Norma Torres

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Speaker, the rule allows for consideration of these two bills, which will ensure that we are providing better protections for consumers and employees. The FAIR Act stops large corporations from gaming the system in their favor, and allows consumers the opportunity to have their day in court. And the CROWN Act ensures that we do not allow discrimination in any way, shape, or form. These are commonsense bills that help the American people.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule and the previous question. I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express concern about the skyrocketing prices of lumber, which is adding to the instability of the housing market. Lumber prices have hit record highs; yet, there is still tariffs on imports of softwood lumber. With high tariffs, our low housing inventory will still not improve. According to the National Association of Homebuilders, America's housing affordability crisis and price swings in lumber have added more than $18,000 to the price of a new home; meaning Americans needed an average income of $144,000 to afford a home last year, more than double the median household income in my district. With almost no stock and rising prices, prospective buyers are faced with terrible bidding wars, wars that can only be won by cash-only investors. Mr. Speaker, I urge the Biden Administration to make the high price of lumber a priority to improve the affordable housing market.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Karen Brents on the occasion of her retirement from the Los Angeles Police Department. After thirty years of dedicated civic service to the people and communities of Los Angeles, Ms. Brents will be sorely missed. Ms. Karen Brents' extensive career with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) began in 1989. Her excellence in the field and outstanding performance in emergency situations led to her receiving over thirty commendations within the Department and a promotion to Police Service Representative III (PSR Ill) in 1996. During her tenure, she was recognized by the District Attorney's office for her exemplary courtroom behavior and communication skills. Ms. Karen Brents was also deeply involved with training the next generation of 9-1-1 dispatchers and was a productive and reliable asset to the training cadre. Because of her deep engagement and dedication to the training program, Ms. Brents received multiple accolades and certificates for her hard work. Ms. Karen Brents likewise received a dozen certificates and recognitions for her service and contribution to her community, including the 2006 certificate of achievement to the Community Relations Unit, the 2000 National Dispatchers Week, and a 2006 certificate of achievement from the California Public Safety Radio Association (CAPRA). For her remarkable accomplishments, it is my honor to recognize Police Service Representative III Karen Brents. Her decades of civic service and commitment are worthy of the highest commendation.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today on the anniversary of January 6th to reflect on a horrific day for our institution and our democracy. One year ago today, violent terrorists attacked our Capitol--the seat of our democracy, and what I used to think was one of the safest places in the world. I don't think that anymore. On that day, in the House gallery when the Capitol was breached, I sat alongside my colleagues in confusion and panic. I feared for my life. We heard the shot. We saw the tear gas coming in from under the door--but didn't know what it was. I struggled to get my gas mask on, because I couldn't hear the instructions over the chaos. I lost my glasses for a period of time. We were evacuated, running down the halls and stairs past a part of the mob that was being held down at gunpoint. We sheltered for hours in a room packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people. Then we went back to finish the job. Because that's what we had been there to do in the first place--certify the results of a free and fair election. That day shows that we can't take our democracy for granted. We still must fight to protect it every day, because there are still many people, including some of my Republican colleagues, who want to undermine it. I'm thankful to the Department of Justice, FBI, and law enforcement agencies across the country who are working to prosecute and bring to justice those who planned and participated in the violence. But there is still a long way to go--we won't have true justice until those in positions of power who helped inspire and enable the mob are put on trial. To that end, I appreciate the work of my colleagues on the January 6 committee to bring to light all the details of that day, including the role of the Trump administration. I also want to again thank the journalists who were with us that day and who worked fearlessly through the attack to make sure everyone saw what was really happening. Most importantly, I thank our Capitol Police Officers for selflessly protecting us that day. My thoughts are with the families and friends of the officers who lost their lives because of the attack. We will always remember and honor their sacrifice. Today, I no longer feel safe at work, and I still fear for our country because so many people want to forget the events of that day, or flat out deny that they happened. We won't forget, we won't let the American people forget, and we won't stop working every day to preserve our freedoms.