Jerry McNerney

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, as a mathematician, it is my pleasure to discuss recent developments in the topic of prime numbers. Historically, it was assumed that prime numbers were randomly distributed in the sense that any large section of consecutive integers would have an equal number of primes ending in 1, 3, 7, and 9. Prime numbers are used in generating pseudo random numbers, found in all sorts of applications, and in some methods of encryption. Heck, even the lowly cicada insects only emerge after a prime number of years to avoid regularly appearing predators. Recently, Dr. Soundararajan and Dr. Lemke Oliver, both of Stanford University working under NSF funding, discovered that consecutive prime numbers have preferences for the digits they end in. For example, consecutive primes don't like having the same digit, while primes ending in 9 prefer to be followed by primes ending in 1. We must provide funding to the National Science Foundation to investigate this and other important mathematical questions.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer an amendment to H.R. 2666. This amendment would help to rein in some of the unintended consequences of the bill by preserving the FCC's authority to act in the public interest, convenience, and necessity. The public interest is a key principle that the Commission has used to protect consumers since Congress first created the agency in 1934, and it is just as important today. The FCC has consistently looked to the public interest standard when taking action to protect consumers, foster innovation, and increase competition. The standard has been a hallmark of many of the most important policies of the Commission. To give you a sense, the words ``public interest'' appear over 100 times in the Communications Act. That is 100 times. That is how pervasive it is. Even with the amended version of the bill that was reported out of committee, serious concerns remain that the bill is going to have far- reaching and unintended consequences. For example, it could be that the Commission would no longer be able to investigate data caps, pay for privacy practices. The Commission could also lose further protections for various types of unfair and discriminatory practices that affect how much they pay for broadband. My amendment would seek to limit some of those unintended consequences by ensuring that the Commission continues to have the authority that has historically served it so well. Moreover, by preserving the FCC's authority to act in the public interest, my amendment would safeguard the broad aims that the Communication Act embodies. This amendment would continue to appropriately focus the FCC toward promoting the public good. I urge my Members to support it. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Chairman, I certainly appreciate--or I sort of appreciate the chairman's comments, and I do appreciate the idea of broadness here; but if you look at what the actual bill says, ``may not regulate rates charged for broadband Internet services,'' that is the definition of broad. You can't get any broader than that. So we want to rein that in a little bit. We don't want unintended consequences out here, but let me say what my amendment says. ``Act in the public interest, convenience, and necessity.'' Would the chairman like it if I took out ``convenience''? Should I just say ``act in the public interest and necessity''? Would that be good enough, Mr. Chairman?

Mr. McNERNEY. I yield to the gentleman from Oregon.

Mr. McNERNEY. Well, again, I appreciate the chairman's and Mr. Kinzinger's work on this, and I appreciate working with the chairman on this, but I am going to have to insist that we look at this amendment and take it seriously. I do want to protect the public interest. That is really what this comes down to. Again, the term shows up 100 times in the act, so let's not turn our back on the intent of the act. Let's move forward in a way that protects the public interest. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Martin E. Hellman and Whitfield Diffie for receiving the 2015 Association of Computing Machinery's A.M. Turing Award for their major contributions to modern cryptography. Mr. Hellman is Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University and Mr. Diffie is former Vice President and Chief Privacy Security Officer of Sun Microsystems. Named in honor of Alan M. Turing, the influential British mathematician who articulated the mathematical foundation and limitations of computing, this annual award is often described as the Nobel Prize of computing. Forty years ago, Mr. Hellman and Mr. Diffie's groundbreaking paper, ``New Directions in Cryptography,'' introduced the idea of public-key cryptography, which has proven critical for safely transmitting information across the Internet. Public-key cryptography ensures that a message can be securely transmitted online such that only the intended recipient is able to view the message. This is achieved through a pair of mathematically related keys, one that is public and one that is private. Although anyone wishing to send a message to a certain recipient can use that recipient's readily available public key to encrypt the message, the message can only be decrypted with the recipient's securely held private key. Today, thanks to Mr. Hellman and Mr. Diffie's crucial work, we are able to send emails, submit payments on e-commerce websites, and use online tools to check our bank statements and health records, while ensuring that the information transmitted remains private. Mr. Hellman and Mr. Diffie have also received the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Hamming Medal, the Marconi International Fellowship Award, the Franklin Institute's Levy Medal, and the IEEE Donald G. Fink Award for their work on public-key cryptography. Additionally, they have each been recipients of other prominent awards and honors for their significant contributions to the important area of digital security. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Mr. Hellman and Mr. Diffie and thanking them for their outstanding work.