Gerald Connolly

Mr. CONNOLLY

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence), my dear friend.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, my friend from Florida is my friend and he knows I respect him, but when you give an opening statement on a bill that goes far beyond a reporting requirement that we thought we were supporting and you use the occasion to disparage Federal workers and to characterize them in a decidedly negative way as if that somehow really described the average civil servant and what they are up to, then on this side of the aisle, we take exception. Then it is no longer a simple reporting bill; it is a precursor of bad things to come, and we are not going to be party to it. We are not going to enable that. That is why, reluctantly, I must now oppose this bill and urge my Democratic colleagues and those on the other side of the aisle who want to protect Federal employees and honor them and give them the dignity and respect they deserve also to oppose this bill. Mr. Speaker, I now am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), my dear friend.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Michigan.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman), my friend.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I must say, Mr. Speaker, I originally rose in support of what I thought was a simple reporting bill. In listening to my friend from Florida, this is part and parcel of the negative narrative that is sent in all too frequently on the other side of the aisle about hardworking civil servants and Federal employees. They are not all somehow committing crime on official time. Official time, in fact, has been used to the benefit of the workforce and to the benefit of management. If this bill, H.R. 1293, is nothing but a precursor to further encroachment on the rights of Federal workers, then I will oppose this bill, and I will urge my Members on this side of the aisle to oppose this bill because, by voting for it, we are enabling something much worse to follow and have this thrown in our faces. So, Mr. Speaker, I regret that, under the circumstances, and with the message I have just heard, I can no longer support this bill. I can no longer urge my colleagues to support this bill, and we will, in fact, urge a negative vote on this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to demand that Congress get serious about the Russia investigation. In December, along with Mr. Engel of New York, I introduced the SECURE Our Democracy Act that would sanction any foreign individual or entity found to have unlawfully interfered with our election process. That shouldn't be a partisan issue, yet all of the bill's 88 cosponsors are Democrats. I am also a cosponsor of the Protecting Our Democracy Act to establish an independent commission to get to the bottom of the Russia investigation. A recent NBC-Wall Street Journal poll conducted in April found that 73 percent of our fellow Americans want such an independent commission. They want to get at the truth. So do I. So should all of us. I have signed a discharge petition to get that bill to the floor. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support these two measures, and to bring them to the floor for consideration. It is our constitutional duty to provide oversight of any executive in any executive branch. The American people demand answers and accountability, not obstruction and intimidation. Appointing a special counsel, independent of the White House and the Attorney General, was one way to begin to restore credibility that has been badly tarnished. I urge us to proceed with the Russia investigation with all dispatch.

Mr. CONNOLLY

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the international students and the U.S. institutions of higher education they attend. They have been unfairly penalized by the Trump administration through unconstitutional and illegal immigration executive orders. I urge my colleagues and the administration to recognize the vital contribution these international students make to our country. International students who spend time in the United States become ambassadors when they return home, sharing an appreciation of our values, counteracting stereotypes about Americans and the United States, and enhancing respect for cultural differences and democratic norms. International students contribute to the economic well-being of the United States. According to the Association of International Educators, during the last academic year, international students and their families supported 400,000 jobs and contributed $33 billion to our domestic economy. In my district alone, 4,978 international students and families contributed $137 million to our local economy, supporting 1,725 jobs. Actions taken by this administration and this President have generated a great deal of fear and uncertainty within academia. It hurts America. I urge us to support more international students to come to our country.

