Jared Huffman

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 85th birthday of Dr. Robert H. Twiss and a lifetime of work promoting and progressing environmental stewardship in Marin County and the entire Bay Area. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Dr. Twiss and his family moved to Washington, then Oregon, and finally settled in San Jose, California, when Dr. Twiss was in the second grade. After attending Willow Glen High School, Dr. Twiss graduated from San Jose State University in 1955, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Conservation. During this period, he proudly played the banjo for a band in San Francisco. He then honorably served in the Michigan Air National Guard and the United States Air Force as a tactical fighter pilot. He later earned both his Master's and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources. After completing his education, Dr. Twiss opened his own consulting company, which is still active today. In this capacity, he has consulted on projects for California's Attorney General, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the California Department of Water Resources, and many other important agencies and environmental organizations. Dr. Twiss was Professor of Environmental Planning at The University of California, Berkeley from 1968 to 1994. In this role, Dr. Twiss taught new generations of environmentalists all aspects of the work including planning, research, and consulting. He was also involved in graduate-level instruction on ecological planning and environmental law and served in a variety of leadership roles including as Chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, and Chair of the Faculty of the College of Environmental Design. He also directed the Ph.D. program in Environmental Planning. Among his many contributions to research on environmental planning, Dr. Twiss was Faculty Principal Investigator for the Research Program in Environmental Planning and Geographic Systems at the University of California, which developed tools and programs to allow open access to geographic information on land use, natural resources, and became the world's first web-based geographic information system in 1993. Dr. Twiss, always wanting to share his knowledge and information with others, received the patent for his system and put it in the public domain for others to use and benefit from. Dr. Twiss enjoys spending time with his loving wife and partner Amy Skewes-Cox and their son Carson, along with his children Gregory and Gail from a previous marriage. He loves spending his time outside in nature hiking, sailing, and flying his own small plane. He is also known as an avid banjo and ukulele player, much to the delight of his friends and family. Madam Speaker, Dr. Twiss's leadership and vision has helped make remarkable strides towards maintaining and growing environmentally sustainable practices that will benefit the region and all who work to improve the environment for generations to come. Therefore, please join me in recognizing Dr. Robert H. Twiss on the occasion of his 85th birthday.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I regrettably missed the following votes. I had intended to vote ``yea'' on roll call vote 157, ``yea'' on roll call vote 158, and ``aye'' on roll call vote 159.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the significant career and accomplishments of Peter Cameron, a United States Army veteran who has dedicated more than 47 years to serving his fellow veterans in Sonoma County, on the occasion of his retirement. Mr. Cameron entered military service in 1965 and served his country with distinction in Vietnam in 1966 and 1967. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal. Following his Army service, Mr Cameron became the founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Veterans Resource Centers of America, a community-based nonprofit organization in Sonoma County that provides employment training, housing, rehabilitation and case management as well as small business, legal, and advocacy services to veterans. The organization also supports a clinic and construction of three elementary schools in Luong Son, in the Republic of Vietnam. As a prominent leader and active voice for veterans, Mr. Cameron has, over the past 47 years, been a consultant to the White House, Department of Labor, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Agent Orange Class Assistance Program as well as numerous state and local agencies. Mr. Cameron collected materials for the first archival collection of Vietnam veterans' memorabilia which is now held at Cornell University. He also organized the first Vietnam veterans symposium held at Sonoma State University in 1979 and coordinated delegations of Vietnam veterans to travel to the Soviet Union and Kazakhstan to meet Soviet veterans of the war in Afghanistan in 1989 and 1990. In more recent years, he served as Secretary and Board Member of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. Madam Speaker, Peter Cameron's career is a sterling example of service and dedication to our country's veteran population. Mr. Cameron's tireless advocacy on behalf of his fellow veterans raised awareness and improved lives in Sonoma County and across the United States. Please join me in honoring Peter Cameron on the occasion of his retirement, and in wishing him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Albert Straus, the founder and CEO of Straus Family Creamery. Under Albert Straus' leadership the Straus Family Creamery became the first creamery in the country to become one hundred percent certified organic. Twenty- five years later, the business is not only thriving, but has created a model for sustainable family dairy farming that has been replicated to great success. The oldest of four children, Albert Straus grew up on his family's dairy farm in northern California. The son of William and Ellen Straus, his father founded the dairy in 1941, after fleeing to the United States as a refugee from Nazi Germany. Albert left his family's dairy to go to college, but returned in 1977, after earning a bachelor's degree in Dairy Science from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Albert