Zoe Lofgren

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Haaland).

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentlewoman.

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Chair, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, before yielding to the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, I would just like to say that saying it is tax money does not make it so. We have prohibited appropriations into the freedom from influence fund. The total source of funding is a 2.75 percent assessment on people who have committed tax crimes or corporate malfeasance. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.

Ms. LOFGREN. I move that the Committee do now rise.

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from New Jersey.

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Chairman, I am honored to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman).

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the dedication and commitment of William G. Morin as a technology policy leader and champion of the Silicon Valley innovation ecosystem who retired from Applied Materials on February 1, 2019 after representing the company for more than 23 years in Washington, D.C. With a history degree from Pennsylvania State University, Mr. Morin chose to launch his career in the service of our nation. He trained intensively as an Arabic linguist and intelligence analyst in the U.S. Army and was posted to the Presidio in Monterey. This gave Bill his first taste of California and forged lifelong links to the region that would become Silicon Valley. Following four years of service in the military, he joined the National Association of Manufacturers where he worked to create American jobs by advancing intellectual property, trade and technology policy. In 1996, Bill joined the small team of R. Wayne Sayer and Associates, one of the first Washington firms specializing in issues to support the rapidly expanding U.S. high technology industry and began to represent Applied Materials. In 2002, he opened and led Applied's first direct office in Washington, D.C. Over the years, he advocated for public policy that would allow high-tech manufacturers like Applied to maintain a strong footprint in the United States while accessing fast- growing overseas markets and reinvesting in the innovation and R&D that would ensure American leadership in technology. The policies he advocated for on behalf of Applied Materials helped it develop into a major U.S. manufacturer and exporter, a world leader in materials engineering solutions and a model Silicon Valley corporate citizen. Madam Speaker, upon Bill's departure from our nation's capital, he has wisely chosen to spend his retirement in California, returning to the shores of Monterey Bay where he began his career. I congratulate Bill on his retirement, for his service to our country and for his service to Applied Materials where his contributions helped open the world's markets to the innovations of Silicon Valley.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the Eastside Church of God in Christ (Eastside Church), whose ministry serves the City of San Jose through service and prayer. On February 17, 2019, the Eastside Church will celebrate a true milestone, its 50th anniversary. I would like to commend the Eastside Church for its half a century of fellowship and leadership in the San Jose community. Founded by Pastor and Superintendent Sherman Harris, the Eastside Church has been at the heart of its members most important priorities-- family and faith. It serves to inspire, uplift and gather all those who seek a deeper connection with God, and their community. It offers an opportunity to worship in community with others and serve others. In 1979, Eastside Church moved to the East San Jose after outgrowing their previous location. The Church quickly became a beacon of hope and help to the Eastside through their Outreach Ministry, providing clothing and household goods for families in need and their Food Ministry Program, which distributes boxes of food to over 100 families on a weekly basis. They take special care to provide resources and activities for children in the community with the Back to School backpack program and the Sherman Harris Youth Center. The Center offers pre-school for low-income families, sports facilities and a venue for community functions. Through its decades of service, Eastside Church has earned its place as a trusted source of hope and comfort in the San Jose community. As the Eastside Church of God in Christ enjoys its 50th Golden Anniversary Celebration, I join in congratulating them and wishing them the best for the next 50 years and beyond.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Ms. Patricia Gardner and commend her on her career and contributions to our community. Ms. Gardner worked as a nonprofit executive manager for over two decades before she joined Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits (``SVCN'') as CEO in 2001. Under her leadership, SVCN followed its mission to foster and magnify the influence and contribution of nonprofit agencies and business in Santa Clara County. SVCN works to help our community by assisting individuals and families who are disenfranchised and who struggle to meet basic needs. SVCN also helps guide our local nonprofits through difficult financial times and to build up their capacity to become better service providers. As SVCN increasingly became an important voice with the nonprofit sector, local foundations, and local and state governments, it expanded from a small group of fewer than 50 agencies and a budget of under $100,000 to representing over 200 agencies and a budget of over a million dollars. In addition to her role with SVCN, Ms. Gardner was actively involved in a variety of local concerns to our community. Among other things, she served on a number of key policy committees, including the Blue Ribbon Committee on Housing and Homelessness, the City of San Jose and County Senior Nutrition Task Forces, the Juvenile Justice Systems Collaborative, the City of San Jose General Fund Structural Deficit Committee, and the Measure A-Hospital Bond Oversight Committee. Ms. Gardner received recognition for her service in our community. Senator, then-Assemblyman, Jim Beall, selected her as Woman of the Year, and the local nonprofit, United Way, named her Community Builder of the Year in 2011. The following year, Community Solutions awarded the Community Builder Award to SVCN for Ms. Gardner's advocacy to preserve funding for essential services. In 2018, Ms. Gardner received the Siempre Award from Grail Family Service and the Alumni of the Year award from the San Jose State University's College of Social Sciences-- Political Science. The San Jose Business Journal added Ms. Gardner to its Women of Influence list, and she is generally known across our state as one of the leaders in nonprofit advocacy. I have known Ms. Patricia Gardner for over forty years. She is efficient, capable, organized and a leader. But most of all, she is a caring human being whose passion for justice and compassion have led her to a life of service to others. I feel privileged to know her as a friend and fortunate to live in a community that is healthier and more fair because of her service. I wish to congratulate Ms. Gardner on her career. Today we honor her for her leadership and advocacy in our community. I wish her the best of luck in exploring her next chapter as she transitions to her next pursuit.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 41 to reject White nationalism and White supremacy. I applaud Mr. Clyburn and the House for acting against hate speech. Representative King has rightly been stripped of committee assignments by his colleagues, but today's vote has been a long time coming. His latest comments were not the first time Representative King has made ugly, offensive, demeaning, and unashamedly racist remarks. Unfortunately, for more than a decade now, House Republican leadership did nothing while Representative King freely espoused white nationalism, anti-Semitism, and bigotry. Today, under Democratic Leadership, the House is taking appropriate action against a member of the House who has time and again promoted hate speech in Congress and Republicans have finally acted to impose discipline for miscount. I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 41 to reject Representative King's racism, bigotry, and hate.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Well, I do have an additional speaker. I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski).

