Jay Obernolte

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose the previous question so that we can immediately consider the American Energy Independence from Russia Act. Mr. Speaker, last night I held a townhall with over 2,000 of my constituents. Do you know what was top of mind to those people? It was not the previous question. It was energy prices in America, and particularly, the price of fuel. Mr. Speaker, it was heartbreaking to hear from constituent after constituent after constituent who said that they were unable to afford the energy required to get to work and back just to put food on the table for their families. Mr. Speaker, you can imagine how embarrassing and heartbreaking it was for me to have to admit to my constituents that the reason for those high energy prices was the actions of their very own government. Mr. Speaker, since the beginning of the current administration, there has been a concerted effort to constrain the supply of energy produced here in America. What we have is a classic problem of supply and demand. We don't have enough supply, and yet this administration in its very first week issued an executive order completely halting the issuance of new gas and oil exploration permits on Federal lands in this country. It issued an executive order stopping the Keystone XL pipeline. Mr. Speaker, that pipeline alone, if it were in operation today, would allow us to import more than enough oil to completely offset our oil imports from Russia. The tragic thing about this situation is that the administration is doing this out of the mistaken belief that it will make the planet greener. But nothing could be further from the truth. We produce energy more cleanly here in America than any other country on Earth. So when we take actions that require us to import more oil from places like Venezuela, which has a 50 percent higher lifecycle greenhouse gas emission per barrel of oil than oil produced here in America, and when we increase oil imports from places like Russia that still utilize dirty practices like methane flaring--things we haven't done here in years--we are actually increasing global greenhouse gas emissions. Mr. Speaker, if we increase energy production here, not only will we lower prices for our constituents who are suffering, and not only will we increase our national security, but we will also make our planet a cleaner place. Mr. Speaker, I urge immediate consideration of the American Independence from Russia Act.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, several weeks ago, we witnessed a very unfortunate milestone, the 80th anniversary of the signature of an executive order by the President of the United States to incarcerate over 100,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. This was a direct violation of the founding principles of our country that say that no one should be deprived of their liberty without just cause. That is why I was so proud to see this body pass my bill, H.R. 6434, this week that would create a historic network of sites linked to the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Madam Speaker, the power of history is to gain perspective and learn from the mistakes of the past. I am in hopes that this network will call attention to this unjust imprisonment and ensure that this injustice never occurs in the United States again.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to honor the passing of Neal Hertzmann, a constituent of my district and former Mayor of my hometown of Big Bear Lake, California. Neal was an exceptional and dedicated public servant. He served Big Bear Lake as its mayor from 1994 to 1998 and served Southern California for over twenty years including as a member of the Big Bear Lake Department of Water and Power Board, a Councilman for the City of Big Bear Lake, and as Big Bear Lake's representative on the League of California Cities, just to name a few of his roles. In each position, Neal never lost sight of the unique qualities that make each of us proud to call our community home. In addition to his extensive public service, Neal was an innovative mechanical engineer by trade, and diligently worked on several of the Falcon missiles for Hughes Aircraft, which were among the very first operational guided air-to-air missiles adopted by the United States Air Force. His creative originality and expertise also proved vital in the development and success of the Surveyor program, which consisted of seven unmanned lunar missions launched between May 1966 and January 1968, five of which successfully soft-landed on the lunar surface. The legendary success of the Apollo 11 mission would not have been possible if not for the crucial developments pioneered by great men like Neal. Throughout his life, Neal sought opportunities to directly engage with neighbors, to meet new people, and to lend a helping hand wherever he could. I am honored to have had the chance to know him and call him my friend, and I can say from firsthand experience how impactful his continuous dedication has been for our community. My prayers are with his family and the City of Big Bear Lake as we mourn the loss of this dedicated public servant.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to honor the passing of retired Sergeant Mario Salazar of the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department. Sergeant Salazar was born in Highland and served our community loyally for 28 years before retiring in January 2019. His passing on January 22nd of this year is a solemn loss for our San Bernardino County law enforcement community and the people of California's 8th District. Sergeant Salazar began his career in California's 8th District in 1991 as a patrol duty officer at the Central Detention Center and the Fontana and Highland stations. He served our communities with outstanding dedication for 14 years before being promoted to detective in 2005 and then again to sergeant in 2009. Mario was critical to San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department operations during his 28-year tenure, and his leadership proved to be an invaluable asset. Throughout his life, Mario was committed to our community. As a part of our sheriffs department he relished opportunities to engage with the community, to meet new people, and to lend a helping hand. Mario is survived by his wife Sherri, son Ryan, daughter Erin, and grandchildren. My prayers are with his family and the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department as we mourn the loss of this dedicated officer and valued member of our community.