Alex Padilla

Mr. PADILLA

Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, on Thursday, April 4, the California State University, Northridge's--CSUN--``Soraya'' performing arts center honored the four-decade career of former CSUN president, Dr. Jolene Koester. I rise today to celebrate the tremendous contributions she has made to the California State University community and to California at large. Dr. Jolene Koester was born in Plato, MN, as the eldest of five children. Dr. Koester was the daughter of an auto mechanic and a stay- at-home mom; both her parents had never finished high school. But even in a rural town where, as she says, girls ``were never encouraged to consider a future outside of the home,'' Dr. Koester dreamed bigger. Early on, it was in the classroom where Dr. Koester found mentors, friends, and a passion for learning that would last her a lifetime. It is that same passion that carried her through her studies to earn a bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota, a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Ph.D. in speech communication after returning home to Minnesota. Despite hailing from a small, Midwest town that wouldn't even fill half of the performing arts center she would one day help build, Dr. Koester set out on what would become a 40-year career with the California State University system. After starting as an assistant professor at California State University, Sacramento, Dr. Koester quickly rose through the ranks, holding various positions in the academic affairs division before being appointed to serve as provost and vice president for academic affairs in 1993. In 2000, Dr. Koester was appointed to become the fourth president of CSUN, one of the largest campuses in the CSU system and the only public university in the San Fernando Valley. Under her leadership as president, she helped expand CSUN's student population by over 25 percent, increased retention and graduation rates, and opened their brandnew, state-of-the-art 1,700-seat performing arts center. After retiring as president of CSUN in 2011, Dr. Koester made her return to the CSU system in 2022, when she was appointed to serve as the interim chancellor of the entire CSU system, the second woman ever to lead the 23-university system. On a personal note, as a proud San Fernando Valley-native, I have seen Dr. Koester's genuine commitment to the San Fernando Valley. Appointed in the wake of the Northridge earthquake and following a decade of social and political unrest, Dr. Koester brought a vision and a resilience to campus that matched the hopes of our community. Her service and dedication to our community has made us proud. Whether in a small town in Minnesota or at the largest 4-year public university system in the Nation, the guidance of one mentor or leader can change the trajectory of countless students' lives. For tens of thousands of students in California, Dr. Jolene Koester has been that leader. CSU Northridge, the CSU system, and the entire State of California will always be grateful for her contributions.

Mr. PADILLA

Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to introduce bipartisan legislation that aims to improve flexibility around compensatory and environmental mitigation for U.S Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works infrastructure projects. This legislation would provide the Army Corps with the authority to contract with a third-party provider for the full-scale delivery of compensatory mitigation for Civil Works projects. Compensatory mitigation refers to the restoration, establishment, enhancement, or preservation of wetlands, streams, or other aquatic resources for the purpose of offsetting unavoidable adverse impacts authorized by Clean Water Act section 404 permits and other Department of the Army permits. Not only does the Army Corps require Clean Water Act permittees to mitigate for discharges into U.S. waters, the Corps itself must also mitigate for impacts from Civil Works flood control, navigation, and water supply projects U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works projects often impact jurisdictional waters under the Clean Water Act or terrestrial and aquatic species which require mitigation offsets. However, since 2015, the Corps has started or completed an average of just 58 percent of its required annual mitigation, which means about 42 percent of Civil Works projects have been constructed without their impacts timely addressed through mitigation, according to annual status reports on construction projects requiring mitigation. The urgent need to improve the delivery and durability of mitigation alongside Civil Works projects is even greater in California's Sacramento region, which is one of the most at-risk areas for flooding in the United States due to its location at the confluence of and within the floodplain of the American and Sacramento Rivers. American River Common Features is a Corps Civil Works flood control project that is critical to protect the growing city of Sacramento and surrounding areas. However, due to a mitigation bank credit shortage in the Sacramento Region, there are no available credits to offset the projects impacts for the Corps, and the inability to directly contract with a third-party risks delaying construction of this critical public safety project. This legislation would allow the Corps to directly contract with a third-party for the use of permittee-responsible compensatory mitigation, mitigation banks, and in-lieu programs, and apply performance standards and criteria outlined by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations issued in 2008 to improve the quality and success of compensatory mitigation projects for activities authorized by Department of the Army permits. As stated in the Federal Register, ``This rule improves the planning, implementation and management of compensatory mitigation projects by emphasizing a watershed approach in selecting compensatory mitigation project locations, requiring measurable, enforceable ecological performance standards and regular monitoring for all types of compensation and specifying the components of a complete compensatory mitigation plan, including assurances of long-term protection of compensation sites, financial assurances, and identification of the parties responsible for specific project tasks.'' While the bill does not require Corps Civil Works to utilize this authority, clarifying the Corps' authority to directly contract with third-parties, as this legislation does, would improve the delivery and durability of compensatory mitigation projects for Civil Works projects across the country to ensure the construction of critical flood control, navigation, and water supply projects. I thank my colleague Senator Tillis from North Carolina for introducing this bill with me, and I look forward to its consideration for the 2024 Water Resources Development Act.

