Lois Capps

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 183.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor my distinguished colleague and friend Representative Jared Huffman of California's Second Congressional District for his induction into the ``Gaucho Hall of Fame'' at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). Born and raised in Independence, Missouri, Jared Huffman graduated William Chrisman High School in 1982. His passion for volleyball led him to the West Coast where he attended UCSB. While there, he was a starter for the UCSB Men's Volleyball team and was recognized as a three-time NCAA All-American volleyball player. Upon graduating magna cum laude, Jared went on to play for the number 1 ranked USA Men's Volleyball Team in 1987. In 1990, he graduated cum laude from Boston College Law School and served as an attorney for many years eventually representing the National Resource Defense Council working to protect the environment. Jared was elected to the California State Assembly in 2006 where he served on the Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee and the Budget Committee. In 2012, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives where he continues to serve his constituents in California's Second Congressional District. Since coming to Congress, Jared has served as a member of both the House Natural Resources and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committees, where he has been a leader in the fight to protect our nation's environment and public lands. Jared has had a long career of academic excellence, athletic achievements, and tireless dedication to public service. For all these reasons, he will be inducted into the UCSB Gaucho Hall of Fame on April 30, 2016. I congratulate him on this well-deserved honor.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, last Thursday, yet another city, this time in central Kansas, was added to the list of communities across the country affected by gun violence. Three lives were taken, 14 injured, and many others changed forever. Sadly, many of us know all too well the pain that comes from acts of violence caused by the trigger of a gun. Ninety minutes before this shooter opened fire, he was served with a restraining order in response to a domestic violence report. Often these protection orders serve as the first notification to an abuser that the relationship is ending and, as in this case, that can lead to more violence. That is why I offered the Protecting Domestic Violence and Stalking Victims Act, a bill that would prevent individuals subject to judicial protection orders from temporarily purchasing or possessing a firearm. The hours right after an abuser is first served with a restraining order are the most volatile and dangerous, and it is only responsible to remove firearms from this situation temporarily. I urge my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring this commonsense bill.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, as has been mentioned, today, March 1, marks the beginning of Women's History Month. While there is much to celebrate, we must use this time to continue the fight toward full equality. That is why I rise today to reaffirm my support for a woman's right to make her own decisions about her health and her family. This week the Supreme Court will hear arguments on yet another effort to undercut this freedom. By imposing unnecessary requirements whose sole purpose is to close reproductive health clinics, lawmakers continue to play politics with women's health. Some of us remember the time before women had safe access to abortion care. Countless women made desperate decisions that put their health at risk. We cannot go back to that day. No one can fully know the circumstances that a woman who faces a decision to end a pregnancy is challenged by. We need to trust women and let them make their own decisions along with their healthcare providers, family, and faith, not politicians.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. I thank my colleague for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4444. This overdue legislation is critically important to ensure that the innovation and implementation of LED technologies continues. Our Nation has made great strides toward the production of accessible and affordable clean energy. To continue this momentum, we must do all we can to embrace and support technologies that strive to improve energy efficiency. In so doing, we must support efforts toward greater energy efficiency by supporting technologies that use fewer resources for the same or better results. This allows us to balance our energy consumption with the need to protect the global environment. And that is exactly what this bill does. When it comes to the lighting sector, LED technologies are at the forefront of meeting the efficiency demand. This technology is drastically reducing the energy required to provide light in both residential and industrial settings throughout the country and around the world. While the reach of this technology is amazingly broad, LEDs are incredibly important to my district as well. There is a long history of researching, developing and innovating LEDs technologies in academia, industry, and nonprofits along the central coast of California. The University of California Santa Barbara continues to lead the way in research to improve upon the light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, as we know them. Furthermore, UCSB is fortunate to employ one of the leading researchers in the world, Dr. Shuji Nakamura, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work on LEDs. And Cree Lighting, which translates this research into employable technologies has a facility in my district where they are continuing to develop cutting-edge applications for LEDs. The promise of this technology