Jay Obernolte

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent that my amendment be modified with the form I have placed at the desk.

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chair, thank you very much for the opportunity to present my amendment to the Fix Our Forests Act. Mr. Chair, I represent a very mountainous region of California, and every year we have wildfires burn in my region. The problem is particularly acute this year. We have two major wildfires that are still burning in my district, the Bridge fire and the Line fire. Mr. Chair, together, these fires have consumed nearly 100,000 acres. Thankfully, relatively few structures have been affected this year, but Mr. Chair, I was convinced 2 weeks ago that we were going to lose over 1,000 homes in my district. This problem is particularly acute because the fires spread so quickly. Unfortunately, the Line fire that caused the evacuation of parts of my hometown in California was started by arson, and that arsonist started three different fires that day. Two of them, Mr. Chair, firefighters were able to jump on quickly and extinguish. It is the third one that spread quickly enough that it became the conflagration that threatened many communities in my district. This amendment prioritizes emerging technology, such as early- detection technology and the artificial intelligence techniques required to process it in the pilot program that this bill establishes. Mr. Chair, there is a lot of promise in early-detection technologies. Conventional satellite detection relies on satellites and geostationary orbits that are far away from the Earth, and therefore, have very poor spatial resolution. Those satellites can only detect a fire when it is already quite large. Mr. Chair, new low-Earth orbit satellites with thermal detection technology have much better spatial resolution, and they can detect a forest fire when it just begins. Moreover, these new technologies can be transmitted to the Earth in minutes instead of hours. If you combine that with the artificial intelligence processing technology that looks at these images and can distinguish between a campfire and a tree that is hit by lightning that is the potential source of a forest fire, that is a game-changing development in wildfire technology. Combine that with fast, aerial, firefighting platforms, and we will be able to put out fires before they get started and avoid some of the catastrophes that have afflicted my district in recent years. I think this is a commonsense amendment. I am thankful it is bipartisan. I thank my bipartisan sponsor, Congresswoman Pettersen from Colorado, who shares my concern about this, and I urge adoption of my amendment. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Chair, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman), the chair of the Natural Resources Committee and my friend.

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this action taken under the Congressional Review Act to overturn the EPA's misguided tailpipe emissions rule. This rule, if enacted, would force the majority of Americans to buy electric vehicles instead of vehicles powered by other technologies. Madam Speaker, let me be clear. I have nothing against electric vehicles. I do, however, think that Americans should be empowered to make their own decisions about what vehicle technology works for them and their families. The fact is that EVs cost on average $12,000 more than the equivalent gasoline-powered vehicle. That is just the purchase price. The same misguided policies that the EPA is pursuing here are also forcing the cost of electricity generation to go up in this country. In fact, in my own hometown in California, the electric provider recently submitted a rate case that seeks to raise the base rate for residential electricity to $0.45 a kilowatt hour. Try doing the math on what it costs to drive an electric vehicle when you are forced to pay $0.45 a kilowatt hour for the energy to charge it. Madam Speaker, Americans should be empowered to make their own decisions about what vehicles to buy, not forced into that decision by misguided government policies. I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Chair, last year the California Air Resources Board proposed a new regulation that would have disastrous consequences for my constituents, for the people of California, and for the people of the United States. This so-called in-use locomotive rule would phase out the use of diesel-electric locomotives and require all locomotives entering the State of California to do so in a zero-emission configuration within just a few short years. Mr. Chairman, there are several problems with this regulation. The first and most obvious is that there are currently no electric locomotives that can take the place of a diesel-electric freight locomotive. In fact, the best electric locomotives that exist currently are those so-called switch locomotives that are used to move cars back and forth between trains within freight switchyards. There are no locomotives that can take the place of a diesel-electric locomotive and haul millions of pounds of freight from place to place over hundreds of miles. Mr. Chairman, the physics suggest there will be no locomotives that can accomplish this any time in the near future. Requiring this regulation would raise prices for every consumer in California, a State, Mr. Chairman, which already suffers the worst poverty of