Mr. PADILLA

Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to introduce bipartisan legislation that aims to improve flexibility around compensatory and environmental mitigation for U.S Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works infrastructure projects. This legislation would provide the Army Corps with the authority to contract with a third-party provider for the full-scale delivery of compensatory mitigation for Civil Works projects. Compensatory mitigation refers to the restoration, establishment, enhancement, or preservation of wetlands, streams, or other aquatic resources for the purpose of offsetting unavoidable adverse impacts authorized by Clean Water Act section 404 permits and other Department of the Army permits. Not only does the Army Corps require Clean Water Act permittees to mitigate for discharges into U.S. waters, the Corps itself must also mitigate for impacts from Civil Works flood control, navigation, and water supply projects U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works projects often impact jurisdictional waters under the Clean Water Act or terrestrial and aquatic species which require mitigation offsets. However, since 2015, the Corps has started or completed an average of just 58 percent of its required annual mitigation, which means about 42 percent of Civil Works projects have been constructed without their impacts timely addressed through mitigation, according to annual status reports on construction projects requiring mitigation. The urgent need to improve the delivery and durability of mitigation alongside Civil Works projects is even greater in California's Sacramento region, which is one of the most at-risk areas for flooding in the United States due to its location at the confluence of and within the floodplain of the American and Sacramento Rivers. American River Common Features is a Corps Civil Works flood control project that is critical to protect the growing city of Sacramento and surrounding areas. However, due to a mitigation bank credit shortage in the Sacramento Region, there are no available credits to offset the projects impacts for the Corps, and the inability to directly contract with a third-party risks delaying construction of this critical public safety project. This legislation would allow the Corps to directly contract with a third-party for the use of permittee-responsible compensatory mitigation, mitigation banks, and in-lieu programs, and apply performance standards and criteria outlined by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations issued in 2008 to improve the quality and success of compensatory mitigation projects for activities authorized by Department of the Army permits. As stated in the Federal Register, ``This rule improves the planning, implementation and management of compensatory mitigation projects by emphasizing a watershed approach in selecting compensatory mitigation project locations, requiring measurable, enforceable ecological performance standards and regular monitoring for all types of compensation and specifying the components of a complete compensatory mitigation plan, including assurances of long-term protection of compensation sites, financial assurances, and identification of the parties responsible for specific project tasks.'' While the bill does not require Corps Civil Works to utilize this authority, clarifying the Corps' authority to directly contract with third-parties, as this legislation does, would improve the delivery and durability of compensatory mitigation projects for Civil Works projects across the country to ensure the construction of critical flood control, navigation, and water supply projects. I thank my colleague Senator Tillis from North Carolina for introducing this bill with me, and I look forward to its consideration for the 2024 Water Resources Development Act.

Mr PADILLA

Mr PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to introduce the Fusion Energy Act of 2024, which will accelerate the development of commercial fusion energy by codifying the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's regulatory authority. As a former engineer, I have long been a strong supporter of fusion research and development. The critical investments that our country has made over nearly six decades in the Department of Energy's National Laboratory System have led to incredible fusion discoveries. In December 2022, in my home State of California, Lawrence Livermore National Labnatory became the first facility in the world to demonstrate fusion ignition. As good engineers do, they of course repeated their experiment--achieving ignition at least three times. This bill would ensure that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has the clear statutory authority it needs to provide a stable regulatory environment, streamline the creation of commercial facilities, and support the development of American fusion energy. Fusion reactions are at the heart of our very universe. In stars like our own Sun, small atoms like hydrogen combine together into larger ones like helium and release energy. If we can unlock these types of reactions in a commercial facility, we would gain access to a nearly unlimited, clean, safe, reliable, and carbon-free source of electricity for the entire Nation. That is why Congress must do everything in its power to ensure continued U.S. leadership in developing commercial fusion energy facilities. The Fusion Energy Act would provide regulatory certainty for investors as the NRC develops and streamlines frameworks for such facilities. I want to thank Representative Lori Trahan of Massachusetts for leading the House companion. I hope all of our colleagues will join us in supporting this bill to advance the future of clean energy through the science of fusion.

Mr PADILLA

Mr PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to introduce the Fusion Energy Act of 2024, which will accelerate the development of commercial fusion energy by codifying the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's regulatory authority. As a former engineer, I have long been a strong supporter of fusion research and development. The critical investments that our country has made over nearly six decades in the Department of Energy's National Laboratory System have led to incredible fusion discoveries. In December 2022, in my home State of California, Lawrence Livermore National Labnatory became the first facility in the world to demonstrate fusion ignition. As good engineers do, they of course repeated their experiment--achieving ignition at least three times. This bill would ensure that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has the clear statutory authority it needs to provide a stable regulatory environment, streamline the creation of commercial facilities, and support the development of American fusion energy. Fusion reactions are at the heart of our very universe. In stars like our own Sun, small atoms like hydrogen combine together into larger ones like helium and release energy. If we can unlock these types of reactions in a commercial facility, we would gain access to a nearly unlimited, clean, safe, reliable, and carbon-free source of electricity for the entire Nation. That is why Congress must do everything in its power to ensure continued U.S. leadership in developing commercial fusion energy facilities. The Fusion Energy Act would provide regulatory certainty for investors as the NRC develops and streamlines frameworks for such facilities. I want to thank Representative Lori Trahan of Massachusetts for leading the House companion. I hope all of our colleagues will join us in supporting this bill to advance the future of clean energy through the science of fusion.

