[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 176 (Wednesday, December 7, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H7387-H7392]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RETIRING MEMBERS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 6, 2015, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren) is
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I am honored to be here this evening to
talk about the remarkable records of five individuals who are retiring
from the Congress. I have had the honor of chairing the California
Democratic delegation for many years; and these five Members--
Representative Sam Farr, Representative Lois Capps, Representative
Loretta Sanchez, Representative Mike Honda, and Representative Janice
Hahn--are going home to California after serving distinguished careers
here in the House.
The Honorable Sam Farr
Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I will start with my near neighbor, who
has served since 1993. He came in in a special election, and that is
Congressman Sam Farr. He has honorably represented the central coast of
California for more than 40 years and here in Congress for the last 23.
Sam was born and raised in the Monterey County area. Before his
service here in the House, he early on served in the Peace Corps in
Colombia, and his wonderful fluent Spanish is a product of his Peace
Corps service in Colombia. To this day, he has a special soft spot for
that country.
As the ranking member on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and
Related Agencies, he has championed safe and nutritious food for
consumers, farmers, and producers. He has made sure that the need of
getting fresh food into school lunches has never been far from our
thoughts, and he has had remarkable success there, which has served the
health of children across the country.
After serving in the Peace Corps, Sam represented his constituents on
the Monterey County Board of Supervisors for 6 years. As a member of
the Board of Supervisors, he continued to fight for environmental
issues and for people who were disadvantaged. After that, he served in
the California Legislature.
Sam founded the bipartisan House Oceans Caucus and authored the
Oceans Act, which created the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy.
He is the longest serving Democrat on the Subcommittee on Military
Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies. And while he
served on that subcommittee, he did something simply remarkable. We all
know that
[[Page H7388]]
bases across the United States were closed under the BRAC system, and
one of those bases was the Fort Ord military base. It is the biggest
California base, and it left a hole in that county. What Sam did was,
he worked with the local community to make sure that that base could be
repurposed to good use, and he led the effort to make the Cal State
University at Monterey a reality at Fort Ord.
Sam is a former chair of the congressional Democratic delegation and
did such a great job when he chaired this group. He stands for peace,
for diplomacy. Sam is always standing up for the little guy. And one of
the things in addition to that is that he has been the photographer for
House Democrats. Whenever we go anywhere, Sam is there with his camera,
and we really don't know who is going to keep track of our activities
when Sam retires.
We wish him well. We know he is going to have a great time in the
serene beauty of the region where he grew up. He said: It is time to go
home and be a grandpa. And we know that he is a wonderful grandpa.
The Honorable Lois Capps
Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, Lois Capps is also retiring. Lois was
sworn in on March 17, 1998. But I remember the day that her late
husband, Walter Capps, passed away unexpectedly. She and Walter were on
their way to the Capitol, and Walter passed away.
We had an unplanned Special Order here. We were all so shocked that
that had happened. And Lois was here with us. She later went on to run
for the seat that her husband had represented really for a short time:
Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and parts of Ventura County. She has
represented that area with tremendous distinction.
You know, she will be the first to tell you, she never expected to be
a Member of Congress. She is a former nurse, a public health advocate.
She was a school nurse and still talks about the work she did as a
school nurse with children. And when she got elected to Congress, she
was committed to improving schools, to quality health care, and a
cleaner environment. She built a legacy of commonsense solutions that
have helped make her district, her State, and our country cleaner,
healthier, and more sustainable.
And here is something not everyone knows; but when they hear it, it
makes so much sense. She has been voted the nicest Member of Congress
over and over again, and so she is.
She serves on the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee and sits on
the Health Subcommittee, the Energy and Power Subcommittee, as well as
the Environment and the Economy Subcommittee. She has focused on
Medicare reform, the nursing shortage, mental health, the protection of
our air and water. She also serves on the House Natural Resources
Committee.
Lois is someone who not only serves with distinction but who is a
warm friend. We will miss her greatly next Congress, but we know that
she deserves the retirement that she has earned, and she will be going
home to her beautiful district.
The Honorable Loretta Sanchez
Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, our colleague Loretta Sanchez is a true
trailblazer. Beginning with her election in 1996, where in then-
Republican Orange County, she had an upset victory against former
Representative Bob Dornan. She defeated Representative Dornan by less
than 1,000 votes.
