Steve Cohen

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, on Thursday, December 15th, I was unable to vote on H.R. 1948, the VA Employee Fairness Act (Roll Call No. 530). I had to attend the investiture ceremony of the United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Court of Appeals, a Memphian I recommended. I am a cosponsor of this bill and would have voted yes had I been present.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate a great professor, historian and my friend, Charles W. Crawford, who was recently recognized by the University of Memphis for teaching 60 years in its History Department. Professor Crawford, whose Tennessee: Land, History and Government (1984) and its 1990 update, Dynamic Tennessee, served as high school textbooks for most students across our state for decades, also has the distinction of having taught Tennessee history to future Tennessee Congressman, Senator and Vice President Al Gore in the summer before Gore's senior year at Harvard. Professor Crawford's first of 20 published books was an illustrated history of his adopted city, Yesterday's Memphis (1976) and he wrote the history of the local National Bank of Commerce on its 120th anniversary. Professor Crawford was a favorite interview for many journalists and authors and he served as a consultant on many media projects, including the 1984 documentary film ``The Old Forest'' and commentary on the local public television station, WQED. A native of rural north-central Arkansas, where he still has a home, Professor Crawford, 91, received a bachelor's degree from then-Harding College (now University) in Searcy, Arkansas, a master's from the University of Arkansas, and a Ph.D. from the University of Mississippi, all in history. He started teaching as a graduate assistant at Ole Miss and began as an assistant professor at then- Memphis State (now the University of Memphis) in 1962. In 1967, the university's president, Cecil C. Humphreys, asked him to start its Oral History Project, and he has subsequently conducted or overseen more than 2000 interviews, including with military veterans, experts on the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Mississippi River flood of 1937, and a lot of politicians, and served as president of the national Oral History Association. As a professor, he has directed students in completing 38 doctoral dissertations and 68 students in the completion of M.A. theses. Among those who have benefitted from his work are local groups such as the Memphis Arts Council, Leadership Memphis, the Shelby County Historical Commission, the West Tennessee Historical Society, the Tennessee Historical Society, and the Tennessee Humanities Council. At the national level, besides the Oral History Association, he has been involved with the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Organization of American Historians. He has put in many hours as an editor or reader for university presses in Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, and Georgia. He also served as a consultant to the American Red Cross when it undertook an oral history of its beginnings. I have known Professor Crawford since the beginning of my political career and have been the beneficiary of his wisdom and friendship. I congratulate him on his long, distinguished and continuing career as an historian and wish him all the best when and if he ever retires.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Takano and Ranking Member Bost for bringing this bill to the floor. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of our bill, H.R. 6863, to name the Memphis VA hospital in honor of a true World War II hero and a hero in American life, Lieutenant Colonel Luke Weathers, Jr. I didn't know of Lieutenant Colonel Weathers until his passing, and I read about his passing in the Memphis newspaper, the Commercial Appeal, and I went and attended his funeral at St. Theresa Little Flower Church, where he was a member. I think he integrated the church. The church is a large church and it was packed. In spite of the fact that he had moved to retire to Arizona, possibly in Tucson, maybe 15 or 20 years earlier, the people knew Lieutenant Colonel Weathers, they knew his work, they knew his good deeds in the community, and they knew his actions. I was honored to be at that funeral, and I thought this man is something else. It has been well documented what he did with his life and with the Tuskegee Airmen and the Red Tails and the several airplanes he shot down. There is a movie coming out now that is getting a lot of advertisement, and all Members of Congress have been invited to see this week, called ``Devotion,'' about an African-American pilot who was a star in the Korean war. It was Lieutenant Colonel Weathers and the Tuskegee Airmen who were the predecessors of that gentleman's opportunity to defend his country and to show his skills. That is another reason why his name at the veterans hospital will be so important, to inspire people to go into a military career and pursue aviation, which Lieutenant Colonel Weathers encouraged people to do, particularly African-American young men. I was also honored to attend his funeral. It was a funeral with a flyover, military caisson, and ``Taps,'' as befitting a gentleman who had served his country