Mr. PADILLA

Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to introduce the Chuckwalla National Monument Establishment and Joshua Tree National Park Expansion Act. The Chuckwalla National Monument Establishment and Joshua Tree National Park Expansion Act would establish a new Chuckwalla National Monument to protect approximately 620,000 acres of public lands, while also expanding Joshua Tree National Park by adding approximately 17,842 acres of previously designated public lands that were identified as suitable for inclusion in the park by the National Park Service. The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument's vast desert landscape spanning from the area along Joshua Tree National Park's southern boundary, along Interstate 10 from the eastern Coachella Valley, and all the way to the Colorado River are worthy of permanent protection. This area has a unique, biodiverse ecosystem; is home to habitats for species like the Chuckwalla lizard and the endangered desert tortoise; and contains critical migration corridors for desert bighorn sheep. This area is also cherished for outdoor recreation activities like hiking and rock climbing. The lands within the proposed national monument include the homelands of the Iviatim, Nuwu, Pipa Aha Macav, Kwatsaan, and Maara'yam peoples (Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mojave, Quechan, and Serrano Nations). Designating the Chuckwalla National Monument would help to protect important spiritual and cultural values tied to the land such as multi- use trail systems established by indigenous peoples, sacred sites and objects, traditional cultural places, geoglyphs, petroglyphs, pictographs, and native plants and wildlife. I am proud to work to introduce this legislation that would preserve part of California's vast desert landscape, help ensure more equitable access to nature and recreation, protect biodiversity, and preserve decades of cultural riches, particularly for the Tribal governments who have worked so hard to protect this area. I want to thank Representative Raul Ruiz of California for leading the House companion and Senator Butler for her cosponsorship in the Senate. I look forward to working with our colleagues to pass the Chuckwalla National Monument Establishment and Joshua Tree National Park Expansion Act as quickly as possible.

Mr. PADILLA

Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to introduce the Chuckwalla National Monument Establishment and Joshua Tree National Park Expansion Act. The Chuckwalla National Monument Establishment and Joshua Tree National Park Expansion Act would establish a new Chuckwalla National Monument to protect approximately 620,000 acres of public lands, while also expanding Joshua Tree National Park by adding approximately 17,842 acres of previously designated public lands that were identified as suitable for inclusion in the park by the National Park Service. The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument's vast desert landscape spanning from the area along Joshua Tree National Park's southern boundary, along Interstate 10 from the eastern Coachella Valley, and all the way to the Colorado River are worthy of permanent protection. This area has a unique, biodiverse ecosystem; is home to habitats for species like the Chuckwalla lizard and the endangered desert tortoise; and contains critical migration corridors for desert bighorn sheep. This area is also cherished for outdoor recreation activities like hiking and rock climbing. The lands within the proposed national monument include the homelands of the Iviatim, Nuwu, Pipa Aha Macav, Kwatsaan, and Maara'yam peoples (Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mojave, Quechan, and Serrano Nations). Designating the Chuckwalla National Monument would help to protect important spiritual and cultural values tied to the land such as multi- use trail systems established by indigenous peoples, sacred sites and objects, traditional cultural places, geoglyphs, petroglyphs, pictographs, and native plants and wildlife. I am proud to work to introduce this legislation that would preserve part of California's vast desert landscape, help ensure more equitable access to nature and recreation, protect biodiversity, and preserve decades of cultural riches, particularly for the Tribal governments who have worked so hard to protect this area. I want to thank Representative Raul Ruiz of California for leading the House companion and Senator Butler for her cosponsorship in the Senate. I look forward to working with our colleagues to pass the Chuckwalla National Monument Establishment and Joshua Tree National Park Expansion Act as quickly as possible.

