- 6/6/2025
On the House floor Friday, Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA) discussed his dissatisfaction with California Governor Gavin Newsom.
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00:00:00Mr. Speaker, this last week, a local newspaper published a letter to the editor claiming that
00:00:17by fighting against Governor Newsom's policies, I was not serving my constituents.
00:00:24I very strongly disagree with that statement. The fact is that we have a governor whose policies
00:00:32have turned the greatest state in the country into the most popular state to leave. We have
00:00:39a governor who believes that because he has a supermajority in the legislature, he can
00:00:43run roughshod over the rights of Californians and continue to cause the quality of life
00:00:50in our state to decline. But here in Congress, we have tools to fight back. And I set out
00:00:59at the beginning of this year to use whatever tools are available to fight back against Governor
00:01:07Newsom's most harmful policies. And I believe that is precisely how I can best serve not
00:01:13only my constituents, but all Californians and indeed all Americans, because the governor
00:01:19has himself said that his failed policies are, quote, a model for the nation.
00:01:26So I wanted to go through the 10 areas, the 10 radical failed policies of Governor Newsom
00:01:34that have prevailed in California that we set out to reverse, to fight to overturn or to
00:01:41at least where we can mitigate the harm. And I want to give a progress report on where we
00:01:46are with respect to each of those 10 items. Very quickly, the 10 are number one, crazy EV mandates.
00:01:56Number two, free Medicaid for illegal immigrants. Number three, out of control homelessness. Number
00:02:05four, reckless crime policies. Number five, the high speed rail disaster. Number six, the sanctuary
00:02:13state disgrace. Number seven, failing public schools. Number eight, man-made water shortages,
00:02:23shortages. Number nine, catastrophic wildfires. And number 10, chaotic elections. The good news
00:02:32is we have made significant progress when it comes to each of those 10 items. When it comes
00:02:40to EV mandates. Just about a week and a half ago, the Senate followed in the House's footsteps
00:02:47and passed my resolution to overturn Gavin Newsom's ban on gas powered vehicles. Any day now, President
00:02:58Trump will sign my resolution into law and Gavin Newsom's unworkable gas car ban where he wanted to dictate
00:03:08what millions of Californians drive will be reversed and Californians will be able to drive the car of
00:03:15their choice. Not only that, we are reversing Newsom's EV mandate when it comes to trucks. And we have
00:03:24already seen the reversal of his mandates when it comes to trains, when it comes to buses, when it comes
00:03:31to lawnmowers, when it comes to leaf blowers. Number two, on free Medi-Cal for illegal immigrants. A policy
00:03:38that no other state in the country has a policy that has literally driven our Medicaid system to the point
00:03:47of insolvency. I introduced the no Medicaid for illegal immigrants act. We have been applying pressure in
00:03:54every way we can. And finally, Gavin Newsom has bowed to that pressure. He has announced that he is
00:04:00sunsetting his own policy, ending it at the conclusion of this year. Now, of course, he still has not gone far
00:04:07enough because he wants to keep it going for those who have already enrolled. But this is a significant victory
00:04:15enforcing the governor's hand. When it comes to homelessness, where California has by far the worst
00:04:22homelessness in the country, where the population of homeless has skyrocketed during Newsom's tenure as
00:04:30governor, where he spent $24 billion and a state audit determined that he lost track of the money
00:04:38as homelessness again continued to go up. And what's worse is we had this decision from the
00:04:45Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that said that local communities weren't able to do anything about
00:04:50homelessness. The decision said you're not allowed to regulate camping. You're not allowed to regulate
00:04:56homeless encampments in public spaces, even in front of schools or in parks. Well, last year, we had a
00:05:03significant victory before the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn that lower court decision. And here's
00:05:08the thing. Newsom wanted to keep the Ninth Circuit decision in place, whereas I advocated in an
00:05:14amicus brief that we reverse that decision and we restore the power of local communities to regulate
00:05:22homelessness in a common sense way. Because of that victory before the Supreme Court, you are now seeing
00:05:28across California, order returning to our public spaces. Even far left, very heavily Democratic
00:05:37jurisdictions, like Fremont, like San Francisco, have acted on this newly, new ability provided by the
00:05:46Supreme Court decision that I advocated for to clean up their streets. And we're starting to actually see the
00:05:52situation and prove. Number four, when it comes to crime, we had an enormous victory. Last November,
00:06:02when it came to Prop 36, an initiative that I helped to lead and qualify for the ballot that has made crime
00:06:08illegal again in California by restoring some basic consequences for theft and open drug use and
00:06:16dealing fentanyl. Now, of course, Gavin Newsom and the supermajority in California fought against Prop 36 each
00:06:24and every step of the way. They even concocted corrupt schemes to take it off the ballot and deny Californians the
00:06:31opportunity to vote. But each and every one of their schemes failed. And despite Governor Newsom leading the
00:06:37opposition to this initiative to make crime illegal again in California, it passed overwhelmingly. It passed with a higher
00:06:45percentage than any initiative on the ballot. It passed in each and every one of California's
00:06:5258 counties, even Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris's San Francisco. And as a result, you are seeing law
00:06:59enforcement throughout California that now has a new ability to restore order, to arrest people who
00:07:05commit crimes. And we are starting to see real improvements across the state that we have not seen
00:07:10in a very long time. Number five, when it comes to high speed rail, the biggest public infrastructure
00:07:18failure in United States history, which Gavin Newsom has continued to pour billions and billions of
00:07:24dollars into. At the beginning of this year, I introduced legislation to say that it shall receive
00:07:29no more federal funding. I then joined Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy at Union Station in Los
00:07:36Angeles to announce an investigation, an audit, a compliance review by the federal Department of
00:07:42Transportation into California high-speed rail, into the billions it has received in federal funding.
