Ben Luján

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, my Republican colleagues have called TrumpCare everything from an act of mercy to a rescue mission. Now, I might live at the end of a long dirt road, but I didn't fall off the turnip truck yesterday and neither did the American people. Congressional Republicans are jamming their catastrophic bill that will take health insurance away from 24 million Americans, raise your premiums, raise your deductibles, raise your out-of-pocket costs, and will slap a crushing age tax on those over the age of 50. Republicans in Congress promised they would lower costs, but this mess raises costs on families. Not only does the CBO tell us premiums will increase 15 to 20 percent, but TrumpCare will allow insurance companies to increase deductibles and out-of-pocket costs. Under the guise of State flexibility, Republicans say they are shifting responsibilities to States. Here is what that means: TrumpCare will force States to raise taxes and ration care. It will repeal the requirement for insurance plans to cover doctor visits, emergency room care, prescription drug coverage, and even mental health services. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions but not their own facts. The fact is TrumpCare will raise your premiums, raise your deductibles, and hurt millions of hardworking families. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I begin by thanking Chairman Upton and Ranking Member Pallone of the Energy and Commerce Committee, as well as Congresswoman DeGette, for their bipartisan cooperation during this long legislative process. This is a good, if imperfect, bill that will provide vital funding to the National Institutes of Health and the Vice President's Cancer Moonshot while taking steps to strengthen our mental health system. I want to focus my remarks on the critical investments this bill promises to combat the opioid epidemic. In communities across our country, families are struggling with the pain of addiction to opioids. Earlier this year, Congress took an important step against substance abuse by passing the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, or CARA. Unfortunately, congressional Republicans did not support including the necessary funding to CARA's success. This was a missed opportunity. In the months since Congress passed CARA, we have lost parents, siblings, children, and friends--129 people every day. When I talk to New Mexicans on the front lines of this crisis, the most urgent need is for more resources. That is why I introduced the Opioid and Heroin Abuse Crisis Investment Act. This bill, cosponsored by nearly 100 of my colleagues, sought to advance the President's proposal to combat this epidemic. This legislation we are considering today--like my bill--promises $1 billion for the opioid crisis. Though we cannot bring back those that we have lost, we owe it to them and their families to pass this bill. This funding will make a real difference in people's lives. While I am relieved that we will soon be able to get the resources to our communities, I am fearful that some of my colleagues will see this as a mission accomplished instead of what it must be, which is only a first step toward healing our communities. I can't help but ask my Republican colleagues, who support the advances we are making today for mental health: Why are they preparing to roll back the most important advances we made for mental health in the past 8 years by promising to repeal the Affordable Care Act? The 21st Century Cures Act shows what we can do and what can happen when we work across the aisle, and I hope we will truly continue to work together to strengthen our Nation's health system.

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, on roll call no. 542, had I been present, I would have voted NO.

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, on September 13, 2016, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: On roll call numbers 502, 501, 500, 499, and 498, I would have voted NO. On roll call numbers 504 and 503, I would have voted YES.

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, my amendment directs the VA to produce a report related to the part-time employment of Active Duty military positions at VA health facilities. In 2014, Congress passed the Veterans Choice Act to help address the access to care crisis facing our Nation's veterans. As part of those reforms, the legislation called for a Commission on Care to examine how best to strategically organize the Veterans Health Administration, locate healthcare resources, and deliver health care to veterans over the next 20 years. The report was released on July 15 of this year. The report's very first recommendation highlights VHA's provider shortages and suggests the VHA should expand their provider networks. They specify: ``These providers must be fully credentialed with appropriate education, training, and experience, provide veterans access that meets VHA standards, demonstrate high-quality clinical and utilization outcomes, and demonstrate military cultural competency.'' Recently, it came to my attention that Active Duty military physicians are confronting a number of hurdles when seeking part-time positions at our VA facilities and that these hurdles are preventing an entire group of physicians who exceed these standards from caring for our veterans. The Department of Defense employs over 11,000 Active Duty military physicians. For many reasons, a number of these physicians choose to seek part-time employment in civilian hospitals. In fact, physician moonlighting is encouraged by the Department of Defense. Yet, despite these military doctors exceeding all of the VA's employment standards, longstanding red tape seems to be preventing the VA from hiring them. At a time when VA facilities across the country are struggling to hire enough physicians, we cannot afford to turn away qualified doctors. Recently, my office raised this issue with the Veterans Health Administration, and I appreciate the VHA's willingness to work with me on this issue. However, we need to get these facts on the record in order to continue the conversation and address this issue. I would also like to thank Chairman Miller for giving me the opportunity to raise this issue, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do what we can to help soldiers treat our vets. While I greatly appreciate all physicians who choose to use their training, skills, and time to serve our Nation's veterans, there is no one more naturally equipped to care for our vets than our military physicians. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman and the committee staff on both sides of the aisle for their work here. At this time, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano).

