Tom O’Halleran

Mr. O'HALLERAN

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Madam Speaker, as a nation, we have endured trying times and overcome many challenges, and now we face an unprecedented effort to ignore the will of the American people and the people of Arizona. Given the facts and the unprecedented events of tonight, this effort must be finished, and America can be united again. That is going to take leadership. We are all leaders. We are elected to be leaders. And if we are going to do that, we have to do it from respect to others, the idea that truth is important, that factual content is important, that we are going to tell the American people what is going on in this country and not what we hope they hear from a 30-second sound bite. I used to be a homicide investigator. My job was to follow the facts, develop a case, make decisions and recommendations based on where those facts led me. Following the process means that decisions cannot be made on rumors and innuendos alone. I am proud to say that Arizona has used mail-in voting for over two decades. Both Republicans and Democrats have long been proud of how our State has administered elections. In 2020, over 65 percent of eligible Arizonans voted, a record number. Our Republican Governor, Republican attorney general, Democratic secretary of state, and our State's election administrators and volunteers worked with integrity to administer a fair election. We saw turnout increases in both Republican and Democratic areas, and, in fact, more Republicans registered in this election than any other party. I am proud that many of our Tribal, rural, and underserved communities voted in record numbers, all during a pandemic. In 2020, Arizonans made their voices heard. The fact is, multiple Federal and State judges, agencies, and State elected officials concluded the winner was Joe Biden. In Arizona, this process was administered and overseen by officials from both parties. Election officials conducted random, hand-counted audits of many precincts that confirmed there were no errors that would change the result of the election. The fact is that the Republican chairman of Maricopa County, the largest Republican county in the State, the biggest population county, stated: ``More than 2 million ballots were cast in Maricopa County, and there is no evidence of fraud or misconduct or malfunction.'' He concluded: ``No matter how you voted, this election was administered with integrity, transparency, and in accordance with State laws.'' The fact is, the President, his campaign, and several Republican-led groups filed eight election lawsuits, all of which were dismissed. The Arizona Supreme Court, a body where all justices have been appointed by Republican Governors, unanimously dismissed the case. The justices found that the party had ``failed to present any evidence of `misconduct,' or `illegal votes' . . . let alone establish any degree of fraud or a significant error rate that would undermine the certainty of the election results.'' After these judicial rulings, the Governor said: ``I trust our election system. There's integrity in our election system.'' The fact is, Joe Biden is the certified winner of Arizona's 11 electoral votes. Arizona's elected and appointed officials from both parties followed the facts and came to this conclusion. I urge my colleagues to do the same. To my colleagues across the aisle, I know we may disagree on who we want as President, but what we personally want is not what matters here. Rather, the people's influence, as reflected in the certified electoral college results, is what matters. Facts matter. Undermining faith in our election process by attempting to mislead the American public only serves to weaken us and make us vulnerable to foreign actors who do us harm. For the good of our country, this must stop. Now is the time to come together to preserve our democracy and to protect our national security. I know my constituents are looking to Congress to move past its divisions, find common ground, and pass legislation to improve the lives of struggling families. We must stay focused on fighting the pandemic. We must work to ensure all Americans can be vaccinated as soon as possible so we can save American lives, safely reopen schools, get people back to work, and visit loved ones again. I urge my colleagues to follow this.

Mr. O'HALLERAN

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Damien Jerome Lopez, a brave first responder and firefighter from Globe, Arizona, who passed away last week after his battle with COVID-19. For over two decades, Damien bravely served his community as a first responder and firefighter, retiring as a Captain in 2016. This year, during the coronavirus pandemic, Lopez selflessly answered the call to care for his community and began working as a health care educator, assisting COVID-19 response efforts on the San Carlos Apache reservation. A beloved community member, colleague, friend, and father, he was known for his dedication to helping all people. Damien was a generous man with a kind heart and a warm sense of humor. I know how much he meant to the people of Globe. My family and I are keeping the Lopez family, Damien's friends and loved ones, and the entire Globe and San Carlos Apache communities in our prayers as we mourn his passing.

