Michael Burgess

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Chair, my amendment would place a funding limitation on the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to utilize the Title 42 hiring authority. The Title 42 hiring authority gives the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the ability to incentivize and expedite the recruitment of scientists and other experts working in the cutting edge of public health. Congress authorized this authority for HHS alone in the 1940s. However, in 2006, this authority was extended to the Environmental Protection Agency by an appropriations bill--it did not go through the authorization process. A 2015 report by the EPA's Office of Inspector General discovered that the EPA did not properly demonstrate a need to use the Title 42 hiring authority, nor did it provide clear and convincing justification for its continued use. As of 2015, the total annual salary for EPA Title 42 appointments is between $3.5 million and $6.75 million. This is just further evidence that the EPA's use of the Title 42 hiring authority must come to an end. The ability of the EPA to hire outside of the regular General Services scale must first go through regular order. I urge support for this amendment so that Congress has the time to fully review this problematic hiring authority before appropriating additional funding.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Chair, I call up amendment No. 1 to Division A of H.R. 3055.

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Chair, this amendment increases funding for the Keep Young Athletes Safe Act grant program by $2.5 million. The Keep Young Athletes Safe Act grant program provides funding for nonprofit, nongovernmental entities to safeguard amateur athletes in the Olympic program against emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. The United States Center for SafeSport was created in the wake of the Larry Nassar abuse scandal and is a qualifying grant recipient. Congress only authorized $2.5 million for fiscal years 2018 through 2022 for this grant. In comparison, the United States Anti-Doping Agency, set up to prevent doping in sport, receives $14 million annually. Last year, SafeSport said it needed at least $10 million to be able to serve the athletic community and adequately investigate allegations of abuse. While no abuse in sport should be tolerated, the protection of our children from sexual misconduct should be a top priority. This amendment doubles the amount appropriated for the Keep Young Athletes Safe Act grant program for a total of $5 million for fiscal year 2019, half of what is requested by the U.S. Center for SafeSport and $9 million below the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Many of our young athletes go on to represent the United States in world and Olympic competitions. They deserve to be safe. They deserve to be supported as they pursue their goals and dreams through sport. Madam Chair, this is a bipartisan amendment, and I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of protecting young athletes.

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks).

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this amendment. It is an important amendment and we need to get this done. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This amendment would reduce appropriations in the Energy and Water Development division by 5 percent. The programs in this division have wide bipartisan support. This includes Federal spending on water infrastructure, basic science research, storm and flood damage reduction activities, and more. These critical programs are necessary for the safety and health of our citizens and the continued growth of the economy. However, this legislation's top-line spending is out of sync with the Federal Government's ongoing fiscal predicament. Congress must balance these initiatives with fiscal realism. Our national debt is over $22 trillion and climbing, and the majority's legislation is only adding to this debt. Let's work to improve this legislation in a bipartisan, bicameral effort to ensure that we fund the programs that we need today but not have our children pay for them tomorrow. Madam Chair, I urge support of this amendment and a return to fiscal sanity, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Chair, it is actually a pretty easy equation. The Federal Government, under the budget caps agreement of 2011, is required to perform under budget caps. For whatever reason, we have chosen to ignore that difficult fact of life while these appropriations bills were written. Top-line numbers were--well, back in math class in the eighth grade, we used to talk about imaginary numbers and irregular numbers. These numbers are certainly imaginary and irregular because they are not based on reality. All I am asking for is that we make a good faith effort to save 5 cents out of every dollar that we spend in this appropriations bill. I don't think that is too much to ask. I don't think any one of us believes that every dollar that is spent by the Federal Government in the agencies is well spent and there are not savings to be had. That is all this amendment is asking for: a limitation, across-the- board cut, 5 percent. Let's get it passed. Then let's get back to the table and decide, really, what the priorities are. Because, you know what, Madam Chair, at some point, if we proceed down this path, the sequester is going to kick in, and it will not be pretty, and it will not be an easy path at that point. It will actually be dictated to us, not something where we have negotiation room. Madam Chair, I urge an ``aye'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Chair, I call up amendment No. 64 to division E of H.R. 2740.