any State in the country. Mr. Chairman, this would also have a disastrous effect on my constituents. BNS Railways is currently constructing a $1.5 billion project in the city of Barstow within my district, an intermodal transfer facility that will allow freight from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to be shipped by rail to Barstow and then transshipped by rail or by truck to other places in the country. Currently, Mr. Chairman, that freight leaves those ports on trucks. BNSF has said, quite reasonably, that if California will not let their locomotives enter the State, they will abandon their plans for that intermodal transfer facility. Mr. Chairman, that will result in the loss of not just $1.5 billion of investment in my community but over 20,000 jobs in the region of California that I represent. Mr. Chairman, the most nonsensical part of this legislation is that it actually will be much worse for the environment. It is three times more efficient to transfer freight by rail than it is by truck. That is one-third the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. If we force freight to be shipped by truck instead of by rail out of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, that will be far worse for the environment than allowing it to be transported on the efficient diesel- electric locomotives that we currently have. That is why this amendment would deny the EPA the funding that they need to grant a waiver to the State of California to implement this nonsensical rule. Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Chair, I am very glad my colleague from Maine brought up the Clean Air Act because the Clean Air Act explicitly says that the right to set emissions requirements for locomotives is preempted from the States. Mr. Chairman, that makes complete sense because how on Earth can we operate a national railway system if we allow each of the 50 States to come up with their own rules about what locomotives can cross their State lines? Mr. Chairman, that is a complete impossibility. Mr. Chairman, to remind my colleague from Maine, the most nonsensical part of this rule is that these replacement electric locomotives do not exist, and they are not likely to exist anytime in the near future. The current best battery technology that we possess can store about 5 megawatts of energy in the form factor of a locomotive. Mr. Chairman, to replace an existing freight locomotive would require about 20 times that amount of energy, about 100 megawatts of energy. Mr. Chairman, this is a nonsensical rule. It is bad for the people of California. It is bad for consumers in California. It is bad for the people of the United States because this rule would result in more greenhouse gas emissions, not less. Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of this commonsense amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Sergeant Jeffrey Neal Secrist's twenty-seven years of tireless work as a law enforcement officer and retirement from the California Highway Patrol (CHP). Sergeant Secrist has proudly served our home state of California for nearly thirty years. After beginning his training with the CHP Academy on March 24. 1997, Officer Secrist graduated on September 17, 1997, and was proud to continue his family's tradition of service when he accepted his assignment to the Baldwin Park area. He was soon chosen as a Field Training Officer and was assigned to train new officers reporting to the office for their first duty assignment. After serving in the High Desert for over twenty years. Officer Secrist was promoted to Sergeant and was reassigned to Santa Fe Springs. Despite working in an extremely challenging and busy area, he made time to coach and mentor young officers on topics like proper report writing, investigating crime, and making the most of a successful career with the CHP. Sergeant Secrist's service to California would not have been possible without the support of his family. His wife of nearly forty years, Gretchen, his four children, Austin, Lyndy, Jessica, and Emeline, and seven grandchildren have been instrumental in supporting his work for California. Sergeant Secrist's family and decades of service in law enforcement represents the best of what our district stands for, and Heather and I thank them for their dedication to our community. I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking him for his selfless service to California, in commending him for his steadfast dedication to our community, and in wishing him many years of joy and peace in his well-earned retirement with friends and family.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the en bloc, which contains three of my amendments to this year's National Defense Authorization Act. The first of my amendments would direct the Air Force to investigate new technologies for the mixing of propellant for solid fuel rocket motors in order to increase the diversity of our supply chain. The second amendment would direct the Department of Defense to investigate new production sites for rare earth element minerals, many of which are sourced from countries that are amongst our geopolitical adversaries. The third amendment would direct the Department of Defense to make recommendations to improve home-based businesses on remote military bases like the ones in my district. Together, these amendments will make our military a better place to serve in and further enable them to improve their mission of protecting our country. Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman for including my amendments in the en bloc, and I urge its adoption.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Dr. Mary Suzuki's retirement from the Bear Valley Unified School District in Big Bear Lake, California. Dr. Suzuki served as superintendent for nearly a decade, playing a vital role in building a safe and quality learning environment for all students in the Big Bear Valley. Dr. Suzuki's service to Bear Valley Unified represents the very best of our community's values. An educator with over thirty years of experience, Dr. Suzuki taught students at a variety of grade levels while working tirelessly, including as a literacy coach, to ensure that all her students enjoyed an innovative, positive learning environment that prepared them for life's next steps. Her administrative positions have been equally remarkable. Dr. Suzuki's work as principal, Director of Curriculum and 21st Century Learning, as well as her service as chairperson of the California Technology Assistance Project, were key in preparing her to be superintendent of Bear Valley Unified, allowing her to make an indelible contribution to our rural community. Dr. Suzuki's nearly three decades of pedagogical and administrative experience ensured that Bear Valley Unified remains a world-class district where all students receive a high-quality education. In addition to Dr. Suzuki's impressive work in education, she and her husband of 42 years, Dan, raised a wonderful family. Their three children, Elizabeth, David, and Matthew, as well as their seven grandchildren, are a true testament to their strong familial bonds and her role as a loving and devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Dr. Suzuki for her selfless service to California's students, in commending her for her steadfast dedication to our community, and in wishing her many years of joy and peace in her well-earned retirement with friends and family.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the reauthorization of the Weather Act. This bill includes, in section 115, my legislation to also reauthorize the National Landslide Hazards Reduction Program. This is a critically important program for reducing landslide hazards in the United States that will, absent reauthorization, expire at the end of this year. It is a little-known fact that landslides cause over a billion dollars in property damage every year in the United States, as well as costing countless lives. This is particularly true in my district in southern California. My district has experienced substantial wildfire damage in the last several years, and last August, we experienced the first tropical storm in 83 years in California. This resulted in the liquefaction of the soil beneath the burn scars in the San Bernardino Mountains. The resulting landslides erased an entire community. Houses were uprooted and displaced, and many residents were trapped and had to be lifted by helicopter to safety. Mr. Speaker, the National Landslide Hazards Reduction Program is a critical program for identifying hazards that exist with landslides and improving coordination with local emergency responders and agencies to make sure that those hazards are addressed. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Lucas and my colleagues on the Science, Space, and Technology and the Natural Resources Committees for including my legislation in the Weather Act Reauthorization Act, and I urge its adoption.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and mourn the passing of a dear friend of mine and my wife, Heather, Roberta Darlene McCarthy. Roberta, who was known to her friends as Bert, was born in Los Angeles and moved to Bakersfield, California, in 1946. She attended East Bakersfield High School, where she met her high school sweetheart and her future husband, Owen McCarthy. Owen was a captain in the Bakersfield Fire Department, and Bert spent much of her time in service to her community. They were two people who deeply wanted to help their friends and neighbors, which was a core value they passed on to their children, Michelle, Mark, and last but certainly not least, one of this Chamber's very own, the 55th Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy. Bert was instrumental in getting the Anti-Graffiti Program for Kern County started, and she volunteered for many charities in Bakersfield. Her passion for helping others meant that she often worked with some of the people who needed help the most, patients suffering from cancer. She regularly volunteered at the Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center in Bakersfield and at the American Cancer Society, where she helped patients and their families fight cancer and overcome the many difficulties related to treatment. Bert was a strong mother and grandmother, whose family and their needs always came first. She loved her community and helping others, and she made everyone who met her instantly feel like they were talking to a family friend. Bert had such a gregarious and warm personality that even people in Washington who didn't care for her son, Kevin--and there were a few-- cared for Bert. She was always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need. Her selflessness knew no bounds, and her acts of kindness reverberated far beyond the confines of her immediate circle. Bert put her faith in God, and she knew one day she would be called to go up to Heaven and meet her creator. Bert's spirit will continue to live on in the memories of her children and their partners, her grandchildren, and everyone her life touched, including me and my wife Heather. Mr. Speaker, I urge that we not mourn her passing but, instead, celebrate the incredible legacy she left behind and carry forward her kindness, strength, and boundless love for others. I will miss her.