Greg Stanton

“I want us to remember Balbir Singh Sodhi. He was killed at his gas station right after the September 11 attacks because he was Sikh. We should honor him by choosing peace and welcoming everyone.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark 25 years since the tragic attacks of September 11 and to remember a life tragically taken in their aftermath in my own district. Twenty-five years ago today, Balbir Singh Sodhi was murdered at his Mesa gas station while planting flowers outside. He was the very first victim of a hate crime after 9/11. He was murdered because of the color of his skin and the turban he wore in keeping with his Sikh faith. It was a senseless act of hatred, but in the years since, Arizona’s Sikh community has transformed that tragedy into something greater: a call for peace, for understanding, for unity, and for forgiveness, a call for this country to live up to its founding values. Every year, we gather at the place where Balbir’s life was taken to honor his memory and to remind our community that hate has no place here. His brother, Rana, and his extended family have carried that message with remarkable grace. To honor Balbir, we must keep building a community and a country that welcomes everyone, that reaffirms that diversity, unity, and acceptance are at the heart of our founding values. My heart remains with his family and with Arizona’s Sikh community, who have shown us that love can and must prevail.”

“I want Congress to pass this bill. It promotes the head of the Indian Health Service to an Assistant Secretary role. The government has failed to provide good healthcare to Native communities, leading to lower life expectancies and worker shortages. This change will give Native healthcare a louder voice in the government and help clinics hire more staff.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bipartisan bill, H.R. 741, the Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Ohio (Mr. Joyce) for co- leading on this important effort. The Federal Government has a sacred trust obligation to provide healthcare to our Native communities. For far too long, we have fallen short of that obligation. Deep disparities exist between the health of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities and the broader American population. American Indians and Alaska Natives have lower life expectancies and some of the highest rates of poor health across racial groups. Access and quality of care are impacted by high vacancies at Indian Health Service facilities. When it comes to equality in healthcare, our Nation has a long way to go. Mr. Speaker, 20 years ago, the late Senator John McCain first tried to pass a similar measure to raise the Director of the IHS to an Assistant Secretary role within the Department of Health and Human Services. Senator McCain, who advanced this measure through the Senate time and time again, never saw it pass the House and signed into law. Today, this bill honors his legacy. This is a commonsense, bipartisan policy, and Congress should have gotten it done many years ago. H.R. 741 would finally get this across the finish line. It creates the position of Assistant Secretary for Indian Health at HHS, giving Native communities a voice at the highest levels of Department leadership. This matters. As an Assistant Secretary, the head of IHS would finally have the pay and hiring authorities needed to tackle chronic workforce shortages and disparities in access to care. It means faster hiring, better retention, and a direct line to the Secretary on every matter affecting Indian health. Congress must ensure our health systems better honor our trust obligations to Native communities. This is a meaningful step forward, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.”

“I am honoring Carl Kunasek, an Arizona public servant and veteran who died this week. He ran a pharmacy, helped create our state's health care program for low-income families, and led the state Senate with fairness.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Carl Kunasek, a devoted Arizonan who passed away this week at the age of 94. Carl, an Air Force veteran, came to Arizona in 1959. He opened a pharmacy in Mesa. When his families couldn’t afford medicine for a sick child, he let them sign the book, and he would have them pay him later. To the people who lived there, he was a hero. That same spirit carried him into public service. He served in the Arizona House, Arizona Senate, and on the Corporation Commission. He helped design AHCCCS, our State’s Medicaid program, finding a made-in- Arizona solution to make sure lower income families could get the care they needed. As Arizona Senate president, he presided over the difficult impeachment trial of a Governor of his own party. He did not want that duty, but he believed the Constitution left him no choice, and he did it with fairness. It cost him his seat, but he did it anyway. Carl Kunasek did not see party first. He saw people. We would do well to remember his example. My thoughts are with his wife, Karen, and his children, both of whom followed him into public service actions.”