Mr. O'HALLERAN

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, well, here we are again. The CDC just announced that we are going through the most difficult time in U.S. public health history. Why are we here again? Two weeks ago, I asked that this body not leave, and we stay until we finish up the process of a COVID package. Today, we are back here again, still not having done that, and now Christmas is approaching. We will probably be leaving here next week, hopefully, with a package. But right now, that still is an unknown. I asked before August the same thing, that we not go back for August break until we identify a package and get it done in a bipartisan way, working toward protecting the American people, protecting families of America, protecting American businesses. Since then, we now have a projection by one of the top groups that have projected deaths, and they are saying 350,000 deaths just after Christmas. On December 1, 2,760 people died; on December 2, 3,157. Those projections are identified as increasing because of the amount of people hospitalized and the percentages historically that have been indicated. I ask Leader McConnell to please reconsider his statements. First, he had indicated that we were going to be able to address this issue just after the election. Politics should not be playing a role in this process. Now it is, when the new decision comes out by the bipartisan group in the Senate, he says he rejects it, and that maybe after the first of the year we will get to it. How many Americans have to die before we get serious about this? How many of our fellow citizens have to die, our friends, our neighbors? I don't know if there are any family members who have died, but they are in danger, I can guarantee. Our hospitals, our doctors are pleading day after day after day, do something about this. Please do something about this. We are overwhelmed. We can find beds for the doctors to be able to treat our citizens. What we cannot do is find doctors and nurses and technicians that are working 7 days a week, 16-hour days, going back to their families, going to bed, and coming back again. I do not understand it at all. If we are concerned about the economy, let's be concerned about the economy. The more deaths, the worse our economy will suffer. Homelessness, food instability, increasing mental health issues, education, increasing domestic violence, crime, this is going to continue to get worse unless we address the COVID issue now, not later, but now. Our leadership has been attempting to address this issue for some time. There is only one stumbling block and that is over in the Senate. I don't care if you agree with what has been proposed or not. Sit down at the damn table and talk about it. If you have to be there 20 hours a day, sit down and talk about it. You wouldn't do this in your normal life in business. I have never done that in my normal life in business. When we have something moving forward, we work at it, time and time and time again; and we have to do that now, with COVID. Not later, now. Urgent Needs of Tribal Communities

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, I also want to talk a little bit about Arizona's First Congressional District and our country, on the need to extend the Tribal deadline from December 31 for another year to make sure they have the opportunity to use the funds that were given to them. There is an assumption that you can, over a 6-month period, put millions of dollars out there and get something done right away. I know that; I am a former project manager. I know to build a building it takes 2 to 3 years to get the planning done and get the work done. And here, the CARES Act clearly indicated a need for COVID relief for the Tribal Nations, not just because they have not been able to address the issue, but they need to address the issue. Mr. Speaker, I say one more time, let's get this COVID thing done.

Mr. O'HALLERAN

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of National Rural Health Day. I am proud to represent Arizona's First Congressional District. Our district is larger than the State of Illinois, and it is one of the most rural in the country. Many of my constituents must spend hours traveling hundreds of miles to access any kind of care, let alone specialist care. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has hit our rural communities especially hard. In March, we passed the CARES Act: Sweeping legislation to address the coronavirus pandemic and provide relief to struggling healthcare facilities workers, families, small businesses, and Tribes. Within this package, we pushed to include $8 billion in funding specifically for our rural Tribal Nations. We also secured over $1 billion to support the Indian Health Service in Tribal health systems. The CARES Act included $200 million for new rural telehealth services and $3.1 billion in funding for community health centers. But this is not enough. We need to pass a new, comprehensive COVID-19 package now. A Talk About Life

