David Cicilline

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from Georgia for his kind words with respect to Sister Ann Keefe. I rise today to speak in support of H.R. 651, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 820 Elmwood Avenue in Providence, Rhode Island, as the Sister Ann Keefe Post Office. Sister Ann, who passed away on January 18 of this year, was a dedicated activist for the poor and disenfranchised, an advocate for nonviolence, a champion of social justice and equal opportunity, and a beloved member of the Rhode Island community. Sister Ann was born in Warren, Massachusetts, in 1952 to a large family. A dedicated Catholic, Sister Ann joined the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1982 after first earning a master's degree in social work from Fordham University. Sister Ann spent the next 33 years of her life in service at St. Michael the Archangel Church in south Providence and left an indelible mark on Rhode Island that will not be forgotten. Sister Ann was instrumental in the founding and development of over 22 organizations that aimed to improve the lives of members of the community most in need. These organizations included the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence, Providence CityArts for Youth, the Community Boating Center, and AIDS Care Ocean State. These organizations embody the passion and relentless work Sister Ann dedicated her life to and serve as a reminder of her tireless advocacy and selfless commitment to others. I offer this legislation today along with my colleagues in the Rhode Island delegation to designate the facility at 820 Elmwood Avenue in Providence as the Sister Ann Keefe Post Office in order to create a permanent reminder of Sister Ann's contributions and of her accomplishments in our community. I had the extraordinary honor of working with Sister Ann over many years and treasure our friendship. Her life was spent magnanimously. Her dedication, spirit, and generosity to others will be missed by all who knew her. I thank Chairman Chaffetz and Ranking Member Cummings of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee for their work in passing this legislation and urge my colleagues to support H.R. 651 to honor Sister Ann's memory and her extraordinary legacy. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. Again, I move the passage of this piece of legislation, which will honor a great woman who contributed so much to my great State. I thank the gentleman from Georgia for his accommodation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, it has now been one year since the kidnapping of 270 Nigerian girls from their school dormitory. In the time since then, thousands of Nigerian men and women have been captured, slaughtered, and raped simply for practicing their Christian faith or pursuing an education. These horrific atrocities cry out for a response. We need to continue to speak up and speak out until Boko Haram is defeated, and we bring back these girls. Imagine, for a moment, facing the possibility of death every day because violent, militant extremists were wreaking havoc just outside your door. Imagine, for a moment, having to leave behind everything you owned, all your possessions, your entire life, just to keep yourself and your family safe. Imagine, for a moment, that your own loved ones were murdered simply for practicing their faith or going to school. Yet, these are the realities of life for more than a million Nigerians today. I applaud my colleague, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, for her strong leadership on this issue, and I urge my colleagues to continue speaking out until Boko Haram is defeated and these girls are returned home.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman from New York for yielding. Mr. Chair, today, we will be asked to vote on a budget resolution that should outline our priorities and our values as a nation. But this year, House Republicans have proposed what I refer to as a ``magic budget'' that goes far beyond the sleights of hand and fiscal gimmicks that folks have grown accustomed to seeing here in Washington. Republicans would like us to believe that their painful spending cuts will balance the budget in just 9 years. Unfortunately, the basic immutable laws of accounting contradict this claim. The Republican budget claims to save $5.5 trillion and balance the budget in just 9 years. Allow me to explain this magic budget. The magic budget extends tax cuts for corporations and eliminates the alternative minimum tax, but it doesn't account for the $150 billion in lost revenue. This is where it gets even trickier. The Republican budget then cuts $1.1 trillion in spending without any indication of where it would come from. It then takes a sharp turn to the right and repeals ObamaCare, but it still, amazingly, uses the $1 trillion in future revenue from ObamaCare to balance the budget by 2024. Mr. Chairman, this is one magic budget. America deserves better.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the first responders and fire crews who put their lives on the line for more than 24 hours to fight the five-alarm mill fire in Providence last week. Firefighters from across my district came to the scene to help, working through the night to contain the blaze that consumed the 90,000-square-foot building. Thank you to the members of the Providence Fire Department and to fire crews at Central Falls Ladder, North Providence Engine, East Providence Engine, Pawtucket Engine and Ladder, North Providence Ladder, and Cumberland Ladder for your willingness to help the Providence Fire Department and your dedicated service to keep Rhode Islanders safe all throughout the year. I would also like to thank the companies from the Second Congressional District who pitched in, Warwick Engine and Cranston Ladder and Johnston Engine and Ladder. I applaud their service today and hope this reminds all of us of the heroic and important work that our firefighters and first responders do and of our responsibility to support them in every way that we can.