Anna Eshoo

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Steve Blank, an entrepreneur who has inspired thousands of innovators to solve some of the world's most pressing problems. Steve Blank was born in New York City to immigrant parents and attended the University of Michigan for one semester. He then served his country for four years in the U.S. Air Force, repairing fighter planes in Thailand. Steve Blank was fortunate to return to Silicon Valley in the exciting 1970s. He worked for 21 years in high tech, and founded many companies, including Zilog, MIPS Computers, Convergent Technologies, E.piphany (now Epiphany) and retired in 1999. In the mid-1990s, he created the Customer Development model that focused on distinguishing between companies that execute business models as opposed to startups that search for them, thus launching the LeanStartup movement. In 2011, Mr. Blank created the LeanLaunchPad experiential entrepreneurship class at Stanford University, Columbia Business School, and UC Berkeley. The LeanLaunchPad changed the way entrepreneurship is taught by giving students hands-on experience in what it takes to start a company instead of having them write business plans. Also in 2011, the National Science Foundation adopted Mr. Blank's LeanLaunchPad curriculum for its Innovation Corps (I-Corps), in order to help the nation's leading scientists and engineers learn how to take their tech ideas from the lab to the marketplace. The NSF I- Corps is now the standard for how scientific research is commercialized in the U.S. It has been adopted by other federal research agencies (including NIH, DOE, HHS, and NSA), and has trained 1,900 teams, and launched over 1,000 startups. In 2016, Mr. Blank, Joe Felter, and Pete Newell created Hacking for Defense (H4D) at Stanford University--the first in a series of mission- driven entrepreneurship courses to provide a new platform for national service and change the way critical national security problems are solved. H4D is supported by Congress and taught at 48 universities in the U.S. and at universities in the United Kingdom and Australia. H4D also gave rise to several sister courses that are accelerating mission-driven entrepreneurship in other sectors and policy arenas. These courses include: Hacking for Diplomacy, Hacking for Oceans, Hacking for Cities, Hacking for Energy, Hacking for Homeland Security, Hacking for Recovery, and Hacking for Climate and Sustainability. As a result of Mr. Blank's work, hundreds of students at universities across the U.S. are engaged right now in a new form of national service, helping to create a pipeline of innovation for our nation as they solve real problems at startup speed. As a result of their experience in a LeanLaunchPad or ``Hacking for X'' courses, many of these students are choosing careers in the public sector. Steve Blank has written many books, teaches entrepreneurship at Stanford and other distinguished institutions, and has earned numerous accolades for his innovative work. He was listed as one of the Masters of Innovation by the Harvard Business Review and one of the 30 Most Influential People in Tech by Forbes. He won the 2013 Silicon Valley Visionary Forum award, and with his wife was honored with the 2013 Environmental Leadership Award. He has often been a commencement speaker and his speech at Philadelphia University was ranked one of 300 best commencement speeches in the last 300 years by NPR. Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in honoring Steve Blank on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of the LeanLaunchPad and the 5th Anniversary of H4D. Steve Blank has made our students wiser, our environment cleaner and our country stronger. He is a national treasure.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3919, the Secure Equipment Act of 2021, as amended. For over a decade, I have raised concerns about how the vulnerabilities in our telecommunications infrastructure directly impact our national security. On November 2, 2010, I wrote to the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) expressing grave concerns about Huawei and ZTE, which have opaque relationships with the Chinese government. Sadly, in the intervening eleven years, telecommunications companies have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in equipment made by Huawei and ZTE because the equipment is the cheapest available. On March 12, 2020, Congress passed and the President signed into law the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 (STCNA), which directed the FCC to: (i) establish a list of companies deemed to be a national security threat; (ii) prohibit the use of federal funds for purchasing equipment made by those companies; and (iii) authorize funding for U.S. carriers to rip and replace equipment made by those companies. The FCC's list includes Huawei, ZTE, and other companies linked to the Chinese government. STCNA was a significant step forward for our national security. However, U.S. companies can still privately purchase equipment from these companies. This allows potentially vulnerable equipment into our wireless systems which is a threat to our national security because compromised equipment can include hard-to-detect surveillance capabilities. On June 15, 2021, Representative Steve Scalise and I introduced H.R. 3919 to prohibit the FCC from approving any telecommunications equipment made by companies deemed to be a national security threat. Senators Marco Rubio and Ed Markey have companion legislation in the Senate. The legislation is supported by the FCC's Democratic Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Republican Commissioner Brendan Carr. The bill was considered and favorably advanced by voice vote, first by the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology and then by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The companion bill was favorably advanced by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. As I stated when STCNA was being considered by our chamber, no one bill can fully protect our telecommunications networks. The threats we face are constantly evolving, and Congress must remain diligent in ensuring our communications are secure, private, and reliable. H.R. 3919 is a highly important and necessary complement to STCNA and I urge my colleagues to vote for it.