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to divert for a second from what I have written here and talk about life. When I became a police officer a while back, I did it because I wanted to save lives. And right now, our doctors and our nurses across this country are doing that with limited help and with the need for more supplies. So our businesses are struggling. But when I would go to a door and knock on that door when I was a homicide investigator and tell someone's loved one that their son or daughter had died suddenly through violence, it was one of the harshest things I had to do in life, and I had to do it way too many times. And now I sit here almost 4 years and see a national emergency declared, and month after month after month we have not made a decision to help the American people again. Families are being broken up. We all care about families. People are suffering because they have lost their jobs. We care about that, I know, all of us. I know that each and every one of us, if we had a family member that was about to die, that we would want to be there by their side, but also, we would do everything we could to save that life. And, yet, here we sit as a body, and the Senate sits as a body, and the administration is here, and month after month after month we have failed to address these severe problems within our country. Whatever Governors do, they do. That is because part of the issue is that we haven't provided enough responsibility and direction. But the other part of it is that we just haven't gotten our job done. After 4 years I sit here and look out and know that 1,800 fellow Americans died yesterday and a thousand more the day before and a thousand more the day before that, and the amount of cases are going up and spiraling. Thank God the healthcare industry has found some ways to help our families. But the vaccine is not around the corner. It is months away from having any impact; months away. And people will still die; our fellow Americans. We cannot allow this to happen. We are going to be going on Thanksgiving break. Really? I couldn't comprehend it when we left for the summer and our fellow Americans were dying. I really can't comprehend going home for Thanksgiving and not working as hard as I can before that to make sure that our American families do not have to suffer anymore. When I worked in the Chicago neighborhoods as a police officer, people were suffering then without this going on. And now they are suffering even worse. This is something that I signed up for, to save lives as a police officer, and to do that here as much as we can. And we should all be going in that direction. I know you want to. I know we want to, but we have to show it. We can say to leadership, go leadership and negotiate. Us being here is a way of making sure they and our country know that we care. We care enough to not just go away week after week after week and not allow the people of America to know their leaders are here for them.

Mr. O'HALLERAN

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green) for hosting this important Special Order hour. I did used to be a Republican. I am no longer. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. As a former law enforcement officer, some of the very first calls I responded to involved domestic violence. I have seen firsthand the damage this uniquely hideous kind of violence can do to families and survivors. When you come to a situation like this and you look around the room, you can see it in the children's eyes, the fear that they have; you can see a family in turmoil; you can clearly identify the tension that is in the room; and too many times, sadly, you can also identify the damage that has been done through violence in that same room. As a member of the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence, I am proud to cosponsor and recognize the month of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Together, as one body, we must commit to working to secure justice for survivors both in and out of the courtroom. The courtroom is an important aspect, but it is not the only aspect of this. It is important and we have to get there. If we can resolve these issues before that by having appropriate help for that family, appropriate services for that family, the process of identifying the underlying causes that occurred in that family, then hopefully courtrooms will not have to be used. This Congress, I reintroduced my Help End Abusive Living Situations, or HEALS, Act legislation to assist the survivors of domestic violence to rapidly secure safe housing situations. No person experiencing domestic violence should be forced to stay in a dangerous situation because they do not have housing elsewhere. It is great to have family, but many of our victims don't have family nearby. We need to make sure that our victims are able to seek safety. In Arizona, when I was in the legislature, there was a shortage of domestic violence facilities to be able to house families. We overcame some of that, but it is still true today, and it is true in Arizona and many other States across this land. We must be able to stop that. Mr. Green clearly identified the amount of terrible and tragic deaths that occur every day. It also tears apart families. We need to help mend those families back to where they need to be in order to make sure that those children may have the potential to have a normal life. But if not that, we have to provide the necessary help. As the Representative of Arizona's First Congressional District, I am humbled to represent 12 sovereign Tribal nations. Federal data indicates that 55 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced physical violence by their intimate partners. I know for a fact that on many Tribal nations, help may not arrive for hours. On the Navajo reservation, in the last few years, three officers have died, not by answering a call for a bank robbery, or the fact that they have to go and address a burglary issue or help somebody else. They died because they had to be alone going there because there are no other police nearby. And they are dead today because of that, and their families are suffering still. I joined my colleagues to introduce the SURVIVE Act, a bill that would provide legal, medical, and counseling resources to women and children in Tribal communities who are survivors of domestic violence. It would also help those officers who have to respond to that scene and also the children of that family. Let's use Navajo as an example. Navajo is the size of West Virginia. It takes in parts of New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. Most of it is in Arizona. There are only about 220 officers for 3 shifts, sick leave, and everything else, to respond to domestic violence in areas far away from many of the towns nearby. To those experiencing domestic violence, and those who have lost a loved one to this hideous and deeply personal form of violence, I know that we cannot pretend to understand your pain, but we will keep fighting for change at every level. Another example, I had the sad responsibility to be a homicide investigator for 6 years. Many, many of those cases involved domestic violence. I also investigated the aftereffects of domestic violence without death. I can tell you, because I followed those families through court, time and time again, saw them year after year, the changes that occurred within that family because of the death of a loved one, because of the trauma that occurred, because of the sadness they still had in their hearts. Let's keep that in mind as we look down the path on how to address these types of issues and understand that it is a comprehensive approach. It is not just sending the police to a location and saying to a couple, ``Let's all go our different ways,'' and then leave. Society has to understand that we need to do more.