{time} 1945
When she got here, she immediately tried to do what she could for the
defense of this Nation. She has served honorably as a senior member on
the House Committee on Armed Services and the House Committee on
Homeland Security and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Tactical
Air and Land Forces. She is considered a leader on military and
national security issues.
She is also the co-chair of the Congressional Women in the Military
Caucus, where she advocated for female servicemembers to serve in
combat roles, and she fought to end sexual assault in the Armed Forces.
She served on the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, where she made
sure our Nation is prepared for anything, any missile or nuclear
attack.
Another thing that I know so well about Loretta is how much she cares
about human rights, and specifically her advocacy for human rights in
Vietnam. She and I have co-chaired the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam.
She has gone to Vietnam, and she is a reliable, vocal, smart, and
dedicated advocate for human rights, for religious freedom and labor
rights for people in Vietnam.
Obviously a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, she served
in the past as co-chair of the Immigration Task Force. She is a
spectacular person. I will miss her a great deal, and I am thinking
about who do I go to on the committee to talk about the nerdy but
important things like the National Ignition Facility and big science
projects that are also part of the armed services. She has served her
country so well.
The Honorable Mike Honda
Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, Mike Honda will also be going home. I
have had the honor of knowing Mike Honda for many decades. As a matter
of fact, I think I first met Mike when he was serving on the planning
commission of the city of San Jose, appointed by then-Mayor Norm
Mineta, who later became a Member of Congress. He was later elected to
the San Jose Unified School Board, and then to the Santa Clara County
Board of Supervisors. In fact, Mike and I served together on the Santa
Clara County Board of Supervisors.
Many of us know his history. During World War II, Mike Honda and his
family spent 3 years imprisoned in an internment camp for Japanese
Americans. That experience, I think, was the beginning of the fuel for
his zeal in his fight for civil rights, for public service, and against
discrimination. We will miss him because, although we have a very
distinguished member in Doris Matsui, who was actually born in an
internment camp, I believe that Mike Honda is the last of our Members
who actually was old enough to remember being in that internment camp.
We have discussions in our country today about locking up people
based on their ethnicity or their religious beliefs. It is important
that people like Mike Honda can stand up and say America made a
mistake. America apologized for that mistake. Let's never make that
mistake again.
Mike serves on the House Committee on Appropriations and is serving
now as the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice,
Science, and Related Agencies. In that position, he played a key role
with me and Congresswoman Anna Eshoo in helping to locate the Patent
Office in San Jose and to make sure that the Department of Justice has
the resources to address the backlog in rape kits. He also serves on
the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies.
He is chair emeritus of the Congressional Asian Pacific American
Caucus, the founding chair of the Congressional Caucus to End Bullying,
the vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and the
Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus. In fact, he spent many years
fighting anti-Muslim bigotry and discrimination against the LGBT
community.
The Honorable Janice Hahn
Ms. LOFGREN. Finally, I want to mention our friend Janice Hahn, who
took office just, I think, this week as a member of the Los Angeles
County Board of Supervisors. Janice was elected to Congress in 2011 and
immediately made strong contributions to her district in a short time.
But the story of Janice doesn't begin with her election to Congress. It
begins long before that.
Her father, Supervisor Kenny Hahn, served longer as a member of the
board of supervisors than anyone in the history of the United States;
and Janice tells stories of growing up with her father and
understanding that public service means getting down and actually
talking with your constituents, providing direct services to them. He
had a tremendous influence on her, and she served on the Los Angeles
City Council before she ran for Congress successfully.
Here, Janice served on the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, where she did important things like helping to pass the
National Freight Network Trust Fund Act to increase investments in port
and freight network infrastructure. As
[[Page H7389]]
a result of her efforts, the harbor maintenance trust fund provided
over $1 billion in resources to operate more efficiently and remain
globally competitive.
The Port of Long Beach, which she represented in Congress and now as
a Los Angeles County supervisor, moves more than $180 billion of goods
each year and is the second busiest seaport in the United States. She
has always made sure that that port got the resources necessary to be
efficient not only for the need for business in her district, but
recognizing that the goods that come through that port help support the
economy across the United States.