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, this week we commemorate the 27th Anniversary of the horrific Sumgait Pogroms. On February 27, 1988 organized mobs of Azerbaijanis aimed at killing and driving Armenian Christians living in Sumgait from their homes. Police allowed the pogroms to go on for 3 days, during which Armenians were burned alive and thrown from windows. The Sumgait massacre is a black mark on history and sadly, this event sparked further violence as Armenians would be targeted less than 9 months later in Kirovbad and again in Baku in 1990. The Azerbaijani Government has shamefully continued to undermine prospects for a lasting peace in the Southern Caucuses, recently they were reported violating the ceasefire and killing several Armenian soldiers on the border. From the earliest days of its formation, the people of Nagorno Karabakh have fought and died for their independence and held open and transparent elections, a tradition of democracy that the United States should honor and respect. As we reflect on these horrific outbreaks of ethnic violence, I join with Armenians in Rhode Island, and across the world in remembering these victims and renewing our commitment to justice, independence and finding lasting peace.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I can't believe we are actually here. In just 48 hours, the Department of Homeland Security will shut down. In this day and age, with so many threats facing Americans and the rest of the civilized world, how can our colleagues even contemplate allowing the Department of Homeland Security to shut down? In just the past couple of months, we have seen terrorist attacks in Denmark and Paris and, just yesterday, arrests in New York of individuals charged with supporting foreign terrorist organizations. The failure to fund the Department of Homeland Security will put American lives at risk--and all to try to prove a political point. Tying legislation against the President's executive order on immigration to the essential funding that pays the hardworking men and women, the extraordinary professionals that keep us safe, is reckless and irresponsible. Mr. Speaker, take up a clean DHS funding bill that will pass both Chambers and be signed by the President immediately, and let's get back to the work many of us came here to do: strengthening our middle class, growing paychecks, and creating jobs. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the House bring up H.R. 861, the clean Department of Homeland Security funding bill that will keep the Department open so it can carry out its mission of keeping the American people safe.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. It is our responsibility to provide America's young people with every opportunity to obtain a world-class education in the best possible environment so they can compete in an increasingly global economy. That is why it is critical that we reauthorize ESEA the right way. Schools and educators deserve certainty, continuity, and direction based on new research and informed by our experience from the last decade, and students deserve the best education we can provide. H.R. 5 is not the right way to do it. H.R. 5 would freeze funding at current levels for 6 years, representing over $800 million in cuts compared to presequester funding. By funding programs with block grants and introducing title I portability, this fails to support greater achievement of low-income students, students of color, students with disabilities, and English language learners. This fails students in so many ways. We should be working together to ensure that a reauthorized ESEA improves student achievement, supports teachers and principals, and provides high-quality education for all students. This bill does not accomplish this. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. I thank the gentleman for the time and for organizing this Special Order. To be sure that folks do not think that local broadcasters are only important in the Midwest, I am here representing New England. We have many, many examples where our local broadcasters have really made a difference in Rhode Island. I think sometimes the best way to illustrate that is to give real examples of where that happened. So, for example, there was a documentary made about a homeless man finding help at Crossroads, which is the largest homeless services organization in the State of Rhode Island. WPRI-TV, a local broadcaster in the city of Providence, secured the rights to this documentary and took the opportunity to create a telethon around its airing. Viewers were asked to open their hearts and their pocketbooks and pledge by phone or online, and that effort raised $85,000 for the shelter, providing greatly needed funding as the housing crisis and economy created an ever-growing demand for the shelter services. So that is one example. Another example is, while residents of our capital city, the city of Providence, waited for their electricity to be restored in their homes after Hurricane Irene cut off power to many in our State, WJAR-TV Providence simulcast the audio portion of its newscast on Clear Channel's WHJJ-AM Providence. This arrangement allowed locals to receive the TV station's around-the-clock coverage on battery-operated radios, which was obviously a very important service. In our State, we have a wonderful facility, a school called Meeting Street, which is an organization that provides individual learning programs for thousands of children with developmental disabilities. And Meeting Street is really allowed to tell the story of its wonderful school to the community each year during its annual telethon on WPRI- TV. This 4-hour, commercial-free telethon preempts prime-time programming, and all production for the event is done in-house by the station. Last year, the telethon generated $500,000 from phone donations and long-term corporate commitments tied to the event, and it has raised billions of dollars over the years. The local newspaper and WNRI-AM in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, carry on the Milk Fund, which is a local tradition that started in 1936 as a way to help