Raul Ruiz

Mr. RUIZ

Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, due to weather conditions my flight was cancelled and I was unable to be present for votes on the House Floor on January 23, 2017. Had I been present, I would have voted Yes on H.R. 423, the Anti- Spoofing Act of 2017, which will make it illegal to send false caller ID information to any individual in the United States via Voice-over- Internet (VolP) calls or text messages. This prevents criminals from defrauding individuals via text or VoIP call services; and Yes on H.R. 582, the Kari's Law Act, which will require all multiline telephone systems to be able to dial 911 without having to dial any additional digits or area codes. This can save lives by ensuring that every phone can access an emergency dispatcher by simply dialing 911, regardless if another digit is typically required for outside calls.

Mr. RUIZ

Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Chairman, I want to emphasize what is at stake here. We are talking about delay or forgoing regulations that protect our children, regulations that give parents like me the peace of mind that when I buy a bottle for my daughter, Sky, I know it is safe for her to use, and that when I buy a product that is labeled age-appropriate for my daughter, Sage, I can reasonably expect it will not contain small parts that Sage could swallow and send her to the emergency room with an obstructed esophagus that will require emergency surgery. For me as a dad it is personal, and for our Nation it is essential. This is commonsense legislation. I urge my colleagues to put aside partisanship, politics, and corporate greed and to think about the children in their lives who could be harmed by this bill. Vote ``yes'' on my amendment to protect children and save lives. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment to H.R. 5 at the desk.

Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment to H.R. 5, which will ensure children's products are safe for use. In 2015, there were an estimated 254,200 toy-related injuries treated in emergency departments across the Nation. Tragically, 15 children were killed in toy-related incidents that same year. As an emergency medicine physician, I have treated children who have fallen victim to these accidents. H.R. 5, the Regulatory Accountability Act, prioritizes cheaper alternatives for companies over the safety of our children. To me, this is unconscionable. It is wrong. It is not the direction we should be taking our Nation. My amendment to H.R. 5 will ensure that an agency rule regarding the safety of children's products or toys is not delayed by the bureaucratic hurdles that H.R. 5 imposes on Federal agencies. My simple amendment provides a straightforward safety net for our sons and daughters across the country. Our children should always be our priority. The facts are clear: a vote against my amendment is a vote to put a company's bottom line above the safety of our children. So I urge all of my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment to protect our children. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RUIZ

Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to congratulate Senator Barbara Boxer on her retirement after 34 years in Congress. Her dedication to her constituents and her legislative achievements are an inspiration. The lives of her constituents are better because of her hard work and public service on their behalf. I am honored to call her my friend, mentor, and constituent. She is a fearless trailblazer, and I want to recognize her lifelong advocacy for Californians and all Americans. Senator Boxer's time in public office began in 1976, when she was elected to the Marin County Board of Supervisors, where she later became the Board's first woman president. After serving for six years, she was elected to the United States House of Representatives to serve California's 6th Congressional District. Her first campaign slogan, ``Barbara Boxer Gives a Damn,'' would exemplify the passion with which she has fought through these years. In 1992, known as ``The Year of the Woman'', she was elected to the United States Senate to fight for the people of California. As a forceful fighter for equality and social justice, and an astounding protector of the environment, Senator Boxer demonstrated time after time her ferocity, effectiveness, and willingness to go to bat for the people and the principles she believed in. Her legislative achievements are too many to list. As the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Senator Boxer has led bipartisan efforts to protect the environment and address climate change. She has spent her life defending women's rights, including the importance of gender equality and the protection of a woman's right to choose. Throughout her career, she has identified matters of concern and has reached across the aisle to find solutions. Senator Boxer's tireless work has influenced the lives of millions of Americans. I have often taken her counsel, and I am proud of the work we have done together to protect the Salton Sea. Her distinguished career in Congress is an example of what can be accomplished through hard work, dedication, and service. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize and honor Senator Barbara Boxer. I will certainly miss our inspiring conversations on the flights to DC together, but I know this is the beginning of her many more successful battles for the common good. On behalf of California's 36th Congressional District, I offer my sincerest thanks and congratulate her for her exceptional commitment to public service. I wish her and her husband Stu all the best on her well-deserved retirement.