Mr. CONNOLLY

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Let every Member of Congress who is a parent, let every American who is a parent ask himself or herself: How would you feel if your loved one, your child were made prey by human traffickers? Imagine the heartache. Imagine the terrible grief, the trauma and tragedy of such a situation--and now remember 20 million fellow human beings go through that experience every year. This is a crime that is repugnant to all human value. This is a crime we can stop. This is a subject matter that can bring us together, irrespective of whether we are Democrats or Republicans, for the sake of our fellow human beings, for the sake of that human autonomy that is celebrated in the Declaration of Independence and enshrined in the Constitution of the United States and the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Let us take this step today. Let us rededicate ourselves to the idea that all human autonomy is sacred and that that is what we, too, are dedicated to support and uphold. I urge passage of the legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Frankel), my good friend and coauthor of this important piece of legislation.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I laud the leadership of the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) and my good friend, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Frankel), for taking a particular lead in our committee on this terribly important topic. I rise in support of H.R. 1625, the Targeted Rewards for the Global Eradication of Human Trafficking Act. Let me start by again thanking both of my colleagues for their leadership. I am also proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill to help bring human traffickers to justice. Human trafficking is an abhorrent practice, increasingly perpetrated by organized criminal enterprises, that deprives people of their most precious gift: human autonomy. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness presume autonomy. Without autonomy, identity is lost, and the ability to pursue those inalienable rights Thomas Jefferson wrote about in our Declaration of Independence do not exist. They are nullified. This major transnational crime threatens United States security and humanitarian interests all over the world. This bill would allow the State Department to pay cash through the Rewards for Justice program for information leading to the arrest and conviction of human traffickers worldwide. These cash rewards are a proven method for cracking open international criminal networks. Congress originally established the program to gain more information in terrorism cases. We have since expanded it to include other crimes as well. With this legislation, we will give law enforcement the ability to use this valuable tool in the fight against human trafficking. Over the last two decades, the United States has actively fought human trafficking through provisions laid out in the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act, which established the annual Trafficking in Persons Report and subsequent reauthorizations. Human trafficking is nothing short of modern-day slavery. As the TIP Report demonstrates, human trafficking affects, unfortunately, every country in the world, including, of course, the United States, as the distinguished chairman described. As ranking member of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations, I joined with the then-subcommittee chairman, James Lankford, now Senator from Oklahoma, to investigate the abuse of foreign nationals employed by government contractors. Together, we introduced the End Trafficking in Government Contracting Act, which was enacted as part of the fiscal 2013 National Defense Authorization Act. Whether it takes the form of forced labor or sexual exploitation, every case of human trafficking deprives an individual of their basic human rights. More than 20 million people fall victim to this heinous crime every year. A disproportionate share of the victims are women and children, and only a very small fraction will ever see their traffickers held accountable. We must and can do more to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. It will give law enforcement a proven method to help finally bring an end to this modern-day slave trafficking. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Federal Agency Mail Management Act, which I introduced along with, of course, the author of the bill, Representative Steve Russell. I want to thank Representative Russell for working in a bipartisan manner on this legislation. The bill would make a technical correction to clarify that the Administrator of the General Services Administration is responsible for managing mail in the executive branch. The Administrator of GSA has historically had this responsibility, but when the Federal Records Act was updated in 2014, changes made to the statute left it unclear whether the Administrator's role had changed. You would think it is a simple commonsense measure, but it requires an act of Congress to clarify. Congress never intended to take away the Administrator's authority to manage mail. The bill was approved by the House without opposition last year. We are hoping the same will pertain this year. The Congressional Budget Office estimates this bill would cost the Federal Government nothing, because GSA already processes mail for Federal agencies. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the bill and give clarity to the GSA and the National Archives, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 653, the Federal Intern Protection Act. In fact, it is hard to believe we need this legislation at this point in the 21st century, but we do. Under current law, Federal employees are protected from discrimination on the basis of race, religion, age, and sex. Unfortunately, interns don't qualify. They have no such protections. I appreciate the wonderful work of our distinguished ranking member, Representative Elijah Cummings of Maryland, on this important measure. I am not surprised, and neither are my colleagues, that he would pick up on this and see the need for this protection to be extended to young men and women who want maybe to pursue a career or part of their career in the Federal Government. They need these protections like the employees they are working with side by side. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings).