She served also on the Committee on Small Business, where she worked
to improve access to loans for small businesses to improve job
creation. She cofounded the bipartisan Congressional Ports Opportunity,
Renewal, Trade, and Security Caucus, the PORTS Caucus, and she also
served with Jim Costa and me on the California High-Speed Rail Caucus,
where she championed the California high-speed rail project, which will
improve transportation in California and reduce traffic congestion and
airport wait times.
Janice Hahn is someone who really cared about her district in
Congress, but her district in Congress is tiny compared to the district
she represents on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors. We know that
she will do a terrific job there.
Many also know her as someone who was very involved in the prayer
breakfast movement here in Congress. She made many friends across the
aisle as she did that, and we will miss her.
We know that we will see all of these fine individuals when we go
home, as we do every week to California. Now before calling on my
colleague Mr. Farr, I would also like to note that the timing of this
was a little bit different than we had expected, and a lot of Members
have statements.
General Leave
Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members have
5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert
extraneous material into the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I yield to Sam Farr.
Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. This
is probably the last time I rise on this floor to speak after 23 years
of serving here. It may take me a little more than 5 minutes.
Ms. LOFGREN. That is all right.
Mr. FARR. My daughter is on the way with my grandkids, who are trying
to watch this. Maybe we can delay it a little more than that.
Madam Speaker, I want to thank Ms. Lofgren for her leadership in the
California delegation. She is the head of the Democratic side of the
aisle in our caucus from California, the largest caucus just the
Democrats alone. I would just like to point out what the politics of
the West has done since I first got elected in 1975.
I arrived here, and there were an even number of Democrats and
Republicans representing California. Today there are 39 Democrats, and
that is because the State has really shifted in their registration and
voting. So the California Democratic delegation, it is interesting that
Zoe is the chair of because it is the most diverse delegation in
Congress: majority women, the highest delegation of Hispanics, of
women, of Asians, and I would like to say with, Mike Honda and Mr.
Garamendi and myself, the largest delegation of returned Peace Corps
volunteers. It has been quite a change in the 23 years that I have been
in Congress.
I first arrived in 1993. I was the last guy in the door here because
Leon Panetta, my predecessor, had been elected in the 1992 election,
sworn in to the Congress that January; and then when President Clinton
was sworn in for his first term, he turned around and appointed Leon
Panetta to be head of the Office of Management and Budget. Leon resigns
on that day, notifies Governor Wilson, who declares a special election.
Interesting enough, in the special elections in California, it is an
open election, so the highest vote getter from each party at the time
would be in the runoff, and 27 people filed. I was in the state
assembly. They said: You file and you will clear the field.
No, it didn't happen at all. It was quite a primary, and it ended up
with a June election; and on June 15, I think I was sworn here, right
in this very spot, to the United States Congress.
What was interesting is I was the 435th Member of Congress, the last
person, and today I think my seniority ranks me around 50, from 51 to
55. So it takes 23 years to move from the bottom slot all the way up to
the top 50 or so slots in this House. It has been a very interesting
experience.
This truly is--and I have seen it through all the years--a
representational democracy. There are all kinds of people in Congress
with all kinds of issues: personal issues, family issues, financial
issues. It really is representational of the society we live in. One
thing in common is that they all want to serve the public; they want to
serve this country.
That service, particularly in this House, because we are
representatives, we serve districts. Madam Chair was a former county
supervisor, as I was, and I like jokingly saying that, frankly, because
we all serve districts, we are like 435 county supervisors back here.
We are more concerned about our district than the whole country.
That is a strength for the constituents of the district, to be able
to have direct access to their elected Members of Congress. It is
probably a drawback when you are trying to draw the whole country into
a common purpose. It is very difficult to get at least 218 people to
agree, and that is the challenge here.
I have had the privilege of serving on the Agriculture Committee, the
Defense Committee, the Resources Committee, and, in the last 20 or so
years, on the Appropriations Committee. It has been a wonderful
experience because you are able to really get involved in the
Appropriations Committee with all the details of running government.
I am ranking member, the chief Democrat on the Agriculture
Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, and our budget for that
committee is about the same as the entire budget for the State of
California. That is an agency which was created by Abraham Lincoln. It
was created to essentially deal with the home ec of westward expansion.
So all of the rural development, the rural poverty programs, are in
the Department of Agriculture. Plus you have ag attaches in every
Embassy in the United States, in the world. You have the commodities
futures exchange. You have Wall Street. You have everything in that
committee and it is really interesting, and the biggest feeding program
through food stamps, the WIC program, Food for Peace, and so on.
