Mark Takano

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on S. 4949.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. Again, I ask my colleagues to join me in passing S. 4949, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of S. 4949, the National Cemeteries Preservation and Protection Act introduced by my Senate counterpart, Chairman Tester. One of the features or bugs of the Senate--depending on your perspective--is that one single Senator, no matter their party, can hold up meaningful and needed legislation in order to satisfy their own aims. It is incredibly frustrating, especially in the veterans' policy space. We work closely with our veteran and veteran service organization stakeholders on everything we do, and there is always something quite sad when we tell these stakeholders that very worthy policy is being held up because so-and-so is making a demand that may not be related to veterans issues at all. So, often we are brought to the brink where good legislation may not make it over the finish line, and this year was no exception. We held our breath while waiting to see if legislation related to helping survivors of military sexual trauma, disabled veterans, and student veterans would survive the Senate hotline. Luckily, it appears much of it did, and I am appreciative of Chairman Tester and Leader Schumer's efforts to push those bills through. I want to note that here in the House things have worked out a bit differently. Things move forward based on consensus building and efforts to find common ground, and I am proud of the bipartisan work my committee has achieved. We have worked across the aisle when possible, and when we couldn't, I hope there was an understanding that sometimes there are critical policy priorities that must transcend bipartisanship. But, without a doubt, every effort is made to try to find a solution that most can agree on. I want to point out that the bill before us--certainly a worthy one-- was sent to us at the last possible moment with no consensus built in. It took a significant effort to build consensus in a short period of time when the holiday season made it difficult to reach people and engage on complicated issues. But I and my staff are always willing to put frustration and annoyance aside in pursuit of a worthy goal. However, I hope in the future that there is more of an effort to build consensus early so that we are not put in a position where measures may fail because the upfront work was not put in. Mr. Speaker, this bill makes several small but important changes to how our national cemeteries are administered, provides for the transfer of land for national cemetery expansion, and also clarifies eligibility for burial benefits for these veterans buried in Tribal cemeteries. Native veterans serve at the highest rates of any other community in this country, so ensuring that they receive the honors they are owed is very important. Our national cemeteries are an important part of the benefits provided to veterans, and it is our obligation to maintain these sacred grounds not only so that veterans may choose these cemeteries as their final resting places, but so that all Americans have a visual reminder of the service and sacrifice we are given from those who wear the uniform of our country. I do want to make one note of clarification on congressional intent with respect to one of the land transfers in this bill. Specifically, regarding the Department of the Interior lands available for transfer under section 5 of the bill, it is the intent of the committee and the bill sponsor that only Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management lands managed under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 be available for potential inclusion in any transfer authorized under this bill. This transfer is not intended to be made for Park Service land. Mr. Speaker, I support this bill. I urge all my colleagues to do the same, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of Colonel Mary Louise Rasmuson, an Army veteran, a tireless advocate for women servicemembers, and a decades-long champion of women's and civil rights. The bill before us, S. 5016, would appropriately name VA's medical center in Anchorage, Alaska, the Colonel Mary Louise Rasmuson Campus of the Alaska VA Healthcare System. I thank Senator Murkowski for her work on this bill in the Senate, and my colleague, Representative Peltola, for leading this effort in the House. Colonel Rasmuson was born in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1911. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in education from the Women's College at Carnegie Mellon University, and later earned a master's degree in school administration from the University of Pittsburgh. Soon after, Colonel Rasmuson became one of the first two women ever to receive an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree from the Carnegie Institute of Technology, anticipating a long career ahead of breaking barriers for women. In 1942, Colonel Rasmuson enlisted in the World War II effort, joining the Women's Army Corps as a private. Thanks to her diligent service, she quickly worked her way up through the ranks and, in 1957, President Dwight Eisenhower appointed Colonel Rasmuson as the fifth director of the Women's Army Corps. In her capacity as director, she pushed for the integration of Black women into the Army, while working to change laws which denied women promotion opportunities and service credits. During her tenure, for the first time, women were authorized for appointments at the highest enlisted ranks of the Army, E-8 and E-9. Colonel Rasmuson would be reappointed as director of the Women's Army Corps in 1961 by President Kennedy before retiring from the Army in 1962. For her valuable service as director, she earned the prestigious Legion of Medal award with two Oak Leaf clusters, in recognition of her brave contribution to female servicemembers. In retirement, she moved to Alaska with her husband, Elmer Rasmuson, serving as first lady of Anchorage from 1964 to 1967 during her husband's mayorship. Afterward, Colonel Rasmuson served for 45 years on the board of the Rasmuson Foundation, directing