Juan Vargas

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, credit unions are vital to our economy and to our communities. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and the consumers and small businesses that they serve. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Hill and Ranking Member Waters for their support throughout this process. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 975, the Credit Union Board Modernization Act. Credit unions are a vital part of our country's economic stability and success. These not-for-profit, member-owned institutions serve over 140 million Americans. Yet for over 40 years, volunteer-led Federal credit union boards have been burdened by an unnecessary requirement on meeting frequency. This bill gives financially sound and well-managed Federal credit unions the flexibility they deserve. It will adjust the board meeting requirement by allowing qualifying Federal credit unions to move from the current monthly meeting to meeting a minimum of six times annually with at least one meeting each fiscal quarter. This is a commonsense fix that allows Federal credit unions with a proven record of stability to dedicate more time and resources to the local communities they serve, like in San Diego, my hometown, and across the country. This fix also makes it easier for more Americans who currently are not able to serve on these boards, due to the time commitment, to have an opportunity to bring their perspectives to the table. This bill contains key safeguards to ensure stability and mitigate risk. Newly formed credit unions and those with poor ratings, as Mr. Hill stated, will still be held to the current monthly meeting requirements. Under this bill, only Federal credit unions with strong ratings from our Federal regulators and proven management capacities and capabilities will be eligible for the new meeting requirements. This reasonable bipartisan bill passed the House twice in both the 117th and 118th Congresses. Again, I thank my colleague, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Huizenga) for working with me on advancing this legislation and his deep knowledge of the issues. It was actually a pleasure working with him again. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, the Corporate Transparency Act has been called the most important improvement to the U.S. anti-money laundering framework in a generation. To both effectively enact the law and to assist companies whose reporting is essential to fight against oligarchs and criminal cartels, we need the extension provided by this bill. As my good friend from Arkansas said, we, too, see and hear small businesses and businessowners. In fact, California has the largest number of small businesses in the United States. We don't want them to get swept up in the Corporate Transparency Act, but at the same time, we also need the ability to identify, investigate, and prosecute the bad actors. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to stand up and speak out against what we are seeing today, unfortunately, which is President Trump's vengeful and self-interested destruction of our American national security, and to demand that we get information on how Elon Musk and his young marauders are using Americans' personal information. We want to know: What are they doing with all of this information that they are gathering about all of these Americans? What is he doing with it? We have no idea, and no one is asking questions on the other side. Again, it is important that my colleagues listen to their constituents right now, on both sides of the aisle. I know in my district, Republicans and Democrats want to know: What is going on with all of this information that Elon Musk is drawing out of the Federal Government? What is he doing with it? We have no idea. There is no investigation of this. We demand answers, and we think our friends on the other side should demand answers to this also. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. THE SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the President.

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, despite the ill-named bill, I rise in support of H.R. 736, the Protect Small Businesses from Excessive Paperwork Act, sponsored by Representative Nunn. This bill extends the deadline for existing reporting companies under the Corporate Transparency Act, an essential piece of national security legislation designed to help law enforcement, financial institutions, and others root out the anonymous shell companies that are so often abused by domestic and foreign oligarchs, drug dealers, and terrorists to launder and hide their illicit funds. Extending the reporting deadline gives businesses extra time to comply with the law and additional time for the U.S. Treasury to do the vital outreach needed to raise awareness among applicable businessowners. I appreciate that Representative Nunn and Chairman Hill have chosen to offer this bill on the floor today, especially given the broad support for issuing this extension within our committee, but I have to say, given where things stand with the Trump administration, these concerns fall a little flat. Since the inauguration, President Trump has disbanded Task Force KleptoCapture, which was designed to identify and pursue illicit Russian funds. He has declared that he will no longer prosecute most foreign corruption cases. President Trump has fired hundreds of bank examiners, who are responsible for ensuring that financial institutions are keeping up with their obligations to detect and report possible instances of financial crime. He shuttered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has returned $21 billion to defrauded Americans. Further, he and his GOP have fired criminal investigators at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service and prosecutors at the Department of Justice. He himself has offered cryptocurrency products that can be purchased without any verifiable identification, undercutting the very financial crime-fighting agencies that the CTA intends to bolster. Yes, I urge Members to vote for this bill, though it has little meaning if my GOP colleagues remain silent as President Trump dismantles the national security and law enforcement capacity of the U.S. Government. Also, it is ironic that I hear my good friend from Arkansas talk about the most sensitive, vital information that we have, our personally identifiable information, and at this moment, we don't even know who has access to it. That is one of the things that angers most Americans. They don't know what Elon Musk is doing with this information or which young kid is running through these organizations getting that information and for what purpose they are using it. Rome is burning, and my colleagues across the aisle need to stop fiddling and pick up the fire extinguisher. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I am prepared to close if the gentleman from Arkansas has no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. China has been accused of manipulating its currency to expand both its economy and global influence. Concerns about this include its effects on American interests at international institutions like the International Monetary Fund. This bill proposes a way to address that, and I support it. I reiterate my concerns, however, that to do so in light of President Trump's efforts to defy the law, Congress, and the Constitution by ending our foreign aid programs, withdrawing from global institutions, and attacking our allies is folly. In order to actually stand against Chinese aggression, one must stand up against our own President's aggression and his malign policies. Mr. Speaker, again, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 692, the China Exchange Rate Transparency Act, sponsored by Representative Meuser. China has a history of devaluing its currency against the U.S. dollar, making its exports unfairly cheap and harming American small businesses. One way to confront this is to impose greater accountability on China through the International Monetary Fund. This bill would require the U.S. to press the IMF to report on the impact of China's exchange rate policies on key IMF tools and consider whether China has been a responsible partner in the international monetary system when evaluating China's voting power at the IMF. While these are sensible actions that Congress can take to prevent China from using its currency as an economic weapon, they seem like a small step given the big threat. I don't mean solely the very real threat from an aggressive China. I mean, the threat from Donald Trump, whose comments and actions are all designed to weaken America's power on the global stage. Trump is withdrawing America from global organizations such as the World Health Organization and parts of the United Nations. Trump is attacking our allies like Colombia and Canada, making our friends question whether they are better off in a world with America in the lead. Trump is starting what even The Wall Street Journal calls is the dumbest trade war ever, driving our partners away from our markets and the U.S. dollar. He and his co-president, Elon Musk, are illegally and unilaterally ending America's foreign aid programs, causing a disaster for the recipients of that support, but also creating a mammoth void which China will step in and fill. Perhaps worst of all, President Trump is signaling that America will abandon Ukraine and Taiwan, telling the globe that we are an unreliable partner, especially as a security partner, regardless of law and treaty to the contrary. Mr. Speaker, I am here to tell Mr. Trump that we will not stand silent as you tear down America and America's role in the world. Mr. Speaker, let us stand up to China at the IMF, but if, as our majority is signaling, we should adopt Trump's aggressive isolationist policies, then we are giving up the globe to a China that is more than happy to step into our void. That reduces this bill to nothing more than a hollow gesture. Mr. Speaker, I will urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, as China expands both its economy and global influence, it has been accused of manipulating its currency. This includes the use of its currency at international institutions like the IMF. This bill would empower the Treasury Department to address that issue, which is a laudable goal. We should fight for the same type of transparency for our own government and government officials, including President Donald Trump and co-president Elon Musk. It is a good bill, and I support it. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 386, the Chinese Currency Accountability Act, sponsored by my friend and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Davidson). Mr. Speaker, this bill would require the Secretary of the Treasury to oppose a future percentage increase in the weight of China's currency in the IMF's international reserve asset known as the Special Drawing Rights, or SDRs, unless the Secretary of the Treasury independently certifies that China is in compliance with certain obligations to the IMF and with other international standards. While I support this bill and its intentions, I will note that the Treasury Department stresses that, due to confidentiality between the IMF and its member countries, it is impossible for the Secretary to independently certify that China is complying with the IMF obligations. I hope that Representative Davidson and his colleagues will work with us to make changes to this bill to ensure that it could be executed as intended. I also must add that it is enormously ironic that we are passing a bill focused on a nation's transparency at a time when President Trump is running one of the least transparent governments in our Nation's history. As the last Trump term starts, we, again, do not have disclosures or divestment from the President, meaning we don't know how he is personally benefiting from his administration's actions. For example, President Trump introduced meme coins for himself and his wife, making it possible for any friend or foe with business before the President to trade millions in Trump cryptocurrency without any identification and verification. Further, Trump's co-president, Elon Musk, is also refusing to publicly disclose and divest from his conflicted investments, despite being a fake employee of the government who has access to millions of Americans' taxpayer dollars and personally identifiable information. It is transparency for the average American, but not for Trump and his oligarchs. To fight corruption and kleptocracy, it is vital for the United States to have transparency in government. If we expect it of others, then we should model it and demand it for ourselves. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, as the Trump administration continues its attack on the poor, the homeless, and on federally funded assistance with no Republicans stepping up to provide a check and balance on an illegal government takeover, House Democrats cannot sit here and have an honest debate about this policy. What is more, the Trump administration has vowed to put more of America's housing in the hands of big investors and private equity firms. The data shows what happens when private investors get their hands on more housing: Costs and junk fees go up, maintenance gets deferred, and evictions go up. That is why I support this bill, most certainly. I think it goes the other way. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close if the gentleman from Arkansas has no further speakers.

