understanding was, in 2020, i do not think much was going on in the investigation. he let it be known that nothing should happen. so that investigation was stalled from december 19, 2019, for other reasons, where they were sitting on it. separately, there have been allegations folks within the f ei around the time of the election were trying to suppress the investigation of hunter. but bar himself did not want a comprehensive investigation done, because he thought it would be election interference. since then, nothing has been done. we've covered stories on the program, it seems like every three months we get leaks from who knows where. the justice department needs to make a tough decision on whether to prosecute hunter, nothing gets done.

they are pretending to be agonizing over it, how complicated could the issues be related to hunter other than he is the president son? >> we're going to leave this to honor our more than 40-year commitment to gavel-to-gavel house coverage. the house coming in to vote on several bills now. we take you live to the house floor on c-span. electronic vot be conducted as a 15-minute vot vote. pursuant to clause 9 of rule 20, the remaining electronic vote will be conducted as five-minute votes. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the unfinished business is the vote of the motion of the gentleman from texas, mr. mccaul, to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1093 on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title. the clerk: h.r. 1093, a bill to direct the secretary of state to submit to congress a report on

implementation of the advanced capabilities pillar of the trilateral security partnership between as you traulia, the united kingdom, and -- australia, the united kingdom and the united states. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 393. the nays are four. 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20,

the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentlewoman from missouri, mrs. wagner, to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1159, on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title. the clerk: h.r. 1159, a bill to amend the taiwan assurance act of 2020 to require periodic reviews and updated reports related -- the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the clerk: relating to the department of state's taiwan guidelines. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: the yeas are 404, the nays are 7. 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed. and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the house will be in order. s hmp hmp h. -- shhh.

>> for what purpose does the gentlewoman from colorado seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection ms. degette: colorado mourned one of its finest public servants when we lost congresswoman pat schroeder. she was a pioneer for women's rights and first woman ever elected to represent the state of colorado in the u.s. house. for 24 years, she fought in this chamber to expand the rights of women, families and children across this country. she co-founded the congressional women's caucus and first woman ever selected to serve on the house armed services committee. she championed legislation to protect pregnant workers, women in the military and she was the

driving force between the family and medical leave act. let me what was so unique wasn't just the brilliance that she had, it was her razor-sharp witt. she could trade bashes with anybody on a moment's notice on any subject. she could disarm her most harsh critics with human and grace and had an unravelled ability to light up any room. we can all agree, there will never be another pat schroeder. i am grateful for the time i had to spend with her and for the friendship and mentorship she provided to me overall the years. this is something that doesn't happen very often, but pat was elected to congress when i was in high school. i never voted for anybody for

congress except for pat schroeder and myself. she's a giant whose shoulders we all stand on today, and she will be missed by everybody here, by everybody in the 1st congressional district of colorado and by millions of people whose lives have been made better because of the legacy of pat schroeder. madam speaker, i thank you for honoring the memory of pat schroeder by observing a moment of silence. thank you, madam speaker. and i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the chair will entertain requests for one-minute speeches. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? mr. thompson: request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. and the house is not in order. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. without objection. the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized for one minute. mr. thompson: i rise today to recognize the thousands of pennsylvania youth who

participated in 4-h and celebrate pennsylvania 4-h week, march 12-18. counties mckeon and jefferson in pennsylvania's 15 celebrated the youth development program and the important role it plays. 4-h is youth developmental program with the u.s. department ofagriculture. administered by penn state extension. in its -- it is the largest youth organization in the state with over 77,000 members in each of pennsylvania's 67 counties. in celebration, jefferson county youth were invited to pep state extension office for goodies. mckeon county promoted their clubs by decorating store fronts and had a dinner. they provide a service in

pennsylvania's 15th congressional district, the commonwealth and the nation. and i i thank you for this outstanding club. and i yield back. sivment for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? >> i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. payne: i rise today to celebrate the life of one of new jersey's most distinguished state senators, senator ronald rice passed away on march 15. he spent more than 35 years serving the people of new jersey 28th district and longest serving black legislator in our

state's history. senator rice started as a newark council city member before he became a state senator. but his service to his country extended beyond politics. senator rice was a sergeant in the marine corps and a decorated vietnam veteran. he spent eight years as a police detective and four years as newark's deputy mayor. as a state senator, he was known for social justice and civil rights. and his dedication to equality was known throughout the state. senator rice was an exceptional public servant. and i know his work for newark and the people of new jersey will be missed. with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? mr. carter: i request unanimous consent to address the house for