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close.

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Congress is a creature of precedent, but we must never be captive to the old ways. The House, the people's body, must continually update and renew itself to meet the challenges facing the Nation and to respond to the needs of a new generation of representatives. This Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress is a way this Congress can identify and address the challenges of tomorrow, and will assist us in boldly meeting these challenges. The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress is a way to deal with problems facing this body right now, today. The Select Committee is a way to make sure that my colleague, Katie Porter, works in a Congress built for her and all our new Members. It is long past time to chart a path forward and to address the problems we must face. I look forward to working with all the members of the Select Committee and congressional stakeholders in transforming the House for the better on a bipartisan basis. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the creation of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, and I encourage all of the House to do the same. There is precedent for Select Committees like this one. During 1973, in the 93rd Congress, the House created the Select Committee on Committees. And although the Select Committee's mission was to study the structure and operation of House committees, it ultimately made several recommendations to improve House-wide administrative and technology functions. Among the improvements and modernization steps, the Select Committee suggested that the House form a Commission on Information and Facilities, tasked with responding to the growing number of issues Congress faced, but with limited access to information and analysis. The Commission also tackled the problem of growing staff needed to support an increased workload, but with limited physical space to accommodate them. The result was an installation of a system of 30 computer terminals for Members of Congress and committees of legislative research. Now, this seems trivial now, especially when information is in our pockets, in our iPhones, but at the time it was revolutionary for the Congress to be able to get this information on its computers. This is just one example of how a Select Committee made Congress work better. Following the Select Committee came the election of the Class of 1974. Fueled by the Watergate scandal, the new Members did much to change the Congress. They decentralized power. They invigorated our oversight responsibilities. They began a conversation that would change how we do business forever. For example, televising the floor proceedings; the 1976 Government in the Sunshine Act. The process they started opened up our democracy to the American people and created a lasting record for history. This Select Committee has a broad mandate to study how our Congress has changed and is changing. That begins with our changing workforce. We need to invest in our workforce, and that is why the proposal we passed in the rules package yesterday to create the Office of Diversity and Inclusion was so important. This Select Committee will be tasked with studying how we can better recruit, retain, and compensate our staff. We also must be responsible stewards of public money, and this Select Committee will help us minimize waste and maximize value in how we operate the House. Now, as has been mentioned, one of the virtues of the Select Committee is its composition. It will be composed of members of the House Administration Committee who have firsthand experience with the details of House administration. There will be members of the Rules Committee, experts in process and procedures who know what works and what doesn't when it comes to an efficient legislative process, and the Select Committee will feature Members in their first term who bring a new perspective and great energy to the House. Shortly after her election, my home State colleague from California, Representative Katie Porter said: ``Congress wasn't built for Members like me.'' And unfortunately, I think Katie is right. But we can change that, and we will change that. We can give the people's House back to the people. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Pastor Kenny Foreman, who passed away on December 16, 2018. I spoke three years ago on the impact he made on Santa Clara County and it saddens me that he has left us so soon. He was a beloved member of our community whose passing is deeply felt. Pastor Kenny Foreman dedicated his life to the ministry. He started to travel the country at age seventeen as an evangelist minister. With his wife, Shirley, he continued his commitment to his beliefs and established the Cathedral of Faith in 1965. Since then Pastor Foreman was a pillar in our community's spiritual life. He has touched thousands of lives with a congregation of more than 12,000 members with over 70 ministries. As his life's work, the Cathedral of Faith, serves the spiritual needs of the community and gives help to those in need. One of the