Lucille Roybal-Allard

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate October as National Spina Bifida Awareness Month, to honor the 166,000 Americans living with this condition, and to draw attention to the critical challenges we must address to ensure that each and every one of these individuals can achieve their full human potential and have the quality of life they deserve. According to the Spina Bifida Association of America, Spina Bifida is the most common permanently disabling birth defect compatible with life in the U.S. Literally translated as ``split spine,'' it is a condition that occurs when a baby's neural tube fails to develop or close properly. Typically occurring within the first 28 days of pregnancy while the neural tube is forming, Spina Bifida often develops before a woman even knows she is pregnant. Before 1960, the survival rate for all forms of Spina Bifida was 10 percent to 12 percent. But over the last 6 decades, advances in research and medicine, along with policies supportive of children with disabilities, have ensured that nearly two-thirds of Americans currently living with Spina Bifida have made it to adulthood. And while these strides are certainly worth celebrating, people with Spina Bifida--particularly adults--continue to face a crisis of care that could be largely prevented with the right resources and policies. Spina Bifida is commonly referred to as the ``snowflake condition'' of birth defects because no two cases are the same. Children born with this condition typically undergo dozens of surgeries before they reach the age of 18. And during their lifetime, someone with Spina Bifida will face at least a $1 million in medical expenses, including surgeries continuing throughout adulthood, and most can expect to spend much of their lives in a wheelchair or walking with braces. One significant challenge facing this population is that, while we have a coordinated system of care designed to treat children with Spina Bifida in the U.S., there is no equivalent for adults. Spina Bifida is still largely taught in medical schools as a pediatric condition and education has failed to keep pace with the rapid rise in the adult Spina Bifida population. The result is that adults face a ``care cliff'' and enter a very fractured medical system where they are unable to find physicians willing or even knowledgeable enough to provide treatment. Thousands of adults are left with few options other than to seek care in the emergency room or continue to see their pediatric care team until insurance will no longer cover their care because of their age. To make matters worse, many of these adults rely on Medicaid as their insurance provider, so even if they have the means to travel to an adult specialist who may be located in another state--as is often the case--their coverage is denied. Across the country, there are more than 100 pediatric clinics devoted to caring for children with Spina Bifida. There are less than 30 whose focus is on adults. There are a number of concrete steps at the federal level we could take that would make dramatic improvements in the ability of adults with Spina Bifida to access quality care. One is to increase funding of the CDC's National Spina Bifida Program--the sole federal program tasked with improving the care and outcomes for people with Spina Bifida. In 2008, the Spina Bifida Program created a National Spina Bifida Patient Registry to collect the scientific data needed to evaluate existing medical services for Spina Bifida patients, and to provide clinicians, researchers, patients, and families a window into what care models are effective and what treatments are not making a measurable difference. Building on this in 2014, the Spina Bifida Program funded the development of a Spina Bifida Collaborative Care Network to identify and to disseminate best practices for the care of people with Spina Bifida at all ages. However, with only $7.5 million in annual funding, there are only 11,000 patients in the national registry, limiting the ability of medical professionals to glean knowledge that would advance research in areas critical to improving quality of life. Even modest increases to this funding would make an enormous difference. Another important step would be to reform Medicaid policies to require coverage or treatment received across state lines for rare disorders, as there simply aren't enough specialists in each state to provide the care that people with Spina Bifida desperately need and deserve. And finally, we must continue to allow patients to receive insurance coverage for telehealth services once the COVID-19 emergency declaration expires. Telehealth is a critical tool in improving health outcomes for everyone, particularly those with unique conditions where care isn't easily accessible geographically. We are so fortunate today that our country is benefiting from the talent and contributions of the first generation of adults living with Spina Bifida. Today, I honor and celebrate all of them, along with their care partners, and also remember those we have lost to this condition. I urge my colleagues to not only increase funding for the National Spina Bifida Program, but to work together to reform insurance policies so that these Americans receive the care and treatment all of us want for our families and loved ones.

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and thank Ron Herrera on his retirement earlier this summer from Teamsters Local 396 following nearly two decades leading his local union. Ron Herrera grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Wilmington, CA as part of a proud union family. For generations, the Herrera family has fought to improve the lives of workers. Ron's grandfather was a veteran of the copper mines of Arizona, fighting the kinds of abuses and discrimination portrayed in the classic strike film Salt of the Earth. His father was a committed union man who worked the Ports of Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Oakland as a member of the Longshoremen's Union. He instilled in Ron a profound respect for worker rights, social justice, and the invaluable role the labor movement plays in advancing the interests of working people. Ron Herrera began his own union career in 1975 as a package car driver for United Parcel Service. At the time, he was one of a handful of Latino drivers employed by UPS. He first distinguished himself as a leader in the labor movement during the 1997 UPS Teamsters strike--the largest strike in U.S. history. Teamsters champion freight drivers and warehouse workers but organize for numerous occupations. Teamsters Local 396 represents UPS and Sanitation workers in Southern California. The local union also serves members in other industries such as logistics, recycling, and feed delivery services. During his 24 years as a rank-and-file Teamster member, Ron Herrera represented his fellow members as a United Parcel Service Shop Steward. In 2000, he was hired as Business Representative for Teamsters Local 396 and in 2001 he became the President of his local union. In 2003, he was elected to the Local 396 Principal Officer position. Ron Herrera has led many successful organizing campaigns and helped pass groundbreaking legislation at the municipal and state levels. These campaigns have helped workers become Teamsters Union members, allowing them to provide a better-quality life for their families. In 2011, Ron Herrera was elected as a Trustee of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Executive Board and he later served as Western Region Vice President from 2015 to 2022. On September 16, 2019, Ron Herrera was nominated and elected President of the LA County Federation. The LA County Federation is the second largest labor council in the United States with over 300 affiliated union and labor organizations that represents more than 800,000 members in the Los Angeles County area. In 2020, Ron Herrera cast his vote as one of California's fifty-five Electoral College Electors for now President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Ron's efforts over two decades included raising the standard of living for sanitation workers. He fought for higher wages, better benefits, and secured contract language to protect immigrant workers from unjust termination. He and Teamsters across the country mobilized to support Temporary Protective Status holders and immigrants. In 2019, the Teamsters supported my introduction of The Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 6), crucial legislation that will ensure the future of Dreamers and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders. Ron, along with Teamsters Local 396, is part of the Don't Waste LA coalition of community, environmental, and labor organizations working to eliminate dependance on landfills and dangerous jobs in Los Angeles. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in thanking and congratulating Ron Herrera for his many years of exemplary leadership and outstanding service to labor unions. Let us wish him many happy years of retirement.

