Mark DeSaulnier

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained yesterday during the last series of votes. Had I been here, I would have voted in the following manner: Roll Call Vote No. 155, I would have voted NAY.

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I, along with my colleague Congressman Mike Thompson, rise to recognize the life and service of Augustine ``Gus'' Ortiz Vegas, who served honorably for fifteen years with the Richmond Police Department in Contra Costa County. A lifelong Bay Area resident, Mr. Vegas was born on August 8, 1957, in San Francisco and moved to nearby Vallejo as a young child. He was a member of the 1976 graduating class of St. Patrick's High School in Vallejo, where he excelled at track, football, and wrestling. Those who knew Mr. Vegas admired him for his generosity and his empathy. Together with his wife Sandra, he ran a non-profit called Fostering Greatness that offered mentoring, clothing, and other resources to children in the local foster care system. In his professional career, Mr. Vegas always focused on keeping others safe. His first job was as Operator at the Equilon refinery in Martinez, California, where he was also a rescue team member and auxiliary firefighter. In 1990, he graduated as the Valedictorian of the Napa Valley College Police Academy, and in 2001, began his career with the Richmond Police Department. Officer Vegas applied his tremendous ability to connect with others to his work where he fully embodied the ideals of community policing. He went beyond simply deterring crime and arresting suspects to having genuine empathy and a connection to the community he served. Officer Vegas's aptitude was recognized within the department and he became a property crimes detective rising through the department to become a homicide detective. In these roles, he was not only adept at solving crimes, but shined in his ability to provide empathy and closure for victims' families. Officer Vegas was versatile in his professional abilities due to his gift to connect with others. In his last assignment, he worked closely with agencies like the Richmond City Attorney's Office and the Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) to enforce the City of Richmond's Municipal Codes. Officer Vegas cared deeply about his family and considered them the most important part of his life. Congressman Thompson and I send our deepest condolences to Officer Vegas' family, including Sandra, his wife of 32 years, their five sons, five daughters, and 22 grandchildren. Officer Vegas made a lasting impression on our community, and he will be greatly missed.

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize my friend, Joseph L. Campbell of Clayton, California, upon his retirement from the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) Board of Directors. Mr. Campbell has been an extraordinary community leader throughout Contra Costa County, and I wish him well in retirement. During his 21 years of service at CCWD, most recently as President of the Board, Mr. Campbell never missed a board meeting. He served as co- chairman and a key fundraiser for the successful campaign to approve bonds for the District's $450 million Los Vaqueros Reservoir Project, and helped lead the effort against the Peripheral Canal in 1982. Mr. Campbell served our community in innumerable leadership roles over the years at various important community organizations, including the Contra Costa County Airport Land Use Commission, the Walnut Creek Child Care Task Force, the Walnut Festival Association, the Northgate High School Sports Boosters, and the American Red Cross. Mr. Campbell also leveraged his vast experience as a business owner and engineer, as a Vice President of the Concord Chamber of Commerce, and served as a member of the Concord General Plan Committee and the Founder Advisory Board of Concord Commercial Bank. Mr. Campbell is also past president and a founder of the Concord Economic Development Corporation, a partnership of the Concord Chamber of Commerce and the City of Concord. In addition to these many roles, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the East Bay Leadership Council and a member of Concord Rotary Club. A longtime resident of the area, Mr. Campbell is an Honorary Board Member of the Concord Historical Society. I am grateful for Mr. Campbell's many accomplishments and contributions to the success of our community. I wish Mr. Campbell all of the best in his retirement. Congratulations, Joe, on a remarkable legacy of public service in Contra Costa.

