Sam Farr

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, rhetoric is really cheap here, but I would urge Members to read the bill and to read the second term. It reads: The term ``Cuban military intelligence service'' includes but is not limited to the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of Interior of Cuba and any subsidiary of such ministry. The term ``immediate family'' means spouse, sibling, son, daughter, and so on. The analysis by our own Library of Congress says that this would severely hurt the consumer communication devices that would be sent to families in Cuba as part of the negotiations that are going on right now between the United States and the administration. It would also hurt materials, equipment, tools used by the private sector to construct or to renovate privately owned buildings, tools and equipment for private sector agriculture activity, tools and equipment and supplies and instruments used by the private sector. This provision just kills the ability for the United States to open up trade that every other country has. This is just a ``family feud'' amendment. This is not good business, and that is why the business community is opposed. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. FARR. I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).

Mr. FARR. It is very interesting that the capitalist society out there supports my amendment: the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Foreign Trade Council, Engage Cuba, the Emergency Committee for American Trade. They wrote a letter that they urge the House Members to strip section 540 from H.R. 2578, the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The provision would turn back the strategic effort to normalize relations between the U.S. and Cuba, harming advancements to increase commerce with Cuba. The majorities of Americans, Cuban Americans, and Cubans support the normalization of relations and any unilateral trade embargo. Bipartisan support exists in both the House and the Senate and throughout the businesses community and with the majority of the civil society focused on Cuba. The question of Cuba policy should be approached deliberatively and in the full context of hemispheric relations. I urge the support of this amendment.

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

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, I would just like to respond that there is no legislative program in the State Department like this. You can't transfer it there. They are not operative in these countries, so to say that this could be moved over--look, you were in professional organizations. This is legislator to legislator, judge to judge, and we need to keep it that way.

Mr. FARR. I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise on this bill, as a member of the subcommittee, with very mixed emotions. There are some very good things in this bill, but there is also some bad stuff. The question is whether the bill is 51 percent good or 51 percent bad. I came to Congress because I believe that government can play a positive role in American lives. Government is not the enemy. But it makes me wonder then why this body refuses to invest in the tools to do the job of government and, by extension, to do the job of the American people. This bill contains the same funding levels it did last year, and that is $172 million less than the budget request. Any good corporation plots its investments so the company can prosper. In terms of the House of Representatives, that would mean setting spending at a level that would maximize its ability to serve the people. By failing to make those investments, we disrespect the American people, and we tell them that we are not worth the investment, not worth the effort, not worth doing the job well. This bill fails to invest in the very institution we depend upon to make government function properly. This body is being given short shrift. I am on the Appropriations Committee. I think it is our responsibility to meet the needs of the Nation in every respect, and that includes investing in the legislative branch of government so it can do its job. Those low polling numbers that Congress gets--everybody here talks about how low it is--I think they are the self-fulfilled policy of a Congress that refuses to provide itself the tools they need to serve the public. Skimping isn't going to make this place work any better. Using taxpayer dollars more wisely will. Having said that, I am also supportive of what the committee brought to the floor in a program called the Open World Leadership Center. It is operated out of funds from Congress with the Library of Congress. What Members may not know is that this program was begun as the brainchild of the late Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska and the Librarian of Congress. It was to expose young and emerging leaders--average age about 38--in Russia and former Eastern bloc countries. Some of those countries include Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Kazakhstan. I think President Putin would love to see this program go away, the way USAID has left the region. It makes a difference to those young leaders to visit congressional districts, to see how city councils work, to see how school boards work, to see the United States, the State legislators, the judges. The program belongs in the legislative branch because peer-to-peer relationships do work. The program reaches out to all 50 States. More than 23,000 rising leaders have been hosted by the United States Government since the program's inception. Eighty percent of those have met with Members of Congress and visited their congressional districts. This is a very robust exchange program. I had a group in my district out in the central coast of California, and one of the visitors had been a member of the Duma, their Congress. He told me that he had been invited by our country to be here at least about a dozen times. But only in visiting the communities and seeing the local government in action did he actually understand what democracy was all about, a bottom's-up process in America that is never learned just visiting Washington or getting taught in a classroom. The value of hands-on, from-the-ground-up democracy is a lesson that can't be learned from a book. Open World experiences show these participants that democracy is not just a dream. It is actually a working reality, one that they can have in their home countries if they work at it. And America shows them how. There is an amendment coming up, the Ratcliffe amendment, and I hope that all the Members of Congress will reject that amendment to delete this program. Mr. Chairman, I really appreciate the work of the gentleman from Georgia, our new chairman. He has done a great job. I hope that we will spend, though, a little bit more money investing in this institution so that we can get the job done, not just talk about how we can cut, squeeze, and trim, sacrificing the ability of Congress to be its best.

