Jimmy Gomez

Mr. GOMEZ

Mr. GOMEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Urban Partners Los Angeles (UPLA), a nonprofit in the Koreatown/Westlake neighborhoods dedicated to providing food and educational resources to underserved and underprivileged communities in the city. Since the organization's founding in 1995, Urban Partners' free programs and services--everything from educational courses and tutoring to food distributions and assistance--have filled critical gaps and addressed the needs of Angelinos throughout Los Angeles. UPLA has since become a critical lifeline to the community. This could not ring truer than during the COVID-19 pandemic, where UPLA's staff and volunteers were on the frontlines, distributing over 9,000 bags of groceries to more than 4,500 families during the onset of the crisis. Even now, volunteers tirelessly work to distribute over 50,000 pounds of food to 1,000 families, ensuring no one leaves empty handed. It is also because of those at the helm of UPLA, like Executive Director and Board President Rochelle McAdam and volunteer Executive Director and Board Member Trinity Tran, and their dedication of heart and hand to the community that food-insecure individuals and families in Los Angeles are not left behind and do not go hungry. We are truly grateful to UPLA's board members, staff, and volunteers for their fierce advocacy of those the organization serves, their empowering work of community building, and the love of community they continue to show week after week.

Mr. GOMEZ

Mr. GOMEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Richard Brumfield, Jr. and Guillermo Avina, Co-Founders of Full Spectrum Omega, Inc. (FSO), a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) and phytocannabinoids life science company in Los Angeles. FSO's mission is providing access to FDA-approved marijuana-derived products that address unmet medical conditions and improve people's lives and wellbeing. Richard and Guillermo have a long history of developing cannabis- derived products, operating under California state laws and focused on putting ``patients before profits.'' With FSO headquartered in California's 34th District, Messrs. Brumfield and Avina play an important role in our community. They also recently held an event in the district to `kick off' a major new initiative. Richard and Guillermo have tirelessly worked to serve our community, and I want to recognize and thank them for their innovative contributions.

Mr. GOMEZ

Mr. GOMEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Hee Sook Lee, the founder of Buk Chang Dong (BCD) Tofu House, a chain of Korean soondubu jjigae (tofu soup) restaurants that have since become a cultural touchstone to so many Korean Americans and have helped bring Korean cuisine to the global stage. Lee's life story reflects the passion and commitment to which she built the legacy of BCD. When Lee was younger, her father suffered a debilitating stroke. Lee decided to skip college to support her mother who had been washing dishes in restaurants and selling dishware at flea markets to support Lee and her three siblings. In 1989, Lee immigrated to the U.S. and settled in Los Angeles so her children could learn English and seize the opportunities life in the U.S. offered. Her husband became an established restauranteur and Lee became busy raising their three sons. However, Lee was itching to start something of her own. Seeing how so many Koreans found success in opening restaurants, Lee decided to open one of her own. In 1996, on Vermont Avenue in LA's Koreatown, Lee opened BCD, naming the restaurant after the district in Korea where Lee gained some experience and training in the food industry. Lee eventually achieved her dream of opening a restaurant where she could share her love and passion for Korean cuisine. However, she never imagined what she had started would soon become an empire of Korean restaurants, with 13 locations across the U.S., and that she would have Asian supermarkets stocked full of her soup starter kits. Over the years, BCD has become the go-to place for those seeking good and authentic Korean food. To others it quickly became more than a restaurant to go to eat soondubu, bulgogi, or bibimbap. It was the place to go when one was longing for the comforts of home or looking for a refuge after a long shift at work or after a late-night out with friends. At the beginning, BCD drew in a predominantly Korean and Asian crowd, but as word got around of the restaurant's delicious food, non-Asians and a diverse body of people became BCD's main patrons. After trying BCD, those who were initially unfamiliar with Korean food and culture would want to try other Korean foods, watch Korean TV shows and listen to Korean music, gaining a greater interest in and respect for Korea. Lee and BCD soon became a diplomat of sorts for Korean food and culture. While Lee was busy feeding the hungry customers who frequented BCD, she was also helping feed thousands of starving children around the world. She was the President of Global Children Foundation, a nonprofit launched by Korean American mothers who wanted to provide relief to children and families throughout the world. Lee's commitments to those in need didn't stop there. In the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic and her own battle with ovarian cancer, Lee partnered with a local organization, Koreatown Youth and Community Center, to provide and distribute hot meals to low-income and vulnerable seniors. Her generosity of spirit didn't just end with the food that was served at BCD but continued in all the things that Lee did for the Koreatown community and beyond. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering and celebrating the life of Hee Sook Lee.