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today along with Congressman Swalwell to congratulate the Saint Mary's College Men's Rugby team for winning the 2015 Division 1A Rugby National Championship on May 9, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. In their quest for back-to-back national championships, the Saint Mary's Gaels earned a spot in the national semifinal by defeating Utah University 72-26, and then defeated Davenport University by a score of 48-32 to reach the championship match. In a repeat of the 2014 Division 1A Rugby National Championship, the second ranked Saint Mary's Gaels defeated Life University by a score of 30-24 to complete the defense of their national title. The Saint Mary's College Rugby team has now reached the National Championship in three consecutive seasons and have earned the title of National Champion in back-to-back years. Saint Mary's College is a distinguished California institute of higher education with academic and athletic traditions grounded in core Lasallian values that have found consistent success both in the classroom and on the field. Congressman Swalwell and I are proud that the 2015 Saint Mary's College Men's Rugby team members are distinguished by their commitment to the highest degree of scholarship, athleticism, and teamwork. The 2015 Men's Rugby team has represented their school honorably. At this time I, along with Congressman Swalwell, would like to recognize the outstanding achievement by the members of the 2015 Men's Rugby team: Roberto Arellano, Dylan Audsley, Alec Barton, Trey Boone, Alex Brewer, Jack Carso, Placido Castrejon, Billy Coen, Mason Colombo, Tony DeLaNuez, Dante DiMario, Nico Docolas, Jack Dowling, Alex Drake, Alejandro Duran, Michael Garrett, Henry Hall, Vili Helu, Xavier Hunter, Timothy Johnston, Patrick Keating, Cory Kroeger, Charles Loudon, Frank Maitia, Cooper Maloney, Canon Marin, Gabriel Marin, Mike McCarthy, Chris McDonnel, Kingsley McGowan, Declan McNeice, Austen Middleton, Alec Mills, Nate Mills, Kevin O'Connor, Michael O'Neill, David Onyike, Ryan Pratt, Danilo Rapadas, Casey Reilly, Bradley Roberts, Kraig Roscoe, Nick Schlobohm, Paul Tiernan, Michael Tillson, Marcus Viscardi, Dino Walden, Peter Waldren, Thomas Wallace, Ethan Waller, Anthony West, Cameron Wiggins, Holden Yungert, Francis X Vignoles. Congressman Swallwell and I would also like to recognize the coaches of the 2015 Men's Rugby team: Timothy O'Brien, John Everett, Mark Bass, Jon Straka and Athletic Trainer Shelley Taketa are highly skilled and dedicated to the success of the 2015 Saint Mary's College Men's Rugby team. I join with Congressman Swalwell in inviting our colleagues to join us in recognizing the members of Saint Mary's College of California Men's Rugby team, its coaches, fans, and athletic department for winning the 2015 Division 1A Rugby National Championship through their hard work, dedication, and athletic excellence.

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. I urge my colleagues--given the experience I have had and others, and the urgency of the issue when it comes to public health and the future of this country--to vote ``no.''

Mr. DeSAULNIER. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise to express my strong opposition to H.R. 2017. I do this in the context of my background and my professional life, 40 years in the restaurant business. I started as a busboy and a dishwasher. I have worked in chain restaurants and fast-food restaurants and owned multiple fine-dining restaurants in the Bay Area and have done consulting to restaurants throughout California. I was an author along with a colleague in the State legislature. At that time, the first statewide menu labeling legislation in the country was in California. My colleague had been on the L.A. City Council, I had been in local government in the bay area, and we had started in local government doing this. We took 2 years, from 2006 to 2008, to work with a Republican administration and a Democratic leadership of both Houses in California. I worked with the California Restaurant Association, which I was a longtime member of. At the end of the day, we accommodated all people's interests, including the stakeholders in the pizza industry. What we had was a remarkable piece of legislation that is helping to address what the Center for Disease Control called over 10 years ago a national epidemic in this country, a national epidemic of obesity, particularly for young people, for young Americans, of which as many as two-thirds of them deal with obesity every day, or overweight, and obesity-related diseases, like diabetes type 2, has expanded over 300 percent since 1971, when many of us were younger. This is a national epidemic. When we were doing the legislation in California, we considered cost benefits. We worked, as I said before, with the Restaurant Association. As somebody who spent 4 years in the Restaurant Association--and they were independent restaurants so I understand that this would not apply directly--but many of those restaurants already started on their own, and the consumers responded to it in the context of this national crisis. Here is a piece of legislation that the administration is continuing to work in full faith with the stakeholders on. Why not let them continue. It is a major piece of prevention. It is a major piece of public health. I have been in the restaurant business long enough to remember when Mothers Against Drunk Driving brought their issues to the restaurant industry and said that we should do something about the epidemic of drunk driving deaths. We did. The restaurant industry put up a struggle and thought it would be the end of it. I have been in the business long enough to remember secondhand smoke, where similarly people said: This will be the end of us. I know how hard it is to keep a restaurant open. It is one of the most daunting things you can do in life. I know the importance of them in a community where more and more Americans with two-income households rely on restaurants and dining out to provide for their families. Therein lies part of our crisis. The restaurant business responded when we had drunk driving issues. It responded again in secondhand smoke. Many of us can remember when you would walk into a restaurant and you were engulfed in smoke. We know what the public health dangers of that were. We know how we have reduced that exposure and led the world. Here is another occasion where the United States--and I know in California, we led the world, and it is working. I will say that you can remedy, as somebody with my background, the conflicts between public health.

