[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 78 (Tuesday, May 9, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H2155-H2161]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ISSUES OF THE DAY
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 9, 2023, the gentleman from California (Mr. Kiley) is
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
General Leave
Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from North
Carolina (Ms. Foxx), who is the chair of the Education and the
Workforce Committee.
Recognizing Marcus Smith
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from California for
yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Marcus Smith, who is the president
and CEO of Speedway Motorsports and the owner of the North Wilkesboro
Speedway.
Marcus and his family have helped lead the charge to restore the 75-
year-old racetrack so that countless racing enthusiasts can experience
and celebrate the history of stock car racing.
The entire Wilkes County community is buzzing with anticipation over
the upcoming NASCAR All-Star Race which will be hosted at the North
Wilkesboro Speedway on May 21.
Thanks to the dedication of Marcus and his family in seeing this
project through to fruition, a piece of North Carolina's history is
back in the spotlight for the entire country to see.
This is no small feat, Mr. Speaker.
Congratulations to Marcus Smith and the Smith family on this
monumental accomplishment.
Recognizing Terri Parsons
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Terri Parsons, an
exemplary North Carolinian and someone who has played an important role
in restoring a piece of our State's rich history.
Thanks to Terri's staunch advocacy and support, the North Wilkesboro
Speedway will be hosting the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race on May 21.
Benny Parson, Terri's late husband and a NASCAR Hall of Famer was
very fond of the North Wilkesboro Speedway. His dying wish was to have
NASCAR return to Wilkes County and to this historic location.
Mr. Speaker, his wish has come true.
[[Page H2156]]
Terri has made the Wilkes County community and all of North Carolina
incredibly proud through her continued work. I congratulate Terri on
this magnificent accomplishment.
Freedom Must Be Handed Down to Our Children
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, the National Assessment of Educational
Progress recently revealed that history and civics scores among
students hit record lows. The scores are staggering.
Eighty-seven percent of eighth graders have a basic or below basic
knowledge of American history while only 2 out of 10 of those students
are proficient in civics.
For a decade, we have watched these scores decline. The culprit isn't
a singular event but a culture shift where an ideology-charged
curriculum is rapidly replacing a core understanding of our Nation's
history and our role in it.
Our past matters--the good and the bad. Our civic responsibility
matters. It is the duty every one of us holds. The moment we neglect
these truths from textbooks or classroom discussions is the day America
is no longer free.
Ronald Reagan said that freedom is never more than one generation
from extinction. We did not pass it to our children in the bloodstream.
It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the
same.
There are no easy solutions to address this problem.
We stand at a crossroads where there are two competing visions for
America: one is predicated on tearing down the pillars that built
America, and one is based on the principles of the Constitution and the
Declaration of Independence.
I stand firmly with the vision of the latter.
Unfortunately, the Biden administration stands with the vision of the
former.
They recently proposed to hijack the Federal American history and
civics grant program to redirect those efforts toward the left's
indoctrination agenda.
We must stand against this radical vision. America is more than a
nation. It represents freedom--an ideal that countless generations
protected and often died for.
These abysmal test scores reflect what happens when we allow
ideologically charged indoctrination to trump basic instruction in our
Nation's history.
We can and must do better. We owe it to those who came before us, we
owe it to those who will come after us, and we owe it to every person
around the world who looks at America as that shining city on a hill--a
beacon of freedom for all.
Let us not take our great Republic for granted.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Kiley for yielding.
Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the ongoing collapse
of one of the world's most beautiful cities.
San Francisco has been deteriorating for years, but it is now in a
state of total free fall. In just the last few weeks, Nordstrom
announced it is closing its San Francisco stores, which Westfield Mall
is blaming on the ``lack of enforcement against rampant criminal
activity.''
Whole Foods Market is closing its flagship mid-market location citing
the safety of employees after 568 emergency calls in 13 months.
T-Mobile just announced it is permanently shuttering its flagship
location, and Anthropologie and Saks also announced closures this
month.
My district starts about 100 miles inland from San Francisco. I have
many memories of visiting San Francisco as a child. Tens of thousands
of my constituents used to visit every year, visiting Fisherman's
Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, riding the trolley cars, going to Giants
games, and countless other forms of art, entertainment, and culture.
{time} 1945
By and large, that is not the case anymore. People have learned to
stay away, and that is because, as the San Francisco Chronicle put it,
the city is on ``the verge of collapse.''
Mr. Speaker, let's zoom out for a moment and look at the State of
California as a whole. The census recently reported new population
estimates for 2022. We lost residents again, dipping below 30 million
people. Over the last 3 years, California has lost a net 871,000 people
to other States. That is unusual in our history. In fact, prior to
2020, it was unprecedented. For every year on record, going back to
1900, our State's population grew.
Over decades, the Golden State forged an identity of historic
significance and was at the leading edge of social, political, and
technological progress. Ronald Reagan, in his inaugural address as
Governor, said California should never take second place. We were the
State where anyone could get ahead.