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, this last year has seen an unprecedented wave of violence against law enforcement officers across our country. In particular, in my home State of California, 23 law enforcement agents were shot in the line of duty last year. In my own district, the Eighth District of California, one was unfortunately shot and killed by gunfire. That was Sergeant Dominic Vaca of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. Congress needs to work to support and improve our law enforcement agencies, not to defund or dismantle them. I am committed to protecting our law enforcement agencies and to defending the rule of law across our country and their efforts to keep our community safe. Madam Speaker, last year, I was proud to host a dinner in honor of 15 of California's Eighth's first responder community who went above and beyond the call of duty last year to serve and protect our community. Amongst our honorees were San Bernardino County Deputy Sheriff Dustin Whitson, who was shot in the line of duty while responding to a call at a storage facility in Hesperia; California Highway Patrol Inland Division Officer Garret Morris, who helps run an after-school racing team to provide community support and a safe alternative to illegal street racing for kids in our community; San Bernardino County Deputy Sheriff Tiffany Kautz, who was instrumental in obtaining the arrest and conviction of a man who was sexually abusing his own stepchildren; San Bernardino County Probation Corrections Supervisor Gina Martinez, who passed away last September after 21 years of ensuring that each youth in her care obtained a diploma, employment, and a place that they could call home and feel safe. Madam Speaker, these law enforcement officers are examples of the dedication our first responders show to our community every day, and their stories are echoed by countless law enforcement personnel across our country. Madam Speaker, it is time that this Congress stands behind our law enforcement officers and the rule of law. Madam Speaker, I thank each of our law enforcement officers for their dedication to our community.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, I rise today deeply alarmed by the increase in fentanyl-related deaths in my district. According to the San Bernardino County sheriff, there were over 100 fentanyl-related incidents in my district in the last year, resulting in the death of nearly 100 of my constituents. In fact, Madam Speaker, in the last 3 years, fentanyl-related deaths in my community have increased over 600 percent. According to the sheriff, this is a direct result of the trafficking of fentanyl across our southern border with Mexico. Last year the Inland Empire regional drug task force seized over 600 pounds of fentanyl, and they estimate the majority of that originated in Mexico. Madam Speaker, this is a direct result of our failure to secure our southern border and the changes in Federal policy as relates to the southern border that have been enacted in the last year. Madam Speaker, we must stop this trafficking of fentanyl across the border and protect our community by securing our southern border.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, several days ago the Department of Labor released statistics on job creation and inflation in the United States. This data should be deeply alarming to every American. This country, over the last year, has dumped trillions of dollars of excess Federal spending into our economy. At the time economists warned us that doing so was dangerously inflationary. Unfortunately, those fears have come to fruition. The statistics for the month of December show inflation at nearly 7 percent on an annualized basis. That is the highest rate of inflation in nearly 40 years. When inflation is caused through government action, as this round of inflation clearly is, it represents an unseen tax that is paid by every American because it raises the prices of everything that we buy. Equally alarming is the fact that real wage growth has not kept up with inflation. In fact, the Department of Labor says that for all of last year real wage growth was negative nearly 2\1/2\ percent. If we don't correct this trend, it is going to result in an entire generation of Americans being driven toward poverty because their wages are not keeping up with the prices that they pay for the goods that they need to survive. Madam Speaker, we need to get our fiscal house in order and correct this runaway Federal spending before our children suffer the consequences.