took over management of the dairy alongside his father, but realized that changes would need to be made if family-run dairy farms were going to survive the growth of larger industrial competitors. Over the course of the nearly two decades that followed, Albert Straus implemented innovative solutions at his family dairy that improved both the stewardship of the land and the farm's economic vitality. These solutions included the cessation of herbicides and chemical fertilizers, the use of planting methods that reduced soil erosion, and the use of food waste for cow feed, among many others. Finally, in 1994, Straus opened the first certified organic dairy and creamery west of the Mississippi River and the first 100 percent certified organic creamery in the U.S. Today, the Straus Family Creamery has had great success, both economically, and in its mission to create a farming community that is committed to stewardship of the land. Albert Straus has been a model and mentor for many other family dairy farms. Now nearly ninety percent of all dairy farms in the region are certified organic, and as a result, family farms are continuing to thrive. Still a leader in innovation, the Straus Family Dairy Farm uses a methane digester to turn the 4,000 gallons of manure that it produces daily into compost and renewable energy. This energy not only powers the 500-acre farm, but also Albert Straus' harvester truck. Madam Speaker, Albert Straus' leadership and vision has proven that environmentally-sustainable farming can both turn a profit and support a larger community of family farms and distributors. And at a time when the public has grown increasingly more concerned by the means and consolidation of food production, his example is that much more significant. Therefore, please join me in recognizing Albert Straus and the success of the Straus Family Creamery, on the occasion of its 25th anniversary.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Lindsay Righter. Lindsay has been with my team since I first took office, and left earlier this year after six years of service as an exemplary field representative for my constituents in Humboldt County, Trinity County, and Del Norte County. As a valued member of my staff, Lindsay has been essential to my work in the northern part of my congressional district, and of special note, has helped thousands of our country's veterans and other constituents with complicated issues. Lindsay grew up in Springfield, Illinois, and attended Southern Illinois University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in forestry. She moved to Humboldt County in June 2002 and worked with AmeriCorps Watershed Stewards from 2006 to 2008. In this role, she supervised staff and AmeriCorps members, and did demanding field work, including wading in some of the North Coast's most beautiful rivers counting salmon carcasses to better understand the condition of our vital fish populations. In March of 2009, Lindsay was hired as a field representative for the former 1st congressional district of California under Congressman Mike Thompson. She became a skilled caseworker with an affinity for helping veterans. After redistricting in 2012, I hired Lindsay in the same role and quickly recognized her as an asset to my team. Lindsay's eye for detail, her work ethic, and her dedication to helping the people of the new 2nd congressional district made her one of my most valuable employees. Her understanding of the issues in the district and her connections to the community--including sitting on boards for the Open Door Community Health Center and Redwood Parks Conservancy--helped me better understand issues in Humboldt, Del Norte, and Trinity counties. Lindsay increasingly focused on veterans' issues and health care, led event planning efforts, ran my Congressional Art Competition, and brought her extraordinary problem-solving skills to bear on an array of issues. Madam Speaker, as Lindsay moves on to Humboldt State University's College of Professional Studies in Arcata, I hope you will join me and my staff in wishing her the best in all her future endeavors. We will miss her joyful nature, her sense of duty and her deep competence, and I am grateful for her work on my constituents' behalf.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of John Dell'Osso, a National Park Service ranger who is retiring after more than 35 years of dedicated federal service. Born in San Francisco, John's family moved to Petaluma where he would attended school. After getting his AA degree from the Santa Rosa Junior College in 1981, John received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Planning and Management from the University of California Davis two years later. John began his career with the National Park Service in May of 1983 at the Point Reyes National Seashore. Starting as a Seasonal Interpretive Ranger that summer, John worked as an Administrative Clerk and a park ranger, eventually becoming a Supervisory Park Ranger. In 1994, John was promoted to Chief of Interpretation and Resource Education for the Point Reyes National Seashore, and later became the park Public Information Officer, roles that he held for 25 years. John's leadership brought great acclaim to the park and the National Park Service over the years, especially in the area of universal accessibility. Through design work on exhibit panels, accessibility guides, audio descriptions, and braille publications, John expanded the way in which the park shares information to the public. The park interpretation and resource education division has received 14 national media awards under his leadership, which is more than any other national park unit. During his tenure, John also worked to expand accessibility in parks across the country, and the National Park Service recognized him for his work on sea level rise exhibits and messaging in 2017. John's dedication to public service extended beyond his work for the National Park Service. He was elected to the Cotati City Council in 1994, served three four- year terms on the council, and chaired the Sonoma County Mayors and Councilmembers Association. John has also served as a member of numerous local boards and commissions, including the Cotati Library Foundation, Rancho Cotati Little League, Sonoma County Library Commission, and the Santa Rosa Junior College Agriculture and Natural Resources Advisory Committee, among others Madam Speaker, John Dell'Osso has spent his career making our parks more educational and accessible to the public. His commitment to public service through the National Park Service, and as a local elected official, has had a significant and positive impact on the region and the country. Therefore, please Join me in congratulating John Dell'Osso on the occasion of his retirement, and wishing him well on his next endeavors.