Now, sadly, we have become the State many can't wait to leave behind.
We do lead the Nation, but in all of the wrong ways: Poverty,
inequality, taxes, regulation, income stagnation, and, yes, departures.
The decline of California matters not just for people in our State.
It is a grave national concern. Beyond being the most populous State in
the Union, the identity of California is central to the identity of
America. A loss for one is, by definition, a loss for the other.
California's problems are becoming America's problems in a larger
sense as well. California's Governor, Gavin Newsom, has touted
California as a ``model for the Nation.'' President Biden is taking him
at his word. From crime to immigration, to education, to economic and
workforce policies, this administration's governing motto might as well
be: As California goes, so goes the Nation.
If California offers a preview of where our country is headed if we
don't change course, San Francisco offers an even starker warning.
Indeed, before he was Governor of California, Newsom was mayor of San
Francisco. Fittingly, it was during his red State tour last month,
where he left his post as Governor to lecture other States on how to
govern themselves, that Newsom's own home city reached the point of
total collapse.
Upon his return, Newsom had no choice but to recognize how dire the
situation had become, taking the extraordinary step of sending the
National Guard into San Francisco. His model for the Nation is one that
requires military intervention just to maintain order.
San Francisco is the part of our State where failed policies, radical
politics, and public corruption are in their most advanced stage, and
where residents are most rapidly fleeing.
In an article headlined ``San Francisco Falls Into the Abyss,'' UCLA
economics professor Lee Ohanian writes, ``No major . . . city has
failed at the same level as Detroit, whose population dropped from 1.85
million people in 1950 to about 630,000 today. Move over Detroit, here
comes San Francisco,'' he writes, ``which lost 6.3 percent of its
population between 2019 and 2021, a rate of decline larger than any 2-
year period in Detroit's history and unprecedented among any major U.S.
city.''
The reasons for this are not a mystery. They are readily apparent,
just by visiting and walking around the city. Foremost among them are
crime, drug addiction, homelessness, waste, unaffordability, and
failing schools, all as a result of failed governance.
Starting with crime, California has essentially legalized many forms
of it, making theft of merchandise below $950 a misdemeanor as well as
the possession of even class A drugs. In practice, this means offenders
are rarely, if ever, prosecuted, and businesses have stopped even
reporting losses.
San Francisco's anti-law enforcement policies have dramatically
compounded these problems. Under former District Attorney George
Gascon, crime rose significantly across the board, including aggravated
assault, sexual assault, carjackings, retail theft, and much more.
Gascon's successor, another so-called progressive prosecutor, elected
through substantial outside funding, was so reckless in not prosecuting
crime that dozens of his own prosecutors quit, and the voters of San
Francisco overwhelmingly recalled him from office.
To make matters worse, in 2020, San Francisco defunded the police,
shifting $120 million away from law enforcement.
Last year, the Castro Merchants Association, representing 125
businessowners, wrote a scathing letter regarding the city's failure to
address the lawlessness around them. One
[[Page H2157]]
member said: We are just seeing constant vandalism, constant drug use
in public, people passed out on the sidewalk, people having psychotic
breakdowns, and it is just not something a small business owner should
have to deal with.
One facet of the crime problem, drug use, is now ubiquitous to the
sights and sounds of the city. Walking through San Francisco, you will
see open drug use and drug dealing, with an open-air drug market that
even Gavin Newsom is now sending in the National Guard to disrupt.
While California has among the highest rates of illegal drug use in the
country, San Francisco is well above the State average. Tragically, the
number of overdose deaths has skyrocketed in recent years, from 222 in
2017 to 647 last year.
This only got worse during the COVID shutdowns, as far more people in
the city died from overdoses than from COVID. Facing among the most
punishing lockdowns in the country, emergency room mental health visits
increased substantially, especially for young people.
It certainly doesn't help matters that the supply of drugs is so
abundant, thanks to the crisis at our border, and San Francisco
declared itself a sanctuary city even before California became a
sanctuary State.
Very much connected to the crises of crime, drug use, and mental
health is the explosion of homelessness in San Francisco. Once again,
while California leads the Nation in homelessness, San Francisco is
worst of all. Between 2005 and 2020, the number of homeless
increased from 5,404 to 8,124. During that same period, homelessness
declined significantly nationwide. Within the 3-year span, complaints
of homeless encampments to the city's 311 line increased from 2 to 62
per day, and the share of the homeless population that is unsheltered
has also gone up significantly in recent years.
Another feature of the San Francisco landscape that contributes and
is a sign of the continuing deterioration is the appearance of waste.
Between 2014 and 2018, calls about human feces doubled to 20,933. $100
million was spent on street cleaning in 2019 alone. In a 3-year span,
the city replaced 300 lampposts corroded by urine. The overall
condition of many areas is something no American should ever have to
experience, especially kids, while they are on their way walking to
school.