Mr. RUIZ

Mr. RUIZ. I would like to thank the chairman and the ranking member. Mr. Speaker, I would say to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) that I too had 100-, 120-hour workweeks and months; and I was the scut, of course, during my internships and residency; so I understand the words that you have spoken. I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 4150, the Department of Veterans Affairs Emergency Medical Staffing Recruitment and Retention Act. The point is this, and it is very simple: the VA needs to provide high-quality care that is veteran-centered. That is why I introduced this bill which works to address the difficulty of recruiting and retaining the best physicians to work within the VA healthcare system. The problem is that, by law, the VA is beholden to the bureaucratic OPM's 80-biweekly requirement for full-time physicians. This does not fit with the current practice of physicians in many specialties, including emergency medicine and hospital medicine. These specialties typically require more flexible, often irregular working hours--some weeks they work less; some weeks they work the triple amount--but it needs to fit their schedule in order for them to provide the best care that they can for the patient. Also, for instance, in emergency departments, it has been studied that the most dangerous time for a patient is during shift changes when a patient's care is transferred to another doctor. It all depends on the quality of the transfer, discussing what happened, and the follow- up that the second doctor is going to do. Therefore, emergency physicians prefer to work 12-hour shifts in order to minimize that transfer, and many emergency physicians work beyond their 12 hours in order to not transfer and just close the patient's case. So this bill would give the VA the flexibility it needs to schedule physicians in a manner similar to that scene in the private sector while remaining OPM-compliant. This bill will provide VA medical centers with the ability to implement flexible physician work schedules that can accommodate hospitalists' and emergency physicians' schedules and practices. Our veterans deserve high-quality care. Attracting the best and brightest physicians to practice at the VA is a critical step in that direction. And like my other bills up for consideration today as part of other legislation on the floor--the Veterans Access to Speedy Review Act, the Veterans' Survivors Claims Processing Automation Act--this bill works to ensure that the VA works for veterans, to make sure that it is about serving the veteran. Let's pass this bill, Mr. Speaker, and take another step towards providing the highest quality care for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice to our Nation. I thank the chairman once again, and I thank the ranking member for his efforts in getting this to the floor today.

Mr. RUIZ

Mr. RUIZ. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H. Res. 933. I oppose funding for the select panel to attack and intimidate women's health care. The select panel is a baseless committee formed with no regard to the facts or evidence of this case. In fact, the creators of the purposefully doctored and highly manipulated videos that they consistently bring up that this investigation is based on have been indicted on criminal felony charges, and we should be investigating their legal practices instead. Continuing to fund this panel is a disgrace, and this investigation must cease immediately. Instead of taking action that would improve the lives of women and families across the country, this panel continues to chase baseless allegations. As an emergency physician, I am exceptionally disappointed. The reckless work of the panel puts women's reproductive rights in jeopardy and threatens to undo the progress we have made over the last 40 years. It is also a complete waste of taxpayer money. I stand in strong opposition to this resolution and call on this panel to be disbanded. Let's take real action to improve the health and well-being of this country.

Mr. RUIZ

Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to stand with the Standing Rock Sioux in peace and prayer to halt the desecration of their sacred sites and clean water source. This month, an independent review concluded that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' original assessment of the pipeline underestimated the risk of a spill exposing tribal lands to grave risk. Just this week, the Corps announced they will delay an easement for construction of the pipeline on Corps land under and around Lake Oahe until they conduct further environmental reviews with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Further study and a possible reroute of the pipeline is a welcomed idea. But construction continues, and there has been no final decision that could conclusively halt the pipeline and protect tribal sacred sites. This could be devastating. The government must take action to uphold our Federal trust responsibility to protect tribal treaties, land, and resources. They must meaningfully consult with the Standing Rock Sioux and all tribes before developing on or near tribal land. They must rescind their permit that was issued without full understanding of potential risk and must stop construction.