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today along with my colleague, Representative Mike Thompson, to recognize the important role of the American Red Cross Northwest Chapter which contributed to the 2019 presidential declaration of March as Red Cross Month. Since its founding in 1881, the American Red Cross has become one of the nation's largest humanitarian organizations, providing disaster relief, emergency volunteer training, and support to military families across the country. Each year the Red Cross responds to an average of 62,000 disasters across the country, operating emergency shelters, serving meals and distributing relief materials to millions of disaster victims. These efforts are largely completed by a resilient network of volunteers that the organization has trained throughout the country, who are estimated to respond to an emergency once every eight minutes. This scale of service and rate of response is truly unmatched by other humanitarian efforts nationwide. In the last few years, my colleague and I have both witnessed the importance of the American Red Cross Northwest Chapter in a time of crisis. During the 2017 and 2018 wildfires, the Northwest Chapter operated shelters, collected and distributed relief materials, and provided emotional and mental health support of fire victims throughout Northern California. In fact, the Northwest Chapter of the American Red Cross assisted 330 families with 123 local disasters and assisted 98 military families with emergency assistance this past year alone. And as recently as last month, the Red Cross was engaged in flood relief efforts in parts of my district that were severely impacted by rain and flooding caused by atmospheric rivers. Since President Franklin D. Roosevelt first declared March as Red Cross Month in 1943, we have come together at this time, each year, to celebrate the accomplishments of the organization and raise awareness of its value to the American people. And as natural disasters continue to rise with each coming year, the humanitarian efforts of the American Red Cross and its many volunteers become that much more important. Madam Speaker, the American Red Cross performs a critical humanitarian role throughout our country. The success of their efforts is largely connected to the organization's ability to recruit and train volunteers who can be called to action in their local communities. The American Red Cross Northwest Chapter has provided invaluable assistance to our congressional districts in time of highest need. Therefore, please join my colleague and I in thanking them and in helping to raise awareness for the American Red Cross by supporting the annual declaration.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in celebration of Cedars of Marin reaching its centennial. The oldest and largest organization of its kind in Marin County, Cedars was the first residential school facility to serve individuals with mental disabilities in the western United States, a mission that it has stayed true to this day. Founded in 1919, Cedars was originally established as a privately- owned school in Marin County for children with mental disabilities. After a change in ownership in 1938, the school grew, adding two dormitories and 22 acres of land over the next 18 years. By 1964, the school had expanded significantly, adding a ranch lodge, pool, workshop, and stables. One year later, the privately-owned school was incorporated as a nonprofit, with the name Cedars Development Foundation. As a newly minted nonprofit, the organization pivoted to focus on both the education and housing of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This led to the opening of Cedars' first community-based home in 1968, pioneering a model for which the organization would become known. By 1984, Cedars began its Community Living Skills day program, expanding the organization's programming into skills development and community building for individuals who weren't housed by the program. Over the next seven years, Cedars would continue to innovate, adding a Community Challenges program, opening eight additional community-based homes, and initiating a successful capital campaign to renovate the original site. By 1995, the organization was officially re-named Cedars of Marin. Today, Cedars of Marin has provided services to over 2,500 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Through the organization's innovative community-based housing program, Cedars now houses approximately 100 individuals across its main campus and ten group homes, building a safe and productive environment for them to reach their highest levels of independence. The organization's skills- focused day programs serve over 190 individuals each weekday, creating a larger community of support for the intellectually and developmentally disabled, while also helping their families. Madam Speaker, Cedars of Marin has continued to be an innovative leader in the areas of residential, educational, and community building programs for the intellectually and developmentally disabled. Through the unwavering dedication of its leadership and staff, the organization has never lost sight of its original purpose to provide opportunities to help these individuals live as independently as possible, while leading happy and productive lives. Therefore, please join me in congratulating Cedars of Marin for a century of inspiring work, and in wishing them many more years of success.