David Cicilline

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 1217, the bipartisan expanded background checks legislation, to honor the memory of Hanna Rhoden and Christopher Roden, Sr., victims of gun violence who never received a moment of silence on the House floor.

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 1217, the bipartisan expanded background checks legislation, to honor the memory of my constituent, Essence Christal, a victim of gun violence who never received a moment of action on the House Floor.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I think it is clear to the American people the extraordinary irony of this argument by our colleagues on the other side of the aisle in that they are deeply focused on national security interests and the protection of infrastructure while they refuse to debate, for a moment, the fact that thousands of people on the terrorist watch list have purchased guns. Ninety-five percent of the people who have been killed in this country by terrorists since September 11 have been killed by a firearm, and there is no legal prohibition against preventing those individuals from going into a gun store and buying as many weapons as they want. So if we are really interested in protecting the American people and the infrastructure and the national security of this country, let's start with the simple proposition: prevent suspected terrorists from buying guns. Mr. Speaker, since we adjourned the last time, 2 weeks ago, 543 Americans have been killed by gun violence. In my home State, since the beginning of this year, five people have been killed, and 36 people have been wounded in the State of Rhode Island by gun violence. Every day, 91 Americans lose their lives to an incident of gun violence. We kill each other with guns at a rate that is 297 times higher than in Japan, 49 times higher than in France, and 33 times higher than in Israel, just to give you some comparison. We have a gun violence epidemic in this country. We have a lot of statistics, and we have heard a lot of numbers. Earlier today, many of us stood on the steps of the Capitol with the survivors of gun violence, with mothers and fathers, with sons and daughters, with people all across this country who have suffered and whose lives have been changed forever because of gun violence. We heard from Catherine Bodine, from New Paris, Ohio. She was shot, and her 10-year-old daughter was killed because a convicted domestic abuser--someone who was legally prohibited from owning a gun--was able to purchase a firearm in a private sale without there being a background check. We heard from Antwan Reeves, a father of four, who was sitting in a parked car with his cousin, Los Angeles Rams' wide receiver Stedman Bailey, in November of last year, when someone drove past and sprayed their car with bullets. Antwan was shot 11 times as he shielded his kids in the back seat. His cousin was shot twice in the head, but, miraculously, he survived. We heard from Barbara Parker, whose daughter, Alison Parker, a reporter, was on live television when she was shot and killed, along with her cameraman, by a disgruntled former coworker in Roanoke, Virginia. We heard from Jill Robinson, whose 43-year-old son died in Baltimore after he was shot in the head, chest, and leg during a robbery gone wrong. We heard from DeAndra Yates, whose 13-year-old son was hit by a stray bullet at a birthday party in Indianapolis. Once an aspiring athlete, DeAndre is now a paraplegic who has lost the power of speech. We heard from Kate Ranta, who was shot by her estranged husband after he broke into her apartment in Coral Springs, Florida. Kate's father was also shot. The incident took place in front of her 4-year-old son. Finally, we heard from Andrew Goddard, whose son, Colin, was shot and killed in his French class at Virginia Tech during one of the worst mass shootings in American history. This epidemic is affecting Americans all across our country--young and old, rich and poor, Black and White, gay and straight. There are 33,000 Americans who lose their lives every year in an incident of gun violence. For these families, a moment of silence is not enough; and for these families, the conversation they are hearing from the Republicans is not enough. As much as you try to change the subject, we will not. We heard their stories today. It is time for the entire Congress to hear their calls and to take up commonsense bills that will reduce the ongoing bloodshed in this country. Mr. Speaker, preventing suspects who are on the terrorist watch list from buying guns and having universal background checks are bills that will make a difference in the lives of all Americans. Bring those bills to the floor. Do it today. Let's have a debate. Let's hear the arguments. Do it for every American whose life has been changed by this epidemic. We owe it to them. We can have lots of debates, but these are urgent issues that are facing our country. We owe it to the American people. I ask my friend from Georgia: Will you use your influence in the Republican caucus to bring these bills to the floor? To urge the Speaker? You are an eloquent debater. Bring these bills to the floor. Defend your opposition so as to let the American people have a vote. Let's honor the memories of all who have been hurt by gun violence in this country, and let's do something today.