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Chair, this amendment would strike section 108 of this bill that prohibits any funding used for border security infrastructure. Let me say that again because I can't believe it myself. This would strike section 108 of the bill that prohibits any funding being used for border security infrastructure. There is a very clear humanitarian and security crisis on our southern border. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are strained by the enormous number of border crossings each and every day. In the month of May, over 144,000 individuals crossed our border without permission. Over 96,000 are unaccompanied children or family units. But, instead of providing desperately needed aid to take care of these children and families, this bill only includes a provision to prohibit funding to secure our border. It is appalling that we have not considered supplemental funding to deal with this crisis. As long as the doors remain wide open, irregular migration will continue, and the American taxpayer will have to foot the bill to care for another country's children. We can no longer do nothing. I urge support of this amendment to allow security along our southern border, and I reserve the balance of my time

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Chair, may I ask as to the time remaining on my side.

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy).

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time. It is a pretty simple equation. A ``no'' vote on this amendment is, in fact, a vote for open borders. As Mr. Roy correctly pointed out, there are far too many stretches of our border in Texas with Mexico, where there is no barrier at all. Carrizo cane and mesquite trees will not stop people who have it in their hearts to come across. The operational control has been ceded to criminal gangs and cartels on the Mexican side of the border. This needs to stop. This amendment simply removes a cynical obstruction to the President being able to do his job when the Congress will not do our job. I urge an ``aye'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of the Texas Woman's University centennial celebration marking Texas' ratification of the 19th Amendment. On June 28, 1919, Texas became the ninth state in the nation to ratify the 19th Amendment, which granted women the constitutional right to vote. First introduced in the U.S. Congress in 1878, the 19th Amendment prohibits the restriction of voting rights based on gender. Texas was the first state in the south to ratify the amendment, which was adopted nationally in 1920. From its inception, Texas Woman's University (TWU) has sought to educate women from Texas and across the country. The university opened in Denton, Texas in 1902 as an all-girls school, and was primarily attended by young women from rural areas seeking vocational training. For more than a century, TWU has led significant advances in education, pioneering multiple academic programs for women entering the workforce. In 1994, TWU became fully co-educational, yet continues to focus on women's education. Historically, TWU has been long connected to the women's suffrage movement in Texas. Mary Eleanor Brackenridge served as an early regent for the College of Industrial Arts, now known as TWU. A pioneer for women's rights, Ms. Brackenridge helped form the Texas Women's Suffrage Association in 1913 and served as its president. Additionally, Eliza ``Birdie'' Johnson and Hellen Stoddard, both members of the Texas Women's Suffrage Association, were instrumental leaders in the women's suffrage movement who played significant roles in the founding and governing of TWU. In honor of this shared history, today TWU will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Texas' ratification of the 19th Amendment and the role TWU played in the women's suffrage movement. As we mark this milestone, I am grateful to the leaders of TWU--past and present--who have made indelible contributions to the North Texas community.