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Hall Middle School in Mann County for its recognition on February 27, 2019, as a 2018-2019 ``School to Watch'' by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. With 521 students, Hall Middle School has strong roots in its Larkspur-Corte Madera School District. It has acquired a well-deserved reputation as a collaborative and compassionate school that works hard for its students and community by working to inspire and produce well- rounded, lifelong learners, and innovative contributors to our world. A 2013 California Distinguished School and a 2015 Gold Ribbon Award for Excellence in Arts Education, Hall Middle School is now one of only sixteen California schools, and the first in Mann County, to be named a ``School to Watch.'' The National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform and its ``Schools to Watch'' program encourages students to be lifelong learners, and to flourish academically, developmentally, and socially though a wide range of classes and topics. The criteria for identifying ``Schools to Watch'' are high-performance academics and grades, best practices, effective policies, and engagement with the local community. Hall Middle School embodies these characteristics, which are a direct reflection of an effective, high-quality educational program and a strong commitment from the school's leadership, staff, students, families, and the community. The staff at Hall Middle School has developed a wide range of curricula tailored to meet its students' needs, and has engaged strong and active support from parent and community volunteers. Madam Speaker, please join me in congratulating the Hall Middle School community on being named a 2019 ``School to Watch,'' and in sending them best wishes on more accolades in the future.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Mr. Clay Higgins of Louisiana be removed as a cosponsor from H.R. 1146.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of Sheriff Rob Giordano on the occasion of his retirement. Sheriff Giordano has served with distinction over the course of his twenty-two-year career in law enforcement and was the leader the public needed during one of our region's most destructive wildfires to date. Born in Concord, California, Rob Giordano was working as a mechanic when he felt a calling to join law enforcement. He began his law enforcement career in 1989, serving as a police officer for the Pittsburg Police Department in Contra Costa County. Seven years later, Officer Giordano moved to Sonoma County to serve as a Deputy for the Sonoma County Sheriff's office. He was promoted to Sergeant in 2003, where he supervised the main office patrol, the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Unit, and the Violent Crimes Unit. Sergeant Giordano continued to prove himself as a leader and was promoted to Lieutenant only three years later, where he managed the Investigations Bureau and Internal Affairs Bureau, among others. Lieutenant Giordano was promoted again in 2012, this time to Captain of the Field Services Section. In 2014, after eighteen years with the department, Captain Giordano was promoted to Assistant Sheriff. By August of 2017, Assistant Sheriff Giordano was promoted to Interim Sheriff when the seated sheriff stepped down for health reasons. His status as Sheriff was made official by the Board of Supervisors shortly thereafter, and he was appointed to serve the remainder of the previous Sheriff's term. Sheriff Giordano never sought the role, and in fact, he pledged to not seek election to the position following to the term's conclusion. He wanted to ensure continuity for the department and the public prior to the next election. However, Sheriff Giordano probably didn't expect was that within two months, his leadership significantly changed the way the community engages with the Sheriff's Office. On October 8, 2017, one of the most destructive fires in California history caused in Sonoma County. Upon receiving the news, Sheriff Giordano and his team sprung into action, not only saving lives but actively communicating with a frightened public. To many watching the events unfold from afar, Sheriff Giordano became the face of the community, holding press conferences daily while the fires were still being contained. His actions as a communicator, along with the office's increased use of social media not only helped calm a community in shock but also saved lives by sharing critical information in a timely manner. By the time the fires were contained, many called for Sheriff Giordano to forgo his initial pledge and seek election to continue on as the county's Sheriff. Sheriff Giordano remained committed to his pledge and instead focused on getting the Sheriff's Office ready for the transition to new leadership while continuing to build good will between the department and the public. Madam Speaker, Sheriff Giordano's law enforcement career is a sterling example of leadership that prioritizes service to the public above personal gain. Over the course of his time with the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office, he has not only improved the performance of the divisions and units he has overseen, but has also greatly improved the way the community engages with law enforcement. Therefore, please join me in honoring Sheriff Giordano on the occasion of his retirement and wishing him success on his future endeavors

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today along with my colleagues, Representative Jackie Speier and Representative Mike Thompson, to honor Victor Gonella for his enduring commitment to the protection and restoration of California's salmon fisheries, and his exemplary service as the founder and president of the Golden Gate Salmon Association. Born in San Francisco, Victor developed a childhood passion for fishing that has greatly informed his public service throughout his life. His focus on salmon began after his family moved to Mill Valley: he fished off the waters of Sausalito on his first boat when he was still in high school. Following high school, Victor began to race motorcycles and started his own repair and custom engine fabrication facility. He rented a workspace from a local auto dealership, and eventually ran the dealership's parts and service center. Victor would go on to buy the dealership and move it to Petaluma, adding a