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Ana M. Figueroa, my District Chief of Staff who retired on March 4, 2022, after almost 30 years on my district staff. It also gives me great pleasure to help her celebrate her 53rd birthday today, September 14, 2022. Ana is a proud Mexican immigrant born in the town of Cueramaro, Guanajuato. Her parents, Jose Dolores Figueroa and Consuelo Figueroa Laguna, immigrated to the United States with two of Ana's four siblings, Rigoberto, and Rosa Maria, in 1974 and settled in the Los Angeles area. Ana and her older sister, Maria Guadalupe, joined the family in Los Angeles one year later, reuniting the 7-member family which now included Ana's youngest sister, Maricela. Ms. Figueroa grew up in Boyle Heights and the unincorporated East Los Angeles community. She attended Lorena Street Elementary School, Rowan Avenue Elementary School, Robert L. Stevenson Jr. High School and graduated from James A. Garfield High School in 1987. The proud Bulldog graduate then attended Occidental College where she majored in Cognitive Science and minored in Sociology. Upon college graduation, Ana began her public service career with the office of Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley as the assistant to his Liaison to the Latino Community and Eastside Area Coordinator in 1991. In July 1992, Ana was recruited by my California State Assembly office to serve as a field representative for Southeast Los Angeles cities, Boyle Heights, and East Los Angeles in the 56th Assembly District. She was then promoted to field deputy when I was elected to represent the 33rd Congressional District in January 1993. She became Senior Field Deputy and Casework Director in June 1995, and my District Chief of Staff in May 1998. Ana earned the respect and gratitude of staff, colleagues, and elected officials at the congressional, state, and local levels as a result of her effectiveness, collaborative leadership, unwavering commitment to community service, and outstanding dedication. With impeccable integrity, compassion, and distinction, she served the constituents of the 33rd, 34th, and 40th Congressional Districts I represented through the years as the first Mexican American woman elected to the U.S. Congress. Ana officially retired from the U.S. House of Representatives on March 4, 2022, after almost 30 years as a member of my district office team. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing and thanking Ana M. Figueroa for her 31 years as an exemplary public servant and extending sincere best wishes for a healthy, prosperous, and richly rewarding retirement, and a very happy 53rd birthday.

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 293. Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress Allred (Gomez) Babin (Weber (TX)) Boebert (Bishop (NC)) Bonamici (Manning) Bourdeaux (Correa) Bowman (Chu) Brown (MD) (Trone) Bush (Williams (GA)) Cardenas (Gomez) Carter (LA) (Williams (GA)) Carter (TX) (Weber (TX)) Cherfilus-McCormick (Williams (GA)) Cohen (Beyer) Comer (Reschenthaler) Connolly (Beyer) Costa (Correa) Crist (Soto) Davis, Danny K. (Gomez) DeSaulnier (Beyer) Doyle, Michael F. (Pallone) Fletcher (Pallone) Frankel, Lois (Kuster) Garcia (IL) (Beyer) Gohmert (Weber (TX)) Gosar (Weber (TX)) Gottheimer (Neguse) Grijalva (Gomez) Guest (Fleischmann) Hartzler (Bacon) Hayes (Neguse) Huffman (Gomez) Jacobs (NY) (Smucker) Jayapal (Gomez) Jeffries (Neguse) Johnson (GA) (Manning) Johnson (TX) (Stevens) Katko (Meijer) Keating (Neguse) Kirkpatrick (Pallone) Krishnamoorthi (Neguse) Lawson (FL) (Soto) McEachin (Beyer) Moore (WI) (Beyer) Moulton (Stevens) Nehls (Cawthorn) Newman (Beyer) Obernolte (Steel) Palazzo (Fleischmann) Pascrell (Pallone) Payne (Pallone) Porter (Neguse) Pressley (Trahan) Rice (SC) (Meijer) Rogers (KY) (Reschenthaler) Rush (Neguse) Salazar (Diaz-Balart) Sires (Pallone) Spartz (Harshbarger) Stansbury (Stevens) Strickland (Neguse) Suozzi (Neguse) Swalwell (Correa) Takano (Chu) Tlaib (Gomez) Torres (NY) (Williams (GA)) Underwood (Neguse) Walorski (Baird) Waltz (Gimenez) Wasserman Schultz (Soto) Watson Coleman (Pallone) Wilson (FL) (Williams (GA)) Amendment No. 2 Offered by Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, which seeks to address our national mental health and substance use crisis. I thank Congressman Pallone for this package of bills, which includes my bill, H.R. 7105, known as the STOP Act. The STOP Act advances a comprehensive and effective national effort on underage drinking prevention, which includes a national adult- oriented media campaign and grants for community-based prevention coalitions. The legislation recognizes the importance of alcohol regulation and the fact that alcohol is different than other consumer products and is best regulated by states, consistent with the 21st Amendment. Since the passage of the original STOP Act in 2006, we have witnessed a 12.7 percent decrease in alcohol use amongst 12-to-20-year-olds. Yet, alcohol continues to be the most widely used substance amongst youth, accounting for 3,900 deaths and 225,000 years of potential life lost annually. We must continue to lead efforts to reduce underage alcohol use and ensure the safety of our youth. I urge my colleagues to vote YES on this bill.

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, we have a gun epidemic which is unique to America. As a mother and grandmother, like the rest of the nation, I am heartbroken by the horrifying killings of innocent Americans, especially our children. In 2021, homicides hit a 15 year high in Los Angeles. And this year, according to the Los Angeles Police Department, people are being killed at a faster pace than last year. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in 2020, 45,222 people died from gun-related injuries. Of these, 19,384, died violently. These are not just numbers. They represent individuals whose lives were cut short as a result of gun violence. They were moms, dads, sons, and daughters. They belonged to a family, they were loved, and will forever be missed. They should be here today. Mass shootings must not be an acceptable norm. Changing our culture of gun violence will not happen overnight. We must start the process now. There is no excuse for failing to try. I urge my Republican colleagues to put partisan politics and special interests aside and join us in support of this commonsense legislation to help keep our children and fellow Americans safe. Our thoughts and prayers are not enough if we fail to act and continue to ignore the gun violence which forever shatters the hearts of families across our nation. Martin Luther King Jr., reminded us that ``the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.'' To my Republican colleagues, you do not need more time. Americans need you to bend towards justice now and help us to prevent another Uvalde, another Buffalo, Tulsa, El Paso, Parkland, Sandy Hook, and Columbine. Enough is enough. We must pass this legislation and the Senate must get it to the President's desk, without delay. I urge my colleagues to make our children's lives a priority and support this commonsense legislation.

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, condemning Rising Antisemitism, H. Res. 1125, acknowledges the multitude of contributions that American Jews have made to our nation. This legislation also condemns the documented and dangerous rise of Antisemitism globally and domestically. This month we celebrate Jewish American History Month and remember the contributions that Jewish people have made to our nation. As a Nation of immigrants, the United States is better and stronger because Jewish people from all over the world have chosen to become American citizens. Since first arriving in the America's in 1654, Jewish Americans have achieved great success, strengthened our country, and helped shape our way of life. Through their deep commitment to faith, family, and community, Jewish Americans remind us of a basic belief that guided the founding of this Nation. We must take the opportunity to not only remember these contributions, but also thank the many Jewish Americans who defend our ideals as members of the United States Armed Forces. I am proud to vote for H. Res. 1125 today. Anti-Semitic attacks and rhetoric must be met with clear voices of condemnation. Our Nation is facing a rise in Anti-Semitism and White Supremacist extremism. I will lend my voice to denounce Antisemitism today and every day and continue to stand in solidarity with Jewish communities in California and across our Nation.