one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. carter: this past friday in savannah, georgia, we celebrated st. patrick's day with 4,000 people. and today, i rise to highlight the efforts that have been made by georgia's southern university to strengthen the u.s.-irish relations. in 2019, the university established a learning center. it allows students to study abroad in ireland and take classes and experience the culture and examine the culture between savannah, gley and ireland. efforts have strengthened the economy. irish research and teaching have led to the savannah economic authority to select savannah for delegations. the initiative helps the an

irish manufacturer of surveying tools and broad-based for the savannah b company. i congratulate on its accomplishments and thank the universities for its efforts to improve u.s.-irish relations. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from pennsylvania seek recognition? >> i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. >> madam speaker, i stand before you today to honor americorps -- americorps week and the members who have changed their lives. i have witnessed firsthand the power of service during my own

service first in the air force and later as a chemistry teacher through the americore teach for america program. ms. houlahan: i was hope to feel be able to visit with seniors who volunteer as foster grandparents to see the service is alive and thriving in the hearts of so many americans. since 1994, 57,000 residents of the commonwealth of pennsylvania have volunteered over 79 million hours of time. service is a critical component in addressing many challenges we face as a nation today including how divided we feel from one another. please join me in expressing our gratitude to the americore members -- americorps members who commit to themselves and others. let's commit to serving whenever and wherever we are able. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the

house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you very much. madam speaker, i rise today in honor of fred t.macedo. he was morn in carlsbad, california, in 1944 and attended carlsbad high school where he helped win his high school's first c.i.f. championship. in 1965 he joined the laborers international union of north america, luna, local 89. he enjoyed a 47-career -- 47-year career at luna with projects that impacted the area. his work can be seen on the coronado bay bridge, the san alijoh water plant and the point

loma water fit ration plant. after refrierg luna fred continued to serve as president of the advisory council and was active in community service active test. he's provided space for members to give back to their community. he'll be remembered for his contributions to the county of san diego. his family and friends are grateful for the contribution he is has made. san diego lost a unite when we lost fred. thank you, madam speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my larges. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. >> i rise today to highlight the realities of the climate crisis as seen in my district and across the state of california. earlier this year, los angeles county issued its first blizzard warning since february 4, 1989.

unfamiliar wintry conditions resulting in up to a foot of snow with 80-mile-per-hour winds overtook many parts of los angeles county, leaving californians with flooded homes and no power. in my district, the baldwin hills neighborhood was hit with a local state of emergency as a disastrous rainstorm demolished daily rain records from over 100 years ago, causing fatal mustn't slides. today in los angeles we suffered a tornado. this is not normal. ms. kamlager-dove: i cannot stand idly by as republicans continue to deny the evidence before us, including the weather patterns in my district not seen in other three decades. i have fought for the protoasks the environment my entire life and and will work against the actions taken my by my colleagues across the aisle to promulgate the climate crisis

that if not addressed will destroy mother effort and her inhabitants. if this isn't a wakeup call i don't know what is. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? >> madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> madam speaker, i rise today to declare that our calls for gun violence prevention will not stop until we see real action to keep our kids and communities safe from senseless shootings plaguing our neigh. 10 years ago, after sandy hook, grieving parents came to this plaits and called for urgent action. five years ago this friday student sur vie dwhroafers shooting at marjorie stoneman douglas high school led millions of students in the first march for our lives calling for urgent action. yet still, here we are.

after pulse. after las vegas. buffalo. you value key. highland park. monterrey park. and literally countless other shootings. and so many beautiful lives cut short. this morning, my sister texted me, two teachers shot at the denver school my niece and nephews attend. it was their second shooting this year. in addition to four other lockdowns. enough is enough. mr. schneider: together with march for our lives, moms against guns an every other concerned american we will not stop our calls for actions until our families feel school in our -- safe in our schools, our pew, our stores and our fourth of july parades. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from washington seek recognition? without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute.

