Steve Cohen

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of my amendment, which was made in order, and which would make an exception to H.R. 1927's required showing for class certification for any claims brought by the victims of a terrorist attack against the attack's perpetrators. We all agree that victims of terrorist attacks deserve justice, and they should have the fullest opportunity to obtain compensation for any injuries they have suffered because of such attacks. Sadly, our history over the last generation has no shortage of examples of the kind of victims this amendment would help. From the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut and the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia, to the downing of Pan Am 103 by Qadhafi's Libya, recourse to our courts has been one of the few ways that victims of terrorism have been given at least some opportunity to seek justice for the acts committed against their family members and them. I know Chairman Goodlatte shares my concerns for these victims, and I applaud him for his successful efforts to create a compensation fund for those victims of state sponsors of terrorism who receive final court judgements against those state sponsors. The program also compensates those held hostage in the U.S. Embassy in Iran in 1979. In some of these cases, the victims, or their survivors, pursued class actions against the state sponsors of the terrorist act. Yet, under section 2 of H.R. 1927, these victims may not have had the opportunity to pursue a class action in the first place. As noted during the general debate, section 2 adds the new requirement that a named plaintiff prove, as a condition of class certification, that every putative class member suffered the same ``scope'' of injury; not comparable, but the same scope. This requirement can be read to preclude a class action where, for instance, one terrorism victim loses his legs, while another loses his arms as a result of some terrorist attack. Or maybe somebody isn't a direct victim of the terrorist attack, but hurt in the aftermath of the attack. In short, they did not suffer the same scope of injury. I note that ``scope'' can mean the same thing as ``extent,'' as the bill introduced originally stated. Current rules, while requiring commonality of facts and law, does not require a showing of commonality in damages as a prerequisite for certifying a class action, as this ``scope of injury'' standard requires. It is rare that two class members suffer the exact same scope of injury, and almost impossible to prove this at the certification stage. Think about Boston. Some people lost a leg, some people lost a life, some people lost both legs. They couldn't be part of a class. The relevant inquiry is whether they allegedly both suffered injury as a result of the same alleged wrongful act by the defendant. It is hard enough as it is to pursue class actions because of years of efforts by industry to make it more and more difficult. Sometimes, in these terrorist situations, it is a different type of defendant. It is wrong to place the heightened burdens of H.R. 1927 on terrorism victims who seek justice for the acts committed against them. I would ask that this amendment be accepted by the other side because all it does is make exception for victims of terrorism, and we all share in our hope that victims of terror get justice and that we don't put any more hurdles in the way of them successfully completing the track of seeking justice for them and their heirs, ancestors who might have been killed in those attacks. My amendment would offer them relief of these burdens, and I would hope the other side would accept it. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise to ask that the amendment be considered.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, in Memphis, Tennessee, today our director of police, Toney Armstrong, announced he would be leaving his position. Director Armstrong served the city of Memphis as a policeman since 1989. In 2011, he became the director of police, the youngest director in the city's history. He did a great job. I started my career as an attorney for the police department in Memphis and served 3\1/2\ years there and knew all the directors, and none were better than Toney Armstrong, becoming director at 44 and having risen through the ranks. It is a tough job being a policeman, and it is a tough job being director of an urban police department. He did a fine job. Toney Armstrong is moving over to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to be head of security there. St. Jude is a blessing to Memphis and a blessing to the world. They are going to employ 7,000 new people in the next 6 years and increase their opportunities to treat children by 20 percent. Toney Armstrong will be a great director. It is a great team, Toney Armstrong and St. Jude. Thank God for each.