Ruben Gallego

Mr. GALLEGO

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, based on recent conversations with the Committee on Energy and Commerce Democratic staff, I would also like to note that the Senate has included an amendment to the Federal Power Act in this bill that contains the definition of the term ``Indian Tribe'' for the purposes of section 7(a) of the act. The intent of the Senate seems to be to ensure that Alaska Natives are included within that term. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, currently and historically has interpreted the term ``Indian Tribe'' in the Federal Power Act to include Alaska Native villages or regional or village corporations. Explicitly including this reference in the amended section 7(a) should in no way be interpreted to exclude Alaska Native villages or regional or village corporations within the meaning of the term ``Indian Tribe'' elsewhere in this act. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GALLEGO

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, composed of 18 Native communities, is one of the oldest and largest Native-run health organizations in the Nation. The consortium operates the Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital in Sitka, Alaska, which serves as a regional hospital for people throughout southeast Alaska. At 67 years old, the Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital is the oldest facility in Alaska and one of the oldest in the Nation. As such, it is in dire need of updates and repairs. However, the title to the hospital is currently held by the Indian Health Service. In order to obtain the financing necessary to facilitate the renovations, it is necessary for the consortium to hold unencumbered warranty title to the land. S. 825 will convey the land to the consortium by warranty title to ensure that the process moves forward. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GALLEGO

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, S. 2511 directs NOAA to coordinate the use and data collection of unmanned maritime systems, including with the Navy. In addition, this bill directs NOAA to regularly assess how these technologies can be used to support NOAA's missions. Unmanned maritime systems are exciting new technologies that are remotely operated or autonomous vehicles used to collect data for seafloor mapping, atmospheric conditions, wave heights, water temperature, salinity, and carbon dioxide content. They can even be used to study marine mammals and help with fishery management. This is an important bill that embraces 21st century technology to address the increasing challenges and needs facing our oceans today. Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill. I commend Senators Wicker and Schatz and Congressmen Palazzo and Panetta for their work on this bipartisan bill. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting passage of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. GALLEGO

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a statement by Greg Stanton, Former Phoenix Mayor, Congressman-Elect. Arizona lost one of its greatest servant leaders with the passing of Congressman Ed Pastor. His humble nature, gentle style and beautiful sense of humor belied a brilliant tactician. His tremendous success in public service is directly related to his understanding of human nature: treat everyone, regardless of station in life or political party, with sincere dignity, respect and love. And he delivered overwhelmingly for the people of Arizona. Millions of people's lives were helped because of ``the big guy.'' Without Congressman Pastor's leadership, in Arizona, there would be no light rail, no bus service improvements, no Rio Salado riparian habitat development, no Sky Harbor Airport upgrades, thousands of students would not have been able to afford college. The list is virtually endless. The impact on our state due to his strategic action is unsurpassed. But he never once bragged about his success. He was a true ``workhorse'' not a ``showhorse''. But his legacy goes way beyond physical improvements to our state. In an era of such partisan tribalism, Congressman Pastor showed by his actions a wiser path: he was a partner to both Democrats and Republicans in this Congress. Members of both parties, and all wings within those parties, liked him and trusted him. We can all learn much from how he went about his business. And he loved everyone right back. Its why he took the time to mentor thousands of people looking to make a difference in our community through politics and policy: myself included. He taught all of us to lift up the next generation. That's his most important legacy which will pay the most long-term dividends for our state. Nicole and I loved Ed Pastor. He passed on his passion for public service to his family, all of whom are great leaders in our community. I had the good fortune to work closely with City Councilwoman Laura Pastor. We offer Verma, Laura, and Yvonne our sympathies . . . but mostly we give them our thanks for sharing this great leader with the people of Arizona.