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the contributions of G. Roland Vela, Ph.D. to the City of Denton and the academic community. Dr. Vela is a retired professor at the University of North Texas, where he served as one of the first Latino faculty members. At UNT, he authored 75 scientific papers and books regarding Texas History. This history-maker also blazed trails as the first Hispanic member of the Denton City Council and one of the country's first Mexican-American Microbiologists. In honor of Dr. Vela's distinguished achievements, the City of Denton dedicated the G. Roland Vela Athletic Complex on May 26, 2019. Dr. Vela was raised in San Antonio, Texas. During World War II, he joined the Texas State Guard at age fifteen and convinced his parents to sign release papers that would allow him to enlist in the U.S. Navy at just seventeen. Though the war concluded before he was assigned to a ship, the young Texan dedicated the following year of his life to the Navy in peacetime. Following his honorable discharge from the Navy, Dr. Vela attended San Antonio Junior College. After transferring to the University of Texas at Austin, he took multiple jobs to support himself before graduating with a degree in bacteriology. In 1951, he received a scholarship for his master's degree in bacteriology, which he completed in just one year, followed by a doctorate in microbiology and biochemistry in 1963. Dr. Vela later began a 35-year tenure as a professor at the University of North Texas in Denton, where he taught undergraduate and graduate courses in microbiology. He was chosen to be part of the American Academy of Microbiology and was named the Associate Dean of Science and Technology in the College of Art and Sciences. During his tenure at UNT, Dr. Vela oversaw the research of numerous students and mentored 20 doctoral students before retiring in 2000. In addition to his many professional accomplishments, Dr. Vela is a public servant. He was the first Hispanic member elected to the Denton City Council, and has served on the Texas Municipal Power Agency Board of Directors as well as numerous boards and commissions. The G. Roland Vela Athletic Complex is a fitting tribute to this remarkable North Texan. I join Dr. Vela's family, friends, colleagues, and students in celebrating this well-deserved honor.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, even though I am not opposed to it.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chair, I am glad to be cosponsoring this amendment and partnering with Representative Danny K. Davis once again to continue this important work that we did in sending the Sickle Cell Disease and Other Heritable Blood Disorders Research Surveillance, Prevention, and Treatment Act of 2018 to the President's desk last December. In all the hubbub of the election cycle in the fall of 2018, it is easy to lose sight of some of the accomplishments, but this was a significant accomplishment of the last Congress. Mr. Chair, I made a commitment to Mr. Davis at the beginning of the last Congress that, as chairman of the Subcommittee on Health of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I would make the passage of his sickle cell reauthorization bill a priority. This was important. It had been years since this bill had been reauthorized. It first passed in 1972. The last reauthorization was part of a tax bill that was signed into law by George Bush in 2004. In the fall of 2018, after nearly 20 months of work, the House passed their product in February of 2017, and the Senate did. It is to be commended that the other body did act, and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina and Senator Corey Booker of New Jersey got a bill through the Senate and brought it back to the House, where it was passed and then sent down to the President of the United States for his signature. President Trump did indeed sign the first stand-alone sickle cell reauthorization in decades, and this was signed last December. Mr. Chair, when we had a hearing on sickle cell in the summer of 2016, one of the witnesses, a witness from the Sickle Cell Disease Advocates Alliance, came and spoke to our subcommittee and said it had been decades since the Food and Drug Administration had approved a new therapy for sickle cell, hydroxyurea, decades ago. Then in 2017, the Food and Drug Administration approved Endari, which was the first new therapy in years. Earlier this year, Dr. Francis Collins went on ``60 Minutes'' and said that we can now use the word ``cure'' because of a new gene editing treatment that relieves these patients of their crippling symptoms and enables them to lead regular lives. This is a spelling error of two bases, a transcription error of two bases in the part of the gene that encodes for the hemoglobin molecule. The National Institutes of Health is now talking about providing a therapy for that, that, in fact, we can talk about the word ``cure.'' So this amendment is a downpayment on that cure. Mr. Chair, I certainly thank Mr. Davis for his years of dedication to moving these projects forward. This amendment provides $2 million for the Public Health Approach to Blood Disorders Program for Sickle Cell Disease and support for the CDC sickle cell disease surveillance program. Years and years and years ago, I worked at Parkland Hospital. I took care of patients with sickle