Anna Eshoo

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss H.R. 290, the FCC Process Reform Act of 2017. I'm particularly proud of a bipartisan provision I first authored in the 112th Congress that I'm pleased is included in this legislation today. This provision would modify current FCC rules to allow three or more Commissioners to hold non-public collaborative discussions, as long as no agency action is taken. Today, under the FCC's ``Sunshine Rule,'' three Commissioners or more are prohibited from talking to each other outside of an official public meeting. The FCC oversees industries representing approximately one- sixth of the American economy. It must be able to collaborate freely and deliberate on our nation's most pressing communications issues, from enhancing universal service and public safety, to making more spectrum available for mobile broadband. As Congress looks at ways to help modernize the FCC, this bipartisan, commonsense provision will help to promote greater discussion among the five FCC Commissioners and ensure they can benefit from each other's expertise and experience. Through greater collaboration, the FCC will be better positioned to respond to a fast-paced and rapidly growing telecommunications industry in the 21st century. I thank Chairman Walden for including this provision in the bill the House has passed today.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chair, I rise today to express my grave concerns with the Republican budget proposal for 2017. The budget before us today is a disaster for the American people. Not only does it add $9 trillion to the national debt and put our nation on the path to fiscal ruin, it begins the process of dismantling the Affordable Care Act, taking health insurance away from 30 million Americans. Our national budget is not just pages of numbers. It is a statement of our nation's values. By that measure, this budget is morally bankrupt. The Affordable Care Act became law in March 2010, yet despite their condemnations of the law, Republicans have failed to present any comprehensive alternative in the nearly seven years since it was signed into law. Not one single proposal. The Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said it best at the Washington Post's Daily 202 interview on November 29th last year when he suggested our healthcare system should look more like the cable industry because of all the choices consumers have in that market. He said, ``I always use the analogy, would I want to pick a cable company to watch what I want to watch on TV? I love the options that I have, I love the ability to switch, I love the different packages that I can pick if I like a certain sports team, or I want to watch HBO or something else. Why can't we have health care in a manner that we can do something to that extent?'' If Republicans think the American people want the cable industry to serve as a model for the health insurance market, our Republican colleagues are even more out of touch than I ever imagined. After spending years and 65 votes to repeal the ACA, and warning Americans about the dire threats of budget deficits and the national debt, Republicans have suddenly done an about face. They no longer care about the fiscal impact of this budget which adds $9 trillion to the national debt over 10 years. Nor do they care about the fiscal impact of repealing the Affordable Care Act which is estimated to cost $350 billion over 10 years according to the Congressional Budget Office. The House majority has also set its sights on dismantling our nation's premier social insurance program by including in the House Rules package the unprecedented requirement that each standing committee identify programs that can be moved from mandatory to discretionary spending. This is a chilling and thinly veiled move to begin dismantling the guarantee of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and tie the future of these essential programs to the uncertainty of the annual appropriations process. I urge my colleagues to think long and hard about the far-reaching consequences of this budget on the well-being of the American people and the fiscal health of our nation and vote `No' on final passage.

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chair, I rise today to express my grave concerns with the Republican budget proposal for 2017. The budget before us today is a disaster for the American people. Not only does it add $9 trillion to the national debt and put our nation on the path to fiscal ruin, it begins the process of dismantling the Affordable Care Act, taking health insurance away from 30 million Americans. Our national budget is not just pages of numbers. It is a statement of our nation's values. By that measure, this budget is morally bankrupt. The Affordable Care Act became law in March 2010, yet despite their condemnations of the law, Republicans have failed to present any comprehensive alternative in the nearly seven years since it was signed into law. Not one single proposal. The Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said it best at the Washington Post's Daily 202 interview on November 29th last year when he suggested our healthcare system should look more like the cable industry because of all the choices consumers have in that market. He said: ``I always use the analogy, would I want to pick a cable company to watch what I want to watch on TV? I love the options that I have, I love the ability to switch, I love the different packages that I can pick if I like a certain sports team, or I want to watch HBO or something else. Why can't we have health care in a manner that we can do something to that extent?'' If Republicans think the American people want the cable industry to serve as a model for the health insurance market, our Republican colleagues are even more out of touch than I ever imagined. After spending years and 65 votes to repeal the ACA, and warning Americans about the dire threats of budget deficits and the national debt, Republicans have suddenly done an about face. They no longer care about the fiscal impact of this budget which adds $9 trillion to the national debt over 10 years. Nor do they care about the fiscal impact of repealing the Affordable Care Act which is estimated to cost $350 billion over 10 years according to the Congressional Budget Office. The House majority has also set its sights on dismantling our nation's premier social insurance program by including in the House Rules package the unprecedented requirement that each standing committee identify programs that can be moved from mandatory to discretionary spending. This is a chilling and thinly veiled move to begin dismantling the guarantee of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and tie the future of these essential programs to the uncertainty of the annual appropriations process. I urge my colleagues to think long and hard about the far-reaching consequences of this budget on the well-being of the American people and the fiscal health of our nation and vote `No' on final passage.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McNerney), my valued colleague on the committee.

