[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 153 (Thursday, September 18, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H4418]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING IAN KALVINSKAS

  (Mr. Costa of California was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart but also with 
a sense of hope. I want to tell you about a remarkable young man named 
Ian Kalvinskas.
  Ian was one of my interns this summer. A Pasadena native, he loved 
soccer and carried a curiosity about the world that was as boundless as 
his spirit.
  As a UCLA student with a deep passion for public service, he dreamed 
of pursuing a career in foreign policy and one day working for the 
United Nations.
  At just 15, though, Ian was diagnosed with liver cancer. He underwent 
a transplant at UCLA, and for more than 4 years, it seemed that he had 
beaten the disease, but in November 2024, his cancer returned. Ian knew 
his time was short, yet he refused to let that define him. Instead, he 
came to Capitol Hill because he told us: ``I want to make a 
difference.''
  Even while battling illness, Ian focused on helping pediatric 
patients get fair consideration on the transplant waiting list.
  Sadly, Ian's internship was cut short. He passed away in June at the 
age of 20, surrounded by his family in the shadow of the Capitol he so 
admired.
  His doctor, Sue McDiarmid, one of the premier transplant physicians 
in the world, told me his personal courage was remarkable and an 
inspiration to her and all who knew him.
  His final days were not defined by his illness. They were defined by 
his courage and idealism, by his determination to use the time he had 
left to help others.
  In honor of Ian's life, I am proud to introduce the Ian Kalvinskas 
Pediatric Liver Cancer Early Detection and Screening Act. This bill 
would advance the very work that Ian hoped to pursue. It would direct 
the Department of Health and Human Services, with input from the CDC, 
Centers for Disease Control, to strengthen education so parents and 
providers can spot the early signs of liver disease in children.

                              {time}  1050

  It would require the Government Accountability Office to report on 
what we are doing now, how many children are lost each year while 
waiting for a liver transplant, and whether adding a simple newborn 
test could save lives.
  Mr. Speaker, Ian's story is not an isolated one. Over 100,000 
Americans every day are waiting for an organ transplant.
  Back home in the San Joaquin Valley, Austin Salinas, a young boy, has 
spent his life battling hydronephrosis, a serious kidney condition that 
has meant countless surgeries and now the use of an ostomy bag. For 
more than 11 years, he has defied the odds with remarkable resilience.
  Like Ian's, Austin's journey is more than endurance. It is about 
survival and the hope of a lifesaving transplant. It is about 
inspiration. It is about courage. These young people really want to 
live and have a full life.
  Families like Ian's and Austin's shouldn't have to fight alone. They 
deserve a system that works for them and gives them every chance to 
live a full and healthy life.
  This legislation, therefore, is about the gift of life and giving 
better opportunities for over 100,000 Americans awaiting an organ 
transplant every day.
  I encourage my colleagues and their staff to take the time to read 
this bill and consider joining me.
  By supporting this legislation, we ensure that Ian's fight and legacy 
will live on for the lives of children and their families that will be 
saved in the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Ian 
Kalvinskas and his son--a student and, now, through this legislation, a 
catalyst for change.
  God bless Ian. May his memory continue to light a path forward for 
all of us.

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