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Chairman, this is a straightforward study amendment that intends to build on the potential links between employee-owned corporations and social benefit corporations. This amendment requires the SEC to study overlaps between employee-owned corporations and alternative corporate forms authorized under various State laws. Alternative corporate forms allow corporations, with the consent of their shareholders, to pursue social and environmental goals as a for- profit business enterprise. With legal protections that allow companies to consider the interests of all stakeholders, benefit corporations can help solve social and environmental challenges through their businesses. Benefit corporation status and other corporate forms allow companies to differentiate themselves and appeal to all consumers. Alternative corporate forms provide legal protections that benefit innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, and consumers. These legal protections have helped create opportunities for innovation in States like California, which currently attracts almost half of all venture capital investment in the United States. Some of these alternative corporate forms include flexible purpose corporations, benefit corporations, and low-profit limited liability companies. Benefit corporations, the most common type of alternative corporate form, are authorized in 30 States, including in the District of Columbia, and are currently being considered in five more States. L3Cs are authorized in eight States. My amendment simply seeks to improve the availability of data so Congress can explore connections between employee-owned corporations and these increasingly popular alternative corporate forms. Specifically again, this amendment requires the SEC to study and report to Congress the prevalence of employee-owned ownership plans within corporations that also include a flexible or a social benefit component in their articles of incorporation as allowed under relevant State laws. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment to improve our understanding of employee-owned corporations. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Chairman, while I respect the gentleman's understanding and his years of work in this field, I think my experience as a new Member who is coming from a State legislature that involved the business community in the development of some of these alternative forms, it is merely providing more information for shareholders and investors. That is why, when we did it in California, we had bipartisan support, including having the support from the business community. That is the spirit, at least, in which I am offering the amendment. I don't think it would be, from a cost-benefit standard, very hard for the SEC to provide this information to Congress so that, as these forms continue to move throughout the States, we have a better understanding. That is the purpose and the spirit of the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained yesterday during the last series of votes. Had I been here, I would have voted in the following manner: Roll Call Vote No. 51, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, with this bill, we have an opportunity to address an inequity with how the Department of Housing and Urban Development treats condominiums, particularly in senior communities. Across the country and in my district in the Bay Area, condo communities have been missing out on access to mortgages due to an unnecessarily restrictive rule. The rule's intent is good, but, in practice, it unduly harms seniors, families, and communities. One community in my district in the East Bay of the Bay Area, Rossmoor, is home to thousands of seniors, many of whom need access to HUD-backed mortgages to enhance their financial security. I am pleased that this bill is a step in the right direction to allow these residents and residents in other condo communities around the country to benefit from the same mortgage rules that are available to other homeowners. I appreciate the hard work done by the chairman and ranking member of the subcommittee on this important issue, and I look forward to working with them to continue to protect these deserving communities.

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the extraordinary life of Judge George Carroll, a prominent civic leader in California's 11th Congressional District and Richmond's first African American lawyer, city councilmember and mayor. Judge Carroll died January 14, 2016 at age 94. Mr. Carroll was born into humble beginnings in Brooklyn, New York. His mother died when he was five, and he was raised by his sister Ruth who encouraged him to pursue a higher education. After serving in the Army, he successfully graduated from college and earned his degree in New York on the G.I. Bill. After his graduation, he worked at the District Attorney's Office in Kings County, New York, for five years before moving to private practice. In 1952 he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, finally settling in Richmond in 1954, where he opened his private practice and became an active community member. Mr. Carroll is widely acknowledged as the first African American lawyer in Richmond, California and was the first African American elected to its city council in 1961. In 1964, Mr. Carroll made history as the first African American elected Mayor of Richmond, and is thought to be the first African American mayor of any large American city since Reconstruction. He fought against discrimination and broke down barriers for African Americans to go to law school and to practice law in the Bay Area. George Carroll became the first black judge in Contra Costa when he was appointed to the Bay Municipal Court by Governor Pat Brown in 1965. He served as a judge in West County until his retirement from the bench in 1982. During his service, Judge Carroll declined a promotion to the Superior Court in order to continue to work in Richmond. He was admired in the community as a leader, role model, and mentor to many. The Richmond Courthouse and a park in the Point Richmond District are fitting tributes to Judge Carroll. We are grateful for his myriad accomplishments and for the countless contributions he made to our local community. I send my deepest condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones. Judge Carroll made an indelible impression on all of us. He will be missed.