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am really pleased to rise today in support of this legislation, the Energy Efficient Government Technology Act. I want to thank my colleague and friend, Mr. Olson, for his wonderful description of the bill and his important support of it. I want to thank the new chairman of the full committee, Mr. Walden, and the ranking member of the full committee, Mr. Pallone, for their support, and my legislative partner, Adam Kinzinger, for his partnership on this bill. I hope that this, the 115th Congress, is going to be the magic charm. I have introduced this bill now in three Congresses, and it passed in each Congress, but it didn't make it to the President's desk. I hope this time it will. The bill is really a very simple one. It is about bringing the Federal Government's IT and data centers into the 21st century. The Federal Government is the Nation's largest energy user. I want to say that again. The Federal Government is our Nation's largest energy user, and we should lead by example in this area. By requiring Federal agencies to utilize the best technologies and energy management strategies, this bill will reduce the government's energy use. Very importantly, it is going to save taxpayer dollars, and it is going to also set an example for the private sector. Today, the world generates more data in 12 hours than was generated in all of human history prior to 2003. I can tell by the look on your face, Mr. Speaker, that that takes your breath away. This data must be stored and processed at data centers, which are the backbone of the 21st century economy, but can be highly energy inefficient. While we now routinely hear about data centers, this was not the case when I began examining this issue over a decade ago. In those days, I had to explain to my colleagues what a data center was. In 2005, I offered language in the Energy Policy Act which mandated an EPA study on the energy use and energy costs of data centers. This report was then transmitted to Congress in 2007, and today most Americans understand that data centers are a critical part of our national infrastructure and are found in nearly every sector of our economy. According to the GSA, the Federal Government, alone, has more than 2,000 data centers which store everything from Social Security and tax records to e-books at the Library of Congress. Several Silicon Valley companies have taken the lead in developing efficient, sustainable data centers, but we can do much, much more across the private sector and the government. The Department of Energy estimates that the 70 billion kilowatt hours of electricity that are used by U.S. data centers annually could be slashed in half simply through implementation of best practices and existing technologies. This bill, H.R. 306, will drive energy efficiency improvements across the government's IT and data centers by requiring Federal agencies to, number one, utilize the best technologies and energy management strategies; two, formulate specific goals and periodically review their energy efficiency--it is very important to track the efficiencies--and, three, make government center data energy usage statistics public in a way that empowers further innovation. Importantly, the bill requires government agencies to formulate specific performance goals and a means to calculate overall cost savings from implementation. Mr. Speaker, as I said, I first introduced the legislation in 2013. It has passed the House by wide margins in each of the last two Congresses. It is noncontroversial. It is bipartisan. It makes sense. I want to urge all of my colleagues to support the bill. I thank my colleagues on a bipartisan basis at the Energy and Commerce Committee, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life of Albert J. Nader, who passed away on December 22, 2016, in Palm Springs, California, at the age of 84. He is survived by his wife Gemma Allen Nader, his children Page and Jason, his step-children Bridget and Sean, and six grandchildren. Albert Nader was the son of the late Joshua Nader, an Assyrian immigrant from Iran, and Olga. He was exceedingly proud to be a native Chicagoan and of Assyrian heritage. He grew up near Wrigley Field and attended Blaine Elementary School and Lake View High School where he played baseball and basketball. He graduated from DePaul University and served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. After his service to our country, he went on to work for Sears, Montgomery Ward, and Rand McNally developing films, globes, maps, and textbooks for libraries and schools, and founded the highly successful ad agency, Nader-Lief. In 1978, against the advice of his wife and other friends, Albert Nader took his innovative vision to help people collect videos and created Questar to produce, acquire and distribute video programs. Questar offered viewers videos covering a wide variety of topics, including nature, cooking, and history. Albert Nader found inspiration for programs to create or distribute everywhere he went, including church and family vacations. He guided his groundbreaking vision through changing technology and today his programs are streaming online. Albert was a force of nature, always bursting with ideas, implementing them and advancing the causes he believed in. He was a faith-filled man, a long-time supporter of Moody Church, and proud of his Assyrian heritage. Most recently, he was raising funds for Assyrians caught in the wars in Iraq and Syria. He was a man who loved his family and was devoted to his church, his community and his country. Because of all he did in living a worthy life, our country has been bettered immeasurably. Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in expressing our collective sympathy to Albert Nader's wife and family on the loss of a great and good man, Albert J. Nader.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Robert ``Bob'' Rosenbauer, a geochemist who joined the USGS in Menlo Park, California, in 1974. He was part of what was then known as the Branch of Pacific and Arctic Marine Geology. He soon established the USGS rock/water/gas interaction laboratory and worked on theoretical and experimental studies of submarine hydrothermal, volcanic, and geothermal systems for more than 22 years. In 1996, Bob Rosenbauer developed a laboratory to help understand natural and human-induced stresses on the environment. His diverse research interests include the use of signature lipid biomarkers and stable isotopes to study nearshore ecosystem processes, changes in microbial diversity in marine sediment linked to contaminants, and the paleo-occurrence of hypoxia in deltaic systems. He led efforts to assess the risk of contaminated floodwater sediment to human and ecosystem health in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the potential environmental and human-health impacts of the mud volcano in East Java at Sidoarjo. He participated in studies on saline encroachment in the Los Angeles Basin and on hydrocarbon occurrence along the California coast and in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. He led the effort to chemically fingerprint and determine the persistence and degradation pathways of oil from recent spills in San Francisco Bay from the merchant vessel Cosco Busan and in the Gulf of Mexico from the Deepwater Horizon explosion. Bob Rosenbauer led studies on the experimental investigation, theoretical modeling, and environmental impacts of CO2 sequestration in geologic formations with colleagues from the national and international scientific community. He is the author or co-author of more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications. On September 26, 2011, Bob Rosenbauer was named the new Director of the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC) in Santa Cruz, California. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Bob Rosenbauer who has devoted more than four decades of his life to science, improving our understanding of our environment and making our country stronger. After giving his entire career in service to science and our nation, Bob Rosenbauer retired from the United States Geological Survey on January 3, 2017. He will be honored, together with his wife Terri, on January 15, 2017. Let the entire House of Representatives wish him every blessing in his well deserved retirement.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 315, the bipartisan Improving Access to Maternity Care Act which I was pleased to introduce with Representative Burgess. Today, millions of expectant mothers in rural and underserved areas in our country face lengthy wait times and have to travel long distances to receive maternity care. Without adequate care, they are at increased risk for complications and their newborns are at higher risk to endure health problems. Access to maternal health care professionals including OB-GYNs and midwives is a critical component of consistent, high-quality maternal health care from conception through birth. In my home state of California there are only 4,856 OB-GYNs according to the Pew Charitable Trust, for almost 40 million residents, a shortage which can result in dangerous health risks and long-term consequences for new mothers and their babies. I'm proud to support H.R. 315, which takes an important first step toward meeting the growing need for maternal health care professionals across our country. By directing the collection of data about current access to maternity care, this legislation will identify the geographic regions of our country that face shortages in maternal health care professionals and will eventually result in the distribution of maternal health care professionals, including doctors and midwives to areas of the country where the full scope of their medical practice can be utilized and where they are needed most. This bill makes important progress toward ensuring that all Americans, expectant and new mothers have access to the healthcare they need and deserve.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge all House Members to defeat the previous question so that this bipartisan, bicameral legislation, the Presidential Tax Transparency Act, can be made in order for immediate floor debate and a vote. Now, the legislation is really very simple. It requires Presidential nominees of major political parties to file 3 previous years of their Federal tax returns with the Federal Election Commission. Now, tax returns contain vital information. We all know that. But it is also vital for the public, for voters, to consider. They should be able to know whether a candidate has paid taxes, if they have paid any taxes, how much they have paid, whether they have made charitable contributions and to whom, and whether they took advantage of tax loopholes or offshore tax shelters. This election year, we experienced a bipartisan problem in this area. For the first time since 1976, Mr. Trump, who is now the President- elect, would not release any tax returns to the public whatsoever. And on the Democratic side, Senator Sanders only disclosed a summary of 1 year of his tax returns. I think that these are areas that demonstrate themselves to fall far short of what the American