[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 107 (Thursday, June 23, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3162-S3164]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Ms. HIRONO:
  S. 4464. A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct 
a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating 
certain land as the Kaena Point National Heritage Area, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill, the 
Kaena Point National Heritage Area Act. This bill requires the 
Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability 
and feasibility of designating certain land in Hawaii as the Kaena 
Point National Heritage Area. Such a designation would bring Federal 
resources to bear on elevating public awareness of Kaena Point through 
increased interpretation and enhanced management activities to protect 
resources, both cultural and natural, for future generations.
  The National Park Service currently oversees 55 National Heritage 
Areas across the country, none of which are in Hawaii. Kaena Point, 
located on the westernmost tip of Oahu, is home to some of the last 
remaining unimproved semiwilderness areas on Oahu and one of the last 
intact dune ecosystems in Hawaii. Native species such as critically 
endangered Hawaiian monk seals, humpback whales, spinner dolphins, and 
green sea turtles can be found in the waters at Kaena Point. Native 
shorebirds such as albatrosses and shearwaters also frequent Kaena 
Point to nest. In addition, the area is one of the last remaining 
examples of intact coastal strand vegetation on Oahu and is home to a 
number of endangered plant species and the endangered yellow-faced bee.
  Kaena Point is significant to Native Hawaiian culture, being deemed 
one of the most sacred places on Oahu as it is home to numerous 
cultural and historic sites. The area currently includes a State park 
and a Natural Area Reserve, both operated by the Hawaii Department of 
Land and Natural Resources. Kaena State Park is the second most visited 
park on Oahu, illustrating the significance of the area.
  This bill directs the U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary to 
conduct a study in consultation with State and local historic 
preservation officers, State and local historical societies, State and 
local tourism offices, and other appropriate organizations and 
governmental agencies. This study would, among other things, assess the 
area's unique cultural, historic, and natural resources, cultural 
contributions to the story of the United States,

[[Page S3163]]