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, again, I want to laud my friend from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) for his perspicacity in ferreting out this issue. It is a very important one. The use of internships in the Federal Government is a very underutilized tool when compared to the private sector. Many private sector companies will use internships for recruiting the talent it needs for the future. In many cases, 70 to 80 percent of those who intern for private sector corporations end up being hired because they have a carefully monitored program from orientation and recruitment to the tasks at hand during the pendency of the internship. The Federal Government does no such thing systematically. At the very beginning, if we are going to use internships as creatively as the private sector to recruit the next generation of Federal employees, since one-third of the current workforce is eligible for retirement over the next several years, we have to follow the lead my friends, Mr. Cummings of Maryland and Mr. Russell of Oklahoma, have just given us, and that is to make sure it is a safe workplace. Otherwise, who would be attracted to it? This piece of legislation is critical to our making Federal internships a meaningful tool in their recruitment and retention, so long as that workforce is protected by the same norms and same regulations as any Federal employee. I thank my friend, Mr. Cummings, for bringing this to our attention, and I thank Mr. Russell for his leadership. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 195, the Federal Register Printing Savings Act. My friend, Mr. Russell, is going to develop a reputation around here for being just too commonsense. This bill would prohibit the Government Publishing Office from sending printed copies of the Federal Register to Members of Congress and other Federal offices unless they wanted them. The Federal Register includes rules, regulations, executive orders, and other Federal documents. It is a very important and useful publication. It does not make sense, however, as my friend from Oklahoma has pointed out, for GPO automatically to send it to offices that don't want it and end up putting it in the garbage, hopefully recycling. The Federal Register is available online, as my friend has pointed out, which significantly cuts down on the need for printed copies for most of us. This bill would reduce waste both in paper and in Federal dollars. The Congressional Budget Office says this bill would reduce Federal spending by $1 million a year. It was the late Everett Dirksen of Illinois who said: ``A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon it adds up to real money.'' CBO also estimates this bill would result in 1,000 fewer copies of the Federal Register being printed each day. This bill is good for the environment, good for taxpayers, and a useful discipline for us all in terms of excess we don't need. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Russell for his leadership, his common sense, and his collaboration on this committee, and I urge all Members to support the bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In closing, I think this is an important piece in the information technology modernization effort that our committee and this body has undertaken for the last 5 or 6 years. One of the key pieces of legislation undergirding today's bill is the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act I was proud to cowrite and coauthor with then-Chairman Darrell Issa. I am equally proud today to have worked with my friend Mr. Hurd from Texas, my friend Ms. Kelly from Illinois, and, of course, Mr. Steny Hoyer, the Democratic whip, in forging this additional piece that we believe will bring the Federal Government into the 21st century-- technologically literate and protecting the databases that protect the American people. Hundreds of millions of pieces of data are at risk in the current cyber environment, and some simple but critical investments can make all the difference. That is what we are voting for today. I urge passage of the legislation and, again, congratulate my colleagues and friends for working together in a bipartisan way to bring this bill to fruition. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), my friend, the distinguished whip on the Democratic side.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank my friends, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hurd) and the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Kelly), for their leadership in bringing this bill to the floor. Of course, I rise in support of the bill, H.R. 2227, the Modernizing Government Technology Act of 2017. Mr. Speaker, over the past several years, we have all witnessed the chaos and havoc that sophisticated cyber attacks can, and do, wreak on our Nation and around the world. Just this past week, there was a massive ransomware attack that hit 200,000 victims in 150 countries, and those numbers are expected to grow exponentially. This is just the latest in a string of high-profile attacks, including Sony, Yahoo, the OPM data breach, and even efforts to influence our elections and those in Europe. These attacks jeopardize America's safety, privacy, and cost untold millions of dollars in the private sector and public sector as well. These attacks affect both the public and private sector, and bad actors repeatedly target our Federal Government. Those attacks often succeed because Federal computer systems are so outdated that they cannot implement network defenses as basic as encryption. Some legacy systems go back a half a century. The Federal Government spends nearly $60 billion a year sustaining its existing IT systems. When agencies are forced to spend nearly 80 percent of that to maintain legacy computer systems, they have fewer resources to modernize and reinvest. As a result, agencies cannot afford to invest in the modern technologies that other large enterprises need to survive. Many Federal agencies do not use cloud computing to help secure computer networks and improve our ability to deliver services to the American people. The MGT Act we are talking about today and on which I am proud to be one of the lead Democratic cosponsors is a critical step to help improve the Federal Government's IT systems. The MGT Act of 2017 will help our cyber defenders protect our most important digital resources. This bill marries two bills from the previous Congress, both of which I was proud to be an original cosponsor of--the IT Modernization Act and the MOVE IT Act. The MGT Act establishes a clear role for both of these pieces of legislation to improve Federal IT systems. I was an original cosponsor for Minority Whip Steny Hoyer's IT Modernization Act, which created a revolving fund using $3 billion appropriations for Treasury to replace legacy systems. I was pleased to join my friend, Ms. Kelly, the ranking member of the Information Technology Subcommittee, and Mr. Hurd, on the MOVE IT Act, which revived a proposal first discussed during the consideration of the legislation FITARA, the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act. These two bills were different, but complementary, and worked, ultimately, to join the two to create this act in front of us today, the MGT Act. That act lays the foundation for the future of IT modernization funding and reinvestment and investment by the Federal Government long overdue. The act will authorize an upfront investment to retire minimal large-scale legacy systems and affect multiple agencies. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation will provide mechanisms and much-needed funding for agencies to speed up that slow process of moving from legacy IT systems to cutting-edge, 21st century technologies. It would also provide needed reporting requirements to ensure that agencies are acquiring modern technology and that we can measure that it is being done in a cost-effective way. It places an emphasis on following the practices of private industry and moving toward cloud computing solutions. The MGT Act language will allow agencies to reinvest those savings, as my friend just indicated, and that is a commonsense proposal, but not one we find commonly in the Federal Government. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY. May I inquire of the Speaker how much time is left on this side?