people deserve in terms of transparency. So this legislation ensures that the custom of disclosing--and it has been a custom since 1976--that they disclose multiple years of tax returns and that it be required by Federal law for future Presidential candidates to do so. Former Presidential candidate Mitt Romney stated earlier this year that: ``Tax returns provide the public with its sole confirmation of the veracity of a candidate's representations regarding charities, priorities, wealth, tax conformance, and conflicts of interest.'' One of the Republican cosponsors of my bill, Congressman Mark Sanford, wrote in The New York Times in August: ``The Presidency is the most powerful political position on Earth, and the idea of enabling the voter the chance to see how a candidate has handled his or her finances is a central part of making sure the right person gets the job.'' So I rise today because I believe Congress should write this important disclosure tradition into law. I urge my colleagues to reject the previous question so we can hold an immediate vote on the Presidential Tax Transparency Act.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and work of a pioneer in Silicon Valley, Kenneth L. Schroeder, who died on October 26, 2016 at his home in Los Altos Hills, California, at the age of 70, due to complications of ALS. Ken Schroeder was born in Illinois, earned a BSEE from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business. He received numerous academic honors, including membership in Tau Beta Pi and was selected as one of the ``125 People of Impact'' at UW. His first job after Wharton was at Hewlett-Packard. He then joined Spectra Physics where he became General Manager of the Construction Laser Division. In 1979, Ken joined KLA Instruments as Vice President of Manufacturing, and became President and COO in 1991. Under Ken's leadership, the company made great strides. Semiconductor test equipment became a multibillion dollar market, and KLA-Tencor was named one of the ``Best Managed Companies'' by Forbes Magazine. Electronic Business Magazine rated KLA-Tencor one of the best run semiconductor equipment companies in the world, and the company received accolades for its employee training programs. San Jose Magazine ranked KLA-Tencor as ``one of the best places to work'' in Silicon Valley. VLSI Research named Ken Schroeder ``Most Valuable Executive'' and elected him to its Hall of Fame. During his time as CEO of KLA-Tencor, sales doubled and retained earnings tripled. Ken leaves his beloved wife, Fran Codispoti, his son Christian, his daughter-in-law Sarah and grandson Erik; his daughter Margaux and his son-in-law Brian. He also leaves his sister Nancy, his brother Robert, many loving family members and countless friends. Ken Schroeder was a national treasure. He was a giant of a man, tremendously effective in business, big of heart, huge in his generosity and tall in stature. I consider it a great privilege to have known him and called him my friend, and he will be missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him. Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in extending our most sincere condolences to the love of Ken's life, Fran, and to the entire Schroeder family.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. I thank the gentleman from New York, my good friend, for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in reluctant opposition not to the legislation-- because I am a cosponsor of it and I think it is a very good bill and I think it is an important bill--Empowering Employees through Stock Ownership Act. The underlying policy of this bill--it is bipartisan, as has been stated--is to allow employees of privately owned companies to be able to defer taxes owed on exercised stock options for up to 7 years. I think that there is unanimity on this. I know something about stock options. I have represented Silicon Valley for 24 years. I led the House in a battle many, many years ago on stock options. And I won that, by the way. So I know how stock options work, and I think that it is very important for nonpublic entities--the startups, first of all-- to be able to attract people. When they attract these talented employees, the option of stock options with a deferred tax status would be very, very important. It is a magnet. We always want new businesses to be born. We want them to grow. We want them to go public. We want them to employ more people. That is the way our economy works. I think that it is a very, very important policy to support. But I also think that--as we recognize the responsibility to take a step to help to expand our economy, I also think it is responsible to think about how we conduct our finances. I wish I had a dime or a nickel for every time someone has come to the floor, especially from the other side, pounding their chest about the national debt. So here we have a combination of good policy and irresponsible fiscal policy. Now, Mr. Crowley and I went to--I couldn't make it, but it was our amendment at the Rules Committee to pay for this. The Joint Committee on Taxation says it is going to cost over $1 billion over 10 years. Now, when first responders who got sick after the dollars were expended and we wanted them covered because they were, essentially, dying, they were over at the Energy and Commerce Committee, the majority said we are not doing this bill unless it is paid for. That was a national emergency, but you couldn't find the time or the way to take care of that. When are we going to stop charging things to the national debt? Why do you think it is all right to do it