>> thank you, madam speaker. i rise today to commemorate the ninth anniversary of the ohso landslide. on that tragic day 43 people lost their lives when an entire hillside collapsed smothering the town and burying it in mud. washington state was forever changed. amok the victims were a nurse, veterans, even elementary school students. there were parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters and children, all beloved in their community and we remember them today. on this anniversary i'd like to extend my condolences to the friends and family members of those victims. while we cannot change the past, we can honor those who passed away by working toward a safer future. as a representative of the resilient community i have worked to increase funding for emergency communications and services and supported the national landslide preparedness

act. all of which help ensure that we are ready if such a desire strikes again. people of oso, my heart is with you today. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from ohio seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. kaptur: thank you. domestic manufacturing has always been a foundation stone of american prosperity and innovation and that remains true today. i hail from america's industrial heartland, of our great lakes and midwest. our people know how essential manufacturing is for the long-term health and growth of our country. what america makes and grows, maybes and grows america. when manufacturing is at the forefront working class families and communities succeed. together invention and production lift up economic growth and build a middle class.

that is why i'm proud to re-introduce the bipartisan office of manufacturing and industrial innovation policy act of 2023. this legislation will create and office of manufacturing and industrial innovation to elevate at the highest levels manufacturing policy. this office will ensure that voices from the manufacturing sector, small business and labor unions are herd. it's time for the federal government to put american manufacturing and workers first. this bipartisan legislation does exactly that. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from indiana seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> madam speaker, it is with great admiration that i rise to celebrate women's history month and its 2023 theme, celebrating women who tell our stories. this year, i would like to recognize a woman who tells the stories of geyserry, indiana,

ms. dorothy lavelle, editor and publisher of the "gary cruise seder" for more than 50 years. throughout her career she remained grounded in her purpose to serve as an advocate for the african-american community. her leadership, the "crew seder" became -- the crusader became a part of the bigger organization. please join me in recognizing the dedication, perseverance and contributions of ms. dorothy lavell and so many other who was made contributions to our communities through the cor is . thank you, madam speaker, i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from north carolina seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection the gentleman is

recognized for one minute. >> madam speaker, the agricultural community is the backbone of eastern north carolina. back home, i constantly hear about the barrier tours farmers' success which is why during this national agriculture week, i proudly introduced a promoting precision agriculture act with representative tracy mann of kansas. precision agriculture includes the use of devices like robotics, sensors, monotorse, drones and more to help our grower in-- growers increase efficiency, boost crop yields and lower costs. mr. davis: madam speaker, we must deliver for our farms for the rural america to ensure our growers have the resources and tools they need to do what they do best -- feed america. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from new york seek

recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the diswrom is recognized for one minute. >> i rise today at a moment when tragically women's rights in the united states have been greatly diminished since last year's women's history month was commemorated. while we will continue our month-long celebration and observance of women's history, it is just as important for us to focus on the future that women will face as it is for us to reflect on the achievements of the past. access to abortion is no longer a constitutional right. full stop. access to life-saving abortion medication even in states where abortion is legally protected is under threat. ms. clarke: teenage girls and young women are facing unprecedented rates of trauma, violence, suicide and maternal mortality. we still have not achieved equal work for equal pay and yet we

continue our celebration this month with all the same. that is in part what makes this month so special. from harriet tubman liberating the slaves, to vice president harris inspiring women and girls across the nation that they, too, can dream with ambition, lead with conviction, and see themselves in a way that others may not. we're making progress. and our work is not yet finished. in closing, happy women's history month. thank you, madam speaker, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from texas seek recognition? >> address the house for one minute and revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. jackson lee: madam speaker, we can honor women's history month in many different ways and i rise today to acknowledge women in all walks of life and

around the world. i particularly want to mention a crisis that involves women in my congressional area. can you imagine the state of texas attempting to take over the largest school district in our state and the seventh or eighth largest school district, the houston independent school district. why women? because parents, many of them single household women, teachers, women, support staff, women, cafeteria workers, women. women who love the children and wonder why a state would eliminate the school board which by the way has the largest number of women as school board members on the houston independent school district. there's no definable reason to take over a district that has a c rating and overall for one school and overall b-plus, chinese immersion school, arabic

immerse school, an art and professional school. virtual arts and as well children performing after the pandemic. when i met with the parents at this meeting -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. ms. jackson lee: the parents said why, and they were women. so i stand with them. we'll fight against the takeover and i'll listen to the women, the parents of the children of the houston independent school district. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: under the speaker's announced policy of january 9, 2023, the gentleman from california, mr. kylie is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader. we have a series of very heavy storms in california. we have gotten a lot of water. and i wanted to take a moment to talk about what is happening to that water. this is a photo i took a few days ago at the fulsome dam.

