Eric Swalwell

Mr. SWALWELL of California

Mr. SWALWELL of California. Mr. Speaker, it was an unforgettable trip. We learned a lot about their innovation economy, but we also saw firsthand how they valued the service of those who stood on the front lines for their country. So we are hitting the end of our hour here. The gentleman from Florida, any parting thoughts or actions? Our generation, we are an action-oriented generation. We are not very patient. We are a little stubborn. We like to see results. And you come to Congress under the leadership of this House across the aisle, and we don't see many results. I think we collectively want to work with anyone who is willing to work with us on our Republican colleagues' side to find results. Any thoughts on what can we do to help a whole generation that is in financial quicksand right now? I yield to the gentleman from Florida.

Mr. SWALWELL of California. Well, the Future Forum is a group that has evolved since April, and we are quite interested in engaging with millennials. Again, I would invite people tonight to engage with us on #futureforum, and we will take questions. But this idea of reaching out to a generation that is not necessarily yet engaged in new, innovative ways is older than the Future Forum. It actually started about 10 years ago. And today we have a little bit of a surprise for our Future Forum followers. We are going to welcome some of the original members of the Future Forum who 10 years ago on this House floor redefined what it meant to reach out and talk to the next generation of leaders. So it is my honor, it is my privilege, to first welcome Congressman Tim Ryan of Ohio. Tim said it best in 2005, 10 years ago, when he led the 30-Something Working Group and they took questions on this House floor, as we take them now from Twitter. Congressman Ryan took them via email. He said, ``Being the 30-Something Group, we are trying to take our communications to the next level, trying to reach out to the American people, because we have said for quite some time that if we are going to solve problems in this country, that we have to engage the best and brightest talent that is out in the country in order to do this.'' Does that sound familiar to the gentleman from Ohio?

Mr. SWALWELL of California. Again, I appreciate you being with us today, Congressman Veasey of Texas. You are right. It is about solutions and who is acting. I think we all would welcome the bipartisan approach to this. But right now the silence is deafening, and it is affecting a whole generation that is just stuck in financial quicksand. One of the solutions that the Future Forum has put out there is this idea: Hey, you can refinance an auto loan. You can refinance your home loan. Why shouldn't our students who are in this financial quicksand be able to refinance their student loans at the lowest available rate? We have got legislation on that, and I hope it becomes bipartisan legislation. But I agree with you on a call to action on this.

Mr. SWALWELL of California. You know what was interesting? We have had these conversations with people. A story I will never forget: We were in the Boston area, and we went to Thermo Fisher. We had this town hall with about 200 young people at their workforce, talking to us about student loan debt. I was with Congressman Moulton. Once we started getting into the back-and-forth of the questions with the participants, a woman in the back who was around 55, 60 years old raised her hand and said kind of jokingly, ``You know, I know I am not supposed to be here. This is a millennial town hall.'' And we told her, ``No. No. It is a mindset. It is not an age.'' But she said, ``I think you are missing the fact that student loan debt doesn't just affect millennials,'' and she told a story about her daughter who had gone to college, which is also a part of that American Dream where we want our young people to go to college, educate themselves. But she said that she has found that her daughter has come home from college, has over $30,000 in student loan debt and, because of that debt, is not able to even rent near where she works. So what her daughter has done is she has come back home. We are becoming the boomerang generation. So that reinforced for me that this issue affects the 40 million millennials that you talked about. But, actually, it is a family matter. It affects everyone in the household. Have you heard stories like that or seen examples of that?

Mr. SWALWELL of California

Mr. SWALWELL of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Bill Lockyer of Hayward, California, who, tomorrow, will have part of the San Francisco Bay Trail named for him. Bill, who went to college and started his political career in the East Bay, is a dedicated public official who spent many years working for the people of California. This includes service in the State legislature as State attorney general and as State treasurer. Among his many successes was his work to protect our environment, a highlight of which is championing the San Francisco Bay Trail. He came up with the idea for the trail, introduced the legislation, and got support from both Republicans and Democrats. It has been 28 years since Bill's idea became law and, thanks to his efforts, we have 340 miles of trail around the bay. It provides opportunities for recreation, education, and transportation for area residents every day. When finished, 500 miles of trails will surround and connect people around the San Francisco Bay area. It is a wonderful gift to future generations. At a ceremony tomorrow, a portion of the trail will be named for Bill. This is a fitting tribute to a tremendous public servant and one without whom we wouldn't have had this tremendous trail. Congratulations, Bill, on this well-deserved honor.