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring my distinguished constituent, a recipient of the 2021 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, Stanford University Professor Guido W. Imbens. The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, more commonly known as the Nobel Prize in Economics, is given by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm and was established in 1968, joining the five original prizes established by Alfred Nobel in his 1895 will. Dr. Imbens is being honored with his colleague Joshua D. Angrist of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for methodological contributions to the analysis of causal relationships. Guido Imbens is the Applied Econometrics Professor and Professor of Economics at the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB). He is a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and Amman Mineral faculty fellow for 2021-22. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and the Econometric Society, served as a Stanford GSB Trust faculty fellow in 2013 and 2014, and holds an honorary Doctorate from the University of St. Gallen. A graduate of Brown University, where he earned his Ph.D., he taught at Harvard, UCLA and UC Berkeley before joining the GSB in 2012. His research focuses on developing methods for drawing causal relationships in observational studies, using matching, instrumental variables and regression continuity designs. Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Dr. Guido W. Imbens on receiving this most prestigious award, recognizing his contributions to the field of economics. It's my privilege to represent him, pay tribute to his brilliance, and thank him for making every American proud of his accomplishments.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker. I rise to honor the Internet Archive on the 25th anniversary of its founding in 1996. The organization has developed an extraordinary and highly accessible digital library and has become an indispensable asset to society. While physical records of books, newspapers, videos, and audio have long been conserved by libraries and archives, no such record keeping existed for the internet in its infancy. Aware of the importance of saving digital documents, the Internet Archive was founded with the mission to conserve digital cultural artifacts for the public and for generations to come. That mission is vital in an age where the internet plays such a central role in all of our lives. To date, the Archive has stored an astonishing 588 billion web pages, 28 million digitized books and texts, 14 million audio recordings, 6 million videos, 3.5 million images, and 580,000 software programs. Millions of people around the world contribute to the Archive and countless more benefit from having access to it. The world-class team of employees and volunteers that administer the Internet Archive are a major reason why the project has been such a success, and I'm proud that many of my constituents contribute to the Archive. The Internet Archive's success is also due to the fact that it is managed as a values-driven nonprofit organization. The Archive is a large part of how we will tell the story of our time and it's a privilege to congratulate the Internet Archive on celebrating 25 years of cataloging the world. Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in congratulating all of the employees, volunteers, and users of the Internet Archive for celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Women's Health Protection Act. Nearly 50 years ago, the Supreme Court affirmed the right of every woman to make decisions about her own life, her own body, her own future. Now that right is under horrible threat by a shameful and unconstitutional law in Texas that bans abortion after 6 weeks of pregnancy, before many women even know they are pregnant. That is a law in defiance of the Federal law. It turns private citizens into snitches to turn women in. That is reminiscent of the Third Reich. And if that sounds staggering, it is because it is. Every day, women in our country face deeply personal decisions of whether to continue their pregnancies. They should be able to make their own decisions, free from politicians' interference. The Women's Health Protection Act is exactly that. It protects women. It ensures that every woman has equal access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare. I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today with my strongest support of H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021. I'm very proud to be an original cosponsor of this legislation which restores critical protections to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, protecting the right to vote for all Americans. The disastrous Supreme Court decision of Shelby County v. Holder in 2013 gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by eliminating the requirement that certain states or jurisdictions with a history of segregation and voter suppression preclear any changes to their election laws with the Justice Department. With preclearance no longer in place, dozens of jurisdictions across the country moved to restrict access to the ballot, especially for low-income voters and voters of color. The Supreme Court further gutted the Voting Rights Act in Brnovich v. DNC in 2021 by making it significantly more difficult to challenge voting laws that deny or abridge the right to vote based on race, color, or language-minority status. Today, Americans face the worst voter suppression efforts since the Jim Crow era. In 2021, state lawmakers introduced over 400 voter suppression bills in 49 states, and at least 18 states have enacted 30 laws that restrict access to the ballot. These laws suppress the right to vote by restricting access to mail-in and early voting; reducing the number and availability of polling places; and allowing arbitrary voter purges. It's clear that voter suppression efforts are not a relic of the past and that we must have strong federal laws in place to protect the fundamental right to vote. In my view, no legislation could be as important as this because the right to vote goes to the very core of our democracy. H.R. 4 was named in honor of the civil rights icon and late Member of Congress, John R. Lewis who dedicated his life to the sacred right to vote. This legislation continues John Lewis' cherished legacy and sends a clear message that will resound across our country that any efforts to undermine the sacred right to vote will not be tolerated in our democracy. I urge my colleagues to vote for this historic legislation because our democracy depends on it.