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I, too, rise in strong opposition to the rule, but I would like to speak to the two pieces of legislation that we are imploring our colleagues to bring to the floor: the no fly, no buy and universal background checks. Since the House adjourned on June 23, at least 522 more Americans have been killed in incidents of gun violence just since we adjourned; men, women, children, sons, daughters, fathers, and mothers. We dishonor the lives of those we have lost to gun violence with this NRA- written bill that we are taking up this week rather than the two commonsense gun safety proposals pending before the Congress. Just in case anyone doesn't understand, we have a gun violence epidemic in this country, different from every other country in the world. We kill each other with guns at a rate 297 times higher than Japan, 49 times higher than France, and 33 times higher than Israel, just to give you an example. So far this year, more than 6,300 people have been killed and more than 13,000 wounded in incidents of gun violence, and that includes 1,600 children. On average, 31 Americans are murdered with guns every single day and 151 are treated for gun assaults in an emergency room. This issue of making sure terrorists or suspected terrorists don't have access to guns and making sure there are universal background checks is not controversial anywhere else in America except in Congress. It is widely supported by the American people, 85 and 90 percent. These are commonsense proposals to keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them. Behind each of the numbers I just mentioned, each of those statistics, are real families who have been crushed and heartbroken by gun violence. Let's do the right thing. Bring these bills to the floor, debate them, make your arguments, and take a vote.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, a little over a week and a half ago, my colleagues and I came to the House floor. We came to the floor to protest the inaction of this Republican Congress, the tyranny of the majority, to act on gun violence prevention measures--their deliberate inaction in the face of 33,000 deaths caused by gun violence every year. We came to demand substantive action to address our country's epidemic of gun violence. Yet, today we will be presented with legislation promoted by the NRA that fails to address this serious problem. H.R. 4237 does not close or otherwise address the terror gap that allows known or suspected terrorists in the United States to legally buy guns. Instead, this bill handicaps law enforcement, creating an impossibly burdensome process and allowing terrorists to take advantage of the Charleston loophole. In fact, H.R. 4237 doesn't just leave the loophole open, which led to the loss of nine lives at the Emanuel AME Church, it reinforces it and the terror gap. Under this legislation, to prevent the transfer of a firearm, the government will be required to file an emergency petition, schedule a hearing, provide the suspect with notice and counsel, and win the hearing all within 72 hours of the attempted purchase. And even if the government is able to win the hearing, it can only prevent the transfer if the court finds that the suspected terrorist committed, attempted to, or will commit an act of terrorism. Put another way, the government can only prevent a gun sale to a suspected terrorist if they can arrest the person for terrorist activity within 3 days of an attempted purchase. Ultimately, this legislation does not provide any meaningful safeguards to prevent terrorists from purchasing guns. Sadly, it is nothing more than a political tactic to avoid responsibility, a contrived effort to look busy and feign concern while thousands of Americans lose their lives to gun violence. The American people are smarter than this. We have a moral responsibility to do something meaningful. The American people demand that we do more, that we do something, that we do anything to help prevent another mass tragedy in this country. Make no mistake, this legislation falls short of a good-faith effort to save lives. The GAO found that individuals on the terrorist watch list were able to pass a background check and legally purchase a firearm 2,043 times between February of 2004 and December of 2014. The FBI was only able to prevent 10 percent of these purchases. As we all, unfortunately, learned on June 12, when we fail to prevent dangerous individuals from getting their hands on guns, we put the lives of Americans at risk. But there is legislation that the House can consider that will reduce gun violence. First, H.R. 1076, the no fly, no buy bill, would effectively close the terror gap by providing the Department of Justice with the discretion to block gun sales to terrorist suspects. It will preserve due process for individuals who were mistakenly listed to appeal their denial. Second, H.R. 1217 would implement universal background checks for all commercial gun sales. It is a measure supported by the overwhelming majority of the American people. And empirical research shows that universal background checks for all handgun sales have lowered levels of gun violence in those States where that occurs. Nationally, 34 percent of gun sales and 40 percent of all gun transfers occur without a background check. This legislation would represent an important step toward closing this loophole and reducing gun violence. I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to bring these two bills to the floor, to respond to the demands of the American people, to do something about the pandemic of gun violence, to do something meaningful that will actually reduce gun violence in this country and protect the American people, as we are sworn to do. I know I speak for all of my colleagues in the Democratic Caucus. We will continue to fight in every way that we can until we can persuade our Republican colleagues to bring these bills to the floor, to do something about the carnage of mass gun violence in this country.