20,000 cubic feet is being released on its way to the pacific ocean. that water is not available to california farmers, businesses or residents. meanwhile, state-sponsored billboards tell people to put a bucket of water in their shower so they can save that are water for gardening. restaurants are prohibited from serving drinking water unless a customer asks tore it. turn off fountains and shutoff nozzle. use a broom not water to clean sidewalks and drive ways. commercial and industrial and grass should not be what occurred, same with common

areas. you can see the enforcement and penalties that if you don't follow this. for local jurisdictions, for urban water suppliers, if needed, exercise authority to adopt more stringent local conservation measures. some local authorities have done just that. a municipal water district began sending government employees into resident homes. once installed, you are barred from watering anything outside and you are not able to use appliances needing water at once. one resident said you have to take a navy schauer, two minutes. in los angeles, they have the water police where municipalities pay individuals to drive around and check for leaky swimming pools, green lawns or other signs of water use. this is just the beginning.

in 2018, the california legislature adopted a state-wide limit of 55 gallons of indoor water use per person per day, a single person can't do a shower and a load of laundry in the same day. last year the legislature reduced the allotted water to 42 gallons per day. then, of course, there is the impact on farmers. 220 and surface water delivers dropped by 4 #%, an estimated 752,000 acres lay idle in 20222. the general manager of an irrigation district said we plant 100,000 acres of rice in our district and this year we planted 1,000 acres. it is a massive impact, he said. as a result, 1.7 billion in crop

revenues were lost in 2022 and 18, 400 jobs. these drastic sack cry tieses have been required of californians because of a supposed lack of water. we prayed for rain. and then the rain comes and this happens. here is the overall impact of this image and others like it throughout the state. so far this year, october through mid-march, the net outflow, this is after pumping from the delta into the san francisco bay is 11.6 million acre-feet. the state has pumped 1.0 million acre-feet into the california ac which deduct and the reclamation has pumped into the canal.

with this record precipitation, that means 13% of delta outflows have been captured, the rest is squandered. if we were able to capture this water, we wouldn't have to worry about floods or droughts. communities wouldn't be put at risk, farmers wouldn't have to field their fields and the reason we aren't capturing it isn't because this water is elusive but because there is no place to put it. california has not seen a new water storage project in at least 30 years despite potential projects that have been in the planning stages since the 1950's. in 2014, california voters said enough is enough and passed a 7.5 billion water bond, build

water storage the voters said, nothing has been built. in the nine years since, no significant project has materialized. endless litigation and bureaucracy and lack of political will have been a recipe for inaction. the executive director said that in my experience is that for every one year of construction, you have three years of permitting. it doesn't need to be this way. the massive fullsom dam took less than a decade to build. in addition to failing to build instream or offstream reservoirs, california has rejected all but one desail niecessation plant and taking advantage of a small fraction. and even now amidst the

precipitation, our state and federal pumps still aren't operating at full capacity. in short, this uniquely californian absurdity of floods and droughts is not some inevitable by dlem product of our climate or gee og gray if i but political failure. we have more than enough tools at our disposal to have a success sustainable secure supply. this image needs to be a wakeup call for the state and federal level. no more excuses. let's solve this problem now and end this era of floods and droughts and shoulder showers. let's liberate our constituents from this regime of enforced scarcity and give californians the abundant supply of water they deserve. this is california's problem but

it affects the entire country. california agriculture feeds the nation and the world and we could never become the state we are, a state that used to lead the country in so many good ways without the dams, pipes, tunnels, canals, plants, pumping stations built by prestles generations. we need to summon the can-do spirit of our forebearers. we need basic competence. water was indispensible and just as indispensible to reversing its 21st century decline.

madam speaker, this last week, two court decisions in california delivered a near fatal blow to the worst low that has ever passed known as a.b.5 that destroyed the livelihoods of countless people wiping out hundreds of professions in our state. these court decisions have significant ramifications. first, the recently re-introduced pro act which seeks to nationalize california's ban on independent work. second, a proposed department of labor rule that seeks to do much the same thing through the bureaucracy. and third the upcoming confirmation hearings for president's nominee julie hsu

who is california's labor secretary who was lead enforcer of a.b.5. the pro act and labor rule, it is an assault on the right to earn a living. a to limit the economy, freelancing and independent contracting, self-employment and other alternate arrangements that careers are based on and industries have been built around. if this strategy is successful, it will be devastating for american economy and workers. we know that because of the devastation that california has already experienced. when he signed in a.b.5, the governor rendered thousands of californians unable to earn a living in our state. individual og grayers,

