Mark Takano

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. Sinema) who, though she is not a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, has had a distinguished record of serving our veterans through very, very significant legislation.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2147, as amended, the Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2018. This bill would require VA to expand access to Veterans Justice Outreach specialists in an effort to aid veterans as they interact with the justice system. Dealing with veterans who break the law can be complicated. While they should be held accountable for their crimes, there are frequently underlying factors, like substance abuse or PTSD, that come into play. Transitioning from the battlefield to civilian life can be tough for many. These specialists are integral to VHA's efforts to ensure veterans avoid unnecessary criminalization of mental illness and extended incarceration among veterans. Veterans treatment courts are proven ways to ensure veterans receive the treatment and support necessary to avoid recidivism. I have visited the Riverside County Veterans Treatment Court and witnessed firsthand the stellar services it offers veterans in my community. That is why I believe this bill is so important, as it would ensure veterans have the assistance and support they need to navigate successfully through the justice system. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in passing H.R. 4635, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan), the ranking member of the committee.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Foster).

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment, which would restore funding to the Office of Technology Assessment, or OTA. I would like to thank Representatives Foster, Esty, Delaney, Langevin, Lieu, and Lujan for offering this amendment with me. The foundation for good policy is accurate and objective analysis, and for more than two decades, the OTA set that foundation by providing relevant and unbiased technical and scientific assessments for Members of Congress and staff. In 1995, the OTA was defunded, stripping Congress of a valuable resource. Many of the issues OTA studied 20 years ago, like antibiotic- resistant bacteria and electronic surveillance in the digital age, are even more pressing today. Mr. Chair, Congress needs access to unbiased technological expertise to weigh the pros and cons of policy questions surrounding cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and so many more matters. The recent Facebook hearings made it clear that many Members of Congress struggle to grasp the policy issues surrounding social media and data security. I applaud the chairman and ranking member for including a study in the underlying bill to look into the technological expertise available to Congress. It is an important first step, but it is not enough. Our amendment restores a modest $2.5 million to the OTA account for salaries and expenses to begin rebuilding the office. The cost is offset by a reduction to the AOC's capital construction and operations account. This administrative account will not take resources from specific construction projects. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the amendment to restore funding to the Office of Technology Assessment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the majority for including the report. I just want to remind the majority also that the OTA was never eliminated; it just was defunded. I believe it is time to fund it again. I refer back to the Facebook hearings in the Senate. I think people on both sides of the aisle, liberal and conservative, and think tanks observed that the first branch of government, which is the legislative branch of government, needs to have the resources and the capacity to do its own independent analysis. That is why I believe so many of my Republican colleagues will support this tomorrow. I hope everyone on both sides of the aisle supports this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of my amendment, which would create a demonstration program in the Air Force for 15 to 20 deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to serve their country. This amendment is inspired by a young deaf man I met a few years ago named Keith Nolan. He excelled at the first two levels of Army ROTC and was prepared to take the next step when he was told that he could not continue because he is deaf. Including this amendment is an incredible tribute to Keith's advocacy, and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to maintain this provision. I want to thank the chairman and ranking member for including this amendment. I am excited that we are taking this step forward to give the deaf community a chance to defend the country that they love and that we love.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor our Nation's emergency medical service workers. When crisis strikes, we turn to EMS workers. They are first on the scene to provide vital medical care when we need it most. Their lifesaving work requires skill, is often dangerous, and takes a great deal of courage. We rely on people like Lisa La Russo, a paramedic with American Medical Response in Riverside County and proud member of AFSCME Local 4911. Lisa has been saving lives for nearly three decades and, like many in her field, goes above and beyond in service to her community. Her work responding to emergencies compelled her to start Splash Medics, a nonprofit dedicated to the prevention of drowning injuries and deaths through education about water safety. I salute Lisa La Russo, her fellow union members, and all of the EMS workers across the Nation. They are the reason Americans rest assured that help is just a phone call away.