Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation to authorize additional funding for the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act.

This crucial piece of legislation would simply increase the authorization of funding for the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, SJRRP, which supports one of the most productive agricultural regions in the United States while also creating a healthy, living river for Chinook salmon. Increasing the cap for the program will enable the Bureau of Reclamation, the State of California, and key partners to advance projects necessary to the continued success of the program. Our bill retains a provision in the original legislation from 2009 that authorized the SJRRP and set forth a one-for-one match from non-Federal sources for any Federal appropriated dollars. The bill would also increase the authorization of appropriations to help restore canal capacity for the Friant-Kern and Madera Canals to address subsidence.

A fully implemented SJRRP is crucial for managing the San Joaquin River system, restoring fish populations, and ensuring reliable water supplies for farmers. Without an increased funding cap, Federal support will likely fall short, threatening both water reliability and ecosystem restoration and undermining decades of collaboration and progress.

That is why our bill is supported by a broad range of agricultural water users, the State of California, and key local partner, because the SJRRP's success benefits both farmers and the environment. This type of collaboration demonstrates how we can manage our limited water resources to provide water supply reliability while also benefiting our ecosystems.

While we were able to pass this bill through the Senate by unanimous consent at the end of 2024, it did not pass the House of Representatives in time to be signed into law. I look forward to working with my colleagues in both Chambers to advance this commonsense, straightforward legislation on the floor as soon as possible. And I thank Senator Hoeven for his support for my legislation. ______

By Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Mr. McCormick, Mr. Gallego, Mrs. Britt, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Crapo, and Ms. Hirono):

S. 1415. A bill to amend section 3(b)(4) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 to exclude certain disability benefits from income for the purposes of determining eligibility for the supported housing program under section 8(o)(19), and for other purposes; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the bipartisan Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act, which I introduced today.

Let me begin by expressing my sincere appreciation for veterans and members of our Armed Forces who have answered the call of duty and sacrificed for our Nation. I firmly believe that those who serve our country with honor, courage, and distinction deserve our Nation's enduring gratitude. That is why I have always been committed to supporting all those who have fought for our Nation's freedom.

Currently, many disabled veterans are unable to access housing programs for veterans because of how income is defined. The more severe a disability is, the more disability benefits a veteran receives. Yet, because of the way total income has historically been determined, this means that veterans receiving the highest amount of disability benefits often cannot access the housing assistance they need.

Congress must ensure that every veteran has access to stable housing. While progress has been made in reducing veteran homelessness, there is still more that we must do. Addressing these challenges requires a coordinated effort between Federal, State, and local agencies and strong partnerships with nonprofit veteran service organizations and community leaders. We must do our part to remove redtape and make it easier for veterans to be housed.

I remain committed to supporting policies that expand and increase access to VA homelessness programs for veterans in need. I want to thank Senators Gallego, McCormick, and Britt for introducing this bipartisan bill with me, and I hope our colleagues will join us in supporting solutions that ensure no veteran is left without a safe place to call home. ______

By Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Mr. Booker, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Merkley, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Markey, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Schiff, and Mr. Whitehouse):

S. 1432. A bill to amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to permanently prohibit oil and gas exploration, development, and production on the outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the West Coast Ocean Protection Act of 2025. This crucial piece of legislation would amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1978 to permanently prohibit offshore drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington.

It has been over 50 years since a major oilspill occurred off the coast of Santa Barbara, which inspired the first Earth Day and the modern environmental movement that we see today. Despite this catastrophic incident, California has still a experienced subsequent oilspills, which is unacceptable since these environmental incidents are preventable. I hope my colleagues can join me in understanding that the tradeoff between oil production and environmental harm is simply not one we should be making any longer.

The oil spills in California have had drastic impacts, including oil seeping into environmentally sensitive wetlands, endangering birds and other wildlife, and forcing the closure of beaches that are the economic engines of entire communities.

We must end our reliance on dirty and dangerous fossil fuels and work towards a clean energy future, because even when oil isn't leaking from pipelines, it is fueling the crisis of global warming, poisoning local communities, and causing billions of dollars of harm each year.

