Darrell Issa

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, it was 16 years ago that we first authorized Johanna's Law, it was a long time ago. I was a fairly junior Member and Congresswoman DeLauro had worked on it for a number of years before that. It is something that today will easily be reauthorized--and America has been and will be better for--and seems easy. But it is never easy to begin the process of helping people understand what they don't know. Misinformation or a failure to have information continues to cause young women to die of cancer needlessly: whether it is ovarian cancer, gynecological cancer of any sort, whether it is related to HPV, or some other fashion. The fact is, Johanna's Law, H.R. 1550, which it is merged with, in fact, is something that America needs to understand today and in the future. When we originally passed Johanna's Law, we had 257 cosponsors and could have had more. More than 100 Republicans and Democrats signed on before we brought it to the floor. On that day, we said, if we can only get $10 million to get the awareness. We passed the bill and then we went looking for the money. Over time the money has increased. The fact is, Americans today, especially young women, are not as informed as they need to be. Reauthorizing both of these bills in one goes a step further to educating people about preventable death, preventable cancer. The fact is, I am thrilled that Congress, in such a tumultuous time, from time to time, comes together across the aisle and does something so important. These bills do not cost much, but the lives they save are precious and priceless. Mr. Speaker, I urge its support.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a community leader who is retiring after four decades of service to the people of San Diego County. Over the last three decades, Barbara Ryan has served as Vice President of Government Affairs at Rady Children's Hospital, a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center that is the largest children's hospital in California serving patients from San Diego, Riverside, and Imperial Counties. Rady is a thriving hub of the region's healthcare system that employs more than 700 physicians, 1,000 nurses, 3,000 employees, 450 active volunteers and 1,200 auxiliary staff. Barbara has been a powerful and successful advocate for children and healthcare, for the region's healthcare systems and providers, and for patients. She is among the most trusted voices regularly sought out by local, state, and federal elected officials. Prior to joining the Rady team, she worked as a senior staff member to a state senator. Barbara's leadership and advocacy extends far beyond the industry where she was employed. Since 1979 she has served as a Member of the Board of Education serving the Santee School District, where she has held terms as President, Vice President, Clerk, and Legislative Representative over the course of her tenure. She has also been a leader in statewide education groups, serving as a delegate to the California School Boards Association and as a member of its Masters in Governance Faculty, service that helped earn her the San Diego County School Boards Association School Board Member of the Year in 2011. Barbara has been recognized with the YWCA Women in Business Award; the Santee Chamber of Commerce President's Award; Santee Kiwanis Citizen of the Year; California State Assembly Woman of the Year; Citizen of the Year from Phi Delta Kappa and the Women in Leadership Award from the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce, among many other honors. But perhaps her greatest honor is being a parent and grandparent--and this experience has guided every aspect of her career as a children's health advocate, education leader and community leader. I am proud to call her my friend and am grateful for her decades of service to the children, families, and healthcare professionals in San Diego County. Rady Children's is consistently ranked top in the nation across many categories, and that exceptional leadership is reflected in its community engagement, professionalism, and advocacy, demonstrated by Barbara throughout her career. I ask my colleagues to please join me in extending our gratitude for her decades of service community leadership, and commitment to education and healthcare.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. As the chair and ranking member said, this is bipartisan, and I am sure will be bicameral, and, in fact, it is necessary because not only is H.R. 1975 necessary in order to put land in trust, but we, for more than 20 years now, have had to put most land that gets into trust in trust because of action by the Congress. I want to take this opportunity on behalf of the 18 Tribes that I represent and have represented for most of my 20 years in Congress and say that this is the kind of bill that I hope we will pass further legislation to make unnecessary. The essential right of our first people to reclaim their ancestral land and have it placed into trust on a pro forma basis, on a nearly automatic basis, should not require action by Congress time and time again. The Pala Band of Indians had to buy this land at their own expense in order to gift it, essentially, to the Federal Government. They do so because of the importance of their ancestral land and their pride in the people they are and the people they have been since before man, Western man, walked into California and disrupted their lives. So I am proud that, once again, we are putting land in trust. I am proud of the Pala Indians who worked for more than 30 years to recapture this land, to keep it from being effectively taken away in perpetuity. They have done the right thing. They have reinvested their hard-earned money, in fact, on putting, for their nearly 1,000 members, together a future of Tribal land in which the public can be aware will be taken care of better than it was under private land. It is interesting to me that, in fact, we have had to get assurances that the Tribe would not use this for gaming, which is understood. But the idea that they cannot use it--they do not, in fact, regain their water rights that they historically would have, and others--quite frankly, is a giveaway that should not be necessary. I am happy to take the opportunity to thank the chairman and ranking member, but I ask that we really take a hard look at the inefficiency of the system that has caused every single land in trust that has been done for my 18 Tribes, or many of my 18 Tribes over 20 years, to require this action. I believe we should streamline the process to make the bias in favor of the Tribe's right to reclaim their land, to place it, in fact, into what is trust land, which is another name for it belongs to the Federal Government even though it has been bought out of the hardworking representatives in my district; in this case, Pala. So I want to thank the gentleman for moving this. I believe this is noncontroversial. I know I brought up a point that is more controversial which is getting the bureaucracy to do a job they should do on behalf of Tribes throughout the United States. As somebody who has been honored to represent much of Indian Country in California, I hope I speak accurately for all 18 Tribes that they believe that what was theirs and is theirs again, should be placed in trust as soon as possible. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues and this House to oppose H.R. 3755. This legislation overrides nearly all pro- life protections on the books and codifies a federal right to abortion at any stage of pregnancy until birth. This bill isn't just misleading. It's a radical departure from the national consensus that exists in America right now in favor of life. But if H.R. 3755 goes forward, laws that protect unborn children with Down Syndrome and babies with other disabilities go away everywhere. Laws allow parents to be involved in their minor children's decision-making disappear. Laws that provide for medical consultations prior to this procedure-- gone. This isn't just politics as usual. It's a power play that targets the powerless. It should never come to this. There is a common-sense consensus on this issue. A great majority of the American people want to see life protected. This is worth the fight. This is the time to stand up for our most vulnerable. This is the time to reach for what matters most. This is the time to choose life. H.R. 3755 must not become law of the land.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, on Thursday, August 26, 2021, as the U.S. military was working to airlift thousands out of Afghanistan amid chaos at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, terrorists murdered more than 180 people including 13 members of the U.S. military there to assist American citizens seeking to come home. Ten of those 13 U.S. troops were from a single unit at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County, just outside my district. Nine of them were Marines, part of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment. The tenth was a Navy corpsman attached to that unit. Their stories are now part of the long and valiant history of Camp Pendleton and the 2/1 battalion, known as ``The Professionals.'' The battalion saw combat at Guadalcanal and Okinawa in World War II and fought in Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq as well. It helped run a temporary shelter at Camp Pendleton for thousands of Vietnamese refugees following the fall of Saigon in 1975. In the days since the devastating news of last week's terrorist attack, the local community has embraced the families whose loved ones paid the ultimate price, creating a memorial of flowers and American flags outside Camp Pendleton's main gate in Oceanside. Five of the marines were only 20 years old, and all but one were under 25. Four were from California. They died doing an honorable job in an honorable way. As the official Pentagon announcement described it, they were ``supporting non- combatant evacuation operations.'' In other words, they were helping innocent civilians make it home safely. In devotion to their country, they were willing to risk their own homecoming to secure a safe homecoming for others. That's selfless service. That's a meaningful life. Their families can be proud of how they lived their brief lives. While words seem powerless to ease the grief of loved ones suffering such a profound loss, I pray that their families can find some small comfort that a grateful nation honors the service and mourns the loss of these American heroes: Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover: 31, of Salt Lake City, Utah. Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo: 25, of Lawrence, Massachusetts. Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee: 23, of Sacramento, California. Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez: 22, of Indio, California. Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan W. Page: 23, of Omaha, Nebraska. Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez: 22, of Logansport, Indiana. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza: 20, of Rio Bravo, Texas. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz: 20, of St. Charles, Missouri. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee J. Mccollum: 20, of Jackson, Wyoming. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola: 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, California. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui: 20, of Norco, California. Navy Hospitalman Maxton W. Soviak: 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio. Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss: 23, of Corryton, Tennessee. More than just names on a list, they were each an individual hero who will be missed. The following is some of what has been reported about each of them and their loved ones, according to CBS News: Navy Corpsman Maxton ``Max'' W. Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio Corpsman Maxton ``Max'' W. Soviak played football at Edison High School before graduating in 2017. ``As a football player he was full tilt 100 miles an hour, fearless, which leads you to understand, you know, where he was and what maybe happened,'' Jim Hall, head football coach at Edison, told CBS Cleveland, Ohio, affiliate WOIO-TV. ``It didn't seem real,'' Hall said. ``It still really doesn't, you know, great kid, loved life. He was bright, bright kid, and it doesn't seem right. It doesn't seem fair, you know. I just hope the best for his family. Soviak joined the Navy after high school graduation. ``He just loved life,'' Edison High School superintendent Thomas Roth told WOIO-TV. ``He was out there and enjoyed things, and he was helpful for others as I think we all can see from what happened yesterday. You know, he was always there to help other people. He wanted to be of service and that's what he did.'' army staff sergeant ryan c. knauss, 23, of corryton, tennessee Sergeant Ryan C. Knauss went to Gibbs High School before he enrolled in the Army, his family told CBS Knoxville, Tennessee, affiliate WVLT- TV. Knauss was a member of the Army's 82nd Airborne division and a staff sergeant. Knauss had only been in Afghanistan for a week before his death but had previously spent nine months in the country, his grandmother told WVLT. No local funeral arrangements have been made at this time, family members said. Knauss will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. marine corps staff sergeant darin t. hoover jr., 31, of salt lake city, utah Sergeant Darin Hoover Jr. was on his third tour of duty, his father Darin Hoover Sr. told Salt Lake City CBS affiliate KUTV. ``He led his men, and they followed him, but I know in my heart of hearts he was out front,'' Hoover Sr. said. ``They [his fellow Marines] would follow him through the gates of hell if that's what it took.'' He said the 9/11 terrorist attacks moved his son, who was a child at the time, to vow he'd serve in the military. ``He decided, `That's what I want to do,' '' Hoover Sr. told KUTV. Hoover Jr., 31, was based at Camp Pendleton in California. ``(He was the) best kid in the world,'' his father said. ``Couldn't ask for any better.'' marine corps sergeant johanny