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to oppose this $2.5 trillion debt limit increase which this Congress is voting on without any discussion of how this debate will ever be repaid. Over the past year, Congress' record levels of spending has sparked record-breaking inflation. Just last week, our nation hit its highest inflation rate in 40 years with current annual inflation for the twelve months ending in November at 6.8%. As a consequence, real average hourly earnings decreased by half a percent in November. Surging costs for food, energy, housing, and other items have left the average American family reeling. In my California district, the average price of a tank of gasoline has increased over $20 since January, while the price of natural gas is up more than 25 percent. Congress is not only spending at a level that is well beyond our self-imposed limits, but also beyond what our economy can safely handle, and Madam Speaker, instead of reducing our spending and finding places to save as any American family would, this institution is working to push through another multi-trillion-dollar social spending package that would drive our debt and our inflation further into crisis. Madam Speaker, this unconscionable spending is the epitome of irresponsible governance. We must take measures to end this reckless spending and put our financial house in order. To that end I have introduced two bills that the House might better spend its time considering in the coming weeks instead of continuing debate on the reckless social spending bill. My Constitutional Amendment to balance the budget would amend the U.S. Constitution to ensure total federal spending for a fiscal year does not exceed the total amount of federal revenue. It includes off- ramps that encourage bipartisanship in times of crisis and would end the seemingly-endless cycle of budget deficits. Likewise, my Finding Federal Savings Committee Resolution would help to cut back on government waste by creating a bipartisan committee in this body to identify underperforming and nonessential federal programs and recommend their elimination or modification. Neither of these ideas are partisan, nor are they radical. They simply take steps to solve a problem that this body has continued to kick down the road for future generations to repay. Madam Speaker, this Congress must do better. I call on my colleagues to reverse course, to stop this reckless spending, and to vote no on raising the debt ceiling without a plan to repay our debt.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, 2 weeks ago, I led over 200 Members of this House in sending a letter to the Speaker, urging that we do not vote on this bill until the CBO had issued a cost score for this bill. Yet, here we are, debating what is likely the largest spending package in the history of this country, paired with the largest tax increase in the history of this country. I say ``likely'' because we really don't know what the bill will cost. Apparently, we are supposed to pass the bill before we are allowed to know what it costs. Madam Speaker, that is crazy. Here is why that matters. Our national debt right now stands at about $29 trillion. Although we don't have a CBO score on this bill, what we do have is an analysis by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania which says that this bill would add $300 billion to that debt, at least, and that is if all the programs in this bill sunset on time, which we know is not going to happen. Further, the analysis says if they don't sunset, this bill could add $2.5 trillion to our national debt. Madam Speaker, here is the real tragedy: We run about a $2 trillion deficit this year, and even in a good year it will be over a trillion dollars. The tax increases alone in this bill would almost get us to balancing the Federal budget, which would allow us to avoid leaving a legacy of debt to our children and our grandchildren. Madam Speaker, this bill is bad for our country, and it is bad for our economy. I urge a ``no'' vote.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today deeply concerned that this body is scheduling a vote on what will likely be the most expensive spending package in the history of the United States without knowing the true cost of that package. Our own House rules, House rule XIII, requires us to wait for a score from the Congressional Budget Office before voting on a budget bill, and the budget reconciliation and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 requires the CBO to issue that score. But unfortunately, we are rushing through this vote without even knowing the true cost of the bill. Last week, I led a group of almost half of the House of Representatives in sending a letter to the Speaker urging her not to vote on this bill until its true costs are known. I am sure most Americans saw the President of the United States go on television two weeks ago and tell the American public that this spending bill will not add a single dollar to the national deficit. And our response to that is, if that is the case, Mr. President, prove it. Prove it by waiting for the CBO to issue a score on that bill. The reason why we are so concerned about this issue is that any economist will tell you that deficit government spending is dangerously inflationary, and we are already seeing the highest inflation in the United States in over 40 years. Folks in my district are paying over $20 more today to fill the gasoline tank on their cars just to go to work than they were just a year ago. This inflation is hurting everyday Americans and it will hurt them more if this bill spends more than it takes in in taxes, and every indication is that it will. Madam Speaker, I urge this body to wait for the Congressional Budget Office to score this bill before voting on it. It is the responsible thing to do. Anything less would be an abdication of our responsibility to the people that we represent.