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to honor the life of Ms. Davina Keiser, who passed away on January 30, 2024 after her battle with brain cancer. Her family, friends, and community are devastated by this loss. A resident of Sugarloaf, CA, Davina was known as a selfless and caring individual and was a true friend to all who had the privilege of knowing her. Davina was a devoted educator for forty years in the Long Beach Unified School District, including over decade of service as a piano and mathematics teacher at Wilson High School, while simultaneously serving as the elected treasurer for the Teachers Union of Long Beach. She was an effective PTA President and Treasurer at Fremont Elementary School and was a highly recognized teacher throughout Southern California. Moreover, she was a proud elected delegate to the National Education Association Representative Assembly and worked tirelessly in many teaching organizations to ensure that her pupils and students throughout Southern California had access to quality education. Davina was no less engaged with her San Bernardino mountain community. As a part-time Big Bear resident for over twenty years, she was deeply engaged in local politics, serving as a member of the Big Bear Valley Republican Assembly and as Executive Vice President of the California Republican Assembly. She was a passionate advocate who believed in the promise and opportunity that the Big Bear Valley and the Golden State represent. A 3rd generation Californian, Davina stood for the best of what our home state offers and fought to safeguard the freedoms and prosperity that are corner stones of the American dream. Davina had an impact on every life she touched, and she will be deeply missed by all who knew her. My thoughts and prayers are with Davina's family and fiends as they navigate this difficult loss. I ask my colleagues to join me in mourning Davina's passing and celebrating her life.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Kentucky, my friend and colleague, for the opportunity to present my bill, H.R. 498, the 9-8-8 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act. Mr. Speaker, according to the CDC, in 2022, nearly 50,000 Americans took their own lives. This is a shocking and, frankly, shameful commentary on the state of mental health in this country. Mr. Speaker, that amounts to over 100 suicides a day. In response to this growing crisis, in 2005, Congress authorized the 988 lifeline. 988 is a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week hotline that anyone with suicidal thoughts can call to be connected to counseling and resources. In the first year of operation, the 988 lifeline received nearly 50,000 calls, and it has continued to grow in the years since then. It has undoubtedly saved thousands of American lives. Unfortunately, 14 months ago, the 988 lifeline was taken down by a cyberattack on its systems operator. Mr. Speaker, every minute that lifeline is offline is the potential for the loss of American lives because those resources are not available to them. This bill is an attempt to solve that problem. H.R. 498 would require 988 systems operators to report cybersecurity vulnerabilities and would require the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate in addressing those vulnerabilities. The bill would also require the Comptroller General to create a study of the cybersecurity vulnerabilities on the hotline and the ways that those vulnerabilities can be addressed. Mr. Speaker, the 988 lifeline is a vital resource for Americans who might be having suicidal thoughts or contemplating the irrevocable act of taking their own lives. This bill is a small step in making sure that that lifeline remains available to the Americans who are depending on it. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Kentucky for bringing this bill forward to the floor, and I respectfully urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' and pass this bill to the Senate.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this joint resolution which would overturn a completely nonsensical ruling by the National Labor Relations Board. The NLRB is seeking to expand the definition of an employer to include what they call joint employers. That is an employer who exerts indirect control or even potential control over an employee. Madam Speaker, it has been said that those who do not honor the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them, and we are about to make the same mistake that we made almost 10 years ago when the NLRB took this exact same action. What happened? It raised costs for small businesses by over $33 billion and resulted in the loss of nearly 400,000 jobs. Madam Speaker, that will happen again if this ruling is allowed to stand. It is completely appropriate that Congress is taking this action under the Congressional Review Act because this is a decision that has major consequences for employers across our country, and, yet, it has been made by a set of unelected bureaucrats. Madam Speaker, under our Constitution, the power to regulate interstate commerce resides here in this Chamber in this building and not with an unelected executive branch agency. Madam Speaker, this commonsense resolution would overturn that ruling, returning that power not only to Congress but to small businesses across our country, and I urge its adoption.