transcription nists and musicians and conductors, artists and writers and coaches and teachers and trainers hardly an industry or profession is unscathed and the consequences go will beyond the professions. thousands and thousands of truckers are at risk of being taken off the road throwing supply chains into chaos. a.b.5 is a law so bad that california voters have repudiated it and the legislature has granted over 100 exemptions to professions with enough influence at the capital. these two developments that express the will of california voters and scatter shot exemption process were the subject of last week's court decisions. in the first decision, the california court of appeal

unanimously upheld proposition 22. propose 22 repealed a.b.5 for one category of independent contractors, at-base drivers. uber was go to go have to terminate up to 80% of its drivers and nearly had to stop operating in our state altogether. their drivers who pride the flexibility to switch on the app were appalled at the prospect of being assigned to fixed shifts, minimum work requirements and more if they were able to drive at all. prop 22 was proposed to preserve the independent contracting model for these drivers and enable uber and lyft to continue in california. in november of 2022 -- 2020. prop 22 passed overwhelmingly.

this is the one time that a.b.5 has been subject to the direct vote of the people. tellingly, the special i haven't groups behind a.b.5 tried to defy the will of voters. the last tuesday, a state appellate court put an end to this nonsense. the court respected the will of voters and upheld the initiative. the justices acknowledged that the people of california chosen to overturn a.b.5 and protect independent contracting. to members of congress, take notice, your position is at odds with the voters of even my own very blue state. there was a second decision on a.b.5 last week of perhaps greater significance. this one a unanimous ruling was

from a federal appeals court. overruling a sicker kit court decision they held in favor of independent contractors that alleged that a.b.5 violation the united states constitution, specifically, it is an equal protection. and the court wrote, the legislature has not only refuted its own justification for the law, but has picked and chosen who is allowed to work and who isn't without any rational basis. the court referred to the quote peace meal fashion in which the exemptions were granted and lends credence that exemptions were the result of lobbying and back-room dealing as opposed to adherence to the stated purpose of the legislation. the court wrote who is subject to the law and who isn't could be quote attributed to and any

must rather than to reason and enforcing in board hers on corruption, pure spite or naked favorrism. the court found the constitutional case against a.b.5 passes the test which is no tore rousely difficult to pass. a court will only strike down a law if there isn't a reasonable state of facts that could provide a reasonable basis for it. the court explained under this this standard of review, we conclude that plaintiffs allege that a.b.5 violates the equal protection clause. why in the world would a law that per the ninth circuit court of appeals lacks any national basis lacks transform ensnaring

americans in its web of corruption, and economic failure? why would we take a law that why would we take a law so bad that lawmakers awarded exemptions to their friends and say this is the model for our work force? there's no good reason at all. no good reason why voters of deep blue california rejected should be the template for national labor relations as the pro act seeks to do. no reason why a law that cannot be justified by any reasonably conceivable stated facts should be imposed by exec tiffee yacht nationwide as the biden administration's labor rule would do. and no reason why an architect and ruthless enforcer of that law, former california labor secretary julie su should be elevated to the highest office

for that in the land. her failure to deliver checks to cavians are easily disqualifying from the standpoint of competence but it is her mistreatment of california workers through the ruth lest enforce only a.b.5 even during covid shutdowns that truly makes her unfit nor position. the voters of california reputeuated julie su with the passage of prop 22. two courts repudiated her with last week's decisions. it is firearm president biden to withdraw this nomination. if he refuses i urge the united states senate to join california voters and california judges to reject this nominee. madam speaker, in recent weeks, my district has lost several of

us most distinguished citizens. i wanted to share a few words about their lives and the legacies they have left in our communities. madam speaker, i'd like to take a moment to honor the life and memory of rex hahn a committed public servant, veteran, native californian and friend to many. rex's life was guided by a commitment to serving others and a work hard, play hard attitude that endeared him to people across california. in fact, rex's habit of regularly walking the halls of the state capitol in sacramento and testifying in a hawaiian shirt rather than the customary suit and tie was by some accounts single handedly responsible for relaxing the dress coat at the capitol building which is appreciated by many. rarely would rex let a meeting or conference call end without making everyone laugh and lightening the mood of the conversation. lex also spread joy to others through serving as the chair,

vice chair and board member at the state fair for over 20 years. his passion for bringing joy to others through the fair was widely recognized as five dimpt governors from both political parties continued to appoint rex to the california state fair board. rex's service to his community and country extended far beyond the fair. he served in both the army reserve and california national guard, retiring as a major in 1990. rex was also a member of the california task force on violence prevention, a regent of the university of california, and president of the alumni association. apart from his community work, rex worked as president and c.e.o. of the california business properties association for 37 years. and was often instrumental in protecting taxpayers and helping craft legislation that served as models for states across the country. i am honored to have known rex. he was a devoted husband and