as he did. His family is very strong in Memphis in support of their father's legacy. I met them in St. Theresa Little Flower Church at his funeral in 2011. Lieutenant Colonel Weathers paved the way for many to become pilots, and his legacy endures in the countless lives that he touched. I thank our Tennessee delegation who unanimously supported this legislation and this naming of the new Memphis VA Medical Center. It was also endorsed by The American Legion, the Disabled American Veterans, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. I thank Chairman Takano, Ranking Member Bost, and the members of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee for advancing the bill through committee and bringing it to the floor today. I thank Mr. Hoyer for his help with that, too. We have done a good thing today to honor a true American hero. I think fondly of him. I had commissioned a plaque to be created and installed at the Memphis airport recognizing his service in the Federal Aviation Administration and integrating that facility. I am honored I will be a part of keeping his memory alive forever.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman, the ranking member, and the entire committee for their work in passing this bill out of committee. I know it was somewhat contentious. It shouldn't have been, but it was. I rise in strong support of H.R. 5441, the Prevent All Soring Tactics Act, acronym, the PAST Act, which I proudly introduced with several prime cosponsors who worked on it, including Brian Fitzpatrick, Jan Schakowsky, and Vern Buchanan. Mr. Buchanan, like Mr. Bilirakis, is a Member of the class of 2006, of which I am, as well. The PAST Act will shut down the cruel practice of horse soring, which has been described here on the floor. It is a horrendous practice that horse trainers have used in the Tennessee Walking, Spotted Saddle, and Racking Horse shows. The horses have a beautiful gait to start with. They have a natural gait, a smooth, natural gait. It is revered in Tennessee. It used to be Tennessee Walkers paraded at the University of Tennessee football games to great applause and great thrill of the fans. However, some people, to make it even more imposing, took away their natural gait, which is enough of a miracle and enjoyment to watch, and put in these soring practices to get a high gait, extremely high gait, known as the Big Lick. The Big Lick is wrong. To achieve the Big Lick, horse trainers irritate or blister a horse's forelegs through the application of caustic chemicals such as mustard oil, cut the horse's hooves painfully short, or use mechanical devices to inflict pain, all of which is reprehensible. Anyone who cares about horses realizes they have lives and senses, and as well, they suffer pain just like every other animal does. Far too often, those involved in showing the Tennessee Walking Horses have turned a blind eye to this abusive act of the trainers. They do little to try to police it, and the penalties are so minor it does nothing to prevent this barbaric act. I have led this legislation for years. My chief of staff, Marilyn Dillihay, has been strongly supportive of this. As we all know, we work for our constituents and then for our chief of staff. The PAST Act would codify key elements of the Horse Protection Act rule that the USDA finalized in January of 2017 by eliminating the failed system of industry self-policing and prohibited the use of devices that are integral to the soring practice and Big Lick. It would also strengthen penalties and increase consequences for individuals caught soring a horse. I thank Chairman Pallone and Chairwoman Schakowsky for their support and work on this bill. I also particularly thank Priscilla Presley, Elvis' widow. Priscilla and Elvis had Tennessee Walkers at Graceland. They loved their Tennessee Walking Horses, which had a natural gait, and Priscilla has lobbied on this for many years and come to many activities, encouraging the passage of this act. Priscilla Presley is a pretty amazing human being, and this is one of the areas where she has surpassed just being the spouse of the rock and roll legend, Elvis Presley, and being a star in her own right in many ways. I thank the 263 bipartisan Members who cosponsored the bill and the hundreds of stakeholder groups and individuals who have lent their support, including the Humane Society, the American Horse Council, U.S. Equestrian Federation, American Veterinary Medical Association, American Association of Equine Practitioners, the State veterinary organizations of all 50 States, National Sheriffs' Association, and the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. The plague of soring has marred the Tennessee Walking Horse and related breeds for more than six decades. I am proud to lead the fight to end it. We are going to end it.