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor for me to be here to thank my friend and former Speaker, Kevin McCarthy, for his service to this country and to our Conference. I had the experience of getting to know Kevin when I first decided to run for Congress. I got a call from my predecessor alerting me that he would announce the next day that he was not running for reelection. I had to quite suddenly make the decision about whether or not I wanted to run for Congress. I got a call from Kevin, and Kevin said: Jay, I believe in you. You can do it. I will help you. And he did. Once I was elected and sworn in as a Member of the House of Representatives, I was shocked to discover that I was 1 of over 100 Members of this Chamber who could say that of Kevin. There were over 100 Members who Kevin had given the confidence to step up and serve their country. Kevin and I subsequently became good friends. What I discovered about his leadership style is that it is a leadership style that I think I honor the most, that of servant leader. Every decision that Kevin makes and has made as leader was not for his own self-aggrandizement or his own betterment. The decisions that he made served the interests of the people who he led, the Conference, his constituents, and the Members of this Chamber. He also exhibited a quality that I think is unfortunately pretty rare in public servants, that of humility. Kevin is an amazingly humble man. If you met him on the street, you would never guess that he was third in line to the Presidency. Mr. Speaker, I will share a story, and Kevin probably doesn't even remember that this happened. Earlier this year, I was giving a constituent and their family a tour of the Capitol. They were here in D.C. They had a couple of children with them. I was showing them the rotunda when Kevin came bustling out of his office, surrounded by a whole group of people. You could tell he was on his way somewhere important. He saw me and stopped. All of his people were saying: Kevin, we have to go. We have to go. He stopped, walked over, and asked to be introduced to my constituents. He insisted on taking a picture with them in the rotunda. I will tell you, that made not just their day but their entire trip. They still talk to me about it. Kevin would do that for any Member of this Chamber. It has been an incredible honor to serve under his leadership. I have no doubt that the future is bright for my friend, Kevin McCarthy, and that we can expect even more great things in the future. Kevin, I thank you for your leadership. I am excited to learn about what the future holds for you.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Brigadier General Matthew Ward Higer's retirement from our United States Air Force. His final assignment on Active Duty was as Commander of the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base, California. In this role General Higer led nearly 8,000 personnel in the developmental test and evaluation of the KC-46, KC-135, KC-10, C-17, C-5, F-35, F-22, F-16, B-1, B-2, B-21, B- 52, T-7A, RO-4, and numerous other emerging technologies. General Higer also served as the Installation Commander of United States Air Force Production Plant 42 and Edwards Air Force Base, globally recognized as the center of the aerospace testing universe. General Higer has proudly served our country as a military officer since he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on May 7, 1993, through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, Detachment 060, at the University of Southern California. He served our nation as an F- 16 instructor pilot and an experimental test pilot amassing 3,000 military flight hours in 40 different aircraft. His 30-year career encompasses two combat deployments, countless nights away from family, and fifteen assignments at diverse locations well beyond California including Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Texas, South Korea, and right here in Washington D.C. His leadership potential and demonstrated commitment to integrity, service, and excellence resulted in his promotion to Brigadier General on December 2, 2020. General Higer exemplifies the very best of our High Desert community and our nation's commitment to building servicemembers dedicated to the profession of arms. His superior leadership and devotion to duty has not gone unrecognized. He is the recipient of decorations including the Aerial Achievement Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and upon his retirement he will be awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. General Higer's active duty military service to our nation would not have been possible without the love, support, and encouragement of his family. His wife of 22 years, Leslie--also an Air Force veteran, and children, Alex and Zev, are also each deserving of our deepest gratitude for their support of the General throughout his service to our country. Heather and I thank the General and his famijy for their devotion, service, and sacrifice. I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Brigadier General Higer for his three decades of selfless service to our Nation, in commending him for his steadfast dedication to our Constitution, and in wishing him many years of joy and peace in his well-earned retirement.