California High-Speed Rail Project

Floor Speech

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Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate California State officials, as tomorrow is the big day when the State's election results will be certified--tomorrow, December 13.

Of course, I say this in jest. There is absolutely no congratulations in order for finalizing election results 5 weeks after the election.

Because of California's glacial pace of counting votes, several races for Congress and the State legislature remain unresolved weeks following the November 5 election, not to mention countless local races--city council, school board, board of supervisors. Candidates had to wait in torturous suspense, unable to effectively begin a transition if they were on their way in or make plans for another job if they were on their way out.

Just to give you a sense of what folks who are waiting on election results had to go through, they would have to wait for these batches of votes to be unveiled maybe once a week, maybe twice a week, maybe three times a week, depending on the county, maybe hundreds of votes at a time.

Then you had to ask: What kinds of votes is it that are being counted right now? Is it the late absentee votes? Is it the voting center votes? Is it the drop box votes? Is it the provisional ballots? Is it conditional ballots? Is it cured ballots?

What do I mean by cured ballots? Well, you are familiar with precinct walking where you go out and knock on doors to try to convince people to vote for you. In California, that actually happens after the election, as well, because if signatures are deemed not to match the voter file, then there is an added amount of time to submit a new signature to cure your ballot. People actually go door to door saying that we need to get you to sign again to cure this ballot.

California also allows for votes that arrive at elections offices to be counted up to a week after the election. Folks who are on the ballot and their families and their supporters and everyone else are watching this process with tabs left open on their computer for different counties, having to wait to find out whether they have won or lost their race.

The implications go much further than those who are on the ballot because for a time, the entire balance of power here in Washington was left in doubt with control of the House of Representatives in doubt because of California's extremely slow vote counting.

Imagine if California were a swing State. The Presidential election could remain undecided for a month after election day. We could relive the 2000 recount experience every single election.

Adding to the absurdity, the California State Legislature actually began its new session, swearing in new Members on December 2. These are both in State law. We are going to swear in our new Members on December 2, but we are going to finish counting votes on December 13.

This farce has made California a national laughingstock. It is one thing to fail at basic governance tasks like building roads, storing water, or keeping the lights on. We should at least be able to expect our government to conduct the elementary arithmetic of tallying ballots on which democracy depends.

As this process dragged on over the last several weeks, you had elections experts and people on all parts of the political spectrum calling for reform in California.

For example, one left-leaning election analyst said this. He said: I always vote straight ticket Democrat, but I will actually vote for any Secretary of State candidate, red or blue, who promises to streamline the election process in California and facilitates getting our ballots counted and reported faster. I am so done, he said, adding that the tabulation process is a joke.

I am working with Congressman Jay Obernolte to set clear deadlines for counting votes. For example, 90 percent have to be counted within 3 days of the election. This will force State officials to make the necessary changes to meet those deadlines in a way that every other State, by the way, has already done. All 49 other States, red or blue, managed to count their votes much faster and more confidently than California.

This is a necessary change to restore trust in our election process, and I look forward to getting this legislation passed and signed into law in time for the 2026 election. Ending Federal Funding for California's High-Speed Rail Project

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Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, this week I announced legislation to end all Federal funding for California's high-speed rail project. This bill will make the project ineligible to receive any Federal funding going forward.

Simply put, it is time to stop throwing good money after bad. Currently, there remains a $100 billion funding shortfall for the train. This is in the estimation of the High-Speed Rail Authority's own officials.

There is no viable plan for making up this gap other than continuing to demand it from taxpayers. There is simply no way to justify further expense to State or Federal taxpayers when even The New York Times reports that the project isn't on track to be completed this century. Not on track to be completed this century.

The billions in Federal funding that have gone to the nonexistent train is all the worse, considering the condition of California's roads and other transportation infrastructure which rank among the very worst in the country. Once we have high-speed rail off the table, we will be able to focus on our real transportation needs when it comes to Federal funds.

We can also abandon the pretense that this is somehow a high-tech, inspirational, visionary enterprise. The reality is that even if the train were to magically spring into existence at this very moment, it would fail to impress.

As we speak, Waymo is providing thousands upon thousands of driverless rides every week in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Tesla has autopilot and self-driving software deployed on millions of vehicles.

When it comes to trains, China is working on one that they expect to be completed this decade that will go 1,000 kilometers per hour. That is three times longer than California's high-speed rail is supposed to go.

We need to stop pretending that the technology of 1990s is somehow futuristic, but we need to plan for the future that truly awaits us. In the meantime, we need to spend tax dollars on things that will actually benefit taxpayers, like drivable roads.