Mr. PADILLA

Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to speak in support of my bill to rename a post office in San Francisco after my former colleague, mentor, and dear friend, the late Senator Dianne Feinstein. Dianne was a towering figure not just in modern California politics, but in the history of our State and our Nation. She broke barriers throughout her career. Her leadership as the first woman to serve as the mayor of San Francisco in the aftermath of the tragic assassination of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk showcased her unique ability to lead with grace and strength in the face of adversity. As we look to honor her memory, I believe that one small, but important, way to remember Dianne would be to rename a post office in her beloved hometown after her. Just as Dianne had a keen ability to bridge divides and connect with people from all walks of life, our local post offices symbolize the importance of keeping Americans connected to each other. My bill would rename the postal facility at 180 Steuart Street in San Francisco as the ``Dianne Feinstein Post Office.'' The site of this post office is rich with decades of history for the Postal Service, the city of San Francisco, and Dianne's career. It is located adjacent to the Rincon Annex, which served as the city's main postal processing and distribution center from 1940 to 1979. This building is designed in the Streamline Moderne style and is adorned with 27 murals depicting the history of San Francisco, which was funded through the New Deal-era Works Progress Administration. Due to its history and timeless artwork, the Rincon Annex is listed as a San Francisco Designated Landmark and on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. After the postal operations at the Rincon Annex were relocated in 1979, then-Mayor Feinstein oversaw the development of the Rincon Center, which opened in 1988. This large complex, which includes the historic Rincon Annex, contains a network of shops, restaurants, offices, apartments, and the post office that is the subject of my bill. Located just off the Embarcadero in downtown San Francisco, the ``Dianne Feinstein Post Office'' would serve all kinds of people--from workers on their lunch break sending a letter, to local residents picking up a package, to tourists sending postcards back home to family--all with a stunning view of the Bay Bridge from its front door. This post office dedication is just one small way to remember Dianne's legacy. And just as she served her beloved San Francisco for so many years, I know that this post office will continue to serve San Franciscans for years to come. I thank Senator Butler for joining me in this effort, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. PADILLA

Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to speak in support of my bill to rename a post office in San Francisco after my former colleague, mentor, and dear friend, the late Senator Dianne Feinstein. Dianne was a towering figure not just in modern California politics, but in the history of our State and our Nation. She broke barriers throughout her career. Her leadership as the first woman to serve as the mayor of San Francisco in the aftermath of the tragic assassination of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk showcased her unique ability to lead with grace and strength in the face of adversity. As we look to honor her memory, I believe that one small, but important, way to remember Dianne would be to rename a post office in her beloved hometown after her. Just as Dianne had a keen ability to bridge divides and connect with people from all walks of life, our local post offices symbolize the importance of keeping Americans connected to each other. My bill would rename the postal facility at 180 Steuart Street in San Francisco as the ``Dianne Feinstein Post Office.'' The site of this post office is rich with decades of history for the Postal Service, the city of San Francisco, and Dianne's career. It is located adjacent to the Rincon Annex, which served as the city's main postal processing and distribution center from 1940 to 1979. This building is designed in the Streamline Moderne style and is adorned with 27 murals depicting the history of San Francisco, which was funded through the New Deal-era Works Progress Administration. Due to its history and timeless artwork, the Rincon Annex is listed as a San Francisco Designated Landmark and on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. After the postal operations at the Rincon Annex were relocated in 1979, then-Mayor Feinstein oversaw the development of the Rincon Center, which opened in 1988. This large complex, which includes the historic Rincon Annex, contains a network of shops, restaurants, offices, apartments, and the post office that is the subject of my bill. Located just off the Embarcadero in downtown San Francisco, the ``Dianne Feinstein Post Office'' would serve all kinds of people--from workers on their lunch break sending a letter, to local residents picking up a package, to tourists sending postcards back home to family--all with a stunning view of the Bay Bridge from its front door. This post office dedication is just one small way to remember Dianne's legacy. And just as she served her beloved San Francisco for so many years, I know that this post office will continue to serve San Franciscans for years to come. I thank Senator Butler for joining me in this effort, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. PADILLA

Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to introduce the Equal Health Care for All Act, which appropriately frames healthcare discrimination as a civil rights issue. Inequitable access to quality, affordable healthcare is the result of centuries of structural and systemic racism, all of which continues to result in poorer health outcomes in communities of color. Black, Hispanic, and indigenous individuals are disproportionately more likely than their White counterparts to suffer from a range of illnesses, from asthma to heart disease to prostate cancer. Inequitable outcomes are not exclusive to racial trends, however. Women are both diagnosed with and die from lung cancer at a higher rate than men, when comparing those who never smoked. And while rates of lung cancer have dropped, women fall behind while rates of cancer drop faster for men. The Equal Health Care for All Act seeks to address structural inequities by establishing a legal definition of ``inequitable health care'' and creating a formal process to enforce the standard. The bill would also establish a grant program to assist hospitals and other providers in implementing reforms to ensure equitable care and would establish a permanent Federal Health Equity Commission to study and make recommendations on health equity issues. I would like to thank my colead, Representative Adam Schiff, for his leadership in California and for leading on this issue in the House. I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact the Equal Health Care for All Act as quickly as possible.