Mr. SWALWELL of California

Mr. SWALWELL of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Katheryn Baker on her sudden and tragic passing on September 22, 2015 at the age of 49. Kathy started her career in 1984 at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington. She later joined the Science Applications International Corporation as business manager for energy and the environment. In 2001, Kathy commenced a career working at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Working tirelessly with passion and drive, she quickly worked her way up the ranks, serving as business manager for a number of departments before being named Chief Financial Officer in 2012. She was described by those who knew and worked with her as a very special person and a great friend. Her loss is grieved by her colleagues at LLNL, including principally by her husband, Jeff Baker, also an employee at the lab. Kathy, a Washington State University graduate, met her husband, Jeff, when they were both attending the university. He sat behind her in calculus class, where their friendship quickly turned into a lifetime commitment towards one another. In the words of her husband, Kathy was the most wonderful, caring person anyone had ever met. In the words of her colleagues, she was seen as a member of their family. I want to acknowledge Kathy for her accomplishments, and her commitment to country and science. I also extend my condolences to her family, friends, and the entire lab community.

Mr. SWALWELL of California

Mr. SWALWELL of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask that this House honor Sergeant Scott Lunger, 48 years old, who was murdered tragically yesterday as a Hayward police officer while on routine patrol. His murder is a reminder that the work we call our police officers to do puts them and their lives in jeopardy every day, every stop, not knowing if it is going to be their last or if they are going to return home to see their families. Sergeant Lunger leaves behind a wife, two daughters, a brother, family, and friends; but he died doing what he loved, his second career working as a police officer. For 15 years, he did so to help people in the community. He served on the SWAT team and on the gang unit. He was described by his police chief as a warrior cop, an ethical police officer. He was described by others as that ideal officer, that go-to guy. A lieutenant said: He is the best cop and crimefighter I have ever seen. The East Bay and Hayward community mourns the loss of Sergeant Scott Lunger. Long live the memory of Sergeant Scott Lunger. May God watch over his soul, our community, and his family.

Mr. SWALWELL of California

Mr. SWALWELL of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to remember and honor Philip Scholz of Pleasanton, California, who died last year saving another person from an oncoming train. In January 2014, Philip saw someone on the Caltrain commuter tracks. He reached out to try and help save this person. Both were tragically struck by the train, and while the other man suffered injuries, he survived, and we lost Philip. Originally from Washington State, Phil attended college in the bay area at Santa Clara University. At the time of his death, he and his wife had lived in Pleasanton, my Congressional district, for over 10 years. Phil was not just a hero for the way that he saved this man's life; that is how he lived every day. Phil loved to hike, play organized sports, and rescue animals. He was also a regular blood donor and constantly put others before himself. His wife and friends have honored his memory by creating the Philip Scholz Memorial Foundation to support the interests and causes in which Phil believed, such as donating to the Valley Humane Society of Pleasanton. Earlier this year, Phil was posthumously awarded the Carnegie Medal by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, given to recognize those who have risked their lives to save others, and given to fewer than 10,000 people since 1904. Both the memorial foundation and this award are fitting tributes for such a courageous man. Hopefully, they serve to remind us of Phil's example and inspire others as well.