That is why I am introducing this legislation to end California's high-speed rail disaster once and for all. Honoring the Life and Years of Service of Colonel Joseph Peterburs

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Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I wish to honor and congratulate Colonel Joseph Peterburs, a decorated veteran in Placer County, on his 100th birthday. The great American Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin, wrote: ``Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by other men but is a right that belongs to us by the laws of God and nature.''

The life and actions of Colonel Peterburs not only illustrates the longing for freedom but the dedication of service and sacrifice required to maintain it.

Colonel Peterburs began his service to the defense of the United States as a pilot in World War II. During his deployment in Europe, he was tasked with escorting B-17 bombers and protecting them against enemy aircraft. During World War II, he flew an astounding 49 missions with 269 combat hours.

On April 10, 1945, Colonel Peterburs had to bail out of his aircraft at 300 feet during an air battle. He was burned and injured, then captured and placed in a Nazi prisoner of war camp. Overcoming unimaginable adversity, Colonel Peterburs escaped as the camp was being evacuated by the Germans. He and other escapees temporarily joined a Russian tank unit before being reunited with American Forces.

After World War II, he continued his service to the United States by contributing to the country's defense during the Cold War.

Throughout this period, Colonel Peterburs served in Korea, Vietnam, and Europe. Highly decorated, Colonel Peterburs was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the POW Medal, the Purple Heart, and many other medals and decorations. He is highly respected by his family and members in the community for his courage, resilience, and selflessness.

It is a true honor to represent heroes like Colonel Peterburs in Congress. He is a living testament to the American spirit, patriotism, and embodies the sacrifices made by those who have served our country.

Therefore, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I am honored to celebrate Colonel Joe Peterburs not only for his centennial birthday but also for the life he has led in years of service to the United States of America and its citizens.

Honoring Outgoing Roseville City Councilmember Scott Alvord

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Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize outgoing Roseville City Councilmember Scott Alvord for his years of devoted service to the Roseville area community.

Councilmember Alvord has been a leader in the local business community for nearly four decades and has served the Roosevelt City Council for the last 8 years.

Councilmember Alvord earned his bachelor's degree in computer science at Pacific Union College and went on to earn a master's degree in business administration from California State University, Sacramento.

While an undergraduate, he founded Advanced Development Concepts, LLC, a business consulting company which is headquartered in Roseville.

Prior to his service on the Roseville City Council, Scott represented the local business community by serving as president of the Downtown Roseville Merchants for nearly a decade.

Councilmember Alvord's business expertise and devotion to service proved essential in his advocacy for the revitalization of downtown Roseville, as his leadership prompted integrating infrastructure into the area, allowing for economic and recreational growth and prosperity.

This experience, alongside his time as a city councilmember, helped Scott Alvord impart his knowledge to the next generation of business students as an adjunct business professor at Jessup University.

In his tenure as city councilmember, Scott Alvord was steadfast in his commitment to public safety. His efforts to support full staffing of both Roseville's Police and Fire Departments were accomplished in conjunction with his vital work in the development of Roseville Fire Station 8 and expanding the Roosevelt Police beat.

Additionally, Scott promoted regional recreation and well-being. He facilitated the introduction of 25 new parks, enabling greater health, recreation, and leisure for the community.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Councilmember Alvord established the Roosevelt Volunteer Force where he assembled and mobilized over 2,000 volunteers who selflessly heeded the call of hundreds of service requests from those in need.

It is because of the leadership and example of people like Scott Alvord that Roosevelt remains such a great place to live, work, raise a family, and retire.

Scott Alvord's commitment to service in Roosevelt leaves a well- established legacy as his influence provides enduring support to the region.

Therefore, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives, it is an honor and privilege to acknowledge Roseville City Councilmember Scott Alvord for his career in public service, and I join the people of Roseville in wishing Scott the very best in his next chapter. Recognizing Nevada County Supervisor Ed Scofield

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Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize the retiring Nevada County Supervisor for District 2, Ed Scofield, for his lifelong commitment to service to Nevada County.

Ed was born and raised in Grass Valley, graduating from Nevada Union High School and Sierra College, and has been devoted to serving the region for the past five decades.

In 1975, Ed began his career in public service in the city of Grass Valley when he was elected to the city council. In 1982, he began his tenure as CEO of Nevada County Fairgrounds, a position he held for 26 years. Ed's leadership was felt in the region as he helped the fairgrounds to become visible as one of the top ten outstanding rural fairs in the United States.

He served as president of the Western Fairs Association in 1996 and was later inducted into Western Fair's Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Nevada County Fair's Hall of Fame in 2009.