this way? I really wonder if you want bipartisan support. The American people want bipartisanship. They want it done responsibly. But they also want us--don't your constituents ask you how you are going to bring the debt down? Come on. This is like political cross-dressing here. Why wouldn't the Rules Committee say: You know what? These Members are right, and they are offering a very sensible way to pay for this bill. We gave you the pathway for it. We give you the answer for it. We say we will support the policy. We want it paid for. Why do you turn that down? So I think it is sad, I really do. And all of this happy talk that comes to the floor about innovation, and we know and we are doing and whatever, I have represented it for 24 years, and I think one of the values of my constituents is fiscal responsibility as well as good policy, and that is what we offered. So I urge my colleagues to examine the two prongs, not just the one. This could have been bipartisan and you could have passed it on a voice vote, for heaven's sake, if you had it paid for. And that is why I am on the floor to object to the way this is done, not to the policy, but that it isn't paid for.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the words of Zachary Anstett, written in memory of his beloved father, John Michael Anstett. Zachary's words are as follows: Whenever I think of my dad, the very first thing that always comes to mind is a familiar scene, not a particular one: perhaps our family's workhorse car needs to be fixed by tomorrow morning otherwise countless important lessons, orthodontics appointments, not to mention after school activities of soccer, piano lessons, and Martial Arts training will be missed. Which is why we are both crouched under the jacked up car (don't worry, this is likely where he teaches me about the safety jack stands provide us working under the car) everything looking like a black and white film in the harsh caged high wattage light-bulb's glow. I do believe I learned about the difference between drum brakes and disc brakes and how technically, disc brakes are better but our car has drum brakes. This scene is so familiar to me because it was in those times I could literally see him leave my time frame and go back to the early seventies. He's built himself and rebuilt himself an even better Chevy Camaro (obviously, red) and this car is legendary for spitting fire and raking in the speeding tickets all over north Texas. Not to mention the famous ticket you were most proud of: the one you received for disturbing the peace because your car's idle was too loud. You see he loved these things because he carefully built these things lovingly with his own hands--just how he built our family. His first attempt at building a son obviously more flawed, contained more mistakes not for lack of love or care. Just maybe he spent a little too long trying to build as much in from the get-go. He named this project Chris and it remains one of the only things he made that was so full of love that nobody could every question this one most-important goal of the project. Not just to build a wondrous and wonderful human being: my brother. But to ensure this child would know he was loved not by saying it but by doing it. This child never went hungry, never had to be homeless, and got one of the best educations possible in that time at that space. This child indeed would become just as precisely crafted by hand as the Camaro. Son number 2 was by name and by necessity different. He must have decided to hold back more on the built in features and leave some room for exploration, for curiosity, for discovery of the truth of things and how they behave in the world. A son who would rather go on a nature walk or be taken to a local park than sit in his bedroom reading voraciously as did number 1. Chris, in this way, added quite a bit to his own education and discovery. The end goal was the same: that they would learn and grow and know that one thing that could never be questioned, doubted, or denied: These two projects, these two things, made lovingly with his own hands would always be to him the pinnacle of his achievements, would always be what he was most proud of or loved the most. In short: I feel the truth of the love he had for me, my brother, and my family and it is indestructible, absolute, and unending. I could never capture how I felt about my father and how he viewed the world and me if I simply and directly laid it all out. The sheer weight of importance of just one fact: that he made many sacrifices to his own life that ours might be better is indescribably massive. Finally, if you knew John, I mean REALLY knew him, though he might not ever say it to you, you just knew he loved you dearly. His love was never obvious, conventional, or easy to understand. That was my dad: a man with a huge capacity to love and did so, clearly communicating it is the only flaw. But how insignificant is this flaw compared to the size of his heart? I love you Dad. I miss you so much already. I can't wait for you to hear me read it. Love, Zach Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our most sincere condolences to the family of John Michael Anstett.