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary work of Rayna Lehman, a champion of women and labor and a true patriot, who is retiring after serving with great distinction and effectiveness for 39 years as the community services director of the San Mateo County Labor Council. She will receive the well-deserved honor of the Cope Unity Award at the 41st Annual Cope Banquet to be held at the Hyatt Regency at San Francisco International Airport on August 13, 2021. Rayna was born in the Bronx, New York, to a working-class family. She was educated in public schools and was a day camp counselor, a salesperson, and a TSP telephone operator, before she came to California in 1970. The list of glass ceilings Rayna has broken began with the San Mateo County Union Community Alliance, and the list of the positions she has held that never had been held by a woman before is a long one. The honors she has earned include the San Mateo Labor Council Unity Award; PALCARE Outstanding Service Award; McCowan Takalo Anti-Hunger Advocacy Award; APALA Community Services Leadership Award; the UC Berkeley Labor Center Helping Hands Award; Menlo Park Hometown Hero; Senate District 13 2021 Woman of the Year; the Hispanic Chamber Community Leader Award; and many more. She participated in the creation of PALCARE, was appointed to the San Mateo County Childcare Partnership Council, and represented Labor on the inaugural First Five Community Steering Committee. She created Health@Work and helped create the Community Health Reform Advisory Committee to introduce the Affordable Care Act to San Mateo County. As the community services director of the San Mateo County Central Labor Council, Rayna created the Union Hardship Fund, trained union counselors to assist local union members, and coordinated a partnership with Second Harvest Silicon Valley Food Bank to provide twice monthly food distributions that help more than 800 families. She's a member of Office and Professional Employees Local 29 and served as president of Painters Local 15 for nine years. Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in thanking Rayna Lehman for her extraordinary work and in congratulating her on being honored for her exceptional leadership as San Mateo County Central Labor Council's community services director. The blessings of her work have touched thousands of families, and we are a better, stronger county and country because of her.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1250, the Emergency Reporting Act, bipartisan legislation I co-authored to improve how the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reports on and learns from the impact of natural disasters on our telecommunications networks. The human impacts of disasters are worsened when our communications infrastructure is not resilient and this is an issue Californians know all too well. On October 28, 2019, 874 cell towers were out in California, caused by wildfires and power shutoffs. My constituents were panicked about not being able to call 9-1-1 during emergencies, receive emergency alerts, download evacuation maps, or check-in on loved ones. This horrific situation led my good friend, Congresswoman Matsui, and me to work on this legislation. H.R. 1250, the Emergency Reporting Act, requires the FCC to hold field hearings after disasters, issue preliminary and final reports about each disaster, and ensure 9-1-1 centers know when outages will impact calls they may receive. Wildfires are becoming more intense and more frequent because of climate change. Last year, the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned 86,509 acres in my Congressional District, making it the 12th most destructive fire in California history. Seventy-seven thousand of my constituents were evacuated and the fire destroyed nearly 1,500 homes, businesses, and other buildings. I've long called on FCC leadership to visit California and hold field hearings following the wildfires and associated power shutoffs, and many of my colleagues from California have done the same. We need to learn from every disaster, especially by listening to and learning from local public safety leaders, municipal, county, and state officials, and members of the communities impacted. This should be required. Last Congress, the Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a hearing on February 27, 2020 on the Emergency Reporting Act. On March 10, 2020, the Subcommittee marked up the Emergency Reporting Act, and the full Committee did so on July 15, 2020. On September 21, 2020, the full House passed the bill via voice vote. Sadly, the Senate did not take up this critical bill. On February 25, 2021, the legislation was reintroduced by Reps. Doris Matsui, Mike Thompson, Jared Huffman, Gus Bilirakis, and myself. Senators Klobuchar and Burr have companion legislation in the Senate. H.R. 1250 is critical legislation for Californians impacted by wildfires. It will also help those on the Gulf Coast victimized by hurricanes, Midwesterners who've had their communities destroyed by tornadoes, and those in the Northeast who have experienced far too many superstorms. I urge my House colleagues to once again vote for the Emergency Reporting Act and urge the Senate to do so as well.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 678, the PHONE Act, a simple but powerful bill to ensure that Americans who lose their homes in natural disasters do not also lose their home phone numbers. Last year, the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned 86,509 acres in my Congressional District, making it the 12th most destructive fire in California history. Seventy-seven thousand of my constituents were evacuated, and the fire destroyed nearly 1,500 homes, businesses, and other buildings. This figure includes nearly 1,000 families in my district who couldn't return home because their home was destroyed. The PHONE Act helps these families and thousands of other American families who lose their homes in wildfires and other disasters. The PHONE Act has three parts. First, if the President issues a major disaster declaration and a governor designates a disaster area, phone numbers in that designated area cannot be reassigned for one year. Second, if someone in the disaster area needs more than a year, they can get