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 10 seconds to the gentleman from California.

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I believe this is the first time the gentleman from Arkansas has been presenting as the chairman, and I want to say that, as a friend, I am very proud of the gentleman, and it is good to see him as chairman. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman), who is the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Capital Markets.

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 224, the Disabled Veterans Housing Support Act, sponsored by Representative De La Cruz. While I appreciate Ms. De La Cruz's intention to better serve our veterans who have served this country, it is ironic that this bill seeks to improve a program that the Trump administration has already threatened to dismantle through an illegal funding freeze. Specifically, the Trump administration and Musk's illegal DOGE unit continue to threaten to cut programs and freeze Federal funding that has already gone out the door, including funds meant to serve veterans. In fact, committee staff continue to hear that some CDBG grantees remain locked out of their payment systems and are therefore unable to access Federal funds authorized by Congress. These are funds that are meant to help low-income and moderate-income communities, including disabled veterans, the very people this bill claims to want to help. If Republicans are concerned about housing upgrades for disabled veterans who honorably served this Nation, then they should find the honor and courage to stop the Trump administration's and the billionaire boy's illegal actions that are harming our Nation's veterans, whether it is stealing private Federal data on millions of Americans or stealing the funding that would otherwise help a disabled veteran upgrade their home to make it more accessible and livable. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to stand up for disabled veterans and oppose co-president Musk's illegal takeover, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman), who is the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, who is the sponsor of this bill.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Michael Price, an outstanding citizen who serves the south San Diego community as a chef and small business owner. Mr. Price is the proud owner of Chef Budda Blasian Soul Food, a food truck that incorporates the traditions of Soul Food alongside a creative Asian flare to provide a unique culinary experience for its consumers. During the pandemic, Mr. Price and his wife, Lily Nachampasak, turned their focus to their passion for food and brought their dreams of cooking professionally to life when they started a pop-up kitchen in City Heights. They succeeded not only in supporting their family through this new business venture, but also in enriching our community by providing joy and a flavorful dining experience for all. Their pop-up kitchen quickly found success, leading to invitations to serve food at music festivals, night markets, and more. Through hard work and determination, they expanded their business and purchased a food truck. Now, Chef Budda Blasian Soul Food is a cherished part of the local food scene and can be found all throughout our communities. It was great to have been able to meet and speak with Mr. Price about how he built this thriving small business, recognize him for his contributions to the community, and get some delicious fried chicken, shrimp, and catfish and fixings. Mr. Price's dedication has made our community a better place, and I can't think of a better person to have recognized during National Black Business Month.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill. As co-chairman of the Congressional Sustainable Investment Caucus, I am glad to join Ranking Member Waters and other colleagues here to talk about protecting the freedom to invest. Americans want their pensions and retirement savings to be invested responsibly. Additionally, recent studies have shown that 80 percent of investors want to invest in companies that consider climate risks, diversity hiring, and employee welfare. That is because investors understand that these factors have huge implications for the value of their investments and depend on disclosures to make informed choices. Corporations are spending up to $500,000 a year to evaluate their sustainable business practices because investors are asking for this information. Many of these investors manage pensions and retirement savings for teachers, firefighters, police officers, and other hardworking Americans. However, House leadership is bringing legislation to the floor that limits access to the very information that investors want. I submitted an amendment that would have protected the right of investors to access these disclosures. Unfortunately, this amendment and others intended to increase transparency were rejected. Mr. Speaker, the bill we are voting on today would make it more difficult for investors to maximize the returns on your retirement savings. Why? It is because House leadership is trying to make it more difficult to consider risk factors that they simply don't like. According to a 2023 Statehouse Report, retirees' pension funds stand to lose billions of dollars due to Republican bills attacking sustainable and profitable investment practices. Mr. Speaker, if you really believe in the free market and capitalism, then you need