Suzanne Bonamici

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Scott for yielding. The Federal minimum wage has been stagnant for too long, exacerbating income inequality and leaving working families behind. A recent study from the National Low Income Housing Coalition found that someone working 40 hours a week who is earning the Federal minimum wage or the prevailing State minimum wage cannot afford a two-bedroom rental home at fair market rent in any State, metropolitan area, or county in the country. Workers working full-time should be able to afford basic needs like food, housing, healthcare, and childcare. Today, we can support working families by passing the Raise the Wage Act. This bill will gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025 and make sure that tipped workers, youth, and individuals with disabilities are paid a full, not a subminimum, wage. Recent analysis from the Economic Policy Institute found that raising the Federal minimum wage to $15 an hour would benefit close to 27,000 workers just in northwest Oregon alone. The Raise the Wage Act is good for workers and good for the economy. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Scott for his leadership, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of the en bloc amendment which includes an amendment I offered to increase funding for the Environmental Protection Agency's Science Advisory Board to review the strengthening transparency in regulatory science--or so-called secret science--proposed rule and decrease funding for the EPA Administrator's executive management account. I thank Chair McCollum for her leadership in increasing funding for the EPA's Science Advisory Board in the underlying bill. As a cornerstone of its regulatory process, the EPA relies on peer- reviewed science. Unfortunately, the proposed strengthening transparency in regulatory science rule would preclude the use of the best available science. The rule undermines scientific integrity, jeopardizes bedrock public health and environmental standards, and endangers the EPA's ability to fulfill its mission. It would impede, if not eradicate, the agency's work to protect Americans from significant risks to human health and the environment. Not surprisingly, the EPA ignored science when developing this proposed rule. The EPA failed to consult with their own Office of the Science Advisor, and they limited the Science Advisory Board in the scope of the board's review. The proposed rule would have chilling consequences for the EPA and for every person who benefits from clean air and clean water. This amendment will direct the Science Advisory Board to provide a comprehensive review of the entire proposed rule before it is finalized. We must defend science. I, again, thank Chair McCollum and also Representatives Tonko, Sherrill, and Fletcher for their support, and I urge the Congress to support the en bloc amendment.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairwoman for yielding me the time and for her support of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Congressman Posey's bipartisan National Estuaries and Acidification Research Act. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill, which would direct the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Ocean Studies Board to conduct a study that examines the existing science of ocean acidification and estuaries and provide recommendations to improve future research and management to inform mitigation decisions. As co-chair of the House Oceans Caucus and the Congressional Estuary Caucus, I know that acidification is not only affecting open oceans. Estuaries and nearshore waters are also faced with environmental stressors. Ocean and coastal acidification often present itself in the context of other coastal processes like runoff, erosion, and upwelled water from the oceans making it difficult to measure its individual effects on estuaries. We know that estuaries and nearshore waters are also experiencing the consequences of our inaction to address ocean and coastal acidification, and research has not kept pace with the needs of coastal communities. The NEAR Act would address the significant research gaps and urgent need to improve our understanding of the effects of ocean and coastal acidification. I want to thank Congressman Posey for his leadership on this bill, and his efforts to preserve our Nation's estuaries. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for yielding time and for her support of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Congresswoman Pingree's Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill, which would direct NOAA to conduct a vulnerability assessment to identify communities that are dependent on coastal and ocean resources that may be affected by ocean acidification. The Pacific Coast is more vulnerable to ocean acidification than other coastal regions, and it can be used as a testing ground for different strategies and models to manage and adapt to ocean acidification. But ocean acidification is fundamentally a global phenomenon. We must strengthen our understanding of the socioeconomic effects of ocean acidification on a range of geographically diverse coastal communities. Importantly, this bill directs NOAA to work with States, like my home State of Oregon, that are already developing ocean acidification response plans. I thank members of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee for including my amendment during the full markup to authorize $2.7 million annually for fiscal years 2020 through 2024. I hope that my COAST Research Act will complement this bill and address some of the gaps in our understanding of the socioeconomic effects of ocean acidification. But there must be a separate authorization for vulnerability studies. Finally, and importantly, I thank all the staff who worked on not only this bill but also the COAST Research Act and the other two ocean acidification bills, especially, in my office, Maxine Sugarman, but all the staff on both sides of the aisle in our offices and the hardworking committee staff. Finally, I thank Congresswoman Pingree for her continued leadership on protecting the health of oceans and improving research on ocean acidification. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Johnson for yielding time, also for her leadership on the committee, and I thank Chairwoman Johnson and Ranking Member Lucas for their support of this legislation. I rise today in support of the Coastal and Ocean Acidification Stressors and Threats, or COAST, Research Act, my bipartisan bill to expand scientific research and monitoring of ocean and coastal acidification. According to the Fourth National Climate Assessment, catastrophic carbon dioxide concentrations are now higher than at any time in the last 3 million years. Approximately one-third of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere dissolves into our oceans and estuaries, causing them to become more acidic. In addition to atmospheric carbon dioxide, our oceans, estuaries, and coastal waterways are absorbing chemical inputs and excess nutrient runoff from land and coastal pollution. Our understanding of the long-term consequences of changes in water chemistry on our marine ecosystem is still limited, but we do know that ocean and coastal acidification make it difficult for marine organisms to build their shells and skeletal structures. Some finfish, including endangered salmon in the Pacific Northwest, lose their sense of smell that they use for identifying prey, reproducing, and navigating their habitats. Ocean acidification events are only projected to become more intense, longer, and increasingly common, especially on the Pacific Coast. The COAST Research Act would improve scientific research on ocean and coastal acidification in the context of other environmental stressors and direct Federal agencies to assess adaptation and mitigation strategies. Importantly, the bill also expands the definition of ocean acidification to include estuaries and to recognize mechanisms that cause changes in coastal chemistry. As chair of the Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification, NOAA is already leading interdisciplinary efforts to expand our understanding of changing ocean conditions. This bill would designate NOAA as the lead Federal agency responsible for implementing the Federal response to ocean and coastal acidification. This is a pragmatic response to calls for an interdependent national ocean acidification program office and recommendations from a September 2014 Government Accountability Office report. Ocean acidification research is still in its infancy, and the best way to mitigate its effects is through regionally coordinated scientific research. The COAST Research Act directs NOAA to maintain a data archive system to process, store, archive, and provide access to data on ocean and coastal acidification from federally funded research, including existing global or national datasets and research from State and local agencies, Tribes, academic scientists, citizen scientists, and industry organizations. Additionally, the COAST Research Act would increase our understanding of the socioeconomic effects of ocean and coastal acidification and engage stakeholders. The bill creates an advisory board comprised of representatives of the shellfish and crab industry; finfish industry; seafood processors; recreational fishing; academia; nongovernmental organizations; State, local, and Tribal governments; and regional coastal acidification networks. This regionally balanced group will advise the interagency working group on ocean and coastal acidification research and monitoring activities. Our oceans and estuaries are facing the brunt of our inaction to reduce anthropogenic carbon emissions. We know that even if carbon dioxide emissions are halted today, many of the effects for our oceans will continue to occur over the course of the next few decades. The COAST Research Act will support vulnerable communities, industries, and coastal and ocean managers by strengthening research on how they can best prepare and, when possible, adapt to ocean and coastal acidification. Oregon's shellfish industry and researchers at Oregon State University have collaborated on ocean acidification mitigation strategies that have helped the shellfish industry survive. Their research demonstrates what is possible when we invest in science and research to help coastal communities adapt to climate change. Our oceans and estuaries are resilient, and we can help them heal, but we cannot afford to wait any longer. This is National Ocean Month and Capitol Hill Ocean Week, a good time to act to help protect the oceans and our planet. Mr. Speaker, I want to close by thanking, again, my colleagues, Representative Young, Representative Posey, and Representative Pingree, for their leadership on this issue. I truly appreciate the support from my fellow House Oceans Caucus and Congressional Estuary Caucus co- chairs. I also want to, again, thank Chairwoman Johnson and Ranking Member Lucas for their support. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters from the Oregon Coordinating Council on Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia and Oregon State University in support of the COAST Research Act. The Oregon Coordinating Council on Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia, March 8, 2019. Re Coastal and Ocean Acidification Stressors and Threats (COAST) Research Act. Hon. Suzanne Bonamici, Washington, DC. Dear Representative Bonamici: As the Co-Chairs of the State legislatively mandated, Oregon Coordinating Council on Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia (or ``Oregon OAH Council''), we appreciate the opportunity to provide you with a letter of strong support for the Coastal and Ocean Acidification Stressors and Threats (COAST) Research Act. Addressing intensifying ocean acidification (OA) conditions here in Oregon, as well as across the United States, is critical to our Nations understanding of larger impacts from CO2 emissions. Oregon is among the first places in the world to observe direct impacts of ocean acidification and hypoxia (OAH), due to our unique geographic and oceanographic context, putting our fragile marine ecosystem at risk. Our coastal economies rely on our vibrant marine ecosystem. Our nearshore waters are home to sport and commercial fisheries, all of the State's mariculture operations, and contain critical nursery grounds for economically important species including rockfish, oysters, salmon, pink shrimp, and Dungeness crab. Oregon is not alone in experiencing the impacts from OA or hypoxia. Through actions such as those in the COAST Research Act we must act together as Americans to develop solutions for our coastal communities, economies, and ecosystems to prepare for future conditions. In the coming years, the Oregon OAH Council will continue to take a thoughtful, collaborative, science-based approach to developing recommendations to address OAH in our state and beyond. Through further investments and initiatives, Oregon and the United States will benefit from adaptation and mitigation measures and will model to the world how to develop actionable solutions for OA adaptation and mitigation. the oregon oah council has identified three urgently needed strategic actions, which directly align with objectives within the coast research act. (1) Monitoring of key oceanographic and biological indicators of impacts from OAH. At the same time that OA has been impacting our coasts, oxygen-depletion is on the rise; Oregon and much of the West coast has seen several seasons in a row with extended periods of hypoxia in our coastal waters. The Oregon OAH Council is encouraged that the COAST Research Act identifies the need to strengthen investments in OA research and monitoring in the context of other environmental stressors. Ocean acidification and hypoxia are compounding stressors for a wide range of marine animals, and as such must continue to be studied together. Through the COAST Research Acts reauthorization of funding of NOAA, NSF, and NASA, much needed resources will be made available to researchers across the United States to continue to expand our knowledge of OAH. The Oregon OAH Council also supports the initiative of the COAST Research Act to create data processing, storage, and archive facilities to provide for the long-term stewardship and standardization of data. By creating a central repository for OAH data it provides governments, scientists, and industry better access to the information need to inform their mitigation and adaption planning. Only by maximizing our current data and filling our knowledge gaps of OAH, can we as a Nation begin to be able to piece together for solutions for our coastal communities. (2) Projects or programs that promote coastal economic and ecosystem resilience to OAH. Fisheries and aquaculture are central to our history, are enjoyed by Americans across the nation year-round, and remain key to many of Oregon's coastal economies today. Yet, the future sustainability of these marine resources and communities' ability to rely on them, are uncertain in the face of significant ocean changes, including OAH, and uncertain in the face of our current state of preparation to adapt to those changes over time. This is why the Oregon OAH Council supports activities and initiatives that promote resilience to increased OAH conditions, for both human communities and ecosystems. The COAST Research Act also stresses the importance of increasing our understanding of the socioeconomic effects of OA by expanding federal research to assess adaptation and mitigation strategies. There will be costs of inaction relative to CO2 mitigation and the United States has an obligation to relieve these costs wherever possible for our citizens. (3) Tools and strategies to increase awareness of OAH science, impacts and solutions. As the impacts of OA intensify, it is going to be vitally important for our Nation to identify and advance opportunities to raise awareness of and communicate OAH science, impacts, and mitigation solutions. This is why the Oregon OAH Council is encouraged by the fact that the COAST Research Act recognizes the need to address the effects of OA on estuaries and integrate research, monitoring, and adaptation strategies. By integrating OA causes and effects, it better demonstrates the complexity of this climate issue, and provides a clearer message to communities. The Oregon OAH Council also supports the COAST Research Act establishment of an Advisory Board to increase coordination among stakeholders, including members of industry, to work with State and Federal governments to improve coordination. Recognizing the importance of a broad membership, our Oregon OAH Council includes members from industry, academia and state government agencies. For the benefit of our marine ecosystem and the human communities that rely on a healthy marine ecosystem, the Nation's adaptation and mitigation approaches to OA should include