Speaking of schools, San Francisco Unified has the second widest
achievement gap of any school district in California with over 5,000
students. A CalMatters investigation from 2017 found that San Francisco
had the highest Black student achievement gap of any county in
California. Just 19 percent of Black students in San Francisco passed
the State's reading test compared to 31 percent statewide, and this was
before COVID.
While California was last in the Nation getting students back to
school, San Francisco was again worst of all, keeping schools closed
not only in 2020, but through the end of the 2020-2021 school year.
While they refused to actually operate schools, the district instead
spent time on a commission to rename them, even proposing taking
Abraham Lincoln's name off of an elementary school. The district then
came up with a scheme to scam the State by pretending to open for the
last 2 weeks of the school year in order to get millions of dollars in
extra funding. Predictably, after these school closures, test scores
have since plummeted even further. The citizens of San Francisco
responded by recalling three of the school board members from office,
each by over 70 percent of the vote.
As if these basic quality of life issues weren't enough, the city has
also become completely unaffordable. A survey from The Economist
Intelligence Unit found that San Francisco is one of the 10 most
expensive cities to live in in the entire world. Average rent for a
one-bedroom apartment is over $3,500. According to data from the
California Association of Realtors, a San Franciscan needs to make
nearly $400,000 to buy a median-income home. The cost of utilities,
groceries, and other goods is also well above the national average.
At the root of all of these problems is uniquely bad governance. The
San Francisco Chronicle put it this way: ``San Francisco's bureaucracy
isn't just incompetent and comically inefficient, it is a corrupting
force in our city life. Spiritually, yes.'' They wrote, ``But also
literally.'' They called it a ``corruption born of needlessly
complicated government bureaucracy.''
To take a few examples, it costs an estimated $100,000 to build one
tiny home for the homeless in San Francisco. That is 10 times more than
even other places in the bay area. It costs almost $1.2 million to
build a single unit of affordable housing. It can take 87 permits,
1,000 days of meetings, and $500,000 in fees to build residential
housing projects. Recently, San Francisco politicians boasted they had
``brought home the bacon'' by securing $1.7 million in taxpayer dollars
for a single toilet.
The public transportation system is a model of mismanagement, with
Bay Area Rapid Transit facing a $1.1 billion deficit over 5 years, with
trains that are dangerous to ride and that rarely ever show up on time.
No wonder ridership has plummeted. The city itself, by the way, is
projecting a $728 million deficit over just the next 2 fiscal years.
I don't want to see California, and San Francisco in particular,
continue to decline, and I certainly don't want its problems to
continue to spread to the rest of the country. The Federal Government
provides an abundance of Federal funding to San Francisco, and it must
start treating this jurisdiction for what it is: A failed city. With
all of this Federal funding going to San Francisco, those funds are
often being used in ways that seem to do more harm than good. For
future funding, it is important to give extra scrutiny and oversight to
how these funds are being used, and the funding should be accompanied
by conditions that will stimulate reform.
I believe it is not too late to turn around this city or our State.
For proof, you can look at the communities of my district. While
California as a whole is declining in population, the vast majority of
my district is growing. Placer County and Folsom, for instance, are
growing as much as anywhere in California. Our communities are rated
among the best in California to live, raise a family, and retire. While
California as a State leads the Nation in U-Haul departures, Roseville
is the second-place city in the entire country in U-Haul arrivals.
Many of the people leaving San Francisco are coming to my district
for safer communities, a more manageable cost of living, better
schools, and an overall better quality of life. During the COVID-19
era, we kept our businesses and schools open, got them open earlier
than anywhere, avoiding much of the damage experienced across the
State, and we also had among the State's best public health outcomes.
We still face the headwinds of misguided policies enacted at the
State level, but we strive to use tools of local governance and
community partnerships to do what is best for our citizens. This is the
model that our State should strive for, and it is the model that many
other States are already following. It is the model for our country to
reverse the policies that have gotten us so off track in recent years.
In this way, the collapse of San Francisco is a wake-up call, a
warning to the Nation about the need for a course correction. I look
forward to working with people of good faith on both sides of the aisle
to save this beautiful city and to prevent the rest of our country from
going down the same path.
Recognizing Brave Law Enforcement Officers
MR. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer congressional
recognition to the brave law enforcement officers who work tirelessly
and at great personal sacrifice to keep our communities safe. From
keeping our schools secure to apprehending violent criminals and
protecting our children and citizens from the scourge of drugs, every
single American benefits daily from the tremendous dedication and
commitment to community exhibited by the men and women who protect and
serve.
Unfortunately, in recent years, our police have come under often
baseless and sometimes callous criticism that has made an already
daunting job all the more difficult to accomplish. In fact, I have
personally heard from numerous police chiefs, sheriffs, and other law
enforcement leaders from my district in California that these
unwarranted attacks and charged rhetoric
[[Page H2158]]
are directly posing recruitment challenges in our community and
endangering public safety.
This is all the more jarring considering the extent to which our
police selflessly give up things you and I regularly take for granted.