a one-year extension because rebuilding can take years. Third, the bill allows consumers to cancel phone service without a cancellation fee if their home is inaccessible or uninhabitable. The bill also prohibits resubscription fees if consumers get phone service somewhere else in the area. Some may ask why we need all of this for a simple phone number. One of the first things parents teach their children is their phone number. Many of us still remember our parents' home phone numbers. While many are opting to live with just cellphones, it's important to consider who depends on landlines: older Americans and retirees who often have multiple doctors, caregivers, and loved ones using long-held phone numbers. Congressman Mike Thompson authored the bill to help the survivors of the Atlas and Tubbs fires that ravished his Congressional District in 2017. Thousands lost their homes and were further frustrated to learn they also lost their phone number, because phone companies had given the numbers away. The bill is carefully drafted to plug a small gap in the law, but this gap means the world to our constituents for whom this bill is written to protect. Last Congress, the bill was marked up on March 10, 2020, by the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology and on September 9, 2020, by the full Energy & Commerce Committee. At both markups, I offered amendments to ensure the bill would have broad, bipartisan support and would be as effective as possible. On September 29, 2020, the House passed the bill by voice vote. Sadly, the Senate did not consider the measure. I urge my House colleagues to pass this bill once again and urge the Senate to take it up and pass the bill as well.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2668, the Consumer Protection and Recovery Act. This legislation restores the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) authority to protect consumers and businesses from scammers. In April 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that the FTC can no longer use section 13(b) of the FTC Act to ensure monetary relief to Americans who have fallen victim to fraudsters and scammers. This ruling gutted the FTC's authority and we must act quickly to restore it. The FTC has returned $11.2 billion to consumers in the last five years alone, and since 2018, the FTC has recovered more than $171 million dollars for almost one million Californians. Section 13(b) has also helped veterans who have been defrauded by for-profit colleges and provided relief to low-income families gouged by payday lenders. The FTC has relied on this authority for four decades, and if Congress does not act with urgency, millions more Americans will fall victim to fraudsters with no pathway to reprieve. The urgency of this situation cannot be underscored enough. There is more than $2 billion dollars in 24 pending cases that are currently threatened by the FTC no longer having this authority. If Congress is to protect consumers across every state in every district, then we must act now. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and vote yes.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Paul O. Reimer, a California native who was born on July 15, 1927, and died on April 25, 2021, at his home in Portola Valley, California, at the age of 93. Paul was the only child of Ruby and Paul Reimer and was raised in Alturas, California. He enlisted in the Army at the age of 17 and was assigned to the University of Idaho to learn basic engineering. After basic training he was sent to Japan and Korea. After his WWII service, Paul earned a Civil Engineering degree at the University of Nevada. It was at Reno that he met his wife, Kathryn Ann Brennan, and where he developed strong loyalties to his professors and friends, and he was a very proud and supportive alum. Paul and Kathryn married in 1951 and moved to Palo Alto, California. They had three children, Mark, Ted (who died in 2018), and Kristie. Kay died in 2005, and Paul is survived by Mark and his wife Ana, daughter Kristie, seven grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren, and many beloved nieces and nephews. Paul formed Reimer Associates, Consulting Civil Engineers, in 1976, and went far beyond engineering design services. He was joined at the firm by his daughter Kristie in 1990, and together they gained national recognition for their work with the communities impacted by the Base Realignment and Closure Committee. Paul was a member of the Defense Environmental Response Task Force and appointment to this nine-member Task Force required House and Senate confirmation. He was an active member of many professional societies and received many honors for his work. Paul gave back to his community through his work researching the path that Gaspar de Portola took during his 1769 expedition to the San Mateo and San Francisco County coasts, and through his long service with the Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space District and the Peninsula Open Space Trust. Madam Speaker, Paul Reimer has been described as a poet, a wit, a true gentleman, a gifted engineer, a gracious host, a best friend, and most importantly, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and godfather. He was a great and good man who made his community and his country better places for all of us. I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in extending our most sincere condolences to his family and in honoring the life of this extraordinary American.