00:07:48And just this week, we got the results of that audit, finding that California is woefully out of
00:07:55compliance and that there is no viable path forward for the project. I believe that with this federal
00:08:00money now stopped, this is the beginning of the end of the high-speed rail disaster in California.
00:08:09Number six, when it comes to the sanctuary state, we have taken a number of measures. I introduced a
00:08:15bill, the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act. I also introduced the Freedom to Cooperate Act to allow
00:08:20local authorities to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. We've also seen a number of
00:08:26executive orders making it very clear that sanctuary jurisdictions are unacceptable and are in defiance
00:08:32of federal law. And in California, U.S. Attorney Bill Asaley has found a way to circumvent effectively
00:08:39the sanctuary state using the powers of federal law enforcement. So we have come a long way towards
00:08:45ending the disgrace of the sanctuary state in California. When it comes to California's failing
00:08:52public schools, which are just about the worst in the entire country, we have the lowest literacy rate
00:08:58of any state in the country. We continue to see attacks on high-performing schools from Governor Newsom
00:09:04and his enablers in the legislature. We also have some good news on this front. I'm chair of the
00:09:11subcommittee, the House Subcommittee on K-12 Education, and we have been fighting to give Americans
00:09:17school choice. And in this reconciliation bill, HR1, there is a provision that would ignite a school
00:09:24choice revolution across America by providing tax credits that can then be used to allow students
00:09:32to attend a school of their choice. We believe this could enable meaningful school of choice for 2
00:09:38million students across the country. And I'm also continuing to advocate for the high-quality charter
00:09:44school act, a bill I've introduced that would enable a similar measure of school choice for students
00:09:50in the public school system through charter schools, potentially tripling the number of students
00:09:55attending charter schools across America. Number eight, when it comes to the absurdity of California's
00:10:02man-made water crisis, where, for example, when we had heavy storms in California that caused 20,000 cubic feet
00:10:11of water to be cascading at a Folsom dam per second, you at the same time had a drought emergency still in
00:10:19effect, because we don't have adequate water storage to capture the water when it comes. We don't have the
00:10:27ability to level out these cycles of wetness and dryness that are utterly predictable in California.
00:10:34And on top of that, we have crazy policies that divert water to the ocean for the most absurd of
00:10:41reasons. Well, the good news is we're starting to see some of this diversion of water come to an end,
00:10:47and we have secured federal funding for the most significant water project in California in decades,
00:10:56Sites Reservoir, which is now well on its way to substantially expanding water storage in California,
00:11:04and we are also taking steps to raise the level of Shasta Dam to provide additional water storage
00:11:10there as well. Number nine, when it comes to the catastrophic wildfires, which have afflicted my
00:11:17district in searing and tragic ways, and which the whole world saw on tragic display in Los Angeles
00:11:24at the beginning of this year. We know that California's failures to adequately manage its
00:11:30forests has precipitated many of these catastrophic fires, in addition to several other policy failures.
00:11:39Well, the good news is we are restoring common sense when it comes to forest management. We just
00:11:45passed on a bipartisan basis a couple months ago the Fix Our Forests Act, which will streamline the sort of
00:11:54environmental regulations that stop us from appropriately managing our forests. It passed the
00:12:00House with bipartisan support, and I expect to see it pass the United States Senate very soon.
00:12:07And finally, when it comes to California's election system, which is much more chaotic than any other
00:12:15state in the country, where we take a month just to count votes so the entire country is waiting for
00:12:21California to finish a process that takes everyone else a matter of hours or a matter of a few days.
00:12:27We have passed in the House of Representatives the SAVE Act, which advances a common sense proposition
00:12:32that you should provide proof of citizenship in order to register to vote. A recent survey showed that
00:12:3972% of California's Democrats, Republicans, and Independents support this common sense policy.
00:12:46In addition, I've introduced the Election Results Accountability Act, saying that California has to
00:12:52count its votes in a timely manner. And finally, I do believe that Californians will have a chance
00:12:59in the next election to vote on a proposition to establish voter ID in California elections.
00:13:06So on each of these fronts, we have made significant progress, and it is improving the quality of life
00:13:13for Californians. And once again, this is a concern for all Americans, because by making California
00:13:20sane again, we will help to bring about and continue this golden age in this country and chart a future
00:13:29that truly lives up to the founding ideals of our country. California has always been at the leading
00:13:34edge of the American dream, and when California thrives, the rest of the country does as well.
00:13:43Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment to respond to the statement put out by California's high-speed rail
00:13:55authority in response to the audit from the Department of Transportation that came out yesterday.
00:14:02Now, this audit began a few months ago. I joined Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy
00:14:08in Los Angeles to announce the investigation into California's 17-year-long failure to build anything
00:14:20despite receiving massive funding at the state and federal level. The audit specifically looked at
00:14:28what happened to the $4 billion in federal funds that were provided through recent grants. And the
00:14:34result of the audit showed that the state is woefully out of compliance, that it is built nothing,
00:14:41and there is no viable path forward for the project, and therefore those grants can now be terminated.
00:14:49Now, the high-speed rail authority came out with this statement, which frankly defies belief. It said,
00:14:56it's that the authority strongly disagrees with the Federal Rail Administration's conclusions,
00:15:04which are misguided and do not reflect the substantial progress made to deliver high-speed rail in California.
00:15:14Mr. Speaker, I almost cannot believe those words. The substantial progress to deliver high-speed rail in California.
00:15:27What progress has been made, let alone substantial progress? There literally has not been any track laid
00:15:36in 17 years. There has not been one passenger in 17 years. There have been five CEOs of the rail authority, by the way.
00:15:48So the CEOs of the rail authority outnumber the passengers five to zero. 17 billion dollars has been spent already,
00:15:57and literally nothing has been built. By the way, the initial projection was,
00:16:05this thing's going to be done in 2020. That's what we were told when it was proposed in 2008.
00:16:13By the year 2020, you will have a high-speed rail system. You can hop on it in Los Angeles. It'll take
00:16:20you swiftly to San Francisco. Wouldn't that be nice? Well, we're now in the year 2025, and nothing has been built.