These individuals are regularly willing to insert themselves into life-
threatening situations to protect the life of others, actively pursuing
violent felons and other hardened criminals that threaten our most
fundamental rights and freedoms, spending evenings and weekends away
from their families to serve us. In fact, multiple officers have made
the ultimate sacrifice, given up their lives in the line of duty to
keep the people of California safe.
{time} 2000
Although we can never truly repay the debt we owe to these
individuals, at the very least, we owe it to them to do everything in
our power to correct the record and shift the public paradigm to return
to giving law enforcement the level of respect and honor that they have
undeniably earned.
In that spirit, I would like to propose a national congressional
police honor roll. Each Member of Congress would accept nominations
from local law enforcement leaders in their community and select a
handful of outstanding officers, detectives, and sheriffs to recognize
on the House floor during National Police Week for their service,
sacrifice, and dedication to community.
My office has been receiving nominations for such an honor roll.
Today, Mr. Speaker, I would like to take the time to recognize the
individuals I have chosen for the Third District of California's Police
Honor Roll.
Mr. Speaker, I offer congressional recognition to Officer Wesley
Collins of the Lincoln Police Department.
Officer Collins began his law enforcement career as an explorer in
2001 with the Placer County Sheriff's Office. In 2003, he became a
full-time correctional officer with the Placer County Sheriff's Office.
He then worked for the Grass Valley Police Department as an officer
from 2004 to 2006. In 2006, he joined the Lincoln Police Department,
where he has served since that date.
While assigned to the patrol division, Officer Collins assumed the
role of range master, providing tactical training to sworn staff and
overseeing compliance requirements for the department.
In 2020, Officer Collins applied for and was selected for the
assignment of school resource officer. His assignment required him to
be a presence at Lincoln High School, interacting with students and
assisting staff with a variety of topics. Though the basic needs of the
assignment were simple, Officer Collins observed a number of areas that
could improve student safety at the school.
Since that time, and primarily in 2022, Officer Collins accomplished
the following for Lincoln High School and other schools in the
district.
First, he worked with district administration and school staff to
assist with school site threat assessments.
Second, he assisted the district in overhauling the school safety
plans. This included painting large numbers on the roofs of all
buildings for easy identification by air ops and added and will be
adding dozens of new security cameras, fencing, and bullet-resistant 3M
window film to all sites.
Third, he created a school response binder that contains updated maps
with important contact information for all district staff and school
locations, along with master keys to all school sites.
He worked with district administration to show the need for STOP THE
BLEED kits. He assisted in obtaining over 500 STOP THE BLEED kits for
the school sites using COVID medical funds. Every classroom and high-
risk area in the district was equipped with a kit, and Officer Collins
assisted in training the entire district staff on the use, philosophy,
and prepping of the kits with the district's RNs.
He worked with the Lincoln Kiwanis Club to raise $1,000 to purchase
STOP THE BLEED kits for John Adams Academy. The kits were delivered to
the staff and have been dispersed around the school site.
He created and trained the LPD staff on active-shooter response in
2022, with the assistance of city and school staff.
He worked on creating and teaching the combined active-shooter
response training for 2023 with the Lincoln Fire Department to be
conducted at LHS.
He built close working relationships with the district staff, from
the superintendent down to line staff, and helped rebuild the SRO
program. This includes adding a third SRO position for the 2023-2024
school year, which was fully funded by the school district.
He assisted district administration with establishing reunification
sites for students and families around the district and city in case of
critical incidents.
He gave a comprehensive presentation for the WPUSD board to update
them on all the school safety updates that have been accomplished and
ones that are being worked on.
He actively conducted youth development network trainings with city
and district staff and was given an award by the Lincoln Kiwanis Club
for his work with the youth of Lincoln.
He also has become an informal liaison between the LPD and the
district and has built relationships with the staff and the school
wellness centers to identify and help students with mental health
needs. The early intervention and relationship building has created an
environment where students can approach him or the staff so they can
guide students to help before a true mental health emergency occurs.
I should note that the accomplishments I mentioned are outside of the
basic requirements of Officer Collins' assignment. He has a heart for
serving the youth of the Lincoln community and has gone far beyond what
has been expected of him in this position. He has become a critical
asset between the Lincoln Police Department and the school district and
has dramatically filled the safety void our district was experiencing.
On a near-weekly basis, he attends meetings, functions, or other
school-related events outside of his regular workday. He is a model
school resource officer who other school resource officers should
strive to emulate.
For these reasons and more, I am honored to include Officer Wesley
Collins of the Lincoln Police Department in the Third District of
California's Police Honor Roll.
Congressional Recognition of Sheriff Mike Fisher
Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I offer congressional recognition to Sheriff
Mike Fisher of the Sierra County Sheriff's Department.
Sierra County is the second smallest county in California, with a
population of about 3,000 individuals. Sheriff Fisher has lived in
Sierra County most of his life and has had a significant positive
impact on the community.