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding service of the Veteran Airlift Command, an organization which I've volunteered with for many years that has a dedicated network of volunteers working to support our nation's wounded warriors across the country. The Veteran Airlift Command, founded by Vietnam War veteran Walter Fricke, has impacted the lives of countless wounded veterans by providing them and their families air transportation when they desperately need it. After being wounded while serving as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, Walter, like countless other wounded veterans, had to face the challenges presented by everyday civilian life. He realized that despite commercial air travel constituting one of the most essential aspects of modern life, it was among the most inaccessible, especially for our wounded veterans. As a military trained pilot with over 800 hours of combat flying, Walter was well equipped to remedy this issue. He had an idea for a national organization of volunteer pilots and aircraft that would fly wounded warriors and their families with dignity, respect, and gratitude, and so in 2006 he founded the Veteran Airlift Command. Walter started the Veterans Airlift Command with his own personal finances, flying expertise, and aircraft, but today the Veterans Airlift Command has grown into substantial program that boasts a volunteer core of over 2,600 volunteer pilots and aircraft with over 18,000 passengers successfully flown. The VAC has been and will continue to be an incredible and essential lifeline for wounded veterans and their families. Thanks to their work and that of thousands of volunteer pilots across the country, we can give back to our nation's wounded warriors and provide the dignity, respect, and comfort that our heroes deserve. I am honored to recognize the VAC today and proud to have the opportunity to volunteer with this organization and give back to those who have sacrificed part of themselves in the defense of this Nation.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, I rise this evening deeply concerned about the pressures that have been brought to bear on America's supply chains and the effects that those pressures are having on inflation and on the constituencies that we represent. Every day, I talk to members of the community from my district who are struggling in paying their bills. They are struggling because, just in the last year, they are being asked to pay over $20 more in my county to fill their gas tanks to get to work. They are being asked to pay substantially more for commodities like milk and eggs and bacon. Madam Speaker, economists say that this inflationary pressure is greatly exacerbated by the irresponsible spending decisions that have been made right here in this Chamber in the last 18 months. That is important to talk about tonight, because we are considering the largest spending bill in the history of our country. In fact, if you take the version of that bill that is in print and the spending it represents, combined with the extra Federal spending that has been approved over the last 18 months, added together, that exceeds the combined annual wages of every single American. I find that a stunning statistic. I am also very concerned about the possible impact that this spending will have on our national debt. Now, the administration just this week has said that this spending package will be fully paid for and will not add a single dollar to our deficit. My response to that is: prove it. Speaking charitably here, it strains credibility to believe that that would be the case. It is certainly not the case that the current version of the spending bill that is in print is fully paid for. But if the new version will be paid for, prove it. Wait to vote on the bill until the Congressional Budget Office has had a chance to score it and verify that that claim is accurate. Madam Speaker, even if that is the goal, I would submit that America does not have a revenue problem. In fact, last year we collected more in tax revenue than in any year in our entire country's history. We do not have a revenue problem, Madam Speaker. We have a spending problem. Even if you believe, as some of my colleagues do, that the problem is that we don't tax people enough and that we need to enact the largest tax increase in the history of our country, which is what this bill would do, then my question would be, why would we not use that extra revenue to shore up the social safety programs that are already in danger of failing, programs that people depend on, like Medicare and Social Security? Why would you not use that extra revenue to pay down the $2 trillion of deficit that we currently have every year and the almost $29 trillion of national debt that we will be passing on to our children and their children? Madam Speaker, I pray that we will get our fiscal house in order and stop this reckless Federal spending.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I am deeply concerned that the continuing resolution we are debating this afternoon includes a suspension of the limit on our national debt through the end of next year. Our national debt is already at historic levels. In fact, today our national debt represents about $85,000 for every American man, woman, and child, and it is going to get worse. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that at the rate we are going in just a few short years that debt will more than double, and just paying interest on that debt will consume 10 percent of everything our country makes. Every other time we have considered raising this debt ceiling that conversation has been accompanied by a discussion of how we are going to pay that money back. But, unfortunately, that is not occurring today. I have introduced a constitutional amendment that would require the Federal budget to be balanced, which would help us pay down this national debt over time. But absent discussion of getting our fiscal house in order, it is unconscionable to leave that legacy of debt to our children and kick the can down the road. Mr. Speaker, I must urge a ``no'' vote.