second dealership soon thereafter. As Victor built up his dealership and custom racing business, he never lost sight of his passion for salmon fishing. In 2008, when California experienced the first closure of ocean salmon fishing, Victor took action and founded the Golden Gate Salmon Association to restore California's largest salmon runs. In doing so, Victor would make California history by bringing together disparate stakeholders, including leaders from the commercial and sport fishing industries, conservation groups, and businesses connected to fishing, for a common cause. Over the next few years, Victor developed the financial and logistical backbone of the organization, coordinated fundraisers throughout Northern California, and assembled community leaders to support the organization's mission. After establishing Golden Gate Salmon Association, Victor spearheaded its development of a plan to restore Central Valley salmon runs, utilizing available science and research funded by the organization. This process would be the beginning of a number of critical restoration projects that the organization sponsored and successfully completed, with many still underway. Madam Speaker, as ocean life continues to decline all over the world, organizations like Golden Gate Salmon Association are critical in protecting the natural habitat, wildlife, and fisheries that we all rely on and cherish. We therefore ask our colleagues to join us in thanking Victor Gonella for his tireless efforts to not only protect valuable natural resources but the communities that rely on them.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I regret that I was absent from votes last week for personal reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 72; YEA on Roll Call No. 73; NAY on Roll Call No. 74; and YEA on Roll Call No. 75.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Joseph Russ IV, who passed away on January 12, 2019. His advocacy for ranching and timber communities was vital to rural areas in Humboldt County and throughout California. Joe was born to Joseph and Annette Russ III in 1936 and attended the one-room Capetown Elementary School on the windswept Lost Coast in the northern part of my congressional district. He graduated from Ferndale High School in 1953 at the age of 16 and the next year was elected president of the California Future Farmers of America. He attended the University of California at Davis, then graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in business administration. Joe later enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. Joe married Karen Lane in 1963. They were married for 55 years and had three children and eight grandchildren. Joe's civic engagement spanned decades and resulted in many public benefits. He served 20 years on the Humboldt County Planning Commission, and he was president of the Humboldt Del-Norte Cattleman's Association, the Humboldt County Farm Bureau and the Humboldt Woolgrowers Association. Joe also became president of the California Woolgrowers Association, sat on the California State Board of Forestry, the state Chamber of Commerce, and the California State Fair Association. He was a founding member of the Stockmen's Bank of Commerce, the Buckeye Conservancy and the California Rangeland Trust. Notably, he was key to the development of the Williamson Act, which governs property tax rates on agricultural lands in California. Throughout his career, Joe knew the value of understanding politics and regulation as it related to the ranching and timber industries. His deep involvement in state and local associations and boards helped leave a permanent mark on rural agricultural policy in California. Joe was known to many as a vast resource for all things related to agriculture and had a deep sense of the region's history. He was a guiding example for ranchers trying to balance the hard work of ranching with the need for advocacy at the state and local levels. Madam Speaker, Joseph Russ IV's contributions to agriculture and the communities of the Second Congressional District and the state of California, and his service to the country, are commendable and worthy of recognition. I urge my colleagues to join me in my deep appreciation of him.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I rise today in support of this bill to reopen our national parks and end the Trump shutdown. Over the last 3 weeks, the conditions in our national parks have reached unacceptable and unsafe levels as park employees are furloughed without pay and forced to keep quiet about the ongoing damage. Here is what some of it looks like: dirty diapers, coffee cups, and burrito wrappers. That is just the start of what Congresswoman Jackie Speier and I saw this past weekend as we joined volunteers for a trash cleanup at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which we both represent. It took only a few minutes for us to fill two 32-gallon trash cans with waste. We may soon have enough trash building up in our national parks to build a wall. Is that the idea, Mr. Trump? Is that the backup plan, to have our parks, park visitors, and our professional park staff pay for the wall you said Mexico would pay for? Mr. Speaker, the damage from the Trump shutdown does not end there. I have more than 25 federally recognized Tribes in my district. Each of those communities faces serious financial insecurity as a result of this shutdown. I refuse to stand by as Indian Country suffers, as our national parks suffer, and as millions of Americans suffer, so that Donald Trump can pretend he is building a medieval border wall. We need the House and Senate to pass the Interior appropriations bill. We need the President to sign it to prevent further degradation of our public lands and protect the health and safety of Tribal communities. This government does not belong to Donald Trump. It belongs to the American people. It is time to reopen the government. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, on roll call vote 20, I inadvertently voted Yea. I had intended to vote No.