congressional_record: CREC-2025-06-06-pt1-PgH2522
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| CREC-2025-06-06-pt1-PgH2522 | 2025-06-06 | 119 | 1 | TEN RADICAL FAILED POLICIES OF GOVERNOR NEWSOM | HOUSE | HOUSE | ALLOTHER | H2522 | H2529 | [{"name": "Kevin Kiley", "role": "speaking"}] | [{"congress": "119", "type": "HR", "number": "1"}] | 171 Cong. Rec. H2522 | Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 97 (Friday, June 6, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 97 (Friday, June 6, 2025)] [House] [Pages H2522-H2529] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] TEN RADICAL FAILED POLICIES OF GOVERNOR NEWSOM (Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mr. Kiley of California was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader. Mr. KILEY of California. Mr. Speaker, this last week, a local newspaper published a letter to the editor claiming that by fighting against Governor Newsom's policies, I was not serving my constituents. I very strongly disagree with that statement. The fact is that we have a Governor whose policies have turned the greatest State in the country into the most popular State to leave. We have a Governor who believes that because he has a supermajority in the legislature, he can run roughshod over the rights of Californians and continue to cause the quality of life in our State to decline. Here in Congress, we have tools to fight back. I set out at the beginning of this year to use whatever tools are available to fight back against Governor Newsom's most harmful policies, and I believe that is precisely how I can best serve not only my constituents but all Californians and, indeed, all Americans because the Governor has himself said that his failed policies are ``a model for the Nation.'' I will go through the 10 areas, the 10 radical failed policies of Governor Newsom, which have prevailed in California that we set out to reverse, to fight to overturn or to, at least where we can, mitigate the harm. I will give a progress report on where we are with respect to each of those 10 items. Very quickly, the 10 are: Number one, crazy EV mandates; number two, free Medicaid for illegal immigrants; number three, out-of-control homelessness; number four, reckless crime policies; number five, the high-speed rail disaster; number six, the sanctuary State disgrace; number seven, failing public schools; number eight, manmade water shortages; number nine, catastrophic wildfires; and number 10, chaotic elections. The good news is we have made significant progress when it comes to each of those 10 items. When it comes to EV mandates, just about a week and a half ago, the Senate followed in the House's footsteps and passed my resolution to overturn Gavin Newsom's ban on gas-powered vehicles. Any day now, President Trump will sign my resolution into law and Gavin Newsom's unworkable gas car ban, where he wanted to dictate what millions of Californians drive, will be reversed and Californians will be able to drive the car of their choice. Not only that, we are reversing Newsom's EV mandate when it comes to trucks, and we have already seen the reversal of his mandates when it comes to trains, when it comes to buses, when [[Page H2523]] it comes to lawnmowers, and when it comes to leaf blowers. Number Two, on free Medi-Cal for illegal immigrants, a policy that no other State in the country has, a policy that has literally driven our Medicaid system to the point of insolvency, I introduced the No Medicaid for Illegal Immigrants Act. We have been applying pressure in every way we can, and finally Gavin Newsom has bowed to that pressure. He has announced that he is sunsetting his own policy, ending it at the conclusion of this year. Of course, he still has not gone far enough because he wants to keep it going for those who have already enrolled, but this is a significant victory in forcing the Governor's hand. When it comes to homelessness, California has by far the worst homelessness in the country, where the population of homeless has skyrocketed during Newsom's tenure as Governor, where he spent $24 billion and a State audit determined that he lost track of the money as homelessness, again, continued to go up. What is worse is, we had this decision from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that said that local communities weren't able to do anything about homelessness. The decision said you are not allowed to regulate camping, you are not allowed to regulate homeless encampments in public spaces, even in front of schools or in parks. Well, last year, we had a significant victory before the U.S. Supreme Court, to overturn that lower court decision. Here is the thing: Newsom wanted to keep the Ninth Circuit decision in place, whereas I advocated in an amicus brief that we reverse that decision and we restore the power of local communities to regulate homelessness in a commonsense way. Because of that victory before the Supreme Court, you are now seeing, across California, order returning to our public spaces. Even far left, very heavily democratic jurisdictions like Fremont and San Francisco have acted on this new ability provided by the Supreme Court decision that I advocated for to clean up their streets, and we are starting to actually see the situation improve. Number Four, when it comes to crime, we had an enormous victory last November when it came to Prop 36, an initiative that I helped to lead and qualify for the ballot that has made crime illegal again in California by restoring some basic consequences for theft and open drug use and dealing fentanyl. Now, of course, Gavin Newsom and the supermajority in California fought against Prop 36 each and every step of the way. They even concocted corrupt schemes to take it off the ballot and deny Californians the opportunity to vote, but each and every one of their schemes failed. {time} 1140 Despite Governor Newsom leading the opposition to this initiative to make crime illegal again in California, it passed overwhelmingly. It passed with a higher percentage than any initiative on the ballot. It passed in each and every one of California's 58 counties, even Gavin Newsom's and Kamala Harris' San Francisco. As a result, you are seeing law enforcement throughout California that now has a new ability to restore order and arrest people who commit crimes. We are starting to see real improvements across the State that we have not seen in a very long time. Five, when it comes to high-speed rail, the biggest public infrastructure failure in United States history, which Gavin Newsom has continued to pour billions and billions