cell, kids that would come to the emergency room in crisis, a very, very painful condition. We didn't have much to offer back then: hydration with an IV, Thorazine so that they wouldn't climb the walls, and morphine to try to help their pain, but it really wasn't nearly enough. Every one of those painful crises was accompanied by destruction, destruction that went on within their bodies because of these sickle cells that were cramped up inside blood vessels and killed kidney cells, killed liver cells, killed bone marrow cells. These kids hurt worse than anything I have ever seen, and now we are talking about providing them the opportunity to lead a regular life. This is powerful stuff. That shows what this Congress can do when they put together their partisan differences. Mr. Chair, I really do want to thank Mr. Davis of Illinois for his efforts. I mean, he has pushed this issue by himself for years and years. Mr. Chair, I am proud to have been a small part of that when we got the bill across the floor of the House and into the office of the President of the United States. I am proud of President Trump for signing the first stand-alone sickle cell reauthorization in decades. Now I am proud to stand on the floor with Representative Davis and see if we can't get just a little additional funding to get this one pushed a little further down the line because of the unbelievable, unparalleled good we are going to do with this. Think of what the cost to this country was for doing nothing for 40 years on this illness. When people say this treatment is going to be expensive, yes, it will be expensive, but what is the cost of doing nothing? Mr. Chair, this is an important amendment. I urge an ``aye'' vote on Mr. Davis' amendment. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. As the majority leader gave his remarks a few moments ago, I was reminded that, in December of 2010, I was in this House of Representatives and, during a lameduck session, the House of Representatives had, at that time, a sizable Democratic majority. They had lost the majority in the 2010 election, so it was the waning hours of the Democratic majority, and they passed what was then known as Senator Durbin's DREAMer bill here in the House of Representatives. It went over to the Senate, and Democrats had a 59-41 majority in the United States Senate, and the Dreamer bill failed to achieve cloture, not because it was blocked by Republicans. Three Republicans voted with the then-majority Democrats to move the bill along. Senator Lugar, no longer with us, Senator Murkowski, who is still with us, and Senator Bennett from Utah, voted in favor of moving that bill along. Five Democrats voted against cloture, and that was the reason why, in the waning days of President Obama's first 2 years, as the Democratic majority was winding down its term, that that bill did not pass. But this bill before us today--and I felt so compelled to come and talk about this because we have a serious problem in the lower Rio Grande Valley sector on our Texas-Mexico border. There are parts of that border where there is not a single stick of barrier and, as a consequence, the number of people coming over--you have read the headlines, you have heard the statistics that have been talked about here today, 100,000 a month. I serve on the Committee on Energy and Commerce. We have the Office of Refugee Resettlement under our jurisdiction in the Health Subcommittee. The men and women there do a tremendous job. They do everything we ask. I visited one of their facilities last week, Casa Padre, down in Brownsville, Texas; 1,380 children under their care. That number has stayed fairly constant since my previous visit last July. They get some kids in, they move some kids out, and it is a steady state. But at the border station in McAllen, it is a different story. They have no control over how many come in. Yes, the law says that within 72 hours--it is purely a processing center--they are to move, particularly children, out of their center and off to the OOR facilities. But if there is no place to receive them then they cannot. And OOR, by law, cannot receive more children than they are allowed to receive. They closed the surge facility up in Tornillo by El Paso during the summer, so there is no place else to go. I have got to tell you, the men and women who work for the Customs and Border Patrol in the State of Texas in the lower Rio Grande Valley sector, overwhelmed is not a strong enough word. They are burnt out. They have been taking care of so many people for so long, and they are asking, Where is the United States Congress? Why will we not reform the asylum laws that would allow us to get on top of this situation?