more than $200 million in grants to Alaskan nonprofit organizations, veterans' memorials, and educational services. On July 30, 2012, Colonel Mary Louise Rasmuson passed away at her home in Anchorage, Alaska, at the age of 101. Thanks to her lifelong leadership, she will always be remembered for the lasting impact she left on the U.S. Army, pushing it ever-closer to gender equality. Indeed, it was thanks to her impactful work as director of the Women's Army Corps that, in 1978, this segregated branch of the United States Army was disbanded, integrating all female and male units into one cohesive force. While the fight for gender equality for our servicemembers and veterans continues, Colonel Rasmuson's leadership reminds us of the great strides our country has made toward justice, freedom, and equality for all. S. 5016 has letters of support from several veterans service organizations, including The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Disabled American Veterans. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record these letters of support. Congress of the United States, Washington, DC, November 8, 2022. Chairman Jon Tester Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Washington, DC. Chairman Mark Takano Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Washington, DC. Ranking Member Jerry Moran Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Washington, DC. Ranking Member Mike Bost Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Tester, Ranking Member Moran, Chairman Takano, and Ranking Member Bost: We, the members of the Alaska delegation, write to recommend renaming the Alaska Veterans Affairs Healthcare System Muldoon Road Campus in Anchorage, Alaska to honor the legacy of Colonel Mary Louise Rasmuson. Colonel Rasmuson was an exception leader throughout her distinguished military career. After retiring, she continued to tirelessly serve Alaska and the veteran community in many remarkable ways. Whereas the VA system only has three clinics named after women and Alaska boasts the most veterans per capita in the nation, we can find no better way to honor Colonel Rasmuson, her family, and most importantly, our veterans in Alaska. Renaming the center after Colonel Mary Louise Rasmuson is fitting and deserved recognition for such an exemplary veteran and American hero. Thank you for your consideration of this important matter. Sincerely, Lisa Murkowski, United States Senator. Dan Sullivan, United States Senator. Mary Sattler Peltola, Representative for All Alaska.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I wholeheartedly support this bill, and I urge all my colleagues to do the same. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Alaska (Mrs. Peltola), my friend and a strong supporter of this piece of legislation, which is fitting as someone who has broken barriers herself in supporting this legislation of someone who broke barriers for the U.S. military.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 5016) to designate the medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs located in Anchorage, Alaska, as the ``Colonel Mary Louise Rasmuson Campus of the Alaska VA Healthcare System'', and for other purposes.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing S. 5016, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on S. 5016.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 7939, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 7939) to make permanent certain educational assistance benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in the case of changes to courses of education by reason of emergency situations, and for other purposes.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7939, as amended, the Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act of 2022. This comprehensive package from Chairman Levin of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity includes several improvements for student veterans and disabled veterans who require modified vehicles for transportation. This bill passed the House in September with bipartisan support. The Senate combined the original bill with H.R. 3304, Representative Fletcher's CARS for Vets Act, which also passed with bipartisan support. The Senate passed this amended package unanimously last night, and I am urging this House to move speedily to pass this important legislation, which is supported by Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Veterans Education Success, Student Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the VA. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed many flaws in student veteran benefits. We never could have anticipated the need to shift nearly all students to remote learning, but without action, the VA would have been forced to cut housing benefits for hundreds of thousands of student veterans nationwide because the students technically were no longer attending classes in person. However, my committee and the House acted swiftly during 2020, passing several crucial acts, including my Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 2020, which was swiftly signed into law. These actions meant student veterans were protected from losing their benefits, but only for a limited time. While I am relieved we never left student veterans without their benefits, we came far too close too many times. H.R. 7939, as amended, does away with these artificial benefit cliffs for student veterans and makes permanent many of the student veteran protections passed as short-term measures during 2020 and 2021. That means the next time there is an emergency, be it a flood, tornado, another pandemic, or another event that forces them to take their classes online for a short period of time, the VA will be ready to fully pay out benefits to student veterans who are forced to attend classes remotely. I thank Subcommittee Chairman Levin for introducing H.R. 7939, as amended, to safeguard these benefits. In addition, included in this legislation is H.R. 5752, also from Chairman Levin. This provision will allow servicemembers to get out of contracts they may be wrongly bound to because of their orders. Families suffered fines, excessive bills, and