to give investors the freedom to make their own decisions. We need to grow pension and retirement savings, not force them into shortsighted, riskier investments. I know that giving responsible investors more information is a good thing. It is not a bad thing. Evidence shows that bills targeting sustainable business practices directly harm taxpayers, investors, and hardworking Americans' retirement funds. We should be giving investors the information they need to continue growing pensions and retirement funds. This bill would do the opposite. Mr. Speaker, what was interesting in the introduction and the comments so far is they haven't talked about the markets. They were saying that we were going to be in a recession. In fact, just the opposite has happened. In fact, Chairman Gensler and this administration have done such a good job that we saw the Dow Jones shoot past 40,000 points and now over 42,000 points. Why? It is because they are doing a good job. It is because they are giving the information to the investors that the investors want, and they are making good decisions. However, they, again, want to burn the books when it comes to information. Is this America? Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition, and I thank the leader, again, for yielding me time.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Makeda ``Dread'' Cheatom, an exemplary community leader, who has served the 52nd District for more than 50 years, specializing in the visual and performing arts throughout the City of San Diego. Makeda grew up in San Diego, CA and has dedicated her life to music, art, culture, and the well-being of community members. In 1971, she opened the Prophet Vegetarian Restaurant, the first vegetarian restaurant and international cultural center in San Diego. The opening of the Prophet served as a catalyst to her career, collaborating with various international health advocates and artists, such as world- renowned musician Bob Marley. Makeda began her music promoter career hosting her own radio show Reggae Makossa, which has been on-air for more than 30 years. She has also coordinated and hosted Bob Marley Day at the San Diego Sports Arena for more than 25 years. In 1989, she established WorldBeat Cultural Center, a non-profit multi-cultural center in Balboa Park Makeda currently serves as the Executive Director. The WorldBeat Center is dedicated to promoting, presenting, and preserving the African Diaspora and Indigenous cultures of the world through music, art, dance, multimedia arts, education, and STEAM research programs and events. The organization is leading as one of the most-important multicultural art and event centers in San Diego--a place to celebrate all cultures, all art, all music, all dance, and all people. She also established the WorldBeat Center's Children's EthnoBotany Peace Garden which is used to bring families outdoors and teach children of the origins of their food and science. The WorldBeat Center's Children EthnoBotany Peace Garden, honoring the great George Washington Carver, furthers the organization's mission to preserve and promote African and Indigenous art forms. Her work in the community has impacted the lives of thousands and has cemented her place in San Diego. She has been honored and recognized by the San Diego County Women's Hall of Fame, the African American Heritage Foundation, San Diego 10 News, KPBS, San Diego Unified School District, California State 78th Assembly District, UC San Diego Life Course Scholars, and California Senator President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins. In 2020, she had a mural dedicated to her career in music and community advocacy. She has participated in a four-year research project through the National Science Foundation and worked as a co-principal investigator with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. She currently serves on the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership Executive Committee, the Balboa Park Committee, and the San Diego Natural History Museum's Canyon Initiative Advisory. Makeda exemplifies how music, art, dance and culture can unite people across varying cultures. Makeda's vision has brought past, present, and future generations of community members the opportunity to express themselves through varying art forms and gain a diversified outlook on life. Makeda was awarded the Cesar E. Chavez Humanitarian Award on March 14th during the Barrio Station 54th Anniversary Dinner. She is celebrated for her dedication and lifelong commitment to community members as an inspirational director, mentor, and advocate.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Armando Vazquez-Ramos, an outstanding professor, who has served our Southern Californian communities as an educator and activist for more than 55 years since 1968. Professor Vazquez-Ramos' family has been active with unions since the 1970's, holding leadership roles in different organizations across Southern California and active roles with the California Faculty Association, California Teachers Association and National Education Association for over 35 years. Professor Vazquez-Ramos earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mexican-American Studies and a Master's in Psychology at California State University, Long Beach and a Master's in Public Administration at Pepperdine University. As a student leader in 1969, Professor Vazquez-Ramos was a co-founder of the Chicano and Latino Studies department at California