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chair, I wish the gentlewoman had made that same speech when we were discussing defense, the biggest spending bill we have, but she didn't offer this amendment at all. I happen to come from a State where the legislators didn't have enough guts to raise taxes, so the people went out and did it because they want their government to run wisely and smartly, and they knew they didn't have enough money to do it. Look, we are cutting this budget; yet the Senate, which we don't vote on their bit, is increasing their budget by 12 percent. They are going to be able to give cost-of-living adjustments to every one of their Members. Nobody sitting in this room who works for us is going to get a cost-of-living adjustment because of cuts like this. This is ridiculous. We are penalizing our whole House, not the Senate. This is not a smart way to make legislative business.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, the Salinas Airport is a remarkable place. Earlier this week, my good friend at the Salinas Californian, Jeff Mitchell, captured the spirit of the airport best when he wrote on Thursday, May 14: The Salinas airport--to the untrained eye--is a funny place. Most of the time it doesn't look like much is happening there. But take a closer look and you'll find some interesting things going on there . . . The facility is the home airport for many of the corporate jets flown by our elite ag companies. It's also the home for a company--Cal Pacific Airmotive--that has gained a national reputation for the perfect restoration of the greatest World War II-era fighter ever made, the venerable P-51 Mustang. Finally, the Salinas airport is home to none other than Sean D. Tucker, a National Aerobatics Champion and U.S. Aviation Hall of Fame member. Now through the hard work of the Salinas Valley aviation community and the airport staff, the national Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has picked the Salinas Airport as one of the sites for its 2015 national fly in. Residents in my Congressional District will have the opportunity to participate in educational forums and hear from national aviation speakers, view top of the line manufacturers, and see aerobatic performances. With our own hometown aerobatic star, Sean Tucker, I know the crowds will have a wonderful family experience. Americans have always been fascinated with flight, which propelled the Wright Brothers to aviation history by inventing the first three- axis control that enabled pilots, for the first time, to steer their aircraft and maintain equilibrium. As we enter our second hundred years of aviation advancement, space flight will become the norm and the United States will conquer new horizons. Mr. Speaker, I know that I speak for the House of Representatives in congratulating the Salinas Airport and Brett Godown, the Salinas Municipal Airport Manager, for hosting APOA the 2015.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give thanks to all the community health centers in America and especially those in my district in California. These clinics are the workhorses of health care. Whether it be in the rural community of San Benito County, the downtown environs of Seaside on the Monterey Peninsula, the ag community of Watsonville or the streetscape of Santa Cruz, community health clinics provide expert health care to whomever needs it. These clinics increasingly are significant sources of regular, primary health services and not just drop-in-as-a-last-resort centers. In addition to providing on-the-spot health care they also run education programs on wellness, nutrition, diabetes and pre-natal care. All this is done at little or no charge to the patient with costs picked up by federal health programs, partnerships with other public and private entities and charitable donations. The first community health centers were established in the U.S. in 1965 and May 15, 2015 marks 50 years since their introduction. Since then they've serviced over 62 million persons, including 13 million new patients since the advent of the Affordable Care Act. In a district like mine which includes an agriculture workforce that is often on the margins of health care the community health clinics are a godsend to keeping this workforce healthy and industrious. Mr. Speaker, I want to say for all America to hear: I am very proud of the community health clinics in my district. I am sure my House colleagues have similar good stories to tell about the community health clinics in their districts, too. I hope they will join me in saying `thank you' and `good job' to these clinics and wish them well as they embark on the next 50 years of service.