of dollars into, at the beginning of this year, I introduced legislation to say that it shall receive no more Federal funding. I then joined Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy at Union Station in Los Angeles to announce an investigation, an audit, and a compliance review by the Federal Department of Transportation into California High-Speed Rail and the billions it has received in Federal funding. Just this week, we got the results of that audit, finding that California is woefully out of compliance and that there is no viable path forward for the project. I believe that with this Federal money now stopped, this is the beginning of the end of the high-speed rail disaster in California. Six, when it comes to the sanctuary State, we have taken a number of measures. I introduced a bill, the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act. I also introduced the Freedom to Cooperate Act to allow local authorities to cooperate with Federal immigration enforcement. We have also seen a number of executive orders making it very clear that sanctuary jurisdictions are unacceptable and are in defiance of Federal law. In California, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli has found a way to circumvent effectively the sanctuary State using the powers of Federal law enforcement, so we have come a long way toward ending the disgrace of the sanctuary State in California. When it comes to California's failing public schools, which are just about the worst in the entire country, we have the lowest literacy rate of any State in the country. We continue to see attacks on high- performing schools from Governor Newsom and his enablers in the legislature. We also have some good news on this front. I am chair of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, and we have been fighting to give Americans school choice. In this reconciliation bill, H.R. 1, there is a provision that would ignite a school choice revolution across America by providing tax credits that can then be used to allow students to attend a school of their choice. We believe this could enable meaningful school choice for 2 million students across the country. I am also continuing to advocate for the High-Quality Charter Schools Act, a bill I have introduced that would enable a similar measure of school choice for students in the public school system through charter schools, potentially tripling the number of students attending charter schools across America. Eight, when it comes to the absurdity of California's man-made water crisis, where, for example, when we had heavy storms in California that caused 20,000 cubic feet of water per second to be cascading out of Folsom Dam, we at the same time had a drought emergency still in effect because we don't have adequate water storage to capture the water when it comes. We don't have the ability to level out these cycles of wetness and dryness that are utterly predictable in California. On top of that, we have crazy policies that divert water to the ocean for the most absurd of reasons. The good news is that we are starting to see some of this diversion of water come to an end, and we have secured Federal funding for the most significant water project in California in decades, Sites Reservoir, which is now well on its way to substantially expanding water storage in California. We are also taking steps to raise the level of Shasta Dam to provide additional water storage there, as well. Nine, when it comes to the catastrophic wildfires, which have afflicted my district in searing and tragic ways and which the whole world saw on tragic display in Los Angeles at the beginning of this year, we know that California's failures to adequately manage its forests have precipitated many of these catastrophic fires in addition to several other policy failures. The good news is that we are restoring common sense when it comes to forest management. We just passed on a bipartisan basis a couple of months ago the Fix Our Forests Act, which will streamline the sort of environmental regulations that stop us from appropriately managing our forests. It passed the House with bipartisan support, and I expect to see it pass the United States Senate very soon. Finally, when it comes to California's election system, it is much more chaotic than any other State in the country. We take a month just to count votes, so the entire country is waiting for California to finish a process that takes everyone else a matter of hours or a few days. We have passed in the House of Representatives the SAVE Act, which advances a commonsense proposition that you should provide proof of citizenship in order to register to vote. A recent survey showed that 72 percent of California's Democrats, Republicans, and Independents support this commonsense policy. In addition, I have introduced the Election Results Accountability Act, saying that California has to count its votes in a timely manner. Finally, I believe that Californians will have a [[Page H2524]] chance in the next election to vote on a proposition to establish voter ID in California elections. On each of these fronts, we have made significant progress, and it is improving the quality of life for Californians. Once again, this is a concern for all Americans because by making California sane again, we will help to bring about and continue this golden age in this country and chart a future that truly lives up to the founding ideals of our country. California has always been at the leading edge of the American Dream. When California thrives, the rest of the country does, as well. Responding to California High-Speed Rail Authority Statement Mr. KILEY of California. Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment to respond to the statement put out by California's High-Speed Rail Authority in response to the audit from the Department of Transportation that came out yesterday. This audit began a few months ago. I joined Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy in Los Angeles to announce the investigation into California's 17-year-long failure to build anything despite receiving massive funding at the State and Federal levels. The audit specifically looked at what happened to the $4 billion in Federal funds that were provided through recent grants. The result of the audit showed that the State is woefully out of compliance, that it has built nothing, and that there is no viable path forward for the project; therefore, those grants can now be terminated. The High-Speed Rail Authority came out with this statement, which, frankly, defies belief. It said: ``The Authority strongly disagrees with the [Federal Rail Administration's] conclusions, which are misguided and do not reflect the substantial progress made to deliver high-speed rail in California.'' Mr. Speaker, I almost cannot believe those words: ``the substantial progress to deliver high-speed rail in California.'' What progress has been made, let alone substantial progress? There literally has not been any track laid in 17 years. There has not been one passenger in 17 years. There have been five CEOs of the rail authority, by the way, so the CEOs of the rail authority outnumber the passengers 5-0. Mr. Speaker, $17 billion has been spent already, and literally nothing has been built. By the way, the initial projection was that this thing was going to be done in 2020. That is what we were told when it was proposed in 2008, that by the year 2020, we will have a high-speed rail system, that you could hop on it in Los Angeles, and it will take you swiftly to San Francisco. Wouldn't that be nice? We are now in the year 2025, and nothing has been built. We are 5 years past the deadline for the whole thing to be done. Nothing has been built, and the rail authority has the audacity to claim that substantial progress has been made. By the way, we were also told that, by the year 2030, we would have 100 million riders per year. We now know for a fact that the number of riders per year by the year 2030 will be 100 million less than forecast. There will be zero riders still by the year 2030. We are told, no, no, substantial progress has been made. {time} 1150 Mr. Speaker, how do we know there will be no riders by the year 2030? The rail authority has said so itself. It has continued to scale back its initial leg of the system but has continued to push back the completion date for that initial segment. The initial segment of the system from Bakersfield to Merced would span 119 miles. For those who are not from California, these are not exactly population centers. They have set a deadline to complete that by 2033. They are now saying that even that deadline will not be met. Mr. Speaker, in 2033, we will not even have the initial segment of 119 miles from Bakersfield to Merced. By 2020, we were initially promised we would have the whole thing from L.A. to San Francisco. By 2030, we would have 100 million riders. The CEO of the rail authority came out recently and said he has a new and very ambitious plan that by the year 2045, 20 years from now, not only will we have this Bakersfield to Merced segment done but we will also have Gilroy to Palmdale. For those who don't know California geography, where are these places? Neither is especially close to San Francisco or Los Angeles. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt. Let's assume this actually happens. By 2045, we have Palmdale to Gilroy. There is no reason to believe that will be true since every single other deadline has been missed and has been pushed back. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt. They work hard for 20 years. They continue to spend tens of billions of dollars. They build Palmdale to Gilroy by 2045. How exactly would we utilize this system if we wanted to go from L.A. to San Francisco? Here is what we would have to do. We would have to get on one rail system. It would take about 2 hours to get from L.A. to Palmdale. A passenger would then have to get off and hop onto the high-speed train. They probably have to wait for it. That would take about 2 hours to then get to Gilroy. At Gilroy, a person would get off and wait for another train, one that is not a high-speed one. That would take them from Gilroy into San Francisco. Overall, the trip at a minimum would take 6 hours and would span three different transit systems. It wouldn't be doable until 2045 at a minimum. Right now, today, for decades, a traveler could take a flight on Southwest or several other airlines from L.A. to San Francisco in about an hour. No, we are told that this vision, this new plan, amounts to substantial progress such that the results of the audit are--let's see, what were the words here?--misguided. They do not reflect the substantial progress that has been made. By the way, the Governor has hired a gentleman who specifically goes around on X attacking people like me who criticize anything that the Governor is for. Newsom is completely for spending billions and billions on the high-speed rail. In fact, he just doubled the amount that will be spent this year through the cap-and-trade fund. This gentleman responded to my criticism of the high-speed rail by saying that we are creating all these jobs. That is what this is about. I am all for creating jobs. In fact, it would be great if we had more jobs in California. As it is, under Governor Newsom, California has the highest unemployment rate in the country. A recent jobs report showed literally zero job growth in California. I would love to create more jobs. We could create jobs by hiring people to dig a hole and hire more people to come and fill the dirt back in, which isn't that far from what is actually happening with the high-speed rail. It is better to create jobs doing something that actually creates value, that improves the quality of life of Californians, and that stimulates economic activity. Then there are actually more jobs because those are jobs associated with the economic activity that results from having something useful when it comes to transportation. I do believe that this compliance review is the beginning of the end for high-speed rail in California. I am now calling on the House to pass my bill which provides that not only will Federal funds continue to be unavailable during this administration but that the project will be ineligible for any further Federal funding going forward. Once we eliminate the possibility of future Federal funding, the State will have no choice but to acknowledge reality and finally wind down this embarrassing and disastrous project. This is the worst public infrastructure failure in U.S. history. They will use those funds where they are truly needed, which is on our roads, on our other transportation infrastructure, or, frankly, on literally anything else. Grading for Equity Initiative Mr. KILEY of California. Mr. Speaker, last week, San Francisco announced a new grading for equity initiative. As the chair of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, this caught my eye. What they are proposing is truly beyond belief. This grading for equity initiative in San Francisco was in a sense a brilliant solution to San Francisco's problem of having so many failing schools. It would simply fiat that kids would not be failed. [[Page H2525]] Anyone who got an F would just magically be given a C. Even if a student got a B-minus all the way down to 81 percent, that would actually be considered an A under this grading for equity initiative. By the way, there would be no grading on anything--not homework, not attendance, not midterms, or anything like that. Grades wouldn't be given at all. The only thing that would actually matter for grades is a final exam. Even then, a student would get to keep retaking it until the student got the grade that he or she wanted. Last week, I raised some concerns about this new initiative. Just for some context, it should be understood that San Francisco has had among the very worst student achievement gaps in the State and anywhere across the country. During COVID, they were just about the last place in the country to reopen their schools. Students were attending class every day with no problem throughout the country and even in other parts of California. Yet, this corrupt school district refused to open its schools. Instead, what it spent its time on was creating a commission to rename schools. They came up with such interesting recommendations as removing the name of Abraham Lincoln from an elementary school. Lincoln was not woke enough for this commission. They even went so far as to suggest removing the name of Dianne Feinstein from a school. All the while, these schools were closed, and students were continuing to fall behind. Sadly, it didn't surprise me to see San Francisco come out with this absolutely preposterous grading for equity initiative. The good news is that after we focused attention on this and folks spoke out against it, the district has now reversed course and has said they are not going to implement this in the coming school year as planned. That is good news for all Californians because the crazy ideas that often start in San Francisco then often spread throughout the rest of the State and can even spread to the rest of the country. I am hopeful that this will be a wake-up call that the way to solve the problem of failing public schools is not simply to lower expectations, arbitrarily raise grades, and make it so that failure just simply isn't within the grading system. Rather, it is to raise expectations and follow the forms of accountability and flexibility and other education reforms that have elevated student achievement in much more forward-looking jurisdictions across the country. {time} 1200 California Students Trapped in Failing Schools Mr. KILEY of California. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, in my home State of California, the California State Assembly passed one of the most despicable education bills that we have seen in a long time. Assembly Bill 84 is the latest all-out attack on charter school families and students in California. It is part of what has been a war against charters since Governor Gavin Newsom came into office. Indeed, we are seeing that reach a truly concerning level right now, even before this bill. Across California, we are seeing new legislation passed by the supermajority and signed by Newsom used to devastating effect to target high-performing charter schools and to shut them down or to stop new charters from starting up, forcing families to return to neighborhood schools that they had chosen not to attend and that, in many cases, are failing to teach students the basics. We have many examples now of high-performing charters in the State being nonrenewed, but this bill, AB 84, makes things even worse. It specifically targets independent study and homeschool-based charters, which are very important for many families throughout California and which are very important, for example, for students with special needs. It seeks to defund these schools and force them to shut down, taking this option away from those families and forcing them to go back into a system that wasn't working for them. It seeks to further trap students in failing schools and ensure that California remains as having among the worst education outcomes in the country, especially for students in underserved communities. The bill is so bad and disgraceful that almost 20 Democrats just didn't even vote at all. They abstained. They knew it was terrible, but they didn't want to go against their party, the Governor, or special interests. They simply abstained from the vote. This is a measure that absolutely cannot be allowed to pass. It still needs to go through the California State Senate, but I would encourage folks throughout the State to get in touch with their Senator about it. The fact that we have this continued assault on students and families and their schools, this continued attempt to continue educational inequities in our State to continue our State and country's decline when it comes to education, this makes it all the more imperative that we do everything that we can here to provide choice to families and advance educational excellence. While California is the worst of the worst when it comes to how our school system is run and the policies that the Governor has imposed, across the country, we have seen continued decline when it comes to student achievement. Spending has continued to go up, and student achievement has continued to go down. We are falling behind other countries, and it is putting our country at significant risk for the future. Millions of kids in California and throughout the country are not getting the education that they deserve. As chair of the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee, I am committed to reversing these trends. The good news is that I am sponsoring the Educational Choice for Children Act. The basic concept of that bill is to enable school choice for millions of kids across the country. It is now included in the reconciliation bill, H.R. 1, which I believe is one of the most important facets of this bill. I am also strongly advocating for a similar measure, the High-Quality Charter School Act, to be passed either as a standalone bill or, perhaps more relevantly, as part of the same reconciliation bill, H.R. 1. We believe this measure could triple the number of students attending high-performing charter schools across the country, and it would be a great help to California families who are being attacked by their own State government. If we could ignite this school choice revolution across the country, then what the data shows is that this will help not only those millions of families that choose to enroll in a public charter or a private school, but it will lift all boats. It will advance student