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 829 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, today the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 829. The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 6119 under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations and one motion to recommit. The rule also provides that requested roll call votes on suspension bills considered on November 30, December 1, or December 2 may be postponed through December 10. Finally, the rule provides for recess instruction suspension authority and same-day authority through January 21, 2022, and allowing the House to convene the second session of the 117th Congress on January 10, 2022. Mr. Speaker, we are here today to consider a continuing resolution to keep our government open and operating for the American people. A continuing resolution will allow the Appropriations Committee to complete its work on full-year appropriation bills and provide needed funding to many critical programs that help our small businesses, our veterans, our local governments, and so much more. It is, frankly, a bit disturbing that we need a structured rule for this very basic function. I think it speaks volumes that the other side seems uninterested in engaging in our most essential responsibilities. I would say I was surprised but, sadly, this appears to be just another step in a long line of attempts to undermine needed accountability and investment this year. In September, we passed a continuing resolution to keep the government open until December 3 and allow for the House and Senate to negotiate omnibus government funding legislation. The other side has so far refused to negotiate for full-year funding bills. They have refused to be responsible with the programs that so many of our constituents depend upon. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I know firsthand the impact that a lack of full-year funding will have. Without full-year funding, we will not be able to help the VA reduce its backlog to help our veterans and their families. We will not be able to provide our military with the funding to promote readiness, and we won't be able to provide a badly needed pay raise for our troops. We also won't be able to help our small businesses, who continue to struggle because of the pandemic. Those problems may be acceptable to the other side, but not to Democrats. As the economy continues to recover from the pandemic, this bill will ensure that we can keep the government open and avoid the disastrous consequences of the Republican-led 2018-2019 shutdown. In the meantime, we hope Republicans will start the process of offering constructive proposals to address the critical issues facing our country. Our constituents deserve that much at the very least. I look forward to that discussion when it does occur. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I once again state that the failure of not being able to pass a timely budget lies at the feet of the Republican Party. They have refused to come to the table with actual fair negotiations. If my colleagues across the aisle want to have a debate on a woman's right to choose what to do with their bodies, then I would welcome that. I would also welcome a debate on issues like gun violence. If we care about life and we say that we are pro-life, we should be pro-life for everyone, including our high school students that are suffering every single day at the hands of the failure of this Republican Party to come to the table. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, by continuing to promote conspiracy theories and refusing to come to the table to talk about the real issues that we are funding here today, the Republicans in Congress continue to deny parents and children the education that they need by continuing to deny healthy food programs, once again. So let's focus on what is healthy and not healthy for our children. Continuing to drink the Kool-Aid that led thousands of people to hurt our U.S. Capitol Police officers, to beat them with our own American flag, that is what they are selling here today. We need to work on a budget for the people. This is the people's House. That is why they voted for us to come to Congress. Let's focus on the real issues and not play into the political theater that is being offered here today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I welcome a healthy debate on the future of our children while they are in school. A healthy debate will also include a responsible code of conduct, basic respect, and accountability issues. It would also include accepting the fact that our children every single day are subject to gun violence, but yet, conspiracy theories in full display in Congress continue to deny our children and their parents the safety that they are demanding. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Continuing conspiracy theories, the big lie, drove thousands of Americans to come to the U.S. Capitol in a violent attempt to overthrow our government. In full display today, once again we have Republicans that are continuing with their conspiracy theories about what is and isn't happening on our school grounds. Well, let me tell you what is happening in some of the schools in my district. For the very first time, under the Biden administration, children have access to healthy food. They have food programs. They are learning how to grow their own food. For the very first time, families that spend hours driving to and from work, hardworking parents, have the relief of knowing that childcare is available for their children. This is what is at stake today, the real issues of what is happening and not happening in our schools and access to education. It doesn't just take a healthy family to raise a child. In the words of the former first lady, sometimes it takes a village. Vote on this CR. Fund the government and continue to fund healthy programs that help our children thrive in their schools. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. We have just witnessed, once again, that the other side of the aisle has zero--zero--interest in governing. Zero. Republicans apparently have no interest in leading and zero--no agenda on how to lead. Zero. Meanwhile, Democrats are trying to make sure that the programs that our constituents depend on will be able to continue. Democrats are trying to make sure that our troops--you know, the ones that you claim to support--have the resources to defend our country, to defend the Constitution that you have sworn to defend. Democrats are trying to make sure that our hospitals and our health clinics have the resources to help those who are sick with COVID. You can boo all you want, but many of you have continued to spread this pandemic by refusing to wear a mask.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Speaker, we are seeing a full display of the political theater that the Republicans bring to Congress. Zero. Madam Speaker, as we saw in the last vote, Republicans just want to go home. They just want to go home. Democrats are here for the people. We need to keep the government open. We need to work on full-year funding bills to address the critical challenges that our Nation faces. Democrats are here to lead. Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the CR. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule and the previous question.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my constituent from Pomona, the Honorable Richard Albert St. John. It is with more than a heavy heart that I share that Richard Albert St. John passed away on November 4, 2021. From the young age of 16, Richard served his country first with the merchant marines on the Great Lakes steamers. One year later, Richard enlisted into the Army where he served as a marine engine mechanic. After leaving the Army and working in a car factory, Richard re- enlisted and served in the Korean War. He was seriously wounded during the war, and was awarded the Purple Heart. After being discharged as a Sergeant First Class, Richard relocated to Los Angeles in 1953 and entered public service with the Sheriffs Department and then as an investigator with the District Attorney's office. He attended law school at night at Pacific Coast University while working in law enforcement during the day. Upon passing the bar, he worked as the Assistant County Counsel for Butte County. He later returned to Los Angeles where he met Judith Wallingford and married her in 1970. Richard's experience and success as a trial lawyer led him to be recruited to the District Attorney's office. From 1975 to 1998, Richard served as a Juvenile Court Referee and then as a Superior Court Judge on the Santa Barbara County Superior Court. In retirement, Richard dedicated his time to his art, family, and traveling with his beloved wife. Richard was a dedicated husband, loyal friend, and selfless public servant. He will be fondly remembered by his loved ones, friends, colleagues, and community. Today, Madam Speaker, it is my honor to recognize the Honorable Richard Albert St. John on the House floor to the State of California. May he rest in peace.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 363. personal explanation

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my constituent from the City of Montclair, Council Member Emeritus Leonard Paul Paulitz. It is with more than a heavy heart that I share that Leonard Paul Paulitz passed away on August 24, 2021. Leonard committed his life to serving his community. Leonard served his country in the U.S. Army after getting drafted for World War II during his senior year of high school. Shortly after earning his degree in accounting at Gannon College in Erie, Pennsylvania on the GI Bill, Leonard met Constance Marie Howard and married her in August, 1954 in Ohio. Leonard, his wife, and his children shortly after moved to Montclair, California in 1960 and into the home where he lived the rest of his life. Leonard took an active role in local policymaking soon after moving to Montclair. He served on the Planning Commission starting in 1965, and then was elected in 1978 to sit on the City Council. Leonard served humbly for nearly thirty-seven years on the Montclair Council Chamber and is the longest-serving council person in San Bernardino County, from March 1978 to December 2014. During this time, he also served as Mayor Pro Tem for eight years. Leonard's leadership and vision resulted in countless projects that bettered Montclair and the region, including the expansion of Montclair Plaza before it became Montclair Place, Holt Boulevard, the Montclair Police facility, the Montclair Youth Center, and the Montclair Senior Center. He also served for 12 years on the South Coast Air Quality Management District Governing Board, as Montclair's Representative to Omnitrans, the San Bernardino Association of Governments, and the League of California Cities, among many others. Leonard's passion for local government and the betterment of his Montclair community is just one reason we will miss Leonard. Along with being dedicated to his public servant role, his love for gardening and tending to his citrus trees led Leonard to start the Montclair Community Garden and Orchard. Montclair would not be the beautiful community it is now if it wasn't for the 49 years of wise leadership Leonard provided. His service and contributions to Montclair will serve as a model for many generations and will be a good example for future leaders. Today, Madam Speaker, for his decades of commitment to our community and country in so many ways, we honor Leonard Paul Paulitz and thank him for the legacy he left in the City of Montclair and the greater Inland Empire community. May he rest in Peace.