successful communication of new science, monitoring, and adaptation strategies. As Co-Chairs of the Oregon OAH Council, we appreciate the opportunity to provide you with a letter of strong support for the COAST Research Act. The strategic investment and coordination opportunities outlined in this act are meaningful and will make a difference in our understanding of OAH science, impacts, and solutions. Through passage of this Act and the subsequent investment in science, adaptation and communications, the United States will demonstrate meaningful action in fighting OA and the global challenges of climate change, and preparing our citizens and economies for the changes ahead. Thank you for your consideration of these comments. Sincerely, John Barth, Ph.D., Co-Chair, Oregon OAH Council, Executive Director, Marine Studies Initiative, Oregon State University. Caren Braby, Ph.D., Co-Chair, Oregon OAH Council, Marine Resources Program Manager, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairwoman for yielding and for her support of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Congressman Kilmer's bipartisan Ocean Acidification Innovation Act. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill, along with Representative Herrera Beutler from Washington, and my House Oceans Caucus co-chair Representative Young from Alaska. This bill would establish a prize competition for Federal agencies that serve on the Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification to increase efforts to research, monitor, and manage ocean acidification and its effects. Our understanding of ocean acidification and its interactions with other environmental stressors, such as hypoxia, harmful algal blooms, and warming waters is rapidly evolving, but still limited in scope. A 2009 paper from the Ocean Carbon and Biochemistry's Ocean Acidification Subcommittee estimated that a U.S. national program on ocean acidification would need $50 million to $100 million per year to provide timely information for managers and decisionmakers. A 2012 report from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, based on informal conversations with various Federal agencies, estimated a need for approximately $95 million for all Federal ocean acidification research and monitoring by next year, 2020. In fiscal year 2019, the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program received only $12 million, so there is no doubt that gaps in funding are a result of insufficient resources. The prize competition established in this bill will encourage collaboration and spur innovative strategies to mitigate and adapt to ocean acidification. This will help the communities, environments, and industries that rely on a healthy ocean and are facing harsh realities of rising carbon emissions. Again, I thank Congressman Kilmer for his leadership, especially given the pervasive effects of ocean acidification on the Pacific Coast. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the American Dream and Promise Act, to stand with the thousands of Dreamers across the country and in Oregon, Dreamers like Gustavo and Brenda, who are living in and serving in our community. Gustavo graduated from Forest Grove High School. He knew he was ineligible for Federal student aid, yet he found a way to go to college because he knows that education cannot be taken away from him. Gustavo wrote: ``I have found my calling in the nonprofit work I do. I am here to give back to the Latino community that believed in me and helped me achieve my dream.'' Brenda is an educator in Hillsboro, Oregon. Last summer, her students asked her: ``Are you coming back next year?'' Despite uncertainty about her status, Brenda will watch her students graduate this Saturday, and she hopes to continue supporting kids and families in the very same school district from which she graduated. It is long past time for Dreamers like Brenda and Gustavo, Americans in every way except on paper, to live out of the shadows. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Chairwoman, I thank the gentleman for his bipartisan support. This is an issue that we all hear about from our constituents. As a member of the Education and Labor Committee, I know that we are working hard on affordable higher education; but, in the meantime, we need to make sure that we are aware of the problems that so many student loan borrowers have. This amendment will help us get the information through a report, and I appreciate that this will help us inform our approach here in Congress, as well as get a better understanding of the practices of student loan services. Again, I thank the gentleman for his bipartisan support, I thank Chairwoman Waters for her support of the amendment, I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Chairwoman, I rise today to offer an amendment to H.R. 1500, the Consumers First Act. I thank Chairwoman Waters and my colleagues for their leadership in restoring essential functions of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which this administration so recklessly rolled back. During my years of work as a consumer protection attorney, I learned firsthand how strong consumer protection laws help to keep Americans financially secure. This administration's efforts to weaken the CFPB have harmed millions of people across the country, including young consumers and student borrowers. I commend my colleagues for including in the original bill the restoration of the CFPB's Office of Students and Young Consumers, which this administration closed last year. Shutting down this office diminished the CFPB's mission and weakened its enforcement capabilities. Before its closure, this office returned