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield 5\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Kelly), my good friend.

Mr. CONNOLLY

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Virginia for his leadership on this very important piece of legislation, important not only for the Commonwealth of Virginia but for the rights of all Americans, beginning with the original Americans. When we talk about the Americas, we sometimes talk as if the Americas began in the early 17th century, with Jamestown, with Plymouth, and with the subsequent colonization of the East Coast. But, in fact, there were millions of Native Americans here long before European colonization. They had rich culture. They had incredible artistic expression. They had a way of life. It was disrupted by European colonization. As if some genocidal policies of the 18th and 19th century weren't bad enough in terms of their terrible impact on this population, the racism my friend from Florida described that went on shamefully in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the early 20th century deeply compounded the problem by denying the identity of individuals and communities as Native American so that the battle for them to have their rights restored that my good friend, Mr. Wittman, is trying to right today was made so much more difficult and complex. If I destroy your identity papers, I destroy your ability to prove who you are. That is the dilemma and that is the catch-22 in which we find ourselves today. This is a matter of simple justice. This is a matter of Congress righting a wrong. It is a proud moment to stand shoulder to shoulder, Republican and Democrat from Virginia, to want to right this wrong. And I know we are joined by all of our colleagues and former colleagues, including our friend Jim Moran for his great leadership in this matter. So I am proud to support the efforts of my colleague. I urge all Members of the House to support this legislation, and let's turn a page in history the right way.

Mr. CONNOLLY

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I certainly add my voice to that of my colleagues in support of this important legislation. Syria is a mess. It does affect all of us, as Mr. Kinzinger said, whether we like it or not. It is destabilizing the entire region. I believe this bill can be a useful tool in our diplomatic efforts. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Frankel), my friend and colleague.

Mr. CONNOLLY

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from New York, our very distinguished ranking member. I rise today in support of H.R. 1644, the Korean Interdiction and Modernization of Sanctions Act. I am pleased to cosponsor this bill, an act that updates and expands the North Korea sanctions policy that was enacted just last year. It is undeniable that North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs have accelerated in recent years. In 2016 alone, the regime conducted two nuclear tests and more than 20 missile tests. In response to this threat, the U.S. helped negotiate the passage of the U.N. Security Council Resolutions 2270 and 2231 to strengthen U.N. sanctions against the regime. H.R. 1644 builds on those Security Council resolutions by expanding mandatory and discretionary sanctions and authorizing new sanctions provisions related to evasion and the use of North Korean exported labor, correspondent banking, and trade in oil, textiles, food, and agricultural products. For example, if someone knowingly transfers significant amounts of jet fuel to North Korea, then the President could freeze that person's assets that come within the jurisdiction of the United States. Vessels that use North Korean ports will be banned from entering U.S. waters or using U.S. ports. The bill also establishes restrictions on the use of foreign assistance to any country that violates these provisions. I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for their leadership and for including my amendment, which will ensure that U.S. sanctions against North Korea do not impede the provision of vital U.S. assistance to developing countries for maternal and child health, disease prevention, and response. U.S. sanctions are necessary, but they are not a complete tool to address the threat of North Korea's impending nuclear development program. The U.S. must undertake a rigorous diplomatic effort to urge the global community, and China in particular, to use their goodwill, their leverage to enforce international sanctions and to get North Korea back to the negotiating table. The Korean Peninsula remains one of the most dangerous flash points in the world. President Trump, sadly, I think has escalated regional tensions by sending mixed signals about the location of U.S. military assets, about his views, as the ranking member said, about Kim Jong-un, and about how best the United States ought to respond that we are going to disabuse ourselves of the previous policy which seems to mean the only policy left is kinetic, a military option. I don't think that makes anything better on the Korean Peninsula. I thank the leaders for this effort. I think it is the right way to go. I support it fully.

Mr. CONNOLLY

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend Bobby Scott for his leadership. This is an incredible service, not only to my Commonwealth of Virginia and his, but, frankly, to all Americans. This isn't just an issue for African Americans or some subgroup. All of us are formed from our history, as we know from the popularity of the opening of the new African-American museum here in Washington, which is an incredible contribution, I think, to our Nation's culture and our discussion. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining on this side?