rosario pichardo, 25, of lawrence, massachusetts Sergeant Johanny Rosario Pichardo was screening women and children at the Abbey gate when the attack took place, according to Marine First Lieutenant John ``Jack'' Coppola. He told CBS News in an email that Pichardo, a supply chief from the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, was a member of the brigade's Female Engagement Team (FET). FETs, he said, are ``volunteer teams of female Marines with the experience and maturity necessary to enable continuity of operations while respecting cultural norms.'' Coppola said Pichardo's service ``was not only crucial to evacuating thousands of women and children, but epitomizes what it means to be a Marine: putting herself in danger for the protection of American values so that others might enjoy them.'' Pichardo is a Lawrence High School graduate and former Bridgewater State University student. She is survived by her mother and sister, CBS Boston reports, and will be laid to rest in Lawrence, where her family lives. ``It was her family's wish that Rosario is remembered and honored as a hero,'' Lawrence Mayor Kendrys Vasquez said Saturday. Bridgewater State University also released a statement saying the ``community is struck with profound grief upon learning of the death of one of our own'' even though Rosario only attended for a semester before committing herself to the Marines. marine corps sergeant nicole l. gee, 23, of sacramento, california Marine Corps Sergeant Nicole L. Gee was one of several Marines seen cradling and comforting Afghan children amid evacuations just days before her death. On August 21, Gee posted a photo of herself holding an Afghan child on lnstagram. ``I love my job,'' the 23-year-old Sacramento native wrote. Gee was sworn into the Marines less than a year ago and was promoted to sergeant three weeks before the Kabul attack, according to posts on her lnstagram account. Gee was married to a fellow Marine, Jarod Gee, her sister Misty Fuoco said. Nicole posted several lnstagram photos of her and her husband celebrating the holidays and celebrating his own promotion to sergeant just a few months ago. marine corps corporal hunter lopez, 22, of indio, california Corporal Hunter Lopez joined the Marine Corps in 2017 and was a member of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, according to a statement released by the Riverside Sheriff's Department. Lopez, 22, was the son of Riverside Deputy Sheriff Alicia Lopez and Riverside Sheriff's Captain Herman Lopez. He intended to follow his parents into law enforcement after his current deployment and become a Riverside County sheriff's deputy, the department's statement said. marine corps corporal daegan w. page, 23, of omaha, nebraska Corporal Daegan Page joined the Marine Corps after he graduated from Millard South High School, according to a statement his family released to local news outlets. He grew up in Red Oak, Iowa, and the metro Omaha area and was a member of the Boy Scouts. He enjoyed playing hockey and hunting and ``spending time outdoors with his dad,'' the statement said. He loved the Chicago Blackhawks. Page ``always looked forward to coming home and hanging out with his family and many buddies in Nebraska.'' Once he finished his service in the Marines, he planned to attend a local trade school and perhaps become an electrical lineman, the statement said. marine corps corporal humberto a. sanchez, 22, of logansport, indiana Corporal Humberto Sanchez was a 2017 graduate of Logansport High School who played varsity soccer and was on the homecoming court in his senior year, according to the lndyStar. The school's principal, Matt Jones, told the lndyStar that Sanchez was one of five students in his class who enlisted in the Marines. He remembered Sanchez as ``a bright, athletic young man who was popular, well-liked by his soccer teammates, classmates, coaches, and teachers.'' Logansport Mayor Chris Martin mourned Sanchez's death in a Facebook post Friday. ``This young man had not yet even turned 30 and still had his entire life ahead of him,'' Martin wrote. ``Any plans he may have had for his post-military life were given in sacrifice due to the heart he exhibited in putting himself into harm's way to safeguard the lives of others.'' Indiana Congressman Jim Baird posted his condolences on Facebook, too, saying, ``He bravely answered the call to serve his nation, and I am both proud of his service and deeply saddened by his loss.'' marine corps lance corporal david l. espinoza, 20, of rio bravo, texas Lance Corporal David Espinoza, 20, was born and raised in Rio Bravo but attended high school in Laredo, CBS Dallas/Fort Worth reports. Congressman Henry Cuellar released a statement that said, in part, ``Mr. Espinoza embodied the values of America: grit, dedication, service, and valor. Mr. Espinoza is a hero.'' The city of Laredo posted its condolences on Facebook. marine corps lance corporal jared m. schmitz, 20, of st. charles, missouri For Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz, being a Marine ``was something he always wanted to do,'' his father, Mark Schmitz, said in an interview, ``and I never seen a young man train as hard as he did to be the best soldier he could be.'' ``He just went over in the last two weeks,'' his father, Mark Schmitz, told radio station KMOX in an interview Friday. Schmitz had been stationed in Jordan, and when the situation deteriorated in Afghanistan during the U.S. withdrawal, he was one of the thousands of U.S. troops deployed to Kabul. Mark Schmitz's voice broke as he told KMOX, ``I'm very honored that I could call him my son--his life meant so much more. I'm so incredibly devastated that I won't be able to see the man that he was very quickly growing into becoming.'' marine corps lance corporal rylee j. mccollum, 20, of jackson, wyoming Rylee Mccollum was a native of Bondurant, Wyoming. He attended Jackson Hole High School and was a 2019 graduate of Summit Innovations School in Jackson, according to CBS Wyoming affiliate KGWN-TV. He was a husband and expectant father, according to The Associated Press. ``He was a Marine before he knew he was allowed to be a Marine,'' McCollum's sister, Cheyenne McCollum, told AP. An uncle of McCollum's wife, Gigi, tweeted a picture of both of them at the dinner table: ``Thank you all for your prayers, outpouring love to Gigi, and recognizing our own American Hero.'' marine corps lance corporal dylan r. merola, 20, of rancho cucamonga, california Lance Corporal Dylan R. Merola had only been in Afghanistan for a little over a week, his mother told CBS Los Angeles. ``He was supposed to come home in a couple of weeks,'' said a loved one. The Los Osos High School graduate planned to go to college and study engineering. He was honored at his alma mater's first football game of the season. ``One of the best kids ever,'' his mother, Cheryl Merola, said. ``Kind, loving . . . he would give anything for anybody.'' marine corps lance corporal kareem m. nikoui, 20, of norco, california Kareem M. Nikoui attended Norco High School in 2019 and served in JROTC, CBS Los Angeles reports. ``Just a good kid. Really had a strong energy about him and knew what he wanted to do,'' Norco High School principal Robert Ibbetson said. ``It was neat to see that kind of direction and drive and goal- setting.'' He is survived by his mother, father and siblings, the city of Norco confirmed Friday night.