damage to their credit scores due to circumstances completely outside of their control. Also from Chairman Levin, H.R. 7939, as amended, includes the text from H.R. 7369, the VENTURE Act, which allows more disabled veterans to use the self-employment track for the Veteran Readiness and Employment program. Previously, this option was only available to a very small cohort of veterans. The VENTURE Act keeps prioritization of several disabled veterans but also allows additional veterans to pursue this option if they wish. Significantly, H.R. 7939, as amended, includes H.R. 3304, the CARS for Vets Act, which I was honored to introduce with Congresswoman Fletcher. Currently, disabled veterans are only allowed a single grant to modify a vehicle to provide them mobility. That means there are cars that are 30 or even 40 years old on the road because the veteran has no other option. The CARS for Vets Act finally expands the eligibility for disabled veterans to obtain vehicles modified for their disabilities more than once. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 7939, as amended.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I want to give my gratitude to the gentleman from Montana for not calling for a roll call vote on the bill to honor Colonel Rasmuson. I think the heart of the Freedom Caucus has grown three times, just like the heart of another character near the Eve of Christmas. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman and the Freedom Caucus, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Madam Speaker, I just remind the gentleman from Illinois that I did cite an egregious example of the VA ignoring the conclusions of an arbitrator in a patently unfair way. Giving our title 38 employees the right to organize and the right to be represented by unions in such cases where a very legitimate grievance arises, I think is a basic principle of fairness, in fairness. Let us think about what our veterans sacrificed. Let us think about what they put the uniform of their country on to fight for. They fought for our freedoms. They fought for our rights. They fought for basic fairness. I have often said on this floor, that supporting our veterans is neither about being red or blue, but red, white, and blue. And I say to you that it is red, white, and blue to support the very principles that our veterans fought for. They fought for fairness. They fought for dignity. If you look at authoritarian countries around the world, they not only close the churches down, they not only close civil society down, but they close down real, independent unions, as well. So if we are faithful to the principles of our Republic, we will stand up not only for religious institutions, not only for civil society, not only for your right and my right to say what is on our mind, but we will also fight for the right and defend the right of employees to organize and to unionize. In this case, it is a very limited circumscribed form of collective bargaining, far more circumscribed than the very union that my colleague, who is a firefighter, I am willing to bet that his union had a far more robust ability to exercise collective bargaining than the very employees that we are trying to empower today. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1948, and I stand squarely behind it. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I would remind my colleague from the State of Illinois that this bill more than adequately went through regular order. We held a legislative hearing in April of 2021. The bill has garnered 218 cosponsors of our colleagues, each of whom has presumably reviewed the bill before they joined as cosponsors. We put the bill through a regular markup, and I have been in regular consultation with the Secretary of the VA about this bill. And most recently, the White House has issued a Statement of Administration Policy in support of the bill. So to say that this bill is being rammed through at the 11th hour is patently untrue and not accurate. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Higgins), my good friend and cosponsor of this bill. He serves on the Budget Committee and is a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1518, I call up the bill (H.R. 1948) to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify authorities relating to the collective bargaining of employees in the Veterans Health Administration, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 1948, as amended.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 1948, as amended, the bipartisan VA Employee Fairness Act. This legislation ensures important collective bargaining rights for all frontline healthcare workers who care for our veterans. As chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I have made veterans' healthcare one of my top priorities. I know my colleagues on both sides of the aisle strongly support our veterans and the benefits they earn. This bill presents an opportunity to match words with action. The VA Employee Fairness Act will ensure critical protections for the healthcare workers serving our veterans. As a Nation, we must invest in these frontline workers at VA hospitals. Our veterans need modern, well-designed hospital and clinical buildings equipped with the latest, most advanced medical devices and equipment and stocked with adequate medical supplies. However, all this means little without a well-trained workforce ready to serve our veterans. That is why collective bargaining is vital. Frontline healthcare workers deserve the right to organize themselves. They deserve to have a voice. VA nurses or technicians should be able to point out wrongdoing without fear of losing their job or other forms of retaliation. All of this sounds like common sense, and it is, and this is what collective bargaining is all about. My bill will bring parity to the Federal workforce by ensuring full collective bargaining rights for all VA employees. Under current law, almost all Federal employees have basic worker protections through collective bargaining. They can become members of a labor union. They have a way to raise grievances and seek redress. They are allowed to have the support of union