Sheriff Fisher began his law enforcement career as an explorer from
1986 to 1990 and served as deputy sheriff from 2001 to 2007 and as a
detective from 2007 to 2018. He was elected as sheriff in 2018 and has
served in that position since.
Sheriff Fisher has a long history of service in Sierra County, and
residents showed their appreciation and approval of his work by
electing Mike as sheriff for a second term in 2022.
He is truly a hands-on sheriff. In addition to the administrative
duties that come with running the sheriff's office, he goes on patrol
and EMS calls, bailiffs when needed, and assists with high school
senior projects, including a recent Every 15 Minutes program and a mock
trial. He recently took over as the Office of Emergency Services
supervisor for Sierra County, as well.
Sheriff Fisher has extensive training and experience in locating and
eradicating illegal marijuana grows in Sierra County and is skillful in
doing overflights to spot the illegal grows and obtain search warrants.
He has a pilot's license and is a drone operator.
Since taking office, Sheriff Fisher has made significant
improvements, including extensive training for deputies, new radios,
and new vehicles.
He is also very organized and levelheaded. Sierra County had its
first murder in 20 years in July 2020, which required assistance from
outside agencies. He was able to coordinate numerous agencies, and the
suspect was successfully apprehended.
Sheriff Fisher is familiar with all areas of our rural county and is
able to supervise our somewhat frequent search and rescue activities.
Our county is known for outdoor activities and is home to the
Downieville Downhill, a mountain bike race. We also have a few mountain
bikers who
[[Page H2159]]
go off-trail, and Sheriff Fisher seems to know where they are. In
addition, he is an avid fly fisher and knows all the great spots for
fishing.
Sierra County also has a marine patrol, off-highway vehicles,
including snowmobiles, and a new canine unit, which was implemented
during Sheriff Fisher's first term.
For his dedication to Sierra County, organizational leadership, and
selflessness in helping his neighbors, I am honored to include Sheriff
Mike Fisher of the Sierra County Sheriff's Office in the Third District
of California's Police Honor Roll.
Congressional Recognition of Sergeant Dave Scobie
Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I offer congressional recognition to Sergeant
Dave Scobie of the Bishop Police Department.
Sergeant Dave Scobie was promoted to his current rank in March 2022.
Sergeant Scobie began his career in the Mammoth Lakes Police Department
in 2004 and also worked for the Mono County Sheriff's Department prior
to joining the Bishop force.
Sergeant Scobie is married with two children. When not working as a
member of the Bishop Police Department, he is active with the local Boy
Scouts.
Sergeant Scobie has also been involved with the Eastern Sierra Shop
with a Cop program since 2012 and has taken charge and spearheaded the
annual event since 2015. This event provides holiday gifts to local
children and their families from Mono and Inyo Counties. Since the
inception of the program, there have been over 500 children and their
families who have participated in the event. Despite the restrictions
of the COVID pandemic and the loss of the only department store in
Bishop, Sergeant Scobie still managed to ensure the Shop with a Cop
program was successful.
For going above and beyond to deliver results for the Eastern Sierra,
I am honored to include Sergeant Dave Scobie of the Bishop Police
Department in the Third District of California's Police Honor Roll.
Congressional Recognition of Detective Ken Nakamura
Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I offer congressional recognition to
Detective Ken Nakamura of the Roseville Police Department.
Detective Nakamura began his law enforcement career in 1999 with the
San Jose Police Department. He worked for SJPD for 2 years, assigned to
their patrol division.
In 2001, Ken Nakamura began his employment with the Roseville Police
Department. Detective Nakamura began his career with RPD working in the
patrol division until 2005 and during this 4-year timeframe was awarded
numerous awards, along with the 10851 pin, which is the Stolen Vehicle
Award for apprehensions and stolen vehicle recoveries.
In 2005, Detective Nakamura was assigned to our crime suppression
unit and worked in CSU until 2010. Detective Nakamura was a driving
force of the unit and vital in the team's mission to make Roseville a
safer place for its citizens.
Detective Nakamura was a gang investigator and worked hundreds of
cases that resulted in arrests of violent felons and drug dealers. The
impact that he had while working in CSU is still unmatched to this day.
From 2010 to 2013, Detective Nakamura worked in a uniform patrol
capacity. He was assigned as a field training officer. In that
capacity, he was able to instill his experience and work ethic in our
newly hired officers.
From 2013 to 2018, Detective Nakamura was assigned to our
investigations unit. He worked both property and crimes against persons
cases, and his tenacity with his investigations led to hundreds of
arrests during his tenure in investigations.
From 2019 to the present, he has been assigned as the Roseville
Police Department's threat assessment detective. As a threat assessment
detective, he is assigned cases of high priority that usually involve
persons that are a high risk to society.
Detective Nakamura's caseload varies but includes the following:
stalking cases, domestic violence, threats to the public, and threats
to schools and places of worship.