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my strong opposition to the Senate amended budget reconciliation bill. This vote represents House Republicans' 62nd attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It's also the 11th vote to attack women's health care in the 114th Congress alone. This reconciliation package will undermine important patients' rights and take away critical benefits from Americans. As we know, the Affordable Care Act has provided health security to nearly 18 million previously uninsured Americans since enacted in 2010. Nearly 9.9 million Americans have enrolled in the health insurance marketplaces, with millions more enrolled in expanded Medicaid programs, including an estimated 2.3 million in California alone. In addition to repealing the ACA Medicaid coverage expansion, this bill eliminates ACA tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies for households with modest incomes. This poorly conceived bill terminates ACA tax credits available to small businesses, and undermines important community-based programs in the Prevention and Public Health Fund. Overall, the Congressional Budget Office estimates this bill will take affordable health coverage away from 22 million Americans after 2017, without providing a workable alternative to help Americans secure health care coverage. Additionally, the reconciliation package puts women's health at risk by defunding Planned Parenthood, a provider serving millions of men and women throughout the country, and in some cases serves as the only provider within a given community. Planned Parenthood offers preventive services to millions of women, such as screenings for cancer and sexually transmitted infections, and family planning services. Mr. Speaker, this ill-conceived reconciliation bill increases the number of uninsured Americans and puts women's health at risk. I strongly oppose this measure that will harm my constituents and prevent millions of Americans from accessing affordable health care.

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey).

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Chairman, this amendment requires the Department of Energy to study and report to Congress within 1 year the maximum level of volatility that is safe for transporting crude oil by rail. This commonsense improvement to the bill is a first step in addressing concerns of residents in districts like mine that, while it is heavily industrialized, is also urbanized. The area that I represent has five oil refineries and two destination facilities for oil by rail. In 2008, oil traffic had increased over 5,000 percent along rail routes leading from production zones in America to refineries and hubs along both coasts. As traffic increases, so does the risk of derailments to communities. Bakken crude oil is considered more volatile than other types of crude and has important safety implications for all of us. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has issued safety alerts warning that crude oil being transported from this region may be more flammable than traditional heavy crude oil. In fact, heavy volatile crude oil from this region has been compared to jet fuel with flammable vapors that can ignite after a derailment. Several communities along rail lines have been forced to evacuate or sustain significant property and environmental damage after derailment. Unfortunately, there have been instances of severe injuries and some deaths resulting from these accidents. While the Obama administration has taken important steps to improve tank car standards, more must be done to ensure that Americans living near railways are safe. This amendment requires DOE to determine the acceptable volatility for the safe transportation of oil by rail. I would urge my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman, the staff, and Mrs. Lowey. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I want to say what a pleasure it is to be here to support the Every Student Succeeds Act, having spent much of my first year in the district going to school districts and schools. And I will be able to go back in the coming weeks and say that we have this bipartisan compromise through the hard work of Chairman Kline and Ranking Member Scott and Chairman Alexander and Ranking Member Murray. So I congratulate and thank them for their hard work. I am also pleased to see that a number of priorities I share with my Democratic and Republican colleagues were included in the final version of the landmark bill. The conference report for Every Student Succeeds Act sets national education standards that ensure all American students, regardless of geography, socioeconomic status, race, or gender, receive a quality education. Included in the bill are several measures that I am proud to have worked on with colleagues which are meant to protect students. I am pleased that a number of them, such as promoting efficient and effective Head Start programs, protecting student athletes from concussions, and providing students with academic and extracurricular support beyond the normal school day, which we know is important, were included. While the concussion-related provisions of the bill are an important first step, it does not go far enough to combat the devastating physical and neurological impacts of brain injuries like those we recently heard about sustained by Hall of Fame football player Frank Gifford. There is a demonstrated need for increased vigilance and improved education on this important topic, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on this and other issues. Again, I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member, and I urge all my colleagues to support this very important piece of legislation.