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, tonight I must rise to voice my concerns with the USA Freedom Act. While I recognize the improvements this bill attempts to make with regard to mass surveillance and information gathering efforts, I simply cannot vote for this bill. I was pleased to hear that the Second Circuit Court recently found metadata collection to be illegal and commend the bi-partisan work that resulted in a bill that attempts to adhere to the court's decision. I recognize that the USA Freedom Act includes positive changes such as tighter language dictating when the NSA can access a database of call records, new allowances that grant technology companies the right to disclose governmental inquiries to their users and increases penalties for people caught aiding in terrorist efforts. Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that other provisions in the bill would continue to allow for large swaths of information gathering. Simply put, I cannot vote for a bill that does not protect the privacy enshrined in the Fourth Amendment and guaranteed to all Americans. The risk of faulty information collection is not a risk I am willing to take with any American's privacy. Upholding the U.S. Constitution is non-negotiable.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, there are countless reasons why my colleagues should reject H.R. 36, the misnamed Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. I am unequivocally opposed to the substance of the bill and the process by which it arrived on the House Floor today. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a little over one percent of abortions that are performed annually are resulting from pregnancies over 21 weeks. There are a variety of reasons why abortion care may become necessary at this stage of a pregnancy. Some may not know that they are pregnant; some, barred by public funding bans on abortion, need time to gather the funds for the procedure; and sadly, a large majority of these abortions are medically necessary due to severe fetal anomalies or risks to the mother's health. Doctors must be allowed to offer their patients the best care possible. Tragically, doctors in violation of this bill, were it to become law, could face jail time. The new version of H.R. 36 puts even more burdens on doctors in an all out effort to prevent them from performing the procedure so women will have nowhere to go for abortion services. As you'll recall, H.R. 36 was introduced on the very first day of the new 114th Congress and just two months later, the Republican Majority rushed this anti-family bill to the House Floor. However, with Members of its own party rejecting H.R. 36, the bill was pulled from the floor the night before it was to be debated on and another anti- choice bill was put in its place. It has taken over a month to make a bad bill even worse? The revised bill also forces adult rape survivors either to report the crime or to seek medical care at least 48 hours prior to getting an abortion. In order for a woman to comply with this requirement, not only does a woman have to see a provider other than the one providing the abortion, but she cannot see any provider in the same facility where abortions are performed. While we recently marked the 42nd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision allowing women to make their own reproductive choices, this legislation is nothing but a transparent attempt to restrict their choices once again. It takes any medical decision that should be made by a woman on the advice of her doctor and puts it into the hands of legislators. Now, I know there are several House Members who are also doctors, but I had no idea so many Members--medical or otherwise--feel empowered to take this decision on to themselves rather than leaving these reproductive decisions to the person doing the reproducing: the individual woman. I am particularly surprised that so many men feel comfortable making personal bodily medical decisions for women. Madam Speaker, H.R. 36 is simply outrageous. This bill is unconstitutional and a blatant attempt to challenge Roe v. Wade at the expense of the reproductive health of our nation's women. And they claim there is no war on women. How can they say that when they try to pass bills like this?