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Walz for yielding me the time and his steadfast leadership on the Veterans' Affairs Committee. He has been tireless in his support of veterans and their families. I am, likewise, inspired by the gentleman from Texas' service to our country. I thank him for his service. Mr. Speaker, the bill before us today is the culmination of years of ongoing discussion about how to guarantee veterans have timely access to quality care. It streamlines existing programs that allow veterans to get care in the community, creates a process for aligning VA facilities to meet the changing needs of the veteran population, and it expands the Caregiver Support Program to all veterans. It should come as no surprise that I have serious concerns with this bill. I voted against it when it was reported out of committee to signal that it is not a perfect bill and that there are still improvements to be made. One of my biggest concerns has to do with funding. In that regard, I share the concern of the ranking member. While previous funding for Choice came from emergency mandatory funding, moving forward, the program will receive discretionary funding and could break the budget caps that trigger sequestration. That is why I offered an amendment at the Rules Committee last night that guaranteed that moving community care funding to the discretionary side wouldn't count against the bipartisan budget caps we agreed to just a few short months ago. It would help guarantee that we continue to keep our promises to veterans by funding the full range of supports and benefits that they are owed. Unfortunately, that amendment was not made in order for us to consider on the floor today. Without this critical amendment, I am concerned we will be facing difficult choices, and I fear that veterans will ultimately pay the price, and I mean that in a literal sense. I have concerns about the process that brought us here today. I think this bill needs a greater emphasis on building the VA's capacity, its internal capacity, to provide veterans the specialized care that many of them need. We need to do more to recruit and retain the best providers to care for our veterans. I wish that there were more guardrails in place as we begin asset realignment, and I wish that we had a strong VA leadership in place before moving forward with sweeping reforms. But, at the end of the day, Mr. Speaker, I realize we can't keep doing emergency patches to fund community care. We can't continue to look veterans in the eye when we don't offer caregiver support services just because they served in an era before 9/11. That is why I will reluctantly vote in favor of this bill today.

Mr. TAKANO. I will reluctantly vote for this bill today.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, Keith Nolan's dream was to be a military officer. He excelled at the first two levels of Army ROTC and was preparing to take the next step when he was told that he could not continue because he failed the hearing portion of a military medical exam. This is not at all surprising, because Keith Nolan is deaf. The United States does not allow the deaf community to serve in the military, unlike other nations that allow deaf citizens to serve. Despite Keith's passion and despite our attempts to establish a demonstration program to prove that the deaf community is entirely capable of contributing to our military, Keith does not have the opportunity to serve his country. Today, I am mourning for Keith and for the country, which lost out on his service. But I want to celebrate his passion and his dedication to expanding civil rights for the deaf community. He has taken this rejection in stride, creating an ROTC program at the Maryland School for the Deaf. I am once again calling for a demonstration program that gives the deaf community a chance to defend the country they love.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, on Roll Call vote 178, I inadvertently voted No. I had intended to vote Aye.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Waters for her leadership on the floor on this issue. I rise in opposition to S.J. Res. 57 because it erases measures established a half-decade ago to prevent auto dealers from using discriminatory data tactics. I also rise because it signals the majority's intention to contort the Congressional Review Act to allow it to be used on a dramatically increased scale in ways never intended. Let me start with the policy. When auto dealers provide financing through a third-party lender, they can increase the rate offered to the consumer and pocket the difference. Evidence suggests these dealer markups are frequently higher for minority borrowers than for similarly qualified White borrowers. In 2013, the CFPB sought to address this problem. The agency produced guidance that clarified the fair lending requirements of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act applied to auto loans. The CFPB's action simply spelled out that dealer markups were indeed illegal if they led to discriminatory outcomes, intentional or otherwise. It also listed some useful steps that auto dealers could take to ensure fair lending compliance. In recent years, the CFPB has fined auto dealers more than $150 million for discriminating against minority borrowers. A resolution of disapproval is not the way