ministries, ``Reaching Out,'' is a food assistance program that operates one of the largest and most efficient food programs in the State of California. Their mission is to serve the low-income, disadvantaged, and homeless in Santa Clara County. Other ministries serve those recently released from incarceration, give support to those with addiction, and aid parents with children who have special needs. These programs are just a few that support our community and are emblematic of Pastor Foreman's life-long service to others. I first met and worked with Kenny Foreman nearly forty years ago. I know personally of his love for God and his dedication to our community and especially to those in need. He was a remarkable man and someone I was privileged to consider a friend. Pastor Kenny Foreman is survived by sons, Ken and Kurt; their mother, Shirley; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and countless friends. Mr. Speaker, our Santa Clara County community mourns his passing, but we are grateful for his life, his generosity, and contributions. He has left our world a better place and will be dearly missed.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Pastor Kenny Foreman, who passed away on December 16, 2018. I spoke three years ago on the impact he made on Santa Clara County and it saddens me that he has left us so soon. He was a beloved member of our community whose passing is deeply felt. Pastor Kenny Foreman dedicated his life to the ministry. He started to travel the country at age seventeen as an evangelist minister. With his wife, Shirley, he continued his commitment to his beliefs and established the Cathedral of Faith in 1965. Since then Pastor Foreman was a pillar in our community's spiritual life. He has touched thousands of lives with a congregation of more than 12,000 members with over 70 ministries. As his life's work, the Cathedral of Light, serves the spiritual needs ofthe community and gives help to those in need. One of the ministries, ``Reaching Out,'' is a food assistance program that operates one of the largest and most efficient food programs in the state of California. Their mission is to serve the low- income, disadvantaged, and homeless in Santa Clara County. Other ministries serve those recently released from incarceration, give support to those with addiction, and aid parents with children who have special needs. These programs are just a few that support our community and are emblematic of Pastor Foreman's life-long service to others. I first met and worked with Kenny Foreman nearly forty years ago. I know personally of his love for God and his dedication to our community and especially to those in need. He was a remarkable man and someone I was privileged to consider a friend. Pastor Kenny Foreman is survived by sons, Ken and Kurt; their mother, Shirley; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and countless friends. Mr. Speaker, our Santa Clara County community mourns his passing, but we are grateful for his life, his generosity, and his contributions. He has left our world a better place and will be dearly missed.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today along with my colleagues, U.S. House Representatives Anna Eshoo, Ro Khanna, and Jimmy Panetta, to honor the annual Veterans Day Parade in our community and to take a moment to acknowledge the selfless sacrifices of our veterans, who have fearlessly served our nation at home and abroad. This year marks the 100th Anniversary of Armistice. Armistice Day, celebrated each year on November 11, commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany, which took effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month to end hostilities on the western Front of World War I. Each year, to observe this important Anniversary in our community, the United Veterans Council of Santa Clara County helps conduct the Annual San Jose Veterans Day Parade. One of the largest parades in California, the San Jose Veterans Day Parade' serves to recognize and celebrate, with gratitude and appreciation, all those who have served and continue to serve with the U.S. Armed Forces. This year's theme of the Parade is, ``A Century of Honoring Those Who Serve.'' Indeed, this occasion provides us with an opportunity to recognize our veterans, who serve to protect our freedom and foster the safety and prosperity that we enjoy as a nation. We gather to acknowledge also the families of all those who serve our nation and express our gratitude to them for their ongoing, steadfast support of our servicemembers. Mr. Speaker, we hereby recognize and commend those members of our U.S. Armed Forces, who have dedicated their lives in service of our country, as well as their families and communities, who have supported their service to our country. During our annual San Jose Veterans Day Parade, our community unites in celebration of all those who dedicate their lives to preserve and protect our way of life and our future.