I have been able to do a lot in changing policies so that we got
fresh fruits and vegetables, and trying to get them in every school
lunch program in the United States. That is good for California
agriculture, and it is, more importantly, good for the kids of this
Nation.
I have had the privilege of being, I think, the only one in this
House to create a national park during my service. The Pinnacles
National Park was the 59th national park created in the history of this
country.
We have done a big expansion of ocean protection with the Monterey
Bay National Marine Sanctuary. We have created a visitors center for
that sanctuary. We have created, for the Department of Fish and
Wildlife, a center in Santa Cruz.
We have created a brand-new university out of the largest base
closure that ever happened in the history of the United States, with
the closure of Fort Ord. Cal State Monterey Bay is really up and
coming, about 7,000 students, a great university, really reaching out
to the underserved populations of California.
I have been able to raise the pay for Federal workers in my district,
what they call the locality pay.
I have been able to, I think, save the Naval Postgraduate School and
the Defense Language Institute from being closed or reorganized,
realigned to other States. The list goes on and on.
I think what I am most proud of is the fact that I have had such
incredible staff. I would just like to take a moment to tell you about
Rochelle
[[Page H7390]]
Dornatt, my chief of staff, who has been with me for 23 years; Debbie
Merrill; Troy Phillips; Tom Tucker; Sam Chiron; Dushani De Silva; Zoe
Gentes, who is a Sea Grant fellow in my office; Rosie Julin; and Ana
Sorrentino, who is my foreign service staffer.
{time} 2000
On my district staff, Alec Arago, Carina Chavez, Nancy DeSerpa,
Bertha Munoz, Kristen Petersen, and Alicia Castro. Kristen Petersen
just got elected to the Capitola City Council.
All of these people are moving on as I leave tomorrow, and I am very
excited that they were part of my life.
Just in closing, I would like to say that my daughter, Jessica, is
here in the cloakroom, I hope, and she has with her my grandson,
Zachary, and my granddaughter, Ella. I am so pleased that they could be
here and share this moment with me.
Congress is a great experience. It is the check and balance. It is
the initiator of new ideas. It is the people's House. And I just hope
that as Member's face this next uncertainty of a new administration--
there is always uncertainty, and probably more so now with the
controversial election we had in this country, but I really hope that
this House will rise to the occasion to not let the people down. We
fight for all kinds of wonderful reasons. This House, the people's
House, has really got to protect the people.
So I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time for me to make a few
comments. I am sure that I will have a lot more that I would love to
say, but I include in the Record a list that I have here of over 20
years of getting results for the 20th Congressional District.
Over 20 Years of Getting Results. . . .
Helping change things for the better while in Congress
doesn't just mean passing bills, though Sam Farr did a lot of
that. It means looking for every opportunity--to form
partnerships, to push for White House involvement, to secure
earmarks, and even on occasion, to block others from
interfering in the district's welfare.
Sam Farr did all this while in Congress and will continue
to do so until the day he leaves. There is never a time when
Sam Farr is not working for the best interests of the
community. He leaves an indelible mark on the district that
will have long-term, wide-ranging impact now and far into the
future.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Item Approximate Date
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Authored federal organic standards 2002
legislation/law.
Got WH to include Salinas in its Violence 2010-present.
Prevention strategy (to fight gangs).
Helped legislate the RCI program, which 2001-ongoing.
has rebuilt military housing at Fort Ord
(now the Ord Military Community).
Monterey Bay Sanctuary Trail.............. 2001-present.
Obtained approval of VA cemetery at Fort 1993-2014
Ord.
NMFS lab in Santa Cruz.................... 1996-2002
Provided approximately $65 million, total, 1994-1999
to underwrite the new CSUMB.
Oceans 21/National Ocean Policy........... 2000/2014
Helped negotiate, then got $$ for Salinas 1994-95
Valley Water Reclamation project and the
Castroville Water Intrusion project.
Opened up DLI to civilian students on a 1994
selected, space-available basis.
Congressional Travel & Tourism Caucus..... 1997-present.
White House Oceans Conference............. 1998
Prevented closure of local Social Security 1999
office.
Transfer of EDD-owned building via DOL to 1999
city of Salinas for child care center.