to change policy in this area. Instead, we should be going through regular order with public hearings, committee consideration, and amendments to achieve a bipartisan compromise, not just throwing out words like ``junk science.'' We can settle that in regular order through a process. In bringing this resolution to the floor, the majority is setting a dangerous new standard for the use of the Congressional Review Act, which only grants Congress the power to rescind regulations within a 60-legislative-day window. The CFPB guidance on auto lending was established in 2013, well outside the CRA's window. Make no mistake: Using the CRA to repeal guidance from more than 5 years ago is an unprecedented expansion of the law's scope, and it will imperil thousands of Federal decisions going back decades. Let's not make it easier for minority car buyers to be exploited and discriminated against. Let's not open the door to an even more extreme and unprecedented use of the CRA. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against S.J. Res. 57.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing a resolution to recognize April 26 as International Chart Day, a celebration of charts, data visualization, and infographics of all types. An American public that is better equipped to understand what goes in a good chart will be better equipped to spot and discard fake news. In news reporting and academia, the use of properly sourced and formatted charts help explain complex issues. Charts help the brain discern patterns and trends that large amounts of data often hide. The goal of International Chart Day is to study the history of data visualization, celebrate innovations in infographics, and encourage wider adoption of their use across society. My colleagues and I in Congress are prolific creators of charts, many of which are archived on the excellent blog ``Floor Charts,'' curated by William Gray. If you are interested in joining in on the celebration, please share your favorite charts online and use #chartday.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Kathleen Daley, a lifelong Riverside resident and a dedicated member of our community who passed away last week. For more than a decade, I had the privilege of serving with Kathleen on the Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees. And though she was a conservative Republican, and I a progressive Democrat, never did our ideologies keep us from finding common ground when it came to serving our students. She taught me what it means to work with people who have a different way of seeing things. Her deep understanding of budgeting was vital to lifting the college out of severe financial hardship. Through her service to the college, as well as to many local nonprofit organizations, Kathleen's commitment to our community improved the lives of people across the Inland Empire region. My condolences go to Kathleen Daley's family and friends.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this legislation. After passing nearly a $2 trillion tax cut that gives 83 percent of the benefits to the wealthiest 1 percent, it is both shockingly hypocritical and morally indefensible to propose a balanced budget amendment that would force dramatic cuts to the programs that support America's veterans. In the wake of the GOP's corporate tax cuts, balancing the budget every year would likely require cuts to the Veterans Health Administration, which serves 9 million veterans every year; or cuts to the GI Bill, which is a key recruiting tool to ensure military readiness; or cuts to benefits for disabled veterans who are injured in combat; or cuts to pensions that veterans earn through their service; or cuts to our national cemeteries, which ensure veterans are laid to rest with the dignity they deserve. This legislation would undoubtedly require cuts to Medicaid, which serves 1.75 million veterans, and it would prevent us from expanding existing programs like caregiver benefits for veterans of all generations. All of this would happen while the wealthiest people in this country enjoy a tax cut that they did not need. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to our priorities, veterans belong in the front of the line and corporations belong at the back. The majority believes that we can afford a corporate tax cut that costs $1.3 trillion, yet we cannot afford to extend caregiver benefits to every veteran, which would only cost $4 billion. This vote is, indeed, about a country headed toward bankruptcy, but it is not so much financial bankruptcy as it is moral bankruptcy. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to reject this amendment.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, the Riverside National Cemetery is the final resting place for nearly 300,000 former military personnel and their family members. Each of them have a story that deserves to be told. I rise today to applaud the University of California, Riverside, on a new grant that will be used to research and tell these stories. With support from the Department of Veterans Affairs, UC Riverside faculty and students will document the lives of those who served and partner with K-12 schools to help teach young people about the value of service and sacrifice. Our duty to honor those who sacrificed for this Nation is not limited to Memorial Day or Veterans Day. This project will help our community understand and appreciate the individuals whose service has kept this Nation safe and free. I am proud that UC Riverside has been selected for this important initiative and look forward to seeing the meaningful work it will produce.