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, on roll call No. 496, had I been present, I would have voted YES.

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, if Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum are able to commit to work with me on this, I do plan to withdraw this amendment, and I appreciate the time to be able to share a few words with everybody about why this amendment is so important. I want to say a few words about my amendment and the challenges facing people in my district in New Mexico. My amendment requires the Bureau of Indian Affairs to report, identify, and adjudicate to landowners egress and ingress easements where they do not exist for landowners on land parcels adjudicated under the Pueblo Lands Act of 1924. While this sounds like a complex issue, Mr. Chairman, it is a very simple issue, and one that was created back in 1924 with the Pueblo Lands Act. This amendment, Mr. Chairman, is the result of an issue that is specific to the State of New Mexico and the 1924 Pueblo Lands Act. In 1924, Congress passed the Pueblo Lands Act, which established the Pueblo Lands Board. This board was tasked with adjudicating land claims to Pueblo lands, and it took about 6 years, until 1930, for the board to adjudicate these claims between the Pueblos and non-tribal landowners. For the last 80 years, families have been able to buy homes and build homes, pass land on from one generation to the next. Everything had been going well until recently, when the Bureau of Indian Affairs alleged a trespass on some of the county roads, the County of Santa Fe, which is a local government in the State of New Mexico, that provide egress and ingress to the non-tribal residents. Now these residents have been given patents by the United States of America. That is what the Pueblo Lands Act did, giving the clearest title to land ownership in the United States of America. But as a result of the BIA letter, the title insurance companies in the State of New Mexico began to refuse issuing title insurance. Now, as we all know, that complicates your ability to buy a home, sell a home, or even refinance a home so that way you can re-roof a home. In some instances, some of the families were trying to refinance that home because of bills that they have incurred for healthcare purposes; but because they are not able to get title to their home, they are not able to do so. Mr. Chairman, these are families who have their entire savings in their homes, like many of us across America. These are families who have been saving up to build a home in a community where they grew up, where their parents grew up, where their grandparents grew up, and now they are fortunate to have a piece of land there. I want to share with you a paragraph from a constituent by the name of Jeff Archuleta that he sent to me. He writes: ``When I grew up and my wife and I started a family of our own, it was easy for me to decide where I wanted to raise our boys. I was fortunate enough to obtain an acre of land from my father. I don't know exactly how long this parcel of land had been in my family, but I can say that it was listed in the San Idelfonso report of 1929 addressing land titles between the pueblo and non-pueblo residents. This document references land that was in non-pueblo private landowner's possession prior to the Pueblo Lands Act of 1924. Reference is also made to a Spanish Grant approved by Congress December 22, 1858. At the time of this report, the land belonged to Demetrio and Catalina Roybal. They later deeded the land to one of their children, my great uncle Pedro Roybal, who went on to sell it to my father.'' Mr. Chairman, I worry that we need to address this issue, but that this dispute is tearing at the fabric of our communities. For more than 2 years now, I have tried to get anyone from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to provide assistance to me, to provide a way to get this solved. I have asked the BIA for the process and any criteria they used to issue an alleged trespass, and to share their antiquated database with the public. I have asked for maps and historical documents that the BIA considered. Nothing was produced. I asked for the chain-of-command that was followed and the BIA's interpretation and understanding of the Pueblo Lands Act of 1924 and the actions of the Pueblo Lands Board. Nothing was produced. I even asked the BIA for information related to mediation services, Mr. Chairman, because the fabric of these communities are being torn apart. That is why I felt compelled to offer this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert).