ability to provide recreation and educational opportunities, resources 
available for interpretation by visitors, inclusion of local 
stakeholders supportive of and involved with the planning of the 
Heritage Area, existence of a local management entity willing to work 
with these stakeholders to develop the Heritage Area, and include a map 
identifying the boundaries of the Heritage Area.
  The Secretary of the Interior is given 3 years to conduct the study 
and report the results to Congress. Information from that report will 
then indicate if Kaena Point is a suitable location to be added as a 
National Heritage Area and if so, the boundaries for such a 
designation. This bill is supported by the Hawaii Department of Land 
and Natural Resources.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. REED (for himself and Mr. King):
  S. 4478. A bill to provide for assistance to improve the resilience 
of historic light stations, to study the long-term protection needs of 
historic light stations, and to establish a national database of 
historic light stations, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Historic 
Lighthouse Resiliency Act with Senator King. This legislation would 
authorize the Army Corps of Engineers to partner with State, local, and 
nonprofit organizations, which own and operate historic light stations, 
to improve lighthouse resiliency and ensure continued public access to 
these valuable landmarks.
  Our Nation's historic lighthouses are important parts of communities 
across the country and our maritime history. They serve as beacons of 
history, education, recreation, and often are associated with the 
unique character and identity of a community. Yet these historic 
structures are facing increased risk for catastrophic damage due to sea 
level rise, flooding, and aging infrastructure.
  Indeed, in my State of Rhode Island, these historic lighthouses are 
interwoven in the fabric of our communities and our State's history. 
Rhode Island was home to perhaps the most famous lighthouse keeper in 
history, Ida Lewis. During her tenure as the Keeper of Lime Rock 
Lighthouse, Ida Lewis rescued at least 18 people and earned the title 
of ``Bravest Woman in America.'' Beavertail, Watch Hill, and Castle 
Hill Lighthouses, just to name a few of the 21 lighthouses remaining in 
my State, are iconic structures dotting the Rhode Island shoreline.
  These historic landmarks must be protected and preserved for future 
generations. This bill would allow the Army Corps of Engineers to 
conduct projects that restore damaged lighthouses and increase their 
future resiliency to the adverse effects of climate change, including 
sea level rise and severe weather events. To conduct repairs and other 
improvements, the Army Corps would partner with public or nonprofit 
entities that have acquired light stations through conveyance under the 
National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. Additionally, it would 
require the Army Corps to conduct an assessment and maintain a database 
of all lighthouses nationwide.
  Congress has already recognized the importance of preserving these 
structures and ensuring public access in the National Historic 
Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000. However, these historic light 
stations must not only have the appropriate caretakers but must also 
have the appropriate funding to invest in infrastructure needs. Federal 
investment in lighthouse resiliency requirements will ensure they are 
maintained and accessible for future generations.
  I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this commonsense 
legislation.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. Warren, Mr. 
        Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. 
        Wyden, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Brown, and Mr. 
        Markey):
  S. 4480. A bill to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to 
provide increased labor law protections for agricultural workers, and 
for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions.
  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the 
Fairness for Farmworkers Act, which I introduced today.
  Throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, farmworkers continued to 
keep our country going. This was especially true in California--the 
agricultural heart of the Nation. California is the most successful 
State in agricultural production and has the largest population of 
farmworkers. In fact, more than one-third of our country's vegetables 
and two-thirds of fruits and nuts come from California.
  During a time of incredible hardship, farmworkers put food on the 
tables of millions of Americans despite working in extreme conditions 
and facing deep-rooted inequities in the workforce. The time to address 
these inequities is now.
  While the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act established Federal standards 
for minimum wage and overtime pay, the law excluded millions of 
domestic and agricultural workers, who were overwhelmingly people of 
color.
  In 2016, California recognized the need to provide farmworkers with 
overtime protections. The California overtime law, which ensures 
farmworkers have an equal right to overtime pay, is a model for this 
Federal bill.
  Farmworkers in California and across the Nation deserve an end to 
discrimination in labor laws. As we work to rebuild from the pandemic, 
we must also undo the discriminatory exclusion of farmworkers by 
amending the Fair Labor Standards Act.
  That is why I am proud to introduce this bill, which will improve the 
lives of farmworkers and their families, create equity in our food 
system, and benefit farming communities as the increased wages are 
spent in local businesses.
  This bill will gradually implement overtime pay over the course of 4 
years and bring greater equity to the American agricultural industry 
and greater prosperity to historically marginalized workers.
  This legislation will also boost farming community economies as 
increased wages are spent in local businesses.
  I want to thank Representative Grijalva for joining me in introducing 
this bill, and I hope our colleagues will join us in support of this 
bill that would provide a measure of long overdue fairness for our 
Nation's farmworkers.
  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, the first thing you need to know about 
picking radishes is that it is hard work. You have to work literally on 
your knees, and you pick each radish out of the ground by hand--no 
machines, no tools.
  I learned how to pick radishes and parsley about 3 weeks ago when I 
received an invitation from the United Farm Workers and the UFW 
Foundation to spend a day working alongside them in California.
  Now, I have said countless times that, day in and day out, 
farmworkers show up to some of the hardest jobs in America. I have 
always believed that farmworkers are essential, but not until that day 
did I appreciate the physical demands of long hours on one's knees 
under the Sun.
  Many of the workers picking radishes are older than I am and have 
worked in the fields for decades. They have labored through heat waves, 
through storms, wildfire smoke, and more. They have labored through a 
global health pandemic, and they are the backbone of our economy in 
helping to keep food on our tables. Yet the majority of farmworkers 
don't have legal status to live and work in the United States of 
America. That includes those I worked alongside who were picking 
radishes--people like Efren, who has worked on American farms for more 
than 40 years, and Patricia, who has raised her children here.
  Several of them told me that one of the hardest parts of being 
undocumented was being cut off from their families in Mexico or in 
other countries, being denied the opportunity of seeing their mothers 
or their fathers one last time before passing away or being able to 
attend their funerals to pay their last respects.
  Imagine that heartbreaking choice of never seeing your parents again 
because doing so means risking not being able to see your children ever 
again. That is the fate that we are forcing on countless undocumented 
farmworkers who fill our grocery stores with fruits and vegetables. 
This is the choice that

[[Page S3164]]