Creation of the center for stabilization 2000
and reconstruction studies; also a
permanent office within the State
Department.
Got WH to use Antiquities Act to establish 2000
Coastal National Monument.
House Oceans Caucus....................... 2000-present.
Marine Protected Area center in Santa Cruz 2000
Plan Colombia (revising aid for local 2000
capacity growth).
Annual Citizenship ceremonies............. 2001(?)-present.
Cleaned up FUDS at Monterey Airport....... 2001
Got Fair Trade Sustainable Coffee mandated 2001
for House restaurant facilities.
Wilderness bill (Ventana, Silver Peak).... 2001
Prevented the Navy from expanding bombing 2002
runs at Fort Hunter Liggett.
Provided the funds (via earmark) for a new 2002
Olympic-sized public pool in Salinas.
Created the U.S. Travel & Tourism Board... 2003
Legislated FHL lands into permanent status 2004
as a national forest under the direction
of the Forest Service if FHL is ever
surplussed by the military.
Moved FORA policy from 0% affordable 2004
housing to a minimum of 20%.
Passed a law making California Missions 2004
eligible for federal restoration/
rehabilitation grants.
Won locality pay for federal workers in 2004
Monterey County.
Environmental Services Contract Agreement-- 2006-2014
Fort Ord (clean up complete).
Golf carts for the disabled at military 2006
golf courses.
Transferred Pt. Pinos Lighthouse to City 2006
of Pacific Grove.
Established the Center for Homeland 2007
Defense and Security at NPS.
Organized Team Monterey--all DOD entities 2007
in Monterey County.
A Salad Bar in Every School............... 2008
Launched the Civilian Response Corps...... 2008
Negotiated the swap of lands at Fort Ord 2008
(``Stilwell Kidney'') to allow the
expansion of military housing and a new
``gateway'' for the City of Seaside.
Saved post office in Aromas from closure.. 2008
Finalized new VA/DOD health clinic (now 2012
under construction).
Got WH to use Antiquities Act to establish 2012
Fort Ord National Monument.
Legislated elevation of Pinnacles National 2012
Monument to full National Park status.
Marine debris bill (became law)........... 2012
Saved DLI, NPS from BRAC.................. 1995, 2005
Legislated the Economic Development 1993, 2009
Conveyance for BRAC properties.
``Monterey Model'' for contracting 2000, 2012
municipal services at military bases.
Secured increased per diems for government 2003, 2012
rates in the district.
Proud to be An American Act (became law).. 1996, 2006, 2008
Santa Cruz Visitors Center................ 2012
Helped break the logjam on H-2A visas for 2013
local growers during the government
shutdown, ensuring a sufficient workforce
for the holiday growing & harvest season.
Overcame the government shutdown that had 2013
closed off parking for the annual Jade
Festival in Big Sur.
Passed a bill in the House (and sent it to 2013 and 2014
the Senate) to name the new VA-DOD health
clinic after Gen. Bill Gourley.
Approximate total dollars brought in to $1,016,000,000+
the district in 22 years (appropriations
only, not formula money).
Approximate number of constituent letters 511,000
answered in 22 years.
Pajaro River flood prevention............. Multi-year.
Provided nearly $7 million to Salinas/ Various.
Monterey County to fight gangs.
San Clemente Dam--working toward removal.. Multi-year.
Secured waivers for Salinas and Hollister Various, on-going.
so they can get Rural Development money.
Authored legislation on medical marijuana 2014, 2015
that became law.
Forced FAA to review the SAFR flight plan 2015
over Santa Cruz (on-going).
Secured the funds to renovate the ``Low 2015
Water Bridge'' at Fort Hunter Liggett.
Locked in $56.3 million from previous 2015
appropriations for a new barracks at DLI.
Saved PEPRA funds for Monterey-Salinas 2015
Transit.
Guaranteed a new ARS station would be 2015
built in Salinas by USDA.
Reinstated $7.2 million in funding for 2015
NOAA's B-WET program.
Engineered the highest appropriations 2015
level for the Peace Corps in its history
(410 million).
Got the House to pass H.R. 1838 to allow 2016
the recreational use of BLM land at Clear
Creek as a public recreation area.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I think the comments the gentleman has made
show what a difference a Member of Congress can make in the lives of
his or her constituents.