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1096 because I believe the time has come to recognize our Congressional Workers' Right to Organize. Just as celebrated Mexican American Civil Rights Activist and Labor Leader, Cesar Chavez said (`` Se Puede.''). Yes, you can. Madam Speaker, the American Labor Movement was born out of a creed and fundamental belief rooted firmly in protecting the common interests of workers by promoting and advancing the social, political, and economic equality of every man, woman, and child. Throughout our nation's history, workers have come together to bravely share their workplace experiences and illustrate their need for the protected right to organize. The earliest labor unions were inspired by a just society, deriving their ideals from the American Revolution. They sought to create conditions that fostered social equality, celebrated honest labor, and relied on independent and virtuous citizenship. It was the American Federation of Labor, a union, that successfully negotiated wage increases for its members and enhanced workplace safety in the early 20th Century. And it was the dedication and efforts from unions like United Farm Workers, United Auto Workers, and United Steelworkers, that have long championed religious freedoms, the evolving demands of the environmental movement; the rights of farm workers; promoting human rights both domestically and abroad; advancing civil liberties; social justice, and economic equality for every American. It took President Franklin D. Roosevelt's leadership and the hard work of unions for Congress to pass the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938, which is responsible for establishing the eight-hour day and five-day week for wage employees. As FDR once told union and civil- rights leader A. Philip Randolph, he agreed with the labor movement's ideas, but it was the work of the activists that made him go out and advocate for these reforms. Throughout our Nation's history, workers and their unions have agitated lobbied, organized, struck, and voted for decades to achieve more equitable and safe working conditions. For the past thirty years, it has been my great honor to serve the California's 40th Congressional District and the American people. I have been able to do this through a hard-working, dedicated and committed staff. I am happy to join my colleagues in bringing Congressional Staff closer to having the legal right to organize and bargain collectively. Yes, you can. (Si, Se Puede)

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio. Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio was born on March 10, 1994, in Almirante Sur, Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. Mr. Martinez Ocasio wanted to be a singer since he was five years old and pursued the studied audiovisual communication at the University of Puerto Rico at Recinto de Arecibo before leaving the program to pursue his music career. A native of Puerto Rico, Martinez Ocasio, has been a great force in the rise of the island's popular reggaeton music. His parents Lysaurie Ocasio Declet and Tito Martinez and family inspired his music aspirations. His mother Lysaurie encouraged Martinez Ocasio into music at a young age in his church choir. Benito's family instilled in him the belief that life is not measured by the amount of money or trophies a person has but rather the challenges overcome and an appreciation for life. Mr. Martinez Ocasio is actively involved in the betterment of his community, Los Angeles County, and in neighborhoods across our great nation including his hometown of Almirante Sur, Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. He has been recognized by countless local leaders in Los Angeles County and throughout California for his tremendous support to the community and dedication to assisting those in need. In 2018, Martinez Ocasio was vacationing in Puerto Rico when he decided to make a generous donation of $100,000 to the nonprofit organization SER of Puerto Rico. The donation supported children with autism and muscular disabilities who require rehabilitation. At the end of a telethon that he participated in, SER received $1.7 million in donations. Martinez Ocasio has been a role model for disability communities and is working to ensure that one day the cure for autism is found. One in thirty five children born today will have Autism, but people like Mr. Martinez Ocasio have given hope to millions in the fight to find the cure one day. Martinez Ocasio has not forgotten his humble roots and the neighborhood that had a profound impact on his upbringing and has given back his time and resources to his community. In one instance, Martinez Ocasio helped a 13-year-old Cayman Islands boy who was residing in a hospital and in need of thousands of dollars to cover his medical expenses including a needed heart transplant surgery. When the boy's story caught his attention, Martinez Ocasio brought public awareness to the boy's critical need for an expensive surgery and called on other artists as well as ordinary people to donate any amount they could afford. Together they successfully raised the necessary resources for the boy's surgery. Martinez Ocasio has led the way in helping others in California in the City and County of Los Angeles, focusing on assisting Angelenos with developmental disabilities. He has established himself as a leader and a charitable American utilizing his talents to create unique opportunities for all ages to thrive and impact the world. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mr. Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio and applauding his contributions and philanthropic endeavors.

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise to salute Noah Assad for his many positive contributions to Los Angeles, both as a prominent soccer player and as an active member of our Los Angeles community. Noah Assad was born on May 5, 1990, in Puerto Rico. He is co-founder and CEO of the record company Rimas Entertainment and the Rimas Foundation and is the representative of the internationally known artist, Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio. Mr. Assad acquired his gift for navigating the music business early. At age fourteen, he was organizing events in his native Carolina, Puerto Rico, bringing in hundreds of people; by age nineteen, he was booking local reggaeton acts to perform in Colombia. Assad started releasing free reggaeton compilations to increase demand for the acts he worked with. His success continued and Assad launched his own label, Rimas Entertainment, in 2014. Assad has established himself as active leader in his fields. He is a hands-on strategist and a philanthropic citizen who utilizes his talents to create unique opportunities for all ages to thrive and effectively impact the world. His efforts have improved the lives of others and laid the groundwork to improve the quality of life of those he encounters and the community at large. Madam Speaker, Noah Assad has shown exemplary commitment to the people of Los Angeles and beyond, and I am pleased to recognize his work as a music executive and philanthropist. I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing his many contributions and his positive impact.

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5487, the Stillbirth Health Improvement and Education for Autumn Act, or the SHINE Act. For far too long, stillbirth has existed in the shadows of our maternity care system. Yet, each year, in the United States, about 24,000 babies are stillborn. This is more than 10 times as many deaths that occur from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, yet SIDS is much more recognized and researched than stillbirth. Due to our failure to invest in stillbirth research, the United States lags behind 181 nations who are more rapidly reducing their stillbirth rates than us. And similar to most adverse maternal and infant outcomes, our minority communities are disproportionately impacted by this heartbreak. Also, families who experience a stillbirth tragedy are not well- supported by our healthcare system or their communities. This leaves families feeling isolated and unprepared to deal with their tragic loss. As co-chair of the Congressional Maternity Care Caucus, I am proud to have worked with my co-chair and author of the bill, Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler, and my colleagues, Congresswoman Kathy Castor and Congressman Markwayne Mullin, to introduce the SHINE for Autumn Act this fall. And I thank Debbie Haine for sharing her family's story of losing Autumn, and for her decade-long crusade to shine a Federal spotlight on this heartbreaking maternal health concern. The SHINE Act will establish a Perinatal Pathology Fellowship program at the NIH to increase research on stillbirth. It will provide critical resources to Federal and State health departments to improve surveillance and data collection. And it will increase awareness and understanding of this perinatal tragedy by supporting the development of educational materials and guidelines for State and local health departments. The SHINE Act also directs the Surgeon General to produce a report on stillbirth risk factors and requires the Secretary of HHS to report on the progress and effectiveness of the NIH training programs. Today, this House has the opportunity to bring stillbirth out of the shadows and to invest in the education and research that will save babies lives. I am proud to vote ``yes'' on the SHINE for Autumn Act, and I urge my colleagues to support this critical legislation.