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, our colleague Rahm Emanuel famously said: ``You never let a serious crisis go to waste.'' Today, my Democratic colleagues are not letting a serious crisis go to waste. While America is focused on the tragedy halfway around the world in Afghanistan, a plan to fail that now has successfully failed, the reality is, here, instead of holding real hearings, looking at the causes, and maybe, in fact, being more helpful in preventing further suffering of the 37 million people in Afghanistan, what are we doing? We are codifying a permanent majority of the Democratic Party everywhere they can. We are making changes to election law that pull into Washington and into the Attorney General's office control of elections that the Constitution clearly gave to legislatures. What we are doing, by the statements of my own colleagues on the other side of the aisle, is we are clearly saying we don't like the Supreme Court's decisions, so we are going to find a way to do what we want to do even though, in fact, the time and the success of the Civil Rights Act has, in fact, mostly passed. Why can't you take success? Because it no longer benefits the goals of a permanent Democratic majority. I am sorry for my Democratic colleagues that, in fact, the people of America do not at times approve of things like the tragedy in Afghanistan or, in fact, are not willing to accept a permanent smear of we can never have elections without Federal intervention.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, I rise today regarding the cease-fire brokered between Israel and Gaza earlier this year after 11 days of attacks against Israel. I include in the Record the following article, ``Let This Be the Last Israel-Gaza Ceasefire'' published by CNN on May 25, 2021, written by Ambassador Motaz Zahran. [From CNN, May 24, 2021] Let This be the Last Israel-Gaza Ceasefire (By Ambassador Motaz Zahran) Egypt worked around the clock over the past two weeks to end the deadly fighting between our Palestinian and Israeli neighbors. Since the early hours of the conflict, Egyptian mediators led de-escalation talks with both Hamas and Israeli leadership. We supported humanitarian efforts on the ground, including by opening the Rafah border crossing for the provision of immediate medical care to the injured in Gaza. Ultimately, in close partnership with the United States and others, we were able to broker a ceasefire. On Thursday, President Joe Biden called Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi reiterated the vital role mutual coordination between the US and Egypt can have in the region. Egypt will spare no resource in bringing about peace in there, whenever violence erupts. This was true during the 2014 war, when we were instrumental in forging a truce. It was true during the conflict this May. And it will be true at any point in the future. However, we will also never accept the notion that this cycle of bloodshed is inevitable. That is why we refuse to let this issue recede in international priorities--as it has in the past--until the next crisis emerges and imposes. Building a lasting solution must start now. Egypt is ready to do everything to help negotiate a lasting peace to the core conflict in the Middle East. We are calling on the US to work with us to restart that process immediately. Egypt's historic role in planting the seeds of peace, our substantive contributions toward a Middle East peace plan, our proximity to the conflict, and the direct ramifications of belligerency to our nation, all make Egypt singularly positioned to help restart negotiations toward a two-state solution between Palestinians and Israelis--and with the full span of their rights upheld; prime amongst them is statehood to the Palestinians and security to the Israelis. But we need sustained international efforts. Working together, Egypt and the US can broker an honest and open dialogue with Israel on concrete steps it should take to work towards peace, such as refraining from taking any further steps detrimental to the wellbeing of the population and the status of the city of Jerusalem, which was occupied by Israel since the 1967 War. In turn, Cairo and Washington must impress on Palestinians the need to work for peace. While having the militants lay down their arms for good might seem a long way off, stopping further attacks is essential to move forward. Those factions rejecting peace efforts and seeking instability, whatever their name or affiliation is, have to be contained, including by undermining their international network of support and finance. After all, armed attacks and military operations, whatever their cause is, never serve the path towards peace and only sets back the ultimate objective of a two-state solution. We must work to uphold and enable the Palestinian National Authority. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, has a crucial role in furthering any future peace negotiations. His role as a national leader has been overshadowed by Hamas' recent conflict with Israel, yet he has all the credentials and willingness to return to the table for serious and meaningful discussions. Elevating Abbas in the eyes of the world will bring him back into his historic role as chief negotiator for the Palestinian people; after all, no one on the Palestinian side has worked more on the vision of a two state solution than President Abbas. A strong and lasting peace in the Middle East may seem far off given the recent heightened tensions in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and Gaza, but that should still be the goal for the US, Egypt and, most importantly, Israelis and the Palestinians. We must continue to march forward toward peace, or we risk continuing to suffer with this vicious cycle of despair and bloodshed. The continued partnership between Egypt and the United States in peace efforts is a crucial cornerstone to achieving peace in the Middle East. It is indeed no coincidence that the latest ceasefire was declared mere hours after President Biden called President Al-Sisi. When it comes to giving peace a chance in the Middle East, Washington and Cairo must continue to work together as peacemakers and arbiters.