father and our community in california will never forget the impact that rex kind had and continues to have on our lives through his service, advocacy and work throughout his 75 years. madam speaker, i rise to honor the memory of martin harmon, a philanthropist, entrepreneur and beloved member of the roseville community who passed away in february at the age of 88. martin lifted the lives of thousands of members of the community through his charitable foundation which supported hospitals, churches, cancer research, substance abuse program, the arts, disaster relief efforts and children's programs throughout the sacramento area. he impressed on his family the importance of maybing a positive difference and is survived by his cherished wife katherine, nine children, 33 grandchildren and 29 great grandchildren.

martin also embodied the american entrepreneurial spirit. he started his career at age 9 by selling cook ware door-to-door in world war ii and later parlayed his experience working mind a butcher's counter into opening his own market and meatpacking company as a teenager. at the age of 27, martin purchased his first nursing home in auburn which presaged his future as a developer and contractor. martin's wide-ranging developments from medical office buildings and shopping centers to subdivisions and apartments leave behind a profound legacy for his children and grandchildren. i was honored to nomar tin and our community will never forget the impact that martin harmon has had and will continue to have on our lives for many, many years to come. madam speaker, i'd like to take a moment to honor the life and memory of dr. paul dugan, a

committed physician and pillar of the roseville community who sadly passed away in february at the age of 92. dr. dugan served countless members of the roseville community and sacramento area through his work as a physician. his passion for caring for others through medicine sparked by an early affliction of polio is abundantly clear through his life's work. ever since moving to vowsville in 1963 he regularly spent weekends making house calls and serving uninsured patient, friends of patients and tirelessly advocating for public health awareness. paul and his wife olga even started the first ever mass c.p.r. training program, start a heart, in 1988. it ran for years and was later recreated by the american red cross. dr. dugan doubtlessly saved countless lives through his

leadership in organizing and executing his the start a heart program. his passion for serving others extended beyond medicine and beyond rose victim. he helped shape roseville into the city it is today. he served as noaft chamber of commerce and was recognized by community members as roseville's citizen of the year in 1978 and 1992. he was also selected to serve on the california board of medical examiners by both governor ronald reagan and governor jerry brown. he assisted in credentialing the u.c. davis school of medicine. i was honored to know paul. and our community will never forget dr. paul dugan and the tremendous impact he has had on his patients as residents of roseville through his service as a physician and leadership in the community. madam speaker, i rise to honor the memory of greg van dewsen, a

pillar of the sacramento area community. greg was born in sacramento in 1950 and from an early age had a passion for serving others and for sports. greg's service and leadership was recognized by his peers after he served as student body president in 1968 and he later served 12-month combat tour in vietnam. after returning from vietnam, greg combined his passion for various and sports by working tirelessly to facilitate the move of the sacramento kings from kansas city to sacramento in 1985. as a result of greg's efforts, generations of sacramento area residents have become die-hard kings fans, although admittedly it's been pretty tough in recent years. but the team's somewhat unexpected success this season, i think, is a tremendous tribute to greg. greg was also a devoted father and grandfather, helping shape his three son into the men they are today. he also looked forward to visits

from his grandkids, attending their sporting events and teaching them live lessons. his son remembers him as a brilliant mind, a hardworking, compassionate father and grandfather, always willing to help anyone who asked. i was truly honored to know greg. he was a good friend and our community will never forget the impact that greg van dugan has had and will continue to have on our lives through his passion for serving others. madam speaker, i'd like to take a moment to honor the life and memory of allen, a beloved member of the sacramento area community and a kind hearted public servant. allen's impact has been felt for over 40 years at the california state capitol including for 23 years as president of california chamber of commerce. allen held a deep commitment to forging constructive compromise with anyone willing to help deliver results for the people of california.