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of my friend and colleague, Mary V. King. Mary was a lifelong resident of Oakland, California, and dedicated her life to public service. She passed away earlier this week. During her three-terms as the first African American County Supervisor for Alameda County, she authored many policies with lasting impact on the Bay Area, including a values-based budgeting process still in use by the county, and the King Plan for land-use, which is now considered a model for smart-growth. She also served as the chair of several community-based and regional committees, including the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's (MTC's) Bay Bridge Design Task Force. Among her many roles in public service, she worked tirelessly as the General Manager of the Alameda Contra Costa Transit District, often called the AC Transit District, carrying the agency through tough economic times. Mary and I became friends when we served together on MTC and worked together on the Caldecott Tunnel, which connects Alameda and Contra Costa counties and contributes to the economic development of our region. She used her considerable expertise in government to develop and advocate for efficient transportation systems, smart land-use planning, housing, and other policies that have helped to create opportunities throughout the Bay Area. She also worked to improve economic conditions and social services for lower income residents, promoting health and education, and youth violence prevention programs. The Mary V. King Health Education Center is named in her honor as part of the Eastmont Wellness Center in Oakland. She also founded the Alameda County ``Women's Hall of Fame Awards,'' which recognizes the accomplishments of other women and has recognized more than 200 honorees. Among her many accolades, Mary has been awarded the ``Lifetime Achievement Award'' by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials, the ``Allen E. Broussard Memorial Award for Outstanding Humanitarianism'' by the Alameda County Bar Association, the ``George Moscone Memorial Award'' by the American Society of Public Administration, the Community Leaders, Recognition Award by the Black Elected Officials and Faith Based Leaders of the East Bay, and was named the ``Legislator of the Year'' in 1992 by the Arc of the United States. Mary is survived by her mother Victoria King, two daughters Kimberly and Vikki King, and two grandchildren. She leaves an indelible legacy on the East Bay, and will be greatly missed. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to celebrate the extraordinary life of Mary King, and I send my sincere and deepest condolences to her family, friends, and loved ones.

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Ron Brown of Walnut Creek, California upon his retirement after his fifteen years of service to Save Mount Diablo and over forty years as an advocate in the non-profit sector. Through his service with Save Mount Diablo, Ron has made significant contributions that have improved both the day-to-day operations of the organization and the conservation field at large. Mount Diablo is the most significant natural landscape in our region, and serves as the landmark that unites much of the 11th Congressional District. Save Mount Diablo has worked since 1971 to preserve the land on and around Mount Diablo to promote healthy ecosystems and continued access for people and wildlife. Under Ron's leadership, Save Mount Diablo has raised over $25 million to preserve thousands of acres of land, preserved several dozen properties, including the group's largest and most expensive acquisition--the 1,080 acre Curry Canyon Ranch--and has indirectly helped to protect thousands of additional acres throughout the area. Ron was instrumental in attaining voter-approved ``Urban Limit Lines'' of every city in Contra Costa County, helping to maintain the most important wildlife habitat areas in the East Bay. Thanks to Ron's leadership, Save Mount Diablo has grown its programs and capacity, increasing from a modest staff of three to eighteen staff members. Save Mount Diablo has become a leader on issues of land-use advocacy, land purchase for inclusion in parks, and relationship building with local governments and developers. I applaud Ron's efforts to restore the historic ``Eye of Diablo'' beacon at Mount Diablo's summit, which commemorates the attack on Pearl Harbor. I am honored to have worked with Ron on many of these endeavors, including his efforts to improve various state park roads prior to the Tour de California bicycle race. I am grateful for Ron's many accomplishments and for the many partnerships he built during his time with Save Mount Diablo. I wish Ron all of the best in his retirement, where I'm told he hopes to spend his time with his grandchildren, enjoying the land he has worked so hard to protect. Congratulations, Ron, on a remarkable career that has preserved the ecosystems and the icon of the East Bay.

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of my good friend William D. ``Bill'' Shinn, who was born on October 6, 1941 in Minnesota, and recently passed away at his home in Concord, California, on October 16, 2015. In 1957, Bill became a resident of Concord, and attended Mt. Diablo High School. Later, he earned degrees from Diablo Valley College, Sacramento State University, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Golden Gate University. Bill was a proud veteran of the United States Navy and a graduate of the FBI National Academy. Bill was a good man and good friend to many. He honorably served Contra Costa County for over 45-years as Mayor of Concord, a Member of the City Council, and Commander with the Sheriff's Office. During his 29-years with the Sheriff's Office, Bill was a dedicated advocate for criminal justice reform and mental health services. I have fond memories of Bill leading impassioned discussions about the causes he believed in. He was a voice before his time. In addition to being an important member of the community, Bill was beloved by his family. He was a caring and devoted husband, father, grandfather and brother. For everyone who knew him, Bill will be greatly missed. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to celebrate the extraordinary life of Bill Shinn, and I send my sincere and deepest condolences to Bill's family, friends, and loved ones.

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have left?

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

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