr. CORREA

Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to celebrate the 90th birthday of Irmgard Hermann Davis. Irmgard grew up in Germany during World War II. After the war, she came to visit her sister in Garden Grove, California, my district, where her life changed forever. She met Wally Davis. They got married and had seven beautiful children. She never returned to Germany. Wally Davis was one of Orange County's first Hispanic attorneys and a civil rights icon. Irmgard was always there for him, and she was the story behind Wally's success. I wish Irmgard a happy birthday. We love her and look forward to her next few birthdays.

Mr. CORREA

Mr. CORREA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 102nd birthday of a World War II veteran, Phillip Ramos. He is part of the Greatest Generation. He served in the U.S. Army Corps from 1942 to 1945. Then he returned home and served on local nonprofits. He served on the L.A. United Way and the Cal State University advisory board. He then served as a council member, planning commissioner, and treasurer for the city of Montebello. Phillip shows what it is to be part of the Greatest Generation. He fought World War II with honor and then returned home to build this great Nation. Madam Speaker, I wish Phil Ramos a happy birthday and many more.

Mr. CORREA

Mr. CORREA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight my young neighbor, Kendall Pierson, who just graduated summa cum laude, which means really good grades, from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana. Kendall was a member of the National Honor Society, the California Scholarship Foundation, and the National Art Honor Society. She was a dedicated member of her high school's basketball team that finished seventh in the Nation. Outside the classroom, Kendall volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House and supported the Deaf Mass in Orange County. Clearly, Kendall is a role model to all of us. Kendall will be attending the University of Utah this fall to study business. We are going to miss her, but I know, and her Grandma Catherine knows, that she is going to be back after she finishes at the University of Utah. Madam Speaker, I congratulate Kendall on her graduation. Celebrating Consul Audrey Rivera

Mr. CORREA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the incredible service of Dr. Audrey Rivera Gomez, head consul of the Mexican Consulate in Santa Ana. For years, she has served the Mexican community in southern California. Under her leadership, the consulate has promoted educational, cultural, and preventive programs to keep young people from being addicted to fentanyl. Dr. Rivera Gomez has supported countless Mexican women entrepreneurs and Mexican immigrant-owned businesses. She won Woman of the Year 2025 for her dedication to the immigrant community. Madam Speaker, we are going to miss her in Santa Ana, but we know at her next post she will continue to be successful. honoring rick whittington

Mr. CORREA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the career of Rick Whittington and his valuable service to our community and our Nation. Mr. Whittington was a U.S. Navy veteran and served as a member of the Seabees during the Vietnam war. He made honorable contributions to the fight as a member of a construction unit, and he never forgot the dark moments of the Vietnam war. In fact, when he returned home from Vietnam, he was one of those individuals who was harassed by the anti-Vietnam war protesters. Yet, he kept his resolve and always remembered the pride of serving America. Mr. Whittington is most proud of the work he has done as a civilian helping our Nation safely dispose of nuclear waste through his innovative products. I thank Mr. Whittington for his service and his contribution to our community. recognizing jim oregel

Mr. CORREA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my good friend and fellow Anaheim High School alumnus, Jimmy Oregel, for a life of dedication to the city of Anaheim and to Anaheim High School. At St. Boniface, where we both attend, he helped found the Orange County Congregation Community. We are both diehard Anaheim High School football fans, and at Anaheim, he served as a sports team manager. Upon graduation, Jimmy joined the football booster club and took over as president in 1976, and he has held that position. Jimmy was inducted into the Anaheim High School Hall of Fame in 2008. Please join me in recognizing Jimmy's life of service to Anaheim High School and to the city of Anaheim community.

Mr. CORREA

Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to once again stress the need for immigration reform in this country. Just last week, back home, one of my taxpaying constituents, Narciso Barranco, was picked up by who I believe were ICE agents--they were masked--and is now sitting in an ICE holding facility in Los Angeles. Videos show him being punched by masked Federal agents, unprovoked. Narciso Barranco has lived in my district for 25 years or more and doesn't have a traffic ticket to his name. More importantly, he has three sons--three sons--all serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. Mr. Speaker, we make movies about families like this. He has three sons who are ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for this great Nation, and, instead, he is being held in custody in an ICE facility in Los Angeles. Our Federal agents should be taking criminals off of our streets, not gentlemen like this. I pray that Mr. Barranco's case is a wake-up call for all of us for immigration reform.