Mr. PADILLA

Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to introduce the Equal Health Care for All Act, which appropriately frames healthcare discrimination as a civil rights issue. Inequitable access to quality, affordable healthcare is the result of centuries of structural and systemic racism, all of which continues to result in poorer health outcomes in communities of color. Black, Hispanic, and indigenous individuals are disproportionately more likely than their White counterparts to suffer from a range of illnesses, from asthma to heart disease to prostate cancer. Inequitable outcomes are not exclusive to racial trends, however. Women are both diagnosed with and die from lung cancer at a higher rate than men, when comparing those who never smoked. And while rates of lung cancer have dropped, women fall behind while rates of cancer drop faster for men. The Equal Health Care for All Act seeks to address structural inequities by establishing a legal definition of ``inequitable health care'' and creating a formal process to enforce the standard. The bill would also establish a grant program to assist hospitals and other providers in implementing reforms to ensure equitable care and would establish a permanent Federal Health Equity Commission to study and make recommendations on health equity issues. I would like to thank my colead, Representative Adam Schiff, for his leadership in California and for leading on this issue in the House. I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact the Equal Health Care for All Act as quickly as possible.

Mr. PADILLA

Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to introduce legislation to reaffirm the applicability of the Indian Reorganization Act to the Lytton Rancheria of California. This legislation would provide clarity that the Lytton Rancheria of California is able to place land into trust via the Department of the Interior's standard land-to-trust process, 25 CFR part 151. The Lytton Rancheria would like to place additional land into trust in order to build a proper homeland and provide housing for their members. The bill is needed to clarify that Lytton Rancheria is subject to the Indian Reorganization Act and, just like other Tribal governments, is able to put land into trust through the administrative process.

Mr. PADILLA

Mr. PADILLA. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. PADILLA

Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, the Senate will soon consider the nomination of Judge Eumi Lee to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. I rise today to share, briefly, more about this dedicated public servant and to encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting her nomination. The proud daughter of parents who survived the Korean war before emigrating to the United States, Judge Eumi Lee was born in Wisconsin and raised in Tennessee. She earned her bachelor's degree from Pomona College and her law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. After law school, Judge Lee clerked for several judges on the Federal bench--first, for the Western District of Tennessee, then in the San Francisco Bay area clerking on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Now, those early days also included time working on complex litigation and white-collar defense matters in private practice, as well as developing a strong pro bono practice. After a number of years of developing core litigation skills, she began teaching as a professor at UC Hastings College of law, supervising clinical students in direct representation and appearing alongside her students in State court. It is there that Judge Lee also cofounded the Hastings Institute for Criminal Justice. Recognizing her remarkable record and diverse experience practicing law, in 2018, then-California Governor Jerry Brown appointed Judge Lee to the Alameda County Superior Court, where she became the first Korean American ever appointed to serve on that bench. In the more than two decades that she has spent learning, teaching, and practicing law, Judge Lee has not only gained a wealth of legal expertise, but she has constantly reached out to support others on their path as well. She has consistently worked to mentor women, people of color, and those typically underrepresented in the legal profession, because Judge Lee knows that public service doesn't stop at the courthouse doors. In private practice, in the classroom, and in the courtroom, she has demonstrated the intellect and independent mind needed to serve on the Northern District with distinction. And I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting her confirmation. Madam President, I yield the floor.

Mr. PADILLA

Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to introduce legislation to reaffirm the applicability of the Indian Reorganization Act to the Lytton Rancheria of California. This legislation would provide clarity that the Lytton Rancheria of California is able to place land into trust via the Department of the Interior's standard land-to-trust process, 25 CFR part 151. The Lytton Rancheria would like to place additional land into trust in order to build a proper homeland and provide housing for their members. The bill is needed to clarify that Lytton Rancheria is subject to the Indian Reorganization Act and, just like other Tribal governments, is able to put land into trust through the administrative process.

Mr. PADILLA

Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to introduce the Accelerating, Networking, Cyberinfrastructure, and Hardwater for Oceanic Research, ANCHOR, Act. This bipartisan and bicameral legislation would require the National Science Foundation to plan critical cyber security and internet upgrades to essential oceanographic research vessels. This bill would direct the National Science Foundation to report to Congress on the costs, personnel, and equipment necessary to upgrade the 17 ocean- and lake-going research vessels in the Academic Research Fleet. These ships and their submarines do research around the world across topics as fundamental as climate change, marine health, and national security. This report is an important first step in making needed upgrades to these research vessels for improved science, cyber security, and telecommunications. Around the world, researchers traverse waters to better understand our oceans. In Alaska, the R/V Sikuliaq regularly ventures into icy Arctic waters, breaking ice up to 2.5 inches thick to study remote polar ecosystems. In California, the R/V Sally Ride explores the deep ocean in the Pacific, characterizing the toxic legacy of DDT barrels dumped over 50 years ago. In the Great Lakes, the R/V Blue Heron navigates Lake Superior, conducting long-term research on harmful algal blooms. But these important research vessels suffer from aging infrastructure. As ships and submarines collect sensitive data about our climate, foreign adversaries increasingly attack the weakened cyber security defenses on research vessels. The upgrades planned in the ANCHOR Act are cost-effective, allowing repairs in real time with remote experts that keep ships going on their missions. Improved internet is also a boost for crew morale, science efficiency, and education. With faster upload and download speeds, scientists and crew members will be able to transmit data to shore for processing, make Zoom calls with classrooms on land, and call loved ones or even mental health providers during long months at sea. I want to thank Senator Sullivan for introducing this important legislation with me in the Senate and Representatives Mike Garcia and Haley Stevens for leading the House companion. I hope all of our colleagues will join us in supporting this bipartisan bill to improve our Nation's oceanographic research and security.