Mr. RUIZ

Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the lives of Palm Springs Officers Jose ``Gil'' Vega and Lesley Zerebny and to support the incredible law enforcement officers in my district. It is important to tell their story and forever record their heroism in our national Record. Officers Vega and Zerebny were, tragically, shot and killed in the line of duty last month while responding to what seemed like a routine domestic disturbance in Palm Springs, California. Officer Vega lived by the mantra of ``To Serve and Protect.'' He graduated from Indio High School and joined the force in Palm Springs in 1982. He was always witty, quick to tell a joke and to offer guidance to new officers. He was an inspiration to friends, family, and countless people who knew him. The day he died, he was only 2 months away from retiring after 35 years of service. He volunteered to pick up a shift on that day--on his day off. He is survived by his wife, Susana, nine children, and many grandchildren. Officer Lesley Zerebny was new to the force, with a lifetime of service. She showed a passion for law enforcement and service her entire life, no doubt inherited from her father, a California Highway Patrol officer. She was raised in Hemet, California, and attended West Valley High School. As a young girl, she always stood up to bullies to protect others and for justice. She was also known for her pranks and her fun-loving spirit. Officer Zerebny was a mother of a 4-month-old daughter, Cora. She had just returned from maternity leave when she was killed. She is survived by her husband Zack, a Riverside County Sheriff's Department officer, and by baby Cora. Officer Vega and Officer Zerebny were two of California's finest. Their lives of service and spirit of community embody the values of law enforcement officers across our great Nation. Each day, men and women like Lesley and Gil wake up, kiss their families good-bye, and go to work knowing full well the risks they take to keep us safe. Spouses, children, and parents wonder if they will ever return that day. Law enforcement officers see danger and they don't run from it; they run toward it to protect others. We are safer because of them. They and their families deserve our utmost gratitude for their service. So on behalf of the people of California's 36th Congressional District, my wife, Monica, and my family, I want to thank Officer Vega and Officer Zerebny and their families for their ultimate sacrifice. Our hearts are with you, and our hearts are with all law enforcement brothers and sisters during their time of mourning. We mourn with you, and we continue to offer our deepest gratitude for your service. Your dedication and the risks you take each and every day will never be forgotten. Officer Vega and Officer Zerebny, end of watch, October 8, 2016.