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I was proud to join our Nation's great civil rights leader, John Lewis, and so many of our outstanding colleagues that have spoken out on the issue of gun violence when we had our historic sit-in in the House in June. Our request then and our request today are the same. I think it is really rather simple. We are asking to be allowed to vote on two commonsense bills to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people--a universal background check bill that will close loopholes and no fly, no buy legislation to prevent people who are on the FBI's terrorist watch list from buying guns. Imagine, the FBI has them on a watch list but they can still buy guns. Both proposals have overwhelming support of the American people and they have bipartisan support in Congress. Background checks are supported by 9 out of 10 Americans, and they have been proven to be successful at keeping guns out of the wrong hands. Every day, background checks stop more than 170 felons, 50 domestic abusers, and 20 fugitives from buying guns. Where these loopholes have been closed in States, such as Connecticut, the numbers have dropped dramatically. Today, under current law, up to 40 percent of gun sales are completed with no background checks whatsoever. In our great country, no background checks whatsoever. People can buy guns online the way you can go out and buy M&Ms. Meanwhile, the most common places where the American people go--to church, to school, to movie theaters--they are under siege. This Congress, do you know what this Congress has done, for anyone who is listening in? We have had 31 moments of silence. Mr. Speaker, sympathy is not enough. In fact, it comes off as being hypocritical. As sincere as people have been when they bow their heads for less than a minute, it is not enough. We have an epidemic in our country, and we can do something about it. We have bipartisan legislation. Now, meanwhile, bills have been brought to the floor without one cosponsor. But Mr. King's and Mr. Thompson's legislation, H.R. 1217, has 186 cosponsors. Now, why can't we vote on this? Why? I think that there is a complicity with the NRA with all of these deaths around the country, the violence that has taken place, of innocent people--children, young people, adults--and then all of the aftermath of grieving. And the families that have lost someone, they have a mark on their soul. They will grieve the rest of their lives. We are asking for a vote. If you don't agree with me, vote ``no.'' But, Mr. Speaker, we have a responsibility, and I think a high moral responsibility, to address this. We are asking that these two bills be brought to the floor. Law enforcement supports these bills. The American people support these bills. Mr. Speaker, I think it is about time that these bills be brought to the floor. We can save American lives. Imagine that. By adopting these two bills, we can save American lives. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. Esty), someone who has been a leader on this issue.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 1217, the bipartisan close-the-loophole-on-background checks legislation, to honor the memory of Jeffrey Adams, a victim of gun violence who never received a moment of action on the floor of this House.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I was not present during roll call vote numbers 496 and 497 on September 12, 2016. I would like the record to reflect how I would have voted: On roll call vote no. 496 I would have voted YES. On roll call vote no. 497 I would have voted YES.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life of Blake G. Krikorian, a Silicon Valley icon who was taken suddenly from his family at the young age of 48, after an afternoon of surfing in the majestic Pacific Ocean south of San Francisco. Blake and his brothers Adam and Jason grew up in the Bay area, and Blake attended UCLA where he played water polo. He was well known as the CEO of Sling Media, which he founded with his brother Jason, and he worked with many other companies. Blake's brother, Adam Krikorian, is the coach of the United States Women's Water Polo Team. Blake Krikorian can be described in superlatives . . . savvy, ebullient, and friend to countless people. He was a mentor, a tinkerer, a supporter, an entrepreneur and an angel investor. He's been described as a man with a near artistic capability to make unobvious connections among widely diverse things and ideas. He had a wonderful laugh, he was an amazing friend, a terrific man with child- like curiosity, brilliant, wise, creative, warm, personable, and always helpful. Blake Krikorian adored his family and worshiped his wife Cathy and their two daughters. Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in extending our most sincere condolences to the entire family of Blake Krikorian and in honoring his extraordinarily productive, generous, and all too brief life. We are a better people and a better country because he walked with us.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of my friend, my constituent and an extraordinary woman, Roslyn (Roz) Grossman Morris, who died in Palo Alto, California, at the age of eighty-nine. Roz was born on April 15, 1927, in Oakland, California, and was one of two children of Bertha and Harry Grossman. She and her brother grew up in Napa where she attended high school, and then attended U.C. Berkeley. After meeting on a blind date, Roz and Merv Morris married in 1950. They welcomed three sons and a daughter into their family and Roz supported Merv as he built his successful retail business. She was active with the Peninsula Volunteers and a great supporter of the arts. She was a baseball fan, a Cal fan, and an elegant entertainer. She loved to travel, kept up with current events and attended the opera and the symphony. Most of all, she adored her family. Roz leaves her loving husband of sixty-six years, Mervin, and her four sons and daughters-in- law, as well as her fourteen beloved grandchildren, five great grandchildren and her brother, Arnold Grossman. Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in extending our most sincere condolences to the entire Morris family. Roz Morris left an indelible mark on our community and she left our community and our country stronger and better. I think she was a national treasure