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, each year, the first and most important responsibility Congress has is to determine how taxpayer dollars will be spent on behalf of our constituents. The continuing resolution before the House will prevent a government shutdown and give us sufficient time to complete the full-year funding bills if the minority will finally come to the negotiating table. Some friends on the other side of the aisle have suggested simply enacting a yearlong CR, which would effectively wash our hands of our constitutional duty. My subcommittee is responsible for drafting the funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security. If, as my Republican colleagues have suggested, we were to pass a full-year CR, DHS would lose critical increases in the House bill that are imperative to the security of the United States. This includes a historic 20 percent increase for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; funding to increase FEMA's capacity to respond to the growing frequency of disasters linked to climate change; a quadrupling of funding for trade facilitation and security at our ports of entry; a 6 percent increase for Homeland Security Investigations; and an 8 percent increase for critical Coast Guard operations. Let's quickly approve this short-term CR and then roll up our sleeves and work together to fulfill our constitutional duty by negotiating full-year bills.

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise to salute Javier Hernandez Balcazar for his many positive contributions to Los Angeles, both as a prominent soccer player and as an active member of our Los Angeles community. Javier was born on June 1, 1988, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, to Silvia Balcazar and Javier Gutierrez. He began playing soccer at the junior club level when he was 7 years old. After signing his first professional contract with a local club at the age of 15, he was selected for the Mexico national under-17 team. In July 2010, he was acquired by the Premier League club Manchester United and became the first-ever Mexican player to be selected for one of the leading Premier League teams. Javier's extraordinary soccer career and his hard work to reach his goals are an inspiration to young people around the world. As a new member of the Los Angeles Galaxy, he has become an incredible role model throughout Southern California. Javier joined the Galaxy as the team's Designated Player on January 21, 2020. Since joining the team, Javier's passion for giving back has inspired his many philanthropic efforts in the Los Angeles community. On December 5, 2021, Javier will once again support his community by appearing for fans in Bell Gardens, California, in my 40th Congressional District. The event will be one of the largest toy giveaways in the history of Southern California and will be hosted by DEL Records, the largest Latino record label in the region. Madam Speaker, Javier Hernandez Balcazar has shown exemplary commitment to the people of Los Angeles and beyond, and I am pleased to recognize his work as an athlete and philanthropist. I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing his many contributions and his positive impact.

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, today I recognize my good friend Mary Anne Chern, ACFRE, FAHP, a highly regarded healthcare fundraiser who has retired from Adventist Health White Memorial in Los Angeles after 24 years of dedicated service. White Memorial is the region's leading faith-based, nonprofit hospital and is located in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of East Los Angeles. For years, Mary Anne served as president of the Adventist Health White Memorial Charitable Foundation and as a member of the hospital's Executive Team. I thank Mary Anne for her years of friendship and counsel and her unrelenting dedication to the healthcare fundraising profession. Over the course of her 40-year career, Mary Anne has raised over $500 million for healthcare institutions in principal and major gifts, private grants, and government funding. She is highly respected by her peers and is a friend and mentor to healthcare development professionals across the nation and worldwide. Mary Anne is one of only seven fundraising professionals in the world to have achieved both the Advanced Certified Fund Raising Executive (ACFRE) and the Fellow of Association of Healthcare Philanthropy (FAHP) certifications. She is also a Si Seymour Award winner for ``career excellence and outstanding leadership.'' The Si Seymour Award is the highest international recognition in healthcare fundraising and has only been given to a total of 41 fundraising professionals since 1970. In 2010, Mary Anne was elected to be the international chair of the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) by its over 5,000 members. The AHP is the leading authority on healthcare philanthropy and it represents development professionals at more than 2,000 nonprofit hospitals, medical centers, health systems and related facilities throughout North America and abroad. Mary Anne has extensive experience teaching fundraising best practices and she served on the two boards that certify professional fundraisers internationally: the CFRE Board of Directors and the AHP Board of Certification, the latter of which she chaired. She also served on the national board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and its greater Los Angeles chapter, as well as the boards of CFRE International, which credentials fundraising professionals; the Milton Murray Foundation for Philanthropy, which develops the expertise of nonprofit leaders; and the Southern California Association for Healthcare Development (SCAHD). Mary Anne is the co-author of a book and the author of numerous articles on fundraising. She won the AHP Journal Award in 2009 for her article, ``Hispanic Fundraising: Myths and Realities.'' She has a special interest in social determinants of both individual and population health, and she currently serves on the Steering Committee of the Los Angeles County Community Health Assessment and Action Partnership. Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing Mary Anne's immense contributions to the healthcare fundraising industry and her outstanding leadership and commitment to providing quality and accessible health services to the greater Eastside Los Angeles community through Adventist White Memorial. Thanks to her years of service, my constituents have been able to access high-quality care in a modern and technologically advanced facility. Mary Anne's ability to make others feel special and welcome in the Adventist Health White Memorial community is something we will all miss. I thank her for her warmth and her dedication to ensuring that the healthcare industry has the funding it needs to implement the highest possible care for Angelenos, Americans, and patients around the world.

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 362.