State University, Long Beach. He has taught various topics and issues related to Chicano/Latino studies at California State University, Long Beach Chicano and Latino Studies Department. During his time at the Office of International Programs, he promoted California-Mexico exchange and North American Studies programs. Since 1998, he has led travel-study groups to Mexico, Cuba and Venezuela for students, faculty, and union leaders. In 1999, he also established the California-Mexico Project at California State University, Long Beach. The California-Mexico Project raised scholarship funds for students to study abroad in Mexico and promote educational exchange. In 2008, Assembly Concurrent Resolution 146 recognized the California-Mexico Project and directed the California Research Bureau to conduct the ``The California Research Bureau Report on California-Mexico Study Abroad Programs'' study. In 2010, Professor Vazquez-Ramos' established the non-profit California-Mexico Studies Center to research, develop, promote, and establish policies and programs between higher educational institutions and cultural organizations that will enhance the teaching, mobility and exchange of faculty, students, and professionals between California and the U.S. with Mexico. The establishment and creation of the California-Mexico Studies Center has allowed more than 400 students a safe opportunity to study abroad with an additional 200 students who participated through the California-Mexico Dreamers Study Abroad Program. The California-Mexico Dreamers Study Abroad Program was precedent-setting study abroad model which Professor Vazquez-Ramos established in 2014. Professor Vazquez-Ramos has impacted the lives of thousands of students during his 55-year career and has created the opportunity for students to return to their birthplace, meet their families, and discover their homeland while advancing their academic careers. His legacy career has established precedent and model programs for universities and colleges to follow for future generations. Professor Vazquez-Ramos was awarded the Barrio Station Lifetime Achievement Award on March 14th during the Barrio Station 54th Anniversary Dinner. He is celebrated for his dedication and lifelong commitment to his students and our community as a devoted professor, innovator, and mentor.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I sincerely thank the gentlewoman from Connecticut for bringing us together tonight to defend the SNAP program. In America, no child should go to bed hungry. No family should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from. SNAP is the most important and effective tool we have to stave off hunger in our country. It is our first line of defense, and yet House Republicans have proposed the largest cut to the program in decades. This is cruel, plain and simple. These proposed cuts stand to harm more than 40,000 families in my district in California and over 40 million families nationwide who benefit from this program. Almost 80 percent of the people who benefit from SNAP are children, seniors, people with disabilities, and veterans. SNAP also boosts our local economies. Every dollar spent on SNAP benefits generates roughly $1.50 in economic activity. For too many people in our country, making ends meet is a daily battle. Programs like SNAP are vital tools for ending hunger and helping those who are most in need. They provide Americans with the help they need to find the footing in tough times and to make life better for themselves and their children. We should be expanding these programs, not cutting them.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Dr. Joyce Bennett Justus, who was called home on April 12. A beloved and gifted academic, as well as a dedicated educator and administrator, Joyce touched the lives of many people in San Diego and beyond. Joyce was born in Jamaica and immigrated to the United States. She believed in excellence and pushed herself to earn a Ph.D. in anthropology from UCLA in 1971. She devoted her life to teaching, especially higher education, from her time as an assistant professor of anthropology, to coordinator of urban and royal studies, to vice chancellor at UCSD. She also served as Vice Provost of Academic Affairs with the University of California Office of the President, Peace Corps Advisor, and Assistant Director of Social and Behavioral Science in the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Clinton White House. Joyce loved her church, St. Peter's, especially the choir and the organ music. She also loved her Bible study and her friends there. Joyce was loved by all her family and friends, and they look forward to reuniting with her in Heaven. May she rest in peace.