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to bring to the House's attention that Bob Roberts, the President of the renowned California Ski Industry Association is retiring. Perhaps we ought to alert the federal agencies to be on the lookout for the impending consequences. Ski lifts will stop running, avalanches will start falling, snow accumulation will dramatically decrease. My God, Mr. Speaker, how can this country even exist without Bob Roberts at the helm? And it's not even just the U.S. who will be affected, for he is known as the Peace Corps volunteer who put Peru on the map. Will the Andes now disappear without him? Take a look at his distinguished career. Mr. Roberts began his career in the ski industry in 1969 as operator of Mt. Shasta Ski Area. He held this post until 1975, after which, he founded the California Ski Industry Association. He has stood at the helm of the CSIA for 40 years, working from the ground up to create an organization which has effectively continued to improve and enhance the thriving ski industry in my home state of California. Through successful campaigns such as the ``Ski California USA'' and an award winning cooperative promotion with Virgin Atlantic Airways, Bob and the CSIA have been able to attract unprecedented levels of domestic and international visitors to California's alpine and cross-country resorts. Bob Roberts received his undergraduate BA in political science from Stanford University and an MBA in international business from Columbia University. After graduation, he was one of the very first Peace Corps volunteers sent to Peru. During his time in Peru he served in the Andes as a supervisor on the development and construction of a hotel and thermal baths. He then continued his work with the Peace Corps, serving as regional director in Bolivia and then director for the Latin American training center in Escondido, California. Bob's selfless work with the Peace Corps would equip him with a political aptitude, a disposition towards public service and a keen interest in the resort business. A true icon in the tourism industry, Mr. Roberts was also instrumental in the creation of the California Travel and Tourism Commission. He was elected Vice Chair of the first commission and also served for six years as chair of the marketing committee, directing California's tourism programs. As well as a tireless advocate for the tourism industry, Bob is also a devoted husband to his wife, Betty, and a father of two, Kirsten and Christopher, and grandfather to five. Mr. Speaker, I know that I speak on behalf of the entire House in thanking my friend from the Peace Corps for his exceptional service and I wish him the very best in the next chapter of his life.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the tragic death of Warren Weinstein, a U.S. development worker who was held captive by Al Qaeda from 2011 until 2015. Last week, we learned that Mr. Weinstein was an accidental victim of a U.S. drone strike that took place in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region in January of this year. This tragedy has deprived a family of their loving husband, father, and grandfather, and it has deprived our country of a tireless champion of human rights and economic development among some of the world's poorest populations. Warren Weinstein dedicated over 40 years of his life to international development work. Throughout his career, he worked with vulnerable populations throughout Africa and South Asia. He served as Peace Corps country director in Togo and the Ivory Coast. Most recently, he spent 10 years working on economic development projects as an adviser to J.E. Austin Associates, a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) contractor, in Pakistan. Mr. Weinstein's life and approach to development work showcased the ideals of the institutions that he served: USAID, the Peace Corps, and others. He left the comforts of home and dedicated his career to improving the lives of others in countries that were not his own. He spoke seven languages and immersed himself in the local culture of the countries in which he worked. By all accounts, he had a warm, outgoing personality and a deep commitment to solving some of the world's most difficult problems. Mr. Speaker, I know I speak for the whole House in offering our deepest condolences to Mr. Weinstein's family and friends, especially his wife Elaine, their daughters Alisa and Jennifer, and their families. His legacy will live on in Pakistan, Togo, the Ivory Coast, and the entire range of countries in which he worked, and his service to our country and the world will never be forgotten.