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, today I want to recognize Mr. Patrick Lavin, who has retired after serving seven terms as Business Manager and Financial Secretary of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local No. 47 in Diamond Bar, California. I thank Pat for his years of friendship and counsel and congratulate him on his retirement following his 55-year career at IBEW, during which he was one of the most effective and longest-serving members of the IBEW International Executive Council (IEC), among many other roles. A journeyman lineman by trade, Pat joined IBEW Local 9 outside Chicago as a summer helper before his sophomore year in high school and came on the job full time in 1968. In 1969, Pat interrupted his IBEW career and volunteered to serve his country in the U.S. Marine Corps during the height of the Vietnam War. Over his lengthy career, Pat was a lineman for four different utilities. He worked for Southern California Edison (SCE) as a lineman, service crew foreman, and heavy crew foreman in Redondo Beach, Huntington Beach, and Santa Ana. Pat has said that he saw many different changes in the electrical industry over the course of his career, and that the need for the services of electrical workers has grown immensely over the past twenty years. In his decades on the job, Pat also weathered numerous challenges including recessions and periods of anti-union rhetoric. In his own words: ``As a groundman, an apprentice and a lineman, I have helped keep the lights on since 1969.'' In addition to seven terms as Business Manager and Financial Secretary of IBEW Local No. 47, Pat served five terms as the IBEW 7th District International Executive Council member. He was chosen as Secretary of the Council by the IEC in June 2003. During his many years in the field, Pat has worked for numerous IBEW signatory contractors and four utilities out of various local unions around the United States. When Pat took over Local 47 in 1999 it was a 4,500-member utility. Today, it serves 14,000 members in nearly 200 classifications over a nearly 80,000 square mile jurisdiction from the Pacific to Arizona and from Mexico to just south of Lake Tahoe. Pat was also chairman & treasurer of the Coalition of California Utility Employees (CCUE), a board member of California Unions for Reliable Energy (CURE), an executive board member of the Califomia State Association of Electrical Workers (CSAEW), and a member of the board of directors of California Foundation on the Environment and the Economy (CFEE). He was a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy and served as chair of the IBEW No. 47 Retiree Medical Trust Fund, along with being a trustee of the Cal-Nevada IBEW/NECA JATC Board. As a member of the IBEW International Executive Council, Pat was a trustee on the IBEW Pension Benefit Fund and all funds of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. In addition to those duties, he served on the National Employee Benefit Board (NEBB), which is the board of directors for the National Electric Benefit Fund (NEFB), National Electric Annuity Plan (NEAP), and the National Electric 401 K (NEFP). In June 2017, Pat was nominated California Veteran of the Year by the California State Assembly. Pat holds a Bachelor's Degree in Organizational Management from Southern California College. He was married to his wife, Ellen, for 45 years prior to her passing in 2019 and recently married his current wife, Dianne. Pat has two daughters, two sons, and eleven grandchildren. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing and thanking Mr. Patrick Lavin for his many years of outstanding service to electrical workers in Southern California and nationwide and for his exemplary leadership ``keeping the lights on.''

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize October as National Spina Bifida Awareness Month, and to pay tribute to the numerous individuals and their families across our country living with this condition. Spina Bifida is the nation's most common, permanently disabling, birth defect compatible with life. According to the March of Dimes, about 1,645 babies are born with this condition in the United States each year, with its prevalence being highest in the Hispanic population. Known as a neural tube defect, Spina Bifida stems from a hole in the spinal cord that occurs when the spinal column fails to close properly during development in the womb. As a result, this condition impacts virtually every major organ system in the body. Children born with Spina Bifida typically undergo dozens of surgeries before they become adults. Adults living with Spina Bifida face a myriad of physical and mental health conditions, as well as other challenges, such as unemployment and limited access to quality primary and specialty care. Over the last three decades we have made significant strides in preventing this birth defect and managing the care of those born with this condition. In response to research showing the incidence of Spina Bifida could be reduced by up to 70 percent with the addition of folic acid in a woman's diet, the United States Public Health Service recommended that all women of childbearing years should take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily to prevent having a pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect. Based on this recommendation, I introduced the Folic Acid Promotion and Birth Defects Prevention Act, which was passed into law as part of the Children's Health Act of 2000. This Act authorized a program within CDC to provide professional and public education for folic acid awareness. In 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration required that folic acid be added to enriched grain products such as bread, pasta, rice, and cereal to increase the likelihood that women would have sufficient folic acid in their diet before becoming pregnant. And in 2016, after years of advocacy with the FDA and the corn masa industry, folic acid fortification of corn masa flour was finally begun to target Hispanic communities that consume more corn masa products than grains. But there is still much work to be done to ensure adequate consumption of this critical nutrient that can neural tube defects. There are currently an estimated 166,000 individuals in the United States living with Spina Bifida, approximately 65 of whom are adults. This disease is now witnessing its first generation of adults, an incredible milestone, considering that the original designation of Spina Bifida as a childhood condition meant most children born with this condition did not experience life beyond youth. Today, a generation of adults living with Spina Bifida, some of whom are 65 years and older, is an achievement worth celebrating. But unfortunately, there remain many unmet needs and additional health challenges affecting this medically fragile population. As individuals develop, their clinical needs change, as should the type of care, and often the type of medical professional they see for that care. One challenge is that while we have a coordinated system of care designed to treat children with Spina Bifida in the United States, there is no equivalent for adults. Thus, the ``graduating child'' enters a very fractured medical system where individuals struggle to find physicians willing to provide treatment. Unfortunately, many of these physicians lack basic knowledge of this complex condition, and thousands of young to middle-aged adults are left with few options other than to seek care in the emergency room--or continue to see their pediatric care team at Spina Bifida Centers, which are designed for children. In recent years, the Spina Bifida community has seen a growing incidence of sudden death in its over 25 population. There is speculation this sudden loss of life has something to do with the central nervous system, but the cause or causes remain unknown. As such, we must explore and understand this sudden death phenomenon so we can reverse this troubling trend. Moreover, we must support--and expand investment in--research to address other issues related to Spina Bifida and associated secondary and co-morbid conditions, such as hydrocephalus, latex allergy, neurogenic bladder and bowel problems, developmental delay, and impaired executive functioning. The CDC's National Spina Bifida Program is the sole federal program tasked with improving the care and outcomes for people with Spina Bifida. In 2008, the Spina Bifida Program created a National Spina Bifida Patient Registry (NSBPR) to collect the scientific data needed to evaluate existing medical services for Spina Bifida patients, and to provide clinicians, researchers, patients, and families a ``window'' into what care models are effective and what treatments are not making a measurable difference. Building on this in 2014, the Spina Bifida Program funded the development of a Spina Bifida Collaborative Care Network (SBCCN) to identify and disseminate ``best practices'' for the care of people with Spina Bifida at all ages. These programs continue to improve quality-of-life and outcomes for people with this birth defect, but their full potential has been constrained due to flat federal funding over the last six years. Additional funding could expand the number of clinics participating in the registry and increase the amount of information reported, which will provide further insights into how to continue improving care and outcomes for people with Spina Bifida. People with Spina Bifida deserve no less than the rest of us as we age. During a lifetime, someone with Spina Bifida will face at least a $1,000,000 in medical expenses, including multiple surgeries, and most can expect to spend much of their lives in a wheelchair or walking with braces. We must ensure that adults with Spina Bifida can receive evidence-based medical care tailored for their condition and receive that care in age-appropriate, non-emergency settings. I call upon my Congressional colleagues to prioritize increased funding for the CDC Spina Bifida Program to ensure that it will be poised to best guide the health care community in optimal treatment options for people living with Spina Bifida.

