Dismantling California's Citizens Redistricting Commission

Floor Speech

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Mr. KILEY of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, in 2010, California voters overwhelmingly voted to establish the Citizens Redistricting Commission. The voters said that they wanted to take the process of drawing district lines out of the hands of politicians. They said that voters should choose their politicians, that politicians shouldn't choose their voters.

That commission has drawn our district lines through the last two rounds of redistricting. Yet, the Governor of California has now announced a plan to abolish the Citizens Redistricting Commission and to seize its powers for himself. He initially proposed simply ignoring the commission, ignoring the constitution, and overriding his maps with those that he and the legislature drew. Yet, apparently, someone told him that that would get immediately struck down in court.

What they are now plotting is a special election where they will use confusing ballot language and other means of deception to try to convince voters--to fool voters--into dismantling the very independent commission that they recently established.

The point of this is that the Governor would like to reduce the representation of Republicans in Congress in our State to 3 Members out of 52, so that Republicans will hold 6 percent of the seats even though Republicans typically get over 40 percent of the vote in statewide elections. It could be the single most egregious act of corruption in the history of our State.

Mr. Speaker, you don't need to take my word for that. You can take the word of Common Cause, which is a group that typically, almost always, aligns with Democrats on elections and voting issues. Its executive director said: ``Point blank, it is a dangerous move.''

Or take the word of Patricia Sinay, a Democrat sitting on the Citizens Redistricting Commission, who said: ``The very purpose of the State's independent redistricting commission is to protect voters from partisan power grabs like this. If this were to succeed, it would set a dangerous precedent for suppressing voters across the Nation.''

Mr. Speaker, this is a moment for every Californian and every American of decency, regardless of party affiliation, to speak out against the abject corruption that our Governor is attempting.

Recognizing Tevis Cup Winners Heather and Jeremy Reynolds

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Mr. KILEY of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Heather and Jeremy Reynolds, the first- and second-place winners of the 69th Annual Tevis Cup, a grueling 100-mile endurance trail ride from Robie Park to Auburn, held on July 12 of this year.

This year's competition proved even more challenging than usual, with the heat and rocky road providing unforgiving conditions for all competitors.

Of the 105 entrants, only 43 were able to complete the ride to Auburn. However, the couple persevered through, crossing the finish line in 17 hours 45 minutes.

Over the span of more than 20 years of competitive riding, the two have accumulated countless awards, including eight Tevis Cups and five Haggin Cups. Despite their many accolades, the one challenge they had never conquered was crossing the finish line together. In this year's competition, they did, crossing the finish line with their hands joined together, marking an astounding new achievement that has been a goal of theirs for over two decades.

Together, Heather and Jeremy Reynolds embody perseverance, teamwork, and competitive excellence. Their achievement serves not just as personal fulfillment but also as an inspiration to their peers, fellow competitors, and our community at large.

It is an honor to represent remarkable individuals such as Heather and Jeremy in Congress. Therefore, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I proudly extend my heartfelt congratulations to Heather and Jeremy Reynolds for their exceptional athletic achievement at the 69th annual Tevis Cup and commend them for their unwavering dedication to the tradition and sport of equine endurance riding.

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