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I was not present during roll call vote number 434 on July 13, 2016. I would like the record to reflect that on roll call vote number 434 I would have voted YES.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Shelley Kessler, a pillar of the California Labor Movement, as she retires from serving the people of San Mateo County with great distinction and respect, as Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the San Mateo County Central Labor Council. Shelley Kessler has said that she became involved in the labor movement because social and economic justice struggles are the basis of her life and work. She grew up in Los Angeles, graduated from Sonoma State University and began working rotating shifts at Owens Illinois. Her union career expanded in 1977 at General Motors where she became the first woman elected as a full-time Union Representative of the local UAW. She began her 34 year affiliation with the IAM in 1982 when she began work at Westinghouse Electric. In 1985 Shelley applied for the job of Political Director of the San Mateo County Central Labor Council, a position she held for eleven years. For the past twenty years she has been Executive Director-Treasurer of the Labor Council where she represented 110 affiliated local unions and 70,000 working member families. On her appointment in 2014 to the California Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation, IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger said ``Kessler's unyielding dedication to the working families of California and her community is exemplary. The CHSWC is fortunate to have such a proud advocate for workers' health and safety as a member of its board. ``Shelley Kessler's advocacy has been a force for good. She positioned labor as a force in San Mateo County and has been a leader in many organizing efforts. She has served on countless boards and committees to advance workers and unions, and has earned many accolades including the California Labor Federation ``Women Labor Leader of the Year'' award, and was inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame in recognition of ``Extraordinary Achievements and Contributions.'' Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in honoring a great American woman, pioneer, role model, union leader and workers' advocate, Shelley Kessler, as she retires from the San Mateo County Central Labor Council. We are a stronger nation because she has worked for all of us and we wish her every blessing in her well- deserved retirement.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the extraordinary life and work of George Rosenkranz, Ph.D., who celebrates his 100th birthday on August 20, 2016. Dr. George Rosenkranz has made significant contributions to the vitality of scientific research in our nation, helping build the foundation of many important life sciences companies, including Syntex, Alza, Dynax, Affymax, Affymetrix and Zoecon. George Rosenkranz was born in Hungary on August 20, 1916. He earned his Ph.D. in 1940 and in 1941 left Europe for Cuba. He married Edith Rosenkranz in 1945 and together they moved to Mexico City where he founded Syntex. The U.S. headquarters were opened in Palo Alto, California, in the early 1960s. Dr. Rosenkranz served as President, Chairman and CEO of Syntex until his retirement in 1981, and served as Founding Chairman of the Board until Syntex was acquired by Roche in 1995. In addition to the birth control pill, Syntex made many scientific discoveries including Lidex, Naprosyn, Toradol, Cellcept, Cytovene, and others. Dr. Rosenkranz holds multiple patents and has authored more than 200 scientific publications. He has been honored with the Biotechnology Heritage Award, the Winthrop-Sears Medal, the Condecoracion Eduardo Liceaga, and many others. He has given generously of his time, resources and considerable talents through philanthropy in the fields of scientific research at Stanford University, in Mexico and Israel. Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in wishing Dr. George Rosenkranz a joyous centennial celebration, surrounded by the love of his family. He is a national treasure and because of Dr. Rosenkranz and his great work we are a stronger, better nation, and a healthier world.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I was not present during roll call vote numbers 382 and 389 on July 7, 2016. I would like to reflect how I would have voted: On roll call vote no. 382 I would have voted NO. On roll call vote no. 389 I would have voted NO.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman really offers a lack of response to the amendment because the Federal appeals court issued a very broad decision, and it really couldn't be clearer. I understand that this language was written before the court came out with its decision, but now that the court has, I think that this language really doesn't mean anything unless the majority simply wants to leapfrog over the decision, even though they don't like it and have fought it. I just don't think that this belongs in the legislation anymore. It was put in before the court spoke, and I believe that it is appropriate to remove the language now. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.