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in memory of Mr. Roy Appleton, Jr., who passed away on Monday, April 8, 2019 after a lifetime of service to our nation and his North Texas neighbors. As a young man, Roy Appleton, Jr. served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He saw combat action for more than 35 months in the South Pacific, taking part in the invasion of Iwo Jima and fighting in multiple battles including the retaking Guadalcanal and Saipan. Upon his return home to Texas, Mr. Appleton married Margie Lee Monroe of Denton in 1947. He earned a degree from the University of North Texas in 1949. Even before he graduated, Mr. Appleton began working at the Denton Record-Chronicle. He was employed by the paper for more than four decades, retiring in 1991 as president and general manager. Aside from his service in the U.S. Marine Corps, Mr. Appleton spent his entire career at the paper. An engaged community leader, Mr. Appleton served in a variety of leadership roles for the Denton Chamber of Commerce, the Denton Economic Development Advisory Board, and United Way of Denton County. He was an active member of the Denton Rotary Club and Denton Jaycees, as well as a director of First State Bank and a ruling elder at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church. In 2014, the Greater Denton Arts Council renamed their home the ``Patterson-Appleton Center for the Visual Arts'' in recognition of Mr. Appleton's contributions to the art culture of Denton County, which include the creation of the Campus Theatre, annual Holiday Lighting Festival, and Denton Arts & Jazz Festival. In recognition of his many contributions to the North Texas community, the Greater Denton Arts Council (GDAC) will honor Mr. Appleton's legacy of philanthropy and civic engagement at its annual awards event on May 31, 2019. I am grateful for Mr. Appleton's many decades of selfless service to our nation and our community. On behalf of the 26th District of Texas, I offer my condolences to his family, friends, and neighbors.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, today I rise to congratulate Guyer High School sophomores Brynn Brown and Eli Stowers, who recently won gold medals at the 2019 UIL Texas State Track and Field meet. The students' victories are well-earned. Following her regional meet, Ms. Brown was a self-proclaimed underdog. At the beginning of her mile run, Ms. Brown was seeded fourth in a competitive array of runners. Despite these circumstances, she finished first with a mile time of 4.48 minutes. Impressively, Ms. Brown won a second gold medal in the 3,200-meter run. In the high jump competition, Mr. Stowers reached a remarkable 6 feet and 10 inches to claim the gold medal. Persevering through inclement weather, he rose to the challenge--a testament to his hard work and diligent preparation. I commend Guyer High School track and field coaches Jonathan Ponsonby, Megan Hardesty, and Aaron Roberts for their leadership and dedication. It is a privilege to represent Guyer High School in the U.S. House of Representatives. I am pleased to recognize the achievements of Brynn Brown and Eli Stowers, and I wish them continued success in their athletic and academic endeavors.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in memory of Mr. Roy Appleton, Jr., who passed away on Monday, April 8, 2019 after a lifetime of service to our nation and his North Texas neighbors. As a young man, Roy Appleton, Jr. served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He saw combat action for more than 35 months in the South Pacific, taking part in the invasion of Iwo Jima and fighting in multiple battles including the retaking Guadalcanal and Saipan. Upon his return home to Texas, Mr. Appleton married Margie Lee Monroe of Denton in 1947. He earned a degree from the University of North Texas in 1949. Even before he graduated, Mr. Appleton began working at the Denton Record-Chronicle. He was employed by the paper for more than four decades, retiring in 1991 as president and general manager. Aside from his service in the U.S. Marine Corps, Mr. Appleton spent his entire career at the paper. An engaged community leader, Mr. Appleton served in a variety of leadership roles for the Denton Chamber of Commerce, the Denton Economic Development Advisory Board, and United Way of Denton County. He was an active member of the Denton Rotary Club and Denton Jaycees, as well as a director of First State Bank and a ruling elder at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church. In 2014, the Greater Denton Arts Council renamed their home the ``Patterson-Applegate Center for the Visual Arts'' in recognition of Mr. Appleton's contributions to the art culture of Denton County, which include the creation of the Campus Theatre, annual Holiday Lighting Festival and Denton Arts & Jazz Festival. In recognition of his many contributions to the North Texas community, the Greater Denton Arts Council (GDAC) will honor Mr. Appleton's legacy of philanthropy and civic engagement at its annual awards event on May 31, 2019. I am grateful for Mr. Appleton's many decades of selfless service to our nation and our community. On behalf of the 26th District of Texas, I offer my condolences to his family, friends, and neighbors.