00:16:29We're five years past the deadline for the whole thing to be done. Nothing has been built.
00:16:34And the rail authority has the audacity to claim that substantial progress has been made.
00:16:42By the way, we were also told that by the year 2030, we would have 100 million riders per year.
00:16:52100 million. We now know for a fact that the number of riders per year by the year 23 will be 100 million
00:17:01less than forecast. There will be zero riders still by the year 2030. But no, no. Substantial progress
00:17:11has been made, we're told. How do we know there will be no riders by the year 2030?
00:17:17Well, the rail authority has said so itself. It has continued to scale back its initial leg of the
00:17:27system, but has continued to push back the completion date for that initial segment. So the initial
00:17:36segment of the system from Bakersfield to Merced, which for those who are not from California are not
00:17:43exactly population centers. This would span 119 miles. They have set a deadline to complete that by 2033,
00:17:53but they are now saying that even that deadline will not be met. 2033, we will not have even the initial
00:18:02segment of 119 miles from Bakersfield to Merced when we were initially promised that by 2022, or by 2020,
00:18:09we'd have the whole thing from LA to San Francisco, and that by 2030, we'd have 100 million riders.
00:18:18The CEO of the rail authority came out recently and said he has a new, very ambitious plan.
00:18:25That by the year 2045, 20 years from now, not only will we have this Bakersfield to Merced segment done,
00:18:35but we'll also have Gilroy to Palmdale. Okay, where are these places, for those who don't know
00:18:42California geography? Well, neither is especially close to San Francisco or Los Angeles. Let's give
00:18:50them the benefit of the doubt. Let's assume this actually happens, that by 2045, we have Palmdale
00:18:57to Gilroy. There's no reason to believe that'll be true, since every single other deadline has been
00:19:01missed and has been pushed back, but let's give them the benefit of the doubt. They work hard for 20
00:19:05years, they continue to spend tens of billions of dollars, and they build Palmdale to Gilroy by 2045.
00:19:15How exactly would you utilize this system if you wanted to go from LA to San Francisco? Well,
00:19:22here's what you'd have to do. You'd have to get on one rail system that would take you about two hours
00:19:28to get from LA to Palmdale. You'd then have to get off and hop on to the high-speed train, probably have
00:19:38to wait for it. That would take about two hours to get and get you to Gilroy. At Gilroy, you'd have to
00:19:45get off, wait for another train, a non-high-speed one, that would then take you from Gilroy into San
00:19:53Francisco. Overall, the trip at a minimum would take you six hours, would span three different transit
00:20:01systems, and you wouldn't be able to do this until 2045 at a minimum. Whereas right now, today,
00:20:09for decades, you could take a flight on a Southwest or several other airlines from LA to San Francisco
00:20:19in about an hour. But no, we're told that this vision, this new plan, amounts to substantial progress,
00:20:29such that the results of the audit are, let's see, what were the words here? Misguided. Do not reflect
00:20:37the substantial progress that has been made. And by the way, the governor has a gentleman who's been
00:20:48hired specifically to go around on X, attacking people like me, who criticizes anything that the
00:20:57governor's for. And Newsom is completely for spending billions and billions on high-speed rail. In fact,
00:21:04he just doubled the amount that will be spent this year through the cap and trade fund. And this
00:21:09gentleman responded to my criticism of high-speed rail by saying, oh, no, no, no, we're creating all these
00:21:17jobs. That's what this is about. And I'm all for creating jobs. In fact, it'd be great if we had more
00:21:25jobs in California. California, as it is under Governor Newsom, has the second highest unemployment
00:21:32in the country. A recent jobs report showed literally zero job growth in California. So I'd
00:21:40love to be creating more jobs. But we could create jobs by hiring people to dig a hole and then hiring
00:21:49more people to come and fill the dirt back in, which isn't that far from what's actually happening
00:21:54with high-speed rail. It's better to create jobs doing something that actually creates value,
00:22:00that improves the quality of life of Californians, that stimulates economic activity. Then you actually
00:22:07get more jobs because there are jobs associated with the economic activity that results from having
00:22:15something useful when it comes to transportation.
00:22:17So I do believe that this compliance review is the beginning of the end for high-speed rail in
00:22:26California. I am now calling on the House to pass my bill, which provides that not only will federal
00:22:35funds continue to be unavailable during this administration, but that the project will be
00:22:42ineligible for any further federal funding going forward. Once we eliminate the possibility of future
00:22:50federal funding, the state will have no choice but to acknowledge reality and finally finally wind down
00:23:00this embarrassing, disastrous project, the worst public infrastructure failure in U.S. history, and use those
00:23:08funds where they are truly needed on our roads, on our other transportation infrastructure, or frankly, on literally anything else.
00:23:17Mr. Speaker, last week, San Francisco announced a new grading for equity initiative. Now, as the chair of the K-12
00:23:42education subcommittee here, this caught my eye. It truly is beyond belief what they were proposing.
00:23:53This grading for equity initiative in San Francisco was, in a sense, a brilliant solution to San Francisco's
00:24:02problem of having so many failing schools. It simply fiauded that students would not be failed.
00:24:10So anyone who got an F would just magically be given a C. And even if you got a B- all the way down to 81%,
00:24:20that would actually be considered an A under this grading for equity initiative.
00:24:26Oh, and by the way, there would be no grading on anything, not homework, not attendance,
00:24:33midterms, anything like that. You just wouldn't be given grades at all.
00:24:36The only thing that would actually matter for grades is a final exam. But even that,
00:24:43you would get to keep retaking it until you got the grade that you wanted.
00:24:49So last week, I raised some concerns about this new initiative. And just for some context,
00:24:57you have to be in class. If you are not going to be in class, it should be understood that San Francisco has had
00:25:01among the very worst student achievement gaps in the state and anywhere across the country.