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, the time has long passed for Congress to act to enact responsible gun safety legislation. Mr. Speaker, bring these two bills to the floor for a vote.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding I come to the floor again to ask my Republican colleagues to bring to the floor two commonsense proposals that will significantly reduce gun violence in this country. We have, each day it feels like--certainly regularly--come to the floor of the House and observed moments of silence. That is what we have done. We have spent one moment, said, and done nothing as our communities continue to be ravaged by gun violence. There are many of us who believe we have a responsibility to do more than to just observe moments of silence. So these two bills are overwhelmingly supported by the American people. The first bill says that if you are determined to be too dangerous to get on an airplane, if you are a suspected terrorist barred from getting on an airplane because it is too dangerous, then you should also be prevented from going into a gun store and buying as many guns as you want. The American people should know this: between 2004 and 2014, over 2,000 individuals on the terrorist watch list went into a gun store and bought guns. Ninety-five percent of the American people who have been killed by terrorists since September 11 in this country were killed with a firearm. We have allowed more than 2,000 individuals on that watch list, that terrorist watch list, to go into a gun store. We must stop that. No fly, no buy: if you are too dangerous to get on a plane, then you are too dangerous to buy a gun. We owe it to those we serve, the people who sent us here, to end this practice and close this loophole. The second bill is to ensure that there are universal background checks. Background checks work. Every day, 171 attempted purchases by felons are stopped because of criminal background checks; 48 attempted purchases by domestic abusers and 19 attempted purchases by fugitives are stopped every single day in those sales where background checks occur. But some reports are that up to 35 percent of gun sales don't have a background check because they happen on the Internet or they happen at gun shows. Background checks make sense. Ninety percent of the American people support universal background checks.

Mr. CICILLINE. Universal background checks will require that all gun sales be subjected to that important safeguard. This is about our solemn responsibility to keep our constituents safe. We can't pass a bill that is going to eliminate every single instance of gun violence, but I will tell you this: we can do a lot to significantly reduce gun violence in this country. These two bills are an important first step, broadly supported by the American people. I know that I speak for so many of my constituents when I say that we have a moral responsibility to do something to respond to the carnage of gun violence in this country. I had an event in Rhode Island at the National Day of Action, and a couple came up to me. They said: Congressman, we lost our son at Virginia Tech. When we saw you and your colleagues sitting down on the House floor, we thought finally someone is trying to do something about it. Let's respond to those parents and to all the other parents who have lost a child to gun violence. Let's pass these two bills and show the American people we can get something done that will help keep them safe. Mr. Speaker, I urge my Republican colleagues to bring those bills to the floor, and I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, the horrific mass shooting that took place on June 12 at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, is a stark reminder of the urgent responsibility that we have to reduce gun violence in this country. This monstrous attack on the LGBT community in a place of refuge and empowerment requires us to act. The shooter in Orlando used an assault rifle that is virtually identical to the ones used by mass killers in San Bernardino, Umpqua Community College, Aurora, and Sandy Hook Elementary School. That is no coincidence. Out of the eight high-profile mass shootings that have taken place in the past year, seven involved the use of an assault weapon. When an assault weapon is used in a mass shooting, the number of people shot increases by 153 percent, and the number of people killed increases by 63 percent. These are weapons of war that are designed to kill as many people as possible as quickly as possible. They belong on a battlefield; they don't belong in our communities; and I will continue to fight to reinstate the assault weapons ban. This morning, I want to use the time that I have to talk about two proposals that the Speaker should bring up for immediate vote: no fly, no buy, and universal background checks. This is really, really simple. If you are too dangerous to fly on an airplane, then you are too dangerous to buy a gun. But under the laws that we have in place today, someone who is on the FBI's terrorist watch list, who is too dangerous to get on a plane, can still walk into any gun store