Mr. O'HALLERAN

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of H.R. 4447, the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act. I am proud that that bill was used as a shell for this legislation. This legislative package is the work of over 40 critical pieces of energy and environment legislation from the House. Many of the bills included in this package are bipartisan, and I would like to thank our leadership, committee chairs, and Members on both sides of the aisle for contributing to this effort. This bill will take meaningful steps to update our energy infrastructure, create new jobs, and take important steps to address climate change in our country. The last major Federal effort to address our changing energy landscape occurred in 2007. The urgency of the climate crisis and energy infrastructure crisis cannot be overstated. As the proud Representative of Arizona's First Congressional District, and as seen throughout the Western United States and our Nation, communities are facing the effects of climate change every day. From larger, deadlier forest fires to crippling droughts, Arizonans know the real-life implications of our changing planet. This is why today's bill is so important. It addresses the growing climate crisis and revitalizes our sagging energy economy. It creates much-needed job growth across our Nation. It is a win-win-win. As Members of Congress, we must work in a bipartisan manner to identify commonsense policy solutions to these critical issues and help hardworking families find a just transition as our energy economy continues to evolve. The legislative package we are voting on today does more than just update our Nation's energy infrastructure. It creates tens of thousands of new, good-paying energy jobs that support a family and will be created through the new programs, initiatives, and Federal projects created within this bill to accelerate the deployment of clean energy technologies. We make meaningful investments in research and development programs to unlock the energy technologies of tomorrow, limit our carbon footprint, and preserve the environment for future generations to enjoy and prosper. We need to continue to identify legislative initiatives like the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act that will work on a large scale to create new jobs in growing industries. I am humbled to see two bills I introduced, the Expanding Access to Sustainable Energy Act, and the Tribal Power Act, be included in today's critical legislative package. And I am proud to stand today in favor of the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting to pass this important legislation.

Mr. O'HALLERAN

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of my Blackwater Trading Post Land Transfer Act, which passed the House of Representatives by voice vote yesterday. I would like to thank Chairman Grijalva and Ranking Member Bishop for moving this bill through regular order. My bill is a commonsense fix that will bring the Blackwater Trading Post, which the Gila River Indian Community owns, into trust status. The Blackwater Trading Post is a culturally and historically significant place. As Members of Congress, we are able to restore Tribal homelands. I am honored that we did so yesterday. During these difficult times, I am glad that we are able to advance legislation that serves our constituents. I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for helping me move this initiative across the finish line. The Gila River Indian Community has worked hard to acquire this land, and passing this bill today is a celebration of their effort.

Mr. O'HALLERAN

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, on September 16, 2020, I did not have a chance to cast my vote for two bills on the floor of the House of Representatives. I would like the record to reflect that I would have voted in favor of H.R. 7909, the Ensuring Children and Child Care Workers Are Safe Act, legislation that I have cosponsored. Additionally, I would have voted against the motion to recommit and in favor of final passage for H.R. 2574, the Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act. Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 965, 116th Congress Barragan (Beyer) Blumenauer (Beyer) Butterfield (Kildee) Chu, Judy (Takano) Clay (Davids (KS)) Cohen (Beyer) Davis, Danny K. (Underwood) DeSaulnier (Matsui) Frankel (Clark (MA)) Grijalva (Raskin) Hastings (Wasserman Schultz) Jayapal (Raskin) Khanna (Gomez) Kirkpatrick (Gallego) Langevin (Lynch) Lawrence (Kildee) Lawson (FL) (Evans) Lieu, Ted (Beyer) Lipinski (Cooper) Lofgren (Jeffries) Lowenthal (Beyer) Lowey (Tonko) McEachin (Wexton) Meng (Clark (MA)) Moore (Beyer) Napolitano (Correa) Payne (Wasserman Schultz) Pingree (Clark (MA)) Pocan (Raskin) Porter (Wexton) Pressley (Lee (CA)) Rooney (FL) (Beyer) Roybal-Allard (Aguilar) Rush (Underwood) Serrano (Jeffries) Sewell (AL) (DelBene) Trahan (McGovern) Watson Coleman (Pallone) Welch (McGovern) Wilson (FL) (Hayes)