00:25:08During COVID, they were just about the last place in the country to reopen their schools.
00:25:15You had students attending class every day, no problem, throughout the country, even in other parts of
00:25:21of California, and yet this corrupt school district refused to open its schools.
00:25:29Instead, what it spent its time on was creating a commission to rename schools.
00:25:36And they came up with such interesting recommendations as removing the name of Abraham Lincoln from
00:25:43an elementary school.
00:25:45Lincoln was not woke enough for this commission.
00:25:49They even went so far as to suggest removing the name of Dianne Feinstein from a school.
00:25:57All the while, these schools were closed and students were continuing to fall behind.
00:26:04So sadly, it didn't surprise me to see San Francisco come out with this absolutely preposterous
00:26:12grading for equity initiative.
00:26:16The good news is that after we focused attention on this and folks spoke out against it, the
00:26:23district has now reversed course and has said we are not going to implement this in the coming
00:26:29school year as planned.
00:26:31That's good news for all Californians because the crazy ideas that often start in San Francisco
00:26:39then often spread throughout the rest of the state and can even spread to the rest of the
00:26:46country.
00:26:47So I am hopeful that this will be a wake-up call that the way to solve the problem of failing
00:26:58public schools is not simply to lower expectations and to arbitrarily raise grades and to make it
00:27:08change.
00:27:09And so failure just simply isn't within the grading system.
00:27:15It is rather to raise expectations and to follow the forms of accountability and flexibility
00:27:21and other education reforms that have elevated student achievement in much more forward-looking
00:27:26jurisdictions across the country.
00:27:37Mr. Speaker, yesterday in my home state of California, the state assembly passed one of the most despicable
00:27:47education bills that we've seen in a long time.
00:27:51Assembly Bill 84 is the latest all-out attack on charter school families and students in California.
00:28:03It is part of what has been a war against charters since Governor Gavin Newsom came into office.
00:28:12And indeed, we are seeing that reach a truly concerning level right now, even before this bill.
00:28:22Across California, we are seeing new legislation passed by the supermajority and signed by Newsom
00:28:30used to devastating effect to target high-performing charter schools and to shut them down or to
00:28:37stop new charters from starting up, forcing families to return to neighborhood schools that they had
00:28:46chosen not to attend and that in many cases are failing to teach students the basics.
00:28:54We have many examples now of high-performing charters in the state being non-renewed.
00:29:01This bill, AB 84, makes things even worse.
00:29:07It specifically targets independent study and home school-based charters, which are very important
00:29:14for many families throughout California, which are very important, for example, for students
00:29:19with special needs.
00:29:21It seeks to defund these schools and force them to shut down and take this option away from those
00:29:30families and force them to go back into a system that wasn't working for them.
00:29:37It seeks to further trap students in failing schools and to assure that California remains
00:29:45as having among the worst education outcomes in the country, especially for students in underserved
00:29:50communities.
00:29:52The bill is so bad, so disgraceful, that almost 20 Democrats just didn't even vote at all.
00:30:01They abstained.
00:30:02They knew it was terrible, but they didn't want to go against their party or against the
00:30:06governor or against special interests.
00:30:08So they simply abstained from the vote.
00:30:14This is a measure that absolutely cannot be allowed to pass.
00:30:17It still needs to go through the California State Senate, and I would encourage folks throughout
00:30:22the state to get in touch with your senator about it.
00:30:26But the fact that we have this continued assault on students and families and their schools,
00:30:36this continued attempt to continue educational inequities in our state, to continue our state
00:30:43and country's decline when it comes to education.
00:30:46This makes it all the more imperative that we do everything that we can here to provide
00:30:51choice to families and to advance educational excellence.
00:30:56While California is the worst of the worst when it comes to how our school system is run
00:31:02and the policies that this governor has imposed, across the country, we have seen continued
00:31:07decline when it comes to student achievement.
00:31:11Spending has continued to go up.
00:31:12Student achievement has continued to go down.
00:31:14We are falling behind other countries, and it is putting our country at significant risk
00:31:20for the future.
00:31:22Millions of kids in California and throughout the country are not getting the education that
00:31:27they deserve.
00:31:29And as chair of the K-12 subcommittee, I am committed to reversing these trends.
00:31:35And the good news is, a bill that I'm sponsoring, the Educational Choice for Children Act, the
00:31:41basic concept of that bill of enabling school choice for millions of kids across the country, is
00:31:48now included in the reconciliation bill, HR1.
00:31:54Which I believe is one of the most important facets of this bill.
00:31:58I am also strongly advocating for a similar measure, the High Quality Charter School Act,
00:32:05to be passed either as a standalone bill, but perhaps more relevantly as part of the same
00:32:12reconciliation bill, HR1.
00:32:15We believe this measure could triple the number of students attending high performing charter
00:32:22schools across the country.
00:32:24And it would be a great help to California families who are being attacked by their own
00:32:30state government.
00:32:31If we could ignite this school choice revolution across the country, what the data shows is
00:32:39that this will help not only those millions of families that choose to enroll in a public
00:32:44charter or a private school, but it will lift all boats.
00:32:48It will advance student achievement for kids all across the country.
00:32:54It will reverse this decline that we have continued to see in our education system.
00:32:59It will give families the opportunities that they deserve and are entitled to, and it will
00:33:04put our country on much stronger footing for generations to come.
00:33:18Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Tahoe Yacht Club as they celebrate their 100-year
00:33:25anniversary.
00:33:27In 1925, many San Francisco families discovered and became drawn to the beauty of Lake Tahoe.
00:33:33A small group of individuals formed the Tahoe Power Boat Club to organize seasonal boat regattas,
00:33:39which quickly became a highlight of the Tahoe Basin.
00:33:43In 1938, the organization officially became the Tahoe Yacht Club, the name it proudly holds
00:33:48today.