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Lawrence Higginbottom of Memphis Animal Services, who has been named Animal Control Officer of the Year by the National Animal Care and Control Association. Part of his job--a part he has a reputation for handling well--is reuniting animals with their owners, a priority with progressive animal shelters like Memphis Animal Services that operate on a ``community-centered'' model, The shelter recently received a $50,000 grant from an animal welfare group to hire a pet-reunification specialist. According to a story in The Daily Memphian, Mr. Higginbottom recently picked up a dog in Memphis that had been on the loose for five years. Because the dog had received an under-skin microchip, Mr. Higginbottom quickly found the owners by phone--650 miles away in Austin, Texas. The family arrived to pick up Cheerio the next day. Because most dogs are lost less than half a mile from their owners' homes, Mr. Higginbottom often finds himself knocking on nearby neighbors' doors with the lost pet on a leash. When the shelter held a dog-owner reunification competition among animal control officers this past summer, Mr. Higginbottom won it. As a proud and longtime member of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, it is inspiring to know that Memphis has such a caring and thoughtful animal control officer. I congratulate Mr. Higginbottom for this well-deserved national recognition.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the people of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the 31st anniversary of the Day of Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan on October 18th. It has been 31 years since Azerbaijan restored the country's independence on October 18, 1991, with the Constitutional Act of State Independence of Azerbaijan--an event that ended more than seven decades of Soviet rule. Azerbaijan is a key global security partner for the United States, cooperating on multiple fronts from fighting against terrorism and drug trafficking, to preventing nuclear proliferation, to working towards stabilization in the region. It is also worth noting that Azerbaijani troops were among the last partner militaries to leave Kabul airport, facilitating the evacuation until the very end. Azerbaijan has also been a key player in providing global energy security in the wake of Russian aggression against Ukraine and continues to be a major energy supplier for our mutual ally, Israel. Furthermore, as the world watches the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it is worth noting that Azerbaijan has provided significant humanitarian aid to Ukraine, an exception among former Soviet non-NATO countries that led Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to publicly thank the President of Azerbaijan for this courageous step. As a co-chair of Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, I congratulate the Republic of Azerbaijan on the Day of Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan. I believe we will continue to work with them to advance our partnership which benefits both the U.S. and Azerbaijan. I look forward to further collaboration between our two nations.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to longtime Commercial Appeal reporter, Michael Lollar, who passed away last week at the age of 74. In a 44-year career with the Memphis daily newspaper, Mike chronicled every kind of story but was best known for features, and for being the resident Elvis Presley expert. A charming writer with a dry wit, he came to Memphis right out of the University of Tennessee in 1970 and was a staff writer until he retired in 2014. In between, he covered cops, courts, elections, the ``Deep Throat'' obscenity trial, James Earl Ray's evolving legal positions on the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, and all things Graceland. Mike was an old school reporter who knew his city, its characters and its institutions. He could get complete strangers to open up and tell their stories. He was also simply a nice guy. I extend my condolences to his former wife, Joan, to his daughters Kate and Rachel, to his grandchildren and to his many friends and admirers. He will be missed.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I was pleased to have co-sponsored the CORRUPT Act, H.R. 6846 (Corruption, Overthrowing Rule of Law, and Ruining Ukraine: Putin's Trifecta Act) in the House and to see its passage on the floor this week. This Act requires the President to report to Congress, within 30 days of this bill's enactment, a determination as to whether specified Russian persons identified in the bill meet the criteria to be subject to sanctions under laws that authorize sanctions relating to corruption or human rights violations. This legislation identifies nearly 200 names for immediate review by the Administration and, in my belief, can play a very important role in stopping Putin's cronies from operating under the radar and from advancing the Kremlin's evil agenda. While this bill represents a critically important step forward, there are additional Russian entities (and names representing the leadership ranks within those entities) that, while not included in this legislation, warrant close attention by the Administration as well. I believe a particular focus on the Russian financial sector is warranted, and that government agencies in the sector play an integral role in financing Russia's war in Ukraine. One specific government agency worthy of sanctions is the Russian DIA, or the Russian Depositary Insurance Agency, which I, along with Congressman John Curtis, brought to the Administration's attention earlier this year. The DIA, established in 2004, is a Russian state-owned corporation, controlled by a board dominated by officials from the (now sanctioned) Central Bank of Russia. In its official capacity, the DIA operates the national deposit insurance system for Russian banks and acts as the sole authorized bankruptcy administrator of financial institutions deemed insolvent in Russia. Hiding behind this innocuous role, however, the DIA leads Kremlin- directed efforts to nationalize the assets of Russian financial institutions, funneling the assets of privately owned businesses to now-sanctioned Russian state banks such as Sberbank, VTB and Gazprombank. I have been made aware that many of the businesses that the DIA targets on behalf of the Central Bank of Russia are owned by individuals who have been blacklisted as political targets of the Russian state and lack sufficient political protection from these kinds of schemes. The CEO of the DIA, Andrey Melnikov, was sanctioned by the United States in 2017 for his role as Minister of Economic Development of the Russian-occupied territory of Crimea, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Mr. Melnikov was re-sanctioned by the Treasury Department just last week, for his role at the DIA, as well. Other members of the DIA's legal team (such as Andrey Pavlov) have been sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act for their key roles in attacking Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and his supporters in Russia and abroad, often using abusive lawsuits and court proceedings around the world to pressure them into abandoning their support for democratic change and rule-of-law in Russia. By taking actions to target the DIA directly, the U.S. government can play a key role in cutting off Russia's long arm of oppression abroad and limit Putin's ability to fund his war chest. Sanctioning the DIA will not only hamper its ability to expropriate assets from privately held Russian financial businesses, but also help defend brave Russian dissidents and opponents of Putin abroad from predatory attacks by law firms in the employ of the DIA. Individuals in leadership positions in the DIA, who I believe that, along with Director Melnikov, should be reviewed for the future imposition of sanctions include: Filatova, Maria Vladislavovna, First Deputy General Director of the DIA Dolgoleva, Olga Viktorovna, Deputy General Director of the DIA Dolenko, Veronika Viktorovna, Acting Financial Director Morozov, Oleg Borisovich, Deputy General Director of the DIA Popelyukh, Alexander Anatolievich, Deputy General Director of the DIA Savchenko, Sergey Mikhaylovich, Deputy General Director of the DIA Fedorova, Natalia Vladimirovna, Deputy General Director of the DIA I am hopeful that the Senate, in future action on companion legislation now pending in the body, can review these names with an eye toward adding them to the Senate bill. I also hope the Senate will consider adding the DIA itself to the pending legislation. Doing both can take direct aim at the ability of the DIA and its leadership to advance Putin' schemes, his war in Ukraine and his attacks on all those who dare stand up and oppose him.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, this has been an interesting debate. The cumulative debate from the Republican side has been Members who have been wanting to show their intimate knowledge of weapons. It is almost a fetishism with weapons, something that only Freud would properly understand and be able to explain to the American people. They have talked about hands being dangerous and knives being dangerous, but hands and knives and other weapons that they discussed don't kill people in volume and number like AR-15s do. The CIA did a study and said that even shots to extremities all made fatal impacts on people. The AR-15 is an outgrowth of a military weapon that was designed for military use. The AR-15 is a weapon that destroys people's bodies and kills them quickly. It should not be allowed in a civilized, safe society, particularly for children and for people in the general public. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a television reporter and anchor Mearl Purvis, revered throughout the Memphis area. After more than 30 years on television and 18 years on the Fox 13 news desk, Mearl Purvis will anchor her final newscasts on July 29. I first met Mearl as a state senator, and I found her thoughtful and tenacious reporting useful to the public's understanding of important issues. Mearl graduated from Jackson State University and worked as a reporter and anchor in Charlotte, North Carolina; New Haven, Connecticut; Jackson, Mississippi, and Nashville before moving to Memphis in 1992. On her first day at WMC, she was thoughtfully covering a proposed state income tax and major improvements to Memphis International Airport. In 2004, Mearl moved across town to the Fox 13 anchor desk, where she has been involved in major local news. As a reporter and speaker, she has shared a stage with world leaders including Desmond Tutu, Mikhail Gorbachev, and U.S. presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Mearl has won eight Regional Emmy Awards, the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award, the equally prestigious George Foster Peabody Award and J.C. Penney Missouri Award. A standout supporter in private life for her community, Mearl is an active volunteer for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis, a supporter of Porter Leath and Bridges USA. She is also a Board of Visitors member of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. As a mother, Mearl also has invested quality time in Memphis elementary schools reading to children, a cause about which she is passionate. I commend my friend Mearl for her service to our community and wish her all the best in retirement.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, the Republicans are so upset. The reality is it is their Supreme Court and Justice Alito who opened Pandora's box. When we opened up the box and looked in, we saw there were nesting eggs. There were all kinds of issues there that were going to come to the fore. Clarence Thomas put a spotlight on it. It involved gay marriage and contraception. It was going to go further than Roe v. Wade. When they said they were originalists, we didn't realize what they meant by ``originalist'' was everything origin came from them. They didn't care about precedent. Alito said Roe v. Wade was important precedent. Gorsuch and Kavanaugh said it was precedent that Roe v. Wade was settled. You can't trust the Supreme Court. They are radicals. They want to overturn privacy rights for all people in this country. Freedom is at stake. This bill needs to pass, and the only reason this bill is properly before this Congress is because of that Supreme Court that has gone off the radical right.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my friend Priscilla Presley who will be honored Friday night in Memphis with a musical extravaganza at Theatre Memphis. It's an honor to take a moment to discuss the work I have done with Priscilla, particularly in the area of the humane treatment of Tennessee Walking Horses. Like me, she has long advocated the end of the practice of ``soring'' horses to give them the exaggerated walking gait known as ``the Big Lick.'' My Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act made it through the markup in the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce last month, and is now pending before the full committee. In my press release on that development, I noted that Priscilla has been a consistent and dedicated advocate of this reform and that she and Elvis both loved walking horses. Priscilla has made tremendous contributions to Memphis, not the least of which was opening Graceland to the public 40 years ago, now one of the five most visited homes in the country. A former Memphian, and a frequent visitor for events related to music, Priscilla deserves to be considered an honorary citizen of Tennessee's 9th Congressional District. Priscilla's friend Dabney Coors, who had the splendid idea is co-chairing Friday night's event, is doing a beautiful thing in honoring this kind and generous woman, and I look forward to a wonderful evening.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I am in support of this bill, and I think everybody should be in support of it. It simply says that each State will recognize the other States' marriages and not deny a person the right to marry based on race, gender, or sexual orientation. It urges the Federal Government to do the same thing. As far as what the Supreme Court said, that we should listen to this and listen to that, the Senate listened to Gorsuch and Kavanaugh when they said that Roe v. Wade is precedent. Do you want to listen to them? Alito, when he was confirmed, said that Roe v. Wade is important precedent. Do you want to listen to him? Listen to Thomas, who told you that we need to look at these cases, and we need to reconsider them. That is gay marriage. He didn't mention interracial, but it is on the same theory. Of course, he is involved in an interracial marriage. He wouldn't be married to justice Ginni but for the Loving decision. He mentioned the other case of Lawrence. We need to be concerned. This bill is an American bill. Everybody should be for it. The only reason to be against it is because you really don't want to go on record of being in favor of those rights that have been extended to Americans and that are potentially in jeopardy.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay a special tribute to my friend and longtime supporter Mark Flanagan, known in Memphis as the Mayor of Midtown, who passed last week. Mr. Flanagan contributed immeasurably to our community, founding the Irish Eyes of Memphis pub crawl from downtown to Overton Square that produced an annual bonanza for the bars and businesses along the route. He had the original idea to develop the Cooper-Young neighborhood that now thrives with businesses and nightlife. Born in Washington, D.C., on March 13, 1943, he was the second oldest of nine children. Growing up in the District, he developed a lifelong love of politics, and was dubbed the Mayor of Adams Morgan, a D.C. neighborhood. (When he returned to D.C. to care after aging relatives, he was the Prince of Cleveland Park.) His father, Frip Flanagan, was a close friend of House Speaker Thomas P. ``Tip'' O'Neill and the Kennedy family, especially Bobby Kennedy. He was proud of his Irish heritage and loved spending his summers in Lisdoonvarna, Ireland. He and the late Thomas ``Silky'' Sullivan started a barbecue contest in Fanore, Ireland, so