Mr. O'HALLERAN

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Madam Speaker, on September 14, 2020, I did not have a chance to cast my vote for two bills on the floor of the House of Representatives. I would have voted in favor of H.R. 4894, the Congressional Budget Justification Transparency Act of 2020, and S. 2193, the CHARGE Act

Mr. O'HALLERAN

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, legislation to repair and rebuild our Nation's crumbling infrastructure. I am pleased to see this bill make significant capital investments in our rural roads, schools, broadband expansion programs, and much more. I also want to note that outdated infrastructure disproportionately affects rural and Tribal communities, which too often lack access to quality electricity, water, and sanitation systems. To that end, I was pleased to see two bills I have sponsored included in the package. First, the Tribal Power Act, which ensures that Tribal communities get access to affordable energy sources by increasing funding for the Department of Energy's Indian energy education planning and management assistance program. Second is my bill for the planning, construction, and renovation of water, wastewater, and sanitation facilities across all of Indian Country. These much-needed updates to our infrastructure have been on Congress' back burner for decades, putting the health, safety, and growth of our communities at risk. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to voting in favor of this important bill and ask that you also do that.

Mr. O'HALLERAN

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share with my colleagues in Washington--and all watching at home--the dire situation COVID-19 has created in the Navajo Nation and across our Nation. But first, standing in this Chamber today, I want to recognize the nearly 100,000 lives lost thus far to the coronavirus, a staggering number that has affected families, communities, economy, frontline first responders, and many others. Though some Americans may feel they have reached a new normal, hot spots across our Nation are still in the thick of this pandemic, and the fear for what might come in the fall and winter is at the forefront of our thoughts. One of those hot spots is the Navajo Nation. Per capita, the Navajo Nation has more confirmed coronavirus cases than any U.S. State. Under the CARES Act, signed into law March 27, my colleagues and I fought to include $8 billion for Tribal governments to use for expenses incurred during the pandemic. The first round of that funding did not reach the Navajo Nation until May 5. Much of the delay was because officials within the Department of the Interior were considering allocating a portion of this $8 billion to the Alaska Natives Corporation, a group of for-profit entities that generate billions of dollars in revenue each year, and answer to individual stakeholders. I immediately joined the voices of Tribes across our Nation in demanding that these funds reach established Tribal governments, not corporations. On April 27, a U.S. district judge announced that the Treasury Department could begin distributing money to federally-recognized Tribes, and not to this corporate group. Delayed funding is not the only issue here. While Tribes wait for the rest of the CARES Act money they were promised, politics in Washington continue to complicate already acute public health concerns on Navajo. Recent reports indicate that respirator masks sent to Navajo Nation hospitals through a Federal contract with a former White House staffer may be faulty. I have serious concerns about the lack of oversight and accountability in this contract-awarding process, considering that this $3 million deal was awarded to a friend of the administration with no prior Federal contracting experience, who had only been in business for 11 days. It is unacceptable for government to be delivering anything other than what is needed to any community, much less a hard-hit community like Navajo. I have asked my colleagues here to help me launch an immediate investigation into the potentially faulty PPE, and to make sure that the entire contracting process receives more oversight. While Tribes deal with the fallout politics has caused, they endure other factors that have complicated this pandemic as well. Critical water, sanitation, and broadband projects throughout the Navajo Nation remain unfunded and firmly on Congress' back burner. Since coming to Washington in 2017, I have tried to raise the alarm about these long-overlooked issues. I have worked with Tribal governments, shareholders in my district, and my colleagues here on Capitol Hill to find solutions to the problems faced by Indian Country. This public health crisis continues to shine a brighter light on the hurdles that many Tribal families face every day, not just during a global pandemic. I hope I can count on the many who have joined me in speaking up for Tribal communities to continue to do so after this crisis because lives are at stake here. Tribal communities are tired of partisan games and political spin. They need the resources they were promised so each sovereign Nation can care for their people. The Dine people are resilient and they will win this fight. In a report yesterday from my friend and Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, he noted that the Navajo Nation's own aggressive public health measures have helped flatten the curve of COVID-19 significantly. The situation could have been much worse without his leadership, and the region remains at a high risk if the Federal Government does not step up and do its part.