Mr. CORREA

Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I ask, what happened? My hometown, Santa Ana, California, is predominantly Hispanic Latino. Factory workers live there. Remember, we are the biggest manufacturing State in the Union. Nearshoring, guess where it is happening? California is the largest ag State in the Union. There are a lot of farmworkers in my district. What happened? One day, we are going about our business in Santa Ana, Orange County, masked Federal agents start going into our neighborhoods, picking up hardworking neighbors. Oh, yeah, you bet, people were concerned, scared, and nervous. A lot of people expressed their First Amendment rights. We got the National Guard. Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes did not call for the National Guard. Local police chiefs did not call for the National Guard. We get the National Guard. President Trump promised to deport criminals, those with deportation orders, those here less than 2 years, but now it is hard workers, people who pay taxes that are being picked up. Mr. Speaker, 60 percent of those being picked up are now people without criminal records. Orange County didn't have any violence. We had masked officers coming into our neighborhoods. I bet President Trump would want to know what is going on on Main Street. One of the constituents that just got picked up I talked about a minute ago, Narciso Barranco. He has been in the U.S. for 25 years. He is a gardener and a father of three marines. We make movies of people like this. This gentleman is a hero. His family are heroes. Instead, he is in an ICE holding facility in Los Angeles. I am hearing more stories coming, more Barranco-type families being broken up, military families being separated from their loved ones by ICE. I do not believe President Trump would want his legacy to be that he deported military family members like Mr. Barranco. Let's use common sense here. This resolution is not prime time for a vote. There are a lot of inaccuracies. I am going to ask my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this measure.

Mr. CORREA

Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this bill is not good for national security. That is plain and simple. This bill would require Customs and Border Protection to publish sensitive detailed national security information on a monthly basis. This information would give the bad guys around the world real-time updates on DHS operations and targeting. Let's be clear. A special interest alien, an SIA, does not mean someone who is a terrorist. It just means that someone's travel patterns indicate a need for further scrutiny. It means they need more detailed questioning to determine what is going on. During markup and during the Rules Committee meeting, we heard from my Republican colleagues how the Department already publishes information about known and suspected terrorists. That is true. However, this bill demands that DHS post far more detailed information about special interest aliens than DHS publishes about known suspected terrorists. Today, DHS publishes suspected terrorist information on a monthly basis, broken down by Border Patrol and ports of entry. No other data is published. Here, my colleague from Georgia wants DHS to publish more information about special interest aliens than they publish about suspected terrorists. For special interest aliens, she also wants information published in real time about where they are from and where they are encountered. If Ms. Greene's bill mirrored what we report on known and suspected terrorists, I would be happy to support it. However, that is simply not the case here. By publishing this information in real time, bad actors would be able to tell who is getting advanced screening from CBP. They will also be able to tell which locations have been the most successful in interdicting those migrants that need enhanced screening. Bad actors will adjust their operations in response and try to avoid extra screening, which will only hurt our national security. Please note, Mr. Speaker, DHS has never publicly released these numbers on a real-time basis because this information, these numbers, are essentially sensitive data we don't want to be made public. As the chair just stated, DHS already has the ability to publish these numbers if they were to choose to make these numbers public. Mr. Speaker, if it is safe to do, then why isn't DHS already doing it? I would say, Mr. Speaker, let the security professionals decide what to publish and when. That is their job, not ours. Ours is to legislate. They have the ability to make decisions now. Let them make these decisions. I ask my colleagues to let the Secretary, again, make the decisions and publish the information they deem safe and correct. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This legislation simply puts our national security at risk by forcing DHS to hand over parts of its playbook on how it stops potential actors from entering the United States. It is all going to make us less safe. This bill would require Customs and Border Protection to publish sensitive national security information on a monthly real-time basis. We are not talking about personal identifiable information, despite the author's claim. We are talking about releasing who CBP is looking for, targeting, and where those advance interviews are actually happening in real time. This essentially gives the bad people the opportunity to coordinate, triangulate, and take advantage of the situation, essentially to know what our playbook is. We all support transparency and accountability at DHS--that is our job here in Congress--but not at the expense of tipping off terrorists or criminal organizations as to what our playbook is. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), the ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security.

Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am listening to this debate, and we are not debating. We are just talking. Again, for the third time I am going to say: We support transparency. We support this information being made public if the Secretary so deems it to be made public in the interest of our national security. That is all we are saying. We are Members of Congress. We believe in transparency, accountability, and oversight. That is why folks on this side of the aisle are writing countless letters right now to the Secretary of Homeland Security demanding information so that we can do our job. That is transparency. I don't know when the last time was that my colleagues were at the border. I was just in San Ysidro a couple weeks ago. I can tell you I went to the secondary inspection. Fentanyl is still coming through that border. People were still breaking through that border. The fact is that border is not secure. That is why you have 2,000 U.S. border agents and 20,000 Mexican border agents trying to work on this issue. This opposition to this legislation is based on national security. We are saying if this is information that the author thinks is not sensitive, let the Secretary of Homeland Security make that decision to present it. This legislation isn't necessary. You don't want to mandate it. You want to let the anti-terrorist experts make that decision. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Ramirez), a leading member of the Committee on Homeland Security.

Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I will make it clear to my colleagues and those who are watching this that the Secretary already has the power to disclose this information. All we are saying is to let the Secretary and the terrorist expert decide what should be disclosed in real time. What goes on at the border in real time is the key here. We support full transparency and accountability of the Department of Homeland Security. That is why a lot of us, including yours truly, were going to those ICE detention centers in my district for the last 2 weeks. I could walk in, and I had a good relationship with those individuals. Then, about a week ago, I was told: You can't come in anymore. You need a 7- day notice. According to the law, there is no notice that Members of Congress need to give to do an inspection of an ICE holding facility. They are not doing anything wrong? Okay, so then what is wrong with me coming in and looking at the ICE facility? Transparency, Mr. Speaker, all we are asking for is transparency. The chairman talked about those cases and due process. I can't speak to those specific ones, but I can speak to what is going on in my district right now. The reason we want more transparency is because I want to make sure that the President of the United States knows what is going on. He promised to go after criminals, those visa overstays, those individuals with orders of deportation, and those individuals who came in, in the last 2 years. That is the minority, the smallest number, of the people who are actually being apprehended. I say that because the President came out last week and said that we don't want to go after farmworkers, dairy farm workers, and hospitality workers. The President said that we don't want to go after these individuals. We want to go after those three categories. Mr. Speaker, I will tell you that, back home right now, most of the people who are being rounded up are workers in factories and workers in farms who are picking our crops. That is part of the American economic strength. The President needs to know that his immigration policies, as being implemented right now, are not what he is saying and not what he deems is good for this country. That is what transparency and accountability is about, oversight, making sure what they are saying up top is what actually is happening at the ground level. My colleagues may have seen this story just last week. A gardener at Home Depot gets picked up. He has been in the United States for 25 years. He didn't even have a traffic ticket. Do you know what the sad part is, Mr. Speaker? Three of his sons are marines in the U.S. Marine Corps. The President needs to know that he is deporting individuals of mixed households whose children are in the U.S. military. I am not quite sure--actually, I am certain that is not what the President wanted to happen. That is what our oversight is, to let him know and the public know exactly what is going on in our districts. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. CORREA

Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Sister Teresa Lynch, who will be retiring from Santa Ana's Saint Anne School. She served as a teacher for 31 years and principal for 19 years at Saint Genevieve and Saint Anne School. She also worked to improve the lives of incarcerated prisoners at the California Institute for Women in Chino, California. She also co-directed the Get on the Bus program that connected children with their incarcerated parents. Mr. Speaker, I thank Sister Teresa for showing us all what it means to care for the community. I thank her for her friendship. I congratulate Sister Teresa on her retirement. I suspect now, as a retiree, she will be busier than ever.