representatives. This has long been part of the fabric of the Federal workforce. But there is one glaring exception. Many of the frontline healthcare workers within VA hospitals and clinics are barred from collective bargaining. Title 38 healthcare professionals, such as registered nurses, physicians, dentists, and physician assistants, do not have the same rights as the psychologists, social workers, pharmacists, and licensed practical nurses who work side by side with them. I will note that the same professionals at Department of Defense hospitals have collective bargaining rights. You heard that right. A registered nurse has collective bargaining rights at DOD but not a registered nurse at VA. This is the kind of legal contortion that should be fixed. This probably sounds arbitrary, and it is. A list was written up by Congress years ago and depending on your specialty of nursing care or other occupation, someone taking care of veterans is either able to have full rights as an employee or not, and this only happens at VA healthcare facilities. The bill is cosponsored by 218 of our congressional colleagues, and it has the support from those who represent frontline VA healthcare workers, including the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, National Nurses United, National Federation of Federal Employees, National Association of Government Employees, Service Employees International Union, the National Veterans Affairs Council, and a dozen other national labor unions. Further, this bill has the endorsement of Vietnam Veterans of America and The American Legion. I wish to point out what VA said in its testimony when my committee held a legislative hearing on it last year. ``Secretary McDonough has stated publicly and to our workforce that a unionized workforce is a strong workforce. Collective bargaining is a powerful means for a strong workforce which is VA's number one asset as we work toward increasing access and outcomes for veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors. VA supports organized labor and values in the collective bargaining process with our labor partners.'' I agree. This is about building and maintaining a strong workforce, a workforce dedicated to serving our veterans. I will share a real-world example of the importance of collective bargaining at VA. In an issue that rose to U.S. District Court, the Central Texas VA Healthcare System failed to pay nurse practitioners and physician assistants overtime. When the healthcare workers demanded what was due to them, VA resisted. The case was arbitrated in favor of the employees, but VA then used its authority under title 38 to argue that the grievance should not be addressed. There is nothing fair about that. This outdated provision in Federal law has become an excuse for VA to deny workers the benefits they have rightfully earned. Stories like these hardly represent an incentive for nurses to remain in the Department. H.R. 1948, as amended, will ensure that VA employees have the ability to seek redress when VA does not follow its own rules and policies. Some of my colleagues will argue that this means labor unions will start making veteran healthcare decisions, but this is, quite simply, not the case. Under Federal law, VA healthcare workers do not have this power. No Federal healthcare worker with collective bargaining rights has this power. Nor do their labor unions. In fact, the current law stipulates that Federal employees with collective bargaining rights are limited in what they can bargain for. Unlike in the private sector, Federal workers who have collective bargaining rights cannot strike, and they cannot bargain over their level of pay. Pay levels are set by the civil service pay grades each year and are not subject to collective bargaining. Title 38 employees should have the same rights as those governed by title 5. Title 38 employees should have the same rights as their colleagues with whom they work side by side serving our veterans. H.R. 1948, as amended, is all about fairness for VA's frontline workers. VA is going to be ramping up hiring over the next 5 years as it welcomes 3.5 million more veterans into the VA healthcare system after the passage of the Honoring our PACT Act. In order to attract the most qualified workforce to serve our veterans, we need to ensure that VA is a great place to work. The employees who are on the front lines of our Nation's veterans' healthcare deserve and need basic worker protections. A VA nurse needs to be able to ask that their pay errors will be resolved. A doctor must feel empowered to raise medical safety concerns without fear of reprisal or retaliation. Without these protections, VA will continue to struggle to recruit and retain the best and brightest medical professionals that our country has to offer, and I fear that veterans' health and well-being will suffer as a result. This is about fairness, and I am pleased that the administration agrees and has issued a statement in support of this legislation. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the Statement of Administration Policy. Statement of Administration Policy H.R. 1948--VA Employee Fairness Act of 2022--Rep. Takano, D-CA, and 218 cosponsors The Administration supports House passage of H.R. 1948, the VA Employee Fairness, Act of 2022, to expand collective bargaining opportunities for covered Federal employees. The Biden-Harris Administration supports worker organizing and empowerment as critical tools to grow the middle class and build an inclusive economy. The Federal government, consistent with its obligations to serve the public, can be a model employer in this regard. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is responsible for the delivery of safe, effective, and timely patient care for our veterans, and dedicated VA employees work tirelessly to support our veterans' health needs, including in combating