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me and certainly for his wonderful leadership on this issue. Anyone that is tuned in this evening from across the country is hearing a lot of passion spilling over at the podiums here, and for very good reason. In 2017, despite the opposition of every single Democrat in the United States House of Representatives and some Republicans, Congress passed a tax law that bulldozed the State and local tax deductibility. This hurts a lot of people. Now, that was close to a $5 trillion package and so why was this bulldozed? They went through the Tax Code looking for things that were deductible to lower the price tag of a highly inequitable tax package. And the SALT deduction, as it is known, was then capped at $10,000 for both individuals and then for married couples filing jointly. I viewed this then, as I do today, as an assault on the middle class of our country. It was one of the main reasons that I voted against the 2017 tax law. Now I think that if you ask the question of 435 Members of the House: Do you support the middle class? They would all say ``yes.'' But the Record shows something else. We know that everyone aspires to get into the middle class, and we know that the middle class, as my father always used to say, is made up of extraordinary, ordinary people who are the backbone of this country. And that is why this policy is so wrong and it is so hurtful. This is a very important deduction for the middle class. Middle class, you file long term, and you have four areas that you can deduct: mortgage interest deduction, charitable contributions, healthcare expenses, and State and local taxes. And they wiped that out. Now, you tell me whether that is fair or not. I don't think so. And I don't think people across the country do either. Capping the SALT deduction affects nearly 200,000 families in my congressional district. I am not talking about the whole State of California. I am talking about California's 18th Congressional District, and it has raised taxes on over a million households in the State of California. Prior to this harmful cap, my constituents--hold on to your seats, hold on to your hats--deducted an average of $63,083 in State and local taxes. Wiped it out. Some have unfairly, I think, maligned the SALT deduction as a benefit for the wealthy. I think it is an essential deduction for taxpayers in high-cost, high-tax States like California. And that has been spoken to earlier. That is a very important legitimate case to be made. In the bay area, the beautiful bay area of California, northern California, the cost of living is really very expensive, and it keeps going up. And it is so high that the Economic Policy Institute estimates that a family of four needs to earn more than $100,000 to earn a modest but adequate standard of living. That is simply a fact. So prior to the law, more than 3 million households in California with an income of less than that annually claimed this deduction, as did nearly one-third of taxpayers nationwide. This evening, I think each one of us can outline why this is wrong; why the deductibility needs to be restored. Congress needs to reform our tax code. And when we do, so should the restoration of this deductibility be restored. Why? Because, again, the middle class is the backbone of America. We should not be assaulting them. We should be assisting them. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for leading this effort this evening. It is a worthy one.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I'm proud to join my fellow members of the Equality Caucus in celebrating Pride Month and the progress our country has made in securing equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. As we recognize our progress, we must keep fighting because the LGBTQ+ community has yet to be granted full equality. Pride Month commemorates the Stonewall Uprising, the now-famous targeting of the gay community at the Stonewall Inn by police in New York City in June 1969. In the subsequent four decades since Stonewall, LGBTQ+ individuals can serve openly in the military, same-sex couples can wed, and the Supreme Court has upheld certain federal laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Much work remains to be done. Transgender individuals still face high levels of violence. Federal, state, and local laws still allow many forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. And just last week in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, the Supreme Court found that anti-LGBTQ+ religious objections can override a government agency's policies to ensure equality. While the case focused on same-sex couples adopting children, it could have much broader ramifications. For all these reasons, I'm proud to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 5, the Equality Act, which extends anti-discrimination provisions in federal law to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. I'm proud that the House passed this legislation on a bipartisan vote of 224 to 206 on February 25, 2021. I urge the Senate to take up this legislation and send it to the President's desk as soon as possible. As we celebrate Pride Month, let us also remember the victims of anti-LGBTQ+ hate, mourn the loss of countless loved ones whose lives were lost in the battle against HIV/AIDS, and reaffirm our commitment to fighting for an America where all are equal, no matter their gender identity or sexual orientation.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a great American and life-long friend, Dee Circle. Dee died peacefully at home in Rancho Mirage, California, on May 20, 2021. He was predeceased by his father, mother, sister, and grandson, Taylor. Dee leaves behind his loving wife, Candace, daughters Lori (Gil Solon), Jenny (Dermot Cronin), and Jamie, grandchildren Ryan, Tommy and Lily, and his brother Dick Circle. Delos Oran Circle was born in Selah, Washington, on August 20, 1938, to Gracia Fern Lancaster and William Oran Circle. He had two older siblings, Dick and Sharon, and spent his childhood in Washington. After high school he joined the Coast Guard and moved to northern California. He was a Peninsula resident for over 50 years. In 1974, Dee married Candace Lee Edmondson and their flower girl was my daughter, Karen. They had two daughters, Jennifer Dee and Jamie Leigh. Dee was a successful real estate loan broker and developer in the San Francisco Bay area. He was an avid golfer and sports fan, cheering on his beloved Warriors, 49ers, and SF Giants, and never missed a minute of The Masters. Dee was Jenny's No. 1 fan as she played basketball through college. In 2003, Dee and Candy retired to the desert and built a home at PGA West. Dee was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend. He was kind, generous and funny, and was always the biggest personality in the room surrounded by friends. Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in honoring the life of this good man. Dee Circle lived a purposeful life by being a loving family man, a loyal friend, a patriot and a man of integrity. He will be sorely missed by all those who had the good fortune to know him and he will always be remembered as a true blessing to each of us.