Mr. CORREA

Mr. CORREA. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. CORREA. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of amendment No. 8 directing the Department of Veterans Affairs to make recommendations on changes that are needed to its existing healthcare infrastructure so veterans can receive psychedelic-assisted therapies upon FDA approval. In December of 2024, the VA announced $1.5 million in funding for clinical research on MDMA-assisted therapy for veterans with PTSD and alcohol disorder, as well. This is the first time the VA has funded research on psychedelic compounds since the 1960s. My fellow Psychedelics Advancing Therapies Caucus co-chair, General Jack Bergman, and I are encouraged by the promising results so far that we have seen in treating veterans with PTSD and other disorders. However, these therapies are different from traditional therapies in many ways. Psychedelic therapies involve hours-long sessions with multiple therapists, additional safety issues, and special training considerations for providers. We introduced this amendment because we need to be ready and be proactive to make sure that when the VA is ready to administer these therapies they actually can. While MDMA-assisted therapy did not receive FDA approval last summer, approval of certain psychedelic therapies will likely come very soon. We owe it to our veterans to make sure that they can access these therapies upon approval. Every day we lose nearly 20 veterans to suicide. One suicide is way too many. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment to make sure that our veterans have the best care they need as soon as possible. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CORREA

Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Loma Ridge air disaster. On June 25, 1965, 60 years ago, a military jet took off from El Toro Marine base in Orange County. It was heading to Vietnam. After takeoff, the jet plunged into a mountain, killing all 84 persons onboard. This remains Orange County's worst air disaster. Today, I honor the 72 marines and 12 airmen who lost their lives that day. I thank them and their families for making the ultimate sacrifice for our great Nation.

Mr. CORREA

Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the contributions of Richard Stein, a leading advocate and partner for the arts and arts education across Orange County, California. Richard, who recently stepped down as the President and CEO of Arts Orange County, led the organization for more than 14 years. Under his leadership, Arts Orange County addressed the needs of the arts and culture community in Orange County as a trailblazer among nonprofit arts councils worldwide--augmenting traditional arts agency programs and services with its unique role as the community's go-to arts consultant to government, education, and nonprofit organizations. This has helped enable Arts Orange County, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, to become a leading advocate for the arts and arts education on the local, state, and national level. Richard's stewardship also led Arts Orange County to become a strong supporter of the Congressional Arts Competition, providing funds for winning artists to travel to Washington, D.C. to see their artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol. Prior to his appointment at Arts Orange County in August 2008, Rick transformed the Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach into a major resident professional theatre over the course of more than 17 years as its Executive Director, growing its annual budget of $700,000 to $7 million and producing more than 100 plays, including two national touring productions. He also directed many notable productions at this venue, including several premieres. Rick first came to Orange County in 1987, to serve as Managing Director of the Grove Shakespeare Festival in Garden Grove following a five-year stint as Director of Lincoln Theater at Connecticut's University of Hartford. Before that, he held management positions with two major symphony orchestras. Rick holds degrees in English from Columbia and Syracuse Universities and returned to Columbia for postgraduate study in drama on a National Endowment for the Humanities summer fellowship. He was sent to Korea on a cultural exchange by the International Theatre Institute-US, served on the executive committee of the League of Resident Theatres, and was a contributing writer to AMERICAN THEATRE magazine. Rick is a former Chair of the John Wayne Airport Arts Commission, past President of the Association of Fund Raising Professionals-Orange County Chapter, and twice former Co-Chair of National Philanthropy Day- Orange County. From 2009 to 2022, he served on the board of Californians for the Arts/California Arts Advocates, a statewide organization promoting the interests of the arts community, including three years as its President. Demonstrating his commitment to fostering an appreciation of the arts in the next generation, Richard has been a guest lecturer at University of California, Irvine and California State University, Fullerton, and was a commencement keynote speaker for the Laguna College of Art and Design. He has served as a panelist or site visitor for the National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, Western States Arts Federation, Los Angeles County Arts Commission, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, Riverside Arts Council, New England Foundation for the Arts, Louisville Fund for the Arts, City of Pasadena, and the Connecticut Commission on the Arts, for which he also produced its State Arts Awards. Although his career has largely been in the theatre, Rick's first post after finishing graduate school was as Executive Director of a local arts agency, Oswego County Council on the Arts, located in Fulton, New York. In fact, the theatre company Richard co-founded in 1977, Contemporary Theatre of Syracuse, continues operation today as The Red House, a highly successful producer of multi-disciplinary arts. He is a 33-year resident of San Juan Capistrano with his wife, Alison, an artist. I call on my colleagues to join me in celebrating Richard Stein's leadership and stewardship of the arts in Orange County and thank him for helping bring arts and culture to our community and country.