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in memory of Peter Arrigoni, who passed away on December 18, 2018, at the age of 87 after a lifetime of public service to his community. Born in 1931 in San Francisco, Mr. Arrigoni later settled in Fairfax, where his extended family had lived for more than 100 years. He graduated from St. Ignatius High School as an all-city athlete and attended the College of Marin where he was an all-conference halfback on the football team. After serving in the U.S. Coast Guard, where he attained the rank of second class petty officer while serving in the Korean War, Mr. Arrigoni finished his college education at the University of Arizona. He was an honor roll student and was once again named all-conference for football. After graduating with a degree in business and economics, Mr. Arrigoni started working as a stockbroker. During this time, he became involved in many volunteer activities. He was a little league coach, joined the Fairfax Park and Recreation Commission, and served on the Fairfax School District's site selection committee. As his passion for public service grew, Mr. Arrigoni ran for public office, and he was elected to the Fairfax City Council in 1964. He went on to serve as Mayor in 1966, and then decided to run for Supervisor in 1968. He won that election and many more to keep his seat on the board of supervisors until he retired in 1976. During his tenure as Supervisor, Mr. Arrigoni led the way for historic planning policies that have protected West Marin's ranchland for decades. He was also a member of many community organizations such as the Golden Gate Bridge board, the county pension board, the Bay Area Pollution Control Board and the Association of Bay Area Governments. More recently, Mr. Arrigoni was honored by the Marin County Free Library for his dedicated leadership when the library's community room was named for him. Mr. Arrigoni also enjoyed membership with the St. Rita's Church Men's Club and Fairfax Parlor No. 307. Mr. Arrigoni was known to many in Marin County as a pioneer in helping to restructure local government and leadership to make the governing process more efficient and open to the public. He as been aptly described by many as being largely responsible for saving the true character and nature of Marin County by fighting against major wholesale developments and to protect open space preserves and canyons, which still exist today thanks in large part to his tireless work. On a personal note, I met Mr. Arrigoni in 1994 when I first ran for public office, a seat on the Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD). He was a strong environmentalist, and he was running the Marin Builders Exchange at that time. We came from different generations and political parties, but we became good friends. I will remember with fondness the tours he led for me of remote parts of the MMWD watershed where he used to go fishing and deer hunting as a kid. I could always count on him for a good joke, or an old political war story, or just some good cheer. Mr. Arrigoni is survived by his loving wife Pat, his sons James and Robert, his brother Robert, and one grandchild. While he will be greatly missed, Mr. Arrigoni's legacy will live on through the indelible positive impact he had on his community and beyond.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Courtney Callejas. After joining my team as an intern in my first term in office, she departs this week, more than four years later, as a trusted legislative assistant covering a wide range of important issues. Courtney is a native of the second congressional district of California, the most beautiful district in the country, and her fondness for the people and places of the North Bay have served her very well in her work. She graduated from Sonoma State University in 2012, and after attaining a Master of Science in International Relations degree from Kingston University in London, she returned to her hometown of Petaluma for a job with the family-owned Straus Family Creamery, a leading organic dairy in our region. Her work ethic and enthusiasm brought her success in that role, but then--fortunately--her desire to get involved in public policy brought her east to Washington, D.C. Over the course of the next several years, Courtney has worked her way up and done a little of everything in the office: managing interns and greeting constituents, strengthening my constituent correspondence program, and, ultimately, becoming a legislative assistant. In the 115th Congress, Courtney staffed the creation of our new Congressional Freethought Caucus and has been integral to our efforts to bring accountability to the Trump administration, especially in the realms of campaign finance and foreign policy. Her intellectual curiosity, desire to help others, and dedication to public service were clear from the beginning, and her time living and working in the North Bay have given her important personal insights into the district's interests and needs. Madam Speaker, as Courtney moves on to the staff of Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton of her adopted state of Virginia, we will miss her generous spirit, hometown pride, and infectious laugh, and we wish her the best of luck in her new adventure.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dave Turner, who is retiring on December 10, 2018, after eighteen years of service to the City of Fort Bragg. Born in Fort Bragg at the old Coast Hospital in 1951, Dave and his family relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1960. He went on to attend Stanford University where he majored in ``Social Thought and Institutions,'' a political science honors program. While at Stanford, Dave opened a specialty sleep shop to help pay his way through college. The sleep shop, FloBeds, was so successful that in 1992, Dave and his wife Anne moved their family and business to Fort Bragg. They wanted to raise their four children in a town ``where the community watches out for kids.'' Dave's love of community drew him to public service where he proceeded to dedicate many hours as a public servant. He served two years as planning commissioner before being elected to the Fort Bragg City Council in 2002. He was re-elected in 2006, 2010, and 2014, serving sixteen years on the City Council. He served as Mayor of Fort Bragg for eight years, from 2004 to 2006 and again from 2010 to 2016. As a Fort Bragg City Councilmember, Dave served on the City's Finance and Administration Committee as well as the Public Works and Facilities Committee. He was an active member of numerous Ad Hoc Committees on the following topics: Inflow and Infiltration, Mill Site, Technology, and Town Hall Dais. Dave also served as the City's representative to the Fort Bragg Fire Protection Authority and the Mendocino Solid Waste Management Authority. After eighteen years of public service, this day marks Dave Turner's last Fort Bragg City Council meeting and his 67th Birthday. I hope you will join me in recognizing his dedicated years of service and send him best wishes on his birthday and retirement from the City Council.