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, we closed the last year of Congress with some very productive work on both sides of the aisle: we passed a transportation bill; we reformed No Child Left Behind; we passed the tax extenders bill; and we passed an omnibus bill. I thank Speaker Ryan and the Republicans for working in a bipartisan fashion. But we are back here in 2016, and as President Reagan would say: There they go again. Yes, they are trying to repeal the ACA for the 62nd time, and for the 11th time to try to defund Planned Parenthood. These bills are not going to become law. The President will veto them. It puts us back in a situation where this House isn't being used for America's priorities of putting people back to work, dealing with the crisis in the Middle East and maybe having an AUMF passed, and dealing with criminal justice reform and passing a bill. The idea, as I understand it, is to pass the bill; the President will veto it; it won't become law; and have the first veto override on the day that the March for Life is here in Washington. This is being done for political theater, to appeal to the March for Life people, and not for what America needs: to put people back to work and protect our people from terrorism in the Middle East. I wish we would get back to the way we finished up 2015.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, we ended the 2015 Congress working together with a tax extender package that I voted for that gave relief to the medical device folks in an omnibus bill. But we are back, and there you go again trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act, taking health care away from people and taking Planned Parenthood, which gives people who are poor and live in areas where there is not other healthcare opportunities--taking away from them the opportunity for preventive health care. The last time this was tried in Tennessee, there was a 1,400 percent cut in women getting preventative care. That is just not right. We just came through Hanukkah and Christmas, and we ought to think a little bit about what Hanukkah and Christmas were about and what Moses and Jesus would be about. I think they would be about saving lives and about giving everybody an opportunity to live, not patient-centric health care, but people living and getting health care like every other civilized, industrialized country in the world provides for its people.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Mighty Purple Bears of Trezevant High School and Coach Teli White and his coaching staff on winning the TSSAA BlueCross Bowl Division 1 Class 2A Football State Championship game against Marion County High School on Saturday, December 5, 2015 in Cookeville, TN. The Mighty Purple Bears were led by Jr. standout Running Back and Strong Safety Cordarrian Richardson, who carried the ball 41 times for 342 yards scoring 3 touchdowns and throwing for 1 touchdown. Cordarrian's play set a new state record by surpassing Omar Williams of St. George's 322 yards record set in 2011. Under Coach White's leadership, Trezevant advanced to the championship game by defeating Oakhaven High School (Memphis, TN) 54-0, Douglass High School (Memphis, TN) 54-0, Manassas High School (Memphis, TN) 22-0, Trinity Christian Academy (Jackson, TN) 52-14, and Marion County High School (Jasper, TN) 40-35. The Mighty Purple Bears finished their season 12-3. This is Trezevant's first state title. I am extremely proud of their academic and athletic success. I know the mighty Purple Bears will keep riding the waves of success and represent their community and the city of Memphis with pride. Go Purple Bears.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, this is the last day of the first session of the 114th Congress. I have served here for 9 years. I am proud to be a Member, and I look forward to continuing to be a Member in the future. In the last 2 months of this year, we have gotten a lot accomplished by working together. The omnibus and tax extender bills weren't unanimous, but they got a majority of each caucus. I was proud to support each. We got a transportation and an education bill passed, which was very important. This House does work. It worked under Speaker Ryan, working with Leader Pelosi. I thank all of the leaders and all of the people involved in getting these last two bills together and everyone who supported them. I also thank the people for allowing me to be a Member of this House. I am proud to be a Member of the House of Representatives.