in America, pass a background check, and walk out with an assault weapon or any other gun he wants. In fact, from 2004 until 2014, more than 2,000 suspected terrorists bought firearms legally in this country, and they are going to continue doing so until we stop them. Until 9/11, bombs were the weapon of choice for terrorists looking to strike the United States; but in the 15 years since then, 95 percent of terrorist deaths that took place in the United States resulted from gunfire. It is impossible--impossible--to understand that House Republicans have now voted 13 times to block the no fly, no buy proposal that Congressman Peter King and Congressman Mike Thompson introduced to keep guns out of the hands of terrorists in this country. Why? What are they afraid of? That we might actually stop a terrorist from passing a background check before he buys an assault rifle at Cabela's? Bring the no fly, no buy bill to the floor today. Let's have an up- or-down vote. Let the American people hold us accountable for where we stand. This should be a no-brainer. More than 80 percent of Americans believe we should prevent suspected terrorists from buying a gun, and more than 90 percent of Americans believe that a background check should be required on every firearm sale so we can keep guns out of the hands of criminals and those with such serious mental illness that possessing a gun would make them a danger to themselves or others. Bills are pending to fix our background check system and to require a background check on every gun sale. This is one of the single most important and effective steps that we can take to reduce gun violence in this country. Right now, anyone can go to a gun show or get on the Internet and purchase a gun without a background check. As many as two out of every five firearm transactions today are conducted without a background check. It is too easy for a criminal, a domestic abuser, a terrorist, or someone with a serious mental illness to buy a gun through this loophole. Every day, background checks block 171 attempted purchases by felons, 48 attempted purchases by domestic abusers, and 19 attempted purchases by fugitives. It is critical that we strengthen the background check system and require checks on all firearm sales so we can keep more dangerous individuals from acquiring these deadly weapons. Bring the Fix Gun Checks Act to the floor today. Mr. Speaker, we held a moment of silence last week for the victims in Orlando. I know that all of us have kept the victims and their loved ones and the people of Orlando in our thoughts and prayers since June 12. But the best way to honor the lives lost in this horrific tragedy is to do something to prevent it from happening to others. A moment of silence is not enough. We need a moment of sustained action in this Chamber, and we need it today. Mr. Speaker, it will be an insult to the victims of this shooting and their families and every victim of every shooting in this country if we continue to do nothing to prevent future tragedies. Do not let this Chamber adjourn until we have voted on these critical issues. Bring these bills to the floor today. Nothing is more important than stopping the bloodshed and ensuring the safety and security of our constituents.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. ``After a few hours of this, they let me shower. I stood there examining my body beneath the steam of water and decided, I don't want my body anymore. I was terrified of it, I didn't know what had been in it, if it had been contaminated, who had touched it. I wanted to talk off my body like a jacket and leave it at the hospital with everything else. ``On that morning, all that I was told was that I had been found behind a dumpster, potentially penetrated by a stranger, and that I should get retested for HIV because results don't always show up immediately. But for now, I should go home and get back to my normal life. ``Imagine stepping back into the world with only that information. They gave me huge hugs and I walked out of the hospital into the parking lot wearing the new sweatshirt and sweatpants they provided me, as they had only allowed me to keep my necklace and shoes.'' ``My sister picked me up, face wet from tears and contorted in anguish. Instinctively and immediately, I wanted to take away her pain. I smiled at her, I told her to look at me, I'm right here, I'm okay, everything's okay. I'm right here. ``My hair is washed and clean, they gave me the strangest shampoo, calm down, and look at me. Look at these funny new sweatpants and sweatshirt, I look like a P.E. teacher, let's go home, let's eat something. She did not know that beneath my sweatsuit, I had scratches and bandages on my skin, my vagina was sore and had become a strange, dark color from all the prodding, my underwear was missing, and I felt too empty to continue to speak. That I was also afraid, that I was also devastated. That day we drove home and for hours in silence my younger sister held me. ``My boyfriend did not know what happened, but called that day and said, `I was really worried about you last night, you scared me, did you make it home okay?' I was horrified. That is when I learned I had called him that night in my blackout, left an incomprehensible voicemail, that we had also spoken on the phone, but I was slurring so heavily he was scared for me, that he repeatedly told me to go find [my sister]. Again, he asked me, `What happened last night? Did you make it home okay?' I said yes, and hung up to cry.''