Mr. PADILLA

Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to introduce the Accelerating, Networking, Cyberinfrastructure, and Hardwater for Oceanic Research, ANCHOR, Act. This bipartisan and bicameral legislation would require the National Science Foundation to plan critical cyber security and internet upgrades to essential oceanographic research vessels. This bill would direct the National Science Foundation to report to Congress on the costs, personnel, and equipment necessary to upgrade the 17 ocean- and lake-going research vessels in the Academic Research Fleet. These ships and their submarines do research around the world across topics as fundamental as climate change, marine health, and national security. This report is an important first step in making needed upgrades to these research vessels for improved science, cyber security, and telecommunications. Around the world, researchers traverse waters to better understand our oceans. In Alaska, the R/V Sikuliaq regularly ventures into icy Arctic waters, breaking ice up to 2.5 inches thick to study remote polar ecosystems. In California, the R/V Sally Ride explores the deep ocean in the Pacific, characterizing the toxic legacy of DDT barrels dumped over 50 years ago. In the Great Lakes, the R/V Blue Heron navigates Lake Superior, conducting long-term research on harmful algal blooms. But these important research vessels suffer from aging infrastructure. As ships and submarines collect sensitive data about our climate, foreign adversaries increasingly attack the weakened cyber security defenses on research vessels. The upgrades planned in the ANCHOR Act are cost-effective, allowing repairs in real time with remote experts that keep ships going on their missions. Improved internet is also a boost for crew morale, science efficiency, and education. With faster upload and download speeds, scientists and crew members will be able to transmit data to shore for processing, make Zoom calls with classrooms on land, and call loved ones or even mental health providers during long months at sea. I want to thank Senator Sullivan for introducing this important legislation with me in the Senate and Representatives Mike Garcia and Haley Stevens for leading the House companion. I hope all of our colleagues will join us in supporting this bipartisan bill to improve our Nation's oceanographic research and security.

Mr. PADILLA

Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to introduce the Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act. The Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act would place four parcels of approximately 172 acres of land already owned in fee by the Jamul Indian Village into trust by the United States for the benefit of the Tribe. The four parcels of land in the bill would not be used for any class II or class III gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Over time, Jamul's ancestral lands have diminished from over 640 acres to just 6 acres, which now comprise the Tribe's entire trust land base. This 6-acre reservation is one of the smallest reservations in the country. In 2005, Jamul Tribal members voluntarily moved off of the reservation in order to allow the Tribe to pursue economic development, build a casino, and become self-sufficient and less reliant on the Federal Government. The Tribe has worked hard to maximize the use of its 6-acre reservation. Jamul opened a casino in 2006 and is working towards the opening of an adjacent hotel next year. Once the hotel is complete, the casino and hotel will occupy the entire Tribal reservation. This legislation would place additional acres into trust for the benefit of the Tribe, allowing Jamul to build a true homeland and bring their members back to the reservation. On the largest parcel covered by the bill, Jamul plans to develop housing for their Tribal members so they can create a true homeland, as well as use the land for administrative offices, a health clinic, a childcare center, educational services, a community center, law enforcement offices, and other community resources for Tribal members. Another parcel contains the only physical access road to the Tribe's reservation, and the fourth parcel contains the Tribe's historical church and cemetery. I am proud to work with the Jamul Indian Village to introduce this bill that would enhance Tribal community development, preserve a sacred site, and improve economic development opportunities that will positively impact the Tribes' members and culture for generations to come. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act in the Senate as quickly as possible.

Mr. PADILLA

Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to introduce the Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act. The Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act would place four parcels of approximately 172 acres of land already owned in fee by the Jamul Indian Village into trust by the United States for the benefit of the Tribe. The four parcels of land in the bill would not be used for any class II or class III gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Over time, Jamul's ancestral lands have diminished from over 640 acres to just 6 acres, which now comprise the Tribe's entire trust land base. This 6-acre reservation is one of the smallest reservations in the country. In 2005, Jamul Tribal members voluntarily moved off of the reservation in order to allow the Tribe to pursue economic development, build a casino, and become self-sufficient and less reliant on the Federal Government. The Tribe has worked hard to maximize the use of its 6-acre reservation. Jamul opened a casino in 2006 and is working towards the opening of an adjacent hotel next year. Once the hotel is complete, the casino and hotel will occupy the entire Tribal reservation. This legislation would place additional acres into trust for the benefit of the Tribe, allowing Jamul to build a true homeland and bring their members back to the reservation. On the largest parcel covered by the bill, Jamul plans to develop housing for their Tribal members so they can create a true homeland, as well as use the land for administrative offices, a health clinic, a childcare center, educational services, a community center, law enforcement offices, and other community resources for Tribal members. Another parcel contains the only physical access road to the Tribe's reservation, and the fourth parcel contains the Tribe's historical church and cemetery. I am proud to work with the Jamul Indian Village to introduce this bill that would enhance Tribal community development, preserve a sacred site, and improve economic development opportunities that will positively impact the Tribes' members and culture for generations to come. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act in the Senate as quickly as possible.