Mr. COHEN

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

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Conyers is the ranking member, and I appreciate his support just as I appreciate Mr. Goodlatte for bringing this bill to the floor. Bills don't get to the floor without the chairman of the committee having recommended them; so I thank Mr. Goodlatte and I thank Mr. Conyers, as I have been thinking about the apology for slavery and Jim Crow that came to this floor 7 years ago but that wouldn't have without the work of then-Chairman Conyers; so I thank him again. Today, I thank Mr. Forbes and my other sponsors, Mr. Nadler and Mr. Rohrabacher, who have cosponsored this bill with me. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4246, the National Guard and Reservist Debt Relief Extension Act of 2015. This bipartisan legislation ensures that certain members of the National Guard and Reserves who fall on hard economic times after their service will continue to obtain the bankruptcy relief which we have granted them in the past so they won't have to fill out substantial paperwork that is required by the so-called ``means test'' under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code and meet that test. The means test came into effect about 10 years ago when President Bush signed into law what is called the BAPCPA, the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, which made numerous amendments to the bankruptcy law. It provided a means test, which made it more difficult to get into bankruptcy court. This gives National Guardsmen and reservists an opportunity to extinguish their debts without having to go through that difficult test. The National Guard and Reservist Debt Relief Act of 2008 created an exception to the means test's presumption of abuse for members of the National Guard and Reserves who after September 11 served on Active Duty or in a homeland defense activity for at least 90 days. The exception remains available for 540 days after the servicemember leaves the military. Many servicemembers, we know, are subjected to unscrupulous lenders and payday loans, and we have seen stories that show that up to, I think, 11 percent of servicemembers have been taking out payday loans. Eleven percent of enlisted personnel in the Active Duty military obtain these loans, which include vehicle title loans, pawnshop loans, and other high-interest loans; so they are preyed upon. In understanding they give service to our country and are preyed upon by folks near the military establishment in the communities, it is appropriate that we give them this relief. It is a way for our Nation to recognize the sacrifices made by National Guard and Reserve members who have served on Active Duty or in homeland defense since September 11 and who may be suffering from financial hardship. The bill is supported by the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys and by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Again, I thank Mr. Goodlatte and Ranking Member Conyers and my fellow cosponsors; and I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow the House will vote on an omnibus spending bill, and I look forward to supporting that bill because it does so much good for America, moves us forward, and brings us together as a body to move America forward. Included in there is the amendment I have had on the House floor, and the Senate accepted to add an additional $4 million to test rape kits. Mr. Speaker, there is a horrific backlog of rape kits in this country, and the Federal Government has stepped forward. Now we will step forward with $45 million--last year it was $41 million--to give to local governments to reduce the backlog. That means we will be able to catch the guilty and stop them before they violate the law again and violate another woman, because rapists are often serial offenders. I look forward to supporting the omnibus bill, protecting women in America, and finding justice for criminals.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 60th year of desegregation of the City of Memphis Fire Department. On July 11, 1955, twelve African American men were recruited to join the Memphis Fire Department and were assigned to Fire Station No. 8 located at E.H. Crump and Mississippi Boulevards. They were: Robert Crawford; Carl Stotts; Floyd Newsum; Norvell Wallace; George Dumas; John Copper; William Carter; Leon Parsons; Richard Burns; Lawrence Yates; Leroy Johnson; and Murray Pugues. Like many African Americans who worked to break the barriers erected by Jim Crow era laws, there were many challenges to being the first to integrate the fire department, but their love for the city of Memphis and desire to keep citizens safe from harm helped them to overcome the challenges with the highest levels of determination and professionalism. For many years following integration, racial differences dictated how African American firefighters responded to fires. In his book ``Black Fire: Portrait of a Black Memphis Firefighter,'' Robert Crawford recalled how the twelve men were required to wait outside homes belonging to white residents until after the Captain inspected the home to ensure any woman present was appropriately dressed. When responding to fires at residences belonging to African Americans, the twelve were allowed to enter and investigate alongside their white colleagues. Crawford also recounted the challenges he and others faced when working with firefighters from other firehouses around the city, obtaining information on fighting fires and in being considered for promotions. Fire Station No. 8 became well-known for its crews' perseverance, work ethic and