more than $750 million to students and student loan borrowers through actions against unscrupulous student loan servicers. They also helped more than 60,000 borrowers who submitted complaints about the student loan industry to the CFPB. Notably, in January of 2017, the CFPB and the Office of Students and Young Consumers stood up to the Nation's largest student loan servicer, Navient, for misallocating payments and improperly steering borrowers away from income-based repayment plans. The amendment I am offering today with my colleague, Congressman Harley Rouda, would build on this office's critical role in protecting young consumer students and student loan borrowers. This amendment would require the Assistant Director and Student Loan Ombudsman of the newly restored Office of Students and Young Consumers to issue an annual report to Congress on risks to young consumers and student borrowers. Specifically, this report would analyze complaints that were submitted to the CFPB in the previous year by young consumers and student borrowers and offer an independent evaluation of the risks to this population as a result of policies and practices in the consumer financial products and services marketplace. This report will help us understand the risks that our young consumers and borrowers face, and it will help inform the work of Congress on how to best fight back against those who seek to prey on our Nation's young people. I ask my colleagues to support this important amendment that will help students, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the House passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. Suffragettes across the country bravely fought for decades to make that moment possible, enduring hardship and pervasive discrimination. I think about trailblazing women like Oregon's Abigail Scott Duniway. The right to vote empowered women to shape policy, elevated public discourse, and more. We have come a long way. There is a record number of women not only voting but serving in Congress. With more women at the table, I hope we will finally enact policies that support all women and their rights, including the right to make our own reproductive healthcare decisions, to affordable childcare, to paid family and medical leave, to retirement security, and to equal pay for equal work. We still have work to do. We must continue breaking down barriers so future women leaders of all backgrounds can be heard. Together, we will achieve great things. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in the celebration of the 19th Amendment.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Scott and Ranking Member Foxx but also especially Ranking Member Comer of the subcommittee and Representatives Schrier, Trahan, Johnson, and Stefanik for their leadership. I strongly urge all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill.

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2480, the bipartisan Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. Child maltreatment is a public health crisis and a threat to our country. Although we have made progress toward reducing cases of child maltreatment since passage of the original CAPTA, in recent years, the rates at which children are abused and neglected have steadily increased. Evidence suggests that the opioid crisis is responsible for new challenges in protecting vulnerable children. Stronger CAPTA is an important step toward making sure that all children grow up in safe and healthy environments that allow them to reach their full potential. The bill will strengthen Federal investments in community-based prevention services so families across the country can receive help before children suffer. It will build networks of wraparound services that lower the risk of child maltreatment by helping families navigate complex health, education, and financial hardships. It will seek to reduce rates of child maltreatment exacerbated by the opioid crisis by supporting the development of best practices and strategies. Importantly, the bill will streamline communication between and among States so child protection agencies across the country can work together and prevent cases of maltreatment from slipping through the cracks, no matter where they occur.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5, the Equality Act. I chair the Education and Labor Committee's Civil Rights and Human Services Subcommittee, and in our hearing on this important bill, we heard powerful testimony from Kimberly, the mother of Kai, an 8-year- old transgender girl. Kimberly is an evangelical minister from rural Texas. Her family and Kai's school were not supportive, and, in fact, school administrators made derogatory comments about Kai. Kimberly testified that, regretfully, she gave into pressure and attempted home conversion therapy on Kai when Kai was only 4 years old. One day she found Kai praying for Jesus to take her home to be with Him forever. Let me say that another way: A 4-year-old was suicidal. Kimberly is now today a fierce advocate for her daughter's rights and the rights of all transgender kids to go to school in a safe and supportive environment. This bill will secure that right for all the kids like Kai around the country and will secure the right to be free from discrimination for millions of LGBTQ people in our country. I want to close with the words from Federal Judge Michael McShane, and his marriage equality opinion. He wrote: ``Many suggest we are going down a slippery slope that will have no moral boundaries. To those who truly harbor such fears, I can only say this: Let us look less to the sky to see what might fall; rather, let us look to each other and rise.''