00:33:49Over the following decades, membership grew exponentially to around 600.
00:33:54The organization later established the Trans-Tahoe Race, Lake Tahoe's largest sailing event, which
00:33:58soon became internationally acclaimed and attracted people from across the world.
00:34:03This July will mark the 62nd annual Trans-Tahoe Regatta.
00:34:09The Tahoe Yacht Club has exhibited endurance and resilience over the past century, briefly closing
00:34:14during COVID-19, but overcoming the challenges during that time to reopen to a wave of new members.
00:34:20Today, the Tahoe Yacht Club boasts a membership of 450 individuals and maintains a year-round
00:34:26calendar of outdoor activities, environmental cleanup days, and strong community engagement.
00:34:31It is an honor to represent exemplary organizations like the Tahoe Yacht Club in Congress.
00:34:37The Tahoe Yacht Club contributes to the Tahoe Basin's status as an international destination,
00:34:42and its contributions have had a positive and lasting impact on the region.
00:34:46Therefore, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I am honored to recognize
00:34:51the Tahoe Yacht Club for their 100-year anniversary.
00:35:07Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of National Teacher Appreciation Week, I wish to take a moment to
00:35:12highlight a teacher from the Colfax Elementary School District, Dana McCoy, who has dedicated
00:35:17the past four years of her career to educating the young students of her community.
00:35:22Mrs. McCoy is an invaluable member of the Colfax Elementary team.
00:35:27She started as a paraeducator before going back to school to become a teacher.
00:35:31Now she has many different roles at Colfax Elementary, serving as their resource specialist program
00:35:36teacher, working on the multi-tiered system of support team, coordinating the Tier 2 check-in
00:35:41check-out program, and acting as the SST coordinator.
00:35:45Mrs. McCoy's efforts are critical to ensuring that students' individualized education plans,
00:35:50IEPs, are being met.
00:35:52And she's built an educational environment dedicated to helping all students reach their full potential.
00:35:57She also creates schedules for all of the school's paraprofessionals to ensure smooth support
00:36:02across the campus.
00:36:04Mrs. McCoy's efforts do not go unnoticed.
00:36:06She is an exceptional educator, and she continues to make a strong impact in the educational journey
00:36:12of her students.
00:36:13She is known by others for her hard work, determination, strong ability to collaborate with her colleagues
00:36:18and work in a team, and for the brightness and positivity that she brings to the school.
00:36:24It is a true honor to represent exemplary teachers like her in Congress, and I commend Mrs. McCoy
00:36:30for her exceptional dedication to education and to promoting student success and academic
00:36:35achievement.
00:36:36Therefore, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I am pleased to recognize
00:36:41Mrs. Dana McCoy for her significant contributions to Colfax Elementary School District and to the
00:36:47young students of the Colfax community.
00:36:59Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of National Teacher Appreciation Week, I wish to take a moment to
00:37:05recognize a teacher from the Western Placer Unified School District, Mr. Chris Wardlaw, who has dedicated
00:37:1125 years of his career to educating the students of his community.
00:37:16Mr. Wardlaw became passionate about teaching when he had the opportunity to be a teaching
00:37:20assistant in graduate school, where he was studying to become a research biologist.
00:37:25In that capacity, university students knew him for going above and beyond by holding extra
00:37:30weekly office hours, meeting with study groups in the library before midterms, and helping
00:37:34however he could.
00:37:36His true passion for teaching that was ignited in that role has continued to this day.
00:37:41His current high school students know him similarly, as the teacher who is always willing to help
00:37:45no matter the time or place.
00:37:48He teaches during lunch, before school, after school, into the evening, and sometimes over
00:37:54the weekend before an upcoming important test, dedicating countless hours towards promoting
00:37:58the success of his students.
00:38:00He even extends himself at times to help students that aren't specifically in his class.
00:38:04He brings enthusiasm, positivity, and perseverance to the classroom, and uses these traits as tools
00:38:10to help inspire students to learn and apply math and science to their day-to-day lives.
00:38:15Additionally, Mr. Wardlaw created a summer bridge course after seeing a critical need among students
00:38:20transitioning from middle school to high school, with the goal of closing that achievement gap.
00:38:25The success of the program is evident, as nearly all students in his program are thriving
00:38:29in math for the first time.
00:38:32Mr. Wardlaw exemplifies what it means to be a dedicated, compassionate, selfless, and skilled
00:38:38educator.
00:38:39He is a source of support for not only his students, but also his colleagues and the school.
00:38:44Mr. Wardlaw is an exceptional educator, and he continues to make a profound impact on the
00:38:49educational journey of his students.
00:38:51It is a true honor to represent exemplary teachers like him in Congress, and I commend Mr. Wardlaw
00:38:58for his dedication to education and to promoting student success and academic achievement.
00:39:03Therefore, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I am pleased to recognize
00:39:08Mr. Chris Wardlaw for his significant contributions to Western Placid Unified School District and
00:39:14to the students of the Lincoln community.
00:39:27Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of National Teacher Appreciation Week, I wish to take a moment to
00:39:32highlight a teacher from the Folsom Cordova Unified School District, Dr. Jennifer Sandfort,
00:39:38who has dedicated 25 years of her career to educating the students of her community.
00:39:43During her career as a fifth-grade teacher in 2000, Dr. Sandfort later earned her doctorate
00:39:48with a focus on inclusive education for students with autism.
00:39:52Her research has shaped teaching practices both in her classroom and across the district.
00:39:58Dr. Sandfort has spent the last 10 years teaching at Empire Oaks Elementary in Folsom, where she's
00:40:03become known for her innovative, inclusive approach and deep commitment to student growth.
00:40:09In her teaching style, Dr. Sandfort emphasizes collaboration, relationships, and the transformative
00:40:15power of learning.
00:40:17Her tireless devotion to her role has made a meaningful impact in the lives and learning
00:40:22outcomes of her students.