bravery in the line of duty. Over time, other fire companies became open to working with the men, which led to the full integration of the Memphis Fire Department. This was, however, not without resistance from some within the department who were opposed to such change, even into the 1980s when some of the twelve men had been promoted to high ranks. By the time of their retirements, they had achieved the ranks of: Robert Crawford--Deputy Director of the Memphis Fire Department; Carl Stotts--Deputy Chief; Floyd Newsum--Division Chief; Norvell Wallace--Assistant Fire Marshal; George Dumas--Battalion Commander; John Copper--Captain; William Carter--Fire Inspector; Leon Parsons--Lieutenant; Richard Burns--Private; and Lawrence Yates-- Private. Sixty years later, the Memphis Fire Department remains integrated and three African Americans have held the highest position of Director, including Alvin Benson who now serves as the Chief of the Shelby County Fire Department. Mr. Speaker, these twelve men are a part of Memphis history. They are honored with an exhibit at the Fire Museum of Memphis and they have a place in the hearts of the citizens of Memphis. Now, they will be honored and remembered in the United States Congressional Record. I ask all of my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 60th year of desegregation of the Memphis Fire Department.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the 99th birthday of a great American: Kirk Douglas. I read about Mr. Douglas' birthday in the paper where he didn't receive gifts, but gave gifts. He gave a $15 million contribution to an Alzheimer's home in California. He did this on his birthday. I found out that he has a long history of charitable giving in philanthropy. In Los Angeles, he created 400 different playgrounds, has given money to children's hospitals, and taken a long effort to help people from all walks of life. I saw him also in a movie that I saw recently called ``Trumbo.'' I didn't realize that he had stood up against blacklisting in Hollywood and had encouraged the hiring of Dalton Trumbo, a blacklisted writer, who saved his career from what was a scourge on the United States Congress and our history of free speech and democracy. I first learned all of what Kirk Douglas has done when I heard an apology for slavery and Jim Crow, and I found out he had been for an apology for slavery for years. He had an Internet site encouraging people to join a petition and lobbyists to pass an apology for slavery in this country. These type of things show that Kirk Douglas is the type of person we should emulate and honor. He has had 99 great years. I thank him for his efforts of charitable giving and for his philosophy of forgiveness and understanding.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act of 2015, which I introduced earlier today with my colleagues Jerrold Nadler and Dana Rohrabacher. This bipartisan legislation ensures that certain members of the National Guard and Reserves who fall on hard economic times after their service will continue to obtain bankruptcy relief without having to fill out the substantial paperwork required by the so-called ``means test'' under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. This bill simply extends the existing ``means test'' exception, which will expire at the end of the year if Congress fails to act. Under the means test, a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case is presumed to be an abuse of the bankruptcy process if it appears that the debtor has income in excess of certain thresholds. The National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Act of 2008 created an exception to the means test's presumption of abuse for members of the National Guard and Reserves who, after September 11, 2001, served on active duty or in a homeland defense activity for at least 90 days. The exception remains available for 540 days after the servicemember leaves the military. The National Guard and Reservist Debt Relief Extension Act of 2015 would simply extend the exception until December 2019. This bill is a meaningful way for our Nation to recognize the tremendous sacrifice made by National Guard and Reserve members who have served on active duty or homeland defense since September 11, 2001 and may be suffering financial hardship. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to congratulate the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Jolly) on his statement. I thought that showed some courage. It reflects the values of a lot of people here in this House and in the United States of America. It needed to be said. Mr. Speaker, some of us on both sides of the aisle have been working hard to reform our marijuana laws to allow more State flexibility in how marijuana is regulated and treated commercially and medically. What binds us together across a broad ideological spectrum is our strong belief that we must be able to distinguish between marijuana and seriously dangerous and lethal drugs: meth, heroin, crack, cocaine, and prescription drugs as well. People don't rob corner groceries and liquor stores to get money to supply their habit of marijuana. They do that for meth, crack, cocaine, heroin. It is a different, different drug. The movement that is occurring here in this Congress and around our country is ongoing and growing rapidly, thanks to open minds, common sense, and some people having the courage to stand up for things they know are true because they, themselves, their friends, their family, and others have smoked marijuana, and they have seen that it is not a great problem. Sunday night, I and millions of Americans watched a disturbing ``60 