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, Native women in the U.S. face tragically high rates of violence, sexual assault, and murder. According to the CDC, murder is the third leading cause of death among Native women, with rates of violence ten times that of the national average on reservations. I rise today in support of Savanna's Act, which will recognize Native women victims and make sure that their invisibility by law enforcement ends. I understand the devastating effects of colonization and the disproportionate harm and risk for Native women. We must work together to pass Savanna's Act, which will substantially strengthen federal and tribal investigations into the disappearance of Indigenous women, and increase the likelihood of prosecuting these violent crimes. Savanna's Act will also create and improve procedures, communication, and cooperation among federal, state, tribal, and local agencies that may share jurisdiction over these crimes. These provisions will also improve recording and sharing of data so these women are no longer invisible to law enforcement. I thank Rep. Torres for taking the lead on this important piece of legislation. I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to cosponsor this life-saving legislation, and I urge House leaders to move swiftly to bring it to the floor for a vote.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Chair, climate change is one of the greatest existential threats of our time. I am honored to serve on the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis with the leadership of the author of this bill, Representative Castor. In Oregon, smoke from raging wildfires makes the air unhealthy to breathe. Acidic oceans are threatening our fishing industries. Droughts and extreme weather patterns jeopardize the livelihoods of our farmers. Warmer water in the Columbia River is further threatening endangered salmon. My home State of Oregon is one of the many States committed to meeting the Paris climate agreement targets, but climate change is a global crisis, which is why more than 175 countries have signed on to the agreement. The Climate Action Now Act is a clear signal to our international allies and to the world that the United States, at least the United States House of Representatives, supports upholding our Nation's commitments to the planet. This is about U.S. leadership. The cost of inaction on climate change is too high to wait any longer. We can protect the planet, unleash innovation, and create good jobs. This bill is an important first step. Mr. Chair, I thank Chair Engel, Chair McGovern, and Chair Castor for their leadership. I urge all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this important bill.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Columbia River In-Lieu and Treaty Fishing Access Sites Improvement Act. This bill takes important steps to address an injustice that four Columbia River Tribes have faced for decades. Beginning in the 1930s, the construction of the Bonneville, John Day, and Dalles dams on the lower Columbia River flooded many homes and traditional fishing sites. The flooding displaced members of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Nez Perce Tribe, and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. The Army Corps of Engineers designed 31 Columbia River Treaty Fishing Access Sites and ``in-lieu'' sites along the banks of the Columbia River to be used primarily for in-season fishing and temporary camping, but conditions have been extremely unsafe and unsanitary. This bill would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to assess and update electricity, water, and sewer infrastructure at existing Bureau of Indian Affairs facilities that were constructed to provide treaty Tribes access to traditional fishing grounds. These Tribes have treaty rights to fishing access sites on the Columbia River and we must uphold our obligations to provide safe and sanitary housing and infrastructure. I thank Congressman Blumenauer and Senator Merkley for their leadership, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the generosity and public service of the organizers of the Be The Light Food Pantry. More than 500 active duty members of the Coast Guard and their families live and work in NW Oregon, and their mission is critical to our nation's safety. The Coast Guard protects our borders and our national security. They save lives every day, ensuring the safety of our fishing fleet and the many others who rely on the Columbia River and the ocean for their livelihood. Because of the longest-ever government shutdown this winter, the dedicated members of the U.S. Coast Guard missed two consecutive paychecks. This was the first time in modern history that a branch of the armed forces went without pay. It is unconscionable that people who are protecting our country should be forced to work without getting their paychecks. Over the course of the 35-day-long shutdown, I heard from many U.S. Coast Guard members and spouses who were furious, demoralized, and very stressed about their personal finances. Michelle discovered that her 16-year-old was skipping meals because he was worried there wouldn't be enough food for his younger siblings. Amanda had to explain to her five kids why the family needed food assistance, even though their dad was working hard every day to serve our country. Robin, a proud Coast Guard mom with three sons and one daughter-in- law in the Coast Guard, told me that one of her sons lost an apartment because he couldn't afford to put down a deposit. Our national security depends on having service members who are focused on the job at hand, and the mission could be compromised if Coast Guard members are worried about how they're going to keep a roof over their heads or put food on the table. The effects on future recruitment and our standing in the world are also deeply concerning. In the midst of this calamity, an inspiring effort came together-- the Be The Light Food Pantry for Coast Guard members and all federal employees affected by the shutdown. U.S. Coast Guard spouses Stacey Benson, Michelle Somers, and Amanda Gibbs generously led the effort, giving countless hours of their time. Community members, local Boy Scout Troop 211, the Masonic Temple of Astoria, the Moms Club of Astoria, the U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Association, and many private businesses contributed thousands of pounds of food and hundreds of hours of volunteer time to make the pantry a success. In its first weekend, the food pantry served 503 families. That's 503 families who could have faced hunger because of the harmful and unnecessary shutdown. It is inspiring to see how the community came together to support our Coast Guard members and their families.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Chair, today, we have this opportunity. Let's pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and make equal pay for equal work a reality.