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 60th Anniversary of the Peace Corps Act and the dedicated heroes who work tirelessly to bring a positive change in communities across the world. President Kennedy signed the Peace Corps Act into law in 1961 and presented the opportunity for American citizens to be innovators and trailblazers in communities abroad. In the last 60 years, over 240,000 American citizens have humbly worked across the globe with local leaders to meet the needs of the host country's communities. It makes me proud to know that for more than a decade, California has led the nation in recruiting Peace Corps Volunteers. Since 1961, 31,752 Californians have decided to share their heart, creativity, and ingenuity in over 140 countries. Our nation is thankful for the Peace Corps volunteers who go to their host country to bring a greater understanding of American values. And we can't forget the lessons that volunteers learn during their time abroad, and how their service helps them become more compassionate leaders back home. Peace Corps volunteers don't only serve as ambassadors for the global community but also as role models for a younger generation in the U.S. I hope their passion to serve others continues to transform and inspire our communities. Despite the coronavirus pandemic temporarily suspending all operations in 2020 and evacuating all 7,000 volunteers across the world, the Peace Corps stands at the ready to once more promote peace and friendship in every corner of the world. So, I want to take this moment to say thank you, not just to the men and women from California in the Peace Corps, but also to all those who serve and have served proudly with the Peace Corps. Today, Madam Speaker, it is my honor to recognize the 60th Anniversary of the Peace Corps Act and the men and women who intrepidly go out into the world to bring change and peace through hard work and American values.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like to present my amendment No. 435.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my amendment--a very simple amendment. My amendment seeks to restore congressional notification requirements on a category of munitions export licenses. For decades, when a U.S. company wanted to export these munitions, the sale required authorization from the Federal Government. The State Department has the responsibility for issuing approvals for most types of weapons once it has assessed any impact on our national security or our foreign policy. The State Department was also required to notify Congress every time it approved a license. Unfortunately, the Trump administration changed all of this. It moved the licensing of firearms export sales from the State Department to the Department of Commerce, and it changed the standard review process. They also ended the congressional notification process. The Department of Commerce is not currently required to notify Congress when they issue a munitions export license. I strongly opposed those changes. Given the serious national security implications of foreign munitions sales and the possibility that those weapons could end up in the wrong hands, Congress has a clear policy interest in understanding when they occur. This amendment will restore those notification requirements by mandating that the Department of Commerce follow the same procedure and guidelines that was in place prior to that change. Frankly, I am surprised that anyone is objecting to restoring longstanding congressional oversight powers. I hope my colleagues will support my amendment to ensure that foreign munitions sales receive the careful scrutiny they deserve. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, we can reserve the debate whether the State Department or the Commerce Department should have jurisdiction over gun sale exports. This amendment is not about that. This amendment is very simple. It restores a longstanding requirement to notify Congress--a notification. That is not dictating to anyone where they should sell or whom they should sell weapons to. Simply report to Congress. Mr. Speaker, I respectfully request a ``yes'' vote on this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation, and I thank Congresswoman DeLauro and Chairwoman Lee for their hard work and support of the priorities that I have included in this bill as it relates to the Central American region. We must ensure our aid to Central America helps the people it is intended to help and advance our policy goals, including reducing migration. My Republican colleagues yesterday noted that what we have done in the past is not working and has not worked, and I agree with them 100 percent. The Trump administration turned a blind eye to corruption in the region and emboldened predatory, corrupt government officials. For the last 4 years, we effectively looked at the symptoms and not at the systematic failures that forced the region's most vulnerable asset, their young people, to flee to our border. So if Guatemalan President Giammattei truly does believe in the rule of law, he should show us with his actions. Recently, they have fired Francisco Sandoval. He needs to be reinstated. The Guatemalan people in Guatemala deserve a judicial sector and leaders with his credibility to advance his cases of corruption. I am so glad to report that my priorities in this bill include restricting 75 percent of the funding that has gone to all three governments--El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala--to ensure that the money is actually reaching the people that it is intended. Furthermore, we have never in the past restricted or put conditions on funding to their attorney general's office. In this bill, we have included an amendment that restricts all funding to the attorney general. Our goal here is to reduce migration and to ensure that the young people in the region can see a future for themselves and take their governments back. Mr. Speaker, I support this bill. I thank our brand new congresswoman and her staff for the hard work that she has put before us in this committee.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis).