Joe Crowley

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 1217, the bipartisan expanded background checks legislation, to honor the memory of Ana Solis, 46 years of age when she was a victim of gun violence, who never received a moment of action on the House floor.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was not present for the vote on concurring in the Senate Amendment to the House Amendment to S. 764, dealing with labeling requirements for genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Had I been here, I would have supported this legislation as a step forward in improving consumers' right to know more about the products they consume. I appreciate that many of my constituents, like many across the country, have expressed a desire to know whether the food they purchase and consume contains GMO ingredients. However, the status quo does not work for consumers, for manufacturers, or for our country. Today, if a consumer wants to know more about where the ingredients in their food come from, it is far from an easy process. Some manufacturers choose to print it on the packaging, others don't. Some define a genetically-modified ingredient one way, others another. There's not much more clarity right now for food manufacturers. Depending on the state or even city, they may face different requirements about what foods to label, what ingredients need to be labeled, or how the label should look. Many companies have started taking steps to provide more information, but the lack of a consistent standard makes it difficult for consumers to access this information in an easy way. The bill that came before the House is not perfect, but I believe it moves us in the right direction. It creates a national standard, instead of a patchwork of state and local laws. And under this standard, it will be mandatory, not voluntary, for manufacturers to disclose whether a product has genetically-modified ingredients, which will now be clearly defined. The measure includes some flexibility for manufacturers to determine for their products what format makes the most sense for this disclosure, but I am pleased that there are clear requirements in place that this disclosure must meet. There is certainly more that can be done to build awareness about what to look for on packaging and how the information can be used, and so I believe this bill can be the first step in a process of education and information-sharing that will help consumers. I also believe the use of electronic scannable codes holds a lot of promise, particularly as manufacturers come together to standardize the codes and information that is provided. I strongly feel that this information should remain easily accessible to the consumer, so that once a code is scanned, there is a direct link to information such as GMO disclosure, ingredients, and nutrition facts. I am heartened that many manufacturers have begun recognizing the need to make this information clearly available, and I look forward to continued progress in this area. Overall, I believe that the legislation considered by the House is a needed step forward from the situation we have today, and a significant improvement from previous legislation that did not require the kind of labeling that consumers have asked for. I support this version of the legislation, and I look forward to continuing to work to strengthen our food safety, nutrition, and anti-hunger laws and programs so that all consumers are able to access healthy, affordable food for themselves and their families.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit the following poem written by Albert Carey Caswell in honor of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's upcoming 69th birthday. 69 Reps To Be the Best (By Albert Carey Caswell) 69 reps to be the best Do we lead or do we rest? Do we build on our success? Do we fall or do we crest? Do we follow or do we lead? To give our world what she so needs Do we live large not narrow? Do we work out and do it now oh? Do we crush it, To find victory as such it Only by living the golden rule, Will we so shine like a jewel Pumping up our world so full Telling fear see you later Why you could even be the govenator Scheduling doubt for termination Eraser Telling it to ``get out'' Don't be afraid to fail That's the only way victory to nail To make dynamic gains You must feel the burn, the pain And what will we create, With each new rep that we so take For the greatness we so yearn 69 reps to be the best You must give your heart and soul To turn your dreams into gold By stretching ourselves beyond belief, For victory to achieve As your dreams you seek Saying ``hasta la vista baby'' to living meek Leaving dynamic gains all in your wake As quadzilla steps you take All in what our heart's create Don't be a girly man Like a commando take a stand 69 reps to be the best And what is the true measure of a man? Who before us now so stands For life is so very short So then what is it that we all hope to sport? All in the days of our lives report And who do we lift up? When in tough times never giving up? To make our lives so buff All in our reps of life's as such Do we dare to push the envelope? To make dynamic gains all in our approach All in what our heart's invoke For we only have so many rep's to our world bless To be the best We must be bold, We must be strong We must work hard all day and night long If we wish to write our life's song And as the years progress some of us shall not grow old Men like arnold never do so Whose heart's never run cold With his heart of a child so yo Who see's the good in all he beholds Whose smile to all heart's call so Who never stop's believing as new dreams he conceiving For he knows not the word defeat even And failure is not an option conceiving All in his austrian-american heart which is beating Is a heart of a child who against all odds is competing As he let's his dreams run wild With his greatest of all smiles and championship style If you want to get to the mountain top? There's only one way, straight up 69 rep's, but there's a lot more left In this american hero to flex Maybe, sixty-nine more? ``work out, do it now'' ``crush it'' ``get in the chopper'' 69 rep's to be the best.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity today to urge my colleagues to not let the Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher Program lapse. As the co-chair of the House Congressional Rare Disease Caucus, I know first-hand how successful this program has been for children and their families throughout the country and I am determined for it to continue. Unfortunately, the program expires September 30th, which could curb continued research and development in the areas of rare pediatric conditions. One condition that very much relies on the incentives of the Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher Program is epidermolysis bullosa (``EB''), and those suffering from the condition are in desperate need of treatments and cures. EB is a rare, debilitating, and potentially fatal connective tissue disorder that manifests through severe blisters on the skin, eyes, throat, and internal organs. Children with EB are often called ``butterfly children'' because their skin so fragile. As with most rare diseases, EB can vary in progression and severity among its various types and subtypes. The most severe form of EB, recessive dystrophic EB, puts children at especially high risk for infection. Typically, even a mild localized trauma can cause skin to fall off, leading to open sores that do not heal, which cause indescribable pain and agony. In addition to the risk of infection, other conditions associated with EB include cancer, heart failure, malnutrition, and foot and hand deformities. I have heard the heartbreaking stories of children with this form, such as Rafi Kopelan and Jackson Silver of New York City and Mikey Fullmer of Irvine, California. Imagine being eight years old, unable to play soccer or swim, covered in bandages, enduring regular painful vinegar and bleach baths, and fighting through the discomfort to eat and breathe. This has been a reality for kids like Rafi, Jackson, and Mikey. New York City is home to two of the three leading patient advocacy and research organizations representing the EB community--debra of America and the EB Research Partnership. I would like to recognize the tremendous impact both organizations, as well as the Los Angeles, California based EB Medical Research Foundation, are having on the community. Due to their efforts, several drug manufacturers are currently in the research and development phase for various treatments for EB--from topical creams to protein replacement therapies. The Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher Program has been instrumental in creating an incentive for these companies to finally allocate resources to investigating potential solutions for children with EB beyond pain management and wound care. But more progress is needed. Further research is necessary, for example, to develop interventions against a particularly virulent form of squamous cell carcinoma in EB patients, which has a mortality rate approaching 90 percent. Congress has long supported EB research funding through the National Institutes of Health, which has helped lay the foundation for these existing development programs. Reauthorizing the Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher Program, however, is a critical way of providing the necessary incentives to ensure children like Rafi, Jackson, and Mikey will soon benefit from this important research in the form of FDA-approved therapies. We must not let this deadline slip and this important program expire, and I hope all my colleagues recognize the urgency of this issue.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chair, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 466, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 467, and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 468. Amendment No. 99 Offered by Mrs. Capps

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chair, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted: Rollcall No. 433, ``yea.'' Amendment No. 33 Offered by Mr. Polis

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I understand the Republican majority has pulled a bill from the floor agenda that would have created a new loophole allowing terror suspects to get a gun. That is good news. The bill they pulled was the Cornyn-NRA gun lobby bill, and we are pleased that they pulled that bill. It is a terrible proposal that will only make matters worse in our country. But now it is time to bring up the meaningful bipartisan bill, the no fly, no buy legislation, and the meaningful background check legislation. And know this: until you do so, Mr. Speaker, we are not going away. We are not going anywhere because this issue is not going away. Putting aside Orlando for a moment--the last gentleman's comments-- since the House gaveled back in on Tuesday, nearly 200 people have been killed or injured due to gun violence. I don't know how many more people must fall victim to gun violence before this body, before House Republicans will get the message. The time for bold action is now. I do know my Democratic colleagues and I are prepared to keep up this fight for as long as we have to to get meaningful gun legislation passed.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 1217, the bipartisan expanded background checks legislation, to honor the memory of Billie Jo, Courtney, and Collin Hettinger, victims of gun violence who never received a moment of silence on the House floor.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, after the historic sit-in that took place on this floor a couple weeks ago, last week I hosted a discussion on gun violence in my district. In attendance were people with a wide range of experiences with gun violence, constituents who volunteered time to advocate for better gun laws, individuals who lost family members due to gun violence, some who themselves were victims of gun violence but thankfully survived. There were representatives from the LGBT community, public health professionals, a youth violence intervention program director, and the director of a theater production featuring people who lost loved ones to gun violence. They came from different hometowns and different walks of life, and they have their own beliefs and world views, but they agree on one thing: we must do something to curb the tragic, persistent threat of gun violence in America. Mr. Speaker, I don't expect all 435 Members of this body to agree on a perfect solution to this troubling issue, but I do expect them to do something that will meaningfully address it, and so do the American people.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I sense a bit of frustration in the voice of my good friend from Texas (Mr. Sessions) in appealing to Democrats to focus on the issue before us. We are focusing on the issue before us, the issue of gun violence in America today. If we learn nothing from 2 weeks ago, we should have learned this: it is no longer business as usual, and we are going to use whatever tactics we need to to get on this floor votes on no fly, no buy and on universal background checks. We are not going to settle for what is being cooked up right now as we speak in the Rules Committee, which has taken the Cornyn language in the Senate that will provide for a 3-day background check, which law enforcement has said over and over and over again will not work. So I can understand the frustration that I'm hearing, but I have to say get used to it because you are going to be frustrated for some time longer until we get on the floor a vote on those two measures that we have asked for. Now, Mr. Speaker, while most Americans were celebrating the anniversary of our Nation's independence this last weekend, hundreds more were mourning the loss of loved ones. Because in the past 72 hours--in just these 72 hours--and since we have gotten these statistics, this number has probably grown. What we know is that 94 people died and 248 were injured due to gun violence in America. That is one person killed or injured about every 12 minutes. At the end of the day, that number will have increased at pretty much that same pace. Now, I know we could not have prevented all of these senseless deaths and injuries, but perhaps if this House majority had allowed action in some meaningful way to improve our gun laws, we could have prevented just some of them. Would that not have been worth it to have prevented just some of them? Democrats in the House have been calling on Speaker Ryan and Republican leadership to, at the very least, consider, debate, and vote on the reforms we are requesting. But not even the lowest common denominator, keeping firearms out of the hands of suspected terrorists, would be put to a vote on this floor. Until today maybe or maybe tomorrow. Caving in to the pressure-- not that the House Democrats bore--the House Republicans have finally decided to address this issue, sort of, kind of. The legislation we will consider this week doesn't really make Americans safer. In fact, it does just the opposite. The bill will actually create a brand-new loophole just for terror suspects. That is right, despite Republicans' description of the bill, individuals who are being investigated for links to terrorist groups won't be kept from buying a gun under their bill. Instead, they will get the firearm they tried to buy just because their background check wasn't completed in 72 hours, even if the background check fails at hour 73.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, we have called this the Charleston loophole because it is how Dylan Roof, who opened fire on a Bible study group at the AME church in Charleston, South Carolina, received his gun. He failed his background check, but not within 3 days, so he got his gun. And now the terror suspects will have that same opportunity. Now, given this, you would think the Republicans would provide the funding needed to complete background checks and make them faster, but not under the bill they have proposed. So let's just call it what it is. More than the Charleston loophole, it is a brand-new ``anywhere loophole'' for terrorists. And dare I mention that all the other loopholes in our background check system will remain open under the legislation that they are stirring up in the Committee on Rules. So, Mr. Speaker, let's be under no illusion. I get the frustration on the other side of the aisle. More frustration to come until we get a vote on this floor for universal background checks that are long enough for law enforcement to do their job and we get a vote on this floor on the no fly, no buy legislation.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the service of Marilyn Bitterman. Marilyn is a beloved member of the Queens community, who plans to retire after 40 years of service to Community Board 7. Marilyn has been working part-time for the Community Board since 1976 and was promoted to Assistant District Manager in 1984. In 1988, she was appointed to the position of District Manager, and she has worked diligently for the people of Queens ever since. She has been a blessing to the community for over four decades and the Community Board, and surrounding community, will miss her dearly. Marilyn is an extremely active member of the Queens community in many ways. She has worked on the Borough President's Flushing Meadows Corona Park Coordination Committee and the Queens Traffic Safety Board. She currently sits on the Community Advisory Boards of Flushing Hospital and the New York-Presbyterian Hospital Queens. She is a graduate of the Citizens Police Academy and presently serves as co-president of the Bay Terrace Garden Jewish Center. Marilyn is an incredible and giving individual, who has dedicated her life to the betterment of her community. At the end of August, Marilyn will be retiring as District Manager from the Community Board. She has worked for much of her life to improve her community, and I would like to personally thank her for her dedication to serving the residents of Queens. I also would like to acknowledge Marilyn's loving husband, Jack, two children, Noel and Tracy, a son-in-law, Michael, and three grandchildren, Gabriel, Sadie and Cassidy, and thank them for sharing Marilyn with the people of Queens for so many years. While the Community Board may be losing an asset to their team, the whole community is extremely grateful to Marilyn for her many years of selfless service. I hope all my colleagues will join me in honoring Marilyn Bitterman's service to the Queens community and in wishing her a happy retirement.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure I rise to pay tribute to Major Marisa Pace for her exemplary dedication to duty and service as an Army Congressional Liaison for the Chief of Army Reserve. In that role, she managed the Appropriations Portfolio for the Army Reserve. I am grateful that she will continue to serve the Army and Congress in her new assignment as Plans Officer for the 1179th Surface Deployment and Distribution Command in Fort Hamilton, New York. I know we all wish her well in her new position. A native of Woodside, New York, Major Pace graduated from West Point in June of 2001 and was commissioned into the Transportation Corps as a 2nd Lieutenant. In the course of her career, she also earned a Master's degree in Legislative Affairs from The George Washington University. Major Pace has served in a broad range of assignments during her 15 years of service as an officer in the United States Army. Prior to moving to the Army Congressional Liaison Office in 2011, she was assigned to Headquarters Army, G-4 (Logistics) as the Executive Officer for the Director of the Transportation and Distribution Directorate. She deployed in 2003 as a Platoon Leader with 68th Transportation Company, 28th Transportation Battalion, Mannheim, Germany and again in 2005 as the Plans and Training Officer for 37th Transportation Brigade out of Kaiserslautern, Germany. Major Pace's other assignments include Osan Airbase, Korea, where she served as the Officer In Charge of the Movement Control Team from 2001-2002 and Germany, where she served as a Platoon Leader in 28th Transportation Battalion and the Headquarters and Headquarters Company Executive Officer and Training Officer for 37th Transportation Brigade. Her service in the Army Reserve is highlighted by her selection in 2012 to serve as an Army Congressional Fellow. While assigned to the Office of the Chief of Army Reserve from 2012 to 2016, Major Pace spent a year representing the Army to the Congress by working in the office of Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA). In this role, Major Pace served as policy advisor on all matters relating to defense and national security. After this, she served as a legislative liaison in the Office of the Chief of Army Reserve. In this capacity, Major Pace directly represented the Chief of Army Reserve to the Senate and House appropriations committees to educate and inform Senators, Representatives, and staff on critical Army Reserve funding issues. Major Pace grew accustomed to living so far from family during her time in the Army. So let me also acknowledge her parents, Paul and Renee Pace, her sisters Megan Pace and Michele Pace-Holthusen, her brother Paul Pace Jr. and her in-laws John Holthusen, Micky Harris and Janine Accardi for their unwavering love and support. I thank them for their sacrifices as well and wish them all the best for continued success in the future. Throughout her 15 year career, Major Marisa Pace has made positive impacts on the careers and lives of her soldiers, peers, and superiors, and I am grateful that she has chosen to continue to serve back in our home state of New York. I join my colleagues today in honoring her dedication to our Nation and invaluable service to the United States Congress as an Army congressional liaison.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I will be brief. I just wanted to take an opportunity, especially from this side of the aisle, to hear from someone who worked with Mike, who had great admiration for him, and that is myself. When I was a young man, elected at 36 years of age back in 1998, one of the first people I met on the other side of the aisle--not from my home State--was Mike Oxley. He had great admiration for my predecessor as well, and they were good friends, Tom Manton. Mike was also my chairman. I served on the House Committee on Financial Services after the attacks of 9/11, and one of the great tributes I think I can give to Mike Oxley is he was, in large part, responsible for the passing of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, also known as TRIA, something that was desperately needed after the events of 9/11 to shore up the financial services industry and industry all around the country and real estate. In so many, many ways, he understood the ramifications that not having that backstop could potentially have for our country. He saw to it that a bipartisan bill was agreed to. So I have nothing but fond memories of Mike. I was very saddened when I heard of Michael's illness. I know he is missed by his family. On a lighter note, this week we will play the annual congressional baseball game. I am sure that if my colleagues were here on the floor, Coach Doyle in particular would be pointing out that he and Mike had a good friendship. Mike was also a good basketball player. He had a wicked 3-point shot. Maybe if the 3-point play had been in place when he was in high school, he might have been somebody, you never know. But Mike Oxley certainly was someone and a treasure to this institution, this body. He was a real Member's Member. I think if you can leave this House and have a tribute by someone from this side in a personal way speak about you, as I am today, I think that speaks highly of Michael Oxley. He is missed. What a great thing to do to honor him by naming this post office in his honor.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Michigan for yielding me this time. Before I begin, I want to thank my colleague, Ranking Member Lawrence, for her support on the Interior Subcommittee as well as the full committee, Ranking Member Cummings and Chairman Chaffetz of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee for working with us to bring this bill to the floor. I am so pleased to have this chance to honor Jeanne and Jules Manford and their history of community engagement by naming the Jackson Heights Post Office, which is situated in Queens, New York, which is squarely in the middle of my congressional district. I also want to thank Suzanne Swan, Jeanne and Jules' daughter, and PFLAG for collaborating with me on this legislation as well. Mr. Speaker, the timing of this bill, as my colleague from Michigan just said, could not be a more opportune moment. It comes in the wake of last Sunday's terrible attack on the LGBT community in Orlando, an attack that was motivated by hate. We stand here today to honor two individuals who, when faced with a hateful act of violence themselves against their son, were inspired to start a movement couched in acceptance and support. Jeanne and Jules Manford were your typical middle class Queens, New Yorkers, who worked hard to make a better life for themselves, their families, and for their community. Jeanne was a public schoolteacher in Flushing, Queens. Jules was a dentist. The couple worked with a number of local community groups helping to make Queens a better place to live. And they raised two children, Suzanne and Morty, in whom they instilled the values of hard work, compassion, and public service. Morty was lucky to have two loving parents who accepted him for who he was at a time when the acceptance of LGBT people was, unfortunately, the exception rather than the rule. While a student at Columbia and Cardozo Law School and throughout his career, Morty stood up for the rights of the LGBT community and, like his parents, sought to make life better for those around him. He was one of those many present at the Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village in 1969, and he continued to organize protests in order to draw attention to issues affecting the LGBT community. Following one of those protests in April of 1972, Morty was severely beaten. In a trial following the beating, witnesses testified that they saw Morty thrown down an escalator and then kicked and stomped on. Thankfully, those injuries were not fatal. Morty did recover. But his parents, Jeanne and Jules, were galvanized to take their own actions to counter hate and to counter discrimination. The following June, in the Christopher Street Liberation Day Parade, the predecessor to New York's Pride Parade, Jeanne Manford carried a now-famous sign that read: ``Parents of Gays Unite in Support for Our Children.'' The image of Jeanne and her defiance and call to action in the face of bigotry and violence became a celebrated artifact in the history of the gay rights movement. This is an iconic photo in the gay rights movement. It shows the face of a proud mother who refuses to accept that her child should be mistreated because of who he is. More importantly, this picture, and this particular sign, document the inception of a new approach to achieving equality, an effort by parents and families to stand up for their LGBT children. In that moment, now 44 years, almost to this day, Jeanne embodied the spirit that has now come to guide a national organization known as PFLAG. In the wake of Morty Manford's harrowing beating, Jeanne and Jules realized that, even as LGBT people continue to fight for justice and acceptance, their work can be amplified through the support of their allies. And who better to be an ally than one's own supportive family? It was with this in mind that Jeanne and Jules founded an organization known as Parents of Gays. With their spirit of community involvement, Jeanne and Jules wanted to help others like them, friends and neighbors and colleagues, to help understand and support their LGBT children. They held their first support group meeting in 1973 in the Church of the Village, a uniquely accepting and progressive Methodist Church in Greenwich Village, and it is still active today. At a time when attitudes toward sexual orientation were only just beginning to change, the founding of an organization designed to bring in, educate, and support those closest to the LGBT individuals, their parents, was critical in advancing acceptance and equal rights. Over the next few years, similar organizations were started all around the country, and their representatives were finally brought together following the 1979 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. A couple of years later, following important work establishing themselves as the source of information and support, various chapters decided to launch a national organization called Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, now known as PFLAG. And from there, the organization's efforts took off. PFLAG began work on national policy issues, such as stopping the military from discharging lesbian servicemembers. And it worked to help establish hundreds of chapters in rural communities where LGBT individuals and their families had a more difficult time finding and coordinating with others like them. Today, PFLAG counts over 350 chapters and more than 200,000 members in all 50 States, and similar organizations have been established around the world. Jeanne and Jules continued to work in their community, helping to found a PFLAG chapter in Queens, alongside the LGBT equal rights activist and my good friend, Danny Dromm, now a member of the New York City Council. Jeanne went on to become an advocate for people with HIV and AIDS, following Morty's death from the disease in 1992 at the young age of just 41. For her many years of work in support of the LGBT community, Jeanne was honored as the first Grand Marshal of the Queens Pride Parade, which began in 1993, the year after Morty's death. The parade runs through the heart of my district in Queens and passes a reviewing stand situated directly in front of the post office we are renaming today in Jackson Heights. In fact, the street corner next to this post office was itself renamed for someone we lost to a senseless act of hate. Julio Rivera, a young man, was killed in 1990 at the age of 29, targeted because he, himself, was gay. Jackson Heights is a thriving neighborhood with a growing LGBT community, and our community will be honored to have our local post office bear the names of Jeanne and Jules Manford. These symbols remind us of how far we have come. After Jules Manford passed away, Jeanne, having lost her husband and son, eventually went to live with her daughter, Suzanne, in California. In January of 2013, just a few months before the Supreme Court's landmark decision overturning the Defense of Marriage Act, Jeanne passed away at the age of 92. That same year, Jeanne was honored posthumously with the Presidential Citizens Medal for her efforts. It is difficult to imagine how we could have achieved so much progress toward attaining more equal rights for LGBT Americans without the work of Jeanne and Jules Manford more than 40 years ago. Though the LGBT community itself had already begun to organize and demand action, it was the Manfords' work to bring families and allies into the fold that helped push these issues to the fore. Many attribute the shift in public opinion on the issue of marriage equality to the simple fact that gay and lesbian people are able to be more open about who they are. As a result, more and more straight Americans know someone who is gay or lesbian or bisexual or transgender and want their friends and family to be treated equally. This is thanks, in no small part, to the supportive work of the PFLAG and its chapters throughout the years, and to the movement by parents and families who proudly choose to love their children for who they are. So as we celebrate Pride Month, I am glad we have this opportunity to reflect upon and honor those who helped get us to where we are today. As we mourn in the wake of the tragic shooting at the Pulse LGBT nightclub in Orlando last week, I hope we all can emulate the way Jeanne and Jules Manford responded to their son's beating. The Manfords recognized that violent acts of hate don't show strength. Far from it. They show weakness in the soul of the offender. Instead of recoiling in fear, the Manfords reacted with a sign of love, support, and solidarity. I have been heartened to see millions of Americans do the same over this past week. It has shown our strength as a society and as a nation in spite of an attack meant to shake us. So I am particularly glad that we are able to consider this legislation today to honor Jeanne and Jules Manford for all they have done for Queens, for New York, and for America, and I look forward to seeing this become law. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all of you who are responsible for bringing this bill to the floor today for its consideration. I ask my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, if I were to stand here today and read an agenda on attacks on immigrants, Muslims, women, and families living in poverty and even the judicial system, you might think it was the campaign platform for the Republican candidate for President. But every one of those hasn't just come from ``Con Man Don.'' They have been embraced, affirmed, and in many cases even inspired by this Republican Congress. So you could be forgiven for being confused because the truth is they are all one and the same. We are used to this hateful rhetoric coming from the other side of the aisle. Sometimes it is masked in legislation; sometimes not so much. But when the leader of their party, their standard-bearer, ``Con Man Don'' makes racist and discriminatory remarks as easily as if he were reciting the alphabet, it begs the question: ``What do Republicans stand for?'' You only have to look at all they have in common with ``Con Man Don,'' a candidate they have even admitted has made racist statements. It is clear they stand with ``Con Man Don,'' but it is also clear who they don't stand with and, that is, the American people.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, on June 7, 2016, due to a weather-related travel delay I was absent for recorded votes No. 269, No. 270, No. 271 and No. 272. I would like to reflect how I would have voted if I were here: On Roll Call No. 269 I would have voted yes. On Roll Call No. 270 I would have voted yes. On Roll Call No. 271 I would have voted yes. On Roll Call No. 272 I would have voted yes.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, on May 18, 2016, due to a family emergency I was absent for recorded votes 206 through 216. I would like to reflect how I would have voted if I were here: On Roll Call Number 206 I would have voted no, On Roll Call Number 207 I would have voted no, On Roll Call Number 208 I would have voted no, On Roll Call Number 209 I would have voted no, On Roll Call Number 210 I would have voted yes, On Roll Call Number 211 I would have voted no, On Roll Call Number 212 I would have voted yes, On Roll Call Number 213 I would have voted yes, On Roll Call Number 214 I would have voted no, On Roll Call Number 215 I would have voted yes, and On Roll Call Number 216 I would have voted no.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, yield myself such time as I may consume. We all agree that the IRS faces serious consumer service challenges and needs to be more responsive to the American taxpayer, but this bill is not a serious attempt at oversight of the IRS. In fact, with respect to making the IRS more responsive to taxpayers, this bill is a move in the wrong direction. But the fact that Republicans are moving in the wrong direction on tax policy really shouldn't be a surprise to any of us. They are not only starving our entire government of the resources that it needs to operate efficiently for the American public, but they are deliberately standing in the way of actual productive policies. Forget real tax reform that would bring positive benefits. They aren't even doing anything to fix what is broken in the system today. For example, the Republicans refuse to crack down on large corporations that seek to avoid paying their fair share of taxes simply by changing their mailing address from the United States to a low-tax foreign country. We