the Irish would learn about Memphis barbecue. Mark attended East Carolina University and American University in D.C. His professional career included plywood retail sales, real estate, and restaurant investments as well as associations with the late restaurateurs Silky Sullivan, Bud Chittom and Thomas Boggs. He came to Memphis in 1968 and proceeded to have a positive impact on the city, and became a kind of Pied Piper to many D.C. fellas who were encouraged to move to Memphis, including Joe (``forehead'') Dougherty; the Boland twins, Jim and Chris; William ``Bill'' (Gringo) McGaughey; Bob ``Doctor'' Harper; the Juice, former Navy SEAL O.J. Mitchell, and his brother Mike (Marcel), and Mark's beloved brother Dennis. In 1973, he founded the Memphis St. Patrick's Day Parade and Pub Crawl, the forerunner of the Beale Street Saint Patrick's Day Parade. He served on the boards of the Hollywood Child Care Center and the ACLU, on the Shelby County and State Democratic Executive Committees, and was a 1980 delegate for Ted Kennedy at the Democratic National Convention. He ran for Congress on the Democratic ticket in the '70s and '80s. A founding member of the Irish Eyes of Memphis, he was also active in the Memphis Irish Society. He worked with the late Irvin Salky on the first Beale Street Music Festival. He was active in Saving Overton Park and worked with Dr. David and Yvonne Acey on Memphis Honors Africa in April. Flanagan worked closely with me early in my career when I was the Memphis Police legal advisor, and together we petitioned the city to establish a 20 mile an hour speed limit to make Overton Square safely walkable. Mark had a huge heart and a larger personality. I extend my sincere condolences to his children, his siblings and his many friends. His was a life well-lived, and he will be missed.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, yesterday during the debate on guns, Representative Jordan and a few others on the Republican side said that the Second Amendment and the right to guns was a God-given right. I don't know anything in the Old Testament where God spoke to guns. I do know He spoke to Moses and gave him the Ten Commandments and said nothing about AR-15s or guns. But He said: Thou shall not kill. In the New Testament I don't think Jesus said anything about guns or AR-15s, but He did say: You shall beat your swords into plowshares. We are all created in the image of God, and I am sure God would not like His powers, His name, and His authority used to endorse the killing of young people through weapons that he was allegedly giving, AR-15s. God would look askance at that type of logic. God bless America.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, since the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, about 10 years ago, we have not enacted any substantive firearm restrictions to prevent children from being slaughtered in our schools. In fact, not since the massacre of first graders and their educators at Sandy Hook, but in the 20 years since the shooting at Columbine, we have not enacted any new meaningful restrictions on firearms. We have an obligation to protect our constituents, and we have a responsibility to keep the American people safe. After each of these instances, we hear from our friends across the aisle that we must address mental health. I agree. But we must prevent those who are intent on harming themselves or others from having access to dangerous weapons and carrying out their intent. That is why I support this thoughtful proposal balancing public safety and the individual's right to due process. Let's just take the massacre in Uvalde. Should there have been a law in place in Texas, a red flag law, perhaps the gunman could have been stopped. There were plenty of warning signs, including the gunman with pictures of a cat he had killed and his frequent online threats to teen girls. As chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, I take the due process clause seriously. In this legislation, a court would need to make an individualized determination, looking at specific facts before issuing an order. A full hearing is required in 72 hours, where the party can have personal attendance and object. This legislation is absolutely necessary, and I urge all my colleagues to support it. We have a moral obligation to act. Yesterday, this body, with a bipartisan vote, adopted the Protecting Our Kids Act, which would make meaningful updates to our Nation's gun laws. We must go further, I believe, and reenact the assault weapons bans. These bills would make a meaningful difference in gun violence in the United States and save American lives. God would not look kindly upon the use of weapons to kill his children, as happened in Uvalde, Texas. Our votes are not political calculations; they are obligations. We have a duty to protect God's children.