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, this resolution is simply a divisive political stunt meant to stir up conservative voters ahead of the midterm elections and seeks to stoke the worst kinds of sentiments in the body politic. The resolution states that it is ``of paramount importance that the United States maintains the legitimacy of its elections and protects them from interference, including interference from foreign threats.'' Yet the resolution does not even mention the greatest ``foreign threat'' we face--Russian interference intended to disrupt our elections and sow chaos in our political system. The GOP hypocrisy is breathtaking. The Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and others have worked all year to undermine and discredit the Mueller investigation into the Russian interference with our 2016 election. Furthermore, House Republicans have voted to block needed funding to help states better secure their election systems from the ongoing Russian efforts to interfere in the 2018 election--ongoing efforts that have been confirmed by senior Administration officials. In short, this resolution ignores the real threats our elections are facing, and instead plays political games. The resolution also states that ``voting is fundamental to a functioning democracy,'' yet it fails to address any of the real threats to voting rights faced by U.S. citizens. After the conservative members of the Supreme Court effectively gutted the Voting Rights Act's pre-clearance requirement in Shelby County v. Holder, many states have sought to enact voting restrictions that target African Americans and other minority groups. This resolution says and does nothing about those actions. The resolution shows that Republican support for States' rights is trumped by anti-immigrant sentiment. An earlier version of the resolution obtained by Breitbart correctly stated that ``the Constitution allows States and localities to grant non-citizens the right to vote in non-Federal elections.'' This clause is no longer in the resolution, perhaps because Republicans understood how hypocritical it made them look, especially because the resolution is focused on condemning state and local ordinances regarding voting in non-federal elections. Putting this resolution on the floor is nothing but a political stunt, a game designed only for political advertising for the mid-term elections forty-three days from today. I refuse to play that cynical game with Republicans and will cast my vote as ``present'' in recognition of the fraudulent nature of these proceedings.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be present and voting for the following roll call votes due to a family wedding celebration. Had I been present, I would have voted: No. 399: YEA; No. 398: YEA; No. 397: NAY; No. 396: YEA; No. 395: YEA; and No. 394: YEA.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 25th Anniversary of the Community Health Partnership (``CHP'') and acknowledge its work and accomplishments in our Santa Clara County community. Community health centers provide an important safety net for our most vulnerable populations. Founded in 1993, CHP's mission is to meet the medical healthcare needs of our diverse population of underserved patients. CHP pursues this mission through the collaboration of a range of member organizations with combined budgets of over $64 million. CHP's Community Health Centers and Clinics served approximately 240,500 patients (714,600 patient encounters) in 2017 with approxiately 55 percent of patients covered by Medi-Cal, 10 percent covered by Medicare or private insurance, and 34 percent uninsured. CHP's participating health centers employ multi-lingual, culturally competent staff to administer primary care and a wide range of other health programs and services, including dental care, optometry, mental health services, family planning, prenatal services, health education, nutritional care, and recovery support groups, as well as outreach and case management. CHP is an essential resource for local health centers to help them maximize investments in the health care safety net, improve technology tools, and navigate the changing health care environment, including the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. CHP's collaborative projects among a diverse group of organizations allow for the enhancement and expansion of available services for our low-income and most underrepresented patients. Additionally, CHP participates in health care policy advocacy through close work with county partners on the implementation of health care reform and education of the public and relevant stakeholders regarding proposed legislation. As an active member of the California Primary Care Association, CHP offers insight on issues and policy that affect the medically underserved populations in our communities. To this end, CHP works closely with Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, Santa Clara Valley Health and Hospital System, Valley Health Plan, Santa Clara Family Health Plan, the South County Collaborative, and the Silicon Valley Council for Nonprofits. Mr. Speaker, I hereby recognize and commend CHP for its work on improving health care access in our community. Today, we honor the Community Health Partnership for its 25 years of leadership and advocacy in the health care sector.