Robert Garcia
Representative for California · Democratic · United States
“Mr. Speaker, I am proud to co-lead this legislation with Representative Lisa McClain, and I rise, of course, in strong support of this bill. As has been said, we know that a penny costs taxpayers 3.7 cents to produce, so it makes zero sense to spend almost 4 cents creating only 1 cent. This bill is common sense.”
“As has been said, countries from all across the world--Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and others--have stopped using and producing low-value coins without any issues or problems for the population.”
“He has never been convicted of anything to do with gangs. Because an ICE agent, who was, by the way, a disgraced former police officer, made these claims, Andry is now in a foreign prison, and his family and his lawyers have not heard anything about him in weeks.”
“He gets interrogated through the process. His initial screening is positive, and then he essentially gets taken at the border from that screening directly to a prison in El Salvador, a country he knows nothing about, in a process that eliminated his right through the court and due process asylum system that we have created in this country…”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Takano for giving me this opportunity to speak about a topic that is really important right now in our country. Mr. Speaker, there is no issue right now that should concern Americans more than the elimination and destruction of due process, not just now for U.S.”
“We demand to know if he is healthy, if he is okay, and where he is, and that he be given the right to come back to the United States so that he can go through the process that we asked him to go through before we kidnapped him and sent him to a prison in El Salvador. We must do better in this country.”
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“As has been said, countries from all across the world--Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and others--have stopped using and producing low-value coins without any issues or problems for the population. This bill provides clarity by giving businesses the option, not the requirement, to round cash transactions to the nearest nickel when exact change isn't available. It also ensures that existing pennies, more than 114 billion of them, will also remain legal tender. Folks can keep those pennies if they have them at home. Now, the government should stop spending nearly 4 cents to make 1 cent coins. The Common Cents Act eliminates a wasteful, obsolete coin while protecting pennies as legal tender. Let's stop throwing good money after the bad and pass the Common Cents Act.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am proud to co-lead this legislation with Representative Lisa McClain, and I rise, of course, in strong support of this bill. As has been said, we know that a penny costs taxpayers 3.7 cents to produce, so it makes zero sense to spend almost 4 cents creating only 1 cent. This bill is common sense. It has bipartisan support, and it saves taxpayers money and reduces waste. In 2023 alone, the Mint lost approximately $180 million making pennies. The reality is that the penny now is just out of date. As the cost of living increases for many, with folks tapping technology [[Page H4438]] on their phones or cards to pay their bills, we should not be pouring millions and millions of taxpayer dollars into a coin that is now rarely used. This is not a partisan idea.”
“Absolutely. I think that it is a shame that someone fleeing persecution for who they are and then given an appointment by us, the United States, is then sent to a foreign prison.”
“We demand to know if he is healthy, if he is okay, and where he is, and that he be given the right to come back to the United States so that he can go through the process that we asked him to go through before we kidnapped him and sent him to a prison in El Salvador. We must do better in this country.”
“He has never been convicted of anything to do with gangs. Because an ICE agent, who was, by the way, a disgraced former police officer, made these claims, Andry is now in a foreign prison, and his family and his lawyers have not heard anything about him in weeks. I did go to El Salvador to advocate for the release of not just Kilmar, who has been mandated by the Supreme Court to come back, but also for Andry. We told Andry's story to the Ambassador in El Salvador. It was the first time he had heard his story. After the meeting, he made a request to the government in El Salvador to do a welfare check for the first time on Andry. We have yet to hear anything about how he is doing, his condition, if he is alive, or where he is. This is a disgrace by President Trump, Secretary Rubio, Secretary Noem, and everyone involved in this process.”
“He gets interrogated through the process. His initial screening is positive, and then he essentially gets taken at the border from that screening directly to a prison in El Salvador, a country he knows nothing about, in a process that eliminated his right through the court and due process asylum system that we have created in this country. What kind of America is this where we are doing this to people who are seeking asylum? We are sending them to a foreign prison. I note that Andry's family describes him as someone who is sweet, kind, and gentle, yet we are sending him to a notorious prison in a very vulnerable position. I also want to note that an agent said that he has some tattoos. Yes, he has a crown tattoo reflective of a festival back in his home city and state in Venezuela. It has nothing to do with gangs.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Takano for giving me this opportunity to speak about a topic that is really important right now in our country. Mr. Speaker, there is no issue right now that should concern Americans more than the elimination and destruction of due process, not just now for U.S. citizens but for people who are here whether it is a legal status or because they have been invited to this country to apply for asylum. I want to go ahead and speak a little bit more about Andry Romero, this young gentleman right here. He is a gay hairstylist and makeup artist who came to the United States with an asylum appointment. The United States Government gave Andry an appointment to show up to the border so that he could claim asylum using our process that we created. He shows up with his appointment. What happens?”
“[[Page H1425]] MAGAnomics is about more than just causing a recession. Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and House Republicans are trying to take away billions of dollars from Medicaid, which will threaten, as we know, care for millions of people. That means higher healthcare costs, with many losing coverage completely. MAGAnomics is slashing employees and programs from the Federal Government. It is about destroying the social safety net and the programs which we rely on, such as medical research, the Department of Education, air safety, and so much more. They are attacking the foundations of our economy and the foundations of our lives and our families. Republicans in Congress need to join us and say enough is enough. End the chaos. End the incompetence. Put American families first.”
“Costs will now increase on all kinds of goods for the American family and people across this country. Working families can't afford to pay more for basic needs, for necessities. No one voted to pay for more expensive groceries, homes, cars, and household goods. That is all Donald Trump has to offer. Supply chains and small businesses are also right now being thrown into chaos, and hardworking people are going to lose their jobs. Not only do we have this incredibly large tariff tax hike, but we also know that the stock market is in a free fall. Retirement accounts are being wiped out. We have lost trillions of dollars in the stock market in just a few weeks. MAGAnomics hurts working people and gives huge tax breaks and giveaways to billionaires, to Elon Musk and all of their billionaire friends.”
“She has been a partner, a friend, a supporter, and someone who has built an incredible academic reputation and partnerships across the country. As an educator myself, I have seen firsthand her dedication to student success and her efforts to strengthen the university's ties to the community. As she prepares for retirement, I know I join the entire Long Beach community in thanking her for years of service to Cal State, Long Beach, its students, and the community. DISASTROUS MAGANOMICS Mr. GARCIA of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call out Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and their disastrous MAGAnomics. Last week, Donald Trump and his Cabinet of billionaires recklessly imposed the largest tariff tax hike in American history. Now, look at the markets just today. They are crashing.”
“As the first woman to serve as president, she led Cal State, Long Beach through a period of incredible growth, including growing enrollment and fundraising over half a billion dollars for scholarships, academic programs, and campus improvements. Now, under her leadership, Cal State, Long Beach earned recognition as a high-research institution and received the Seal of Excelencia for its work with Latino students. Now, Cal State, Long Beach also receives more applications than almost any public university in the Cal State system and public universities, period, in the State of California. This is all thanks to her incredible leadership. President Conoley prioritized building strong connections between the campus and community and addressing student needs, from housing to food insecurity.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 62 (Monday, April 7, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 62 (Monday, April 7, 2025)] [House] [Pages H1424-H1425] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] {time} 1230 HONORING JANE CONOLEY (Mr. Garcia of California was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Mr. GARCIA of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor President Jane Close Conoley, of Cal State, Long Beach, for her exceptional leadership, friendship, and passion for her community. After nearly 50 years in higher education, she will retire at the end of this academic year, leaving a lasting impact on the Long Beach community.”