Mr. GALLEGO

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, tens of thousands of Arizona teachers took to the streets to demand that Governor Ducey and the Arizona State Legislature do right by Arizona students. It did so because Ducey and the State GOP have crippled the State's public education system. Arizona spends the second lowest amount of money per student in the country, and Arizona's teachers are paid at the second lowest rate in the country. Students and teachers alike describe textbooks held together by tape, moldy ceilings leaking on students, and classes so overcrowded that kids have to sit on the floor. Mr. Speaker, that is not what schools in the richest country in the world should look like. That is why Arizona's teachers championed the Invest in Ed proposition, to secure over $600 million in annual education funds for Arizona after Governor Ducey failed to provide the resources our students so desperately needed. Over a quarter of a million Arizonans signed their names to get the Invest in Ed proposal on Arizona's ballot this fall. That is democracy in action. But last week, the Arizona State Supreme Court ordered the removal of the Invest in Ed proposition from State ballots based on a small technicality. This appalling ruling is an insult to Arizona students, teachers, families, and to democracy. It is a blow to Arizona's education system and our economy. It is a naked power grab by the GOP that undermines our democracy by removing the right of voters to choose what is best for their kids and their communities. Invest in Ed wasn't defeated because a majority of Arizonans votes against it. It wasn't defeated because it was opposed by an elected politician who can be removed from office in the next election. It was killed by Doug Ducey's supreme court, a court that Ducey and the Arizona Republicans packed with conservatives. Governor Ducey fully understood the power a court can wield when he ran through his court-packing plan in 2016 to increase the size of the Arizona State Supreme Court. He knew the incredible power of a supreme court pick, even at the State level. Mr. Speaker, we in Congress must not underestimate that power, especially now. Donald Trump has nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh to fill a seat in the U.S. Supreme Court, and here is what we know: Judge Kavanaugh believes that a woman has no legal right to full autonomy over her own body; Judge Kavanaugh believes that the agency created to protect consumers from fraud and predatory lending is unconstitutional; Judge Kavanaugh believes that access to affordable healthcare should be determined by your age or your gender or your preexisting condition; Judge Kavanaugh believes that the President should be above the law. Here is what we don't know: We don't know what is in the hundreds of thousands of pages of Kavanaugh's records that the Trump White House has refused to release, contrary to a century of Supreme Court precedent. That is unacceptable. The Invest in Ed decision in Arizona is a blatant example of judicial power gone wrong, judicial power used to undermine democracy. If confirmed, Judge Kavanaugh would join a panel of Justices with this very same power: the power to keep gutting the Voting Rights Act, the power to keep green-lighting partisan gerrymandering, the power to keep signing off on GOP efforts to purge the voter rolls. We cannot allow this to happen. Doug Ducey's State supreme court set back democracy in Arizona. What Doug Ducey did to Arizona, Donald Trump will do to America with this Supreme Court. We cannot let that happen. My colleagues in the Senate should reject Judge Kavanaugh's nomination. Our democracy depends on it.

Mr. GALLEGO

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, despite their united control of Congress, my Republican friends seem to think there is nothing they can do when Donald Trump acts in a matter that is contrary to our laws and our values. Here is what they have been saying: Congressman Ryan Costello: There is nothing we can do to stop the President, let alone this President, from saying what he thinks or what he wants to say. Speaker Ryan on immigration policy: The last thing I want to do is bring a bill out here that I know the President won't support. Lastly, again, Speaker Ryan: Every morning I wake up in my office and scroll through Twitter to see which tweets that I will have to pretend I didn't see later on.

Mr. GALLEGO. I yield to the gentleman.

Mr. GALLEGO. But, Ted, did you know that there are actually concrete steps the majority party can take to exercise its power over the administration and hold it accountable for its actions?

Mr. GALLEGO. That is right. When the U.S. Constitution was drafted in 1787, it included checks and balances that allow the legislative branch, us, to oversee the executive branch, the President. It is part of what makes our Nation great.

Mr. GALLEGO. That is a great question. Maybe our friends in the majority have forgotten how to use their power.

Mr. GALLEGO. Great idea. So, let's start with a new class that we call Welcome to Congressional Oversight 101 or, as I like to call it, Congress for Dummies.

Mr. GALLEGO. Isn't that hard?

Mr. GALLEGO. What are some of the issues that Congress can pass legislation on, Ted?

Mr. GALLEGO. Ted, for example, could we actually be protecting the Special Counsel from being fired by the President?

Mr. GALLEGO. I believe there is an actual bill that has been introduced, specifically, that Ryan could actually bring to the floor, to protect the Special Counsel and not just talk about protecting the Special Counsel.

Mr. GALLEGO. So why hasn't Speaker Ryan or the Republicans actually passed this bill?

Mr. GALLEGO. We certainly have brought this up, and we will continue to be pushing this bill until it comes to the floor. Let's move on to lesson 2.

Mr. GALLEGO. It is important to remember the congressional committee chairman gets to decide what topics they hold hearings on. So are you telling me the Judiciary Committee chairman is more interested in Hillary Clinton's emails from 2015 or maybe 2016 than currently dealing with attacks on our democracy from Russia, from Putin, or trying to figure out how we have basically abandoned and orphaned 2,600 families at the border?

Mr. GALLEGO. So let's move on. What is the third thing that we could be doing as Congress to actually put the executive in check, Ted?

Mr. GALLEGO. Subpoenas. What is a subpoena? You are a former Federal prosecutor. Please enlighten us, since somehow this Congress has forgotten that we could do subpoenas.

Mr. GALLEGO. I don't know if you know this, Ted, but there is this neat little House rule called House rule XI, clause 2. Have you heard of this?

Mr. GALLEGO. It is not. It is very simple. This clause allows House committees to issue subpoenas, which are legal documents that force somebody to do something, in this case either testify or give Congress documents.

Mr. GALLEGO. Or we could do something really crazy and subpoena all the many administration officials and department heads who have gotten rich and richer by exploiting their public offices for private gain.

Mr. GALLEGO. Lesson number 4, requesting investigations.