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member who has also encouraged us to find a way to work together. I also want to thank Chairman Calvert and his staff for being accommodating so we can sit down and look at this very important issue that is specific to the State of New Mexico. I yield to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum), the ranking member.

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I thank everyone. I thank all the staff. Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, this is an amendment that is related to the previous amendment that I offered. It was something that I uncovered as I was learning more and more about how to solve the egress-ingress issue pursuant to the 1924 Pueblo Lands Act. Chairman Calvert, again, with your commitment, and that of Ranking Member McCollum, if you are able to work with me on this issue, I plan to withdraw this amendment. This amendment sought to reprogram $1 million in the Bureau of Indian Affairs funding to require the Bureau of Indian Affairs to update and digitize its inventory of rights-of-way records and to make them publicly available in a commonly used mapping format. Unfortunately, the Bureau of Indian Affairs has long failed to adequately maintain rights-of-way records, and the Bureau is often unable to provide requested documentation to tribes and other stakeholders in a timely manner. For example, when my office asked for information related to the rights-of-way in New Mexico, the Bureau of Indian Affairs could not share it with my office in a timely fashion. And just today, Mr. Chairman, the Pueblo of Zia, a pueblo in the State of New Mexico, provided me documentation that the Pueblo of Zia has asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs for a request of specific rights-of-way information this past February, February 24, 2016, to be exact. It is now July. The Pueblo of Zia tells me that none of this information has been provided to the pueblo. My argument is this, Mr. Chairman. If this information was made available to the public in a way that the Bureau of Indian Affairs, as I understand it, should already be making available, this information should be readily available. This is simply unacceptable that the information is not being provided, and especially with the trust responsibilities the Bureau of Indian Affairs has with tribes as well. Thankfully, I believe there is a commonsense solution. In February 2014, the Tribal Transportation Unity Caucus, the National Congress of American Indians, and the Intertribal Transportation Association, jointly developed recommendations for a highway reauthorization, including one to improve the Bureau of Indian Affairs' rights-of-way management. They suggested requiring the BIA to update and computerize rights-of- way documentation and make them available in a commonly used mapping format. The National Congress of American Indians then passed a resolution endorsing these recommendations in April of 2014. Unfortunately, this commonsense provision didn't make it into the highway bill, which is why I am offering the amendment today. Too often, the BIA's mismanagement of these records disrupts and slows down projects that are important to tribes and surrounding communities while creating unnecessary conflict. Mr. Chairman, if we can map the human genome, then surely the BIA can map a few roads, manage its rights-of-way records, and build an accessible, public database to provide certainty to tribes, local governments, and State governments, and other stakeholders. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert).

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. I thank Chairman Calvert again for his leadership and for his staff again. I appreciate the time to work together. And, again, Ranking Member McCollum, to you and the minority staff, thank you for all that you do. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment.

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Madam Chair, last August, the Environmental Protection Agency was responsible for the blowout at the Gold King Mine in Colorado that spilled 3 million gallons of wastewater, impacting New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and the Navajo Nation. I was in Farmington, New Mexico, when the toxic plume turned the Animas River yellow. I met with the community and heard their concerns about the toll that the spill was taking on businesses, farmers, families, and individuals. Madam Chair, we are almost 1 year removed from the spill, and in communities that have been impacted, there remains serious concerns about the long-term effects that the spill will have on the river and all that its water sustains, from drinking water to farming and livestock. Long-term water quality monitoring is essential to ensure that communities along the Animas River have the data they need to protect the health of all those who rely on this water. Unfortunately, the State of New Mexico and the EPA have been unable to agree on what the long-term monitoring should look like. As a result, the State has moved ahead with a lawsuit against the EPA. Madam Chair, it is disappointing that it has come to this point of legal action. My amendment today seeks to address this issue by providing $6 million to direct the EPA to work with affected States and Indian Tribes to implement long-term monitoring programs for water quality on the Animas and San Juan Rivers in response to the Gold King Mine spill. The State of New Mexico has worked with stakeholders to develop a robust monitoring plan that I believe can serve as a basis for a truly comprehensive effort. Monitoring now and well into the future is necessary to protect the health of all those who rely on this water, and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Madam Chair, I appreciate the leadership of the chairman. He has been very gracious, he and his staff, with several amendments that are important to New Mexico during this debate as well. What has happened now is the temporary facility has been located in the State of Colorado as well, where this has taken place, where this blowout took place; but we are still seeing remnants of heavy metals all the way down to that contamination plume, and it just hasn't been enough. I will read something that our Attorney General from the State of New Mexico recently said. ``The release of hazardous substances into waters that are the lifeblood of our economy and culture in New Mexico has had a devastating impact on our historical rural, agricultural and tribal communities . . . It is inappropriate for the EPA to impose weak testing standards in New Mexico and I am demanding the highest testing standards that the EPA would impose in any other state in the nation to protect the health and well-being of our citizens. Additionally, remediation and compensation dollars have been far too minimal for these very special agricultural and cultural communities who depend on this precious water source for irrigation and drinking water. They must be properly compensated and there must be appropriate independent monitoring to prevent future dangers to public health and the economy.'' Attorney General Hector Balderas. Mr. Calvert, I really want to be able to get a vote on this one. I understand the opposition here, but I really want to force this point home to the EPA and the administration, that what has been put on the table, which is $2 million, is simply not enough to help us in New Mexico. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, on roll call no. 357, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted Aye.