Mr. SWALWELL of California

Mr. SWALWELL of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Lieutenant Colonel Leo Bruning on the occasion of his 100th birthday, which will be celebrated on August 15, 2015. After graduating from San Jose State in 1937 and working as a teacher and coach at Hayward High School until 1940, Lieutenant Colonel Bruning began his military service by joining the Army with the 7th Quartermaster Battalion stationed at Ford Ord in Monterey, California. After the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941, he immediately took up training to become a pilot and served in that capacity on the homefront throughout World War II. Once the need for Army pilots subsided and Lieutenant Colonel Bruning was discharged, he wanted to continue his military service to his country so he joined the Air Force. He was stationed in Vienna, Austria to provide support to U.S. embassies in Budapest and Bucharest in the years immediately after World War II, working under constant tension as his airbase was inside of the Soviet sector of the city. In 1952 Lieutenant Colonel Bruning returned home and left active duty, but he enlisted in an Air Force Reserve program for troop transport. During the next five years Lieutenant Colonel Bruning led his squadron in compiling a total of 2,600 hours of flying on 23 different types of military aircraft. He remained in the Reserves until his 60th birthday with 35 years of military service. In addition to his military service, Lieutenant Colonel Bruning has been an active member of the Dublin community for 52 years and was a successful business executive for a local ladder company. I want to acknowledge Lieutenant Colonel Bruning and extend my sincere appreciation for his stellar career of service to our nation and wish him well as he celebrates this significant milestone of reaching his 100th birthday.

Mr. SWALWELL of California

Mr. SWALWELL of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise with Congressman Jim Costa of California, and Congressman Bradley Byrne of Alabama to recognize Oakland Raider legend Kenny Stabler on the occasion of his passing away from colon cancer on July 9, 2015 at the age of 69. After playing football at the University of Alabama, Stabler joined the Oakland Raiders and was their quarterback during the franchise's glory years from 1970-1979. In his time as the Raiders' starting quarterback, Stabler compiled a record of 69-26-1, was named to the Pro Bowl four times, earned NFL MVP honors in 1974, and won a Super Bowl in 1977. He was one of the most accurate passers in football and revolutionized the quarterback position with his mobility in an illustrious career that also included stops with the Houston Oilers (1980-1981) and New Orleans Saints (1982- 1984). More than any statistics or records, (which were impressive enough in their own right), Stabler was a clutch performer who was cool under pressure. Nicknamed ``the Snake,'' he embodied the toughness, grit, yet fun-loving spirit that epitomized the Silver and Black during a storied era. Stabler was at the helm for some of the NFL's most iconic moments including the ``Sea of Hands'' completion to Clarence Davis to defeat the Miami Dolphins in the 1974 playoffs, the ``Ghost to the Post'' to Dave Casper leading to a victory against the Baltimore Colts in the 1977 playoffs, and the ``Holy Roller'' fumble he initiated to secure a victory over their AFC West rival San Diego Chargers in 1978. In fact, NFL Hall of Fame Coach and Commentator John Madden said that if he could only have one quarterback in all of NFL history to lead a final game-winning drive, it would undoubtedly be Kenny Stabler. Kenny's Commitment to Excellence with Pride and Poise was truly extraordinary. Along with Congressman Costa and Congressman Byrne, I want to acknowledge him for his stellar career and pass along my condolences to his family, friends, and the Oakland Raiders franchise.

Mr. SWALWELL of California

Mr. SWALWELL of California. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the heroic actions of Tim Watson of Fremont, California. Last month, Tim, a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority busdriver, was driving his bus along I-680 when he got an important alert. It said to be on the lookout for a child abducted at the Milpitas library that morning. It also included a description of the suspect and child. Quickly realizing that they may be on the bus, Tim pulled off the road. He made up a story to the other passengers that he needed to look for a missing backpack so he could go through the bus and get a good look at the suspect and the child without anyone realizing something may be amiss. After the search, his suspicion increased, and he called the dispatch center. He was told to continue on his route and that police would follow along the way. He drove his bus slowly, going at less than 30 miles per hour, when Fremont police were able to meet the bus and capture the suspect when it stopped at the Fremont BART station. Madam Speaker, Tim's quick thinking allowed this kidnapping suspect to be apprehended without incident and for the child to be rescued safely. Thank you, Tim. Your bravery and quick thinking saved a life, held someone to account, and is an inspiration to all of us.