One of the things I will say as Sam leaves is that we have joint
swearing-in sessions around the Fourth of July. Sam was born on the
Fourth of July. Some of the most memorable moments I have are in
Gilroy, with hundreds of people wanting to become American citizens.
The remarkable thing about our country is that we have 200 people walk
in from 150 countries, and they walk out the citizens of just one
country.
Sam has been a leader in immigration, the environment, and so many
things, and we honor him and respect him for his service to our
country.
Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I passed legislation called Proud to be an
American Day. I was hoping that we could do that on the morning of the
Fourth of July, but, because it is a Federal holiday, the Federal
immigration people don't work that day. So we have been scheduling this
around the Fourth of July and days before.
It has been a huge turnout. It is the largest turnout for press
because there are so many interesting people to interview. I really
appreciate the gentlewoman coming as an immigrant family and talking
about her family background. It has been a highlight to see the smiles
and enthusiasm of a day when we are really proud to be Americans.
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California
(Mrs. Davis), a distinguished Member of the Armed Services Committee
and the Education and the Workforce Committee.
Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, as the only member from the
53rd District, the only district that is 53rd in the country--the
highest number district ever--and I am so aware of the size and scope
of California and its congressional delegation.
We have such a wide range of talents and perspectives and
contributions that California Members bring to this body. As we see the
114th Congress now come to a close, we have more departing Members than
many delegations have in the first place. So I am here to talk about
some of them.
We are losing leaders, we are losing friends and mentors, Members
whom we have looked to and served beside. We are losing Members who
have been so influential as they have shared to make their passion to
make lives better, each in their own way. As we bid them farewell, I
want to take this moment to pay tribute to five members that I am going
to dearly miss.
The first one is Lois Capps. Lois has really been an example and a
role model for how to be the quintessential Congresswoman. She is
generous, classy, hardworking, collaborative, and never afraid to stand
up for people who are in need. One of the things about Lois that we all
know is she has a lock on the Nicest Member of Congress award, and that
is for a really good reason.
She has been very helpful to me, and my staff, from the minute I came
to Congress. I came a few years after she
[[Page H7391]]
did. Since then, they have been helpful whenever we needed them. I
certainly will miss her leadership, her perspective as a nurse and a
healthcare advocate, and our region's voice on the Energy and Commerce
Committee.
She has always looked out for and delivered for women, kids,
consumers, and anyone who has had problems with healthcare coverage. On
that committee, she really has been a leader on the environment and a
leader in promoting clean energy and green technology.
Everybody knows Lois here on the floor. We all just look for her
assurance and her smile all the time.
Sam Farr just spoke a few minutes ago. He really is a Member that you
look to for results.
I learned about Sam when I was a member of the California
legislature. One year, when the California members came to visit our
Members of Congress, Sam was there to greet us. I remember having
discussions with him. I think we were both chairing Consumer Affairs at
one time in the State legislature and so we became kind of fast
friends.
Sam was also one of my walking buddies. There were a few years there
where we walked often in the morning, meeting about six o'clock. We had
a gang of us who went down to the park. We were there always talking
and having a good time and really sharing our experience here.
One thing we all know about Sam is that he was a legendary photo
taker. I can assure you, whenever you see Sam wandering down here on
the floor, he was often bringing pictures of people from one event or
another that he had taken. They were great mementos. I know that we all
treasured them dearly.
Sam is known from Monterrey, which he represents, to Colombia.
Everywhere he goes, he speaks to people. Often, if you travel with Sam,
you know how hard it is to get him moving because he really wants to
stop and talk to everybody along the way.
Sam was really shaped by his service in the Peace Corps and dedicated
himself to giving back and looking at tough issues from a global
perspective. He has been an earmark and appropriations leader. His
staff made him a book of accomplishments, and it was so thick. There
were so many things that they had to share about Sam and what he has
accomplished.
Just like my colleague had said, he really stands for how we can work
hard and we can get things done, especially when we know how to work
with people. And Sam knows how to do that. That is why he has such a
great, thick binder and lots of wonderful pictures.
Sam has been a leader in the fight against offshore drilling and a
smart thinker when it comes to BRAC solutions.
I also want to talk about Loretta Sanchez. As my Armed Services
colleague, my housemate, and Longworth neighbor, Loretta is someone I
really got to see a lot of.