Mr. GOMEZ

Mr. GOMEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Jorge Nunez, a tireless fighter for peace and social justice. In the 1980s, Jorge made the difficult decision to immigrate to the United States in order to flee the terrible violence that had fallen on his beloved countrymen and women in El Salvador. Although he was new to this country, he continued to dedicate his life mission to fight for the oppressed and the dignity of all human beings. If you ask Angelenos about Jorge Nunez, they will tell you he is known for his social service work. He started his advocacy efforts as a community organizer in Los Angeles with the Salvadoran American Leadership and Educational Fund (SALEF), where he promoted the vote of Salvadorans and Latinos. He later became a respected staff member for State Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, and subsequently completed his career as Assistant to the President of the State Senate, Kevin De Leon, and as Board Member Emeritus of SALEF. Regardless of his titles, Jorge devoted himself to working tirelessly for the rights of immigrants and their families, including TPS holders, day laborers and braceros. He never said no, and his desire to help was always present, even in his last days. Jorge's humility and commitment to his values were his finest characteristics. His kindness and sense of humor were a couple of the reasons he was so well-liked and respected in all social circles. Jorge leaves behind a beautiful family, his wife Sonia, and four children, Damaris, Edwin, Jorge and Marvin. Madam Speaker, Jorge Nunez left us a priceless legacy to honor, to continue to build a better world. With that, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering and celebrating the life of Jorge Nunez.

Mr. GOMEZ

Mr. GOMEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and leadership of John Eric Swing, whose service to the members of Los Angeles' Historic Filipinotown and greater Filipino-American community will not be forgotten. John's passion for service began even before he championed community service and empowerment in the community. It was during his college years as an ethnic-studies student at University of California, Riverside that John started learning about and developing his Filipino- American identity, eventually starting the Asian American fraternity Psi Chi Omega and continuing to serve in community organizations throughout college. Upon graduating, he served his country as part of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, receiving a National Defense Service Medal, a Good Conduct Medal, and a Rifle Expert Marksman badge during his six years with the Marine Corps. John then spent the rest of his career and life dedicated to advocacy and service. John had only recently been appointed as the Executive Director of Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), an organization in my district that seeks to enrich and empower Filipino Americans by providing important health and human services, community economic development, and cultural enrichment. Previously, he led SIPA's small business counseling services and entrepreneurship program as a staff member. Even before his term as Executive Director began, John was out there on the frontlines. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he delivered food to seniors and underserved families and led wellness and cultural webinars. John even secured critical funding to support SIPA's outreach programs and was later honored by the state legislature as one of the ``Unsung Heroes of Southern California.'' What stands out to all those who worked with John over the years is his work ethic, his selflessness, and his unwavering commitment to serving all communities, regardless of people's race, ethnicity or background. John's lifetime of dedication and service will be remembered and greatly missed by all whom he encountered and all those who were impacted by his tremendous work. May it bring comfort to his family, friends, and loved ones that so many are celebrating the life John led and praying for them at this time.

Mr. GOMEZ

Mr. GOMEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Bobby Lee Verdugo, a Chicano activist from East Los Angeles, most known as the leader of the 1968 East Los Angeles high school walkouts. Growing up in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, Bobby lived the all-American life--he was a popular football player, his father coached a youth baseball team, and his mother was part of the Parent Teacher Association and volunteered for Bobby's Boy Scouts troop. Despite the active role Bobby's family played in the community, he and his Latino classmates would get singled out for speaking Spanish in school and were subjected to paddlings by their white teachers as punishment. The Latino students at the school were also being tracked into vocational classes. They were not afforded college preparatory courses or resources, and made to feel as if their futures were all but bright. Eastside schools were notoriously rundown and overcrowded and had some of the worst dropout rates in the country. Encouraged by his social science teacher, Sal Castro, Bobby and other students across the Eastside of Los Angeles organized a walkout to protest the discrimination, abuse, and mistreatment. Soon thousands of Latino students across the country followed suit, bringing the attention of the entire nation to their cause. Bobby eventually enrolled at UCLA but left after two years to work as a bus dispatcher and a labor organizer. He married Yolando Rios, his high school sweetheart and fellow walkouts organizer, and they had two kids. After noticing the lack of resources for at-risk young men, particularly Latino youth, Bobby decided to enroll at California State University of Los Angeles at the age of 40 to become a social worker. In 1995, he co-founded Con Los Padres, a counseling program modeled after the Mesoamerican talking circles (circulos), giving teenage fathers the space to discuss their feelings, connect to their heritage, and receive the support they needed to navigate fatherhood. His advocacy work led him to speaking invitations across the country and Bobby quickly became a frequent figure at Latino high school youth and academic conferences. Bobby's infectious personality and humor drew thousands of students to him and to them, he became a father-figure and mentor. Bobby was a trailblazing force that paved the way for the young Latino activists of today and his legacy lives on through their social justice work and activism. May Bobby's lifetime of leadership, passion, and service continue to be an inspiration to us all. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering and honoring Bobby Lee Verdugo.