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and commemmorate the passing of Nicholas Whitehall, a lifelong resident of San Bernandino County and proud law enforcement officer, husband, father, and grandfather. A friend to all, Officer Whitehall was an honored member of his community and a loving member of his family. Heather and I are praying for the Whitehall family as they navigate this difficult loss. An Inland Empire native, Officer Whitehall was born in Fontana, California on January 24, 1970, to John Henry Whitehall and Nita Joyce Latham. He attended Victor Valley College (VVC), where he earned an Associates Degree in Administration of Justice. Upon graduating from VVC, he began a long and successful career protecting our prisons, including seven years at the Desert View Prison. Critically, Officer Whitehall played a vital role in assisting in opening several institutions at FCC Victorville. He served FCC Victorville admirably for over 23 years, including work as a Lock Shop and Armory Specialist before his untimely passing. Officer Whitehall was much more than a law enforcement officer: he was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He raised four children, James, Matthew, Katherine, and Ashley and was rewarded with fourteen grandchildren--a testament to his role as a loving father and devoted husband. He cared deeply for his family and did his utmost to ensure that his wife and children enjoyed a loving and secure home. Hardworking, kind people like Officer Whitehall are critical to the future of our community, state, and country. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Officer Whitehall and recognizing him and his family for their contributions to San Bernardino County.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4468, the Choice in Automotive Retail Sales Act. A few months ago, the EPA proposed a new rule that would effectively require the vast majority of automobiles sold in the United States to be electric within just a few years. Now, Mr. Speaker, I have nothing against electric vehicles, but I feel very strongly that American families should be empowered to choose the vehicle that best meets their needs rather than having their government make that decision for them. Mr. Speaker, I represent over 100,000 people who commute from my rural California district back and forth into Los Angeles every single day. For those people, an electric vehicle is not only unaffordable, it is also impractical. Preserving their ability to make their own choice on this issue also preserves the market forces that incentivize manufacturers to continue to lower the cost of electric vehicles and increase their quality. Mr. Speaker, that is good not only for families, but also for the environment. That is why I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, it is with a heavy heart I rise today to honor the life of Mr. Aiden Ortiz, who was tragically struck and killed by a vehicle at age twelve on September 25, 2023. His family, friends, and community are devastated by this sudden loss. A sixth grader at Melva Davis Academy of Excellence. Aiden Ortiz was known as a selfless, caring son and friend to all who had the privilege of knowing him. As a father of two myself, it is nearly impossible to imagine losing one's child. I treasure every moment with my sons, and losing a child so suddenly is every parent's greatest fear. Aiden was caring and always put others ahead of himself. According to his baseball coach, Rodney McNealy, Aiden has been a part of the league since Tee-ball and made a name for himself in the Majors Division of the Adelanto Little League, where he played for the Rockies last spring. Aiden was a true sportsman whose passion for baseball and life was contagious. While Aiden's life was tragically cut short, he made a tremendous impact on every life he touched. Aiden is survived by his mother Allyssa, his stepfather, Alex, and his two siblings. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him. My thoughts and prayers are with Aiden's family as they navigate this difficult loss. I ask my colleagues to join me in mourning Aiden's passing and celebrating his life.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and recognize the 100th birthday of my constituent, Mr. Michael Anthony Mercadante of Helendale, California. Mike was born on September 20, 1923, to Joseph Mercadante and Maria Santa Padre, who immigrated from Italy to pursue the American Dream. Mike grew up in Providence, Rhode Island. At a young age, he began working a variety of difficult jobs, including at a steel mill and as a delivery boy using a horse and carriage, At age 18, Mike answered the highest of callings--serving his country during a time of war. He and his friends joined the Army during WWII, serving in the Artillery tank division in the South Pacific repairing tanks and overseeing communication between troops. Following the war, Mike continued to serve in the Army in the Active Reserves, attaining the rank of Master Sergeant and training troops for the Korean and Vietnam Wars for 23 years. In addition to his long military career, Mike taught high school for over 25 years. After graduating from Bryant