Mr. O'HALLERAN

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Madam Speaker, it is my honor to include in the Record the below piece, by Chairman Terry Rambler of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, which appeared in Indian Country Today in remembrance of Memorial Day. Chairman Rambler's piece is an excellent example of how we should honor Native American Veterans, and all Veterans, on Memorial Day. Hello everyone. I will share with you some thoughts about Memorial Day. It is a day to honor our fallen heroes, a day to look at the flag and to remember the sacrifices made by our military members, to honor their place of final rest. For some, this is a day for picnics, family gatherings, and barbeques, but it is so much more. For the past two months, we all have been consumed with the coronavirus. These are dark, fearful times. Congress has spent more than $6 trillion on mitigation and economic recovery. Some 38 million Americans are unemployed. One in four businesses have closed temporarily, another 100,000 have gone out of business or declared bankruptcy, and some 7.5 million small businesses are at risk of closing permanently. Over 1.5 million Americans have been infected by this virus, and over 98,000 have died. We have lived with a fear of a kind not known in our lifetimes. We wash our hands, sanitize, avoid crowds and keep everyone 6 feet or more away. Some liken this to a war. But it is not. War happens when countries fight over ideals with known enemies. War happens on a battlefield. War brings a different sense of fear than this virus. War happens when presidents and kings make their citizens warriors. Warriors put their lives at risk for what their flag stands for--God and country, patriotism, nationhood, protection of the homeland. The smell and sound of war create horror and shock. In war, blood is spilled, lives are shattered, people are traumatized, many are maimed for life; others are permanently scarred mentally and spiritually, and lives are blown apart. Through it all, warriors fight to the death. That is what our military forces do--they do as they are ordered; they fight to the death, for their flag, for their homeland, for the ideals of their country. Many fight with courage. Many fight with fear wrapped tightly around their heart. Today, this Memorial Day, without question, every American must honor those who died fighting for our great country and its ideals of democracy, freedom, equality and liberty. Our fallen warriors are our heroes, after all. They fought and sacrificed themselves for our greater good when we could not. For these reasons Memorial Day is the day when we honor our fallen military warriors, our heroes. This day is thus a solemn day, one that was created out of respect for the more than 1 million soldiers who have died in the field of combat over the history of the United States. As President Obama once said, Memorial Day is the day ``when we recall all those who gave everything in the darkness of war so we could stand here in the glory of Spring.'' Apaches, too, have served with valor and distinction. Many did not come home. They made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Of the many, many Apache warriors who died in the field of combat, the late United States Army PFC Ernest Stanley comes to mind. Private Stanley served with the 333rd Infantry Regiment and 84th Infantry Division. He was killed in action during the Battle of the Bulge. In December 1944, 410,000 German troops surged into Belgium, France and Luxembourg. During the 40 day battle, there were 89,000 American casualties and 19,000 killed. Private Stanley died over 5,000 miles from home on a severely cold, winter day. He was a volunteer, a lone Apache warrior. He joined the Army to fight for our country. He fought for what was right. He fought against the tyranny of fascism and the racist hatred that the Nazis stood for. And, Private Stanley did so willingly and with his brothers at arms, because theirs was a fight for peace and humanity itself--that is the true irony of war; to fight for peace and security. I thought of Private Stanley when I visited the American Indian Veterans National Memorial located at the Heard Museum. The Memorial honors the service and sacrifice of tribal members spanning more than 300 years. In the Memorial stands a sculpture known as Unconquered II, by Chiricahua Apache sculptor Allan Houser. It shows two Apache Scouts, one standing, holding a rifle; the other kneeling, holding a spear--both look out in the same direction, their eyes fixed on something in the distance. They are ready--ready to fight. These two bronze figures stand for all warriors, past and present. Looking at that sculpture, one word comes to mind, Ahi'yi'e (thank you). Join with me and give thanks to all our fallen Apache warriors. Give thanks to those Apache warriors that died fighting for our Tribe and America, because they did so for our freedom and our liberty. We must all provide our deep, deep respects to our fallen warriors who, like Private Stanley, exemplify bravery, honor, courage, and service. Barbeques and family picnics are a good thing. Many do this on Memorial Day. But this Memorial Day, I urge you to take a moment, honor our fallen heroes. Give thanks for those who you can name, and for those whose names have been forgotten to time. Their lives were sacrificed for an ideal--the American dream. They gave everything up for their homeland, so that our Reservation and all of America remains safe and protected. They gave their lives so that we can be here on this clear, beautiful Spring day. May our Creator God bless our fallen warriors. God bless you and your families. God bless America. Ahi'yi'e.