Mr. RUIZ

Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, the Standing Rock Sioux and all tribes have the right to self-determination and a say in decisions that impact their health, land, and cultural preservation. It is not just a matter of justice, it is the law. Don't we all, as Americans, have that right? Isn't that the whole premise of our democracy? Being able to have a voice in decisions that affect our lives is the cornerstone of our American democracy. It thrives when we stand up, speak up, and voice our concerns on matters vital to our existence as humans, like our health, clean drinking water, and cultural survival. That is why I stand with the Standing Rock Sioux and hundreds of tribes throughout our Nation to demand that the Army Corps of Engineers comply with their legal trust responsibilities to protect tribal lands, cancel the Dakota Access Pipeline permit, conduct meaningful consultation with the tribes, and do a complete environmental impact statement. The Standing Rock Sioux and neighboring tribes are rightfully concerned that the pipeline will destroy sacred sites and that an oil spill would cause devastating and irreversible harm to their land, health, and drinking water. The proposed pipeline is over 1,000 miles long, transporting up to 16,000 gallons of crude oil a minute, upstream from the tribes' water source, near the reservation, and on tribal land. A leak would be devastating. It was already determined to be too risky to construct near the city of Bismarck's water sources. The Army Corps has granted construction permits, despite legal and noncompliance warnings by other Federal agencies. That is why, on September 8, I called for a systemwide GAO investigative report on Federal agencies' compliance with meaningful tribal consultation policies. On September 9, the Departments of the Interior, Justice, and the Army announced a pause in construction to review their compliance with Federal policies. I welcome this review. Tribes have rights under law. The Federal Government has a moral and legally enforceable obligation to protect tribal treaties, land, and resources under the Federal trust responsibility. Tribes have the right to regular and meaningful consultation under executive order 13175. Under the Historic Preservation Act, Federal agencies are required to be responsible stewards of our Nation's historic resources and consult with Indian tribes when their actions may impact sacred sites. Furthermore, the Army Corps, under the Clean Water Act, must protect our Nation's waters from contamination by conducting accurate environmental assessments to determine if construction permits should be granted. Unfortunately, the Army Corps granted a permit based on flawed assessments, incomplete information, and a willful disregard for the serious concerns raised by the tribe and other Federal agencies. Chairman David Achambault from the Standing Rock Sioux reported that they were not meaningfully consulted and didn't even know about the Corps' assessment until it was made public. He has serious concerns about the pipeline's harm to the tribe's health, water source, and sacred sites. Letters from the Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, and Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to the Army Corps list their serious concerns. They mention the potential of a devastating oil spill, lack of emergency response plans, desecration of sacred sites, noncompliance with Federal policies and laws, and even disagreed with the Corps' environmental assessment. They recommended a full environmental impact study, an expanded environmental justice analysis, consideration of all sacred sites along the path of the pipeline, and meaningful tribal consultation prior to any decisions. Moving forward, all Federal agencies must conduct meaningful tribal consultation and address concerns regarding risks to drinking water and desecration of sacred sites. The Corps must cancel their faulty permit near tribal land and complete a full environmental impact statement. Only then can the President make an informed decision to permanently stop construction of the pipeline on Federal property near tribal land. You have the authority and moral imperative to do what is right. Time after time, tribes have seen their treaties broken, their lands taken, and sacred sites desecrated. I visited with the Standing Rock Sioux and witnessed Native Americans from hundreds of other tribes standing together in peace and prayer to protect their water and ancestral sacred sites. I have witnessed their dignity and their resolve. They stand in solidarity for their full rights under Federal law and for their voices to be heard. They stand in unity, and I stand with them.

Mr. RUIZ

Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize an outstanding leader in my district, Mr. Rodolfo Pinon of Blythe, California. Mr. Speaker, Rodolfo is a remarkable leader, husband, and father. He has a deep passion for serving others and giving voice to the voiceless. From his early years as a student at Palo Verde Valley High School and then at California State University at San Bernardino, Rodolfo served as an example of selfless service to the underserved. That drive and passion to serve his community has been steadfast throughout his career. As the executive director of Casa De San Bernardino he was a source of strength and an anchor of hope to those seeking to overcome addiction. For five years, his dedication there helped countless individuals in their darkest hours. Recently, Rodolfo has served as the Director of Community Engagement for the Pueblo Unido Community Development Corporation. He serves as a driving force behind their mission to support underrepresented rural communities. As director, has delivered over and over again on the goals of developing affordable housing, community infrastructure, community centers, and community parks to disadvantaged rural communities. This work has solved pressing problems for the residents of the Eastern Coachella Valley, from installing water filters to 25 mobile home parks in the Eastern Coachella Valley where far too many communities face the health threat of arsenic in the unfiltered water, to paving the 38 mobile home parks in the community, helping families in these rural areas have a higher quality of life and improving outcomes for those seeking affordable housing, to building the San Jose and Bea Main Community Center open to all in the community and helping young people expand their horizons with a brand new computer center. But his dedication has also inspired countless budding community leaders around him and he has mentored many emerging young leaders. Recently, Rodolfo's life of service was chronicled in the book Y Suguimos Adelante. This book serves as a lasting tribute to his mission and as a constant reminder of his counsel that we must always remain selfless in our work serving our communities. His words have deeply inspired me, and I keep them in mind each day in my work as a public servant. Rodolfo was recently diagnosed with advanced liver cancer. His family and loved ones are going through a terrible pain. As a community, we encourage Rodolfo and his family to find strength and comfort in the fact that we appreciate and honor you. The best way to honor Rodolfo to ensure that his mission and noble acts of service are spread beyond the Coachella valley, that his words are not forgotten. We should all take to heart his service, a man who has given everything to his community and asks for nothing in return, except that those around him are able to live a healthy life with dignity. We should all honor him and enter his life's work into our nation's record. So today, I would like to take a moment to recognize all that Mr. Pinon has given to his community that will live on for future generations. In honor of his life's work of service, let us keep Rodolfo in our thoughts as journeys through this most difficult path of his life. Let us not forget all this man has given to our community and how much we can learn from his actions. In his honor, let us strive to better our communities, and our nation.