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to the negotiations regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. I include in the Record the article, ``Only Washington Can Save the Renaissance Dam Negotiations Now,'' written by Ambassador Motaz Zahran, published on April 29, 2021. [From Foreign Policy] Only Washington Can Save the Renaissance Dam Negotiations Now (By Motaz Zahran, Ambassador of Egypt to the United States) In early April, Ethiopia thwarted yet another mediation process, this time led by the African Union, to resolve an escalating crisis on the Nile--where Ethiopia is building the massive Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which would disrupt a primary source of water for Egypt and Sudan. The negotiations represented what the Egyptian foreign ministry called Ethiopia's ``last chance'' at a resolution to the dispute, which has been ongoing for 10 years. With Ethiopia edging closer to unilaterally filling the dam's reservoir for a second time--and thus crossing the ``red line'' set by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi-- it may be up to the United States to help broker a peaceful solution and prevent unrest in the region, which forces of extremism and terrorism would undoubtedly look to exploit. The Biden administration, which is currently mulling over the best policy for managing this situation, must act now. At stake is the future of the Nile, a lifeline for millions of Egyptians and Sudanese. In 2011, without consulting either of its neighbors downstream, Ethiopia began constructing a 509- foot-tall concrete dam--large enough for a reservoir that can store twice as much water as Lake Mead, the largest artificial reservoir in the United States--on the Blue Nile, a vital upstream portion of the Nile River. If unilaterally filled and operated, the GERD could inflict incalculable socioeconomic and environmental harm downstream in Egypt and Sudan. Last year, flouting a 2015 treaty, Ethiopia started an initial filling of the dam. Now, balking at calls for an equitable resolution and consistent with its established policy of unilaterally exploiting of international rivers, Ethiopia is vowing to press ahead with a second substantial phase of reservoir filling this summer. The threat the GERD poses is not hypothetical but real. Choking off an essential supply of water would exponentially increase the dangers posed by climate change in the region. As one of the most arid countries in the world, with less than one-sixteenth the amount of rainfall as Ethiopia, Egypt is already facing severe water shortages, largely because of rising temperatures and rising sea levels. In fact, Egyptians are currently living around 50 percent below the water- poverty line, and with very little annual rainfall, the country is almost entirely dependent on the Nile for renewable water. To manage such conditions, Egypt has adopted a nationwide system of reusing water several times for agriculture, achieving one of the world's highest overall irrigation system efficiencies. Despite Ethiopia's claims that hydropower projects will cause no harm, the unilateral filling and operation of Ethiopia's dam would quickly make matters far worse for both Egypt and Sudan, causing serious environmental and socioeconomic damage, potentially forcing droves of families from their homes. Further, the GERD would also have deleterious effects on Egypt's Aswan High Dam, a multipurpose dam, which is the biggest source of renewable energy in Egypt and is indispensable in securing the water needs of Egypt and Sudan. The United Nations notes that every 2 percent drop in available water impacts 1 million people. An impact study, conducted by the reputable Dutch firm Deltares, found that unilateral filling of the GERD could lead to a water shortage in Egypt of more than 123 billion cubic meters, and that in the agricultural sector alone, every 1 billion cubic meter shortage of water caused by unilateral filling or operation of the GERD, would result in forcing 290,000 people out of work, destroying more than 321,230 acres of cultivated land, an increase of $150 million in food imports, and a loss of $430 million of agricultural production. The threat the GERD poses is not hypothetical but real. Right now, another dam built by Ethiopia is causing enormous harm in Kenya. The fallout is so severe that UNESCO warned of the extinction of Lake Turkana in Kenya. There has also been reporting and research on other Ethiopian unilateral actions, including in the Juba and Shabelle basin, without prior consultation with Somalia, and their significant negative impact on water access and security in Somalia. The social and economic instability triggered by such unilateral policies could generate greater unrest in the region. And Ethiopia is stoking the flames by villainizing Sudan and Egypt by pushing the misleading populist narrative that attempts to characterize any and all concerns about the GERD as being rooted in colonialism, claiming that its downstream neighbors are against Ethiopia's development and are trying to impose upon Ethiopia ``colonial treaties.'' The situation as it stands today was entirely avoidable. This mischaracterization is designed to allow Ethiopia to divert attention from its actual international legal obligations toward its downstream neighbors, which include several international treaties that Ethiopia signed--all, with no single exception, as a sovereign independent state-- including in 1902, 1993, and 2015. These treaties served and continue to serve Ethiopia's national interests, including, for example, in relation to its borders. Nonetheless, while Ethiopia has reaped the benefits from signing these treaties, it repeatedly attempted to shirk its obligations related to the Nile River under the very same treaties. The situation as it stands today was entirely avoidable. A viable solution has been on the table. In 2019, following a decade of adamantly rejecting any kind of agreement, much less the participation of any mediators or observers, Ethiopia finally accepted the participation and input of Washington and the World Bank in the process. The three countries were on the verge of signing an equitable agreement, a compromise deal inspired by the successful model of cooperation governing the Senegal River Basin. But at the eleventh hour, Ethiopia abruptly backed out and claimed that the proposed agreement deprived Ethiopia from its right to generate electricity efficiently from the GERD or undergo future projects, and that it tried to impose water shares to which Ethiopia does not subscribe. Contrary to Ethiopian claims, this compromise deal assured Ethiopia that it will generate hydropower from the GERD sustainably at optimum levels, in all hydrological conditions, while protecting the downstream countries from ravaging droughts. It unambiguously stipulated that it is not a water-allocation agreement, clearly recognized Ethiopia's right to undertake future projects on the Blue Nile in accordance with applicable international law, and allowed the parties to revisit the agreement in 10 years. Today, one year later, negotiations are still faltering under the auspices of the African Union, and Ethiopia's statements have now disclosed the actual reason it abandoned the Washington talks: Ethiopia rejects any legally binding agreement on the rules of filling and operation of its new dam, demanding a framework of nonbinding guidelines that it could alter at its whim. This is in contradiction with the 2015 Agreement on Declaration of Principles among the three countries. Even though Ethiopia's political statements speak to its commitment to the African Union-led mediation process, invoking the shared principle ``African solutions for African problems,'' Ethiopia's actions clearly undermine, in effect, the role of the African Union. This has been evidenced by Ethiopia's categorical rejection, in the most recent meeting in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, in April, of multiple joint proposals from Sudan and Egypt to empower the African Union-led process. That's because Ethiopia prefers a nominal role for the chairperson at the African Union rather than an active role. A new era of stability and shared economic prosperity is on the horizon in Africa and the Middle East, due in large part to the steady leadership of the United States. One example of the welcome changes sweeping through the region is the recent U.S.