On the recordJanuary 27, 2023
Mr. Speaker, I seek recognition to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in my congressional district in the community of Half Moon Bay on Monday of this week. Mr. Speaker, seven lives, seven precious lives, farmworkers in a community that is as all-American as can be, about 11,000 people. It is a bucolic community on the magnificent California coastline. It is known for its pumpkin festival. It is known for its Mavericks competition in terms of surfers, but also, for over a century, it has been known for its flora culture and its agriculture. It was on Monday that one individual went to a nursery--actually, where he worked. He knew exactly who he was pursuing. It was intentional. It was targeted. It was execution, and children witnessed this. Children witnessed it. He left that site, drove about a mile and a half to Highway 1, which is the scenic highway with the magnificent Pacific Ocean on one side and the community on the other, to another nursery and murdered three others. The first 3 weeks of this New Year: 39 mass shootings in the United States of America. We always come to the floor: Thoughts and prayers, thoughts and prayers. My thoughts are, I don't think we are safe anywhere anymore-- churches, schools, community centers, now at nurseries where agricultural workers work, dance rooms, restaurants. I believe sincerely, number one, in prayer.…





