[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 201 (Wednesday, December 6, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H6154-H6155]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CELEBRATING THE 30-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF A PLACE CALLED HOME

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Kamlager-Dove) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 30-year 
anniversary of A Place Called Home, a nonprofit that has served 
thousands of at-risk youth and families in the South Los Angeles 
community.
  A Place Called Home provides free programs that focus on job 
readiness and mental health services as well as art and technology. It 
allows children to explore creativity through their arts programming.
  Earlier this year, they hosted the Latinx Theater Festival in honor 
of Hispanic Heritage Month, where the children helped with ticketing, 
light, and sound design for the productions.
  A Place Called Home aims to increase children's likelihood of staying 
in school and graduating, and in the past 30 years, it has supported 
more than 500 first-generation students in their journey to college.
  They serve 2,000 meals to students every week on top of the thousands 
more they provide to families at home in California's 37th District. 
None of this would be possible without their founder, Debrah Constance, 
and CEO Norayma Cabot, who work tirelessly with the board and staff 
every day to support my district's children and families.
  I hope you will join me in celebrating this milestone for A Place 
Called Home, and I look forward to seeing all that they do in the next 
30 years and beyond.


             Honoring the Life and Legacy of Mike Watanabe

  Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and 
legacy of Mike Watanabe. He passed away last month after 77 years full 
of life.
  Mike began his service to the Los Angeles community when he joined 
the Asian American Drug Abuse Program as a counselor in 1975. He saw 
the impact that drug use had on his friends and community in the wake 
of the Vietnam war and wanted to find a way to advocate for recovery 
after earning his master's degree in social work. He became the 
executive director in 1982 before ascending to the role of president 
and CEO in 2004.
  Through his decades of service with AADAP, he worked with community 
leaders to support substance abuse recovery. AADAP's efforts have 
served residents in California's 37th District for over 50 years.
  Mike is remembered for his compassion, leadership, and unwavering 
belief in building a supportive community.
  My friend Mike always kept it 100. He built a family at AADAP and 
throughout the Los Angeles area. Mike was a part of the Los Angeles 
County Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Commission for 16 years, chairing 
the Asian and Pacific Islander Constituent Committee and supporting 
several other AAPI-focused organizations all aimed at substance abuse 
recovery.
  His support of early Asian-American community organizations left a 
lasting impact on the success of today's nonprofits and Asian-American 
services. We are all the better for having been impacted by Mike's 
jovial spirit and passion for community service. He will be greatly 
missed.
  Please take a moment to honor the life of Mike Watanabe. My heart is 
with his wife, Suzanne, and their family during this time.


                        GOP Threat to Democracy

  Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today for a moment of truth. 
House Republicans pose a deep threat to our national security. It is 
dependent on what we do domestically and upon how we support our allies 
abroad, like Ukraine.
  Ukraine will not be able to fend off Russia on its own, and 
Republicans will be responsible if they refuse to act to counter war 
criminal Putin's anti-West, anti-democracy assault.
  I guess that makes sense, since the Republican Party has pledged 
fealty to Donald Trump, a master anarchist who is focused on government 
destruction, exploding democracy, and distracting and impoverishing the 
American people. He is someone who just 2 weeks

[[Page H6155]]

ago called people vermin. He is using white supremacist code words.
  The global stage is watching us because they are all in for Ukraine 
and democracy, but Republican isolationism has hurt and will continue 
to destabilize our democracy, weaken our allies, and remove the United 
States from the global stage. When we leave, someone far more dangerous 
will take our place and hurt us more.
  No more distractions, conflations, or profligations. Mr. Speaker, the 
time to get serious about this country is right now.

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