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the serious problem that is occurring in my district and across the American West with conditions of extreme drought. This is certainly not a new problem for us in the West and, certainly, not a new problem for us in California, but it is being particularly acutely felt. This is a problem that only our governmental intervention can solve. Mr. Speaker, since 1970, the population of my home State of California has roughly doubled, and yet we have built essentially zero new water storage projects. So what we have in California is not so much a problem with inadequate water, but a problem with inadequate water storage. The blame for that can be shared across all different branches of government over the last 50 years. In fact, since 2014, money has been appropriated in California for the construction of new water storage projects, including innovative projects like the Sites Reservoir that would add over a million acre- feet of water storage to California, but unfortunately none of those projects have been built. Solving this problem is going to require an all-of-the-above stance towards accepting solutions from all different branches of government. That includes environmentalists, but it also includes projects like water storage. We are going to need to examine every single aspect of this problem to come up with solutions. Madam Speaker, I am also very concerned that we have been inadequate in our provision for not just water storage, but water treatment in my home State of California. We need to examine many more comprehensive solutions for treating the water, the wastewater that currently exists, to get that back into our water supply rather than letting it run out into the ocean or pumping it to other parts of our State, which is what happens in many parts of my home congressional district. Only we in Congress, working in conjunction with State and local government, can solve this problem. I am hopeful that as our attention turns to infrastructure we will not forget about the need for water infrastructure in our country, and particularly in parts of the West that are so severely affected by this drought. We need more money for water storage projects, but we also need money for water treatment. I urge this body to act on this very important issue.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, the Federal Career Opportunities in Computer Sciences Work Act. Mr. Speaker, I, along with most of the country, was recently horrified by the cyberattacks against critical parts of our national infrastructure, in particular, the cyberattack against Colonial Pipeline that shut down gasoline deliveries for much of the Eastern United States and the cyberattacks against JBS meat processing, which disrupted operations at one of the largest food processing facilities in our country. It has become increasingly clear that dealing with these threats will require highly trained professionals in the computer sciences and the data sciences as part of not just our civilian workforce but also our Federal workforce. Unfortunately, many people are surprised to learn that we do not currently have Federal career occupational series that are dedicated to the computer sciences. This bill, the Federal Career Opportunities in Computer Sciences Work Act, will establish those series in such fields as data management, artificial intelligence, and software engineering. This will enable our Federal Government to better attract and retain the highly qualified technical computer scientist talent that is needed to respond to these attacks in the future. This is bipartisan legislation. It is an easy and commonsense solution to this problem, and I urge support for this bill.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Mohammad Hossein Mehrmand, a constituent of mine and a former Lieutenant-General of the Imperial Iranian Air Force. Prior to 1979, Iran, was a very different country than it is today. Iran and the United States were close friends and cooperated in both trade and military affairs. Because of this close cooperation between our two nations, Iranian military officers like Mr. Mehrmand had the opportunity to visit U.S. military installations and work closely with American servicemembers to train on U.S.-built fighter jets that were operated by the Imperial Iranian Air Force. While the Imperial Iranian Air Force operated a number of U.S. fighter jets, they were the sole foreign operator of one aircraft, in particular, the F-14 Tomcat. As a result of this program, Khatami Air Base was constructed by the Iranian government near the city of Isfahan in the early 1970s to cater to their new fleet of F-14s with support facilities built specifically for the Grumman Corporation. In fact, the entire region around Isfahan was booming for the American defense industry with other defense contractors like Raytheon, Lockheed, Boeing and Hughes Aircraft working on lucrative projects for the Shah's government. As a result of the massive presence of American enterprise in the region, Isfahan was home to at least 1,200 American military members and 8,000 civilian advisers at its peak in the mid-to-late 1970s. This presence could be felt quite evidently by the massive amount of new construction marketed towards the Americans working in the region. All of this changed in 1979 as revolutionary fundamentalists began to take over Iran. At the time, there were over 5,000 Americans living in Iran with many residing around Khatami Air Base. As the situation in the country began to deteriorate, the U.S. Embassy in Iran advised all Americans to leave the country. At the time, Lt. General Mehrmand was the tactical commander of the Imperial Iranian Air Force and he had received information that many within the Iranian military had begun to go rogue and side with the fundamentalist revolutionaries, with many of these rogue units attempting to prevent Americans from leaving Iran. Lt. General Mehrmand took action on behalf of our citizens and met with the rogue units to successfully negotiate the American exodus from Iran. He additionally made arrangements to allow for twenty-five special American passenger planes to enter Iranian airspace to begin evacuating all Americans from Iran. As a direct result of his efforts, nearly 5,000 Americans were safely and successfully evacuated out of the collapsing country. Within weeks of the evacuation flights, the Imperial Iranian government collapsed, and the fanatical government of Ayatollah Khomeini took over Iran. Under the new government, Lt. General Melmnand was branded a traitor for securing the exodus of the American people and had his property, assets, and retirement pension confiscated. Fortunately, Mr. Mehrmand was able to escape persecution in Iran and found refuge here in the United States. Mr. Mehrmand, despite not being an American citizen, had the boldness and courage to stand up against fanaticism in the name of freedom for the American people. Today, Mr. Mehrmand is 92 years old, and a proud American citizen living happily in California. I am delighted to have this opportunity to recognize his patriotic actions and I want to express my profound gratitude to him for his service to our country and to our national interests.