In this kind of funny button-down town we have, Loretta is really a
breath of fresh air. We know she is never afraid to be herself, and she
is not like anyone else who has ever served.
She surprised people when she came to Congress after a very long-shot
campaign that really wasn't decided for months after she came here. Of
course, she has never been afraid to take on a tough-odds fight. She
was one of the first younger women before we had a lot of women coming
here to Congress--women who had young children--who were really in
their earlier years. A lot of us waited until we were later in our
careers, but not Loretta. She came when she was really a young woman.
Loretta is famous, of course, for her holiday cards and a lot of
things that I just can't repeat right now, and for being one of the
smartest, thoughtful, and funniest Members that we have here in
Congress.
I know that when San Diego groups come to town and want an
interesting speaker, I always recommend Loretta. I never know what she
is going to say, but that is why people listen.
She is someone I will dearly miss, but at least she is leaving her
little sister here with us in leadership, no less. We are glad to have
Linda in that position.
I want to talk about my friend, Mike Honda. Mike and I have been on
the same path. We served in the legislature together, we campaigned in
the year of George W., and we came to Congress in the same small
Democratic class in 2000. Our staffs have worked very closely together,
and he has ruled the seventh floor of Longworth from the same office
that he has held the whole time he has been here in Congress.
Like Sam Farr, Mike was shaped by his service in the Peace Corps in
El Salvador. He has been a warrior for justice, whether it is
educational justice or civil rights, and he has taken API issues to a
new level and really made people aware of the struggles of Asian
Americans from internment camps to POW issues to sex trafficking.
Mike is something of a bridge as well between the generations. He has
represented Silicon Valley with pride and been an advocate and example
of new technology. His office always crushes all of us in the Golden
Mouse Web site competition, and I think he was the first Member to
drive a Prius. He still has that same green Prius with a stuffed animal
we see parked all over campus.
More than anything, we miss stories of Mike's famous karaoke nights.
I hear nobody does Sinatra better.
Janice Hahn. Janice actually turned out to be one of my newer
colleagues from nearby LA, and I certainly hate to see her leave, but
she will be a huge asset as a member of the Los Angeles Board of
Supervisors. She joins a former colleague here and a former colleague
of mine of the State legislature. Go girl.
She is going to do tremendous work. The group of them who are in
charge now at LA County, I know, will make tremendous strides for the
region and for all of their constituents.
It is very clear that Janice is an expert on transportation and
infrastructure. She has helped a lot of us to understand port issues
and stands up for the working people who make the goods move.
It is always a great privilege to travel with Janice. I had that
opportunity on a few occasions. I am certainly glad she will be serving
in elected office. She still has such a great contribution to make.
So, in closing, I just want to say that we certainly are going to
miss these Members for different reasons, but those of us still here
will carry on their legacies and never forget the marks they have each
made.
I have learned from all of them, and I will try to carry on their
legacies by making my New Year's resolution to be as genuine as Lois,
as edgy as Loretta, as engaging as Sam, as good at singing as Mike, and
as spiritual as Janice.
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California
(Mr. Huffman), who represents north of San Francisco and the north
coast.
Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, one of the things I love about serving in
Congress is I am always presented with new and interesting experiences.
Each year brings more of these experiences, but I have already, in just
4 years, found that there is one experience I have quite enough of, and
that is saying goodbye to incredible, irreplaceable colleagues who are
just remarkable public servants. I wish them well. I am happy for them
in retiring, but I am going to really miss them.
Last year, we had the tough duty of saying goodbye to Henry Waxman
and George Miller. This year, we have got another class of terrific
people who are moving on.
{time} 2015
I am going to miss all of my California colleagues, including our
southern California friends, Janice Hahn and Loretta Sanchez; but I
want to focus the time I have on our northern California neighbors,
starting with our great friend, Sam Farr.
A lot will be said, now and long into the future, about Sam's
incredible public service career. People will talk about his time in
Colombia in the Peace Corps, the 6 years that he spent on the Monterey
County Board of Supervisors, his 12 years in the State assembly, his
nearly 23 years in Congress. Sam has been such a dedicated and
passionate public servant. It is not just the duration and the breadth
of those offices. It is really the quality and the character of Sam's
service and, particularly, when it comes to the ocean.