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of John Brown, a consummate public servant who is retiring from his role as City Manager of the City of Petaluma, California, after ten years of excellent service. Born into a family with a strong emphasis on the value of public service, John Brown embarked on what would be a 35-year career in local government beginning in 1983. For 25 years, Mr. Brown worked directly for three cities and one county in Northern California and Oregon. His roles during this time steadily evolved in responsibility, from financial and project analysis to city management and county administration. Mr. Brown developed a reputation for his acumen in producing balanced budgets while ensuring economic growth and sustaining important government services. This expertise became invaluable in 2008, when Mr. Brown left his position as City Manager of the City of Woodburn, Oregon, to become the City Manager of the City of Petaluma. When John Brown took over as Petaluma City Manager, the city was feeling the full impacts of the global recession. Seemingly unphased by the challenge before him, Mr. Brown spent the next ten years dramatically re-shaping the city's budget while maintaining important city services. He spent the first three years of his tenure reducing general fund spending by a third, while also cutting non-essential city staff. These cuts were difficult at the time, but they allowed the city to outpace the fallout of the financial crisis. Following this period of austerity, Mr. Brown focused on growing the city's local amenities and opportunities for economic development by bringing in new retail, tourism, and mixed-use developments into the city. He also worked tirelessly to tackle the city's lingering debt repayment issues, improving the city' s credit rating in the process. Altogether, these policies eventually paid dividends and the city rebuilt its reserve fund to pre-recession levels, hired back city staff and expanded city services. Today, the City of Petaluma is on firm economic footing, and prepared for a bright future. None of this would have been possible without John Brown's leadership. Mr. Speaker, please join me in expressing deep appreciation for John Brown's extraordinary leadership in the face of a global recession, and to congratulate him on his retirement.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill for a number of reasons, but I would specifically like to address how the bill undermines science. Congress enacted the ESA to conserve and protect endangered and threatened species and their habitats in the U.S. and abroad. Congress also recognized that scientists, not Members of Congress--even me, ones like me with political science degrees--scientists have the necessary expertise to make decisions about species' protection. So the ESA requires that the Fish and Wildlife Service make the decisions regarding species listing and delisting. The law entrusts the Service's scientists to determine what is best for imperiled species, such as the gray wolf, using the best available science. The ESA is credited as being one of the most science-based laws on the books, but this bill completely eliminates scientists from the decisionmaking process. It mandates that all gray wolves be removed from the ESA in the lower 48. In doing so, it short-circuits the law's science-based process that determines when species have recovered and when protections are appropriately removed. Despite years of Republican efforts to ignore the science behind the ESA, we know it has been a huge success. Ninety-nine percent of listed species have continued to survive, and 90 percent are on schedule to meet their recovery goals. So we should be working to make the gray wolf another one of those ESA success stories, not eliminating the protections that have helped put it on a path to recovery. When the gray wolf was listed in the early 1970s, there were only a few hundred left in the wild. Since then, scientists have shown that the reintroduction of gray wolves in the Northern Rockies has been a huge ecological and economic success. I was able to see gray wolves in Yellowstone with Mr. Beyer and Mr. DeFazio earlier this year and to see the ecosystem that has rebounded since their reintroduction. We are on the right track, but science shows that ESA protection is still needed. Currently, these wolves occupy only 5 percent of their historic range and only 36 percent of their suitable habitat. So while it is encouraging that the wolves are recovering and even coming into California for the first time in 90 years, a handful of these animals hardly shows that it is time for them to be delisted. Instead of enacting a new law to eliminate protections, we ought to be working with landowners, local and State agencies, and others to prevent conflicts so that we and wolves can both thrive. I would like to point out that if American citizens believe an agency does not follow the letter of the law, under the ESA, they have the right to hold the government accountable in court. It is part of the system of checks and balances that must be protected. Politically driven, species-specific legislation like this sets a dangerous precedent for delisting. It opens the door to future partisan attacks on vulnerable species. Legislative delisting measures like this one undermine the scientific process fundamental to the success of the Endangered Species Act. Scientists, not Congress, should make these decisions. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of Ellie Cohen, who is stepping down as the President and CEO of Point Blue Conservation Science after 20 years oftransformative leadership. Recognized internationally for her work, Ellie Cohen has turned Point Blue from a regional bird observatory to a globally recognized powerhouse in climate-smart, multi-benefit conservation. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Ellie Cohen earned a bachelor's degree in Botany from Duke University with honors. After moving to California in 1979 to conduct field studies in butterfly ecology, Ellie went on to earn a Master in Public Policy degree from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. There she was honored with the first annual Robert F. Kennedy Public Service Award, voted on by her fellow students, as well as the coveted Policy Analysis Exercise Award. In 1999, Ellie Cohen became President and CEO of Point Blue (founded as Point Reyes Bird Observatory). During Ellie's 20-year tenure, she managed significant growth of the organization, from 30 employees with an annual operating budget of $2.5 million, to 180 employees with an operating budget of $14 million. She also established a strong financial foundation including securing the organization's 20,000 square foot headquarters and the Rich Stallcup Conservation Science Intern Center, both in Petaluma. Ellie Cohen was an early leader in promoting healthy ecosystems as essential to the climate change solution's tool box for both mitigation and adaptation. In 2017, she secured recognition of Point Blue as an official observer organization to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and oversaw Point Blue's contributions to the UNFCCC's considerations of how agriculture can be part of the climate solution. During Ellie Cohen's impactful tenure, Point Blue's scientists helped secure the largest Marine Protected Area in the world at the Ross Sea Antarctica, helped protect 400,000 acres of post-fire Sierra forests for birds and other wildlife, and guided changes in shipping lanes of California's coast to protect whales from ship strikes. Beyond improving Point Blue's financial, research and conservation capabilities and impact, Ellie Cohen worked tirelessly to expand the organization's partnerships which today include thousands of local, regional, national and international agencies, governments, private landowners and fishers, as well as NGO's, collaboratively bridging cultural divides through conservation science to advance a healthy future for wildlife and human communities. Mr. Speaker, Ellie Cohen's leadership has transformed Point Blue Conservation Science, and in the process has helped governments, private land owners, and our communities better prepare for the challenges of climate change through nature-based solutions. Therefore, please join me in thanking Ellie Cohen for her two decades of leadership and service to the public.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Heidi Benzonelli-Burden, who was honored as Humboldt County Citizen of the Year on October 20, 2018, an award she richly deserves. Heidi Benzonelli-Burden's contributions to the Eureka community are exemplary. As program director for the Westside Community Building Initiative and president of the Westside Community Improvement Association, Ms. Benzonelli-Burden has been a driving force for the improved health and livability of Eureka's Westside. Ms. Benzonelli- Burden worked with these groups and law enforcement, code enforcement, and neighbors to address 30 chronic nuisance properties and 10 alleyways in West Eureka, and alleviate graffiti, trash, drug houses, and other hazards to clean up blight. Among the Westside Association's greatest achievements has been the rehabilitation of the Jefferson Community Center and Park, which transformed a boarded-up elementary school into a thriving social center. The center hosts square dances, movie nights, a safety fair and more. Ms. Benzonelli-Burden was even the cook at the community center for its first two years, helping feed and nurture neighborhood children. In 2017, she was awarded the Kiwanis of Henderson Center Non- Profit Businesswoman of the Year award. Ms. Benzonelli-Burden attended Humboldt State University, earning a bachelor's degree in Environmental Resources Engineering and a master's degree in Business Administration with a focus on Strategic Sustainability. She is now a research analyst at Humboldt State's California Center for Rural Policy and putting her education to good use for the benefit of others. Mr. Speaker, please join me in expressing deep appreciation for Heidi Benzonelli-Burden's commitment to bettering her community and congratulating her on her service to the North Coast.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of John Vernon, who was honored as Humboldt County Citizen of the Year on October 20, 2018, an award he richly deserves. John Vernon and his wife Barbara bought a home in Ferndale in 2005 and became a resident there in 2011. The couple became involved in the community as Court Appointed Special Advocates. Mr. Vernon joined the Salt River Watershed Council as a board member in 2014, and also volunteered at the Ferndale Senior Resource Center. John Vernon and a group of 40 friends from Ferndale formed Indivisible Ferndale after the 2016 presidential election. Under Mr. Vernon's leadership, Indivisible Ferndale began holding monthly potluck meetings and began organizing civic engagement activities. Indivisible Ferndale members started attending local school board and city council meetings, made phone calls and wrote letters to state and federal representatives expressing their views. By 2018, Indivisible Ferndale became a 501(c)4 nonprofit, and under Mr. Vernon's leadership, the civic engagement of this group led to thousands of contacts with officials on a wide variety of issues. The membership of Indivisible Ferndale now numbers more than 60 people who actively engage with the community and elected representatives on a regular basis. Mr. Speaker, please join me in expressing deep appreciation for John Vernon's extraordinary devotion to the democratic process and congratulating him for his service to the North Coast community.