listening respectfully and kindly to everyone's opinions, and building trust through honest deal making. the very embodiness of how politics ought to be practiced. his work, among many other results, helped ensure that significant investments were made in infrastructure and caring for californians' mental health. he served several california governors in a variety of roles including governor pete wilson. allen also served the country as an air force officer in vietnam. during the war he was a captain and flight navigator in the kc-135, responsible for refueling spy planes. his time in the air force informed his each approach throughout his life's work from calmliing maniing a crisis to learning how to get the job done no matter the obstacles at hand. apart part from his service he's remembered as a kind individual, often making pizzas from scratch for his friends at his home in

lieu mis. i was truly honored to know allen and work with allen. people throughout california will never forget the impact he had and will continue to have for many, many years to come. the speaker pro tempore: does the gentleman from california yield back? under the speaker's announced policy of january 9, 2023, the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. santos, for 30 minutes.

mr. santos: thank you, madam speaker. i rise today to honor the dedicated men and women of the united states coast guard sector long island located in n.y.-3 that stretches from etop's neck and just beyond kings point. it is one of the oldest coast guard stations in new york and fourth oldest in the united states. they carry out humanitarian services such as rescue, sorry. they carry out humanitarian searches such as search and rescue, they are marine time security, which is their top priority along with port security. they are the law enforcement service brampleg of the united states armed forces and the united states coast guard. it is the largest and most powerful coast guard in the world that rivals most nays.

during 9/11, these unsung heroes evacuated some 565,000 people from manhattan who chose the water route to escape n.y.c. in addition, their search and rescue ops increased by 35% since the pandemic with a 22% increase in fatalities. while keeping vigilant of our coasts, they also take the fight to gun, drug, and human smugglers out on the high seas. all their missions related activities is being carried out despite a $4 billion backlog. in infrastructure. including the old station building at eton's neck. structural issues with the u.s. coast guard station as well as flood, mold, lead and asbestos

issues at each of the u.s. coast guard stations on the south shore. because of these conditions, the coast guard staff must clean up the basements, late at night, instead of getting proper sleep after handling search and rescue operations all day. as you can see these are the conditions behind me of what the men and women who serve our country honorably have to endure. while all of this is being carried out with about 100 reservists and 40,000 members, some of whom have difficulty receiving mental health services being stationed at some of these facilities can become a long and lonely mission due to long winters and can -- and very little social life. sadly they are also pay and housing issues.

some u.s. coast guard staff have difficulties finding affordable housing within enough driving distance of their station. this results in a morale, recruiting issue. lastly, there are some 3,000 offshore wind turbines that are coming and posing a major concern for the coast guard when it comes to performing search and rescue. their helicopters would have to carefully navigate a waterway during a rescue operation without getting caught up in the wind turbines in addition to coast guard vessels have been difficulties with their radar capabilities navigating in and around these windmills. i'd also like to add that the construction of these turbines can take up to 15 to 20 years to built, resulted in an expected 1,800 transits up in the hudson river from the port of new york

and out to sea. this places a huge responsibility on the shoulders of the coast guard to ensure the safety of all those types of boaters and vessels. i highlight these concerns because they operate under a limited budget. they deserve proper pay, rest, housing, medical, as well as mental health. and above all, our sincere gratitude. these dedicated men and women are truly the unsung heroes of our military force who protect our coasts, protect our economic and security interests abroad, saving thousands of lives a year at sea. and providing emergency response to both manmade and natural disasters. the coast guard eastos are -- ethos are in service to our nation with honor, respect, devotion to duty, we protect, we

defend, we save, we are semper partos. the u.s. coast guard. i thank the coast guard for securing our borders and keeping those at sea safe from harm. madam speaker, most of the world -- most of us would take this for granted and never think twice about the water we drink. we assume it is safe and that the contaminants have been filtered out. i am here to address the water contamination concern that is affecting communities within new york's third congressional district. the village of farmingdale is an incorporated village on long island innes nassau county. they have the village of

firmingdale water -- farmingdale water district and south farmingdale which serves 45,000 residents. one of the water plants is contaminated and the second approaching contamination within 11 months. fas -- pfas are those used for the waterproofing and stain resistance. they typically can be found in a variety of products such as fabric conditioner, firefighting foam, and older styles of teflon. they are also known as forever k chemicals that never break down in water and soil. and accumulate the persist -- that accumulate and persists in the human body. health effects from pfas can

vary according to the c.d.c. it can increase cholesterol, liver problems and disease and birth weight. currently, the village of farmingdale is trying to address these emerging contaminates including one to four dioxins in pfas that are in the plumes in the aquifer from various hazardous waste sites outside the boundaries of the village. the village is in the process of constructing and advancing oxidation plant, a.o.p., and granulated active carbon, at this location. in reality, in 11 months, 9,500 people in the village of farmingdale are at risk of having no access to clean water if we do nothing about it. unfortunately, these contaminants have already impacted one of the water supply