Mr. PADILLA

Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to introduce the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program Establishment Act or LIHWAP Establishment Act. This legislation would establish the first-ever permanent, national water assistance program to help low-income households pay their water bills. In 2021, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress provided $1.1 billion of critical assistance through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and American Rescue Plan of 2021 to low- income households struggling to pay water and sewer bills. Since then, LIHWAP has helped 1.4 million households across the country maintain or restore access to water service. However, LIHWAP was created as an emergency program and expired at the end of fiscal year 2023. Recognizing the importance of Federal water assistance, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act, which directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, to create a Rural and Low-Income Water Assistance Pilot Program and report to Congress on the results of the pilot. The LIHWAP Establishment Act would provide the necessary congressional authorization for a permanent LIHWAP beyond the COVID-19 emergency. The LIHWAP Establishment Act would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Administrator of the EPA, to establish a permanent low-income water assistance program. Just as the program did during the pandemic, LIHWAP would award grants to States, territories, and Tribes to assist low-income households in paying for drinking water or wastewater services. The bill would also empower nonprofit organizations to assist small, rural, underserved, and Tribal water systems apply for and access LIHWAP funding, as well as direct HHS to provide technical assistance to help agencies and water systems set up data sharing agreements to streamline eligibility requirements for low-income households. In addition, the bill would transfer authority for the program from HHS to the EPA upon completion of the EPA's Rural and Low-Income Water Assistance Pilot Program. Safeguarding water affordability for all Americans remains critical as household water and sewer bills rise faster than electric bills and inflation. Families continue to struggle to pay their water bills on time, and low-income communities suffer from disproportionate vulnerabilities affecting their access to clean, affordable water services. Like heat and nutrition, which already have established Federal assistance programs, water is a vital and fundamental resource for public health and economic prosperity in all communities across the country. A permanent LIHWAP ensures we can continue to provide the necessary water assistance to low-income households at risk of losing access. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the LIHWAP Establishment Act as quickly as possible.

Mr. PADILLA

Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to introduce the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program Establishment Act or LIHWAP Establishment Act. This legislation would establish the first-ever permanent, national water assistance program to help low-income households pay their water bills. In 2021, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress provided $1.1 billion of critical assistance through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and American Rescue Plan of 2021 to low- income households struggling to pay water and sewer bills. Since then, LIHWAP has helped 1.4 million households across the country maintain or restore access to water service. However, LIHWAP was created as an emergency program and expired at the end of fiscal year 2023. Recognizing the importance of Federal water assistance, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act, which directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, to create a Rural and Low-Income Water Assistance Pilot Program and report to Congress on the results of the pilot. The LIHWAP Establishment Act would provide the necessary congressional authorization for a permanent LIHWAP beyond the COVID-19 emergency. The LIHWAP Establishment Act would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Administrator of the EPA, to establish a permanent low-income water assistance program. Just as the program did during the pandemic, LIHWAP would award grants to States, territories, and Tribes to assist low-income households in paying for drinking water or wastewater services. The bill would also empower nonprofit organizations to assist small, rural, underserved, and Tribal water systems apply for and access LIHWAP funding, as well as direct HHS to provide technical assistance to help agencies and water systems set up data sharing agreements to streamline eligibility requirements for low-income households. In addition, the bill would transfer authority for the program from HHS to the EPA upon completion of the EPA's Rural and Low-Income Water Assistance Pilot Program. Safeguarding water affordability for all Americans remains critical as household water and sewer bills rise faster than electric bills and inflation. Families continue to struggle to pay their water bills on time, and low-income communities suffer from disproportionate vulnerabilities affecting their access to clean, affordable water services. Like heat and nutrition, which already have established Federal assistance programs, water is a vital and fundamental resource for public health and economic prosperity in all communities across the country. A permanent LIHWAP ensures we can continue to provide the necessary water assistance to low-income households at risk of losing access. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the LIHWAP Establishment Act as quickly as possible.