really is a game changer. In fact, the Institute for Energy Efficiency at UC Santa Barbara has worked with the nonprofit Unite for Light to provide reading lights to people across the world, replacing dangerous kerosene lamps still used in places where electricity is not available with solar charged LED reading lights. You know, I have one of these little reading lights in my home. They are about 12 inches tall. This is Unite for Light. Instead of a power cord plugging into the wall, they have two little solar panels at the base. If you set them in the sunlight during the day, then you have the ability in the evening, then a child in a Third World country, or some person who needs to do work or homework at night, can take this little lamp, reading light, and use it to further their employment, their education until we get the infrastructure in place to do that itself. So there is no doubt that LEDs are an important technology to change lighting, as we know it, providing an accessible and efficient source of illumination. H.R. 4444 ensures that the important research and development of LED technologies, such as the activities in my district, will be able to continue and that LEDs will be able to efficiently light the world around us. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Ellen Stovall, a true champion for cancer survivors. For decades, Ellen worked tirelessly to improve the lives of people with cancer. She knew the issue well, having been diagnosed with cancer three times. Ellen died on January 5 from cardiac complications related to her cancer treatments. On Wednesday, I joined her family, friends, and colleagues across the cancer advocacy community to mourn her loss, both in the professional sense and the personal. She was a woman who could really get things done; yet through all her hard work she never forgot the importance of relationships, comforting so many in some of our toughest hours. When I think about Ellen, and the great deal she accomplished over the course of her life, I know there is truly so much to celebrate. She was a force. She looked around, found what needed to be fixed, and poured herself into doing it. Ellen broke through the traditional silos in cancer--she has brought together the work of different disease types, patients and providers, researchers and drug developers, caregivers, and support workers. And she worked across the cancer spectrum, from basic research, clinical trials, treatment access, symptom management, and palliative care. And in doing so she brought attention to survivorship. ``Survivorship became what I did,'' she once said. ``I lived with the cancer, I lived through the cancer, and I lived beyond the cancer. Survivorship became a way that I lived my life after the cancer. I live with the fact that I had cancer, and that knowledge has been empowering for me.'' And in being a survivor, and dedicating herself to cancer survivorship issues, Ellen was able to amplify the community's impact in Washington and in communities across the country. Her passion was contagious. She was smart and strategic, with excellent political acumen. But most important was Ellen's ability to connect with others, empathize with their situation, and put herself in their shoes. That ability informed her work--especially in support of cancer care planning. The same tenacity she brought to her battle with cancer, she brought to the halls of Congress. The same passion she had for life, she brought to those she comforted as they underwent diagnosis and treatment. And she did it all with great humility. There are few, if any of us, who can say we have improved the lives of so many. But Ellen's work--her calling--has been to change the system so that each of those individuals, and their families, might have a better experience. Ellen had said it herself. She had the kind of coordinated care and roadmap that helped make the cancer journey a little bit easier. But she recognized that for far too many individuals facing a cancer diagnosis, this coordinated care planning is lacking or non-existent. She also recognized that there are health care providers who want to do more to help patients navigate their cancer journey, but are currently unable to do so. So, like she had so many other times, Ellen rolled up her sleeves and got to work. And that is how our Planning Actively for Cancer Treatment--or PACT Act--was born. I am so honored to have worked with Ellen and NCCS as I authored this legislation with Congressman Boustany from Louisiana. Our bipartisan bill would provide a treatment roadmap for patients that would lay out a plan to address both the cancer and the side-effects of treatment. This active care planning empowers patients and families while helping them navigate from diagnosis through survivorship. It helps bring cancer care best practices to all in need. It is a testament to Ellen that she would dedicate her life to helping others get the care that they deserve, even when she was satisfied with her own. And it is something that I know so many in the cancer advocacy community will continue to champion on behalf of Ellen. So with that, I am hopeful. Ellen might be gone, but in each of us, we know that her spirit lives on. Her commitment to improving the cancer journey lives on and her passion for life lives on. I'd like to offer my condolences to her husband and son whose strength and support were always evident in Ellen's work. And I'd like to extend my sympathy to her friends and colleagues at NCCS and all the many organizations she partnered with. Ellen will truly be missed, but we are still here to carry the torch and improve cancer care for all who need it.