-brokered normalization agreements between Israel and a number of Arab states, which was reminiscent of Egypt's trailblazing treaty with Israel--also mediated by the United States--more than 40 years ago. Through principled diplomacy, the Biden administration can reset the faltering negotiations. The United States has the leverage needed to successfully encourage Ethiopia to engage in good faith in the GERD negotiations and to refrain from unilateral actions and the pursuit of narrow self-interests, which have been detrimental to its neighbors' legitimate interests. Soliciting expertise from international partners, including the United Nations, the European Union, and the United States, in support of the African Union-led mediation process would be invaluable in bringing the negotiations to fruition as soon as possible. This proposal would also ensure there's no room to falsely point fingers; it would not be feasible to challenge the impartiality of all these partners led by the chairperson of the African Union, the way Ethiopia did with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration after Ethiopia abandoned the U.S.-led mediation process last year. History shows that progress along the Nile can be fragile, and a single dispute can have harmful ripple effects that destabilize the region and reach our allies in the West. Failing to resolve the rapidly escalating issue over the GERD would accelerate the already devastating impacts of climate change in the area, unleash a wave of illegal migration to the West, and open the door to new conflicts and even terrorism in the Middle East and East Africa. Through principled diplomacy, the Biden administration can reset the faltering negotiations, bring about an equitable solution for all parties, and, in doing so, ultimately safeguard its strategic interests with three important regional allies.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, I thank everyone here for giving serious consideration to amendment No. 24 to H.R. 4502. Madam Speaker, I speak today with my colleagues to support an expansion that was done under the last administration that has had a profound and positive effect on apprenticeships. The amendment would simply allow funding to be available for the implementation of the Department of Labor's Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs, otherwise known as IRAP. In 2017, former President Trump acted to enhance the skills and training options for all Americans so they may compete in today's jobs. IRAP expanded high-quality apprenticeship programs with a focus on rapidly growing industries like healthcare and STEM-based positions. IRAP apprenticeships were unique from the traditional government programs in that they were designed to be more nimble and responsive to the changing workforce that we find ourselves in today. Engaging in learning with new programs doesn't fit the old model, and the IRAP expansion is extremely important for the following reason. I support the apprenticeship programs that all of us are familiar with, the skilled trades and the like; but, in fact, today there are new skills that are being developed in which the curriculum must be nimble and must change. In just 4 months of operation, the program had 131 new offerings in the healthcare field alone. What better time than in the middle of a pandemic would there be to try to enhance nursing and nursing-like skills to be advanced? This is a time in which we are critically short in these areas, and with the return of a new variant of coronavirus we could well find ourselves in desperate need of a quick turnaround of new apprentices. If we permit this program to continue, it will eventually support 2 million new apprenticeships. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to look at this in the most open and positive way, nothing could be more important today--particularly to the healthcare community--than, in fact, to expand flexible apprenticeships.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of our former colleague, Congressman Jerry Lewis. Throughout his career, Mr. Lewis was respected for his hard work, his in-depth policy knowledge, his commitment to his constituents and to his home state, as well as to his colleagues and the institution of the House of Representatives. Mr. Lewis was best known for his commitment to the active work of the Appropriations Committee, where he served as Chairman--and he was equally well known for his friendship on both sides of the aisle in his role as the Dean of the California Delegation. He played a leading role as Chairman of the VA, HUD and Independent Agencies Subcommittee--supporting research, development and scientific endeavors including the space and aerospace sectors that for so long were major hubs of economic activity and cutting-edge technology in our home state. Mr. Lewis was a believer in investment in education and in research institutions like the University of California system and in resources like the San Bernardino National Forest, which is located in one of the beautiful and distinctive snow-capped mountain ranges that backdrop the unique and well-known Los Angeles basin landscape. A longtime resident of the San Bernardino area, including San Bernardino and Redlands, cities at the center of his congressional district in the diverse and vast Inland Empire, he was the product of public schools, graduating from San Bernardino High School and later UCLA. After college he served briefly on the staff of former Congressman Jerry Pettis, as a member of his local school board, and later operated a small business. From 1969 to 1978 like many in this body, he served in Sacramento as a member of the state legislature where he helped establish a committee dedicated to addressing air quality, a major concern in Inland Southern California in the 1970's. In 1978 he was elected to this body, serving as Chairman of the House Republican Conference in the late 1980's, before ascending to leadership positions on the Appropriations Committee. I am honored to have known him as a mentor, as a fellow legislator and as a friend. I am grateful for his contributions and leadership in our delegation, for his unending belief in cooperation between parties and branches of government, and his faith in the leadership role of America in the world. Mr. Lewis gave much of his life to serving our state, working to improve our nation, and to serving with distinction his hometown and home district--his legacy is an inspiration to all of us who have followed in his footsteps and proudly serve the state he loved, in the institution he revered.