Mr. SWALWELL of California

Mr. SWALWELL of California. I thank the gentleman from Minnesota for leading on this issue. It must be throwback Thursday, because just yesterday the South Carolina State House voted to take down the Confederate flag. However, today our House Republican colleagues want a bill, they want an amendment that will put that flag back up and allow people to salute that same flag across our country in our national parks. It is time to finally, once and for all, take down an ugly flag that is nothing more than a tribute to an ugly past. Mr. Speaker, let's throw down this flag. Let's not throw back to an ugly part of our history.

Mr. SWALWELL of California

Mr. SWALWELL of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Jim Negri, Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) Superintendent, on the occasion of his retirement at the end of this month. Born in Oakland and a resident of Castro Valley since 1985, Jim has devoted his career to educating students in California and, in particular, the East Bay. He earned his bachelor of arts degree in economics and teaching credential from the University of California, Berkeley, and his master of arts degree and administrative credential from Saint Mary's College. Jim has played a major role in educating East Bay students for many years. He held a variety of positions in the Pleasanton Unified School District and the San Ramon Valley Unified School District as well as worked as a superintendent for the Acalanes Union High School District. Since 2009, Jim has been the CVUSD Superintendent. Jim also has been active in the field of education administration. He served in many roles in the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), such as co-chair of the State Curriculum, Instruction, and Evaluation Committee and President of ACSA Region VI (Alameda and Contra Costa counties). For his excellent work in education, Jim has received numerous awards. These include ACSA's Outstanding Central Office Administrator (2002) and St. Mary's College School of Education Alumnus of the Year (2001). Jim's commitment to education is truly extraordinary. I want to thank him for his years of dedicated service and to wish him well in his retirement.

Mr. SWALWELL of California

Mr. SWALWELL of California. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to recognize a great teacher, mentor, and friend, Tim Sbranti, as he retires after 17 years of public school teaching. Since 1978, Tim has been a resident of our shared hometown, Dublin, California. Tim's service to Dublin started early, serving as student body president at Dublin High School and on the Parks and Community Service Commission. After graduating from California State University, Sacramento, Tim returned to his hometown to teach and coach at his high school alma mater. I was fortunate enough to have Tim as my economics teacher, mock trial advisor, and tennis coach. As an educator, Tim encouraged me and countless other young people to help our community and go into public service. Over the past 17 years, few people have shaped the lives and inspired more youth in Dublin than Tim Sbranti. Tim's advocacy for public education reached beyond Dublin. He worked as the chair of the California Teachers Association's Political Involvement Committee and led Californians Dedicated to Education. Beyond education, Tim has committed himself to working in all areas to better our local community. I was honored to serve with Tim when he and I were members of the Dublin City Council. Tim served on the City Council from 2002 to 2006, and as Dublin's mayor, from 2008 and 2014. While always putting his hometown first, Tim has also been active in advancing opportunity in the greater Tri-Valley area. Tim has served as a board member of the Tri-Valley Housing and Opportunity Center, Dublin Historical Preservation Association, and Las Positas College Foundation. And, he is a past president of the Dublin Lions Club. I am honored today to have the opportunity to publicly recognize Tim's many years of teaching and contributions to our shared hometown and the Tri-Valley.

Mr. SWALWELL of California

Mr. SWALWELL of California. You are hitting on Stephen Brown @StevBrown__. He asked, ``Can our government offer incentives to veterans who want to start small businesses?'' He just asked that on Twitter. What do you think about that? Can we do more?

Mr. SWALWELL of California. I talked to a number of my veteran groups in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties at home, and not until I took this job had I heard the phrase of a ``ghost veteran.'' It was explained to me it is the servicemember who has come back from Iraq or Afghanistan and has completely fallen off the radar. They are not associated at all with the VA. They are not signed up for any of the benefits that they are eligible for. They are not participating in the American Legion or the VFW. The theory is that, because we have done such a poor job of fully funding the VA and giving benefits and time to people who deserve it, having issues with the hospitals and the back claims, as well as the GI benefits not fully taking care of people--do you think that makes people pessimistic when you get out of your service and you return to your community? Is that going to make you more or less willing to participate in some of these programs that we have put out there?