Mr. O'HALLERAN

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the lives of Cheryl and Corrina Thinn, sisters and frontline workers who passed away in late April after battling the coronavirus. Both Cheryl and Corrina served their communities for years, dedicating their lives to protecting the health and safety of the people on Navajo Nation, and selflessly continued their service on the frontlines of this ongoing public health crisis. Cheryl served as a Navajo Nation juvenile detention officer and a Navajo Nation Emergency Medical Service member. She then went on to serve and care for her community through her work for the Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation. She is survived by her son. Corrina protected her community for 11 years as an officer with the Navajo Nation Police Department, eventually becoming a Senior Navajo Police Department Officer with the Tuba City District. She then earned a master's degree in social work and worked tirelessly to better the lives of Arizonans, working for health centers throughout the Navajo Nation as well as tribes throughout Arizona. Corrina is survived by two sons, a grandson, and a granddaughter. My heart breaks for the loved ones of these devoted and compassionate frontline workers. Pat and I are keeping Cheryl and Corrina's family, friends, and the entire Navajo Nation community in our thoughts as we continue to mourn their passing.

Mr. O'HALLERAN

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the CARES Act. Families and businesses across America and Arizona are struggling, and healthcare workers and first responders are being asked to perform their important work without proper protective gear. In my district, the Navajo Nation is dealing with a disproportionately high amount of COVID-19 cases. There were 71 confirmed cases in the community as of last night. This bill allocates over $1 billion to the Indian healthcare service and to Tribal healthcare providers and over $400 million to Tribal governments for equipment. I urge my fellow colleagues to vote for this legislative package that will provide relief to struggling American families and ensure the Tribal communities are not overlooked. There is no excuse for our healthcare professionals to not be protected and our first responders.

Mr. O'HALLERAN

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Officer David Kellywood. Officer Kellywood was a White Mountain Apache Police Officer who was killed in the line of duty last month. David Kellywood grew up in the White Mountain Apache community in rural Arizona. He bravely protected and served his community for four years as a corrections officer, a detention officer, and then a police officer. He was dedicated and hardworking, and those who knew and loved him appreciated his bright sense of humor and kind heart. He gave the ultimate sacrifice at age 26 to protect the community he loved, and leaves behind two young sons. As a former law enforcement officer, I know firsthand the dangerous, ever-changing circumstances law enforcement officers face every day, and the stress their loved ones endure. My heart breaks for Officer Kellywood's wife and two sons. Pat and I are keeping Officer Kellywood's family, friends, and the entire White Mountain Apache community in our thoughts as we continue to mourn his passing.

Mr. O'HALLERAN

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Madam Speaker, on March 2, 2020, I did not have a chance to cast my vote for two bills on the floor of the House of Representatives due to unforeseen travel delays. Had I been present, I would have voted in favor of H.R. 5003, the Fair Debt Collection Practices for Servicemembers Act, as amended, and H.R. 5932, the Ensuring Chinese Debt Transparency Act of 2020, as amended.''

Mr. O'HALLERAN

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and the legacy of Joe Vandever, Sr., who passed away recently at the age of 96. Joe was a Navajo native code talker, a member of an elite group that used their native tongue to create unbreakable codes and transmit top- secret messages during World War II. Joe bravely enlisted with the U.S. Marine Corps at the age of 20 and served in nine different locations until he was honorably discharged as a corporal in 1946. Here is a great part of his story, besides all the work he did for our military. Joe is survived by his sister, his six children, 36 grandchildren, 55 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. We must never forget the immense bravery and sacrifices made by the Navajo code talkers. They saved countless lives and helped turn the tide of World War II. Pat and I are keeping Joe's family and friends and the entire Navajo Nation community in our prayers as we mourn his passing. There are very few code talkers left in our country today. I have gotten to know most of them, and it has been a great honor.