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the following letter to share additional information I recently learned about concerning the Drug Enforcement Agency's encounter with Daniel Kandalaft on or about January 24, 2016 at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France. At a July 8, 2017 Foreign Affairs Committee hearing entitled, ``Attacking Hezbollah's Financial Network: Policy Options,'' a witness referenced that Mr. Kandalaft was arrested by the DEA. As this recent letter from the Drug Enforcement Agency describes, the ``DEA does not have the authority to perform arrests or detainments in foreign countries.'' U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, Springfield, VA, April 18, 2022. Hon. Steve Cohen, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Congressman Cohen: This responds to your letter to Administrator Anne Milgram, dated October 8, 2021, regarding a potential Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) encounter with Daniel Kandalaft on or about January 24, 2016, at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France. We appreciate the opportunity to address your inquiry, and we apologize for our delay in responding to your letter. DEA is aware that Mr. Kandalaft was detained by French Authorities on January 24, 2016, at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France. DEA does not have the authority to perform arrests or detainments in foreign countries. For further information, we recommend reaching out directly to the French Authorities who have oversight of these actions. We apologize that we are unable to provide more information. Sincerely, Jason M. Thurman, Chief, Congressional Affairs Section.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill and would like to see a bill that is even stronger. There is no question that children--and that is what they are--should not be buying AR-15s before they are 21. In fact, I don't think they should be buying them at all. But until they are 21, they shouldn't be buying them. It has been proven scientifically that the male brain is not developed to a certain point to be trusted at that time with that type of weapon. Those are weapons of war. Those weapons tore apart those children, decapitated them, and made them unidentifiable. That was the purpose of those weapons, and that is what happened. There is no reason for that to occur. The opinion in 2008 that gave the right to carry a gun was not unlimited. It said you can have reasonable restrictions. That is what Justice Scalia said. These are reasonable restrictions. As far as my friend, Mr. Hudson, I have great respect for him. One of the teachers at Uvalde who was hit and lost all 11 children said: We trained. There is no training that can prepare you for this. There is nothing you can be prepared for. If you get more school counselors, does that help people in the movie theaters and in Columbine? No. Movie theaters, churches, grocery stores all need to be protected. This country is wild with guns, and we need to restrict them.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, during the break, I had the opportunity to participate in the Transatlantic Dialogue. We had members of parliaments from maybe six or seven different nations: Ireland, Germany, Serbia, and Croatia--all over Europe. I asked what the rate of inflation was, and in every country, it was 8, 9, and 10 percent. And I asked them if their parliaments didn't blame Biden for it? They laughed. Of course, they laughed. Inflation is a worldwide problem. We are doing what we can. It is caused by the awful coronavirus and the effects it has had on production in China. And it has hurt our opportunities to continue our manufacturing as we saw it before. Gasoline prices have increased the same amount in Europe as they have here. And is it Joe Biden's fault? No. It is OPEC, and it is Russia. Prices have gone up about 30 percent since they invaded Ukraine. All Americans should want and should work together to reduce inflation and oil prices. But it is not Joe Biden's fault. It is a worldwide problem.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 104th anniversary of the Republic Day of Azerbaijan, and to extend my best wishes to all Azerbaijanis. May 28th marked the founding of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan, when the people of Azerbaijan first gained their independence from the Russian Empire in 1918. Although Soviet forces ended Azerbaijan's independence in 1920, the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan was the world's first secular parliamentary democratic republic in a predominantly Muslim nation--earning diplomatic recognition from the United States during the administration of President Woodrow Wilson. We also recall that the Democratic- Republic of Azerbaijan granted universal suffrage to its citizens in 1918, making it the first Muslim country to give women the right to vote. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan restored its independence on October 18, 1991, when its Parliament adopted the Constitution Act on the Restoration of the State of Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has emerged as a key partner for enhancing global energy security, especially as the U.S. and European countries look for alternatives to Russian energy in the wake of Putin's unjustified war against Ukraine. Azerbaijan provides roughly 40 percent of Israel's oil consumption and enjoys friendly ties with Israel beyond oil sales. Jews have resided in Azerbaijan for 2,500 years without persecution and today, the Jewish community in Azerbaijan numbers over 12,000. Azerbaijan is also home to Christian communities and has been praised for its religious tolerance by the