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, it is simply shocking that in this day and age employees are still being discriminated against because of their reproductive health choices, such as whether or not to use birth control, undergo in vitro fertilization to get pregnant, or for having sex without being married. The Council of the District of Columbia recently passed a law protecting D.C. women and families from such discrimination, making it clear that they cannot be penalized or retaliated against because of the employee's personal reproductive health care choices. The District of Columbia Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act takes a stand and makes a statement that this sort of discrimination will not be tolerated in the District of Columbia. The House Majority wants to overturn the D.C. Council's law. H.J. Res. 43 is not only a slap in the face of the women of D.C. but also to their families. It affects whether people can chose to wait to have children, have children at all, and when they can or cannot have sex. Frankly, it's none of our business. Is there anything more private than someone's child-bearing decisions? Than who to get intimate with? In a country that will spend $166 million on the movie 50 Shades of Grey, the Republican Majority thinks imposing their own Puritanical ideology and theology on District residents is acceptable? House Republicans constantly argue for limiting the power of the federal government and to respect the rights of the state and local governments. However, once again, they feel it is necessary to usurp the decision that the D.C. government unanimously voted on for its own citizens. Do unto others but don't do unto me. That is about as hypocritical as you can get. Madam Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to reject H.J. Res. 43 and to support D.C.'s local government and the women of D.C. to make their own reproductive choices.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Chairman, as we continue to cut, squeeze, and trim the Federal budget, we have a responsibility to ensure that our Federal agencies operate as efficiently as possible. I know that we both have examples in our district where multiple Federal, State, and local agencies overlap in their management authority, often causing unnecessary bureaucratic red tape, which ends up costing taxpayers more money while accomplishing less. Mr. Chairman, I would like to work with you as we move this bill forward to improve the transparency and efficiency of Federal agencies. They need to talk to each other and work together so that our constituents are not forced to sort through conflicting requirements. I hope you can help me.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I hope that you heard the amendment because it said nothing about the doctor's ability to issue a prescription for use of medical marijuana. This simply lifts a gag order. Now, these doctors have taken an oath of office to do no harm. Their ability is to talk to patients. They can tell patients that there is medical marijuana available. They can also tell patients that you shouldn't try it, you shouldn't use it. What you want is just an honest dialogue. You want to give doctors their professional capability to have a discussion with the veteran. That is all this bill does. Our veterans are living in a civilian community. In 33 States, this is legal. When they walk in with admitted problems and they want medical attention, the doctor cannot have a thorough discussion with them. That is all this amendment adds. It says, Let's let these doctors be like the civilian doctors in the same offices in the same States, only maybe those civilian doctors can issue prescriptions where the veteran doctor can't. Because of the reasons that the chairman talked about of how this drug is listed, this is very limiting, so let's lift the gag order. We owe it to our veterans to give them complete information when they ask for it, even if it means discussing medical marijuana. I ask for an ``aye'' vote.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to bring to the House's attention the outstanding public service work of Crystal Bertheau on the occasion of her retirement from the Santa Cruz County Elections Department following a long and distinguished career. In Ms. Bertheau's professional career, she embodied the fundamental principal that should guide American democracy across our great nation: that every voter should have easy access to the ballot and that every vote cast should be counted. It is an example that stands as a beacon even now in the 21st Century. Crystal started her professional career in San Mateo County in 1972 where she and her co-workers created an annual program for Court Room Clerks at Stanford University. From 1981 to 1996, Crystal worked for Judge Clarence B. Knight. In 1996, Crystal transferred to the San Mateo County Elections Department. In 1997, she and her husband, David, moved to Scotts Valley, California. In 1998, the Santa Cruz County Elections Department hired her as the poll worker training and recruitment coordinator for the county. She was instrumental in launching and implementing the county Inspector Hotline, a dedicated phone number for poll workers to call in questions on Election Day. In 2002, she took on the duties of Program Coordinator in charge of candidate filing. Crystal quickly became known as the knowledgeable and friendly face who helped thousands of candidates navigate their way through the candidate filing process. Crystal also served as a Passport Acceptance Agent and a Deputy Commissioner for Civil Marriage for the County of Santa Cruz. She and her co-workers earned the 2013 Employee