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor my constituent, Mr. Mohammad Hossein Mehrmand. Mr. Mehrmand was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Iranian Air Force. Prior to the revolution in 1979, Iran and the United States were close allies. U.S. fighter jets were based in Iran, and a number of U.S. military personnel were as well. When the revolution occurred, the U.S. Embassy recommended that all Americans immediately evacuate. Mr. Mehrmand was instrumental in negotiating the evacuation of American citizens from Iran, and ultimately, nearly 5,000 Americans were successfully evacuated from the country. Unfortunately, Mr. Mehrmand paid a very high price for that loyalty. He was accused as a traitor. He lost his property. Ultimately, he was forced to flee to the United States. Today, Mr. Mehrmand is 92. He lives in my district in California, and he is proud to be a United States citizen. I join my colleagues in thanking Mr. Mehrmand for his service to the people of the United States and his loyalty to the people with whom he served.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Sheriff-Coroner John McMahon of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department in California's 8th Congressional District. Sheriff McMahon has served as a law enforcement officer in San Bernardino County for the past 36 years. He began his career in 1985 as a patrol deputy at the Needles station in California's 8th District and has been promoted to every rank in the department since then, serving at a total of 15 stations during his career. In 2014, John was elected as the 35th Sheriff- Coroner of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, and his leadership has been an invaluable asset to our law enforcement community. During his tenure, Sheriff McMahon successfully led the department through many challenging times and high-profile incidents, including the December 2nd terror attack in San Bernardino. Long-term solutions implemented by his department have helped to keep crime down in our communities and improve safety across the largest county in our state. Under his leadership, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department has become known as one of the premier law enforcement agencies in the nation. I wish Sheriff McMahon and his wife Shelly all the best as he begins his retirement and I thank him for his dedication to serving the people of San Bernardino County.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mayor David Caretto, a constituent of my district and Mayor of my hometown of Big Bear Lake, California. Mayor Carreto served Big Bear Lake for eleven years, but he was a public servant long before that, serving Southern California for thirty-three years as General Manager and Secretary for the South Orange County Wastewater Authority, Assistant City Manager and City Clerk for the City of Irwindale, Assistant City Manager and City Clerk for the City of Pico Rivera, City Manager and Assistant City Manager for the City of Signal Hill, and Planning Technician for the City of Lynwood. In addition to his own public service, David and his wife Cindy raised two talented children, both of whom proudly served their country in the Iraq War. I was honored to serve alongside David on the Big Bear Lake City Council, and I can relate from firsthand experience how impactful his continuous dedication to our community has been. I wish him and Cindy all the best in his retirement as they enter the next phase of their life. Thankyou very much, Dave, for your service to the City of Big Bear Lake.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the career of an exemplary public servant in my district. San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon will retire this month after 36 years of service to the people of San Bernardino. His career started in 1985, when he was assigned to the Sheriff's station in the town of Needles. And since then, he served in 15 different stations. He has served in every rank possible to hold in the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, and he served as the sheriff of my county since 2014. In that time, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department has become known as one of the premier law enforcement agencies in the entire Nation under his exemplary leadership. We thank him for his service to the people of our district, and we wish him and his wife, Shelly, the best of luck in retirement.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, I was not present for the following roll call vote. Had I been present for it, I would have voted as follows: Roll Call No. 191--YEA.