While working as a threat assessment detective, he saw the need to
form a threat assessment committee of law enforcement agencies in
Placer County. Detective Nakamura was the leader and the driving force
to start this threat assessment committee. The TAC is a committee
formed in cooperation with the Placer County District Attorney's
Office. This allows all law enforcement agencies to meet on a regular
basis to discuss individuals that are of concern and a threat to the
community.
The TAC is a tremendous benefit to all agencies in Placer County
since we know that criminals who pose risks to the public do not commit
crimes within a geographical boundary.
Detective Nakamura developed a plan and process as to why the TAC
would be beneficial to our county and held a meeting to propose its
formation to allied agencies in the county. The stakeholders from
around Placer County agreed with him and saw the need for the TAC,
which was founded in 2021.
I commend Detective Nakamura for bringing the TAC to reality and
working with stakeholders of multiple disciplines to make this happen.
Since its inception, it has grown into something that all agencies are
now participating in, in Placer County.
Detective Nakamura has made countless arrests during his time as a
threat assessment detective. His investigations have made the public
safer by taking dangerous criminals off the streets, folks that commit
acts of violence.
Detective Nakamura was also the driving force to bring behavioral
threat assessment management to the Roseville Joint Union High School
District. This process was presented to all district employees in 2022
and will help all RJUHSD employees identify threats to individual high
school campuses, making our kids who attend these schools safer.
Detective Nakamura was an instructor and presenter of the BTAM when
it rolled out in 2022. In addition to being a BTAM instructor,
Detective Nakamura is also a certified master trainer for the
Department of Homeland Security regarding behavioral threat assessment
and management.
For these reasons and more, I am honored to include Detective Ken
Nakamura of the Roseville Police Department in the Third District of
California's Police Honor Roll.
{time} 2015
Officer Chad Quirarte Congressional Recognition
Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I offer congressional recognition to Officer
Chad Quirarte of the Roseville Police Department.
Officer Quirarte started his career with the Roseville Police
Department in 2019 and was assigned to the patrol division. Officer
Quirarte was a very proactive officer and made countless arrests for
property crimes, DUIs, drug arrests, and violent crimes, as well. While
working in our patrol division, Officer Quirarte received several
commendations for his efforts.
In 2021, Officer Quirarte was selected to work as a school resource
officer assigned to Adelante High School, which is now called Pathways
High School.
The student population at this school includes the kids who did not
meld well with a comprehensive campus site. Students at Pathways have
not had access to sports equipment and sports programs, so Officer
Quirarte has been a champion for this effort by raising money for the
students to compete in high school sports events. During his tenure,
Officer Quirarte has also had a significant impact at Adelante.
To take one example, Officer Quirarte saw the need for a sports
program on his high school campus. It was driven not just by the need
for physical activity for the kids, but also as a way to get the
students engaged in school and do well academically. This approach
built a great relationship between Officer Quirarte and the students at
his school with a segment of students who might have otherwise had
issues with law enforcement.
Additionally, Officer Quirarte's goal was to have flag football,
basketball, baseball, and softball on campus starting in 2021. However,
there was no funding for these sports programs. Officer Quirarte worked
with Bayside Adventure Church, and they donated $5,000 to the school,
which fully funded the sports program.
From the beginning of the sports programs through that year, Officer
Quirarte could see a change in the athletes as people, and there were
positive changes in their academics as well.
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In 2022, Officer Quirarte received the California Continuing
Education Association PLUS School Resource Officer of the Year award.
The school staff at Adelante High School nominated him for this award
due to his unique approach to his duties as an SRO.
These duties included developing a new sports program, securing funds
and transportation for sporting teams, organizing games, and most
importantly, helping to include kids from all walks of life in the
sports program so they can feel a sense of belonging and achievement.
What is even more amazing is the associated statistical data
regarding student grades. Since the sports teams were developed,
Adelante staff noticed better student performance and a rise in student
GPAs.
In December of 2022, Officer Quirarte worked with Tilton Pacific
Construction in Rocklin on a year-end Christmas charity fund drive for
a local charity. Tilton Pacific knew of the need for additional funding
for the sports programs at Pathways High School. Due to Officer
Quirarte's efforts, they raised $22,000 for the sports programs at
Pathways High School, which will fund these programs for the next
couple of years.
Officer Quirarte has had an impact on his campus outside of
athletics, as well. He has helped several students on and off campus
that have been in mental health crisis. Due to Officer Quirarte's
efforts, these students were able to receive services for their
individual issues. In one case, Officer Quirarte worked with a local
business to get mattresses delivered to a student's house because the
student did not have a bed to sleep on at night.
Officer Quirarte has the most challenging students in the district
that attend his high school. Due to Officer Quirarte's efforts, he has
made an impact on campus and has changed lives in a positive manner.
For these reasons and more, I am honored to include Officer Chad
Quirarte of the Roseville Police Department in the Third District of
California's Police Honor Roll.