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Leonard ``Len'' Charles Perry, who passed away on April 14, 2024 in San Diego. Len always worked to leave our world better than he found it and he left an indelible mark. Len was born on June 11, 1924, in Oberlin, Ohio, to his father, Attorney Clyde C. Perry, and mother, Ruth Mae Perry. Len's family moved to Cleveland when he was five. He attended Glenville High School where he was an outstanding student athlete, becoming the City of Cleveland's champion high hurdler in 1943. Len served our nation with dedication and honor as a radio operator with the Combat Engineers during World War II. After World War II, Len attended law school and passed the Ohio Bar in 1951. He continued his service and began his legal career as a Contract Specialist with the Department of the U.S. Army in the Ordnance Corps, where he quickly became the chief of the Research and Development Branch. Len also played an integral role in one of our Nation's great achievements and leaps in scientific discovery. Len was the NASA Lewis Research Center's Contracting Officer during the 1960s, managing over forty administrators. Under his direction, they worked to develop Centaur, the upper-stage booster for the Surveyor, which was the first spacecraft to make a true soft landing on the moon. Len's work was critical to this mission and one of the most important successes of NASA's early lunar and interplanetary program. In 1970, after NASA's successful completion of Moon exploration and twenty years of government service, Len was hired by SD General Dynamics. His family relocated to San Diego and Len became the Manager of Material Contracts. Len later bought Aerospace Design and Fabrication, an engineering company that primarily performed design and services for NASA and served as the Chief Executive Officer. Len also gave back to his community and was a member of many organizations in both California and Ohio. He was a member of the San Diego Community College Board of Trustees, the Honorary Deputy Sheriff's Association, the Scholarship Award Board for the San Diego Air and Space Museum, and the Grand Slammers Bridge Group. Len lived a full life and accomplished so much. But at the heart of everything was his family and his faith. A beloved husband, father, uncle, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Len was above all else devoted to his loved ones and his late wife, Elinor. My prayers are with all who knew Len during this time of loss. His legacy will always be remembered.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Chula Vista Assistant Police Chief Phil Collum, a 29-year veteran of the department who we sadly lost to cancer. His service and his legacy will always be remembered. Those who knew Assistant Police Chief Collum best emphasize his empathy, his compassion, and his reputation for being fair, his work ethic, and more than anything, his dedication to his community. Community was at the heart of everything Assistant Police Chief Collum did. He gave the directive in 2022 to create the Community Engagement Division to help foster community relationships, and he personally led this division. He was committed to building bridges between officers and the community they serve. Through the Community Engagement Division, he worked to make sure that the Chula Vista Police Department was actively connecting with community members, including residents, students, and businessowners. Under his leadership, the division also worked to make sure community members were aware of how officers could help them. Assistant Police Chief Collum was also deeply involved in charity work. He volunteered at his church. He went to Tijuana every month to support orphanages and help children in need as part of the Corazon de Vida Foundation. His empathy and his compassion for others were on full display. Assistant Police Chief Collum was a true trailblazer. He was the Chula Vista Police Department's first Black lieutenant, first Black captain, and first Black assistant chief. He was also the first openly gay male officer in the department. Mr. Speaker, we will remember him.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Chula Vista Assistant Police Chief Phil Collum, a 29-year veteran of the department who we sadly lost to cancer. His service and his legacy will always be remembered. Those who knew Assistant Police Chief Collum best emphasize his empathy, his compassion, his reputation for being fair, his work ethic, and more than anything, his dedication to his community. Community was at the heart of everything Assistant Police Chief Collum did. He gave the directive in 2022 to create the Community Engagement Division to help foster community relationships--and he personally led this division. He was committed to building bridges between officers and the community they serve. Through the Community Engagement Division, he worked to make sure that the Chula Vista Police Department was actively connecting with community members including residents, students, and business owners. Assistant Police Chief Collum was also deeply involved in charity work. He volunteered at his church. He went to Tijuana every month to support orphanages and help children in need as part of the Corazon de Vida Foundation--his empathy and compassion for others on full display. And, Assistant Police Chief Collum was a true trailblazer. He was the Chula Vista Police Department's first Black lieutenant, first Black captain, and first Black assistant chief. He was also the first openly gay male officer in the department. In his own words, during an interview in 2022, Assistant Police Chief Collum said that he was proud to be a member of the LGBTQ community. He was proud to be a law enforcement officer. He was proud of his husband. He was proud of his community. And that he wanted to celebrate that. I can't think of a better way to sum up his incredible contributions to our community. He broke down barriers and was a role model for so many. Assistant Police Chief Collum is survived by his loving husband, William Lopez, and my heart is with his family, his friends, his colleagues, and our entire community as we mourn this immense loss. We will always remember Assistant Police Chief Collum.