Mr. RUIZ

Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, it is a shame that the Republican leadership chose to adjourn the House without working to keep Americans safe from gun violence, lead poison in their water, and the Zika virus. However, I rise today to recognize Mr. Rodolfo Pinon of Blythe, California, an outstanding leader, husband, and father in my district. Rodolfo is a humble man with a deep and rich passion to serve others. He gives voice to the voiceless and has improved communities and changed many lives. With Pueblo Unido, he has installed water filters to 25 mobile home parks, where too many communities face the health threat of drinking water contaminated with arsenic. He has paved 38 mobile home parks in the community, improving the quality of life of so many residents. He has helped countless hardworking and poor families find affordable housing. He is loved and is a friend and inspiration to many he has mentored. Unfortunately, Rodolfo was recently diagnosed with advanced liver cancer. His family and loved ones are going through this terrible illness. My message is that we hope Rodolfo and his family find strength and comfort knowing that, as a community, we appreciate and thank him. We also appreciate his signature cowboy hat, boots, and big silver belt buckles. The best way to honor Rodolfo is to practice his selfless love for others, justice, and service to the community.

Mr. RUIZ

Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 100th birthday of Ms. Susan Luckie Reilly. Susan is a former ranger at Joshua Tree National Park and she was born in 1916, the same year the National Park Service (NPS) was founded. Ms. Reilly is a graduate of Stanford University, where she studied psychology, sociology, and political science, and went on to join the NPS in 1965 where she worked as a seasonal ranger and naturalist for Joshua Tree National Park. It was in the desert where she developed a life-long love for conservation efforts and preservation of the desert area. In 1969, Ms. Reilly founded the Morongo Basin Conservation Association (MBCA), a successful grassroots effort to prevent a utility company from degrading wildlife and the natural beauty of the Morongo Basin in order to run a massive power transmission corridor straight through the heart of the basin. The MBCA has remained committed to advocating for the safety, health, and preservation of the desert area. In 2004, Ms. Reilly was the recipient of the prestigious Minerva Hoyt Award, which recognizes individuals that promote conservation efforts and leave a lasting impact on California deserts. In 2013, she was awarded the Women of Distinction Award from Congressman Paul Cook, an honor bestowed on women who demonstrate outstanding leadership and integrity. Mr. Speaker, Ms. Reilly has been an inspiration to both her community and this country throughout her 100 years on this Earth. Let's all join in celebrating this special day with her and wishing her a happy 100th Birthday.