Mr. GOMEZ

Mr. GOMEZ. Mr. Speaker, someone is lying. On one side, you have the White House and the Postmaster General. On the other side, you have the hardworking men and women of the U.S. Postal Service. The President and the Postmaster General say there is nothing to see here. Nothing to see. They tell us that their operational changes are meant to help the Postal Service. The Postal Service workers, whose job it is to deliver the mail day in and day out, are saying something different. They are telling us that they are falling behind on processing packages because of these operational changes. As a result, they are seeing bugs and rodents swimming around containers of rotten food and meat and animals. Now, my Republican colleagues say that this is a conspiracy theory. But I say to them: You can't smell a conspiracy theory. There are dying animals, rotten food, rotten meat, rats, flies. You can't see that in a conspiracy theory. I want them to open their eyes because their constituents, my constituents, are suffering because of this deliberate attempt to sabotage the U.S. Postal Service. Their constituents--seniors and veterans who depend on fast delivery of their medicines, the small businesses that depend on the U.S. Postal Service to stay afloat, and every American who wants to partake in our democracy safely during this pandemic. Mr. Speaker, I can tell you which side I believe: the employees of the U.S. Postal Service. It is with them in mind that I strongly support the passage of H.R. 8015, the Delivering for America Act.

Mr. GOMEZ

Mr. GOMEZ. Madam Speaker, today I rise in support of these important pieces of legislation. The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the challenges that working families have always faced in the American economy: that the economy is not structured around the needs of working families and that the solutions that do exist, like childcare, are not sufficiently funded. As such, our Nation's lack of support for affordable childcare forces many working families to make an impossible choice: either go to work to support your family to put a roof over their head, food on their table, or clothes on their backs, or not in order to stay at home to make sure that they are safe and well taken care of. Unfortunately, parents don't face an even playing field when it comes to childcare. For example, Latino and Asian children are most likely to have a lack of childcare options in their communities and face long waits and long lines to get a spot. Despite the fact that quality childcare is a cost-effective way to reduce poverty, funding for childcare is simply not enough. I am proud to support this important piece of legislation and these two pieces of legislation. It is a way forward, and I look forward to voting on it later today.

Mr. GOMEZ

Mr. GOMEZ. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for doing this Special Order hour to remember the life of John Lewis. He called other people ``brother.'' He called me ``young brother,'' so I guess I was the little guy. He was such an amazing man. He had a huge character. He was a civil rights giant who amplified the voices of a generation. His commitment to dismantling hatred and oppression in whatever its form was something that inspired generations, and it is something that we all know that we stand on his shoulders on for our own fights for greater equality in this country. His strength and resolve, showcased during the Nashville sit-in movement, the Freedom Riders, and the March on Washington gave us the momentum to carry on through adversity and taught us what it means to get into some ``good trouble.'' And those who knew John and marched with him, whether it was to protest the detention of immigrant children, as I did a few years ago, or to speak out against racial injustice, always felt a little bit more hopeful when he was around. It created that little bit of a ripple of hope from person to person when he was marching with you. I believe he also created a little bit of a ripple of change in every single person he met that transformed and empowered communities and for future generations still unborn. That is the kind of legacy he left. But I also got to see him as just a humble person, a regular person. And I noticed when we would walk from the Ways and Means Committee room back here to vote, I would always kind of walk with him, and people would come up and ask for a photograph, you know, school children and adults alike. And they would get around him and, you know, I was pushed aside, and I took the phone and I was proud to take the photographs. He would always say: Hi, I am John Lewis. What is your name and where are you from? And he took that moment to make it about them, not about him. Imagine if we were all like that, where we just paused a little bit and took the moment to make it about the other person, the other party, the other State, the other person from a different country. Imagine what this country would be like. It would be a lot better. It would be a lot more hopeful and would create that ripple of change that we all desire. I know John is getting up to the pearly gates of Heaven with Saint Peter, who is the guardian of those gates, and John is going to say: Hi, I am John Lewis, nice to meet you.