00:40:24Not only does she empower her students academically, but she also plays a pivotal role in supporting
00:40:30her colleagues and fellow educators, reflecting her ongoing commitment to public service and
00:40:35civic responsibility.
00:40:37Dr. Sandfort exemplifies the highest standards of educational excellence and leadership,
00:40:43which led her to be recognized recently by the Folsom Cordova Unified School District as
00:40:48the 2024-25 Teacher of the Year.
00:40:52I am proud to represent outstanding educators like Dr. Sandfort in Congress, and I commend
00:40:59her for her more than two decades of dedication to education and to promoting student success
00:41:05and academic achievement.
00:41:06Therefore, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I am pleased to recognize
00:41:12Dr. Jennifer Sandfort for her significant contributions to the Folsom Cordova School District and to the
00:41:19students of the Folsom community.
00:41:37Mr. Speaker, in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, I wish to take a moment to highlight
00:41:43a teacher from the Eastern Sierra Unified School District.
00:41:47Ms. Sarah Grimke Taylor, who has dedicated 29 years of her career to educating the students
00:41:52of our community.
00:41:53Ms. Taylor graduated from Amherst College in 1991, earned her teaching credential from
00:41:57UC Berkeley, and earned her master's degree in English from UC Irvine.
00:42:01In 1994, she began teaching English, and in the last 15 years has taught both English
00:42:06and Drama at Lee Vining High School.
00:42:08Due to the high standards of her performance, she has received a number of awards, recognizing
00:42:13her exceptional teaching abilities, including the Outstanding Teachers of America Award from
00:42:18the Carlston Family Foundation, the Olmsted Prize for Excellence in Secondary School Teaching
00:42:22from Williams College, and most recently, the Teacher of the Year Award from Bono County.
00:42:28Ms. Taylor is known for her empathy and attentiveness to the differing needs of her students, as well
00:42:33as for the high expectations she sets, and the corresponding support she provides to empower
00:42:38her students to reach their full potential.
00:42:41She is regarded as a bedrock of the school, and is one that students can turn to for college
00:42:45and career advice, academic assistance, or just to be a listening ear.
00:42:49Not only is she an invaluable role model to her students, but she also is a leader among
00:42:54her colleagues, and was instrumental in creating a program that mentors early career teachers, helping
00:42:59them hone their craft and build a positive learning environment in their classrooms.
00:43:04I am proud to represent educators like Ms. Taylor in Congress, and I commend her for her exceptional
00:43:10dedication to education and to promoting student success.
00:43:14Therefore, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I am pleased to recognize
00:43:20Ms. Sarah Grimke-Taylor for her significant contributions to the Eastern Sierra Unified School
00:43:25District and to the students of the Eastern Sierra community.
00:43:29Mr. Speaker, as part of the California Congressional District 3 Police Honor Roll, and in honor of
00:43:50National Police Week 2025, I wish to recognize Deputy Jeff Villodue of the Placer County Sheriff's
00:43:58Office for his unwavering commitment to serving and protecting the Placer County community.
00:44:04Deputy Billodue serves as the Loomis Traffic Deputy and is known for going above and beyond
00:44:09the normal call of duty to serve his community.
00:44:12He reads books to his children at the local library, partners with schools to improve traffic
00:44:19flow and safety, provides educational presentations about accident investigations, gives public safety
00:44:24safety presentations to the town, and so much more.
00:44:27Through local partnerships, he has assisted in contributing numerous bicycles and helmets
00:44:32to underprivileged children in order to assure they have safe and reliable transportation options.
00:44:38His passion and commitment to mentorship, education, outreach, and public safety make such a positive
00:44:44impact in our community.
00:44:46As such, he has received several honors, including the Roseville Elks Lodge Officer of the Year Award,
00:44:51and soon to be induction into the United States Police and Fire Olympics Hall of Fame.
00:44:57It is an honor to represent such exemplary law enforcement officers in Congress.
00:45:03On behalf of California's 3rd Congressional District and the United States House of Representatives,
00:45:09I would like to thank and honor Deputy Jeff Billodue for serving and protecting the region
00:45:14as a dedicated public servant.
00:45:25Mr. Speaker, as part of the California Congressional District 3 Police Honor Roll, and in honor of
00:45:31National Police Week, I wish to recognize Deputy Chad Blair of the Sacramento County Sheriff's
00:45:36Office for his unwavering commitment to serving and protecting the communities of Sacramento County,
00:45:42California.
00:45:44Deputy Blair began his career in 2019, working in the Investigation Service Unit, where he
00:45:48collaborated with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to gather intelligence
00:45:53from inmates, analyze trends in violence and narcotics distribution, and monitor gang activity.
00:45:59Deputy Blair enhanced his training by becoming a jail training officer and the team leader
00:46:04for the custody emergency response team.
00:46:06Subsequent to his service and corrections, he was assigned to patrol, where he utilizes technologies
00:46:11and community engagement to help prevent crime and build bridges between the community and
00:46:16law enforcement.
00:46:18Because of his dedication to community engagement, he was selected for the problem-oriented policing
00:46:23team.
00:46:24And in addition to his regular duties, Deputy Blair is also a member of the Sheriff's Critical
00:46:28Incident Negotiations Team, in which he assists with hostage and barricade situations through
00:46:33the use of negotiation and crisis management skills.
00:46:37Within these roles, Deputy Blair has continually demonstrated professionalism and commitment
00:46:41to service and community.
00:46:44Deputy Blair is known by others for his expertise and highly trained skill set, as well as for
00:46:50his dedication to enhancing trust between law enforcement and community members to prevent
00:46:54crime and promote public safety.
00:46:57He stands out as a daily example of excellence in law enforcement and is a model to those
00:47:02around him.
00:47:03It is an honor to represent exemplary individuals like Deputy Chad Blair.