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Lew Vanderzyl, a dedicated educator; a veteran; and a devoted father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, who passed away last month. Lew's lifetime of service included a deployment with the 40th Infantry Division during the Korean war, followed by a half century as a teacher and administrator, and 17 years as a Riverside school board member. As school board president, Lew demonstrated his moral courage by insisting that a local high school be named after Martin Luther King, despite a wave of protests and intense opposition. He will be remembered by the Riverside community as someone who cared deeply for his students. Lew Vanderzyl, an avid reader, crossword puzzler, and traveler, and a constant source of wisdom and kindness, will be dearly missed by our community. May his memory be a blessing to the friends and family he leaves behind.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Waters for contriving this colloquy on Financial Services. It is my distinct honor to join my colleagues in celebrating this milestone in recognizing Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur's remarkable record of service to her constituents, her country, and to every woman in every corner of this country. I would add, every man and every child. On the long, dark road to equality, role models are the street lamps that light the path forward. For the last 35 years, Marcy Kaptur has been a role model and a source of light for millions of young women and young men. In other words, even after 35 years in this body, she is still woke, just like the ranking member. Ms. Kaptur has championed progress on several important issues: protecting our water and our air from pollution, protecting consumers from predatory financial institutions, honoring the incredible sacrifice of our veterans--we have heard at length her work behind the World War II Memorial--and supporting working families so they have a fair shot in this economy. But it is very much possible, and I would say very much probable, that her greatest accomplishment has not yet been realized. I am confident this Chamber will someday be filled with women--someday soon--who are inspired to run for Congress by the longest serving woman in history. Marcy has taught me the value and the way to fight for the little guy. I remember this one moment on a Sunday evening when I was catching a few hours of a television show. I have very little time to watch TV, but I had a moment to watch the John Oliver show. I don't even think Marcy knew that she was the subject of that evening's broadcast. I will just briefly say that it was about John Oliver totally disgusted by the way little poultry farmers had been put at a disadvantage by the way we had rigged the rules here in Washington. Marcy was the hero of the show when they showed her standing at a podium much like this in the Appropriations Committee room trying to unrig the law so it was not so unfair to these poultry farmers. I remember her so passionately standing there saying: All these people want to do is earn an honest living. I felt that deep in my gut. Here was a Congresswoman standing up for the little guy against the big corporations. John Oliver whipped the national audience into such a fervor, they were so angry when they saw this happen, and here was Marcy standing up for them. He then accused all the people who rigged the rules, who were defending the rigged rules, of having--I can't even speak about what he said on the floor of the House. I urge you to go see it for yourself. I think you will be quite entertained. I was so excited, the next morning, on Monday, I saw Marcy on the floor and I said: Marcy, you were great on this show. She said: What happened? Then I explained to her. I said: You need to put this on your Facebook page. You are going to get hundreds of thousands of new followers. You need to put this on your website. But her first concern was this. She said: Oh, I heard the John Oliver show uses bad language. That typifies Marcy Kaptur: decent, collegial. Marcy has taught me many important lessons about the value of this institution. I know she loves the Congress. I know she loves this House of Representatives and wants to uphold the mores, uphold the norms, norms that are so important in a democracy: it is important to be civil; it is important to speak in ways that are respectful. Marcy serves as that example to me. It is not just the surface niceties, but the deep values of standing up for the little guy against the big corporations and defending the American Dream for everybody. Mr. Speaker, I thank Marcy for her service, and I look forward to serving with her many more years.