achievement for kids all across the country. It will reverse this decline that we have continued to see in our education system. It will give families the opportunities that they deserve and that they are entitled to. It will put our country on much stronger footing for generations to come. congratulating tahoe yacht club Mr. KILEY of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Tahoe Yacht Club as they celebrate their 100-year anniversary. In 1925, many San Francisco families discovered and became drawn to the beauty of Lake Tahoe. A small group of individuals formed the Tahoe Power Boat Club to organize seasonal boat regattas, which quickly became a highlight of the Tahoe Basin. In 1938, the organization officially became the Tahoe Yacht Club, the name it proudly holds today. Over the following decades, membership grew exponentially to around 600. The organization later established the Trans-Tahoe Race, the organization's largest sailing event, which soon became internationally acclaimed. It attracted people from across the world. This July will mark the 62nd annual Trans-Tahoe Regatta. The Tahoe Yacht Club has exhibited endurance and resilience over the past century, briefly closing over COVID-19 but overcoming the challenges of that time to reopen to a wave of new members. Today, the Tahoe Yacht Club boasts a membership of 450 individuals and maintains a year-round calendar of outdoor activities, environmental cleanup days, and strong community engagement. It is an honor to represent exemplary organizations like the Tahoe Yacht Club in Congress. The Tahoe Yacht [[Page H2526]] Club contributes to the Tahoe Basin's status as an international destination, and its contributions have had a positive and lasting impact on the region. Therefore, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I am honored to recognize the Tahoe Yacht Club for their 100-year anniversary. national teacher appreciation week: danna mccoy Mr. KILEY of California. Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of National Teacher Appreciation Week, I wish to take a moment to highlight a teacher from the Colfax Elementary School District, Danna McCoy, who has dedicated the past 4 years of her career to educating the young students of her community. Mrs. McCoy is an invaluable member of the Colfax Elementary team. She started as a paraeducator before going back to school to become a teacher. Now, she has many different roles at Colfax Elementary, serving as their resource specialist program teacher, working on the multitiered system of support team, coordinating the tier 2 check-in, check-out program, and acting as the SST coordinator. Mrs. McCoy's efforts are critical to ensuring that students' individualized education plans, IEPs, are being met, and she has built an educational environment dedicated to helping all students reach their full potential. She also creates schedules for all of her school's paraprofessionals to ensure smooth support across the campus. Mrs. McCoy's efforts do not go unnoticed. She is an exceptional educator, and she continues to make a strong impact in the educational journey of her students. She is known by others for her hard work, determination, strong ability to collaborate with other colleagues and work in a team, and for the brightness and positivity that she brings to the school. It is a true honor to represent exemplary teachers like her in Congress, and I commend Mrs. McCoy for her exceptional dedication to education and promoting student success and academic achievement. Therefore, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I am pleased to recognize Mrs. Danna McCoy for her significant contributions to the Colfax Elementary School District and the young students of the Colfax community. {time} 1210 Recognizing Chris Wardlaw Mr. KILEY of California. Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of National Teacher Appreciation Week, I wish to take a moment to recognize a teacher from the Western Placer Unified School District, Mr. Chris Wardlaw, who has dedicated 25 years of his career to educating the students of his community. Mr. Wardlaw became passionate about teaching when he had the opportunity to be a teaching assistant in graduate school when he was studying to become a research biologist. In that capacity, university students knew him for going above and beyond by holding extra weekly office hours, meeting with study groups in the library before midterms, and helping however he could. His true passion for teaching that was ignited in that role has continued to this day. His current high school students know him similarly as the teacher who is always willing to help, no matter the time or the place. He teaches during lunch, before school, after school, into the evening, and sometimes over the weekend before an upcoming important test, dedicating countless hours towards promoting the success of his students. He even extends himself at times to help students that aren't specifically in his class. He brings enthusiasm, positivity, and perseverance to the classroom and uses these traits as tools to help inspire students to learn and apply math and science to their day-to- day lives. Additionally, Mr. Wardlaw created a summer bridge course after seeing a critical need among students transitioning from middle school to high school, with a goal of closing that gap. The success of the program is evident as nearly all students in his program are thriving in math for the first time. Mr. Wardlaw exemplifies what it means to be a dedicated, compassionate, selfless, and skilled educator. He is a source of support for not only his students but also his colleagues in the school. Mr. Wardlaw is an exceptional educator, and he continues to make a profound impact on the educational journey of his students. It is a true honor to represent exemplary teachers like him in Congress, and I commend Mr. Wardlaw for his dedication to education and for promoting student success in academic achievement. Therefore, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I am pleased to recognize Mr. Chris Wardlaw for his significant contributions to Western Placer Unified School District and to the students of the Lincoln community. Recognizing Dr. Jennifer Sandfort Mr. KILEY of California. Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of National Teacher Appreciation Week, I wish to take a moment to highlight a teacher from the Folsom Cordova Unified School District, Dr. Jennifer Sandfort, who has dedicated 25 years of her career to educating the students in her community. Beginning her career as a fifth grade teacher in 2000, Dr. Sandfort later earned her doctorate with a focus on inclusive education for students with autism. Her research has shaped teaching practices both in her classroom and across the district. Dr. Sandfort has spent the last 10 years teaching at Empire Oaks Elementary in Folsom, where she has become known for her innovative, inclusive approach, and deep commitment to student growth. In her teaching style, Dr. Sandfort emphasizes collaboration, relationships, and the transformative power of learning. Her tireless devotion to her role has made a meaningful impact in the lives and learning outcomes of her students. Not only does she empower her students academically, but she also plays a pivotal role in supporting her colleagues and fellow educators, reflecting her ongoing commitment to public service and civic responsibility. Dr. Sandfort exemplifies the highest standards of educational excellence and leadership, which led her to be recognized recently by the Folsom Cordova Unified School District as the 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year. I am proud to represent outstanding educators like Dr. Sandfort in Congress, and I commend her for her more than two decades of dedication to education and to promoting student success and academic achievement. Therefore, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I am pleased to recognize Dr. Jennifer Sandfort for her significant contributions to the Folsom Cordova Unified School District and to the students of the Folsom community. Recognizing Sarah Grimke Taylor Mr. KILEY of California. Mr. Speaker, in honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week, I wish to take a moment to highlight a teacher from the Eastern Sierra Unified School District, Sarah Grimke Taylor, who has dedicated 29 years of her career to educating the students of her community. Ms. Taylor graduated from Amherst College in 1991, earned her teaching credential from UC Berkeley, and earned her master's degree in English from UC Irvine. In 1994, she began teaching English, and in the last 15 years has taught both English and Drama at Lee Vining High School. Due to the high standards of her performance, she has received a number of awards recognizing her exceptional teaching abilities, including the Outstanding Teachers of America Award from the Carlston Family Foundation, the Olmsted Prize for Excellence in Secondary School Teaching from Williams College, and most recently the Teacher of the Year Award from Mono County. Ms. Taylor is known for her empathy and attentiveness to the differing needs of her students, as well as for the high expectations she sets, and the corresponding support she provides to empower her students to reach their full potential. She is regarded as a bedrock of the school and is one that students can turn to for college and career advice, academic assistance, or just to be a listening ear. Not only is she an invaluable role model to her students, but she also is a leader among her colleagues and was instrumental in creating a program that mentors early career teachers, helping them hone their craft and build a positive learning environment in their classrooms. [[Page H2527]] I am proud to represent educators like Ms. Taylor in Congress, and I commend her for her exceptional dedication to education and to promoting student success. Therefore, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I am pleased to recognize Ms. Sarah Grimke Taylor for her significant contributions to the Eastern Sierra Unified School District and to the students of the Eastern Sierra community. Recognizing Deputy Jeff Bilodeau Mr. KILEY of California. Mr. Speaker, as part of the California Congressional District Three Police Honor Roll and in honor of National Police Week 2025, I wish to recognize Deputy Jeff Bilodeau of the Placer County Sheriff's Office for his unwavering commitment to serving and protecting the Placer County community. Deputy Bilodeau serves as the Loomis traffic deputy and is known for going above and beyond the normal call of duty to serve his community. He reads books to children at the local library, partners with schools to improve traffic flow and safety, provides educational presentations about accident investigations, gives public safety presentations to the town, and so much more. Through local partnerships, he has assisted in contributing numerous bicycles and helmets to underprivileged children in order to ensure that they have safe and reliable transportation options. His passion and commitment to mentorship, education, outreach, and public safety make such a positive impact in our community. As such, he has received several honors, including the Roseville Elks Lodge Officer of the Year Award, and the soon to be induction into the United States Police and Fire Olympics Hall of Fame. It is an honor to represent such exemplary law enforcement officers in Congress. On behalf of California's Third Congressional District and the United States House of Representatives, I would like to thank and honor Deputy Jeff Bilodeau for serving and protecting the region as a dedicated public servant. Recognizing Deputy Chad Blair Mr. KILEY of California. Mr. Speaker, as part of the California Congressional District Three Police Honor Roll and in honor of National Police Week, I wish to recognize Deputy Chad Blair of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office for his unwavering commitment to serving and protecting the community of Sacramento, California. Deputy Blair began his career in 2019, working in the Investigation Service Unit where he collaborated with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to gather intelligence from inmates, analyze trends in violence and narcotics distribution, and monitor gang activity. Deputy Blair enhanced his training by becoming a jail training officer and the team leader for the Custody Emergency Response Team. Subsequent to his service in corrections, he was assigned to patrol where he utilizes technologies and community engagement to help prevent crime and build bridges between the community and law enforcement. Because of his dedication to community engagement, he was selected for the Problem-Oriented Policing Team. In addition to his regular duties, Deputy Blair is also a member of the Sheriff's Critical Incident Negotiations Team in which he assists with hostage and barricade situations through the use of negotiation and crisis management skills. Within these roles, Deputy Blair has continually demonstrated professionalism and commitment to service and community. {time} 1220 Deputy Blair is known by others for his expertise and highly trained skill set, as well as for his dedication to enhancing trust between law enforcement and community members to prevent crime and promote public safety. He stands out as a daily example of excellence in law enforcement and is a model to those around him. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to represent exemplary individuals like Deputy Chad Blair. On behalf of California's Third Congressional District and the United States House of Representatives, I thank and honor Deputy Blair for serving and protecting the region as a dedicated public servant. Recognizing Lieutenant Jason Doolittle Mr. KILEY of California. Mr. Speaker, as part of the California Third Congressional District Police Honor Roll and in honor of National Police Week 2025, I recognize Lieutenant Jason Doolittle for his unwavering commitment to serving and protecting Placer County. Lieutenant Doolittle joined the Placer County Sheriff's Office in 2002 after he graduated from the police academy. He started his career in law enforcement as a reserve deputy and later as an extra help deputy, which allowed him to obtain experience in both patrol and corrections. In 2003, Lieutenant Doolittle was brought on as a full- time deputy sheriff and worked in the jail. In 2005, Lieutenant Doolittle was transferred to patrol. He was responsible for the I-80 corridor, all the way from Bell Road in Auburn to Donner Summit. During this time, Lieutenant Doolittle developed strong self-reliance and proficiency, and his work did not go unnoticed. He received the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Award in both 2006 and 2008 for the most DUI arrests in the department and was awarded the Sheriff's Pin by then-Undersheriff D'Arcy. While on patrol, Lieutenant Doolittle became a field training officer, which gave him the responsibility of training new deputies in law, policy, tactics, and procedures. In 2009, he joined the special enforcement team, which is the equivalent of a SWAT team, and was selected as the element leader for the chemical agents unit. That year, Lieutenant Doolittle was also assigned as a detective to the investigations unit. He handled cases involving burglary, theft, fraud, stalking, homicides, sexual assaults, and assaults with deadly weapons. Lieutenant Doolittle was very effective, with nearly all of his cases resulting in guilty pleas from the defendants, and he was recognized by the district attorney's office for the thoroughness of his work. In 2012, he received a promotion to sergeant. He went on to take such roles as a team leader for the critical incident response team at the jail, developing a supervisory training manual for the division, and working in patrol. He has overseen teams of deputies and supervised numerous high-risk and tactical incidents. In 2024, Lieutenant Jason Doolittle was promoted once again, this time to field operations lieutenant. He currently serves as the commander of the south Placer substation located in the town of Loomis. He manages the youth and community services unit, which oversees public outreach and school resource officers, and works closely with local government and business leaders. Lieutenant Jason Doolittle's service does not stop there. He also serves as an adjunct instructor at Sierra College's modular police academy and teaches courses in firearms, weaponless defense, chemical agents, introduction to criminal law, evidence, and professional policing in the community. On top of this, he serves as a recruit training officer, a position that allows him to mentor and guide new recruits. Lieutenant Jason Doolittle's leadership, commitment to excellence, and ongoing involvement in our community sets him apart, and it is an honor to represent exemplary individuals like him in Congress. Therefore, on behalf of California's Third Congressional District and the United States House of Representatives, I thank and honor Lieutenant Doolittle for his ongoing commitment to serving and protecting Placer County as a dedicated public servant. Recognizing Sheriff Mike Fisher Mr. KILEY of California. Mr. Speaker, as part of the California Third Congressional District Police Honor Roll and in honor of National Police Week 2025, I recognize Sheriff Mike Fisher of the Sierra County Sheriff's Office for his unwavering commitment to serving and protecting the Sierra County community. Sheriff Fisher has served his community for 25 years, starting his career as a deputy with the Sierra County Sheriff's Office, then a detective. Finally, he was elected as Sierra County sheriff in 2018 and reelected in 2022. Sheriff Fisher exemplifies what it means to be a dedicated public servant, consistently prioritizing the needs of Sierra County and serving as a strong representative of his community. His passion for championing the rural and ranching communities of Sierra County sets him apart as a leader, [[Page H2528]] and his steadfast commitment to safeguarding life, liberty, property, and Sierra County's community values is unparalleled. Sheriff Fisher is known for being a trusted leader and has earned the respect of those who have the privilege to know him. It is an honor to represent exemplary individuals like Sheriff Mike Fisher. On behalf of California's Third Congressional District and the United States House of Representatives, I thank and honor Sheriff Fisher for his nearly three decades of serving and protecting the region as a dedicated public servant. Recognizing Detective Dan Heaton Mr. KILEY of California. Mr. Speaker, as part of the California Third Congressional District Police Honor Roll and in honor of National Police Week 2025, I recognize Detective Dan Heaton of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office for his unwavering commitment to serving and protecting the communities of Sacramento, California. Detective Heaton began his career with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office in 2014. He spent 2 years in corrections before moving on to become a patrol officer. He eventually became a field training officer, where he was responsible for training new deputies under his watch. He was then assigned to the problem-oriented policing team, and then was promoted to his current rank of detective, being assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Throughout Detective Heaton's career and decade of public service, he has achieved a wide diversity of accomplishments to improve the safety of our communities. One accomplishment of particular note occurred last year, in which he led and implemented a proactive investigation across nine counties, including close to 30 agencies, that located and served warrants on more than 21 suspects who were preying on children. This was truly a heroic effort that spared many young lives from becoming victims. Detective Heaton is known by others for his strong leadership, innovative techniques, understanding of the law, and the high standards by which he holds himself and others. He makes himself available to assist other law enforcement officers and agencies, sharing the skills that he has worked so hard to develop. His passion and dedication to the protection of children is unparalleled, and his tireless efforts have made a meaningful impact in our communities. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to represent exemplary individuals like Detective Dan Heaton. On behalf of California's Third Congressional District and the United States House of Representatives, I thank and honor Detective Heaton for serving and protecting the region as a dedicated public servant. Recognizing Police Officer Brett Schneider Mr. KILEY of California. Mr. Speaker, in honor of National Police Week, I recognize and honor Officer Brett Schneider of the Lincoln Police Department for his unwavering commitment to serving and protecting the Lincoln community. Officer Schneider was hired by the Lincoln Police Department in June 2006. Over his last 19 years with the department, Officer Schneider has held various roles, including EMT, field training officer, corporal, active-shooter response instructor, UAV coordinator, accident reconstructionist, department instructor, and he is currently assigned as a motorcycle officer with the traffic unit. Throughout Officer Schneider's nearly two decades of public service, he has achieved a wide diversity of accomplishments to improve the safety of our communities. One accomplishment of particular note arose in 2023, when Officer Schneider was assigned to a full-time role to supervise the traffic unit that was disbanded as a result of the financial crisis in the mid-2000s. Officer Schneider was given no funding and was directed to create a unit that provides the best possible traffic enforcement. Since the start of this formidable task, Officer Schneider has not only met but repeatedly exceeded expectations. Through his efforts within the traffic unit, he has been able to secure grant funding, allowing the Lincoln Police Department to acquire essential vehicles and equipment that promote traffic safety, including traffic motorcycles, a DUI enforcement vehicle, multiple DUI checkpoints and patrols, specialized equipment for targeted traffic enforcement operations, and a truck to transport these resources. Additionally, Officer Schneider secured funding to purchase a preliminary drug screening device, which is utilized in DUI investigations involving drugs, making Lincoln the first city in the region to utilize this type of device. The funding he has acquired has enhanced accuracy and expanded capabilities within the department, leveraging innovative and new technologies. Not only has Officer Schneider secured equipment for the department, but he also has established the traffic safety committee to actively engage with the community and to enhance traffic safety. Officer Schneider has harnessed GIS and drone technology to enable the department to recreate the scenes of accidents, allowing them to see accurate depictions of the chain of events. With his levels of experience and expertise in the field, Officer Schneider has become the department's subject matter expert on traffic matters, leading the city to new heights and addressing traffic concerns through the implementation of positive and advanced solutions. Officer Brett Schneider is known for his exceptional skill set, ambition, determination, and tireless devotion to preventing crime and promoting safety in the city of Lincoln. His efforts have made a meaningful impact on the Lincoln community. It is an honor to represent exemplary individuals like Officer Brett Schneider in Congress. On behalf of California's Third Congressional District and the United States House of Representatives, I thank and honor Officer Schneider for his ongoing commitment to serving and protecting the region as a dedicated public servant. {time} 1230 Recognizing Detective Sterling Wolfe Mr. KILEY of California. Madam Speaker, as part of the California Third Congressional District Police Honor Roll and in honor of National Police Week 2025, I wish to recognize Detective Sterling Wolfe of the Rocklin Police Department for his unwavering commitment to serving and protecting the Rocklin community. Detective Wolfe has served as a police officer for over a decade. He has held numerous specialized roles, including Rapid Containment Team member, drone pilot, crime scene investigator, and, now, detective. Throughout every position, he has displayed and exemplified the highest levels of professionalism, leadership, and service. During Detective Wolfe's time in public service, he has achieved a wide diversity of accomplishments to improve the safety of our communities. Over the past year alone, he has authored more than 35 search warrants, performed numerous arrests, and successfully led complex investigations. One particular accomplishment of note was his use of advanced technology, complex search warrants, social media searches, and multiple agency coordination to identify key suspects to bring a high- value theft ring spanning across northern California to justice. Detective Wolfe's commitment to his role and public safety is evident by the various recognitions he has received. He was recognized by a deputy district attorney from Placer County and was also honored with a lifesaving award earned after extinguishing a vehicle fire and rendering lifesaving aid to the pinned driver while responding to a solo vehicle collision. Detective Wolfe embodies the spirit of teamwork by mentoring fellow officers and fostering collaboration and open communication across the department. He is proactive and dedicated, and he has become an invaluable resource for both his peers and the community. As such, he embodies the core values of the Rocklin Police Department through his integrity, skill, and dedication. It is an honor to represent exemplary individuals like Detective Sterling Wolfe in Congress. On behalf of California's Third Congressional District and the United States House of Representatives, I [[Page H2529]] thank and honor Detective Wolfe for serving and protecting the region as a dedicated public servant. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. ____________________ |