Mr. O'HALLERAN

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Sophie Yazzie, Arizona's longest living veteran. She passed away last weekend at the age of 105. A member of the Navajo Nation, Sophie was born in Canyon De Chelly, Arizona. At age 28, she enlisted in the Women's Army Air Corps, and served until she was honorably discharged. Known for her kindness and compassion, Sophie lived a full life following her service to our country, working at Wingate Boarding School. She is survived by her four children, five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Arizona and the Navajo Nation have lost an incredible community member and role model to many. Pat and I are keeping Sophie's family and friends, and the entire Navajo Nation community in our prayers as we mourn her passing,

Mr. O'HALLERAN

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in defense of the American healthcare system. Last week, the administration proposed a new demonstration program that would allow States to apply for block grants. These would permit States to slash funding for their Medicaid programs, reduce protections for beneficiaries, and restrict eligibility standards. A recent study by George Washington University found that these changes would also result in community health centers treating 5 million fewer patients over the next 4 years. This is unacceptable. Federal law already gives Medicaid flexibility to change from State to State. These proposed block grants are nothing more than cuts to funding for the program. Today, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for a resolution condemning these proposed changes as what they are: attacks on our healthcare system and those with preexisting conditions.

Mr. O'HALLERAN

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay my respects to Jody Wilson, a veteran who passed away last month. Jody was dearly loved by her friends, family, and community. She served bravely in the United States Army for 9 years. After her military service, Jody served her community as a clerk, a nurse, and later as a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service. Her kindness, sense of humor, and infectious smile were sources of joy for those who knew and loved her. Arizona has lost an incredible community member, veteran, and public servant. Pat and I are keeping Jody's family, friends, and community in our prayers as we mourn her passing.

Mr. O'HALLERAN

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Michael F. Doyle), and Mr. Latta for the opportunity. I also thank Congresswoman Spanberger for her great work on this and the introduction of the bill. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Secure 5G and Beyond Act. This spring, I joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers to cosponsor this important legislation to protect next generation telecommunications systems and mobile infrastructure in the United States. According to a 2018 NATO report, Huawei, a Chinese multinational technology company and supplier of 5G technology, could be exploited by China to engage in espionage, monitor foreign corporations and governments, and support Chinese military operations. In fact, earlier this year, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford, called the potential risks of a Chinese-built 5G network a ``critical national security issue'' for the United States. To combat these potential threats, our bill requires the administration to develop an unclassified national strategy to protect U.S. consumers and assist allies to maximize the security of their 5G telecommunications systems. The next generation of telecommunications systems is going to revolutionize our economy, and it is important that every corner of our country has access to the latest technology, especially the area I represent, rural Arizona, and the rest of rural America. With the rapid expansion of new technology infrastructure, it is critical that these systems are secure and the privacy of all Americans is protected. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in support of H.R. 2881.

Mr. O'HALLERAN

Mr. O'HALLERAN. I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. O'HALLERAN. Mr. Chairman, today, I rise in support of my amendment to H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act. I would first like to thank Chairman Pallone and Chairman Neal for committing to work with me on this amendment and the committee staff for their efforts as well. I am proud to represent Arizona's First Congressional District. Our district is larger than the State of Illinois and is one of the most rural in the country. This year, I have held 26 townhalls across the vast district. At each and every one, I heard from rural residents struggling to access quality healthcare close to home. That is why I introduced my amendment. My amendment would reward grants to hospitals in rural and medically underserved areas so these hospitals are able to establish a graduate medical education program or partner with an approved hospital to host residents. According to the Congressional Research Service, more than half of family medicine physicians reside within 100 miles of where they trained as residents. My amendment will incentivize doctors to stay in practice in our rural communities by providing opportunities to bring medical students to rural areas for residency training. Hospitals are not reimbursed for hosting graduate medical education programs until they are fully established. The grants awarded under my amendment would cover associated startup costs for hospitals, including necessary infrastructure, equipment, and fees. My amendment also requires the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office to issue a report on the success of the changes that this education will implement, including analysis of whether residents stayed in the rural communities where they trained. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, our country will suffer a shortage of over 120,000 physicians by the year 2032. We are already losing physicians across rural America, and rural areas will be hit especially hard. I am offering my amendment today to mitigate the effects that those seeking care in rural areas will experience. As we move forward with H.R. 3, we must not leave our rural communities on the back burner. Our rural communities will not be able to access their medications in the first place if they cannot access providers. My amendment takes an all-of-the-above approach to improving rural healthcare by expanding access and revamping the ways we recruit qualified medical professionals in the area where we need them most. I reserve the balance of my time.