Minutes'' piece on the issue of confidential informants. Lesley Stahl was the host. It focused on how local law enforcement appears to be increasingly using young people as informants without regard to their rights or their safety. It is being done without distinguishing between marijuana and the dangerous drugs that affect our society and our safety: heroin, meth, crack, cocaine, opiates. Here is how it works. A young person is cited for violating drug laws, usually possessing a small amount of marijuana and perhaps having sold some to a friend, which happens regularly in high school and college--not that high school kids should be doing it, but it is a fact, and so are college kids. The police tell them that, unless they agree to wear a wire and implicate a number of their friends, often close friends, they could be sentenced to a long prison term, the maximum permitted by law. They are cornered, frightened. Any person in that situation would take that deal. Most of them do it under supreme duress, and they do it without the presence of a lawyer or the knowledge that they have a right to a lawyer. Most of them seem to do it without even telling their parents because the police tell them: Don't tell anybody. This is just between you and me. You need to do this or you are going to prison for a long time. In the case of Rachel Hoffman and Andrew Sadek, it cost them their lives. Rachel had dealt a small amount of marijuana. They got her into dealing with people that dealt heavy drugs and guns and got her to try to make a big purchase. They didn't do a very good job of covering her. Rachel was murdered. Mr. Sadek was murdered, also, as a confidential informant, without police protecting him. The underpinnings for this counterproductive and dangerous behavior by some of our police are the very drug laws that many of us are trying to reform. This is wrong. I hope my colleagues will work with me to help stop it. President Eisenhower warned us about the military industrial complex and its effect on our country and our budgets. We need to be warned about the law enforcement-marijuana industrial complex, which is driven by monies that they get from busts and perverts justice and ruins people's lives and takes away their college scholarships, their opportunity to have housing, on occasion, and their opportunities to get jobs and, indeed, their liberty. In the meantime, it is time for the Department of Justice to take a close look at how this behavior not only threatens to ruin young lives but, in some cases, to end those lives. As the Department of Justice, in the aftermath of all too many instances of police overreach and overreaction, works with local communities to educate law enforcement on more just and humane practices, the issue of forcing young people to be confidential informants should be added to its list. Mr. Speaker, we will be working on legislation. I hope we have people to join us. This is just part of the scourge that has come across this Nation, ruining people's lives because of the misunderstanding of marijuana starting in the 1930s with Harry Anslinger and continuing in the 1970s with Richard Nixon, who used it as a political tool. It needs to stop.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, in the wake of the shocking video from Chicago showing the brutal shooting of Laquan McDonald by a Chicago police officer, I rise today to encourage my colleagues to pass H.R. 2302, the Police Training and Independent Review Act. Congressman Lacy Clay and I introduced this bill earlier this year to stop local prosecutors from being tasked with investigating and prosecuting the same local police with whom they work so closely. This is an inherent conflict of interest. What happened in Chicago is just the latest evidence that it needs to end. If enacted, the Police Training and Independent Review Act would condition the receipt of full Byrne-JAG funding on States adopting laws to require independent investigation and, if necessary, prosecution of law enforcement officers in cases involving the use of deadly force. If we are serious about restoring a sense of fairness and justice, we need to pass this bill and remove this conflict. Law enforcement, police, and sheriffs have a tough job, a dangerous job, and they bring cases to DAs and serve as witnesses. This hand-in- glove relationship shouldn't be upset, but it also shouldn't upset justice. We have seen charges brought against officers in certain cities, but more would be brought if there were independent prosecutions.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, due to a flight delay on March 23, 2015, I was unable to attend House Roll Call Vote numbers 130 and 131. If present, I would have voted yes on H.R. 360 and H. Res. 162.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Protect Our Students and Taxpayers (POST) Act, a bipartisan bill I introduced earlier today with my colleague Congressman Walter Jones. If enacted, it would take steps towards eliminating an incentive for for-profit colleges to aggressively recruit and enroll veterans, service members and their families, who have sacrificed for this country and deserve the highest quality of education. Current law prohibits for-profit colleges and universities from deriving more than 90 percent of their revenue from the U.S. Department of Education's federal student aid programs. The other 10 percent is required to come from sources other than the federal government. However, because of the way the law was written, veterans' and active duty service members' federal student aid does not count towards the 90 percent. Instead, it may be included among a for-profit