Mr. Speaker, I should note that in addition to the five law
enforcement officials recognized, there were several others that were
chosen for the Third District of California's Police Honor Roll that,
due to the sensitive nature of their work, would not be appropriate to
recognize in a highly public setting.
On behalf of the Third District of California, I extend my most
profound thanks and gratitude to the officers included in this
inaugural Police Honor Roll.
Additionally, I invite my colleagues to join me in the future to
expand the Congressional Police Honor Roll program.
Welcoming Bosch to Third Congressional District of California
Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I would acknowledge some very noteworthy
individuals, organizations, and occasions in my district.
Mr. Speaker, I welcome a groundbreaking investment in our community's
economy by tech and consumer goods manufacturer, Bosch.
Bosch recently acquired the Roseville-based chipmaker, TSI
Semiconductors, and announced plans to invest $1.2 billion into the
existing Roseville facility.
This major investment will significantly expand their production of
silicon carbide chips, create good-paying jobs and opportunities
throughout the entire region, and position Roseville as a regional
leader in receiving investment from a rapidly growing business sector
producing cutting-edge technology.
I had the pleasure of meeting with Bosch's leadership prior to the
investment announcement and now wish to publicly convey a warm welcome
on behalf of California's Third Congressional District.
In choosing to invest in Placer County, Bosch has selected a
community where local government is strongly supportive of creating
jobs and opportunities for investment, where citizens enjoy a high
quality of life, and where private sector investments in the economy
have a strong track record of paying off for both businesses and the
broader region.
I will continue to encourage businesses to choose to invest in the
people of California's Third Congressional District to help grow our
economy, create more middle-class jobs, and expand opportunities for
our residents.
National Teacher Appreciation Week
Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of National Teacher
Appreciation Week, I wish to take a moment to recognize the outstanding
educators of California's Third Congressional District.
The communities I represent offer both outstanding public and private
school education to our students due in large part to the dedication,
sacrifice, and hard work of our community's teachers.
On behalf of our community, I thank you for all you do to position
our students to succeed in the workforce and participate in our
democracy as active and informed citizens.
As a former high school teacher myself, teaching 10th grade English,
I understand the unique challenges our educators face and the level of
passion and dedication it can take to help students succeed. In fact,
from those experiences, I am committed to supporting educators in every
way I can.
Most recently, I partnered with the Library of Congress to host a
special townhall for educators in order to bring the vast resources,
collections, and curriculum materials the Library offers to local
teachers in California.
If you are an educator, I encourage you to reach out to my office or
visit Kiley.house.gov for Federal resources available to local
teachers.
Mr. Speaker, again, on behalf of the Third Congressional District of
California, I thank educators for their commitment and dedication to
positively impacting our youth.
Celebrating the 100th Annual Portuguese Holy Ghost Festa
Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I wish to celebrate the 100th Annual Lincoln
Portuguese Holy Ghost Festa. The Portuguese Holy Ghost Festa is a
celebration cherished by the community and looked forward to by all who
call Lincoln home.
For 100 years, with the exception of World War II and the COVID
years, the Associacao Portuguesa do Divino Espirito Santo--APDES for
short--has hosted the festa in accordance with the rich history and
tradition of Portugal. The multifaceted, weekend-long festa kicks off
on the 5th weekend after Easter with a candlelit procession from a
designated member's home. After a weekend of festivities and ceremony,
it concludes with a parade, sopas served to all at McBean Park, and a
dinner consisting of the traditional Portuguese dish, bacalhau.
Every year, the members and volunteers of the APDES work tirelessly
to make this festa happen. Without their love and dedication, Lincoln's
festa would not have been sustained throughout the past century.
I wish to express gratitude and thanks on behalf of the Third
Congressional District of California for the hard work and dedication
of the APDES in enriching our community with this cherished event.
Celebrating the 130th Anniversary of City of Rocklin
Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I wish to mark and celebrate the 130th
anniversary of the city of Rocklin.
For generations of Californians, Rocklin has offered a strong quality
of life for residents and welcomed visitors from all walks of life.
As a Rocklin resident myself, I personally know what a special,
tight-knit community this truly is. From a friendly business
environment to world-class parks and recreation, stellar schools, and
exceptional local services such as utilities, transportation, and
public safety, Rocklin is a place over 70,000 residents are proud to
call home.
It is also no accident that Rocklin has become a place that so many
people want to move to. I thank the outstanding community members who
work tirelessly to ensure Rocklin continues to maintain a high quality
of life as well as the current and past leaders of Rocklin that have
shaped the city into what it is today.
On behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I am honored
to recognize the city of Rocklin's 130th anniversary.
Celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the Auburn Symphony
Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I wish to mark and celebrate the 35th
anniversary of the Auburn Symphony.
For decades, the Auburn Symphony has served as the premier community
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orchestra of Placer County and has engaged and enriched Auburn and the
broader region with the gift of music for over 35 years.
The symphony originally began as the dream of local musician Monroe
DeJarnette, who, despite the immense challenges of forming a community
orchestra in a small town, partnered with Bruce Cosgrove of the Auburn
Chamber of Commerce to make that dream a reality.