see these stories on TV all the time, corporations renouncing their American citizenship to not have to pay any--any--U.S. taxes. But congressional Republicans have refused to take any action to stop these corporate tax dodgers and the resulting offshoring of American jobs. In fact, the Republicans who run Congress have protected these companies not only through their refusal to act to stop these tax inversions, but by also refusing to repeal the tax break that incentivizes U.S. companies to ship jobs overseas. Yes, American companies can claim a tax break for firing American workers and moving their jobs overseas, and my Republican colleagues are doing nothing about that. The real-world effect of the Republicans' refusal to go after these corporations that invert themselves to avoid paying their share of taxes is a heavier tax burden on the rest of our honest constituents who are playing by the rules. To address this problem, the Treasury Department recently issued new rules to stop large corporations from simply changing their post office box to avoid paying U.S. taxes. Could my constituents imagine simply changing their post office box address to eliminate their Federal taxes? Of course not. Because they can't. But somehow multinational companies, which seem to have more rights than American citizens, can. Now, you would think the American Congress would support the efforts of the American President to stop American companies from not paying the taxes here in America. But, Mr. Speaker, you would be wrong. The majority is threatening to stop the Treasury from advancing these types of commonsense rules to make multinational corporations pay their fair share of U.S. taxes just like everyone else. Wouldn't our time be better spent and served if my Republican colleagues held hearings--and passed bills--to stop companies from moving their jobs and profits overseas? Democrats stand ready to work with them to enact commonsense policies to close the loopholes in our Tax Code that encourage companies to send their profits and their jobs overseas. Unfortunately, we will have to wait for another day before the majority is serious about working together to make our tax system fairer for working people. But let me be clear. Americans will not wait any longer. They demand that we act to close these loopholes to ensure that American corporations don't cheat the system to try to avoid paying their fair share of taxes here in the United States, letting the little guy have a greater burden in their absence. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds. Mr. Speaker, it appears that America will have to continue to wait for action to stop companies from shifting American jobs overseas and stopping corporate tax dodgers. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds. Mr. Speaker, I would just add to that list of the gentleman from Texas: If it were Congress, would we allow this to happen? Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I would inquire how much time is remaining on both sides.

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CROWLEY

Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to acknowledge Hopey's Day in New York City, which is on April 22, 2016. Hopey's Day was initiated by the Hopey's Heart Foundation, which works to raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest, particularly among student athletes, and helps to place automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at schools and at community and recreational centers. The driving force behind Hopey's Day has been WNBA New York Liberty center Tina Charles, who founded the Hopey's Heart Foundation in honor of her late aunt, Maureen ``Hopey'' Vaz. As an athlete, Tina recognized that too many promising young athletes lose their lives to sudden cardiac arrest on basketball courts and sports fields before they can attain the same dreams she achieved. Under Tina's leadership, the Hopey's Heart Foundation has provided over 200 AEDs to schools around the U.S. and in other parts of the world. To mark Hopey's Day, the Hopey's Heart Foundation, along with Safe Kids Worldwide, will be holding sports safety clinics at New York City schools, including P.S. 127 in Queens and in P.S. 55 in the Bronx. These clinics will help kids, parents, and coaches understand how they can prevent risks encountered in sports, like sudden cardiac arrest, as well as teach about proper hydration and concussions. Notably, attendees will learn emergency response and how to use an AED. These clinics also mark the beginning of the Hopey's Heart Foundation Build UP NYC program to expand its work across New York City, and I look forward to seeing more schools have the opportunity to present these experiences to their students. I am so proud of the work that Hopey's Heart Foundation, Safe Kids NYC and Safe Kids Queens have done, as well as of the tremendous leadership shown by Tina Charles, a native of East Elmhurst, Queens, where one of the Hopey's Day clinics will take place. Tina has committed herself to giving back to her home community and elsewhere in so many ways. I thank the Hopey's Heart Foundation and Tina Charles for their commitment to protect the hearts of so many children playing sports.