institution's calculation of its 10 percent non-federal revenue. As a result, for-profit colleges and universities are left with a powerful incentive to recruit veterans, service members and their families, offering them degrees that are often less valuable than those from not-for-profit institutions. The POST Act would strengthen the definition of ``federal aid'' to include G.I. bill funds, Department of Defense Tuition Assistance benefits, and all other federal funding sources. Furthermore, the POST Act would reinstate a 15 percent minimum on revenue that for-profit colleges must receive from sources other than the federal government. The requirement was lowered from 15 percent to 10 percent in 1998. The bill also takes steps towards eliminating accounting tricks used by for-profit educational institutions that inflate their declared amount of non-federal funding. Finally, the POST Act increases the penalty for rule-breakers by causing colleges to lose eligibility to participate in federal student aid programs after one year of noncompliance with the new 85-15 rule. Currently, they do not face penalties until they have been noncompliant for two years. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and help get it passed.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, this bill is here without having gone through committee. It is not our normal process. It is considered an emergency. It is not an emergency. Refugees will not get in this country for 1\1/ 2\ to 2 years from the time they apply. We could come back and look at the Democratic bill, of which I am a cosponsor, that incorporates Mr. King's amendment to prevent terrorists or people on the terrorist list from getting guns, and get a Democratic and Republican bill that we might find we could agree on. Instead, we are doing this for politics, and we are doing it by continuing to use the pinata of President Barack Hussein Obama. This is an attack on the President, who has a responsibility to defend us, and his team is doing it. This doesn't add anything to it. It doesn't make us safer. It is simply a political way to attack the President, and it is wrong. Mr. Speaker, that is why I will be voting ``no.''

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, due to a flight delay on July 27, 2015, I was unable to attend House Roll Call Vote numbers 467, 468 and 469. If present, I would have voted yes on S. 1482, H.R. 1656, and H.R. 2770.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, due to a flight delay on May 18, 2015, I was unable to attend House Roll Call Vote number 240. If present, I would have voted yes on H.R. 91.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, due to a flight delay on March 23, 2015, I was unable to attend House Roll Call Vote numbers 130 and 141. If present, I would have voted yes on H.R. 360 and H. Res. 162.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, due to a flight delay on January 12, 2015, I was unable to attend House Roll Call Vote numbers 17, 18 and 19. If present, I would have voted yes on H.R. 203, H.R. 33 and the Journal.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. Shuster and Mr. DeFazio as well for working with me and for working with the entire committee. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee does work together in a bipartisan fashion, and the House does work. On the other hand and in the same vein, I had the pleasure of knowing Howard Coble for my entire time I have been in Congress. I was his ranking member on Judiciary, and he was my ranking member on Judiciary. We had a great relationship. He was one of the finest gentlemen I have ever known. He was a scholar. He was a gentleman. He loved North Carolina. He loved this House. He will be missed. He was an example of the way people can work together to make progress in the United States Congress. I was honored to know him.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I want to thank everybody who has put effort into bringing this resolution to the floor. It is not difficult to stand up--or it shouldn't be difficult, and I don't think it is--to speak against anti-Semitism, but it is a little more difficult to have carved a niche in the United States Government and governments around the world as being a leader in fighting for human rights and against anti-Semitism; and that is what I have seen Congressman Chris Smith do. Congressman Smith is the chair of the Helsinki Commission, of which I am a proud member. I got to know Mr. Smith during the hearings we have had and the travels on the Helsinki Commission. Chris Smith is a super leader in looking out for people and minorities all over the world. So I thank him particularly for his efforts at spearheading this and being vigilant. It is so important. It is hard to fathom that we still have anti-Semitism in this world. It wasn't that long ago that the Holocaust occurred. We have got Holocaust museums and programs throughout different countries. We have had a lot of Holocaust museums and an understanding in Germany as well, but you have got skinheads and disciples of ISIL who continue to spread hate and venom. I know Elie Wiesel, a survivor of the Holocaust, said that people who hate, hate everyone; and I know Elie Wiesel, who was a genius and a prophet, was right. So it is important that we stand up and that we share resources with our European allies to fight anti-Semitism and that this country remains a bulwark in fighting against anti-Semitism. We haven't always been that. We are today, and we will continue to be. I am proud to support this resolution. I thank the Members for bringing it, and I urge all Members to vote for it and pass it.