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the PUMP Act to expand workplace protections for breastfeeding moms and ensure they have access to appropriate and necessary accommodations. Decades of research have shown that breastfeeding is one of the most cost-effective interventions for improving maternal and child health. Compared with formula-fed children, breastfed babies have a reduced risk of ear, skin, stomach, and respiratory infections, sudden infant death syndrome, obesity, type 1 and 2 diabetes, asthma, and childhood leukemia. However, while 84 percent of U.S. babies are breastfed at birth, only 25 percent are still exclusively breastfed at 6 months of age. I commend my colleague, Carolyn Maloney, for her career-long dedication to improving these breastfeeding statistics. Congresswoman Maloney's 2010 Break Time for Nursing Mothers law provided the first critical protections to ensure mothers would have reasonable break times and a private place to pump breast milk. Mothers with this access to workplace support have lower healthcare costs, absenteeism, and turnover and show improved job morale, satisfaction, and productivity. However, that law unintentionally excluded 9 million women from these workplace protections, including teachers, software engineers, and many nurses. Expanding workplace protections to include these women is important because research clearly shows that without protections, breastfeeding employees have increased risk of painful illness and infection, diminished milk supply, and are more likely to stop breastfeeding early. As cochair of both the Maternity Care Caucus and the Public Health Caucus, I am proud to be an original cosponsor of the PUMP Act, which is a commonsense solution to eliminating workplace barriers that interfere with successful breastfeeding. The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act is critical to ensuring all mothers have the opportunity to reach their personal breastfeeding goals to protect their babies, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a letter of support from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Written Statement of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Before the United States House of Representatives, September 27, 2021 Dear Speaker Pelosi, Minority Leader McCarthy, Members of the U.S. House of Representatives: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics submits this letter to the U.S. House of Representatives in full support of the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act (H.R. 3110). Representing more than 112,000 credentialed nutrition and dietetics practitioners, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving the nation's health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Our vision is a world where all people thrive through the transformative power of food and nutrition. Our mission is to accelerate improvements in global health and well-being through food and nutrition. The Academy's impact goals include increasing equitable access to food, nutrition and other life-style related services. As an organization that is overwhelmingly composed of women in the workforce, the struggle to balance professional responsibilities and motherhood is well-known to our members as is the nutritional case for breastfeeding and its continuance despite returning to work. Thus, for the Academy, the issue of workplace accommodations for breastfeeding women is both personal to our members and their health and professional given the unquestionably essential role of human milk in early nutrition for infants. For over a decade--truly since the passage of the Affordable Care Act--the Academy has advocated for legislation addressing workplace accommodations for mothers doing their best to meet the demands of earning a wage, caring for their infants and protecting their own health but who work for employers not included in existing law. Women choosing to continue breastfeeding after returning to work should be supported in this very personal yet consequential decision that carries life-long outcomes for both mom and infant. It is unfortunate that such an important decision is often not supported or understood by employers who benefit directly. In one study, only 40 percent of mothers reported having access to both break time and a private space to pump while on the job. There is also inconsistency regarding how employers meet legal requirements to accommodate breastfeeding workers, even for those currently covered by the law. As shared in the media, stories from women employees report janitorial and other closets as the designated pumping location and reveal barriers faced by moms requesting an unpaid break. A key recommendation of the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans is, ``For about the first 6 months of life, exclusively feed infants human milk. Sadly, among women who work full-time, only 10% of those who started breastfeeding their babies will still be breastfeeding by the time their infant reaches six-month of age. The anticipation and apprehension associated with how to continue to breastfeed after returning to work prevents some moms from even initiating breastfeeding. There are three key reasons that Congress should pass the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act: 1) Human milk offers superior nutrition and health benefits compared to infant formula, 2) employers benefit from breastfeeding moms who return to work and 3) increasing breastfeeding initiation and duration are public health priorities of the United States. Examining the rationale more closely demonstrates the positive outcomes expected with passage of the bill. 1. Human Milk Offers Superior Nutrition and Health Benefits Compared to Infant Formula The Academy has previously noted that ``. . . exclusive breastfeeding provides optimal nutrition and health protection for the first 6 months of life and breastfeeding with complementary foods from 6 months until at least 12 months of age is the ideal feeding pattern for infants. Breastfeeding is an important public health strategy for improving infant and child morbidity and mortality, improving maternal morbidity, and helping to control health care costs. Breastfeeding is associated with a reduced risk of otitis media, gastroenteritis, respiratory illness, sudden infant death syndrome, necrotizing enterocolitis, obesity, and hypertension. Breastfeeding is also associated with improved maternal outcomes, including a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, and postpartum depression. These reductions in acute and chronic illness help to decrease health care related expenses and productive time lost from work. 2. Employers Benefit from Breastfeeding Moms Who Return to Work Aside from nutrition and the health benefits to the mother and baby, employers gain from women who continue to breastfeed after returning to work. First, breastfeeding employees miss work less often. One-day absences to care for a sick infant or child happen twice as often for mothers who chose to feed their infants formula. Second, since breastfeeding is associated with lower health care costs for mother and baby, employers also benefit from lower medical insurance claims. One insurance company, CIGNA, found that 343 employees participating in a worksite lactation support program resulted in an annual savings of $240,000 in health care expenses, 62 percent fewer prescriptions and $60,000 savings related to absenteeism rates over a two-year period. Finally, for businesses that offer a worksite lactation program, there are even greater tangible benefits to the employer. These include lower turnover rates and absenteeism for working women, fathers and partners; additional health care savings; higher productivity and loyalty; as well as a positive public image. 3. Increasing Breastfeeding Initiation and Duration are Public Health Priorities of the United States Across federal agencies, significant resources are appropriated and authorized to encourage mothers to initiate breastfeeding and to continue after returning to work. A few examples include: Health and Human Services In 2011 a landmark policy document, The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding, outlined measurable goals and objectives for stakeholders' efforts to align national policy with public health goals. While progress has been made over the past decade because of the recommended actions, there continue to be gaps and opportunities to address policies that support breastfeeding including those related to employment and the workforce. The Office of Women's Health offers support for women through published guidance and notably for employers through its ``Business Case for Breastfeeding.'' U.S. Department of Agriculture The Women, Infants and Children's Program receives appropriated funds to support its peer counseling program and the program extends participation to women who continue to breastfeed for one-year post-partum. The 2020-2025 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans led by the USDA recently added new recommendations for children from birth to two years of age. As noted, a key recommendation is that for the first 6 months of life, infants should be fed human milk. After 6 months of life, complementary foods and breastfeeding are recommended until one year of age. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers CDC has made breastfeeding a public health priority and encourages state health departments, hospitals and local communities to implement public health goals and align resources to support breastfeeding rates for communities of color. ``Because of the importance of breastfeeding for the health of mothers and babies, CDC supports breastfeeding through hospital initiatives, work site accommodation, continuity of care, and community support initiatives.'' The federal government advocates for breastfeeding and its continuance for working women, but laws and regulations don't make it easy for women in all sectors of the workforce to fulfill breastfeeding public health goals and objectives. Why will the PUMP Act help? It is reasonable to expect that if breastfeeding and workplace accommodations are seen as public health priorities by the federal government and tax-payer dollars are used to fund programs designed to encourage and support breastfeeding for the public, that policies protecting and advancing the interest of the government's investment should be implemented. The PUMP Act is one such policy that will eliminate barriers for women who are teachers, flight attendants and other exempt workers. The bi-partisan PUMP Act will bring equity to nearly nine million women in the workforce and their families who currently lack protections as they seek to provide recommended nutrition to their new babies. Women in the workforce are striving for economic stability to help support their families. The country benefits from their contributions to our economy. Instead of focusing on what happens when employees need unpaid time to feed their baby as their doctor, nutrition experts, and the U.S. government recommend, consider what happens and the cost to our nation when they do not. Through WIC, the U.S. government provides services to approximately 53 percent of all U.S. infants. Infant formula is the most expensive item in WIC food packages and costs to the government exceeded $927 million in fiscal year 2010. The direct cost to the government of providing infant formula and the related indirect cost of employee turn-over, absenteeism and most importantly, the increased health care costs of formula-fed infants make this bill a win for all parties and protects the economic interest of the U.S. Perhaps then Federal Reserve Chair and current Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen said it best in an essay following her 2017 remarks at the ``125 Years of Women at Brown Conference'' sponsored by Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island: ``. . . a number of factors appear to be holding women back, including the difficulty women currently have in trying to combine their careers with other aspects of their lives, including caregiving. In looking to solutions, we should consider improvements to work environments and policies that benefit not only women, but all workers. Pursuing such a strategy would be in keeping with the story of the rise in women's involvement in the workforce, which has contributed not only to their own well-being but more broadly to the welfare and prosperity of our country.'' The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics urges all members of Congress to vote in support of this bill because it is the right step to support babies, mothers, employers and ultimately the health and prosperity of our nation. Thank you for your consideration. Jeanne Blankenship, MS RDN, Vice President, Policy Initiatives and Advocacy, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I support this rule and commend the chairs who worked diligently to produce funding bills that reflect our goal to ``Build Back Better'' for the American people. As vice chair of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, I am delighted that this bill lives up to its reputation as the ``People's Bill,'' thanks to the work and commitment of its chair, Rosa DeLauro. The bill has strong outlays in job training and apprenticeship programs, increased funding for childcare and worker protections, transformative investments to help adults in all communities access post-secondary educational opportunities, and critical investments to ensure our children can return to school safely and receive high- quality education to overcome the pandemic setbacks. The Labor, HHS, and Education bill has historic investments to strengthen our public health system and ensure the infrastructure and resources needed to address future public health challenges. This includes increased investments in REACH, the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, the Climate and Health Program, and the Chronic Disease Education and Awareness Program. As co-chair of the Maternity Care Caucus, I am grateful for the strong investments in mothers and babies, like the large increases in the MCH block grant, the Healthy Start Program, and Safe Motherhood programs. I am also pleased the bill expands the capacity of the Maternal Mental Health Hotline, the SAMHSA Pregnant and Postpartum Women Program and midwifery education funding within the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students. Madam Speaker, President Biden said: ``Don't tell me what you value. Show me your budget, and I will tell you what you value.'' I thank all the subcommittee chairs for outlining our values so distinctly in their appropriation bills, and I urge passage of the rule and this minibus.