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for recognizing me and yielding time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution to repeal the AUMF resolution of 2002. Here we are, in 2021. Mr. Speaker, I voted against that AUMF, and to this day, I believe it produced one of the worst foreign policy disasters in U.S. history. It was built on a lie; it claimed the lives of over 4,400 Americans and countless Iraqi civilians; and it cost our Treasury trillions of dollars. The Iraq war ended 10 years ago, but this AUMF is still on the books. It is a blank check, and we need to get rid of it. We run the risk that administrations will misuse it to justify future military action and directly undermine Congress' Article I war powers authority. The House has voted three times to repeal this AUMF, and today, it is time to pass it. Let us have a victory here on the floor--and celebrate another victory that the Supreme Court has upheld the Affordable Care Act.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Clayton Edward Francis Derderian, who passed away at his home on May 16, 2021, at the very young age of 15, having fought a long battle against a devastating form of brain and spinal cancer for 12 years of his much- too-short life. Clay was known to family and friends as Clay-Bear, Chili Bean, Mr. Dunderfuss, and Busby. He was an aspiring chef, inventor, and entrepreneur. He was a braille reader but always preferred to be read to, ideally ``in character''. At mealtime he often announced: ``I am not hungry, what's for dessert?'' He loved a good joke or a good story and despite his disease, somehow managed to love life and especially the people around him. Clay leaves his mother, Mary Bannon, father, JD Derderian, sister Grace Derderian and grandmothers Rainette Bannon and Inez Derderian, as well as loving aunts, uncles and cousins. The tributes paid to Clay by those who knew him well say he was wise beyond his years, that he could make a whole room smile with just a few words, and that he was welcoming and always smiling. He was an amazingly funny person with a great sense of humor and brought joy and sweetness to every interaction. Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in expressing our deepest condolences to Clay's family on their profound loss. May they take solace from knowing that their beloved son was given the best care possible and that he was loved deeply. I believe he is now with the angels, making them laugh and brightening heaven, just as he did during his life with us on earth.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and work of Jarin Feldstein, who was born on June 4, 1943, and died at the age of 78, on May 4, 2021, from pancreatic cancer. He was the son of Harold Feldstein and Edna Cooles Feldstein, and a graduate of John Marshall High School in Los Angeles. He earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from U.C. Berkeley, and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Southern California. Jarin Feldstein had a prolific and highly successful career in engineering with the widely known companies General Dynamics, TRW Systems and Hughes Aircraft. He retired from his position as founder, managing director and a member of the board of directors from COMSAT (U.K.) Ltd., COMSAT's subsidiary in London, in 1984. Jarin's life, particularly after retirement, was devoted to the Boy Scouts of America, which honored him with the Silver Beaver Award for his exceptional character and distinguished service. Jarin was often honored for his leadership in food drives to help feed the hungry, was a devoted member of Congregation Beth Am, and a serious jazz aficionado. Madam Speaker, Jarin Feldstein was a good man and a person of great integrity. I highly valued his friendship, as did everyone privileged to be his friend. He was a true gentleman; a patriot; a distinguished business executive; a generous donor of his time and many talents to others; and, above all, a man devoted to his family. I ask my colleagues to extend their most sincere condolences to Jarin's beloved wife, Carole; his children Patti Reed and Daniel Feldstein, and their spouses; and to his grandchildren Megan and Hannah Reed and Ethan and Zachary Feldstein. His memory will always be a blessing.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I remove my name as a cosponsor of H.R. 1127.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 937, which brings perpetrators of recent hate crimes against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community to justice, and H. Res. 275, which mourns the targeting and killing of AAPI women in recent shootings in Atlanta. American history documents many dark periods of racism against the AAPI community. In 1854, the California Supreme Court ruled that Asian people were unfit to testify against White people in court. In 1871, seventeen Chinese men and boys were publicly lynched in Los Angeles. The convictions of the perpetrators were overturned and no one was punished. Starting in 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act prohibited immigration from China. In the 1940s, the U.S. military imprisoned tens of thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II over unfounded fears of immigrants aiding the enemy, even though no spies were ever found. This is but a short list of horrific acts of anti-AAPI racism in our country's history. Over the last year, there has been an exponential increase of anti- Asian rhetoric and hate crimes directed against the AAPI community. We had a president who placed blame on Asian Americans for the coronavirus, fanning the flames of intolerance and hatred. This intolerance is unAmerican and we cannot accept it. Between March 19, 2020, and February 28, 2021, there were nearly 3,800 reported cases of anti-Asian discrimination related to COVID-19, with 68 percent of reported incidents of anti-Asian hate targeted toward Asian-American women. These include violent attacks on innocent Asian Americans, including the most vulnerable among us, like pregnant women, children, and the elderly. We must fight this bigotry and prosecute perpetrators of hate crimes. The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act does this by directing the DOJ to expedite review of hate crimes; strengthening hate crimes reporting by local, state, and Tribal agencies; and raising awareness about COVID-19- related hate crimes. I'm proud to cosponsor H.R. 1843, the House companion to S. 937, and I thank Senator Mazie Hirono, Senator Tammy Duckworth, and