Sam was the founder of the House Oceans Caucus, and a longstanding
advocate for our coasts and oceans, and
[[Page H7392]]
reminding all of us and our country, how important they are to our
economy. He helped lay the groundwork for a National Ocean Policy that
recognizes that there are tens of millions of jobs across this country
and trillions of dollars of economic activity that depend on healthy
oceans.
Sam has helped all sorts of special places throughout his career,
especially in the Central Coast. He has never rested on his laurels.
Despite his many accomplishments--and there are too many to list here--
I think it is important to note that he created the Pinnacles National
Park, which was signed into law in 2013.
He successfully lobbied to have a national monument at Fort Ord,
which was designated in 2012. And Sam has told me many times, even in
recent days, that the most satisfying part of his work here in Congress
is the enduring part of his legacy, those permanent protections that
he, through a lot of hard work and perseverance, has been able to make
happen.
Beyond all of this, all of these achievements, all of these offices
that define Sam's public service career, I think it is also important
to just note he is a heck of a human being.
I will miss Sam. It has been said by Susan and others that he has
just always got a warm smile. He greets you on the airplane. He is a
pleasure to travel with. He will come up and give you a picture that he
took from the last holiday party, sometimes like a year and a half
earlier because he has kept it in his pocket for a long time waiting to
see you.
Sam, you are just a wonderful friend and human being, and I am so
honored to have served with you.
So let's talk about another great human being and public servant,
Lois Capps. What I love about Lois and will deeply miss is the fact
that she is a nurse to the core, and a health advocate. She really, as
a Member of Congress, and as a health advocate, just walks the walk all
the time, constantly advocating for affordable and accessible health
care for all, and that includes, obviously, being a champion with her
work for the Affordable Care Act. She really does leave this
institution, I think, as one of its most respected members, one of the
kindest members, certainly one of the ones with widespread affection
from her colleagues. That is a reputation that I think everyone in
public life should strive for.
Lois, of course, is another stalwart for California's oceans and our
coast, and has helped lead the charge against offshore drilling
throughout her tenure.
I think the part of Lois that I will especially appreciate and
especially miss is that she is my living bridge to a wonderful time in
my life when I was a student at UC Santa Barbara. Of course, Lois
herself is a graduate of USCB, and I know that my fellow alumni and
everyone in the UCSB community is so proud of her.
It is extra special because, of course, she holds the seat in
Congress that was previously held by the late Walter Capps, a UCSB
professor who was one of my favorite professors way back in the 1980s
when I was a Gaucho student.
Finally, it is tough to say good-bye, but we have to, to our great
friend, Mike Honda, who has so ably represented the Bay Area on the
Appropriations Committee. He has made sure that Congress has invested
in key priorities for our Bay Area region. The extension of BART is
just one of many, many examples of Mike's great work.
He served in public life for more than 3 decades, from the San Jose
School Board to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, the
California Assembly, and here in Congress.
Mike's very special service draws upon his life experience. He has
just been an incredible champion for civil rights and human rights and
equality. He has really been our North Star, I think, here in Congress
on these critical issues.
He has gone to bat for the AAPI community, the LGBT community and,
frankly, anyone who has been disadvantaged and who needs a champion in
their quest for equality.
Mike is my neighbor here in Washington. I will miss running into him.
I will miss seeing that old, beat-up, first-generation Toyota Prius
with all the faded stickers on the bumper. Most of all, I will just
miss Mike's great sense of humor, his warm smile, and his friendship;
but I do know that that friendship will continue.
Mr. Speaker, and my colleague, Zoe Lofgren, thank you for the time to
lend my voice of appreciation and gratitude to these great, great,
champions for California and for our country. We wish them well.
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I had a number of other Members who had
planned to be here but, because of the hour, there is a conflicting
event, so they will be adding their voices to the Record.
Let me just close by saying that our delegation--really, all the
Congress and the public--are going to miss the distinguished service of
Sam Farr, Lois Capps, Loretta Sanchez, Mike Honda, and Janice Hahn.
Each of them very different, but each of them made their mark in a way
that will not be forgotten. We are sad to see them go, but here's the
good news: we have fresh faces coming in to replace them who are very
distinguished and who will also make their mark because none of us here
will be here forever. We are just passing through this people's House
in an effort to serve our country as best we can. Certainly, these
Members have served that public with tremendous distinction, and we are
honored to have served with them.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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