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I urge my colleagues to join me in passing this meaningful piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 4533, which designates the healthcare system of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Lexington, Kentucky, as the Lexington VA Health Care System. However, it is two other designations in this bill that I wish to highlight because they honor the memories of two extraordinary Greatest Generation heroes from Kentucky: Troy Bowling and Franklin R. Sousley. H.R. 4533 names two campuses in the Lexington, Kentucky, healthcare system after these brave marines. Seventy-three years ago this month, United States Marines landed on the Pacific island of Iwo Jima and engaged the Japanese forces in some of the most intense and costly fighting of World War II. Among them were Troy Bowling and Franklin R. Sousley, just teenagers at the time. Bowling's unit was among the first to arrive on Iwo Jima. On the second day, he was critically wounded by mortars and eventually evacuated to the beach, where he received lifesaving care and witnessed the raising of the American flag atop Mount Suribachi. Lying wounded on that beach, Mr. Bowling made a deal with God that, if he survived, he would spend his life in the service of others. He kept that promise over the next 72 years through more than 78,000 hours of volunteer service at the Lexington VA Medical Center. In his work with the Disabled American Veterans, he has held nearly every position possible, including state commander, among others; and he is the recipient of the Lifetime Service Achievement Award from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Now, upon his arrival on the island of Iwo Jima, Private Sousley was also involved in intense, concentrated fighting. Eventually, as we all know, American forces prevailed. Private Sousley was among the six marines proudly hoisting that flag. Tragically, less than a month later, he would be killed in action. Highly decorated for bravery, Private Sousley is now buried in the Elizaville Cemetery in Fleming County, Kentucky. These two men are the personification of duty, patriotism, and self- sacrifice. It is entirely appropriate that the two campuses of the Lexington VA Health Care System be named in their honor. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congressional Black Caucus for holding this important discussion. For the past 4 years, courts have held that public sector unions can charge a small fee to workers that benefit from the collective bargaining agreements that unions negotiate and enforce. Reversing that precedent is not an honest shift in legal interpretation. It is a political attack against American workers and the organizations that represent them, and it has been years in the making. For decades, a relentless, coordinated campaign supported by large corporate interests, advanced by political partisans, and funded by the Koch brothers has tried to rebrand union membership as a burden on American workers. Their campaign is as cynical as it is misleading. For nearly a year, the United States Senate refused to give the highly respected Judge Merrick Garland even one hearing, then overruled at least 100 years of Senate tradition to steal a seat on the Supreme Court. That seat is now the difference between a Court that upholds the rights of public sector unions and one that undermines their existence. Today, President Trump, the real estate billionaire who promised to be a voice for American workers, has pursued the most aggressive antiworker agenda in recent memory. Thank you to my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus for holding this important discussion. This evening I am speaking--not just as a strong supporter of public sector unions--but as a former union member myself. Throughout my 24 years in the classroom, I was a proud, dues-paying member of the California Teachers Association. And here's why: Union membership means higher pay, better training, and safer working conditions. It means access to paid sick leave if you or a loved one gets sick. It means medical benefits, life insurance, and retirement security for families in communities across the country. It means a compassionate, humane workplace. And it means greater opportunities and a better future for the children of union workers. At a time when income inequality is high. middle-class wages are stagnant, and workers' benefits are rapidly disappearing, collective bargaining is the last remaining source of leverage for American workers. And now the conservatives on the Supreme Court are preparing to strip that leverage away. For the past 40 years, Courts have held that public sector unions can charge a small fee to workers that benefit from the collective bargaining agreements that unions negotiate and enforce. Reversing that precedent is not an honest shift in legal interpretation. It is a political attack against American workers and the organizations that represent them . . . and it has been years in the making. For decades, a relentless, coordinated campaign, supported by large corporate interests, advanced by political partisans, and funded by the Koch Brothers, has tried to rebrand union membership as a burden on American workers. Their campaign is as cynical as it is misleading. For nearly a year, the United States Senate refused to give the highly respected Judge Merrick Garland even one hearing, and then overruled at least 100 years of Senate tradition to steal a seat on the Supreme Court. That seat is now the difference between a Court that upholds the rights of public sector unions and one that undermines their existence. And today, President Trump--the real estate billionaire who promised to be a voice for American workers has pursued the most aggressive anti-worker agenda in recent memory. In the White House, in Congress, and now in the Supreme Court, American workers are being deprived of the protections that built the middle class. And instead of accepting blame for exacerbating the challenges facing working families, Republicans are pointing the finger at immigrants and refugees in an attempt to divide and distract our nation from the true source of inequality. The decision in Janus v. AFSCME must be the beginning of a new effort, supported by all my colleagues here this evening, to restore the respect and benefits that American workers deserve.