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of Brain Awareness Week, part of a global campaign to increase public awareness about the benefits of brain research and the progress that has been made to address traumatic brain injuries. TBIs are a significant health issue affecting our servicemembers, veterans, athletes and ordinary citizens. Military members are at increased risk for sustaining a TBI compared to civilians. That is why I authored a law requiring the VA to assess its capacity to treat veterans with TBI and develop policies for TBI care and rehabilitation. I recently toured the Stanford Neurosciences Institute to see how research can prevent and treat brain injuries and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a condition that typically affects people who experience repetitive brain traumas. Just this week the NFL admitted that there is a connection between football and CTE. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing Brain Awareness Week.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Madam Speaker, all the things I wanted to say about Mr. Coale have already been said, so it is going to be personal. I met Mr. Coale when I first got elected. He approached me and asked me if he could be on my service academy advisory board. Of course, I didn't know much about that at the time. I was glad to appoint him. He did a wonderful job. He always was there with a smile and a warm handshake. He did his best for the community. He did his best for our United States Army and the service academies. I really appreciated the opportunity to get to know him. He is missed. His family has always been very fond of their father and their husband and so on. I share that fondness, and I miss him. Mr. Coale has a great legacy, and I am proud that we are able to get a post office named after him. I urge my colleagues to vote ``aye'' on this measure.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 100th anniversary of Boy Scout Troop 151 in Antioch, California. Formed in 1916, it is one of the oldest troops in California. Since 1910, the Boy Scouts of America have helped mold future leaders of our country by teaching lifelong values and skills through educational activities. The Boy Scouts believe that helping the youth of America today sets us on a path to become a more responsible, respectful and productive society tomorrow. From its inception, Troop 151 has built a program consisting of traditional outdoor scouting activities that include camping, backpacking, and hiking to promote physical fitness and good character. Community involvement continues to be a guiding principle for the Boy Scouts of America. Troop 151 was instrumental in the resurrection of the Antioch's Veterans Day celebration and they annually provide traditional flag services to the Veterans' Day celebration among other important community events. The boys of Troop 151 are proof that scouting can help build a greater sense of personal responsibility and high self-esteem. As a result, scouts are better prepared to make good decisions and give back to our community. I ask my colleagues to join me in commending the Boy Scouts of Troop 151 for one hundred years of service to the City of Antioch and its residents.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the medical achievements and discoveries of an extraordinary man from my district, Dr. Bennet Omalu. Dr. Omalu's medical achievements, focusing primarily on brain injuries, have recently come to prominence with the movie ``Concussion,'' which chronicles Dr. Omalu's career and the controversies that his discoveries have created within the National Football League. Dr. Omalu's medical research is also particularly relevant as we prepare to watch Super Bowl 50 this weekend. Dr. Omalu was born in Nnokwa, Nigeria, and was the sixth of seven siblings. His mother was a seamstress, and his father was a mining engineer and respected community leader who encouraged Omalu's career in medicine. His long medical career began at the age of 16 when he started attending medical school at the University of Nigeria. Omalu earned a bachelor of medicine and a bachelor of surgery in 1990. In 1994, Dr. Omalu moved to Seattle, Washington, and completed an epidemiology fellowship at the University of Washington. In 1995, he moved to New York to complete his residency training in anatomic and clinical pathology. After completing his residency, Dr. Omalu trained as a forensic pathologist at the Allegheny County Coroner's Office in Pittsburgh. It was here, after conducting an autopsy on former Pittsburgh Steeler Mike Webster, that Dr. Omalu made a groundbreaking discovery that would forever change our understanding of brain injuries. Dr. Omalu was the first to identify and diagnose and name chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, is a disease prevalent in athletes who participate in high-contact sports like football, boxing, and wrestling. Since Dr. Omalu's discovery, we now know that CTE is a progressive, degenerative disease that is found in people who have suffered repetitive brain trauma, including subconcussive hits that do not show any immediate symptoms. Early symptoms of CTE are usually detected 8 to 10 years after the original trauma and include disorientation, dizziness, and headaches. As the disease progresses, individuals with CTE can experience memory loss, social instability, erratic behavior, and poor judgment. The worst cases of CTE show symptoms of dementia, vertigo, impeded speech, tremors, deafness, slowing of muscular movements, and suicidal tendencies. Dr. Omalu's continued research on brain injuries and CTE has given us a greater understanding of the long-term effects of repeated brain trauma. According to the CDC, approximately 3.8 million Americans every year suffer from concussions and approximately 208,000 people seek treatment in emergency rooms for traumatic brain injuries. Approximately two-thirds of those emergency room visits are children ages 5 to 18. The rate of recurrence with traumatic brain injuries is high. An athlete who sustains a concussion is four to six times more likely to sustain a second concussion. Of course, CTE research will also apply to veterans who suffer from traumatic brain injuries from combat activity. Dr. Omalu has advocated for more education among athletes who play high-contact sports, teaching them about the risks associated with repetitive brain trauma. He has committed himself to advancing the medical understanding of CTE, brain injuries, and their effects on the people who suffer from them. Today, Dr. Omalu has eight advanced degrees and board certifications, including master of public health and epidemiology and master of business administration. He resides in Lodi, California, and serves as the chief medical examiner of San Joaquin County, California, and as a professor at the UC Davis Department of Medical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. The Bennet Omalu Foundation is committed to funding research, raising awareness, providing care, and finding cures for people who suffer from CTE and traumatic brain injuries. It is imperative, as a Nation, that we support research on CTE and brain injuries and figure out how much high-impact sports are affecting the health of our children and athletes. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the research and achievements of Dr. Bennet Omalu and all he has done to further the understanding of the human brain.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, during rollcall vote No. 44 on January 13, 2016, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.'' Personal Explanation