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 205. members recorded pursuant to house resolution 8, 117th congress Babin (Nehls) Cawthorn (Nehls) Cicilline (Pingree) Cohen (Beyer) Comer (Cammack) Fallon (Nehls) Gallego (Gomez) Garcia (TX) (Jeffries) Grijalva (Stanton) Herrera Beutler (Rodgers (WA)) Horsford (Jeffries) Jacobs (NY) (Garbarino) Johnson (TX) (Jeffries) Katko (Joyce (OH)) Kirkpatrick (Stanton) Lawson (FL) (Evans) Leger Fernandez (Jacobs (CA)) Lieu (Beyer) Long (Fleischmann) Lowenthal (Beyer) McNerney (Huffman) Meng (Jeffries) Mullin (Lucas) Napolitano (Correa) Nunes (Garcia (CA)) Owens (Stewart) Payne (Pallone) Ruiz (Aguilar) Rush (Underwood) Salazar (Cammack) Sewell (DelBene) Steube (Franklin, C. Scott) Strickland (DelBene) Suozzi (Panetta) Timmons (Gonzalez (OH)) Wasserman Schultz (Soto) Wilson (FL) (Hayes) Young (Mast) Amendment No. 132 Offered by Mrs. Lee of Nevada

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support reauthorization of my Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act. I thank Chairman Pallone for his support and for bringing my bill to the floor. My sincere gratitude to my newborn screening partners and colleagues, Mike Simpson, Katherine Clark, and Jaime Herrera Beutler, and my heartfelt appreciation to the public health groups that continue to support my newborn screening efforts, including the March of Dimes, the Association of Public Health Laboratories, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the National Organization for Rare Disorders. Newborn screening involves a baby receiving a simple blood test to identify life-threatening diseases before symptoms begin. Prior to the development of these tests, children would die or suffer lifelong disabilities. In 2008, when my original bill passed, newborn screenings and access to follow-up information were not consistent or available to families in all communities. Only 10 States and the District of Columbia required screening for a complete panel of recommended disorders, and there was no Federal repository of information on the diseases. Today, all 50 States and D.C. screen for at least 30 of the 35 recommended core conditions, and a national clearinghouse has the most recent newborn screening information available to parents and professionals. Newborn screening is a public health success story that makes the difference between health and disability, or even life and death, for the approximately 12,000 babies who each year test positive for one of these conditions, babies like Cruz, a beautiful little girl born on February 4 this year to one of my district office deputies. Thanks to newborn screening, in just 4 days, Cruz was diagnosed with maple syrup urine disease, which prevents the body from breaking down certain amino acids typically obtained from protein. If Cruz's disease had gone undetected, the buildup of amino acids in her body would have become toxic, leading to seizures, swelling of the brain, coma, and, ultimately, death. Today, the management of her amino acid levels keeps Cruz out of the hospital, protects her from critical medical complications, and gives her family the gift of watching their daughter grow up healthy. This is just one of the thousands of success stories that illustrate the critical need to pass H.R. 482 into law. This will guarantee high- quality technical assistance for State programs and public health labs, access to the most current programs and educational materials, and it will ensure the advisory committee continues its work of researching and recommending new screenings for State programs, which also save our healthcare system millions of dollars for each child identified and treated early. Reauthorization will also commission a National Academy of Sciences study to make recommendations for a 21st century newborn screening system. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the passage of H.R. 482 to ensure all newborns like Cruz are blessed with early, comprehensive, and consistent testing and follow-up programs for a healthy and productive life.