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, the murder of 49 innocent people at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando last Sunday once again demonstrates the urgency of addressing gun violence in this country. While I appreciate the moment of silence we observed earlier this week, what we really need are moments of sustained action to ensure that this never happens again. We should immediately close the terror gap so individuals on the terrorist watch list cannot legally purchase a gun. If you are too dangerous to get on an airplane, you are too dangerous to own a gun. We should move quickly to prohibit the sale and possession of weapons of war, like the assault rifle that the Orlando gunman used. We should also close the hate crimes loophole so that anyone convicted of a hate crime is prohibited from buying or owning a gun. We should close the Charleston loophole so gun sales cannot go forward until a background check is completed. These are commonsense measures that would immediately reduce the incidence of gun violence in this country. It is on all of us, as the people's elected representatives, to take action today. Choosing to do nothing is an insult to the victims of these attacks and a danger to the safety of those we represent. There is no more solemn responsibility that we have than to protect the people we represent. Let's get to work.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in strong support of this amendment offered by the gentleman from Michigan. We have enormous infrastructure needs here in our own country. And, in fact, the Federal Highway Administration estimates that we have $106 billion of work to be done to our Nation's deteriorating bridges. As a country, it is absolutely critical that we make investments in repairing our own Nation's infrastructure. Instead, we continue to invest taxpayer money in the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund. To make matters worse, the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund is notorious for inefficiencies and shortfalls. Several government watchdog groups have said that projects under this account have lagged significantly behind schedule, have lacked proper oversight, and have been poorly administered. There has been documented serious waste and fraud in this program. When this program was established in 2011, it was intended to identify a handful of infrastructure projects that were shovel-ready and able to be completed by the middle of 2013. According to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, projects funded under this account have been consistently over budget and behind schedule. Since 2003, the taxpayers of the United States have spent $1.3 billion rebuilding Afghanistan. As of April of this year, the Department of Defense has yet to disburse nearly $500 million for this program. With so much funding still waiting to be spent, why should we, in fact, provide additional funds for this program in light of that? It is time that we put the needs of our own roads and bridges first. This amendment would prohibit funds from being reprogrammed for this very troubled program. I urge my colleagues to support this so that we can really refocus our attention on rebuilding our own country and put an end to this wasteful, inefficient program that has been fraught with fraud and waste. I thank my colleague for allowing me to cosponsor the amendment. I strongly urge my colleagues to support the amendment.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, before I begin my remarks, I, too, extend my prayers and sympathy to the people of Orlando. My constituents, like all Americans, are brokenhearted at this monstrous act of violence visited upon a community gathered together to enjoy friendship and community and to celebrate. This act of cowardice has caused so much pain to the LGBT community in Orlando and to our community all across this country. I know I speak for everyone when I say we stand ready to do everything that we can to help this community heal and to keep our communities safe. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4939, the United States-Caribbean Strategic Engagement Act of 2016. My home State of Rhode Island is home to many Caribbean Americans, particularly from the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and other countries in the region. It is critical to strengthen our relationship with these countries not just because of the national security interests we share, but also to support the interests of our constituents and their ties to this region. Geographic proximity has ensured strong linkages between the United States and the Caribbean region. H.R. 4939 will further enhance this relationship. Our interests in the regions are diverse, including economic, political, and security concerns. Despite its importance to the United States, the Caribbean often gets overlooked as we deal with concerns and threats from other regions of the world. Our Caribbean neighbors are important partners at the United Nations and the Organization of American States. Increasing engagements with the governments and the Caribbean diaspora in the United States, as well as the private sector and civil society in both the United States and the Caribbean, will be beneficial to everyone. H.R. 4939 will enhance diplomatic relations, increase economic cooperation, support security integration efforts to help reduce violence and drug trafficking, advance cooperation on democracy and human rights in the region and at multilateral fora, and enhance cooperation in combating public health threats. I want to end by thanking Ranking Member Engel, Chairman Royce, and subcommittee chair Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and all the sponsors of this important bill, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the men and women of the Rhode Island Veterans of Foreign Wars, which is holding its 97th Annual State Convention this Saturday. All of us are fortunate to live in a free and safe society because of the brave actions and extraordinary sacrifices of the men and women who have worn the uniform of the United States Armed Forces. We owe our troops, veterans and their families our gratitude and deep respect, in addition to the exceptional care and benefits they have earned while serving our great nation. The Rhode Island VFW has been the leading voice for veterans and their families in my home state for decades. I am proud to work with them to strengthen mental health services, expand job training opportunities, and ensure that all of Rhode Island's veterans have the tools and resources they need to get ahead. Rhode Island is home to more than 70,000 veterans today. They are all our heroes. I congratulate the Rhode Island Veterans of Foreign Wars on their 97th Annual State Convention, and I look forward to joining them this Saturday.