Mr. SWALWELL of California. On that one I want to ask you if you could expand because I have heard, and Mr. Moulton and I were talking about this earlier, medics, people who serve in the military and they have medical training to help others who are wounded or get sick, they are having a hard time--and I am hearing this in the Bay Area--when they come home and they want to work naturally as an EMT or a paramedic, and they are finding by and large their training is not being accepted by the local schools or the State requirements. Are you hearing about that?

Mr. SWALWELL of California. I couldn't agree with you more. I know it is an issue that you are very passionate about, and I think this is a richer body because we have veterans like you serving it.

Mr. SWALWELL of California. Thank you, Mr. Moulton. I am hearing right now from Duncan Neasham @DuncanN, and he said, #millennial vets stood up when the country needed them. We need those problem-solvers to run for office and change our cynical politics. I think he is right, and I am grateful that you are a colleague of ours, Mr. Moulton. Also in the Future Forum we have some other post- September 11 veterans in Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, Representative Ruben Gallego of Arizona, and also yourself. So thank you for participating this evening.

Mr. SWALWELL of California. You talked a little bit about the leadership training that you get when you are serving your country in the military. In this job, I had the pleasure of going to Afghanistan. I went with Mr. Kilmer back in August of 2013, and just a couple of weeks ago, I was in Baghdad. I observed our troops in theater. What I observed was, of course, the military training and the leadership training that they are getting, but they are also using everyday software applications to carry out their duties. How do you see their knowledge and experience with the various technologies they are using in the field, how can that translate at home when they try to go into the workforce?

Mr. SWALWELL of California. Mr. Speaker, tonight we are back with the Future Forum, a group of young Members of Congress here to discuss an issue that is near and dear to our hearts and one that is on the minds of each of us on a daily basis, and that is the issue of our veterans. We are joined tonight by some Future Forum members. And we are going to start by asking everyone who is watching across the country to tweet at us or find us on Instagram or Facebook under #futureforum to give us your suggestions and your ideas about challenges facing veterans and what we can do here to address it--#futureforum. The first person we are going to hear from tonight is a veteran himself from the Boston area. He is a first-term Member of Congress who served four tours of duty in Iraq, is a Marine infantryman. So I am going to have Seth Moulton of the Boston area talk about his experience as a 9/11 veteran and what he is hearing in the Boston area and what we can do here in Congress. I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Moulton).

Mr. SWALWELL of California. Mr. Moulton, we asked some of our followers of Future Forum on Twitter to chime in with their own thoughts. Shawn Van Diver of the San Diego area, a veteran himself @ShawnJVanDiver, said, ``Let's leverage veterans toward rebuilding our infrastructure.'' Do you see a role for veterans as we try and repair and rebuild America's infrastructure?

Mr. SWALWELL of California. You are going to host us out there in Denver. We are going to make a mile-high difference there for young people, and I very much look forward to that. At these conversations that we have had under the #futureforum, whether they are in the audience or they are tweeting at us, what we have learned is that young people today--veterans and just millennials alike--right now, their top issues, I believe, from what we have heard, are student loan debt, access to entrepreneurship, equality and making sure that we have equal pay for equal work, as well as climate change. When it comes to veterans, every audience we were in front of had a veteran there, and every audience thought we weren't doing enough to take care of our veterans. I think the message I want to put out there tonight--and continue the conversation on social media under #futureforum--is we must stand up and serve our veterans as well as they have stood up and served us as a country. Mr. Polis, I will leave it to you for any closing thoughts on how we can best serve our veterans.

Mr. SWALWELL of California. We are coming to Denver soon, yes.

Mr. SWALWELL of California. Others that were in the last Congress-- and I was a big supporter of the Veteran Employment Transition Act that made permanent the work opportunity tax credit for qualified veterans and also the Troop Talent Act by our colleague, a veteran herself, Tammy Duckworth, which would direct the Department of Defense to make information on civilian credentialing opportunities available to members of the Armed Forces at every stage of their training for occupational specialties. The Future Forum we just launched last month, we went to New York and Boston and San Francisco.