Representative Grace Meng for their important leadership in authoring this critical legislation. One of the worst instances of anti-AAPI hate occurred on March 16, 2021, when a shooter killed eight people at three Asian-owned spas in the greater Atlanta area. Six of the victims were Asian-American women. In H. Res. 275, the House mourns the victims of this horrific shooting, and I'm a cosponsor of it. I wish to acknowledge the names of the victims because we must never forget them: Xiaojie ``Emily'' Tan, Daoyou Feng, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Yong Ae Yue, Soon Chung ``Julie'' Park, Hyun Jung Grant, and Sun Cha Kim. I thank my colleagues who led this resolution, Reps. Judy Chu, Carolyn Bourdeaux, Nikema Williams, and Lucy McBath, together with Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock, who led the Senate resolution. I am exceedingly proud to represent a vibrant community of hundreds of thousands of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in California's 18th Congressional District which celebrates diversity as a strength and uses it as a source of our collective power. Over the last several weeks, I've attended rallies throughout my District where hundreds have gathered to stand against AAPI hate and celebrate the APPI community. I've stood arm-in-arm with my AAPI brothers and sisters, colleagues, constituents, neighbors, and friends to fight xenophobia, and I will continue doing so. I urge my colleagues to swiftly and unanimously pass S. 937 and H. Res. 275 to speak out, stand up, and fight Asian hate in all its ugly forms.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I'm proud to sponsor H.R. 1631, the Community Broadband Act, a bicameral bill that empowers communities in every state to bridge the digital divide by deploying their own local broadband networks. Tens of millions of Americans lack access to broadband or can't afford it. This digital divide is a national embarrassment, and we must do everything we can to solve it. One part of the solution should be community broadband, a proven model that works to provide fast broadband at affordable speeds to millions of Americans today. Over 900 municipalities, Tribes, co-ops, public-private partnerships, and nonprofits across the U.S. administer broadband networks in their own communities. These are communities in urban, suburban, rural, and Tribal regions of our country spanning 120 Congressional Districts. Unfortunately, 22 states have enacted laws to limit or ban such networks. These state laws shield incumbents from competition and harm consumers. Importantly, research by New America's Open Technology Institute shows that community broadband produces higher quality service at lower costs. For this reason, Senator Cory Booker, Representative Jared Golden, and I introduced the Community Broadband Act which preempts protectionist state laws to enable community broadband. The Community Broadband Act was originally introduced in the 109th Congress by Senators Lautenberg and McCain, and I've been proud to carry this legislation with Senator Booker since the 114th Congress. The Community Broadband Act is supported by a long list of well- respected organizations, including the National League of Cities; the National Association of Counties; Next Century Cities; the Southern California Tribal Chairmen's Association; National Urban League; Consumer Reports; Electronic Frontier Foundation; New America's Open Technology Institute; Public Knowledge; Free Press Action; the Center for Democracy & Technology; Access Now; the National Digital Inclusion Alliance; National Rural Electric Cooperative Association; the Utilities Technology Council; the Institute for Local Self-Reliance; and the Coalition for Local Internet Choice. Last Congress, the House passed the Community Broadband Act as part of H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act. The legislation is included in H.R. 1783, Majority Whip Clyburn's Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act and H.R. 1848, the Energy and Commerce Committee's LIFT America Act, and I thank Whip Clyburn and Chairman Pallone for including my legislation in theirs. I'm also very pleased that the Biden-Harris Administration's American Jobs Plan proposal includes the need for ``lifting barriers that prevent municipally-owned or affiliated providers and rural electric co-ops from competing on an even playing field with private providers,'' which can be achieved by enacting the Community Broadband Act. At a recent hearing of the Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, three witnesses made a strong case for the importance of community broadband, and each endorsed the Community Broadband Act. They testified about successful networks of many types that I wish to recognize as well: The City of Wilson, North Carolina, operates a successful fiber-to- the-home network for its residents. The City of San Rafael, California partnered with a nonprofit to develop a mesh network to provide free wi-fi to residents. EugNet is an open-access network in Eugene, Oregon that has experienced major societal returns to their investment in a community network. The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority is a highly successful Tribal broadband network. The City of Lafayette, Louisiana launched LUS Fiber to offer affordable, high-speed broadband for all of its residents. The City of Chattanooga, Tennessee, invested in a fiber network in 2009. That network isn't just economically viable, it turns a profit for the city even after offering low prices. I also wish to recognize two community networks in my California's 18th Congressional District. A group of residents of the City of Los Altos Hills formed a mutual benefit organization called the Los Altos Hills Community Fiber Association to offer high-speed internet where other fiber options are sparse. The City of Palo was a pioneer when it became one of the first cities in our country to deploy a dark fiber network in 1996. This has enabled high-quality connectivity for countless businesses. Residents are now organizing to expand this network for fiber-to-the-home offerings. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1631 and urge the House to pass this legislation swiftly.