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment, which would eliminate funding for the Department of Energy's EPSCoR program. For more than 40 years, the Department of Energy has provided academic research funding to colleges and universities around the Nation, and it has been critical to ongoing research that is essential to maintaining our competitive edge in energy advancement. The DOE's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, commonly known as EPSCoR, is a science-driven, merit-based program, whose mission is to help balance the allocation of DOE and other Federal research and development funding to avoid an undue concentration of money to only a few States. This successful program has had a profound impact on my home State of Rhode Island by allowing our academic institutions to increase research capacity, to enrich the experiences of their students, and to contribute to important advances in a variety of fields. Currently, 24 States, including Rhode Island, and three jurisdictions account for only about 6 percent of all DOE funding despite the fact that these States account for 20 percent of the U.S. population. EPSCoR has helped to stabilize this imbalance in funding, and it should continue to do so in the 2017 fiscal year and beyond. In order to ensure robust academic research and outcomes across the country, geographic diversity in funding should be considered to ensure that we are taking advantage of the particular experiences, knowledge, and perspectives of academic institutions from every State. This amendment to eliminate this successful program would be a step backward for the United States' commitment to research and development. Investments in critical programs, such as EPSCoR, are essential to creating jobs, innovating for the future, and maintaining our competitive edge in scientific research and a global economy. I urge my colleagues to join me in strongly opposing this amendment.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. I thank the gentleman for yielding go. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of the amendment offered by my colleague from California, which would strike this misguided provision to prohibit funding of the National Ocean Policy, which permits better coordination among Federal agencies responsible for coastal planning. This provision in particular would undermine the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's participation in planning; would hurt States, communities, and businesses; and would keep States like Rhode Island from managing resources in a way that best fits their needs and priorities. The administration has made it clear that the National Ocean Policy does not create new regulations, supercede current regulations, or modify any agency's established mission, jurisdiction, or authority. Rather, it helps coordinate the implementation of existing regulations by Federal agencies to establish a more efficient and effective decisionmaking process. In the Northeast, our Regional Ocean Council has allowed our States to pool resources and businesses to have a voice in decisionmaking and has coordinated with Federal partners to ensure all stakeholders have a voice in the process, and it was the first in the Nation to release a draft regional ocean plan. It is astounding to me that, since 2012, more than 15 riders undermining ocean planning have been introduced to House bills, including riders on several previous appropriations bills. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I want to begin by thanking the chairman and the ranking member for including my amendment in the en bloc amendment. This amendment will require a report detailing plans to inform American manufacturers about opportunities to equip foreign militaries receiving U.S. assistance. Each year, our country provides billions of dollars to our international partners in military assistance to foster security relationships and to ensure our national security. This is a worthwhile investment necessary to preserve American interests abroad, but we need to make sure that American businesses, particularly American manufacturers, are given ample opportunity to compete for these taxpayer-funded contracts. My amendment helps ensure American companies are aware of what opportunities are available to them and to their employees. By ensuring more American companies are aware of these opportunities, we can support job growth among American companies, which in turn will support the overall health of our economy and our Nation's defense industrial base. Increased competition also helps ensure that our international partners are provided with the highest quality products available, thus helping to better secure their own better future and protecting our own national security interests. The amendment simply ensures that American businesses have the opportunity to compete for these contracts so that as we are building up and securing our national security interests around the world, we are also strengthening American jobs, American manufacturing, and growing our economy.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 51st anniversary of the creation of Head Start. In my home State of Rhode Island, Head Start serves 2,500 children, including 100 homeless children and 500 children with special needs. Head Start is proven and effective. Young people who participate in Head Start have increased graduation rates, are less likely to become pregnant as teens, have improved economic opportunities, and are less likely to be involved in crime. Every dollar invested in Head Start saves up to $7 in future costs. In the 20th century, the United States set the standard in education and had the highest graduation rates around the world. Today, we rank 12th in college graduation and 26th in access to preschool for 4-year- olds. If we are serious about providing the next generation with the skills they need to be successful and to compete in a global economy, it is critical that we significantly increase our investments in Head Start. Congratulations to Head Start on your 51st anniversary. Thank you for all that you do.