[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 207 (Tuesday, December 8, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H6909-H6910]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            FAREWELL ADDRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Cisneros) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CISNEROS. Mr. Speaker, today I stand here humbled and honored to 
have had the opportunity to serve the people of California's 39th 
District in the 116th Congress.
  When I was 18, I wanted to serve my country, so I joined the United 
States Navy, and that is what I have done for most of my adult life: I 
have served to help both my country and others.
  As a Representative of the 39th District, I am proud of the high 
level of

[[Page H6910]]

engagement, accessibility, and visibility I have had with my 
constituents. I was able to bring back over $367 million to the 
district for our schools, job creation programs, fire departments, 
resources to combat homelessness, and COVID-19 relief.
  Our district office recovered over $550,000 for constituents through 
casework and helped 419 constituents resolve their Federal issues, from 
Social Security to Medicare benefits to immigration casework and 
Veterans Affairs healthcare. We have responded to over 119,000 
constituent letters and participated in over 250 community events. I 
hosted 30 townhalls over the past 2 years.
  At the start of this pandemic, my team swiftly changed their 
operations to respond to every concern and question that came through, 
working tirelessly day and night to help the 39th District get through 
this pandemic. Their commitment and dedication to public service knows 
no limit. We raised the bar significantly and set the standard of what 
representation should look like for the 39th District. We delivered, 
because anything less would have been unacceptable.
  From California to Washington, D.C., I listened to constituents, 
worked across the aisle, and turned problems into legislative action. I 
voted to protect the Affordable Care Act, preserve protections for 
preexisting conditions, and lower the price of prescription drug costs.
  I also helped secure House passage of H.R. 8, the Bipartisan 
Background Checks bill, to bring us closer to ending this gun violence 
epidemic and keeping our communities safe. For the first time in over 
25 years, the CDC received funding to research gun safety, a 
significant step for our country.
  As a Navy veteran and member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, I 
have worked across party lines to improve access to benefits for our 
veterans. We got the blue water Navy bill passed and signed into law to 
help our veterans, like my father, who was exposed to Agent Orange 
during the Vietnam war. Just recently, my bipartisan bill to prevent 
veteran suicide and substance use problems was signed into law within a 
larger landmark veterans' mental healthcare bill.
  I am proud of the work I was able to do on the Armed Services 
Committee to protect our servicemembers and their families. I am proud 
of the work I have done to diversify our officer corps, protect 
military children from child abuse, and fight sexual harassment and 
assault in our military.
  In the House, we have also passed legislation to protect our 
Dreamers, lift the SALT cap, support small businesses, and strengthen 
voting rights, which is what the American people want. But the work 
must continue to help those things become law.
  There is so much more that needs to be done. It has become abundantly 
clear that partisan gridlock is preventing Congress and the Federal 
Government from doing its job.
  What I am most proud of is when this House came together to get 
things done for the American people. We came together to pass great 
bipartisan legislation like the blue water Navy bill. At the beginning 
of this pandemic, we came together as a House, a Congress, and as a 
government to pass legislation that was beneficial to the American 
people and businesses. That type of collaboration is what the American 
people want to see, and it is what they should expect.
  We are still in the middle of this pandemic, and families, workers, 
and businesses are being left behind, and this legislative body must 
come together again to prevent that from happening. In the end, we must 
remember and never forget that we are here to serve the American 
people.
  As I conclude, I just want to take this opportunity to say thank you. 
No one ever does anything alone, so I want to thank my wife, Jacki, and 
my boys, Alexander and Christopher, for their love and support.
  I want to thank my staff in D.C. and in the district. I can't tell 
you how many times I was told by so many people how responsive and 
wonderful they all were to work with.
  From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank the people of the 39th 
District for allowing me to serve as their Representative.
  Those who know me know that I am a big baseball fan and a big Dodger 
fan. One of my favorite baseball players, the legendary Jackie 
Robinson, once said: ``A life is not important except in the impact it 
has on other lives.''
  I do not know what the future holds for me, but I can assure you 
this, Mr. Speaker: I will continue to work to have a positive impact on 
others' lives for both my community and my country.

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