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the TELACU Education Foundation (the Foundation), a non-profit organization that significantly impacts thousands of talented students from low- income families, the majority of whom are Californians and many are from my 40th Congressional District. For nearly four decades, the Foundation has annually empowered approximately 2,000 first-generation high school, college, and graduate school students--including brave veterans of our nation's military--to achieve academic and professional success, and to become the leaders who inspire future generations. The 37th Annual Building the Dream Gala celebrates this year's graduates who will join an army of TELACU Scholar Alumni who are changing our world by innovating solutions as researchers and engineers in cutting-edge laboratories such as NASA/ JPL, CalTech, Harvard and MIT; serving on the frontlines of COVID-19 as nurses, doctors, vaccinators, and other health care professionals; and crusading for equality and justice across our nation--from the boardroom to the courtroom! TELACU's ``CREO'' Award, the ``I Believe'' Award, recognizes individuals who exemplify the highest ideals and commitment to improving society through personal and public service. This year it will be presented to the first Latina Los Angeles City Council President in the City Council's 170-year history, the Honorable Nury Martinez. President Martinez is an outstanding role model who embodies the hopes and dreams of all TELACU Scholars--the children of Latino immigrant families, the first (but not the last) in their family to graduate from college, the dreamers who consistently shatter historical barriers to achievement. This year's gala will also include a Special 80th Birthday Tribute to Chairman and Founder of the TELACU Education Foundation, Dr. David C. Lizarraga. With a dedicated career of service spanning six decades, Dr. Lizarraga's impact is immeasurable. Beginning as a social worker and community organizer, he quickly gained a reputation for equipping people with the tools they need to achieve self-sufficiency and the American Dream. As President and CEO of TELACU in the early 1960s, he developed a unique business model for community development based on one simple but profound principle--profitability is inseparable from positive, tangible social impact. Under his leadership for more than 35 years, TELACU flourished and grew into the largest Community Development Corporation in America. In response to staggering college dropout rates among young Latinx, in 1983 Dr. Lizarraga created what is without a doubt his most impactful and legacy in service to our community and to our nation--the TELACU Education Foundation. TELACU Scholars have built a stellar legacy individually and collectively. Historically, over 98 percent of high school scholars graduate and almost without exception pursue higher education; more than 99 percent of college Scholars earn at minimum a Bachelor's, with an increasing number going on to attain advanced degrees. Their achievement of higher education, increased earning power and dedication to service lead to the socioeconomic empowerment not only of their local community, but also of our nation and beyond! Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to please join me in congratulating The Honorable Nury Martinez in recognition of her invaluable contributions to the City of Los Angeles. And on behalf of the tens of thousands of students, veterans, families and communities they have served, empowered, and advanced to achieve self-sufficiency, I also ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the TELACU Education Foundation and its Founder Dr. David C. Lizarraga--whose tireless work to expand educational opportunities has opened the door to vast new possibilities for thousands of young professionals and veterans.

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I would like to speak briefly to the Department of Homeland Security's portion of the supplemental, which includes $6.8 million. The direct role of the Department of Homeland Security on January 6 was limited to the protection of Vice President Pence and Vice President-elect Harris. The Secret Service, like almost every other Federal agency, was insufficiently aware of open-source information that made clear the severity of the security threat on that day, and it failed to take seriously the threat information it was aware of. Through discussions with the Secret Service, we identified $6.8 million in funding requirements to address security deficiencies that were exposed on January 6, generally related to the protection of the White House complex and open-source intelligence collection and analysis. The total includes $2 million to reimburse the Secret Service for temporary anti-scale fencing used to expand the White House security perimeter beyond the permanent White House fence earlier this year. It included temporary fencing around Blair House while Vice President Harris resided there during needed repairs to the official Vice Presidential residence. This fencing was required by the heightened security posture associated with the Presidential transition. These costs were unanticipated, because the Secret Service is unable to budget for a Presidential transition following a sitting President's first term in office. The fiscal year 2021 funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security provided $43 million above the request to help cover some of the Presidential transition costs, but the Secret Service has had to absorb other costs, totaling more than $35 million. So this is a very modest but much-needed reimbursement. The total also includes $3.2 million for less lethal equipment, civil disturbance unit training and vehicles, and the establishment of a new civil disturbance unit class to help the Secret Service improve its ability to appropriately respond to civil unrest. Finally, the total includes $1.6 million to enhance the Secret Service's open-source intelligence analysis capability. This is intended to help fill the gaps that led to a failure to identify the January 6 insurrectionists as a serious threat, based on open-source information available prior to that date. I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and thank Captain Mark McDaniel as he retires from the Downey Police Department on Thursday, May 13, 2021. Captain Mark McDaniel began his career with the Downey Police Department from April 1990 to August 1991 as a police aide. He attended the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Academy and graduated as a Downey police officer in 1991. Mark was promoted to the rank of captain on May 7, 2018. He currently oversees the Downey Police Department Field Operations Division. From August 1991 to August 2005, Mark served as a police officer, field training officer, police corporal, and patrol supervisor. He has also worked as a detective in the Downey Police Department Gang Unit and in the Special Enforcement Team (SET) assisting with the recruitment and background investigations of all police department employees. Mark served as the administrative sergeant from August 2005 to May 2010, during which time he supervised, trained, and mentored sworn officers and professional staff throughout the organization; oversaw the department's accounts payable and equipment purchasing; and supervised other programs as needed throughout the organization. Mark served as a lieutenant in the Downey Police Department from May 2010 to May 2018. During this time, he has served as a patrol watch commander and detective bureau lieutenant, where he served as the department's public information officer. Mark managed and provided leadership to field operations personnel; the department's Field Training Program; and implemented the department's Mental Health Team. In addition to being the officer in charge of managing and leading the Detective Bureau, he also managed and prepared multi-million dollar budgets for the Patrol and Detective Bureaus. Mark also co-founded the department's PEER Support Team. In his most recent position, Captain McDaniel is the commanding officer of both the Detective Bureau and the Administration Division. He also serves as executive leader and command staff; manages the recruitment and hiring of all department personnel; provides strategic and multimillion dollar budgetary planning and management; participates in labor negotiations and employee conflict resolution; manages vehicle fleet operation; ensures good public relations with various community organizations; ensures adherence to policies, rules, and procedures; mentors all personnel; and inspires those in his charge to reach goals and better the organization. In addition to his responsibilities at work, Mark also volunteers in the Downey community. He belongs to Gangs Out of Downey and was elected twice as president in 2016-17 and 2017-18. He has also been a member of the Downey Kiwanis club since 2017; a founding member of the Downey Police and Fire Foundation; president of the Downey Police Management Association; and a board member of the Friends of the Downey Police Mounted Unit Foundation. Captain Mark McDaniel was born in the city of Downey and was raised in Cerritos. He is a graduate of Cerritos High School. Mark earned a bachelor's degree in occupational studies from California State University, Long Beach and holds a master's degree in emergency services administration. Mark is also a graduate of the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute and the Los Angeles Police Department Leadership Program. Mark enjoys spending time with his wife Lorena, his two sons Mark, Jr. and Nicholas, and his daughter Mia; camping and fishing; and is an avid Dallas Cowboys and UCLA Bruins football fan. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in thanking and congratulating Captain Mark McDaniel for his many years of exemplary leadership and outstanding service to our community. Let us wish him many happy years of retirement.