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life of Eugene Mullin, known to all as Gene, who died on April 5, 2021, three years after being diagnosed with cancer. He was born in the San Francisco Bay Area on April 21, 1937, and lived most of his life in South San Francisco. Gene Mullin gave generously of his time and considerable talents in service to our country, serving in the Judge Advocate Corps of the U.S. Army from 1959 to 1960, and earned a Bachelor's degree and a lifetime secondary teaching certificate from the University of San Francisco (USF). A lifelong teacher, Gene Mullin taught Social Studies at South San Francisco High School for 32 years. He was named the San Mateo County Teacher of the Year in 1991, was honored as Alumnus of the Year 2011 by USF's School of Education, and Riordan High School's first Alumnus of the Year in 2010. He coached basketball for two decades, served as President of the SSF CTA, and made educational videos on social studies topics. Thousands of South San Francisco students benefitted from his complete dedication to them and his commitment to their education. Gene Mullin began his career in local public service in 1972 when he was appointed to the South San Francisco Planning Commission. He served seven years on the South San Francisco City Council, two of them as Mayor. He was elected to the California State Assembly in 2002, representing California's 19th Assembly District, and served for three exemplary terms. Gene wrote several books about local government and received numerous well-deserved awards and honors for his public service. He will be remembered for his devotion to the people of South San Francisco, and particularly to the youth of the community and his role in getting them involved in government. He was a hardworking legislator who set the gold standard for public office with his integrity and commitment to his constituents. Gene Mullin was preceded in death by his beloved wife Terri. He leaves his son, Kevin Mullin, who is currently the Speaker Pro Tempore of the California State Assembly, his daughter Jennifer, and five adored grandsons. Gene's son Kevin said ``His legacy on civic engagement lives on through the lives of his legions of students, as well as his children and grandchildren. He was our proverbial north star and we'll never be the same with him gone.'' Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in extending our condolences to Gene Mullin's family. Gene was a cherished friend and I had the deepest admiration and respect for him. He was a great and good man, a superb educator, a highly effective legislator and a mentor to many. He made his community better by the way he lived, led and worked, and he strengthened our nation immeasurably.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Charles Geschke, known to all as Chuck, a pioneer and a giant in Silicon Valley, who died on April 16, 2021, at the age of 81, at his home in Los Altos, California. He was born on September 11, 1939, and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, where his father was a photoengraver and his mother a paralegal. Chuck was a deeply faith-filled man who once considered entering the Catholic priesthood. He attended a Jesuit high school and studied liberal arts at Xavier University in Cincinnati. He earned a master's degree in mathematics there and later earned a Ph.D. in computer science at Carnegie Mellon. He worked as a math professor, then at the Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency. He was hired by Xerox to work at its Palo Alto Research Center where he met John Warnock, Ph.D., and they joined together in leaving Xerox to found what is now Adobe Inc. Chuck created a highly successful and important company, one of Silicon Valley's greatest, that enabled desktop publishing which has had worldwide impact. The New York Times, (4/20/2021) opened its obituary of him by asking, ``If you sent a PDF on your computer today, thank him. In 1980, he and a colleague created a way of sending digital documents to a printer, starting a company, Adobe.'' In the same piece, the Times quoted him as saying this regarding his immense success; ``Engineers dream of building something that millions of people will use; that's their ultimate goal. I don't think many engineers are motivated by money. They're motivated by having an impact.'' Chuck was a gentle person with a self-deprecating sense of humor and was unrelentingly generous. With his wife Nan, they donated millions to non-profits and universities. He was a fair-minded boss and with Dr. Warnock, employed the ``golden rule'' in the treatment of employees. He was a man of great faith and a model for corporate leaders to emulate. He received numerous well-deserved awards, including the National Medal of Technology and Innovation Award in 2009, with Dr. Warnock, and served on many foundation boards. He was proud of what he created in business, but his family was his greatest treasure. I had the privilege of knowing Chuck for decades and shared an enduring friendship with him. I sought his wise counsel and practical advice, always learning from him and appreciating his depth of knowledge and integrity. Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in extending our condolences to Chuck Geschke's wife Nan, his sons Peter and John, his daughter Kathy Orciuoli, and his seven beloved grandchildren. We are a better, stronger nation because of this great and good man.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I was unable to be present during roll call vote number 130. I would like to reflect how I would have voted. On roll call vote number 130, I would have voted YES.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I was unable to be present during roll call vote number 106. Had I been present I would have voted YES.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my support of the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill I'm proud to have voted for in the previous Congress. Today, women make up the majority of the college-educated workforce, yet only earn approximately 82 percent of what men earn. For women of color, the pay gap is even worse. This legislation is critical because it makes significant progress in eliminating pay discrimination against women by providing them the necessary protections and tools to combat sex-based pay discrimination. Simply put, ensuring that one half of the workforce is paid as much for the same job as the other half is a matter of basic rights and fairness. Women deserve better, and I look forward to voting for this bill once again.