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, last Wednesday, December 2, the Nation was devastated by another mass shooting in San Bernardino, California. On December 2, there were three mass shootings in the United States. The fact that this violence is routine and ordinary is incomprehensible. Mr. Speaker, it is particularly incomprehensible that people who are on the no-fly list are able to legally purchase assault weapons. How is it that someone considered too dangerous to fly is able to purchase an assault weapon? There is a solution, though, Mr. Speaker. A bill proposed by Peter King of New York will not allow people on the no-fly list to purchase weapons without a sufficient background check. Mr. Speaker, gun violence in our Nation kills nearly 90 people every day, roughly 32,000 people a year. I am a gun owner, but there are reasonable approaches to keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals while still protecting our Second Amendment rights. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support legislation that will end daily shootings and protect our citizens.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, on December 2, 2015, the House took roll call vote 644. I am recorded as voting ``aye'' on this amendment, but I want to reflect that I intended to vote ``no'' and oppose the Barton of Texas Amendment No. 25 to H.R. 8.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague from North Carolina for yielding and for her work on the Grid Innovation Caucus, which is one example of bipartisan cooperation for the good of the Nation. I also join my colleague Mrs. Ellmers in offering this bipartisan amendment, which would establish a statement on grid modernization policy. This will establish a clear vision to achieve the future grid. The grid is the core of our Nation's effort to transition to clean energy sources. That said, our current electric grid has much the same technology that was in place for the last 100 years. We need to improve and upgrade the grid to meet the 21st century demands and the demands of the digital economy. The future grid must be reliable, secure, resilient, and affordable while integrating a range of resources and devices, including intermittent renewable energy, storage, and electric vehicles. Having a national grid modernization policy, or vision, will help achieve these objectives while maintaining the secure, safe, reliable, and affordable power for which our Nation is known. I thank my colleague, who is the cochair of the Grid Innovation Caucus, and I urge a ``yes'' vote on the amendment.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose S.J. Res. 23 and S.J. Res. 24. Frankly, this effort to deny climate change reminds me of the 50-plus votes we have taken to try to eliminate the Affordable Care Act. As a global leader, we must reduce carbon emissions. To simply ignore our responsibility is misguided and will harm generations to come. We can't solve climate change by ourselves, but we must lead and be part of a larger effort. I know that fossil fuels--and in particular, liquid fuels--will be needed in the years ahead, but we can still move toward a more efficient and sustainable energy system. For example, I have actually had coal plants in my region shut down, shift to biomass, and become very successful while also benefiting the climate. I would also note that California is again leading the world in efforts to promote cleaner energy with a 50 percent renewable energy goal by 2050. I represent part of the Central Valley, which has some of the worst air quality in the Nation. While this comes from a variety of sources, it impacts everyone. In an area that is already hurt economically, dirty air affects school- and workdays and disproportionately hurts children and other adults. This makes me more determined than ever to develop green energy. This vote will again show that most or all House Republicans deny the obvious: climate change is taking place as a result of human activity. I expect that many of my Republican colleagues know and believe that climate change is real and is a long-term threat, and yet we are voting on these two resolutions today. Lastly, one argument we hear is that the Clean Power Plan is administrative overreach and that it was never authorized by Congress. But this is exactly what the Clean Air Act does. The Supreme Court has ruled that carbon emissions can be regulated by the Clean Air Act. I urge my colleagues to support our future, reject efforts that increase pollution, and oppose this measure.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. I thank the chairman. Mr. Chairman, it is well past time that Congress update our national energy policy with a framework that includes clean energy technologies, reduces fossil fuel consumption, boosts energy efficiency in residential, commercial, and Federal buildings, and provides the funding necessary to advance our workforce and technological innovation, but, unfortunately, H.R. 8 does not meet these goals. I do want to thank Chairman Upton for working with me on several provisions that are intended to improve responses to physical and cyberattacks on the grid, that encourage the development and use of water and energy-efficient technology, that streamline hydropower permitting, and that generally improve the modernization of our electric grid. Unfortunately, the funding was removed for the electric grid grant program and for carbon capture sequestration, a provision promoting the next generation energy workforce is gone, and language that weakens energy efficiency in buildings has not been fixed. This is a big disappointment, Mr. Chairman, because throughout most of the process there was real bipartisan cooperation, but in the final stages, the majority fell into partisanship and changed the bill to something most Democrats can't support. So it is with great disappointment that I oppose H.R. 8, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, today, I want to honor those who were killed during the November 1984 anti-Sikh pogroms and massacre in Delhi, India. I also want to bring attention to the current desecration of the Sikh's Holy Scriptures. Sikhs are a minority group that should be officially recognized and I ask that this Congress support the plight of the Sikh people to gain recognition in India and halt the persecution against the Indian Sikh community.