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2225, the National Science Foundation for the Future Act. Mr. Speaker, I have been increasingly alarmed over the last few months at the foreign-based attacks on our Nation's infrastructure. Several weeks ago, the attack against Colonial Pipeline disrupted the supply of gasoline throughout the East Coast. Also several weeks ago, the computer attack against JBS meat processing threatened to disrupt our Nation's food supply. Mr. Speaker, the reason these are particularly concerning to me as a computer scientist is the data that indicates that we have seriously underinvested in our computer science workforce over the last several decades, particularly compared with other countries. This bill is a very meaningful step toward solving that problem. It would roughly double the NSF's investment in basic scientific research over the next few years, particularly in fields like computer science. It includes a bill that I sponsored, H.R. 3844, the Fellowships and Traineeships for Early-Career AI Researchers Act, that would make meaningful investments in new fellowships and new traineeships to enable the next generation of Americans to become educated and skilled in the field of artificial intelligence. Another bill that we are considering on the floor tonight, the Department of Energy Science for the Future Act, would continue those investments. It includes another piece of legislation that I authored, the Next Generation Computing Research and Development Act, that would make meaningful investments in exascale computing and next-generation computing capabilities. Mr. Speaker, taken together, this legislation will attempt to address the problems that have plagued computer science and technical education in this country. Mr. Speaker, no discussion of this legislation would be complete without some praise for the bipartisan path that this legislation has followed. This legislation is bipartisan. It includes meaningful contributions from both parties. It is deliberate. It has taken place over the course of more than a year. Mr. Speaker, it is inclusive. It includes input from hundreds of different industry and academic institutions. Mr. Speaker, this is the path that legislation in this Chamber should follow. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support H.R. 2225.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to note with great alarm the recent uptick in inflation in our country. Last month, the Consumer Price Index rose over 5 percent, which is over 2\1/2\ times the Fed's target rate for inflation in our country. The price of lumber--although, thankfully, it has declined the last week--is still over three times what it was just a few months ago. The price of fuel is over 50 percent higher. And that mirrors the price of many commodities from corn to soybeans. This is alarming, not just from a macroeconomic standpoint, but most importantly, from the standpoint of the constituents we represent. The Members of this Chamber might be able to afford to spend 50 percent more to fill the tank of their car, but unfortunately, many of the people we represent cannot. And that burden of inflation is an unseen tax on the least advantaged members of our society, the members of the lower class, and the working poor. Economists tell us that this uptick in inflation is directly related to the spending policies of our government, and we need to get our fiscal house in order to prevent this in the future.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, I rise in proud recognition of the Mountain Fifes and Drums music program in my own district in Twin Peaks, California. This program is dedicated to the patriotic mission of teaching young Americans, age 10 to 18, appreciation of and performance of 18th century military music. They do this through instruction in classic musical instruments, such as the fife and the rope tension drum. I am extremely proud that the Mountain Fifes and Drums music program is performing today in Mt. Vernon, appropriately, the home of our first Commander in Chief, George Washington. It warms my heart that programs like this exist to teach this patriotic art and appreciation of this unique period of American history to a new generation of Americans.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, my colleague from Louisiana, for yielding. I am honored to join in helping to celebrate National Police Week where we take a moment out of our lives to honor the commitment and the sacrifice of the men in blue and the men and women in uniform who help keep our communities safe. I represent one of the largest districts in the United States, and, certainly, the largest district in California. It is very challenging to police, and my constituents rely on the abilities of the police to uphold the rule of law and to keep them safe in a very rural setting. Our law enforcement agencies in California's Eighth District have done a tremendous job of this. Just this year, the San Bernardino County Police Department and Sheriff's Department have seized over 100 pounds of fentanyl. That is over half a million pills that they have kept off the street. They have also helped, just this year, 19 adults and four children escape the evil scourge of human trafficking. In Inyo County, the Inyo County Sheriff's Department recently held an event in which they reclaimed almost 200 pounds of unused prescription medication, keeping those toxic substances out of our landfill and out of our water supply. In Mono County, the Mono County Sheriff's Department recently implemented a 911 text to 911 system that will help the residents of Inyo County reach law enforcement services when they need it. If you know that county, Mr. Speaker, then you know how rural it is and how much those community constituents depend on a responsive police force. I know there has been a lot of discussion in this body and in legislatures across the country about police reform this year. What I wish that all of our constituents knew is that there is broad, bipartisan agreement on 90 percent of that legislation. We can solve this problem in a way that implements police reform, but at the same time, respecting the role that our law enforcement members fill in serving our community that provides them the training and the resources that they need to do their jobs, and that honors the role that they play in protecting our communities. So happy National Police Week, and I thank our men and women in uniform.