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the centennial of the Grossmont Union High School District, a family of 17 high schools and programs serving more than 20,000 of my constituents in California's 50th Congressional District. In 1832, Abraham Lincoln said of education: ``I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in.'' Four score and nine years later, a school district was established in El Cajon, California, with construction on its first school beginning in 1921. This same building is now the Grossmont Union High School District's central office, which serves as an enduring symbol of East San Diego County's commitment to the centrality of education and advancement of every student. The Grossmont Union High School District takes special and deserved pride in its rich history--now made modern with safe and cutting-edge campuses that support world-class academics. These schools meet the most fundamental mission: Empowering students to take their place as the leaders of tomorrow. I congratulate Trustees Rob Shield, Elva Salinas, Gary Woods, Jim Kelly, and Christopher Fite, as well as Superintendent Theresa Kemper and the thousands of dedicated educators and workforce that have engaged this most important subject for the past 100 years.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize and celebrate the life and accomplishments of Thomas B. Day, who passed away on June 15, 2021. Day dedicated over 30 years of his abundant life to higher education and paved the way for thousands of students to achieve their academic and professional goals. Among Day's numerous accomplishments in academia, public service, and science include appointments to the National Science Board by Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush and receipt of the Senior Fellow and Fellow titles, respectively, from the California Council on Science and Technology and the American Physical Society. Serving as President of San Diego State University (SDSU) from 1978/ 1996, Day oversaw the creation of six doctoral programs and a strategic shift that emphasized faculty-intensive research. Referred to as one of the most transformative presidents in the history of SDSU, under his guidance, the SDSU campus significantly expanded, as he created a path for what is now California State University San Marcos, the SDSU School of Public Health, and the SDSU School of Communication. A credit to Day's vision, SDSU School of Public Health now produces 75 percent of the public health work force in San Diego. Day's legacy continues to be recognized. In 2018, SDSU named the school's engineering and interdisciplinary sciences complex the ``Thomas B. and Anne K. Day Quad'' in his honor. Additionally, SDSU's freshman success programs are now called the ``Thomas B. Day Student Success Programs'' to reflect Day's advocacy for ensuring that students had access to services that could support and enrich their learning opportunities. These accolades reflect Day's strong dedication to SDSU and his deep hope for the continuous betterment of our community. While we mourn the loss of an extraordinary leader in our community, we can find joy in the fact that Day's legacy will continue to enrich the lives of generations of Californians to come.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the homecoming of United States Marine Corps Private First Class John Franklin Middleswart, who was previously pronounced deceased and unaccounted for after the attack on Pearl Harbor. On June 8, 2021, PFC Middleswart will be laid to rest in eternal peace at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California, witnessed by living relatives. Born in Peoria, Illinois on April 10, 1921, John F. Middleswart enlisted with the Marine Corps at age 19. After finishing boot camp in San Diego, he attended Sea School and was assigned to the Marine detachment aboard the USS Oklahoma stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In October 1941, he was promoted to Private First Class. Moored on Battleship Row, the vessel was struck by multiple torpedoes from Japanese aircraft during the assault on the morning of December 7, 1941. When the ship capsized, PFC Middleswart and hundreds of his fellow crewmen were reported missing and later declared dead. For decades, they were memorialized at the Court of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii. On January 28, 2021, PFC Middleswart was the 300th identification made by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) in the USS Oklahoma Project. The DPAA works to identify all servicemembers lost during World War II and other conflicts. Specifically, the USS Oklahoma Project seeks to identify the remaining unaccounted-for crewmen of the vessel and is on track to identify 90 percent of the exhumed remains by the end of this year. The final burial of PFC Middleswart is made possible by the dedication and fortitude of the men and women of DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System team of scientists. DPAA's noble mission to identify all fallen servicemembers is not yet complete, but each identification is a step closer. And, while we mourn this life that was cut short, we rejoice the reunification of the Middleswart family. Welcome home, PFC Middleswart. Semper Fidelis.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, H.R. 1573 provides access to counsel for individuals referred to the secondary inspection station, but there are over 328 ports of entry to the United States. Those field executives, if this is enacted, would, in fact, be handling over 17 million people who might seek assistance. In the upcoming motion to recommit, we will offer that, in fact, the claim by this bill that there will be no cost for attorneys' fees is, in fact, likely to not be true. Last week the Congressional Budget Office estimated it would cost $828 million to implement this legislation if enacted, and that would be without the right to free counsel. We need to ensure that these costs aren't even higher. The Democrats have stated that H.R. 1573 will not require the American people to pay for attorneys accessed during this administrative stop. And, again, Madam Speaker, this is an administrative procedure. If, for any reason, somebody is charged with a crime, they immediately do get access to counsel. This is for those 17 million people who will go through secondary inspection and likely then be allowed to move forward. However, you need to look no further in this act than the comprehensive immigration reform bill of the U.S. Citizenship Act for evidence that Democrats want us to pay for counsel to foreign nationals. This bill specifically removes the current prohibition on government-paid counsel. And yet, in the markup my colleagues insisted that this had no right to counsel. If you want more evidence than this, the American people deserve an assurance in this bill. We will ask in the motion to recommit that we add that specific prohibition in this bill.