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the students, parents, staff, alumni, and supporters of Head Start as they celebrate Head Start Awareness Month and 50 years of service to our Nation's most vulnerable children. On May 18, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson launched Project Head Start as an 8-week summer demonstration project to teach low-income students essential skills to prepare them for kindergarten. Since that date, Head Start has served 32 million children and families across the country, providing them with the tools they need to build successful futures, helping to ensure a quality education and access to health care and social services. Head Start is a critical investment in the education of our Nation's youngest children. Mr. Speaker, I ask that, as a body, we reaffirm our investment in the children who are the future of this country. I urge my colleagues to support bipartisan efforts to give all of America's children a head start in life and an open door to opportunity.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I was necessarily absent from the House on October 23, 2015. Had I been present, I would have voted NO on H.R. 3762 (Roll Call 568). I would like the record to accurately reflect my stance on this issue.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I was necessarily absent from the House on February 26, 2015. Had I been present, I would have voted NO on H. Res. 125 (Roll Call 93). I would like to accurately reflect my stance on this issue.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise during this Hispanic Heritage Month to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Dolores Huerta for a lifetime of service and honor her on the 85th anniversary of her birth. Living in Stockton, California, she witnessed the unjust exploitation and suffering of migrant workers. Refusing to stay silent in the face of brutal working conditions, Dolores joined Cesar Chavez to co-found what is now United Farm Workers, the leading advocacy voice for the migrant community. Dolores' actions were essential to pass the 1975 California Agricultural Labor Relations Act. Her tenacity is captured in the resonating chant, ``Si, Se Puede'' that still gives voice to today's civil rights movement. In 2012, Dolores received the distinguished Presidential Medal of Freedom. She continues to organize communities to fight for social justice as president of the Dolores Huerta Foundation. For her lifetime of service, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Dolores Huerta.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise to express my strong opposition to H.R. 2898. Many of my colleagues here in Washington have told me they don't want to get involved in the California water wars, and I don't blame them. I don't want them to get involved in the California water wars, but this legislation will do tremendous harm to the California delta, an area that I am privileged to represent. Let's start with the facts. California is experiencing its driest year on record. In May, there was not even enough snowpack to measure. The United States Drought Monitor measured that about 46 percent of California is in an ``exceptional drought.'' The so-called drought bill does nothing to solve California's water issues or address drought across the West. Instead, it preempts State laws, reduces management flexibility, eliminates protection for salmon and other endangered species, and rolls back our Nation's fundamental environmental laws. We need to look at real solutions and not waste time and resources recycling old, bad ideas. Moving more water south doesn't answer our problems. It hurts delta farmers and the salmon industry. We can't pick and choose our economies. We need to fight for all of them. Let's be clear. My Republican colleagues are basing a lot of their arguments on the idea that environmental regulations send too much water to the ocean that otherwise could be used by communities. But according to the State Water Resources Control Board, in 2014, 72 percent of the delta outflow was required to control salinity so that the delta's water supply did not become too salty for agriculture or urban communities across the State. If we override these laws, permanent damage will result for fishermen, farmers, families, and businesses throughout California. What I don't understand is why our Republican colleagues keep fighting against protections that preserve the quality of water for their constituents. The Department of the Interior also opposes this bill because it would ``impede an effective and timely response to the continuing drought while providing no additional water to hard-hit communities.'' And California doesn't want Federal legislation to ``weaken State and Federal environmental protections . . . preempt State law . . . and favor one region of the State over another,'' which is exactly what this bill does. We are a State known for innovation, and we have to support bold, forward-thinking solutions that create new water and don't pit regions of California against each other. We should be supporting water efficiency, storage, reuse, recycling, water management, innovative water projects, and long-term approaches to water shortages. While this legislation will further disrupt a fragile delta and hurt its local economy, I, along with my colleagues, will be pushing for solutions that create more water and respond to the needs of the entire State.

Mr. McNERNEY. I want to ask my colleagues in the Great Lakes region and the Florida Everglades to pay attention. This bill, if passed, will set a new precedent for grabbing freshwater over any environmental protections. Your water could be next. I urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 2898.