University, he taught machine and auto shop and Redondo Union High School in Redondo Beach, California and eventually coached baseball at St. Hedwig's School in Los Alamitos. As a coach, teacher, and mentor, Mike was known for his passion for baseball and for helping kids achieve success. After moving to Helendale, Mike served as the commander and chief of Citizens on Patrol for nearly 25 years. His service, work ethic, and passion for our community serves as an inspiration for all of us. Mike's passion for his students, his community, and his country is equaled by his love for his family. He married Leonardi Cathrine (Kay) in Lawton, Oklahoma in 1946 and together they proudly raised 7 children--Connie, Cathy, Michael, Mary, Stephen, Robert, and Linda. They are blessed with 30 grandchildren. I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating Michael Mercadante's 100th birthday. His contributions have had a profound impact on our High Desert Community.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act, a bill that I introduced with several of my colleagues on the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Mr. Speaker, I represent a rural district in California. This bill does nothing more or less than preserving their ability to choose for themselves what vehicle works best for them. Mr. Speaker, I will tell you that I represent over 100,000 people who commute long distances to get to work and back every day. If electric vehicles were a less expensive and more efficient way for them to perform that commute, they would already own them. In addition, we have heard testimony that we do not have even a quarter of the copper we would need to convert the current fleet of vehicles to electric vehicles; not even a quarter for the current production year, and that is not to mention other critical minerals, such as graphite, manganese, cobalt, and lithium. It would be much more efficient to convert our current vehicles to hybrid vehicles that only require a battery one-fifth the size. We can do five times as many hybrids as we could electric vehicles. Unfortunately, the waiver that is being sought by the State of California would completely prevent hybrid vehicles from being sold in the State starting in the year 2035. Mr. Speaker, this bill is common sense. If you believe in being good stewards of the environment, which I think everyone in this Chamber does, we should vote for this bill because five times as many hybrids is much better than one times as many electric vehicles.

Mr. OBERNOLTE

Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Louisiana for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I will talk for a few minutes tonight about a critically important bill that we are debating on the House floor this week. It is one of the must-pass bills for us this year, the appropriations bills for military construction and funding for the Veterans Affairs. MILCON- VA we call it. This will establish funding levels for these critically important programs for the next fiscal year. The job of crafting this legislation was particularly problematic this year because many people have heard about our commitment to fiscal responsibility and about the dire consequences of our inability to reduce Federal spending. Our deficit this year will be almost 6 percent of our gross domestic product--6 percent of everything our country makes just in deficit spending. Our national debt this year will be the highest it has ever been in the history of our country, and it is going to get even worse if we don't get this problem under control. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office in their 30-year projection says that 30 years from now at the rate we are going, our national debt in current dollars will exceed $1 million for every American household. That is clearly an unsustainable fiscal trajectory for our country. So the Appropriations Committee had the nearly impossible task this year of honoring our commitment to our veterans and fully funding the Veterans Affairs and our veterans health programs while at the same time honoring our commitment to cut wasteful government spending and our commitment to fiscal responsibility. Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to say that our colleagues in the Appropriations Committee have pulled off that seemingly impossible task. The bill we are considering this week fully funds both the VA and our veterans healthcare programs. In fact, it funds both of those programs at levels hundreds of millions of dollars more than the levels requested by the President because that is what is required to meet our commitments to our servicemen and -women. Yet, at the same time, it makes very meaningful reductions in wasteful government spending on other nonessential programs. It also accomplishes some things I am particularly excited about. It funds a program to modernize medical records at the VA. It also funds the expansion of the Arlington National Cemetery which is something that I think is a meaningful honoring of the promise that we have made to our veterans to be able to be buried at Arlington if they so choose. This program is an incredible demonstration of the commitment that the folks in this Chamber have to honoring our promise to our military servicemen and -women. Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone to support it and to thank our colleagues on the Appropriations Committee for their hard work on this.