00:47:08And on behalf of California's 3rd Congressional District and the United States House of Representatives,
00:47:13I'd like to thank and honor Deputy Blair for serving and protecting the region as a dedicated
00:47:19public servant.
00:47:34Mr. Speaker, as part of the California Congressional District 3 Police Honor Roll, and in honor
00:47:39of National Police Week 2025, I wish to recognize Lieutenant Jason Doolittle for his unwavering
00:47:45commitment to serving and protecting Placer County.
00:47:49Lieutenant Doolittle joined the Placer County Sheriff's Office in 2002, after he graduated
00:47:54from the police academy.
00:47:55He started his career in law enforcement as a reserve deputy and later, an extra help deputy,
00:48:00which allowed him to obtain experience in both patrol and corrections.
00:48:03In 2003, Lieutenant Doolittle was brought on as a full-time deputy sheriff and worked in
00:48:10the jail.
00:48:11In 2005, Lieutenant Doolittle was transferred to patrol.
00:48:14He was responsible for the I-80 corridor, all the way from Bell Road in Auburn to Donner
00:48:18Summit.
00:48:19During this time, Lieutenant Doolittle developed strong self-reliance and proficiency.
00:48:24And his work did not go unnoticed.
00:48:26He received the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Award in both 2006 and 2008 for the most DUI
00:48:32arrests in the department and was awarded the Sheriff's pin by then under Sheriff Darcy.
00:48:37While on patrol, Lieutenant Doolittle became a field training officer, which gave him the
00:48:42responsibility of training new deputies in law, policy, tactics, and procedures.
00:48:46In 2009, he joined the Special Enforcement Team, which is the equivalent of a SWAT team,
00:48:51and was selected as the element leader for the Chemical Agents Unit.
00:48:56That year, Lieutenant Doolittle was also assigned as a detective to the Investigations Unit.
00:49:00He handled cases involving burglary, theft, fraud, stalking, homicides, sexual assaults,
00:49:05and assaults with deadly weapons.
00:49:08Lieutenant Doolittle was very affected, with nearly all of his cases resulting in guilty
00:49:12pleas from the defendants, and he was recognized by the District Attorney's Office for the
00:49:17thoroughness of his work.
00:49:18In 2012, he received a promotion to sergeant.
00:49:22He went on to take roles such as a team leader for the Critical Incident Response Team at the
00:49:26jail, developing a supervisor training manual for the division, and working in patrol.
00:49:31He has overseen teams of deputies and supervised numerous high-risk and tactical incidents.
00:49:36In 2024, Lieutenant Jason Doolittle was promoted once again, this time to Field Operations
00:49:41Lieutenant, and he currently serves as the commander of the South Placer substation located
00:49:47in the town of Loomis.
00:49:48He manages the Youth and Community Services Unit, which oversees public outreach and school
00:49:52resource officers, and works closely with local government and business leaders.
00:49:58Lieutenant Jason Doolittle's service does not stop there.
00:50:01He also serves as an adjunct instructor at Sierra College's Modular Police Academy, and teaches
00:50:06courses in firearms, weaponless defense, chemical agents, introduction to criminal law, evidence,
00:50:11and professional policing in the community.
00:50:13On top of this, he serves as a recruit training officer, a position that allows him to mentor
00:50:19and guide new recruits.
00:50:21Lieutenant Jason Doolittle's leadership, commitment to excellence, and ongoing involvement
00:50:25in our community sets him apart, and it is an honor to represent exemplary individuals
00:50:30like him in Congress.
00:50:32Therefore, on behalf of California's 3rd Congressional District and the United States House of Representatives,
00:50:38I would like to thank and honor Lieutenant Doolittle for his ongoing commitment to serving
00:50:43and protecting Placer County as a dedicated public servant.
00:50:59Mr. Speaker, as part of the California Congressional District 3 Police Honor Roll and in honor of
00:51:04National Police League 2025, I wish to recognize Sheriff Mike Fisher of the Sierra County Sheriff's Office
00:51:11for his unwavering commitment to serving and protecting the Sierra County community.
00:51:17Sheriff Fisher has served his community for 25 years, starting his career as a deputy with the Sierra County Sheriff's Office,
00:51:23then a detective, and finally, he was elected Sierra County Sheriff in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
00:51:29Sheriff Fisher exemplifies what it means to be a dedicated public servant, consistently prioritizing
00:51:35the needs of Sierra County and serving as a strong representative of his community.
00:51:40His passion for championing the rural and ranching communities of Sierra County sets him apart as a
00:51:45leader, and his steadfast commitment to safeguarding life, liberty, property, and Sierra County's
00:51:51community values is unparalleled.
00:51:54Sheriff Fisher is known for being a trusted leader and has earned the respect of those who have the
00:51:59privilege to know him.
00:52:00It is an honor to represent exemplary individuals like Sheriff Mike Fisher, and on behalf of California's
00:52:07Congressional District 3, 3rd Congressional District and the United States House of Representatives,
00:52:10I would like to thank and honor Sheriff Fisher for his nearly three decades of serving
00:52:15and protecting the region as a dedicated public servant.
00:52:27Mr. Speaker, as part of the California Congressional District 3 Police Honor Roll, and in honor of
00:52:36National Police Week 2025, I wish to recognize Detective Dan Heaton of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office
00:52:42for his unwavering commitment to serving and protecting the communities of Sacramento, California.
00:52:49Detective Heaton began his career with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office in 2014.
00:52:54He spent two years in corrections before moving on to become a patrol officer.
00:52:58He eventually became a field training officer, where he was responsible for training new deputies
00:53:03under his watch. He was then assigned to the problem-oriented policing team, and then was promoted
00:53:08to his current rank of detective, being assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
00:53:13Throughout Detective Heaton's career and decade of public service, he has achieved a wide diversity of
00:53:19accomplishments to improve the safety of our communities. One accomplishment of particular
00:53:24note occurred last year, in which he led and implemented a proactive investigation across nine
00:53:29counties, including close to 30 agencies that located and served warrants on more than 21 suspects
00:53:36who were preying on children. This was truly a heroic effort that spared many young lives from becoming victims.