we exacerbate every time we push immigration reform off for another 
month, another year, another session of Congress. And this is why we 
must pass legislation that creates a pathway to citizenship for 
farmworkers.
  Did you know that when you pick radishes, you get paid by the number 
of crates that you fill? On the day that I worked the fields, it comes 
as no surprise that I picked at a slower rate than the highly skilled 
and experienced farmworkers, who depend on speed for their livelihoods.
  Yet laws across the country leave farmworkers in a position of 
uncertainty that few other workers have to face. If you are a 
farmworker and you miss a day of work, there is no paid sick leave. If 
you are a farmworker and you are injured on the job, you can't get 
disability insurance. And living and working while undocumented means 
worrying constantly about your status.
  So when the Senate says that immigration reform can wait, we are not 
seeing the people whose lives are at stake: Isidro, Armando, Isabel, 
Epigemio. As they pick radishes, these workers are not taking jobs from 
American citizens. I repeat: They are not taking the jobs of American 
citizens. In fact, the opposite is true. We don't have enough 
farmworkers to meet the demand, not just for radishes but for countless 
other crops. As different produce comes into season, growers need 
skilled labor on tight timelines.
  Corporate leaders, small business owners, and economists agree that 
we need more immigrants with more protections. The stakes for our 
economy are high. Right now, American families are paying higher prices 
not just at the gas pump but at the grocery store. Our labor shortage 
is contributing to higher inflation. Over $1 trillion of America's GDP 
is linked to agriculture.
  All across the Nation, we rely on immigrant farmworkers. In North 
Carolina, agriculture is the top industry, aided by tens of thousands 
of undocumented workers in growing soybean, corn, and peanuts. In 
Idaho, agriculture accounts for 17 percent of the economic output, 
including a booming dairy industry. Around 90 percent of Idaho's dairy 
workers are foreign born, the vast majority undocumented. In Texas, 
agriculture is worth more than $20 billion each year. More than 100,000 
immigrant workers, mostly undocumented, are employed on Texas's 
ranches, farms, and fields.
  I can go on and on, but I think the point is clear: This is truly a 
national issue. The majority of all farmworkers lack legal status, and 
growers say that more help is needed.
  Congress can make a difference. We can do so by passing the laws that 
farmworkers need and deserve. Our country cannot afford to wait. That 
is why it was the first bill I introduced--the Citizenship for 
Essential Workers Act--when I joined the Senate last year. I am talking 
about the workers who keep us healthy and safe and fed, the workers we 
as the Federal Government have deemed to be essential. They deserve 
dignity; they deserve respect; and they have earned a pathway to 
citizenship.
  Today, I am also proud to introduce the Fairness for Farmworkers Act. 
This bill will support fair pay for agricultural workers under the Fair 
Labor Standards Act.
  In 1 day, I had just a small dose of the physically demanding life of 
a farmworker. Still, there is so much more that I could tell you about 
the kind, funny, generous individuals whom I worked alongside that day.
  As we shared a lunch of homemade tortillas, beans, and carne con 
chiles, they told me about their hometowns that they miss, their 
favorite music, and their dreams for their children. They had one more 
message that they asked me to deliver, that they implored me to deliver 
to all of you, and that is that you should come too. I was the first 
U.S. Senator to accept an invitation to work in the fields. Last week, 
my friend and colleague Senator Booker became the second.
  I urge you, each and every Member of the Senate, to take this 
opportunity, take a day to work alongside the heroes who feed America, 
and then come back here, as I have, humbled and inspired to do our job. 
Let's come together behind a solution so farmworkers can finally live 
and work with dignity and security.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. PADILLA (for himself and Mrs. Feinstein):
  S. 4482. A bill to help persons in the United States experiencing 
homelessness and significant behavioral health issues, including 
substance use disorders, by authorizing a grant program within the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development to assist State and local 
governments, Continuums of Care, community-based organizations that 
administer both health and homelessness services, and providers of 
services to people experiencing homelessness, better coordinate health 
care and homelessness services, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the Helping 
People Experiencing Substance Use Disorder and Homelessness Act, which 
I introduced today.
  Housing is a fundamental social determinant of health, and unhoused 
individuals are often the victims of stark health disparities. Of the 
more than 580,000 people experiencing homelessness in the United 
States, an estimated 20 percent have a substance use and/or a mental 
health disorder. Mental health concerns, including substance use 
disorders, can cause and exacerbate homelessness.
  A lack of affordable housing is the primary driver of homelessness, 
and we are working to address this issue. Another piece of the puzzle 
is to ensure housing and social service providers have the resources to 
work together to ensure access to supportive services.
  That is why I am proud to introduce this bill to provide essential 
funding and tools for frontline organizations to coordinate health and 
homelessness services.
  If enacted, it will create a Federal interagency working group to 
advise grantees on best practices. The grants will invest in programs 
to build the capacity necessary to combat the United States' dual 
homelessness and mental health crises.
  I want to thank Representative Madeleine Dean for introducing this 
bill with me, and I hope our colleagues will join us in taking this key 
step to addressing challenges that have been exacerbated by the COVID-
19 pandemic.

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