Recognition Gold Award for successfully facilitating the start of same sex marriages in Santa Cruz County. Crystal's passion for elections and community service is unsurpassed. She has worked 20 hour Election Days, spent many weekends serving her community on Passport Saturdays and Weekend Voting, and conducted weddings near the midnight hour on Valentine's Day. Crystal has enjoyed sailing in the San Francisco Bay, has run 2 half marathons and dozens of 10ks, has backpacked in the High Sierras, and enjoyed scuba diving in Cozumel, Bonaire, and the Monterey Bay. In retirement Crystal hopes to continue to enjoy her hobbies of golf, gardening, hiking, playing the piano, reading, and spending time with family and friends, especially her son Mark. Mr. Speaker, I know that I speak on behalf of the entire House in thanking Crystal for her 42 years of public service and outstanding leadership, showing one person can impact the lives of many. I wish her the very best in the next chapter of her life.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the passing of a wonderful human being, good friend, and a great American. Raymond Frank Freschi died earlier this month at the age of 89. Ray will always be remembered for his very kind and generous heart and lively spirit. He loved his family, his many friends and his life. He will be greatly missed. Ray was born in Clifton, New Jersey on June 16, 1925. Ray joined the Navy after graduating from high school and served as a medic-corpsman in Norfolk, Virginia and later aboard the U.S. Wakefield on a mission to China. Upon leaving the Navy, he attended Fairleigh Dickinson College in Rutherford, New Jersey and then transferred to University of Southern California. At USC he met his beloved wife Shirley, to whom he was married for 65 years--they are an example of a beautiful couple actively involved in their community. They had two children, daughter, Susan Elaine, who sadly preceded Ray in death, and son Raymond Sandy Freschi Jr. Ray and Shirley lived in La Canada-Flintridge in Southern California for 25 years before moving to Pebble Beach for the next 25 years, and then on to Carmel Valley Manor. Everybody who knew Ray remarked on what a joyous person he was. He radiated happiness. He loved and respected people; always taking a genuine interest in others. Among other things, this helped him become a successful real estate entrepreneur. Ray studied and taught real estate, and quickly established, what was then, the largest real estate office in Glendale, California. Among Ray's many accomplishments was purchasing the Chevy Chase country club in Glendale, and transforming it into a thriving successful golf community. He also developed a three story office building and condominium complex on the Golden State Freeway in Glendale. Ray even made a run for a House seat here in Congress. Later, during his retirement, Ray built several beautiful houses in Pebble Beach. For many years, Ray had enjoyed spending time at his Green Glen ranch property in Gilroy. Ray's hobby was driving horses and collecting antique carriages and wagons. While in Pebble Beach, Ray could often be seen on the weekends driving a pair of his Welsh Cobbs, Concord & Taffy, or his French Percheron draft horses, Peter & Oliver with a newlywed couple in the carriage. His appearance brought joy to everyone, especially my daughter who has followed his professional love of horses. Mr. Speaker, I know I speak for the whole House in offering our condolences to Ray's friends and family, including his wife Shirley, son Sandy, grandchildren Peter McLean Freschi, Brooke Susan Freschi., sister Beverly Vivenetto, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Dee Rasco, an exemplary teacher, on the day of her eighth grade class' trip to our nation's Capitol. Ms. Rasco has taught at Junipero Serra School in Carmel, CA for 25 years and has led her class on the Washington, DC trip for the last 15 years. A day has not gone by without her inspiring her students to learn, flourish, and thrive. Ms. Rasco embodies the qualities of an extraordinary educator. An expert on U.S. history, she instills a love for our nation's heritage and tradition in her students. She encourages an unending curiosity and love of learning that will endure over a lifetime. She patiently works with all students regardless of individual difficulties; her passion to help them succeed overcomes all barriers. Mr. Speaker, a great teacher is a treasure to her school, community, and country. I ask my colleagues to join with me in recognizing and thanking Ms. Dee Rasco for her dedication.