00:53:43Detective Heaton is known by others for his strong leadership, innovative techniques,
00:53:47understanding of the law, and the high standards by which he holds himself and others. He makes
00:53:52himself available to assist other law enforcement officers and agencies, sharing the skills that
00:53:57he has worked so hard to develop. His passion and dedication to the protection of children
00:54:03is unparalleled, and his tireless efforts have made a meaningful impact in our communities.
00:54:08It is an honor to represent exemplary individuals like Detective Dan Heaton, and on behalf of
00:54:14California's 3rd Congressional District and the United States House of Representatives, I would like to
00:54:19thank and honor Detective Heaton for serving and protecting the region as a dedicated public servant.
00:54:36Mr. Speaker, in honor of National Police Week, I wish to recognize and honor Officer Brett Schneider of the
00:54:42Lincoln Police Department for his unwavering commitment to serving and protecting the Lincoln
00:54:47community. Officer Schneider was hired by the Lincoln Police Department in June of 2006.
00:54:53Over his last 19 years with the department, Officer Schneider has held various roles, including EMT,
00:54:58Field Training Officer, Corporal Active Shooter Response Instructor, Arson Investigator, UAV Coordinator,
00:55:04Accident Reconstructionist, Department Instructor, and he is currently assigned as a motorcycle
00:55:08officer with the traffic unit. Throughout Officer Schneider's nearly two decades of public service,
00:55:13he has achieved a wide diversity of accomplishments to improve the safety of our communities.
00:55:19One accomplishment of particular note arose in 2023, when Officer Schneider was assigned a full-time role to
00:55:26revive the traffic unit that was disbanded as a result of the financial crisis in the mid-2000s.
00:55:31Officer Schneider was given no funding and was directed to create a unit that provides the best
00:55:35possible traffic enforcement. Since the start of this formidable task, Officer Schneider has not only
00:55:40met but repeatedly exceeded expectations. Through his efforts within the traffic unit, he's been able
00:55:47to secure grant funding allowing the Lincoln Police Department to acquire essential vehicles and
00:55:52equipment that promote traffic safety, including traffic motorcycles, a DUI enforcement vehicle,
00:55:58multiple DUI checkpoints and patrols, specialized equipment for targeted traffic enforcement operations,
00:56:03and a truck to transport these resources. Additionally, Officer Schneider secured funding to purchase a
00:56:10preliminary drug screening device, which is utilized in DUI investigations involving drugs,
00:56:16making Lincoln the first city in the region to utilize this type of device. The funding he's acquired has
00:56:21enhanced accuracy and expanded capabilities within the department, leveraging innovative and new
00:56:28technologies. Not only has Officer Schneider secured equipment for the department, but he also has
00:56:33established the Traffic Safety Committee to actively engage with the community and to enhance traffic
00:56:38safety. Officer Schneider has harnessed GIS and drone technology to enable the department to recreate the
00:56:45scenes of accidents, allowing them to see accurate depictions of the chain of events. With his levels of
00:56:50experience and expertise in the field, Officer Schneider has become the department's subject matter expert on
00:56:56traffic matters, leading the city to new heights and addressing traffic concerns through the
00:57:00implementation of positive and advanced solutions. Officer Brett Schneider is known for his exceptional
00:57:06skill set, ambition, determination, and his tireless devotion to preventing crime and promoting safety in
00:57:12the city of Lincoln. His efforts have made a meaningful impact in the Lincoln community. It is an honor to
00:57:19to represent exemplary individuals, like Officer Brett Schneider in Congress, and on behalf of California's
00:57:263rd Congressional District and the United States House of Representatives, I would like to thank and honor
00:57:31Officer Schneider for his ongoing commitment to serving and protecting the region as a dedicated public servant.
00:57:37Mr. Speaker, as part of the California Congressional District 3 Police Honor Roll and in honor of National
00:57:54Police Week 2025, I wish to recognize Detective Sterling Wolfe of the Rockland Police Department for his
00:58:00unwavering commitment to serving and protecting the Rockland community. Detective Wolfe has served as a police
00:58:06officer for over a decade. He's held numerous specialized roles, including rapid containment team
00:58:12member, drone pilot, crime scene investigator, and now detective. Throughout every position, he has
00:58:18displayed and exemplified the highest levels of professionalism, leadership, and service. During
00:58:24Detective Wolfe's time in public service, he's achieved a wide diversity of accomplishments to improve
00:58:30the safety of our communities. Over the past year alone, he's authored more than 35 search warrants,
00:58:35performed numerous arrests, and successfully led complex investigations. One particular accomplishment
00:58:41of note was his use of advanced technology, complex search warrants, social media searches,
00:58:46and multiple agency coordination to identify key suspects to bring a high-value theft ring spanning
00:58:52across Northern California to justice. Detective Wolfe's commitment to his role and to public safety is
00:58:59evident by the various recognitions he's received. He was recognized by a deputy district attorney from Placer
00:59:04County and was also honored with a life-saving award, which he earned after extinguishing a vehicle fire
00:59:10and rendering life-saving aid to the pin driver while responding to a solo vehicle collision.
00:59:16Detective Wolfe embodies the spirit of teamwork by mentoring fellow officers and fostering collaboration
00:59:22and open communication across the department. He is proactive and dedicated, and he's become an invaluable
00:59:29resource for both his peers and the community. As such, he embodies the core values of the Rockland
00:59:35Police Department through his integrity, skill, and dedication. It is an honor to represent exemplary
00:59:43individuals like Detective Sterling Wolfe in Congress. And on behalf of California's 3rd Congressional
00:59:49District and the United States House of Representatives, I would like to thank and honor Detective Wolfe
00:59:54for serving and protecting the region as a dedicated public servant.