Mr. PADILLA

Mr. PADILLA. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise today with the bittersweet task of saying goodbye to our office's departing chief counsel, Alyson Sincavage. Whether it was her time as a public defender or fighting on behalf of immigrants at the American Immigration Lawyers Association to cutting her teeth in the Senate with former Senator Tom Udall and my colleague Senator Tim Kaine, Alyson has been exactly the type of public servant we were looking for when I joined the Senate in 2021 and was handed the gavel to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety. From the earliest days of setting up shop in the subcommittee, through tireless fights during reconciliation and nonstop negotiations and vote-a-ramas, from helping me prepare for the historic confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to navigating contentious markups--yes, we have contentious markups in the Senate Judiciary Committee from time to time--and also overseeing the confirmation of 30 judges to the Federal bench in California, she has done a lot. She has helped guide my team of counsels on the Judiciary Committee while we have taken on the dark money influence on the Supreme Court of the United States. We worked together to protect reproductive rights and, particularly the last few months, defending against some of the most extreme and cruel Republican immigration proposals. She has fought for Dreamers, for farmworkers and essential workers and for keeping the asylum system serving asylum seekers and immigrant communities who too often lack someone who is watching their back while in the room where decisions are being made and proposals are being negotiated. In this most partisan of times, she has constantly reminded all of us about the human impact of what we do and who would be most affected by the decisions we make here in Washington. Through her tireless dedication and her unrivaled expertise, she has also helped guide fellow immigration counsels in other offices, serving as the moral conscience of the Senate on immigration and an invaluable resource for staffers and Senators alike. I want to acknowledge that Alyson has spent countless hours, many late nights, not just long days, early mornings, long days and late nights and weekends committed to the work and to the fight. That doesn't always show up in the box score. It may not always make headlines the next day. Through it all, she has always kept her cool unless the situation called for a little bit of fire, which, actually, oftentimes it did. Finally, speaking not just as a Senator but as a parent, I know just how hard these jobs can be to navigate those long days with the emotions running high--in the office, not just at home--and to still make sure we are picking up the kids, putting kids to bed at night, attending to those kid birthday parties on the weekends, and, yes, making sure the dinosaur doesn't go to school. Alyson has essentially managed 3 years of around-the-clock immigration negotiations, our entire Senate subcommittee, and still made time to be a good mom and to bring her kids to the Hart Office Building on Halloween for trick-or-treating. To her kids, Siena and Jude, who may be too young now to appreciate this but watch this video in years to come, please know just how important your mom has been, not just helping to build a future for your family but for millions of families across the country. To her husband Adam and to her entire family, thank you for sharing her with us. The Senate is a better institution, the State of California is a better place, and our future is stronger because of the work Alyson has done. To Alyson, thank you for all that you have done for Angela and me, for our office, and for the people of California and the Nation. We are going to miss you. We know you are not going too far, and you will be back often to visit, but we are going to miss you in the office. We thank you so very much. I yield the floor.

Mr. PADILLA

Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate the life of Ignacio E. ``Nacho'' Lozano, Jr., a name synonymous with the rise of Hispanic media in the United States and the legendary, longtime publisher of the Spanish-language newspaper La Opinion. He passed away in December at the age of 96. Nacho Lozano was born in San Antonio to parents Alicia Elizondo Lozano and Ignacio E. Lozano, Sr.--the founder of the San Antonio-based daily newspaper La Prensa and, later, the publisher of La Opinion, then a little-known daily newspaper for the growing Latino population of Los Angeles. Lozano long knew where he was headed in life; he set out to study journalism at the University of Notre Dame, began working at La Opinion after college, and in 1953, after the death of his father, became its publisher. When Lozano took the helm of La Opinion, it had a circulation of 12,000. By the time Lozano stepped down over 30 years later, it had boomed to 70,000 subscribers, as scores of Spanish speakers in the Los Angeles region had come to claim it as their daily paper. But it didn't just grow in size; Lozano had fundamentally shifted the direction of Spanish-language media. What was once an outlet focused on stories from Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries grew to dominate a local beat not often covered by major English-language outlets. Under Lozano's leadership, La Opinion became a paper that reflected the emerging Latino audience in Southern California. As he told the Los Angeles Times in 1976, ``It is no longer a Mexican newspaper published in Los Angeles . . . but an American newspaper which happens to be published in Spanish.'' In 1981, after a La Opinion photographer was assaulted by Immigration and Naturalization Service agents while reporting on anti-deportation protests, Lozano successfully sued the Federal Government to the tune of $300,000, defending not only his reporter but the principle of a free and independent Hispanic media. While editorial control and ownership of La Opinion changed hands over time, Lozano represented more to his community and our Nation than just a leading newspaper publisher. He served as a consultant to the State Department under President Johnson, on the Council of Spanish-Speaking Americans under President Nixon, and eventually as Ambassador to El Salvador under President Ford. But back home he held a different title: loving husband to Marta Navarro Lozano for 67 years and caring father to Leticia, Jose, Monica, and Francisco. Ignacio Lozano, Jr., was a transformative pioneer for Hispanic media, a legend in the Los Angeles community, and a generous benefactor for his cherished causes--from performing arts to student scholarships. Angela and I send our best to his four children, his nine grandchildren, and to all those in California and across the Nation who have ever turned to the Lozano family and their daily paper to stay informed.