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Legal Services for Seniors on the occasion of its 30th anniversary. Founded in 1985, Legal Services for Seniors provides comprehensive legal services to all Monterey County senior citizens at no cost, regardless of their ability to pay. It opened its first office that year on the Monterey Peninsula with a staff of just three. Since then Legal Services for Seniors has continuously expanded its ability to provide legal services, especially to the underserved low-income seniors of Salinas and its neighboring rural areas. It now employs a full time staff of eight and serves seniors in their Salinas and Monterey Peninsula offices as well as ten weekly outreach sites throughout Monterey County. Legal Services for Seniors has served an astounding 80,000 clients in the past thirty years and continues to make the lives of those they serve the most important part of their practice. It is particularly noted for its financial elder abuse prevention program which serves as a model for other such efforts throughout California. Indeed, Legal Services for Seniors has been called upon to help train other non- profit legal aid organizations throughout the State of California on financial elder abuse prevention so that not only Monterey County seniors, but seniors throughout the State are benefitting from their expertise. Mr. Speaker, I am confident that Legal Services for Seniors will continue to meet the needs of Monterey County seniors with quality care, integrity, professionalism, mutual respect, innovation and accountability for many years to come. I am proud to know an organization with such integrity and compassion exists for Monterey County seniors. I know that I speak for the whole House in congratulating Legal Services for Seniors for 30 years of exemplary service and in wishing it many more years of success.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the National Day of Silence. Tomorrow is the 18th year we have recognized the National Day of Silence, a day when young people come together to raise awareness for the discrimination that LGBT students face. I am proud of students who stand up against bullying, students like Karen Jimenez of Aptos, California, who said: ``Identity extends further than our physical selves, so when expression of identity becomes restricted, it's similar to having chains placed on your home.'' I am a proud sponsor of the Student Non-Discrimination Act and will continue to fight for acceptance and tolerance for LGBT youth. California is a leader in promoting and protecting the rights of our LGBT community. This year, we celebrate the 15th anniversary of the passage of the Safety and Violence Prevention Act and recent passage of a bill to ensure that trans students are afforded necessary gender neutral facilities in their schools. We, in Congress, have a responsibility not to be silent. It is our job to speak for those who cannot. We must work harder towards becoming a wholly gender-inclusive society that welcomes and protects all our Members.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I am so tired of coming down here to the floor each and every year and marking the day that women's pay finally catches up to that of a man's! Equal Pay Day is not a bittersweet occasion--it is simply a bitter reminder of the worth that this country places on the work of women. It is quite simply unfathomable! Today is a glaring reminder of the hard work that still needs to be done in order to achieve gender parity in pay. Women are half the population! How has this inequity been allowed to stand for so long? When President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law in 1963, women on average made 59 cents for every dollar earned by men. It has been 51 years since the Equal Pay Act was signed into law, and yet women still earn on average only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men, amounting to a yearly gap of $11,607 between full-time working men and women. We've made some progress--but it's not even close to being enough. Equal pay is not simply a women's issue--it is a family issue. Families increasingly rely on women's wages to make ends meet, and with less take-home pay women have less money for the everyday needs of their families. According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, in California, women in are paid 84 cents for every dollar paid to men, amounting to an annual wage gap of $8,183 between men and women who work full time in the state. In addition, Californian women who are employed full time lose a combined total of approximately $37,658,902,470 every year due to the wage gap. Let me say that again: That's almost $38 BILLION each year! The sad reality is that the pay gap is not simply an education issue either. Nationally, women with master's degrees that work full time are paid just 70 cents for every dollar paid to men with master's degrees. Further, women with doctoral degrees are paid less than men with master's degrees, and women with master's degrees are paid less than men with bachelor's degrees. Mr. Speaker, that is why the Paycheck Fairness Act is so critical. I am so proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill. It will close loopholes and strengthen the Equal Pay Act, which hasn't been updated in 52 years. The bill has 189 cosponsors so far. And once again this year NOT ONE is a Republican! What possible reasons are there to be against equal pay for equal work? This issue does not only affect Democrats. It affects all hard-working American women and families-- regardless of their political party. Does the Majority simply not care about this problem, or is it yet another continuation of the War on Women that they continue to deny year after year?