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Chair, I also include in the Record a letter from the AAUW in support of the Paycheck Fairness Act.

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Chair, today women make up nearly half of our workforce. Sixty-four percent of mothers in the United States work outside the home. Many are the sole family wage earner. Their wages pay for rent, for groceries, for childcare, for healthcare. But even though it is 2019, too often, equal pay for equal work is not a reality. On average, White women earn 80 cents on the dollar compared with White men in substantially equal jobs. The wage gap is even more pronounced for women of color in nearly every line of work, regardless of education, experience, occupation, industry, or job title. This has severe and long-term consequences for the lives of working women, families, and for our economy. With the Equal Pay Act, title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and more recently, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, we have made some progress in reducing inequities for women in the workplace. But, unfortunately, loopholes and insufficient enforcement tools have allowed wage discrimination to persist. For example, a lack of easily accessible data on hiring and wages has made it difficult to detect, let alone prevent, wage discrimination. And even when wage discrimination is discovered, working women face significant barriers to fulfilling the heavy burden of proof for holding discriminating employers accountable. Last month, I was honored to chair the hearing on persistent, gender- based wage discrimination. We heard witnesses describe the barriers to detecting wage discrimination and holding employers accountable. But most importantly, we heard how the Paycheck Fairness Act will provide workers with the tools they need to help close the gender pay gap and achieve wage equality. Several States have already acted to address pay inequities, including bipartisan efforts in my home State of Oregon. It is time for Congress to step up and address persistent wage discrimination nationwide. By passing the Paycheck Fairness Act, we have the opportunity to end discriminatory pay practices that contribute to keeping women and families in poverty. We have the opportunity to finally make equal pay for equal work a reality. Madam Chair, I include in the Record a letter from AARP outlining support for the Paycheck Fairness Act because the bill will strengthen financial security for women while in the workforce, and later enhance retirement income security.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, climate change is not a distant threat; it is reality. In the Pacific Northwest, our families and communities are facing acidic oceans; unhealthy, smoky air; decreased snowpack; droughts; and extreme weather patterns. Recent reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the U.S. Global Change Research Program make clear: human activity is contributing to climate change. The science supporting these reports is convincing and alarming, but there is hope. We have the opportunity and, in fact, the imperative to take action that will protect our planet and grow our economy. I am honored to serve on the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, and I will work with my colleagues to reduce emissions, to transition to 100 percent clean energy, to create good-paying jobs, rebuild our Nation's infrastructure in a sustainable and resilient manner, invest in clean and efficient transportation systems, and support frontline communities, particularly communities of color and low-income communities, that have often faced a disproportionate share of the burden of our past inaction. The future of our planet and the health of our communities depend on the actions we take today. For our children, our grandchildren, and future generations to come, let's not wait.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I was unable to be on the House floor on February 25, 2019 for the vote on H.R. 539. My flight from Oregon was delayed because of weather conditions. If I had been present for the vote, I would have voted in favor of the Innovators to Entrepreneurs Act. This bill would expand the National Science Foundation's Innovation Corps program to give scientists and engineers the tools to commercialize their research. I support this effort to help researchers bring their innovations to market, and I commend the House on the bill's passage.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act. This year, my State of the Union guest was Alexandria Goddard, a young activist who helped organize Portland's March for Our Lives. Alexandria led thousands of Oregonians in a march to demand that Congress take action to prevent gun violence. By passing this bill we are heeding the call of the hundreds of thousands of students who marched for their lives. They know--and we know--that this bill will save lives because it requires a background check for nearly all firearm sales and transfers. The evidence shows that Oregon and the other states that have already passed comprehensive background checks have 35 percent fewer gun deaths, and 47 percent fewer women shot by their intimate partners. Congress is finally doing more than offering thoughts and prayers. We are acting. We are acting for Parkland, for Sandy Hook, for Umpqua Community College, and for the hundreds of thousands of victims and survivors around the country. I urge all of my colleagues to vote yes on H.R. 8.