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Dr. Paul Modrich, who grew up in Raton, New Mexico and won the 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Tomas Lindahl and Aziz Sancar. Dr. Modrich was awarded the Nobel Prize for explaining and mapping how the human body repairs mistakes in DNA replication during cell division, which experts say will aid future research into the treatment of cancer and various illnesses associated with aging. Dr. Modrich grew up in Raton, a town of less than 7,000 people in northern New Mexico, and graduated from Raton High School in 1964. From a young age, he frequently took on science projects with an inquisitive spirit that made it no surprise to family and friends when he decided to pursue a career as a scientist. After graduating, Dr. Modrich headed east to study biology at MIT, then moved to Stanford for his doctorate in biochemistry. He has spent most of his professional career at Duke University, where he became the James B. Duke Professor of Biochemistry in 1988. Despite the geographic diversity of his endeavors, Dr. Modrich credits his childhood in Raton as a key inspiration for his career in science. ``There was huge biological diversity around me,'' he said. ``Within five miles, the ecology can change dramatically. It was very thought provoking.'' Raton is a special place where deep roots and a strong connection to the land are hallmarks of this community, and these qualities have left a lasting impact on Paul Modrich. Dr. Modrich's accomplishments serve as a reminder that New Mexico is home to immense talent. His success stands as a testament to the virtues of hard work, determination, and curiosity, and provide an example that will encourage young people in New Mexico and across the country to follow their dreams and change the world. Dr. Modrich has shown that just because you are from a small town does not mean you can't go on to do big things. Again, congratulations to Dr. Modrich on his tremendous achievement. The people of Raton and New Mexico are proud of him.

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's comments on this legislation, and I'm encouraged by the bipartisan support to advance not only my bill, but all of the important bills we are discussing today. I'd like to take a few minutes to discuss some of the stories of those who have faced addiction. Stories from people in my home state of New Mexico--who have faced the challenges of substance abuse and are healthier today and working to improve their communities. As we come here and discuss the importance of various programs and we debate the need for greater investments--which I think we need to address this crisis--let us not lose sight of the people whose lives are at the center of this. Mr. Speaker, sons and daughters, husbands and wives, friends and neighbors--everyone is impacted by this drug crisis. I'd like to share Kayla Trujillo's story. Kayla has been in recovery since November of 2014 and is using her experiences to help others struggling with drug addiction. She is working to become a Certified Peer Support Worker. But at the age of 14, Kayla was struggling. ``As a young teen I had no sense of self-worth, no ability to cope with life, and sought things outside myself to help fill the empty void I felt inside,'' she wrote to me. She was also a straight A, honor roll student, because she knew good grades were a ticket to a better life. But one day, she went to her mom's medicine cabinet and found a green bottle labeled Percocet for pain and took three pills. She writes: ``That day I started my thirteen year love/hate affair with opiates that would forever change my life. Once I was physically dependent on opiates I took whatever means necessary to obtain my pills. ``I resorted to faking injuries, stealing my friends' and family members' pain pills, buying pills off the street, and eventually trading sex for pills just to support my daily pain pill habit . . . One day I ran out of pills, was very ill, and there were no pills to be sold so I picked up heroin to stay well. Once introduced to heroin I knew I had to change my way of life before it was too late.'' Kayla checked herself into a rehab facility and got help. But there are too many people who don't have access to the treatment they need. I'd also like to share the story of Joshua Trujillo. Joshua is a Certified Peer Support Worker at Inside Out Recovery in Espanola, New Mexico. He entered recovery after spending 11 years on the streets using drugs and alcohol. He wrote to me to share his story, and I'd like to read from that letter: ``I was in and out of jail for various drug related crimes. I would steal and lie to everyone that came in contact with me just to support my addiction. I attempted to abstain from drugs many times through my own means and would never succeed. In addition, I had been through drug court programs and licensed therapists and could never stay clean. I found it difficult to relate to anyone that had not experienced addiction firsthand. ``In August of 2011 I entered the doors of Inside Out Recovery where I met a Certified Peer Support Worker. Through the CPSW's own experience with addiction I came to believe that I could live my life without drugs. I had finally found someone I could relate to and learn from. Our talks were invaluable in my early recovery because I knew that if the CPSW could stay clean that I could too. The seed of recovery had been planted with that CPSW's experience and I immediately knew I wanted to dedicate the rest of my life toward staying clean and helping the addict that still suffers.'' Joshua and Kayla's stories of addiction are all too common, and their stories of recovery are ones that we must ensure become more common as well. We are taking important action on the floor today, but let's make sure that we are providing the resources necessary to address this crisis.