Mr. RUIZ

Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, Congressman Thompson, very much for his leadership and championing gun violence prevention in the House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in demanding that Speaker Ryan allow us to vote on measures to prevent gun violence before we adjourn at the end of this week. Last week, we watched in horror as 49 of our LGBT brothers and sisters had their lives cut short at the hands of a firearm. This is not the first terrible slaughter we have witnessed as a nation. These mass shootings continue as Congress does nothing to act and nothing to keep our constituents safe. As an emergency physician, I have taken care of too many patients injured by guns. I have had the gut-wrenching experience of telling parents, families, and friends that their loved one was killed by a gun. I have taken care of people who have been victims--innocent victims--of drive-by shootings. I have taken care of victims who have been shot by their spouse in a domestic dispute. I have taken care of victims who have been caught as bystanders in a violent crime at a store, and I have had the terrible experience of having to tell a mother that her child--her young, adolescent child--was killed in the streets. It is not something that we can ever be fully prepared for but we do way too often in our country. These are needless deaths--needless deaths--because there is an opportunity right here and right now to curb the trend of violence in our country. This gun violence must end. This week, we are calling on the Speaker to allow a vote so our constituents know where exactly we stand. There are several bills out there that would make a difference, including the bipartisan King- Thompson no fly, no buy that keeps guns out of the hands of terrorists and expands and strengthens background check systems. If we can't agree on the fact that terrorists should not get their hands on guns in our country, then it is a political shame on the parts that are beholden to political interests. Let's vote on the Zero Tolerance for Domestic Abusers Act, which would prohibit individuals convicted of stalking or domestic abuse from purchasing or owning a firearm; and let's vote on the bipartisan Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act, another bill of Congressman Thompson, which would improve the criminal history records systems, which would help our law enforcement and which would mandate that all commercial gun sales utilize this background check system. It is not like we don't have ideas. It is not like we don't have a path forward to curb gun violence in America. There is no one cure-all. If we take a public health approach, if we reduce the risk of the multifaceted aspects of gun violence, then we will reduce the risk of gun violence. By reducing the risk of gun violence, we reduce the incidence of gun violence in America. Let us vote so that terrorists and violent criminals cannot access firearms, so we can prevent another Orlando. Let us vote to end gun violence to keep the American people safe. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in calling for no bill and no break.

Mr. RUIZ

Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, today I am honored to congratulate City of Indio Police Chief Richard Twiss who is retiring after 32 years of service to the people of California and the citizens of the United States. Throughout his career, Chief Twiss has been an exemplary public servant. He has taken on his vocation to service with a sense of duty and a strength of character that is needed to accomplish such a noble calling. Richard Twiss' time in uniform began in 1984 as a United States Marine and continued as a police officer with the City of Indio Police Department. Through his leadership, Chief Twiss led a police force that helps build a safer community and is an incredible influence on the lives of hundreds of residents in the Coachella Valley located in California's 36th Congressional District. Chief Twiss' distinguished career in law enforcement spans from his time as an officer at the Indio Police Department, to an investigator for the County of Riverside District Attorney's Office, to a special agent for the California Department of Justice, and for the last four years as the Chief of Police for the City of Indio. At a national level, Chief Twiss has lent his expertise to help advance the cause of public safety. Chief Twiss participated in the President's National Committee on 21st Century Policing and served as a member of the California Attorney General's Community Oriented Policing Subcommittee. Most recently, he was appointed to the California Police Chief Association Homelessness and Mental Health working group. Chief Twiss implemented the Community Outreach Resource Program as a way to reduce homelessness and provide resources to the most vulnerable members of our society. This program received local, national, and international recognition. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize and honor Chief Richard Twiss for his service. And on behalf of the thousands of families of California's 36th Congressional District, I offer my sincerest thanks and congratulate Chief Twiss for his exceptional commitment to public safety. I wish him and his wife, Anna, all the best on his well- deserved retirement.

Mr. RUIZ

Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate a dear friend and mentor of mine, Dr. Allan Wolfson, program director of the emergency medicine residency at the University of Pittsburgh, for his retirement. Abby trained me in emergency medicine, which has benefited thousands of patients I have cared for. He is the longest active serving residency program director in emergency medicine. Among his over 360 trainees are several deans of medical schools and chairs of departments of emergency medicine. He is so good and well-respected by his peers that he has been recognized and honored by many prestigious organizations. He received the National Emergency Medicine Residents Association Residency Director of the Year award in 2012. He even wrote the premier textbook of emergency medicine. He loves to teach, loves to mentor, loves emergency medicine, loves his residents, and loves to have a good time. Abby, you know what I mean. You trained me to be an advocate for my patients. I carry that can- do, problem-solving, patients-first advocacy with me now in Congress. First and foremost and always an emergency physician. Abby, congratulations and thank you.