European Parliament. It is also worth noting that Azerbaijan has provided significant humanitarian aid to Ukraine during this trying time, an exception among former Soviet non-NATO countries that led Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to publicly thank the President of Azerbaijan for this courageous step. Azerbaijan is a key global security partner for the United States. As an active member of NATO's Partnership for Peace program, Azerbaijan cooperates with the United States in countering terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and narcotics trafficking. Azerbaijani troops were among the last partner militaries to leave Kabul airport, facilitating the evacuation until the very end. As co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, I stand with the Azerbaijani people as they continue to work towards independence and security as well as to embrace human rights and democratic values. I congratulate the people of Azerbaijan on the centennial of their Republic Day. May the partnership between the United States and Azerbaijan progress and continue to benefit both of our nations.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of National Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month which runs from May 15 through June 15 each year. As a founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Tourette Syndrome Caucus, I want to use this opportunity to address the need for additional research and, hopefully, clear up some common misconceptions about Tourette syndrome. Tourette syndrome (TS) is a complex neurological disorder that involves tics, which are sudden movements and vocalizations or noises that people do repeatedly. It develops during childhood and changes over time. Symptoms can wax and wane across the lifespan of the individual. There is no cure for Tourette syndrome, and only three medications have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which each have significant side effects and contraindications. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), among children diagnosed with TS, 83 percent have at least one additional mental, behavioral, or developmental condition. These co-occurring conditions can include anxiety, Attention Deficit- Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), autism, Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD), depression, learning difficulties, and other conditions. These co-occurring conditions can significantly impact the lives of those affected by TS. Data from the CDC suggests roughly 50 percent of children and teens with TS are not diagnosed. CDC studies including children with both diagnosed and undiagnosed TS have estimated that one out of every 162 children (0.6 percent) have TS. However, these numbers do not include children with Chronic or Provisional Tic Disorders. It is estimated that one out of 100 school-aged children have TS or another tic disorder. Tourette Syndrome is often misconstrued by media and therefore misunderstood by the public. Many people believe TS involves obscene language. However, only 10 percent of those with TS have coprolalia, the form of TS with obscene language. Continued education and awareness can help to increase understanding and reduce stigma or bullying. Neither the full public health impact nor the true cost of living with TS is known. Yet, individuals with TS and their families often face substantial costs due to healthcare visits, special educational services, medication, psychological and behavioral counseling, occupational therapy, missed school and work, and more. It is for these reasons that the Tourette Syndrome Program at the National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities remains critically important. Research from this program seeks to better understand prevalence, co-occurring conditions, impact, and costs associated with TS. The Tourette Syndrome Program also educates doctors, teachers, allied professionals, parents and the public at large so that we can increase the diagnosis rate and improve the lives of those living with TS. I would also like to recognize the Tourette Association of America (TAA) which was founded in 1972 and is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year. The TAA is the only national organization serving the TS community and works to raise awareness, advance research, and provide ongoing support to patients and families impacted by TS and Tic Disorders. Madam Speaker, we must continue working to provide additional funding to increase the diagnosis rate and achieve a more inclusive and enlightened society with a better understanding of Tourette Syndrome. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing May 15 through June 15 as National Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, on demand?

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2992), to direct the Attorney General to develop crisis intervention training tools for use by first responders related to interacting with persons who have a traumatic brain injury, another form of acquired brain injury, or post-traumatic stress disorder, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the honorable, distinguished, and learned gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1125), condemning rising antisemitism, as amended.