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for yielding. Madam Chair, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 2406. This bill is being described as a simple package to support hunting and fishing on Federal lands. For fishing and hunting to be sustained, it must be done with a mind toward conservation. Unfortunately, this bill fails to achieve this need, and it threatens the very environment that supports the animals. Of course, by doing so, it endangers the sustainability and long-term viability of hunting and fishing, also. Furthermore, this bill ignores scientifically based best practices, leaving these lands at risk. While there are numerous bad provisions in the bill, including allowing ill-advised ivory and polar bear importation and actually preventing scientifically based regulations, this bill is particularly troubling because it limits Federal management, lead ammunition, and fishing tackle. We hear every day about the dangers of lead. The devastating impacts of lead poisoning are not just restricted to people. I have seen these dangers firsthand, as they are extremely apparent in my district on the central coast of California. As anyone from California knows, the California condor, the largest North American land bird and an iconic species along the central coast, was on the brink of extinction, in large part due to lead poisoning. A looming threat to this species remains, so we must stay vigilant. In fact, this danger is so imminent that published research shows that the species is unlikely to survive unless we continue to substantially reduce the threat of lead in the environment. The source of this lead is not a mystery. It is in large part the result of lead from hunting and fishing equipment. Lead poisoning is a terrible and cruel way for any animal to die. While the risk to condors is immediate, this risk is not limited in any way to this one species. Continuing to pollute our lands and waters with lead ammunition and fishing tackle makes absolutely no sense. But the bill before us would keep the Federal Government from doing anything to address this issue. It is so dangerous and shortsighted. That is why I offered an amendment at the Rules Committee which would have removed this dangerous language from the bill; but unfortunately, we will not be able to fix this problem on the floor because my amendment has been blocked from a vote. Despite its name, the SHARE Act would do little good and a great deal of harm. This is a bad bill. I urge my colleagues strenuously to oppose it.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the life of my constituent Ray West, who passed away last week at the age of 89. Ray was a U.S. Navy veteran who served during World War II. He went on to have a successful career in the film industry, earning an Academy Award and a Grammy for his work as a sound engineer. Ray and his wife, Jean, were married in 1950. The two honeymooned in Yosemite National Park and celebrated each anniversary by returning there. Ray became ill and the Dream Foundation stepped in. The Dream Foundation is a wish-granting organization for terminally ill adults that is based in Santa Barbara, California. They ensured that Ray and Jean would be able to visit Yosemite for their 65th wedding anniversary. Last September I had the privilege of meeting Ray and his son David when they traveled to Washington, D.C., for the launch of the Dream Foundation's Dreams for Veterans Program. I was honored to be able to recognize him for his outstanding military service and his extraordinary life. So today, my thoughts are with Ray's family. I pray they find comfort as they celebrate the life of this remarkable man.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the life of my constituent Ray West, who passed away last week at the age of 89. Ray was a U.S. Navy veteran who served during World War II. He went on to have a successful career in the film industry, earning an Academy Award and GRAMMY for his work as a sound engineer. Ray and his wife Jean were married in 1950. The two honeymooned in Yosemite National Park, and celebrated each anniversary by returning there. When Ray became ill, the Dream Foundation--a wish granting organization for terminally ill adults based in Santa Barbara, California--stepped in to ensure that Ray and Jean would be able to visit Yosemite for their 65th wedding anniversary. I had the privilege of meeting Ray and his son David when they traveled to Washington, DC last September for the launch of the Dream Foundation's ``Dreams for Veterans'' program. I was honored to be able to recognize him for his outstanding military service and his extraordinary life. My thoughts are with Ray's family--I pray they find comfort as they celebrate the life of this remarkable man.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Moonshot to end cancer, a historic investment in research in President Obama's budget proposal. For years, the burden of cancer has affected everyone in our Nation. Each and every day, in communities, neighborhoods, and families everywhere, including my own, ordinary Americans and their loved ones are affected by cancer. As co-chair of the House Cancer Caucus, I stand in solidarity with all patients, and with those involved in their care and their support. The progress made in the last decade in reducing cancer mortality is a testament to the great potential of our scientific community, but far too many have been left behind. That is why, with great hope, I urge my colleagues to support funding for the Cancer Moonshot. We need to allow our scientific community to build on the strides they have made so far through comprehensive, multifaceted approaches to making real progress. By funding the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration so that they may work in synergy, we will utilize all of the tools in our arsenal to save lives across America.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of American Heart Month and to remind Members of this week's National Wear Red Day. Each February here in Congress and in communities around this country, we join together to raise awareness of heart disease, the number one cause of death for women. In fact, every minute heart disease kills another woman. As co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition, I urge you to join us as we honor these women and those who will be affected in the future by participating in the National Wear Red Day campaign on Friday, February 5. By wearing red, we will unite with women from around the country to raise awareness of heart disease. We can and we must continue to work together on behalf of our loved ones, our friends, our neighbors, and everyone affected by heart disease. We must reduce these numbers.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I was not able to be present for the following Roll Call votes on January 11, 2016 and would like to reflect that I would have voted as follows: Roll Call Number 34: YES Roll Call Number 35: YES

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, this time last year, I attended the State of the Union Address with my guest, Richard Martinez, whose son Christopher was gunned down during a tragic Isla Vista shooting that rocked our local community on the Central Coast of California. Together, we committed that ``not one more'' life should be lost, ``not one more'' family affected, ``not one more'' community torn apart by gun violence. On Tuesday, Mr. Martinez stood with the President as he announced executive actions to curb gun violence. These actions are an important step forward, but they are also a recognition that Congress has shirked its responsibility to take action to protect all Americans from this epidemic. If we are ever going to fulfill our pledge ``not one more,'' we must take bold action. I speak today to urge my colleagues to join us. It is far past time to act with urgency, put partisanship aside, do what is necessary to keep our neighborhoods safe. We may never be able to guarantee the elimination of gun violence entirely, but we can guarantee that, if we do nothing, nothing will change.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County, Inc. (CAPSLO) on their 50th anniversary and to highlight its vital role serving our local community. CAPSLO was established on December 8, 1965. It was created as San Luis Obispo County's official Community Action Agency to eliminate the causes of poverty by empowering low-income individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency through a wide array of community-based collaborations and programs. Over the years, it has touched and inspired so many working families through strong partnerships with volunteers, county government, city government, the private sector, and low-income populations throughout the San Luis Obispo community. Through these partnerships, CAPSLO has worked tirelessly to implement successful programs, such as Early Head Start, Head Start, Migrant and Seasonal Head Start, Supportive Service for Veterans and Families, Homeless Services, and Parent Education and Child Abuse Prevention Services. These programs address the needs of our community by directly combatting poverty and have directly improved the quality of life of local families, strengthened the community, and improved the safety of San Luis Obispo County. I am pleased to recognize CAPSLO on its 50th anniversary for its leadership and wish the organization luck in the future.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of our Nation's efforts in Paris to work together with world leaders to combat and address climate change. The impacts of climate change are real. And as the consequences are being felt here at home and around the world, now is the time to make history. By taking action here in Congress, the United States has an opportunity to lead by example, while protecting the health of our communities and our environment. This involves supporting efforts like the Clean Power Plan, which will reduce carbon emissions by more than 30 percent by 2030; by promoting critical investments in renewable energy, while eliminating our dependence on fossil fuels; and supporting innovative new technologies to keep up in a global economy. These are steps we must take or risk being left behind by the rest of the world. For the first time in history, the United States has the opportunity to work together with the world's largest emitters, including China, India, and Brazil, to build the foundation upon which we can take real action to address climate change. We must capitalize on this historic step and be a leader in this fight.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, on that, I demand the yeas and nays.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, just last week, another community joined the growing list of those forever scarred by gun violence just as my community of Isla Vista was. It is far past time for Congress to recognize that it has the power to act, and we must. At a minimum, we should pass H.R. 1076, the Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act. This bipartisan bill would close the loophole that allows terror suspects on the FBI's terror watch list to legally purchase a gun. In fact, in the last 11 years, more than 90 percent of all terror suspects who attempted to purchase a gun walked away with the weapon they wanted. It is wrong to think we can do nothing to stop the violence. It is factually wrong. It is morally wrong. This bill is an important step in keeping the American people safe. We should all support it. It is the least we can do.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. However, we will continue to build on the important step of holding large rental companies and auto dealers accountable until, one day, all Americans can be confident that the cars that they drive are safe. This is our goal: that all rental cars be safe for their drivers to engage in as they rent them.

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Oregon for yielding. The bipartisan highway conference compromise before us is just that, a compromise. But, despite its faults, I will support it. While this bill adequately funds our Nation's long-term highway infrastructure needs, which our communities desperately need, it does fall short of making the robust long-term investments our crumbling infrastructure truly needs. I am pleased the bill does take an important step to protect consumers by prohibiting companies from renting or loaning out dangerously recalled vehicles for the first time. I have spearheaded this effort for years in honor of Raechel and Jacqueline Houck, two young sisters who were killed by their rented vehicle that was under recall. To be clear, this is an important step for consumer safety. But I am disappointed that, during conference, companies with fewer than 35 rental or loaner vehicles were exempted. Unfortunately, by our bowing to special interests, some consumers will still be at risk.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in unwavering opposition to these resolutions which deny the real effects of climate change and express opposition to our Nation's effort to address it. These resolutions are particularly embarrassing because they come at a time when the rest of the world is coming together in Paris to identify solutions to climate change. There is overwhelming consensus around the globe that climate change is one of the most critical issues facing our world, not just for the environment, but for human health and for our local economies. Our climate is changing. Our actions are emitting the greenhouse gasses that are contributing to this problem. Climate change is threatening public health, people's livelihoods, and the very environment that we live in. While we should be determining a course forward to protect our constituents and safeguard our planet for generations to come, we are instead sending a signal to the rest of the world of willful negligence and disregard. Instead of arguing about whether the climate is changing, which it is, or if we are responsible, which we are, it is high time that we work together to determine solutions. The new source carbon pollution standards and the Clean Power Plan will not solve all of the problems associated with greenhouse gasses, but it is a necessary step in the right direction. In addition to enacting meaningful change to curb emissions from the power sector, which is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in this country, these regulations also send a signal to people across America and across the world that we are working to address this broader issue. Curbing carbon emissions from new and existing power plants in the country signifies that we are serious about working toward a cleaner, healthier future. In addition to providing for a healthier environment for current and future generations, these regulations are important for both our public health and our business community alike. EPA's carbon regulations will lead to billions of dollars of public health benefits, potentially averting thousands of premature deaths and tens of thousands of asthma attacks in children. The private sector has also stressed the need to take action because they understand the long-term costs and benefits. Businesses understand the economic consequences of inaction, that they are severe, and that we need to prepare for climate change today. They know the regulations are projected to create over 300,000 new clean energy jobs. On the central coast of California, my congressional district, we have seen firsthand how important the jobs associated with the clean energy technologies are. Renewable energy projects in my district have created hundreds of new jobs, and provide enough energy for over 100,000 homes. Instead, here we are today, debating and voting on resolutions of disapproval that deny these facts and show again the willingness of the majority to bury its head in the sand when faced with the need for action on climate change. Just a few months ago, we all sat in this Chamber together as the Pope spoke of our world's most pressing challenges. In that speech, he reminded us that it is our moral obligation to respond to climate change. I couldn't agree more. We must band together to enact meaningful and lasting change for our people and our planet. I urge my colleagues to oppose these resolutions.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the Dream Foundation's new ``Dreams for Veterans'' program. As we pause to commemorate Veterans Day, I would like to acknowledge their unique and invaluable service to terminally-ill military veterans. Dreams for Veterans is dedicated to serving terminally-ill veterans during their time of greatest need. They are the first national program specifically serving and honoring these individuals by fulfilling their final dream. Over the past year, Dreams for Veterans granted more than 100 dreams to veterans and are on track to double that number this year. This spring, the Dream Foundation, which is based in my Congressional district, helped my constituent George ``Ray'' West realize his final dream of traveling with his family to Yosemite National Park. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. West at the ``Dreams for Veterans'' inaugural ceremony in Washington, DC earlier this year. Mr. West is a U.S. Navy Veteran who served between 1944 and 1946. He was stationed first in Sampson, NY and later in Utah and Nevada. He eventually settled with his family in my hometown of Santa Barbara, CA. Mr. West and his wife Jean first visited Yosemite on their honeymoon in 1950. The couple loved Yosemite so much that they have celebrated each anniversary by returning to the park. Ray had been diagnosed with heart disease and leukemia when he contacted the Dream Foundation to help his family travel to Yosemite at least one final time. Each day, more than 1,800 of our nation's heroes die, accounting for nearly one-quarter of all American deaths. In addition to giving dream recipients and their families the opportunity to make the most of the time they have left, a final dream also improves their end of life care by addressing the emotional and psychological needs of terminally ill patients and those of their loved ones and caretakers. The Dreams for Veterans program allows recipients the opportunity to reconnect with their former military service and provides a unique chance to reconcile memories and achieve a sense of closure. This one- of-a-kind program engages the military community by providing opportunities to refer applicants, contribute resources, or volunteer as Veteran Dream Hosts--volunteers who participate in Veteran-to- Veteran Dream deliveries. The Dream Foundation is a leader in our community and has touched and inspired so many during its 21-year history of delivering final dreams to terminally ill adults. They fulfill more than 2,500 final dreams every year, working with hundreds of volunteers and more than 600 hospices and health care organizations nationwide.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address an issue that touches veterans in hundreds of congressional districts across this Nation. In 1973, a fire at a U.S. Government archives facility destroyed as many as 18 million official military records. This loss has made it incredibly difficult for many veterans to prove the details of their service, and it has even prevented some from getting the benefits that they deserve. In the year since the fire, some affected files have been painstakingly reconstructed by using unofficial pieces of information, including postmarked letters and photographs, but this process can be confusing, time consuming, and costly to the veteran. Somehow, in 42 years, no system has been established to assist these veterans--whose files were lost by no fault of their own--in reassembling their records. We simply must do better. That is why I have introduced the Veterans Record Reconstruction Act: to establish a clear set of guidelines for reconstructing a veteran's service record when it has been damaged or destroyed. As we commemorate Veterans Day this next week, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense, straightforward bill so that every veteran has the opportunity to receive the benefits he or she has earned.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for yielding. Madam Chair, I rise in strong opposition to the Williams amendment. This amendment would needlessly exempt auto dealers from critical vehicle safety requirements included in the underlying bill. While Federal law currently prohibits auto dealers from selling new cars subject to a recall, there is no similar law prohibiting rental companies or auto dealers from renting or loaning out unrepaired recalled vehicles. I introduced the Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act to close this loophole and prohibit rental car companies and auto dealers from renting or loaning vehicles under safety recall until they are fixed, and I am pleased this legislation is in the underlying bill. This harmful amendment, however, would put lives at risk by exempting auto dealers from complying with this commonsense safety requirement. GM, Honda, Chrysler, and other car manufacturers who have issued safety recalls, are loaning out tens of thousands of cars to customers while the repairs are being made. Consumers expect that the loaner cars they receive when they take their own cars into a dealership for repairs are safe to drive. But rather than ensure these loaners are safe, the Williams amendment would allow car dealers to give out loaner cars that have the same exact defect as the car that is being repaired. The auto dealers are justifying this amendment by claiming that some safety recalls aren't actually important enough to require immediate repairs. This is ridiculous. NHTSA does not issue frivolous recalls. All safety recalls pose serious safety risks and should be fixed as soon as possible. Any claim otherwise is simply not true. Madam Chair, it only takes one car with an unrepaired safety recall to tragically end a life. That is what happened to Raechel and Jackie Houck when their rented PT Cruiser caught fire and crashed into a tractor-trailer due to an unrepaired recall. And that is what happened to Jewel Brangman when she was killed by the unrepaired Takata airbag in her rented Honda Civic. Loaned cars from auto dealers should be no different. The Williams amendment would let these auto dealers off the hook and allow them to loan out defective cars to unsuspecting consumers. It creates a nonsensical double standard for rentals and loaner cars not based on how unsafe they are, but based on who is renting or loaning them to the public. Keeping unrepaired recalled cars parked in the lot and out of the hands of consumers is common sense. I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing the Williams amendment to ensure all consumers can be confident that their rental car or their loaner car is safe to drive, regardless of whether they get it from a rental company or a dealership.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise to call attention to an important safety provision in the Senate-passed DRIVE Act being considered by the House this week. I am pleased the House is working in a bipartisan manner to fix our Nation's critical highway infrastructure needs. I want to bring attention to a key provision which is included in the DRIVE Act that passed the Senate earlier this year. In 2004, two young sisters, Raechel and Jacqueline Houck, were killed just outside my district when their rented Chrysler PT Cruiser caught fire and crashed due to a defective steering component. The vehicle was not grounded or fixed before it was rented to the Houck sisters, despite having a safety recall notice issued a month before the tragic accident. While today Federal law prohibits car dealers from selling new cars subject to a recall, there is no similar law prohibiting rental car companies from renting out vehicles under a safety recall. That is why I am so pleased the Senate included the text of my bill, H.R. 2198, the Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act, into the DRIVE Act. This legislation is nothing more than a commonsense fix. It modifies existing law to prohibit rental car companies from renting a vehicle under recall until it has been fixed. Pure and simple, consumers must be protected from renting cars that are subject to a safety recall. This key provision does not only have bipartisan support in the House, but it is also supported by the rental car industry, consumer safety groups, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, General Motors, and Honda. Furthermore, a change.org petition calling for passage of this bill was started by Raechel and Jacqueline's mother, Cally Houck. It has received signatures from over 180,000 consumers nationwide. I am disappointed that there may be attempts to strike this critical vehicle safety language from this final highway bill. I believe such actions are misguided and would seriously undermine the tireless effort by Cally Houck and the families who have lost loved ones due to this clear defect in our safety laws. Therefore, as the House debates the highway bill this week, I urge my colleagues to oppose any amendments to weaken or undermine this important bipartisan language. Let us honor the lives of Raechel and Jacqueline Houck by working together to enact a simple, yet meaningful solution that will surely save lives in the future.