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the Gilroy Dispatch (Dispatch), the local printed news source for the City of Gilroy. On September 12, 2018, the Gilroy Dispatch will celebrate a true milestone, its 150th anniversary. I would like to commend the Dispatch for its century and a half of service, fellowship, and leadership to the Gilroy community. Founded initially as the Gilroy Advocate, the Dispatch is one of the oldest continuous businesses in the region. The Dispatch has chronicled the community's growth from a small agricultural town to the nation's Garlic Capital. The Dispatch has been at the heart of its Gilroy community through connecting neighbors to each other and to small businesses. It continues to serve as both a spotlight and watchdog for neighbors and readers alike on the changes and developments in Gilroy. In its history, the Dispatch's pages have accounted for stories of all sizes and angles. It has chronicled wars, fires, earthquakes, floods as well as new schools, big harvests and citizen achievements. Despite its many awards over the years, the Dispatch is most proud of the trust it has earned by the Gilroy community. As the Gilroy Dispatch celebrates 150 years of service to the Gilroy community, I join in congratulating them and wishing them the best for the next 150 years.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 25th Anniversary of the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. The OSA's work helps sustain and enrich our lives and is singularly important to the well- being of future generations. The OSA was established in 1993 in response to grassroots efforts by citizen activists and the public seeking to protect Santa Clara Valley's natural resources. From a small agency, it expanded into a diverse organization with 700 currently active volunteers, serving areas of Santa Clara County outside the Mid peninsula Regional Open Space District. The OSA now owns and manages the Sierra Vista Open Space, the Rancho Canada del Oro Open Space, and the Coyote Ridge and Coyote Valley Open Space Preserves. The OSA's accomplishments over the past 25 years are numerous and significant, involving extensive planning and collaboration with a variety of partners to develop foundational research and planning tools that guide their projects and inform their work. It is the first public agency to receive Land Trust Alliance Accreditation in 2017, ensuring best practices and standards for professional land conservation. Currently, the OSA protects over 22,000 acres of land and provides permanent protection of habitat for 25 rare and endangered species of wildlife and plants. The OSA is the first agency in California to sponsor and develop a Regional Conservation Investment Strategy to promote the preservation of species, habitats, and other natural resources. Year-round, the OSA maintains the availability of three open space preserves to the public and runs hundreds of different types of free environmental education programs for the public in our preserves and urban parklands. The OSA also provides over $10,000,000 in funding to over 30 Urban Open Space Projects throughout our jurisdiction. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House to join me in commending the Open Space Authority for 25 years of hard work, its progress in its mission of conserving the natural environment, supporting agriculture and connecting our communities to nature is noteworthy. The OSA has been a key agency in our area to help guard our future by preserving vital natural communities, and connecting people to nature in our beautiful Santa Clara Valley.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, there are some things in this bill that probably make sense, and there are some things in this bill that I think are very poorly crafted and will have adverse implications for juvenile law or for sentencing reform. We should have had a hearing. We should have looked into this whole matter and come up with something that we could all support. Now, one of the things, I hate to say, is that there is a sense of urgency here. The problem is the majority sat on their hands. This decision of the Supreme Court was April 17 of this year. What did the committee do in response? Nothing. Nothing. No bill was introduced. No hearings were held. Then, last week, this piece of legislation was introduced and rushed to the floor without adequate thought. So, yes, we need to act, but we need to act like grownups. We need to make sure that we are doing something that makes sense. I am actually going to vote ``present'' on this vote, because I don't want a ``no'' vote on the portions of the bill that I know are correct having to do with child abduction. But I can't support something that is so poorly crafted, that is a product of such disdain for the need to be serious about this issue. If we don't want to trample on the good work we did, and we have yet to bring to fruition on sentencing reform the juvenile justice issues that loom so large in our communities, we just can't go ahead blindly on this bill. I thought it was important to point out that the majority has a responsibility to react to court decisions, and they failed in this case.