Mr. GOMEZ

Mr. GOMEZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (S. 4091) to amend section 113 of the Social Security Act to provide authority for fiscal year 2020 for increased payments for temporary assistance to United States citizens returned from foreign countries, and for other purposes.

Mr. GOMEZ

Mr. GOMEZ. Madam Speaker, first, I want to remind my colleagues from the other side of the aisle that this President has attempted to get rid of, to eliminate, the Affordable Care Act, ObamaCare, over and over and over again. So when you pretend to care about expanding healthcare or taking care of people who don't have healthcare, it seems a little hollow to me. That is why I am proud to stand up here to support the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act because it would invest in working families by expanding affordability, strengthening consumer protections, and increasing coverage. And there is a lot to like in this bill. For the first time ever, under this legislation, doctor recipients would be eligible for help with their premiums for plans they purchased under Covered California or HealthCare.gov. For DACA recipients, home is here. Many of them have been working as first responders and frontline health providers during the pandemic, and they should have affordable healthcare like any other American. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Neal for working with me on this important provision. Second, this bill makes changes so that Medicaid more effectively serves its patients. For instance, under the legislation, Medicaid enrollees would have better access to primary care physicians, and they won't lose their healthcare coverage just because of small fluctuations in their income over the course of a year. Forty-seven percent of my congressional district is enrolled in Medicaid or Medi-Cal, so these provisions are crucial. Last, this bill makes healthcare more affordable by increasing subsidies for working families on the marketplace. This provision is similar to the Healthcare Affordability Act of 2019 that I introduced with Congresswoman Lauren Underwood. This is a historic step. The Affordable Care Act was a big step, but it is not done. We are going to keep pushing, and we are not going to negotiate with the other side of the aisle that keeps trying to eliminate and roll back protections and affordable healthcare for millions of Americans.

Mr. GOMEZ

Mr. GOMEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this package because I have small businesses in my district that are closing, after being in business for decades, right before our eyes. This bill is better than what the Republicans originally proposed. And make no mistake about it, if it wasn't for Democrats pushing to make changes, the businesses, the true small businesses--not the publicly traded companies--would still continue to be left behind. There would be no money for hospitals, no money for PPEs, no money for testing. It is the push of the Democrats that made this bill better and is why I am supporting it. I also want to be clear that this virus is on a different timeline. No matter what people think, no matter what people say, this is just the end of the beginning and not the beginning of the end.

Mr. GOMEZ

Mr. GOMEZ. Madam Speaker, I am not recorded on roll call vote No. 79. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA. I am not recorded on roll call vote No. 80. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA. I am not recorded on roll call vote No. 81. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA. I am not recorded on roll call vote No. 82. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

Mr. GOMEZ

Mr. GOMEZ. Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded on rollcall vote No. 83. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea''. I am not recorded on rollcall vote No. 84. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea''. I am not recorded on rollcall vote No. 85. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea''. I am not recorded on rollcall vote No. 86. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea''.

Mr. GOMEZ

Mr. GOMEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Adventist Health White Memorial Hospital as a recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The Boyle Heights hospital is the first organization in Los Angeles, the only hospital in Los Angeles County, and the twelfth hospital in the nation to receive this prestigious award. The Baldrige Award is the highest level of national recognition for performance excellence an organization in the United States can receive. Since 1987, the award has been given to organizations and businesses in that have demonstrated visionary leadership, operational excellence, and drive for providing innovative solutions to complex challenges. It is the dedication, hard work, and outstanding achievements of White Memorial Hospital's associates, physicians, and partners in delivering quality healthcare that caught the attention of the Baldrige Award examiners. Founded in 1913, the White Memorial Hospital has since become one of the region's leading nonprofit, faith-based hospitals, providing a full range of inpatient, outpatient, emergency and diagnostic services to the medically underserved communities in and near downtown Los Angeles. As a major teaching hospital, White Memorial also plays a vital role in training future physicians, nurses, and other medical professionals. It is fitting White Memorial Hospital's mission is ``living God's love by inspiring health, wholeness, and hope'' because the hospital's volunteers and staff demonstrate daily, their commitment and service to improving the physical, mental, and spiritual health of the community. This award only underscores this exemplary level of excellence and dedication and I have no doubt, the important role White Memorial Hospital will continue to have in the community. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Adventist Health White Memorial Hospital on receiving the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