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, in the language of the motion to recommit H.R. 1573, no one will doubt that Congress either does or does not have the intent to make sure that the voters and our taxpayers are protected. I urge my colleagues to support the motion to recommit. Madam Speaker, if we adopt the motion to recommit, we will instruct the Committee on the Judiciary to consider my amendment to H.R. 1573 to ensure that no taxpayer funds are used.

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of the amendment in the Record immediately prior to the vote on the motion to recommit.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, this pandemic, everyone knows, has uprooted lives and caused untold destruction to families, to workers, and to small businesses. And many see the partisan behavior as destructive during this time, and they often do not see the bipartisan behavior. Today's extension, H.R. 1651, is an example of bipartisan behavior on behalf of the American people. Repeated and lengthy government shutdowns in response to the pandemic have devastated the ability of millions to work, pay bills, and support their families, and keep their small businesses afloat. In my home State of California, the restaurant industry has seen more than one out of four restaurants shutter their doors forever. In 2020, Congress passed five bipartisan COVID relief packages. The CARES Act allowed a variety of temporary relief measures for families and small businesses. When it was passed, we believed that, in fact, once the vaccine was available, that we would be able to put this behind us. But today, when over 10 percent of Americans have received a vaccine, we now know that the road to full recovery is longer ahead of us even after we begin going to work. So allowing small businesses to file chapter 11 bankruptcy by increasing the maximum debt ceiling, excluding Federal COVID relief payments from income calculations, and allowing debtors to file chapter 13 to modify their payment plans are only some of the critical items that the CARES Act did. Today we are making sure these will continue until March of 2022. This bill also extends through 2022 bankruptcy relief provisions included in the December 2020 COVID relief package. This extension will provide individuals and businesses with certainty and simplicity as they look at an economic recovery that, although it is underway, may be long. Enacting this bill will assist debtors and businesses of all sorts, as Americans and their firms continue to address economic realities. This bill is bipartisan, and the bill recognizes that even businesses which have remained up and running often find themselves in a ripple effect of other bankruptcies or failures by companies that have been shut down. Madam Speaker, I strongly recommend the passage of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cline), one of the coauthors of this bill.

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, both sides of the aisle are united behind this good, sensible extension of law. Madam Speaker, I strongly recommend that all of our Members vote for it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, so often, we hear criminals should pay for what they have done wrong. This is exactly what the Victims of Crime Act has done. Since 1984, it has provided the ability to collect fines and fees against those very perpetrators and apply it toward the solution and, in fact, the remediation of the damage they have done. No amount of money makes up for the crimes they have committed, but certainly, this goes a long way. Today, we are dealing with the tendency within Article II, within the executive branch, that when money is available, to see if they can't move it to where they would like to spend it rather than the clear intent of Congress. I would like to thank Chairman Nadler and Congresswoman Wagner for their work on making sure that this bill does just that. It puts the money back where it was originally intended. For instance, VOCA supports shelters for victims of domestic violence, which affects more than 12 million adults each year. VOCA funding is also used to support services for victims of child abuse and sexual assaults. In all, more than 6,000 organizations nationwide are funded through this act. However, because funding has fluctuated and at times has been diverted by the Department of Justice, this, in fact, will both increase and stabilize those funds. Over the years, Congress has adjusted funding flowing in and out of this account in an attempt to create certainty for support for these programs. Unfortunately, we haven't always succeeded, and I am not without some recognition that today will not be the last time we come back to say that Congress, on a completely nonpartisan basis, really means it: These penalties and fines need to get to the organizations that deal with the victims. Today's bill will do just that. We stand, on a bipartisan basis, ready to ensure that we do that again. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the chairman, Congresswoman Wagner, and all the others who worked so diligently on this bill. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner), who has done so much on this bill.

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, in closing, I urge passage of this bill, I recommend that all Members vote ``yes,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ISSA

Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, I find myself sort of the oldest freshman in my class returning after just a 2-year hiatus and finding a House that I am having a hard time understanding how it got so bad in such a short period of time. As my colleague on the other side of the aisle aptly said, we have had to remove people for cause in this body. When I was a freshman some 20 years ago, we removed Jim Traficant because he had been tried and convicted and still wouldn't resign. We have stripped people of their committees when they have been indicted and ensured that they left this body when they were convicted. But we have not and should not, in fact, hold people responsible for actions before the people of their home State elected them and their Secretary of State certified them, and they came here. In so doing, we could pick a plethora of people not to seat or not to give committees to. On the other side of the aisle, there is a gentleman who I respect whom I have served with for my entire time in Congress who was impeached and removed from office by this very body and, yet, has served honorably here for more than two decades and sits at a high position on many committees. After the Civil War, in time, there were people who had been Confederate soldiers who came here as Congressmen. In fact, the famous Senator Byrd was a grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan before he was a member of these bodies. We cannot and should not judge people by what they have done before they arrive, and we should not tell the minority who they can seat. You may shame us, you may disparage us if we give somebody a committee assignment, but that is part of free speech. In closing, if we do this, it will be no different than when John Adams allowed for a Member---- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.