wells located at eastern parkway where the village operates a 1.73 million gallon per day well, also known as well one of three. as a result, well one of three has been off-line since all-of 2021 -- since july of 2021 and the village of firmingdale -- farmingdale has declared an emergency. the new york state department directed the sentinel wells near the boundaries which is a short distance of approximately 1,500 feet of both water plants to monitor the toxic plume and the impact. a sentinel well is a groundwater monitoring well located between a known area of groundwater contamination and drinking water supply well. this pending contamination me ses tates that they have -- necessitates that they have

costly filtration systems not just for well one but for the two operational wells, two and three. farmingdale's most recent sample shows concentrations of the two remaining operational wells. concentration in these wells exceed the current standards. concentration of one four parts dioxin have risen from 1.7 p.p.b., parts per billion, since june, 2021 to more in march, 2022. in 2017, a nonprofit known as the environmental working group, collaborated with scientists and analyzed data from water in 50 states. they discovered six contam nants -- contaminants which include core yum, nitrate,

nitrate-night trait, radium, ar senic, and radium. for the village residents, the business to have a safe supply of potable water, the village is preparing contingency plans which will have a significant financial impact on this small village. this is just one small community facing contaminated water and unfortunately they are not alone. while i am pleased that new york became the first state in the nation to adopt drinking water standards but at the federal level we should be doing more to invest in our water infrastructure improvement projects. clean water should never be a luxury to any community. in fact, clean water should always be a right to every american citizen.

madam speaker, today, i have to defend the taxpayers living in nassau county. as long island becomes less affordable and inflation disrupts our everyday lives, long islanders are struggling to pay taxes. our homeowners in nassau county are now being required to pay an additional 2.06% in school taxes for 2023-2024. nassau county ranks among eight counties nationwide with the highest medium property tax, which consists of 60% in school tax. one of the more of a lieutenant -- affluent school districts in new york, jericho, is proposing a 22% tax increase. the district will pay an additional $2.6 million in health insurance along with $700,000 more for public school bus transportation. this is why the taxpayers of long island would greatly

ber benefit from my bill, h.r. 1360, the salt relief act. all taxpayers need a buffer, especially during times of economic hardship. my bill is designed to keep money in taxpayers' wallets while keeping residents on long island. i'm calling on my colleagues to co-sponsor my bill and consider what is at stake for all american families. i'd like to take the time to congratulate emily kim and kevin tsu of jericho high school of becoming the finalists of the science talent search. both emily and kevin had the experience of presenting their research for a week in the nation's capital and were

awarded $25,000 based on their research skills and promise as scientists. emily and kevin were chosen to compete out of 1,949 students from 628 high schools across 48 states, washington, d.c., puerto rico, and four other countries. emily's project studied activated carbon and its potential to treat the waste water produced by the fast fashion and textile's industries. and kevin had change in d.n.a. with neurological disease and how the changes can serve as a measurable indicator for future cancer blood tests. these extraordinary students, although very young, have set the bar for the many likely to follow in their footsteps. now more than ever, scientific research and stem skills are

vital to solving some of the world's most complex problems. bright minds such as kevin and emily's, are the cutting edge of the breakthrough discoveries. congratulations to you both and may you have a great success in the future and in your career. i'd like to congratulate the manhattan indian girl's basketball team for their outstanding performance this past month. on march 11, they played an impressive game and what many argued to be the most competitive game all season. with just 70 seconds left and what appeared to be their certain defeat, the girls gave it their all and scored six straight points, including an astonishing free throw from senior grad caitlyn barrett.

their junior forward, lauren profetto, scored 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in what some have called the best game of her career. the girls tied the game at 45-45 and went into overtime. then, wrapped the game with a three-point lead. with demonstrated composure, resilience, and teamwork, the in& set the bar in -- the indians set the bar in athleticism. i know you work so hard and thank you for making this historic mark in history. keep your chin up, ladies. congratulations to the manhassett girl's basketball team. madam speaker, it's an honor to serve in the house of representatives and it's an honor to represent the constituents of the third congressional district of new york and to come here every day and fight for the interests of our constituents. i want to thank the speaker and

the staff for all your work and for all the dedication to the american people and with that i'd like to yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. does the gentleman have a motion? mr. santos: i move that the house do now adjourn, madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on the motion to adjourn. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the motion is adopted. accordingly, the house stands adjourned until 10:00

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