Mr. GOMEZ

Mr. GOMEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Upward Bound at Occidental College as it celebrates its 55th anniversary. As one of the country's oldest and most successful Upward Bound programs, Oxy Upward Bound has been assisting low-income, underserved, and first-generation students from central and northeast Los Angeles achieve success both in their pre-college achievement and their higher education pursuits. Through one-on-one academic advisement, weekly academic enrichment services, workshops, cultural activities, and a summer residential experience, Oxy Upward Bound's programs helps students develop key skill sets that positively impact their academic performances in high school while also exposing and guiding them through the rigors of the college experience. Oxy Upward Bound works to ensure scholars graduate from high school with a solid post-secondary plan--both academic and financial--and those students can graduate from a 4-year college or university in 6 years or less. Over the past five years, 99 percent of Oxy Upward Bound students have advanced a grade level or graduated from high school, with 90 percent of those graduating from high school going on to enroll in college. Among college access programs, Oxy Upward Bound stands out in that its chief goal is not to produce applicants to Occidental--although some participants have ended up enrolling at and graduating from the College--but to contribute to higher education nationwide and empower students to triumph over systematic, institutional barriers to opportunity and progress. As Oxy Upward Bound celebrates 55 years of success, I am confident it will continue to inspire and serve students for even more years to come. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Upward Bound at Occidental College on their anniversary for their excellent work on behalf of students in Los Angeles.

Mr. GOMEZ

Mr. GOMEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Korean American Day, January 13. I proudly represent Los Angeles and its Koreatown. It is the largest Korean population of any congressional district in the country. My legislation, H. Res. 38, supporting the goals and ideals of Korean American Day, gives us an opportunity to appreciate the countless contributions Korean Americans have made to this country. On this occasion, we pay tribute to the influence Korean Americans have had on all facets of American life, from the private and public sectors to the world of art, food, education, and entrepreneurship. Mr. Speaker, 117 years after the first Korean immigrants came to the United States, the story of the Korean American community is one of honor, inspiration, and resolve. Like other immigrant communities across the country, they have thrived through their strong work ethic, family bonds, and unbreakable spirit. I would like to thank them for entrusting me with the honor of representing them in Congress. I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 38, commemorating Korean American Day.

Mr. GOMEZ

Mr. GOMEZ. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a letter to the United States Trade Representative. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, September 17, 2019. Hon. Robert E. Lighthizer, U.S. Trade Representative, Washington, DC. Dear Ambassador Lighthizer: We write to express our concern regarding the inclusion of Article 20.89 in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). This provision, entitled ``Legal Remedies and Safe Harbors,'' mirrors Section 512 of Title 17, originally enacted by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA). In certain circumstances, Section 512 frees online platforms from liability for infringing content posted by third parties. The effects of Section 512 and the appropriate role of a copyright safe harbor have become the subject of much attention in recent year. Some have called on Congress to update these very provisions, enacted in the days of a dial- up Internet. The U.S. Copyright Office is expected to produce a report on Section 512 around the end of this year, the result of a multi-year process that started in 2015. Moreover, the European Union has recently issued a copyright directive that includes reforms to its analogous safe harbor for online platforms, which may have an impact on the U.S. domestic policy debate. Without taking a position on that debate in this letter, we find it problematic for the United States to export language mirroring this provision while such serious policy discussions are ongoing. For that reason, we do not believe a provision requiring parties to adopt a Section 512-style safe harbor system of the type mandated by Article 20.89 should continue to be included in future trade agreements. Given that the Judiciary Committee closely oversees Section 512 through its jurisdiction over intellectual property laws, we also hope that the Office of the United States Trade Representative will work closely with our Committee in advance of negotiating copyright issues going forward. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We would be pleased to discuss this issue with you at your convenience. Sincerely, Jerrold Nadler, Chairman. Doug Collins, Ranking Member.