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is Yom Ha'atzmaut, the commemoration of the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948. This day of celebration is always immediately preceded by Yom Hazikaron, Israel's Memorial Day. This timing is no accident. The people of Israel know that their freedom comes at a high price. Today I am humbled to join them in remembering more than 23,000 soldiers and victims of terrorist attacks who have paid this price, including 68 soldiers and police officers and 32 civilians over the past year alone. The strong relationship between the United States and Israel dates back more than six decades. On May 14, 1948, just 11 minutes after the provisional government of Israel, led by Prime Minister David Ben- Gurion, proclaimed a new state, President Harry S. Truman announced: ``This government has been informed that a Jewish state has been proclaimed in Palestine, and recognition has been requested by the provisional government thereof. The United States recognizes the provisional government as the de facto authority of the new State of Israel.'' This year, Israelis will celebrate their independence as they always have, gathering for public shows, performing Israeli folk dances, singing Israeli songs, and spending the day with families at picnics or on hikes. The holiday will conclude with the awarding of the Israeli Prize to men and women who have made unique contributions to culture, science, the arts, and humanities. For American Jews, the celebration of Israel's independence has always been a way to express solidarity with the State of Israel. In many communities, it is a special occasion for Jewish organizations and synagogues of different denominations to come together for a single, united celebration of Israel's creation and existence, both of which have defied great odds. Just one day after President Truman recognized the new Jewish state's existence, five neighboring Arab countries amassed their armies and invaded, determined to remove the dream of Israel from the pages of history. But after months of fighting, Israel emerged stronger than it was before, with more territory under its control. Since then, the people of Israel have lived under the threat of violence for nearly seven decades. They survived the Six-Day War in 1967, the Yom Kippur War in 1973, and insurgencies that targeted soldiers and civilians alike. Through it all, the friendship between the United States and Israel has remained strong. We stood together to oppose Soviet aggression during the cold war, and we continue to stand together today, united in the fight against terrorism and global extremism. This friendship is rooted in much more than strategic interests. The United States and Israel have always shared common values. As the most stable and successful democracy in the Middle East, Israel is committed to the values of equality and freedom, including a free press, freedom of religion, and the right to self-determination through democratic elections. Today, at a pivotal moment in the history of the world, it is more important than ever for the United States to stand with the people of Israel. I have been proud to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on legislation to strengthen the ties between our two countries. The United States-Israel Cybersecurity Cooperation Act, which I introduced earlier this year, will establish a joint Cybersecurity Center of Excellence where the leaders from our two countries can work together on cybersecurity and the protection of critical infrastructure. In the House Foreign Affairs Committee, we have worked to advance legislation that condemns efforts to inflame anti-Semitic sentiments by the Palestinian Authority. These are critical issues we must continue to work on in the pursuit of our common objectives and our shared values. I congratulate the State of Israel on the anniversary of its independence, and I look forward to continuing to work to strengthen the relationship between our two countries even further.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, this week is National Nurses Week. It is an opportunity to honor the 3.1 million registered nurses who are primary providers of hospital patient care. Right now at hospitals and health centers across America, nurses are offering essential, lifesaving treatment for patients. Every day nurses encounter and overcome challenges that most of us will never face. Honoring the work of nurses is especially important for me on a personal level as my grandmother, Lucy Cicilline, was a proud nurse at Saint Joseph's Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, for many years. Let's honor the work of nurses by passing H.R. 2083, the bipartisan Registered Nurse Safe Staffing Act, which is a bill that I am proud to cosponsor that will require hospitals to create staffing plans for nurses, establish new whistleblower protections, improve nurse retention, and make hospitals safer both for nurses and their patients. I am honored to recognize National Nurses Week, and I thank all of America's great nurses for all that they do.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation and yield myself such time as I may consume. I would like to thank Representative Katko and Representative Rice for introducing this bill, H.R. 4985, the Kingpin Designation Improvement Act, which helps ensure that Federal courts can review sanctions against drug kingpins without forcing law enforcement or the intelligence community to publicly release classified information. H.R. 4985 would amend the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act modeled on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The Kingpin Act allows the President to designate and apply economic sanctions against any significant foreign narcotics trafficker. This authority provides a powerful tool to combat narcotics trafficking around the world. For example, just last month, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, which administers these sanctions, targeted a Mexican drug cartel and the three brothers who run it, freezing their assets and banning U.S. persons from doing business with them. As with the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, designations made under the Kingpin Act may be challenged in court. However, unlike IEEPA, the Kingpin Act contains no explicit authority for judges to privately review classified information. This gap in authority means it is only a matter of time until the government will be forced to choose between disclosing classified material and allowing a confirmed narcotics trafficker to avoid justice. H.R. 4985 would address this issue by adding a new section that explicitly authorizes the government to allow judges to privately