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank our leaders for working so tirelessly to find a compromise to fix the SGR. For too many years this arbitrary budget device has worked to up-end Medicare doctors and patients alike, creating turmoil when what was needed was common sense. Thankfully, today common sense wins out. But I have to say as well that I am disappointed that the bill includes unnecessary language on restricting women's reproductive rights. The inclusion of a statutory reference to the Hyde amendment is bothersome in the least and very possibly a dangerous precedent-setting salvo by anti-choice opponents to codify the Hyde language. Mr. Speaker, I don't understand why Hyde had to be referenced at all in this bill. Everyone already knows that community health centers are already subject to Hyde restrictions. Including it in this SGR bill is redundant. Unfortunately, it is all too typical of this Tea Party- infused Congress to sow discord rather than accommodation. Adding the Hyde language to the bill only causes heartburn in a bill that could much more easily have satisfied our hunger for bipartisanship.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the twenty-fifth anniversary of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California. Sixty years ago, MIIS was founded as a graduate school that would promote international understanding through the study of language and culture. Even though our world is much more complex and interconnected, our democratic objectives of global peace and security are still best advanced when Americans understand other cultures and can speak to non-English speakers in their own language. And the Center for Nonproliferation Studies has been at the nexus of peace and security issues for more than two decades. The Center provides professional education to both U.S. and international students on critical global issues dealing with regional security, terrorist motivations, the science and technology of weapons of mass destruction, and innovations in analytical tools and methods. As the world's first graduate degree program that teaches the knowledge and skills needed to curtail the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), CNS has been at the forefront of United States leadership on the threat that weapons of mass destruction pose against global security. CNS has safeguarded not only our nation, but also the world. It is not enough that the United States be at the forefront of weapons technology to counter the threat of weapons of mass destruction. We must also focus on strategy and diplomacy in order to make meaningful policy that promotes nonproliferation and disarmament worldwide. CNS, under the leadership of its founding director, Dr. William C. Potter, has excelled at the nexus of global policy and diplomacy by cultivating world-class nonproliferation leaders for the classroom and providing CNS students with unique academic assignments outside the classroom. Mr. Speaker, for twenty-five years, CNS significantly advanced the security of the nation and strengthened international partnerships that build peace. The importance of continuing that progress is even more important in today's uncertain world. Will the world be safe for our children and grandchildren? As long as rogue nations possess weapons of mass destruction, we will face challenges, but those challenges are being addressed by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies by educating nonproliferation leaders of tomorrow. I commend the Center for all its accomplishments over the last twenty-five years and I look forward to its continued distinguished service to our country into the future.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the remarkable public service career of Dr. Simon W. Chang, who is retiring as the Superintendent of the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Marine Meteorology Division in Monterey, CA following a 32-year career with the Federal Government. During that time, Dr. Chang built an unparalleled reputation for scientific excellence and insightful leadership through overseeing the development of state of the art weather prediction systems to support U.S. military operations. Dr. Chang's insightful leadership was recognized in 2007 with the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive, and in 2009 with his election as a Fellow of the American Meteorology Society. A native of Nanjing, China, Dr. Chang earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Meteorology from the National Taiwan University. After immigrating to the United States he earned his Master of Science Degree in Atmospheric Sciences from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and his PhD in Meteorology from Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Chang joined NRL in 1983, and has led the Monterey Meteorology Division since 2003. His work has advanced the science of meteorology and, in particular, the study of tropical cyclones, air-sea interactions, numerical weather prediction, satellite data assimilation, and mesoscale meteorology. He authored the definitive mesoscale meteorological analysis for the 1991 Gulf War Illness study that determined the extent to which our deployed military forces could have been exposed to dangerous contaminants in the aftermath of Operation Desert Storm. As the NRL Monterey Division Superintendent, Dr. Chang was in charge of developing several key Navy global and regional scale weather models, tropical cyclone prediction models, highly accurate data assimilation systems to bring millions of observations per day into those models, and user-friendly tactical-scale tools to translate raw weather data into actionable military information. He established close collaborations with other regional scientific organizations; such as the Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center, the Naval Postgraduate School, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and the Central and Northern California Ocean Observing System, to put the Monterey Bay Area at the forefront of atmospheric and oceanographic research. For my part, I had the great pleasure of working with Dr. Chang to secure funding for a new state of the art lab building for the Monterey Division. Mr. Speaker, I know that I speak for the whole House in sharing our gratitude to Dr. Chang for a job well done and extend our best wishes to Simon and his family in this next chapter of life. I know that even in retirement, he will still find himself involved in the community and helping people in need and will continue to stand as an example for others.