Mr. GOMEZ. Madam Speaker, the original NAFTA was a failure for working families, and the NAFTA 2.0 deal that President Trump signed in 2018 was not much better. House Democrats recognized that, and we rejected it, and we worked until we got an enforceable deal. As a result, the final revised USMCA is much better than NAFTA 1.0, and it is even better than NAFTA 2.0. And, I would say, you can't even call it ``NAFTA Lite'' anymore. Despite our work, even with the improvements that we have made, I know that this won't bring back all the jobs that we have lost here in the United States; but, over time, I hope the new labor standards and the enhanced enforcement mechanisms we negotiated will help raise wages in Mexico, reducing U.S. corporations' incentive to outsource jobs. No trade agreement or legislation is perfect, and I do not endorse every single provision of USMCA, but I know that it is always easier to talk about a problem than to fix a problem. When we proceed on this issue, future trade agreements must recognize that trade and globalization have pushed wages down and weakened the negotiation power of workers. This is where our focus must be. One provision I am proud of is in labor, and that is, specifically, a new rapid-response mechanism to enforce labor standards. This has never been written into an American trade agreement. By ensuring Mexican workers' rights are protected, we prevent a race to the bottom. For the first time ever, we have an enforceable labor standard in a trade agreement. I thank everybody who worked on this and made sure that we are moving in the right direction. Madam Speaker, I rise to thank Speaker Pelosi for appointing me to the Working Group tasked with renegotiating USMCA on behalf of the Democratic Caucus. I also thank my colleagues on the Working Group, Representatives Richard Neal, Earl Blumenauer, Jan Schakowsky, Mike Thompson, Suzanne Bonamici, John Larson, Terri Sewell, and Rosa Delauro. Additionally, I wish to recognize the efforts of the Ways and Means trade staff and personal office staff who contributed. Their names are Laura Thrift, Osaremen Okolo, Syd Terry, Jack Spasiano, Robert Nuttall, Allison Smith, Scott Stephanou, Jennifer Goedke, Samuel Negatu, Keigan Mull, Julia Friedman, Katherine White, Katherine Linton, Alexandra Whittaker, John Catalfamo, Katherine Monge and Katherine Tai. Finally, I wish to thank Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, Ambassador C.J. Mahoney, and the rest of the professional staff at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative for their faithful engagement with House Democrats.

Mr. GOMEZ

Mr. GOMEZ. Mr. Speaker, we are here at this moment in our Nation's history because the President abused the power of his office, bribed a foreign government to intrude into our democracy, and engaged in an unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress to cover it up. Our credibility in the global community has been compromised. Our character and motivations are questioned. We know where the President's true loyalties lie: not with our constituents, not with our allies, but with our adversaries and himself. Abraham Lincoln once said: ``Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.'' Donald Trump has failed this test, and now our test is whether we will be a check on that power. Therefore, we must hold anyone to account, regardless of party or politics, who sets fire to the very institutions that define our Nation and our values. With this in mind, I will vote ``yes'' to impeach Donald J. Trump.

Mr. GOMEZ

Mr. GOMEZ. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 150) to modernize Federal grant reporting, and for other purposes.

Mr. GOMEZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 150.

Mr. GOMEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The Grant Reporting Efficiency and Agreements Transparency Act, introduced by Representative Virginia Foxx and myself, would standardize reporting for recipients of Federal grants and cooperative agreements. Grant recipients often have to report the same information in different ways because Federal agencies do not use the same forms or even the same terms to describe required information, often making it difficult for organizations and businesses to apply for Federal grants. Under this bill, the Director of OMB and the Secretary of Health and Human Services would be required to establish governmentwide data standards for grant reporting. This bill would encourage OMB and HHS to make the information grant recipients report fully searchable and machine readable. This would provide greater transparency into the money spent on grants because spending data would be more usable. This bill would require that data collected from grant recipients be published on a single public portal. The bill we are considering today is a version that the Senate has amended and makes certain technical changes to that bill. This is a good, commonsense measure that will ease burdens on the private sector and improve the efficiency of government operations. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOMEZ. Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers on my side.

Mr. GOMEZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina, Representative Foxx, for her partnership on this legislation. I know, during such a historic week on a variety of fronts, this bill might be little noticed 20, 30, or 40 years from now, but what people should notice is that a progressive Democrat from Los Angeles and a conservative Member from North Carolina could spot a problem that was impacting our constituents, our businesses, our nonprofits, and that we saw a problem that needed a solution. It might not always be the perfect solution, but it is definitely a great solution. What we are showing is that we can work, once again, for the American people. I thank the gentlewoman for her example, and I know that, in the future, we can continue to work together on even bigger and more meaningful legislation. Let's let this be a reminder that our country continues to work on behalf of everyone. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.