struggling families. Each year through the month of December, multiple fundraising efforts in Woonsocket raise money toward the purchase of milk vouchers. Another example: this past fall, listeners tuned in to WKKB-FM in Providence for its 2-day Promesa y Esperanza--Promise and Hope-- Radiothon, which raises funds for St. Jude Children's Hospital. The broadcast is carried out in partnership with 15 sister stations throughout the country to raise awareness of childhood cancer within the Hispanic community and to help St. Jude continue to offer treatment to all children, regardless of their family's ability to pay. This year's effort raised more than $100,000 in WKKB's listening area alone, and more than $630,000 between the 16 stations combined. And just one final example: LIN Media, which owns WPRI-TV in East Providence, established the Minority Scholarship and Training Program. Each recipient will receive a 2-year scholarship for up to $10,000 per year, which can be used for school expenses. In addition, LIN Media will provide each student with hands-on training through a paid internship program at one of its television stations around the country. Minority Scholarship recipients are assigned full-time positions at LIN Media upon graduation and successful completion of the training program. So these are just some examples, and I know there are examples like this all across the country where local broadcasters are really making a difference, not only helping raise needed resources for nonprofit organizations, getting information to listeners and viewers during emergencies, but really helping to strengthen our communities. And I, for one, want to acknowledge the local broadcasters and to say thank you. I hope these examples help illustrate the value of our local broadcasters. I really thank the gentleman for organizing this Special Order hour and for yielding.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

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

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, each year, the Department of Veterans Affairs designates a week in February as the National Salute to Veterans to honor the brave men and women who have served our country. More than 98,000 veterans are cared for in the VA facilities across America, and the National Salute to Veterans is one small way to say thank you to these brave men and women. Every year, I join with students all across Rhode Island to deliver Valentines to veterans during this week in order to pay tribute and express our appreciation for their service. This Saturday, I will visit the Providence VA Medical Center and veterans' homes across the State to personally deliver thousands of handwritten cards. This week, VA medical facilities all over will be holding many special activities to pay tribute to the veterans who have bravely served our country. I encourage my colleagues and everyone listening to contact your nearest VA medical center and ask for Voluntary Service to get involved and salute America's heroes this week.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, every single day, our national security personnel work tirelessly to protect Americans from harm. At a time of renewed threats from ISIS around the world and with the recent attacks in France, these men and women have done the tremendous job of keeping our country safe; but unless Congress acts in 17 days, the Department of Homeland Security will run out of funding. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson has warned that 30,000 Homeland Security workers will be furloughed, and the rest will be forced to work without pay. Is this really how our government should treat its employees on the front line of our national security system? In an effort to roll back President Obama's executive action on immigration, House Republicans have attached toxic policy riders to their Department of Homeland Security bill. The Republican-controlled Senate has rejected this bill three times, but rather than taking up clean legislation to provide our frontline personnel with the resources they need to protect our country, they instead are attaching all of these toxic riders. House Republicans continue to play political games with our national security. I call on my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to stop putting politics ahead of the safety of American families and fund the Department of Homeland Security immediately.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, this week, President Obama unveiled his fiscal year 2016 budget, which outlines his funding priorities for the year ahead. This proposal builds on the economic progress we have made by properly focusing on middle class initiatives, and it supports initiatives that create jobs, educate young people, increase access to affordable child care, repair our crumbling roads and bridges, and keep communities safe--all to ensure that the American economy works for everyone and that recovery reaches all Americans. The President's proposal is a strong starting point for Congress to work together to produce a smart and sensible budget that reflects the priorities of working Americans, that keeps our country safe and our economy growing. I urge my Republican colleagues to drop their misguided proposals that benefit special interests, that repeal the Affordable Care Act, and that restrict women's health care decisions, and to focus instead on a bipartisan budget agreement that ensures all Americans share in our country's growing recovery and that makes the right investments for our future.