Mr. RUIZ

Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the service and memory of World War II hero and soldier, Second Lieutenant Owen Bayliss Coffman of Palm Springs, California. His remarkable life was cut short when he answered our nation's call to service in the Second World War. It is my intention to honor the memory of this hero by recording the history of his service to our great country. Owen Bayliss Coffman was born on February 1, 1920 in Palm Springs, California to Owen Earl and Helen Ann Bayliss Coffman. Owen attended school in Palm Springs, completing his primary school education at Frances Stevens School. For four years, Owen rode a bus from Palm Springs to Banning High School, where he graduated in 1938. He left our Coachella Valley to attend Stanford University where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1942. Owen strongly desired to serve his country in uniform, and a bad back that never healed correctly after breaking it at the age of 20 almost kept him from military service. While at Stanford, Owen enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and came to active duty in 1943. Owen completed his basic training in Santa Ana, California and completed his flight training at March Field. He earned his wings in Yuma, Arizona and was awarded the rank of second lieutenant. Owen and his crew shipped off to Peterborough, England. On his second bombing mission over Poland, his crew was recalled over the North Sea. His plane went down due to inclement weather. Of the ten men on his plane, seven were killed and three parachuted to safety. Owen sacrificed his life in service to our country. Owen was buried at the American Military Cemetery near Cambridge. His grandmother wished for his remains to stay in England, saying, ``Leave him in the land of my ancestors, where he will forever be honored with his fallen comrades.'' Mr. Speaker, Owen Bayliss Coffman is an American hero whose life and service deserve to the fullest extent our abilities to honor him. It is with my deepest respect that I commend and remember this brave young man from Palm Springs. Owen joined hands with countless other patriots to safeguard the freedoms we enjoy. He is a shining example to all of us, and it is my sincere hope that by preserving his memory, we inspire a new generation to look to Second Lieutenant Owen Bayliss Coffman's shining example of self-less service, patriotism, and dedication to freedom.