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by thanking the chairman and ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Subcommittee on Health for their bipartisan efforts to address the Nation's drug crisis and for advancing my legislation, the Improving Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women Act. Our Nation continues to face a substance abuse crisis that is tearing apart communities and families. In New Mexico, we have seen a crisis that is multi-generational, with people growing up in communities where abuse is commonplace. The grant program for residential treatment that my bill enhances is an important part of our effort to break the cycle of drug abuse that grips our communities. My bill would also increase funding for the Pregnant and Postpartum Women grant. As originally written, my bill contained an authorization of $40 million, significantly above the current level, to avoid any cuts to existing residential programs. Through bipartisan cooperation, we arrived at a small increase over the next 5 years. By focusing on women with young children and soon-to-be mothers, we help ensure that these families get on the right path from the very beginning. People want to be better. But, unfortunately, too often there are too few resources and avenues for help. Certainly this is true in New Mexico, which is among the States most impacted by the epidemic plaguing our country. Too many people are suffering, and too many people are being shut out from access to help. This bill helps address this by creating a demonstration project in the existing Pregnant and Postpartum Women grant program to allow grants to be used for nonresidential care. Residential programs are critically important where they are available. In my home State of New Mexico, there are far too few residential programs to serve the needs of my constituents. In addition, many of the existing facilities have wait lists. With New Mexico's vastness, residential facilities are out of reach for too many. That is why this demonstration project is critical. It will allow us, while continuing to support residential treatment programs, to explore how to ensure the services and care we are providing work for those in need. While I am pleased that we have been able to work together across the aisle in an effort to authorize increased funding and ensure the inclusion of the demonstration project, I think it is important to say more must be done. Supporting residential facilities and innovation to make treatment more available is essential, and both will require significant investments. Mr. Speaker, in 2014, 47,055 people died from drug overdoses. That is 129 people per day. We must do more. I hope that, as we continue this conversation beyond today, we can all come to recognize the need for funding above and beyond what we are doing today. I respectfully ask for support of this bill.

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico

Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Ms. Dixie Trebbe, a tireless volunteer, a fierce leader, and a passionate advocate. She has always been involved in the political process and encouraged others to participate and exercise their fundamental right to vote. Dixie is also on the American Association of University Women's National Public Policy Committee, the New Mexico NOW State Board, and the New Mexico Capital City Task Force for the AARP, and she is active with the American Legion Auxiliary and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. New Mexico's legislators know Dixie as a passionate champion of issues that face our community, and new volunteers know her as a role model. As an octogenarian, Dixie sets an example for all generations, showing us what real service is and what commitment to justice can accomplish. Dixie will be leaving New Mexico to live with her children in Iowa, and while we are sorry to see her go, New Mexico's loss will surely be Iowa's gain. Dixie, thank you for your service.