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the state and local leaders and emergency responders in Rhode Island who, as I speak, are working tirelessly to manage the impact of Winter Storm Juno that struck Rhode Island last night. This storm is still hitting Rhode Island with heavy snow, high winds and coastal flooding. As a former Mayor, I understand the devastating impact this type of snowfall can have on individuals and families, and the painstaking efforts it will take to restore services to Rhode Island's communities. Yesterday our entire delegation sent a letter to President Obama, Senator Jack Reed, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Congressman Jim Langevin, and I, urging the President to make federal assistance available to Rhode Island to support emergency operations and recovery due to the blizzard conditions. I stand ready to assist my home state in any way I can, and applaud the tremendous efforts of our Governor Gina Raimondo, Mayor Jorge Elorza and all the dedicated local leaders and emergency responders who are working around the clock to ensure Rhode Island makes a speedy recovery.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of H.R. 514, the Human Trafficking Prioritization Act. First, let me thank the gentleman from California, Chairman Royce, and the gentleman from New York, Ranking Member Engel, for their leadership on this issue. I particularly want to thank my outstanding colleague from New Jersey, Congressman Chris Smith, for introducing this important piece of legislation and for the work he has done for so many years on this issue. This bill will elevate the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking to the status of a bureau within the State Department. Put simply, human trafficking is slavery. Victims of human trafficking are deprived of their individual freedoms and suffer unimaginably harsh, coercive, and heartbreaking conditions. Reports indicate that there is no place in the world where children, women, and men are safe from human trafficking. That means that every government in the world has a responsibility to combat this problem. The United States has made significant progress toward responding to these crimes within our borders and abroad since Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2000. Mr. Speaker, today we can take the next step forward by elevating the State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons to a bureau. This Office is already doing incredible work. The annual Trafficking in Persons Report has become the global gold standard in assessing how well governments around the world are meeting this challenge and how serious they take their responsibility to eradicate this horrific practice. Their work is forging partnerships and driving innovation on how best to approach this problem, and the Office plays a key role in coordinating our whole-of-government approach to this problem. Elevating the Trafficking Office to a bureau sends a strong message to the world that the United States remains committed to combating modern- day slavery. Passing this legislation alone will not end this despicable practice, and it is not a problem that we will solve quickly or easily. However, every step we take enhances our ability to prevent these crimes, protect victims, and punish those responsible. Mr. Speaker, we passed the same bill last Congress. I urge my colleagues to support and pass this important legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, seeing that I have no further requests for time, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney), the author of this important bill.

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in strong support of H.R. 357, the Human Trafficking Prevention Act. Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank my friend and colleague, the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney), for introducing this important piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, human trafficking is modern-day slavery. Its victims are robbed of both their freedom and dignity. Human trafficking violates the founding principles of the United States--life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness--and humanity's very fundamental principle of respect. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, almost every nation in the world is affected by trafficking. There are at least 152 countries of origin and 124 countries of destination affected by human trafficking, totaling over 510 trafficking flows around the world. Human trafficking victims often pay to be illegally transported into various countries, only to find themselves at the mercy of their captors, deprived of their freedom. They are forced into various forms of servitude to repay their debts. Frighteningly, the U.N. also reports that 1 in 3 known victims of human trafficking is a child. In some areas of the world, such as Africa and the Middle East, children constitute 62 percent of their human trafficking incidents. Women and girls account for 70 percent of trafficking victims worldwide, and men make up over 60 percent of trafficking incidents for forced labor. Human trafficking victimizes people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be a cosponsor of the Human Trafficking Prevention Act which is designed to ensure that representatives of our government recognize incidents of human trafficking when they see it. H.R. 357 would expand Federal training requirements for State Department personnel on identifying and preventing human trafficking. This training includes specific training in persons, briefings for all Ambassadors and deputy chiefs of mission before such individuals depart for their post. This bill would also require that annual reminders be sent to appropriate diplomatic personnel about the key problems, threats, methods, and warning signs of trafficking in persons at their respective Embassy and consular post. Mr. Speaker, this legislation will better prepare our Nation's public servants to quickly identify incidents of human trafficking and take swift action as they serve abroad. We passed the same bill last year, and I urge my colleagues to do so again. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. One last comment about the bill before us. The rule of construction was added to the bill, and I would like to make it clear that this rule of construction does not supersede the bill's general notification requirements, which require the Department of Homeland Security to try to alert a convicted child sex offender whose travel is reported to their country of destination, which is one way of deterring them. Child sex tourism is an outrageous crime, and we have the responsibility to do everything we can to make it difficult for offenders to prey on their victims. I strongly support this bill and encourage my colleagues to do so as well. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 515, known as the International Megan's Law, and yield myself such time as I might consume. I would first like to commend my colleague, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), for his leadership on human rights and anti-trafficking issues and for his hard work and the hard work of his staff on this bill, as well as Ranking Member Karen Bass of California. I also want to recognize the contributions of the Judiciary Committee to this legislation. I am pleased that the two committees, Foreign Affairs and Judiciary, were able to come together to work on this important piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, around the world, as many as 27 million people are victims of human trafficking. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported that among reported incidents of human trafficking, one in three is a child. Many sex offenders target children in regions with extreme poverty and low levels of law enforcement and prosecution. These repulsive acts violate our deepest moral values, and we have a responsibility to respond appropriately. The International Megan's Law would help prevent child sex offenders and traffickers from exploiting vulnerable children when they cross an international border. The bill would establish an Angel Watch center within Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Department of Homeland Security that would provide advance notice to foreign countries when a convicted child sex offender travels to that country. The bill also calls on the President to negotiate agreements with foreign governments that would encourage information sharing on known child sex offenders. Mr. Speaker, it is important to encourage governments around the world to devote their respective resources toward combating this issue. Protecting trafficked children provides timely victim identification, placing victims in a safe environment, and providing them with widespread support services, such as physical and mental health care, educational opportunities, legal assistance, and reintegration with their families and communities. Unfortunately, a single law cannot abolish child sex tourism or child sex trafficking, but the International Megan's Law represents a huge step in the right direction by protecting victims and potential victims from terrifying harm. Mr. Speaker, we passed the same bill last Congress, and I urge my colleagues to do so again. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Madam Speaker, despite the misleading title of this bill, the fact is that there is no Federal taxpayer funding of abortion right now except in very limited circumstances. H.R. 7 would for the first time place restrictions on how women with private insurance can spend private dollars in purchasing health care. It would also likely result in the loss of access to comprehensive health care for millions of women who work for small businesses or who will be purchasing insurance in the Health Insurance Marketplaces. Politicians are not medical experts and should not be dictating health care decisions for women. House Republicans are scrambling this morning to consider the rule for H.R. 7 at the last minute because it became clear that the overly restrictive and unconstitutional 20-week abortion ban would fail a floor vote. Why? Because Americans support comprehensive health care for all women. House Republicans should be bringing up bills to strengthen the economy, to guarantee women equal pay for equal work, to raise the minimum wage, to make child care affordable, and not limit a woman's access to health services in a desperate attempt to relitigate a very divisive issue.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sister Ann Keefe, who passed away on Sunday, January 18, 2015 after a long and courageous battle against cancer. In 1982 Sister Ann joined the ministry at St. Michaels Church in Providence and began her life long fight for those who had no voice and those particularly vulnerable and marginalized. Recognizing the challenges that faced our city and Rhode Island, Sister Ann took action to help the poor, empower workers, advocate non- violence and promote justice for all. Over thirty years of service to our community, she cofounded the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence, which is credited with helping to sharply cut the city's murder rate. She started Providence CityArts! to help at-risk youth. And, she was involved in creating nearly two dozen other organizations that continue to create opportunity for so many. I had the extraordinary honor of working with Sister Ann over many years and treasured our friendship. As Mayor, I was especially proud to work with Sister Ann to support the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence to make Providence safe for kids and future generations of young Rhode Islanders. During this time, I witnessed her leadership skills, dedication and profound commitment to the youth of our city. Last year, even though she was battling cancer, Sister Ann was still fighting for those without a voice and helped my office secure Saint Michaels Church as the location for a comprehensive immigration reform rally and attended the event to show her support. There are so many examples of when she would connect those in need with those that could help. She was a remarkable and strong woman who served as an inspiration for all of us and she leaves behind a great legacy. Her passing is a tremendous loss for Rhode Island, but her presence will continue to be felt in the community through the many organizations she helped found and run, and the positive impact she has had on so many. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and loved ones. Rest in peace, Sister Ann.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Section 2: ``Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed.''