Mr. RUIZ

Mr. RUIZ. Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. RUIZ. Madam Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended. Madam Speaker, I offer this amendment because I recognize the critical need to protect women, infants, and developing children from the harmful impact of pesticides. The underlying bill, the so-called Zika Vector Control Act, is a farce designed to play on public fears over Zika. It has nothing to do with combating Zika. In fact, Republicans have been pushing the text of the underlying legislation for years under whatever name happens to be convenient at the time. Otherwise known as the pesticide Trojan horse bill, this legislation attempts to gut our ability to track and report when and where harmful pesticides are sprayed. Without oversight compliance, physicians and scientists are less able to track and identify the cluster of symptoms caused by pesticides which, in turn, reduces their ability to protect the public's health. I know, as a physician and public health expert, that pesticides can have serious toxic impacts on human health particularly for women and children. Pesticides can endanger women and unborn children, cause malformation in infants, hinder early childhood development, endanger reproductive health, and cause cancer. Madam Speaker, I speak as a physician, but I also speak as the son of farm workers. The underlying bill could expose already vulnerable populations to greater risks of contamination from pesticides. Farm workers would be harmed by the unmonitored use of these harmful pesticides. No oversight of compliance can harm the public's health. That is why I am offering this commonsense amendment to protect the health safety of our communities and our women and children. Instead of actually working to control the spread of one public health crisis, the Zika virus, this bill could make another public health problem even worse. Rather than spending our time on this bill that does nothing to strengthen Zika prevention efforts across the country, we should be working to pass legislation to fully fund efforts to contain and stop the virus before we adjourn. Madam Speaker, last week we voted on an inadequate and unconscionable Zika funding bill that I opposed. That bill funded only one-third of the request from public health experts. In medicine, you don't just partially treat a patient. That is called malpractice. You don't take out just a third of the cancer. You don't just give a third of the antibiotic dose for severe pneumonia. Time is running out. It is past due, Madam Speaker, for you to do your job, protect American families, and fully address the Zika virus threat. This underlying bill does not contain a dime in funding and no authority to protect public health from the spread of the Zika virus. It is an unnecessary bill because vector control agencies already have the authority to use pesticides under a public health emergency like the spread of the Zika virus epidemic. So instead of pushing this Trojan horse, which could actually expose vulnerable communities to serious health risks, let's fully fund efforts to protect American families from Zika. I urge you to vote ``yes'' to protect the health and safety of women and children in this country and to demand that we fully fund efforts to combat the spread of the Zika virus before it is too late. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RUIZ. Madam Speaker, I thank Ranking Member DeFazio and Ranking Member Napolitano for bringing attention to this issue and for giving me time to speak. I rise today to oppose the so-called Zika Vector Control Act, otherwise known as the pesticide Trojan horse bill. Madam Speaker, I am disappointed. I am disappointed that, as this body fails to fully fund a meaningful effort to combat the spread of the Zika virus, the Republican majority is using the legitimate concern about Zika to advance its special interest agenda. This Trojan horse was first called the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2015 and was only recently named the Zika Vector Control Act to play on fears over the Zika virus. The fact is the majority has been pushing the text of this legislation for years under whatever name happens to be convenient at the time. Each time they rename the bill, they merely find a different problem to manipulate to serve their same agenda. Let's be frank, this bill has nothing to do with combating Zika. Vector control agencies already have the authority to apply pesticides in emergency situations, like combating the Zika virus epidemic, to prevent the spread of infectious diseases without the need to apply for a permit. Instead of protecting the public's health, this bill actually does away with critical compliance oversight provisions that allow us to track when and where harmful pesticides are used. Without the ability to track where harmful pesticides are used, we are less able to prevent their negative impact or properly act when a mistake is made or when a harmful pesticide is inappropriately used. I know, as a physician and public health expert, that pesticides can have a serious and harmful impact on human health, particularly for women and children, and for vulnerable populations who live and work where pesticides are often sprayed. Harmful pesticides can cause infertility, cancer, birth defects, and lifelong developmental delays. This bill guts the oversight compliance that gives doctors like me the tools they need to track and identify the cluster of symptoms caused by harmful pesticides. Madam Speaker, the pesticide Trojan horse bill is a farce, a disguise that can only leave our communities, our farm workers, and our drinking water at risk of contamination from harmful pesticides. If passed, this legislation could harm the public's health. It will expose already vulnerable populations to greater risk, without providing a single dime in funding or scrap of authority that doctors and scientists actually need to combat the spread of Zika. The pesticide Trojan horse bill is just another instance of political gamesmanship in Congress that could have a disastrous impact on public health. Instead of actually working to control the spread of one public health crisis, this bill could make another public health problem even worse. Rather than spending our time on this bill that does nothing to strengthen Zika prevention efforts across the country, we should be working to pass legislation to fully fund efforts to contain and stop the virus before we adjourn. We need to put people above partisanship and solutions above ideology. I have said this time and time again: it is time for Congress to do its job. We must vote against this pesticide Trojan horse bill and for full funding that will fully combat the spread of Zika, not the partial funding bill that shortchanges American families, which Republicans have recently passed in the House, before it is too late.

Mr. RUIZ. I am opposed in its current form, Madam Speaker.

Mr. RUIZ. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. RUIZ

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

Mr. RUIZ

Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, as an emergency medicine physician and a public health expert myself, I rise today to strongly oppose this inadequate Zika funding bill, and to urge my colleagues to fully fund our Nation's efforts to fight the Zika virus. In the emergency department, you don't just partially treat a patient. This is called negligence. You don't just take out a third of the cancer. You don't just give a third of the antibiotic dose for a severe pneumonia. Mr. Speaker, this bill is less than a third of what is needed to treat and protect women and their children from the Zika virus. It is less than a third of the prescription from the CDC and the experts needed to protect American families from Zika. Tomorrow I am voting ``no'' because I demand that we fully fund efforts to protect families, pregnant women and their children from Zika. Mr. Speaker, time is past due for you to do your job and address the Zika virus threat. We must completely fund efforts to protect American families from Zika. The American people deserve no less.