Ed served as a community leader in several other significant roles, building teamwork and promoting positive recreation of the youth in the region as president of the Grass Valley Little League, engaging with the business community as a former president of the Grass Valley/Nevada Chamber of Commerce, and putting service above self as a president and leader of the Rotary Club of Grass Valley South.

Ed was elected to the Nevada County Board of Supervisors in 2008, further exemplifying his dedication to public service.

Supervisor Scofield consistently exhibited thorough fiscal responsibility in his supervisorial duties of financial reporting and budget allocation for the entire county.

Ed was an advocate for the housing and business industry within the region and also focused on transportation by supporting improvements for the Highway 49 corridor and for his entire district.

Moreover, throughout Supervisor Scofield's tenure on the board, he served on the California State Association of Counties as Nevada County's representative, taking on a role of fiscal leadership by serving as the treasurer on its executive committee.

The lifelong commitment to service and leadership of inspirational individuals like Supervisor Ed Scofield ensures that Nevada County is an amazing place to live, to work, to raise a family, and to retire. The impressive legacy Ed built in his career will be felt for years and will continue to benefit Nevada County.

Therefore, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives, it is an honor to recognize Supervisor Ed Scofield for his life of service to the people of Nevada County, and it is a privilege to join the Grass Valley area in sending him my best wishes for a happy retirement. Congratulating Google Quantum AI

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Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I wish to congratulate Google Quantum AI on an astonishing accomplishment in the field of quantum computing. Its new Willow chip performed a computation that is truly mind-boggling, that is otherworldly, literally otherworldly, according to some. On the performance benchmark known as random circuit sampling, it performed a computation in under 5 minutes that would take one of today's fastest supercomputers 10 to-the-25th years. That is 10 septillion years. You can see the number here, 10, followed by 25 zeros, years. By the way, that is way longer than the age of the universe. That is how long it would take one of today's fastest supercomputers to perform the calculation that the Willow chip did in 5 minutes.

The chip was built in California in Santa Barbara as part of Google Quantum AI's goal of: Building a useful, large-scale quantum computer that can harness quantum mechanics--the operating system of nature--to benefit society by scientific discovery, developing helpful applications, and tackling some of society's greatest changes.

How do they do it?

The key breakthrough here was something known as exponential quantum error correction. One of the major challenges to making a viable quantum computer has been the issue of errors, which occur when the units of computation, known as qubits, exchange information with their environments and that contaminates the information that is actually needed for a computation.

The problem with building a quantum computer is that when you add more qubits, you get more errors and you lose the special quantum quality that can be so powerful if properly harnessed.

What is truly amazing about the Willow system is that the opposite has occurred. The more qubits that are used, the fewer errors there are. Indeed, as the grid of qubits scaled up in tests, there was actually an exponential decline in errors. This breakthrough has brought practical applications of quantum computing within sight.

It has been recognized for some time now that probably the two most world-changing technologies in development right now are AI and quantum computing, but they have sort of been proceeding at a different pace, at a different level of visibility.

AI is already transforming the world around us. We have hundreds of millions of people around the world using LLM, chatbots, and other systems. We have AI-powered driverless cars and countless other applications.

We have new releases from the leading labs every day. Indeed, Google released several new offerings just in the last few days when it comes to AI and Gemini, which is its LLM. ChatGPT, or OpenAI, is in the middle of a 12 days of Christmas, where they do a new release every day.

People can see the progress that is happening with AI before our eyes. Whereas the work in quantum computing has been done in labs in Santa Barbara, what they call the coldest place in the world because of the conditions they have to have there to try to make advances and to perform tests.

We haven't yet reached the stage of practical application, but that could be changing soon. Indeed, you could start to see where these two fields, quantum computing and AI, intersect in truly spectacular ways.

I was intrigued by the words of Hartmut Neven, who is the founder of Google Quantum AI and actually worked in AI before. He was asked why it is that he changed fields. He said this: My answer is that both will prove to be the most transformational technologies of our time, but advanced AI will significantly benefit from access to quantum computing, noting that quantum algorithms have fundamental scaling laws on their side and this allows for the modeling of systems where quantum effects are important.

Some of the applications that he cites are helping us to discover new medicines, designing more efficient batteries, and accelerating progress in fusion and new energy alternatives.

I think that this is important, for those of us who are here in Congress making policy, to be mindful of extraordinary developments like this because we need to be attending not just to the needs of the present but also thinking about the future.

Based on exciting developments like the one Google Quantum AI has just announced, there is every reason to expect that the future may look very different in many ways than it does right now. It behooves all of us to start thinking about how we start to prepare for it.

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