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, in closing, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1948, as amended, the VA Employee Fairness Act. It represents the right thing to do for those who care about our Nation's veterans. I wholeheartedly support this bill, and I urge my colleagues to vote for its passage. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Before I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green), I would like to rebut some of the points that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost), my good friend, has made. I believe that the gentleman from Illinois is misreading the law. H.R. 1948 will not allow the types of impacts that he has described. H.R. 1948 amends section 7422 of title 38. This is true. However, it is title 5 statutes overall that define the scope of collective bargaining for Federal workers. Most importantly, title 5 states that collective bargaining does not include policies, practices, and matters ``to the extent that such matters are specifically provided by Federal statute.'' There are many laws which define the scope of collective bargaining. For example, if H.R. 1948 were enacted, title 38 section 7464 of the United States Code is still on the books. This law controls disciplinary appeals boards. I remind my colleagues that H.R. 1948 would only allow unions to grieve items under its contract with the department, and if it is not in the contract, a grievance cannot occur. Furthermore, my colleague from Illinois (Mr. Bost) has made the assertion that doctors and nurses don't have collective bargaining rights outside of VA, or he pointed out a specific example of the Mayo Clinic. There are many, many wonderful, great, effective medical organizations that do have employee unions as part of their workforce, and so what he is stating is simply not true. Hundreds of thousands of registered nurses and advanced practice registered nurses, including nurse practitioners, are represented by labor unions and have full collective bargaining rights. Full collective bargaining rights. We are not talking about full collective bargaining rights in this particular instance of H.R. 1948. There are whole unions for physicians and dentists that have existed for more than 50 years, and this includes many hospitals in New York and California. At UC San Francisco, over 5,000 nurses are represented by National Nurses United, and doctors are represented by Committee of Interns and Residents, which is part of SEIU. Furthermore, DOD healthcare clinicians have collective bargaining rights, including nurses and physicians. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green), my good friend and cosponsor of H.R. 1948, a member of the Committee on Financial Services, chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. He also serves on the Homeland Security Committee.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, earlier this year, President Biden called on Congress to comprehensively address the effects of toxic exposure in our veterans. My bipartisan Honoring our PACT Act is the largest expansion of VA benefits in a generation. Now that it is the law, the United States is finally recognizing toxic exposure as a cost of war. Earlier this year, VA announced that it will immediately begin processing PACT Act benefits claims for eligible terminally ill veterans. These developments would not have been possible without the work between Congress, House Democrats, and the Biden-Harris administration, and for our commitment to follow through on our promise to deliver healthcare and benefits to America's toxic-exposed veterans. I encourage veterans to visit VA.gov/PACT for more information on PACT Act benefits. Madam Speaker, and may I add that Bishop Barber, our guest chaplain today, along with our Speaker, were instrumental in including Camp Lejeune as part of the PACT Act, and I know that America is grateful for this justice to be done.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the 200th anniversary of the diplomatic binational relationship between the United States and Mexico. On December 12, 1822, Mexican envoy Jose Manuel Zozaya y Bermudez presented his diplomatic credentials to U.S. President James Monroe. In the two centuries since, we have strengthened the robust strategic and diplomatic relationship between our two countries. The United States and Mexico remain united through deep bonds of friendship and partnership that have helped make our shared continent one of the most prosperous regions in the world. Madam Speaker, I am particularly proud of the pioneering role my hometown of Riverside, California has played in this key diplomatic relationship. Riverside is proud to have two Sister Cities in Mexico-- Cuautla, Morelos and Ensenada, Baja California Norte. The relationship between Riverside and our two sister cities is grounded in both art and cultural exchanges and public safety partnerships, fostering impactful dialogue and information sharing. I commend the International Relations Council of Riverside for their commitment to facilitating these sister-city relationships and strengthening our region's global ties. IRC Riverside brings world leaders and dignitaries to our community, providing students and local business leaders with the opportunity to interact with and learn about people from our sister cities through citizen diplomacy. Madam Speaker, I thank the cities of Cuautla and Ensenada for their continued commitment and partnership with Riverside and their dedication to strengthening the important binational diplomatic relationship between our two countries. I know that this relationship will continue to grow and prosper in the years to come.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank a member of my staff on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, who will not be continuing with us into the next Congress. Kassie Stagner has served our committee both as a clerk and a research assistant. During her time on staff, she has also shown a willingness to go the extra mile, take on any job that needs doing, and to do so with incredible attention to detail. Her work proved invaluable to many of the committee's oversight investigations. Through long days and hard projects, Kassie brought a sense of humor and a Texas charm to everything she did. The work of my committee, this Congress, and our government to honor and to support our veterans was made better by Kassie's service, and she will be deeply missed.