review classified information when individuals challenge their designation as kingpins under the act. This provides a simple fix to a gap in current law, bringing the Kingpin Act in line with the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and improving our ability to ensure the law functions as intended. I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for its introduction, and I urge my colleagues to support the legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to thank the gentleman from New York for the introduction of this bill. It closes an important gap in the statute, which will enhance the safety of our country and provide essential review confidentially. I urge my colleagues to support the bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 101st anniversary of the Armenian genocide. Over the years in Rhode Island, I have spoken with many Armenian Americans who have recounted the stories their parents or grandparents told them about living through the horror of the Armenian genocide. Even after 100 years, there is still a deep wound in the heart of the Armenian people, particularly as genocide and atrocious human rights violations continue to be used as weapons of war in the 21st century. Today, hardly a week goes by without news of horrific human rights violations somewhere around the world. The first step to stop these abuses is to acknowledge them for what they are and then to confront them. That is why it is important that the United States Government finally recognize and call the Armenian genocide what it is and what it was: a systematic attempt by the Ottoman Empire to annihilate the Armenian people. The challenges, of course, continue today for the people of Armenia. All of us know that earlier this month, violence once again erupted in Nagorno-Karabakh. President Serzh Sargsyan called it ``the most wide- scale military action that Azerbaijan has tried to carry out since the establishment of the 1994 ceasefire regime.'' It is critical that the United States remain deeply engaged in resolving this conflict. I recently met with the Armenian Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Grigor Hovhannissian, to discuss relations between our two countries and what role the United States must play to help promote a resolution of this longstanding conflict. I have received briefings on the current situation, and I will continue to advocate for critical American leadership to protect the innocent men, women, and children who are living in Nagorno-Karabakh. But as we address this current crisis, it is also critical that we continue to push for recognition of the Armenian genocide. History is clear: 101 years ago, 1\1/2\ million Armenian men, women, and children were brutally and systematically murdered while living under the Ottoman Empire. That is not an opinion, it is not an interpretation, and it is not an allegation. It is a fact. In a cable sent to the U.S. Secretary of State on July 10, 1915, the U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire confirmed the persecution of Armenians by ``systematic attempts to uproot peaceful Armenian populations, and through arbitrary arrests, terrible tortures, wholesale expulsions, and deportations from one end of the empire to other accompanied by frequent instances of rape, pillage, and murder, turning into massacre, to bring destruction and destitution on them.'' After 101 years of waiting, it is time for our President and the United States Government to recognize this fact and to acknowledge this atrocity as the first genocide of the 21st century. Armenia is an important friend and ally of the United States, and it is critical that we stand with our friends and honestly acknowledge the evil of the Armenian genocide. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to leave you with the words of Pope Francis who last year reminded all of us that ``whenever memory fades, it means that evil allows wounds to fester. Concealing or denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding without bandaging it.'' After more than 100 years of waiting, it is time for the United States Government to finally recognize the Armenian genocide as the first genocide of the 21st century.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, this weekend the Rhode Island School for the Deaf will celebrate 125 years as an educational institution that serves deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Rhode Island. Each year, approximately 12,000 children are born with some level of hearing loss in this country. The Rhode Island School for the Deaf offers essential support, guidance, and information for deaf and hearing-impaired children from the moment they are born until they are ready to graduate high school and go on to college or a career. The Rhode Island School for the Deaf's Parent Infant Partners program helps children develop English and American Sign Language skills at an early age. Its elementary, middle, and senior high school programs provide quality education, as well as vocational programs and opportunities to participate fully in social activities and athletic events alongside hearing children. I applaud the extraordinary educators and staff at the Rhode Island School for the Deaf for their ongoing work to serve deaf and hearing- impaired children, and I congratulate them on their 125th birthday celebration this Friday.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, this Friday, April 22, is Earth Day, a time to remember our responsibility to be good stewards of this planet and our urgent responsibility to respond to global climate change. Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists agree that human activity is causing global warming. The evidence is all around us. The last 11 months have been the hottest such months on record. Sea levels have risen more than half a foot in the last century. Glaciers around the world are in retreat. We cannot afford to ignore this any longer. It is critical that Congress take up legislation to address the dangers of climate change and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We have to end the subsidies to Big Oil companies, take up the Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism Anti-Drilling Act, which my colleague, Mr. Pallone, has introduced, take up H.R. 1814 to permanently reauthorize the Land and Conservation Fund, and work together to respond to this urgent challenge. History will not judge this Chamber kindly if we fail to act. All of us have a responsibility to address the threat of climate change before it is too late.