From there, the orchestra continued to grow and benefit the
community. In fact, its programs have reached over 100,000 students in
Placer County over the years.
On behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I am honored
to recognize the Auburn symphony for 35 years of benefiting our
community.
Recognizing the Orangevale-Fair Oaks Community Foundation
Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize the Orangevale-Fair Oaks
Community Foundation for their Big Day of Service.
Last Saturday, I personally witnessed the foundation bring together
hundreds upon hundreds of community members to work on 50 different
service projects in the Sacramento area.
As someone who was raised in Orangevale, it was especially heartening
to see individuals who exhibit the kindness, generosity, and
selflessness that unites our community to prioritize the needs of
others and coming together to serve their neighbors.
Even in just one weekend, their work made a profound and noticeable
impact by completing many necessary regional projects. It is the active
and engaged citizens, like the volunteers I spoke with, and the leaders
of the foundation, who make the Sacramento region such a great place to
call home.
On behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I am honored
to recognize the Orangevale-Fair Oaks Community Foundation for their
hard work and dedication to our community that was exhibited throughout
the Big Day of Service.
Recognizing The Alliance: Defending the Cause of Kids & Families
Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize The Alliance: Defending
the Cause of Kids & Families for their contribution and dedication to
creating a supportive network of care for youth and families.
The Alliance is a group of churches, nonprofits, professionals, and
agencies working to ensure all kids grow up in a safe, loving family.
For years, The Alliance has served countless foster youth, adoptive
families, single parents, families in crisis, children who have
experienced trauma, and refugees resettling locally in the Sacramento
area.
In fact, for their efforts, The Alliance was recently recognized by
the Sacramento District Small Business Administration as the 2023
nonprofit of the year.
On behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I am honored
to recognize The Alliance for their hard work and dedication to our
community.
In Recognition of Don Ashton on His Retirement
Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize retiring El Dorado County
Chief Administrative Officer Don Ashton for his years of service to El
Dorado County.
Don has served the people of El Dorado for more than a decade, most
recently as CAO, and never wavered from his goal of making the county a
better place.
Throughout Don's tenure, El Dorado County endured department head
shakeups, COVID-19, and a series of catastrophic wildfires, most
notably, the Caldor fire and recent Mosquito fire.
No matter the challenge, Don provided steady leadership to help the
county weather every challenge it faced. Don also achieved many long-
term county goals over the years, including financing and constructing
the new sheriff's headquarters, improving various parks, and acquiring
facilities on the West Slope and in South Lake Tahoe that will bolster
the county's ability to serve the public.
On behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I am honored
to recognize Don Ashton for the steady, stable leadership and years of
service he has provided to the people of El Dorado County.
Recognizing Sergeant Eric Dollar on His Retirement From Rocklin Police
Department
Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize Sergeant Eric Dollar of
the Rocklin Police Department.
Sergeant Dollar has served the people of California for almost 30
years as a law enforcement officer, with the last 23 in Rocklin.
Throughout his career, Sergeant Dollar took care to mentor younger
officers, served many special assignments, including crime scene
investigation and narcotics, and was continually recognized by the
department for his leadership. In fact, he was among the first five
individuals promoted to corporal in Rocklin's century-long history.
After decades of service and sacrifice, Sergeant Dollar has made the
decision to retire from the Rocklin Police Department.
On behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I am honored
to recognize Sergeant Eric Dollar for his dedication to the community
and the years of service he has provided to the people of Rocklin.
Recognizing William Jessup University Nursing Program
Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I wish to take a moment to celebrate and
congratulate William Jessup University for the successful launch of
their Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program.
This past weekend, over 100 community members gathered at William
Jessup's campus in Rocklin to honor this achievement. Jessup's program
is especially noteworthy considering the nursing shortage in our
community.
This new program provides state-of-the-art education and training
facilities, including an innovative simulation lab with mannequins that
talk and breathe for live simulation with their students that will
equip the next generation of nurses with the tools they need to deliver
exceptional care to individuals in need.
On behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I am honored
to recognize William Jessup University for the service provided to our
community through their new program.
Congratulating Tina Basich Haller, Local Snowboarding Legend
Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I take this moment to celebrate and
congratulate local snowboarding legend, Tina Basich Haller, for her
official induction into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame.
Along with her longtime friend Shannon Dunn, Basich Haller is the
first female snowboarder to receive this honor and serves as an
inspiration and role model to countless young women in Nevada County
and beyond.
Throughout her snowboarding year, she won the 1998 X-Games by landing
the first 720 in competition and served as a snowboarding pioneer in
that sport's infancy.
Her commitment to her community, including giving back to the Nevada
Union Snowboarding team and cofounding Boarding For Breast Cancer, is
also truly inspirational.
On behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I am honored
to recognize Tina Basich Haller for her groundbreaking accomplishments
and commitment to Nevada County.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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