Fossil fuels are endangering Californian families and fueling raging wildfires and extreme drought--as well as toxic oilspills. I want to recognize the late Senator Feinstein for spearheading this bill year after year during her time in Congress, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill to improve our coastal safety and protect our communities. ______

By Mr. THUNE (for himself and Ms. Cortez Masto):

S. 1443. A bill to limit the authority of States to tax certain income of employees for employment duties performed in other States; to the Committee on Finance.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the Housing for All Act of 2025, which I introduced today.

Our Nation's homelessness and affordable housing crises have reached a breaking point. As of January, 2024, over 771,480 individuals in the U.S.--disproportionately people of color--experienced homelessness. The rate of homelessness has increased by 18 percent since 2023.

The lack of adequate Federal investments in affordable housing and housing assistance programs are exacerbating these crises. There is currently a shortage of 7.1 million affordable and available rental homes in the U.S. According to a recent National Low Income Housing Coalition report, no State or county exists where a person working 40 hours a week and earning the State or local minimum wage can afford to rent a modest two-bedroom apartment. Furthermore, over 21 million renters nationwide spend more than 30 percent of their income on just housing costs alone.

The affordable housing and homelessness crises are not just a blue State issue or an urban problem; every State is impacted. From our metropolitan areas to our rural heartlands, our constituents everywhere feel the real impact of housing unaffordability. It is time for the Federal Government to step up, partner with our State and local governments alongside service providers on the ground and other stakeholders, and invest in solving these problems at a rate commensurate with the need.

I am proud to re-introduce this bill, which represents a comprehensive approach to tackling housing and homelessness. If enacted, it would invest in and align Federal resources to support people experiencing housing instability. To address the affordable housing and homelessness crises, we must invest in proven policies that support strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and ensure quality, affordable homes for all.

Specifically, this bill would address the affordable housing shortage by investing in the housing trust fund, the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program, Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities Program, and the HOME Program. It establishes a commission to focus on racial equity in housing and homelessness.

The bill would address homelessness by investing in Housing Choice Vouchers, Project-Based Rental Assistance, emergency solutions grants, and continuums of care. It also builds on locally developed and driven approaches by creating new grant programs to strengthen mobile crisis intervention teams; to support hotel and motel conversions to permanent supportive housing with services; to aid libraries in supporting persons experiencing homelessness; to provide people living in vehicles with a safe place to park overnight and facilitate a transition to stable housing; and to coordinate behavioral health care with homelessness services. And it commissions a report on the connection between evictions and emergency rental assistance during the pandemic, so we can make smarter policies moving forward.

When I have traveled around California--from Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire--to the Central Valley, San Diego, and San Francisco--to better understand the needs for housing in different communities, some key elements stood out. On the production side, there is a need for more dedicated funding for affordable housing from the Federal Government. There is also missing middle-income housing for families, especially people of color. And there is not enough housing near transit. That is why my bill focuses on supporting inclusive, transit-oriented development. When I talked to researchers about keeping families housed, one main point they made was that we don't have enough data on renters and evictions, and that is why the bill includes a section on data, so we can make evidence-based policies.

Right now, the cost to build low-income housing in California is very high in part because of land and material costs and the fragmented way funding is distributed in California. This is a common problem across the Nation--not just in California. That is why the bill includes a section to provide technical assistance for localities navigating Federal and State housing funding sources.

Affordable housing is essential infrastructure. Every person deserves dignity, security, and a space of their own. At a time when the current aministration is gutting and dismantling key Housing and Urban Development Department programs and reducing protections for the most vulnerable among us, this bill has never been more important. Congress must step up so that our Nation's housing and homelessness crises are dealt with in a comprehensive and holistic way to ensure that every person and family in America has a place to call home.

I want to thank Representatives Ted Lieu and Salud Carbajal for introducing this bill with me, and I hope our colleagues will join us in supporting this comprehensive solution to our nationwide affordable housing and homelessness crises.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source