David Cicilline

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3285.

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3285) to amend gendered terms in Federal law relating to the President and the President's spouse.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. H.R. 7072 will insert due process protections into a system too often abused by Federal prosecutors. Under the Stored Communications Act, the government often has no obligation to tell you that they have requested access to your email records. It can prohibit your service provider from informing you of the search, even if your contract with the provider requires such notice. The NDO Fairness Act will require that the government show a need for a gag order. It installs commonsense protections to ensure that any such orders are time-limited and subject to scrutiny for renewal. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' and pass this important legislation today, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7072) to amend title 18, United States Code, to modify delayed notice requirements, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, as a proud cosponsor, I rise in strong support of H.R. 7072, the NDO Fairness Act, crucial bipartisan surveillance reform legislation that recently passed out of the Judiciary Committee on a voice vote. This legislation would establish important guardrails for when the government seeks to access someone's electronic communications without that person's knowledge. Under current law, after the government obtains a court's permission to search the contents of a person's electronic communications, prosecutors must then compel the email service provider to produce the relevant data. To avoid having the service provider turn around and tell its customer about the search, the government can also ask the court to grant a nondisclosure order, colloquially referred to as a secrecy or gag order. Right now, there is no time limit to these orders. There is no standard to meet. All the government needs to do is cite one of five potential adverse results, with no showing that it is necessary, and the court may grant the request. This bill requires the government to show and the courts to be convinced that the secrecy order is actually needed, rather than allowing both to treat this as a check-the-box activity. Gag orders would be granted for a much shorter period of time, with the opportunity for extensions only as necessary. When the orders expire or are no longer necessary, the government would need to provide to the customer the warrant, details regarding the search, and a copy of any information disclosed. Prosecutors frequently seek secrecy orders in cases where there is clearly no need and in situations where the government alone benefits. Unlike when a physical search occurs and a person has the right to go to court to dispute the warrant, NDOs can keep the subject of the search in the dark until a court reverses the order. In the 21st century, Federal prosecutors no longer need to show up to your office. They just need to raid your virtual office secretly. The NDO Fairness Act would do away with that rubber stamp by ensuring that courts apply a strict scrutiny standard to government requests with a written determination explaining their reasoning. By time- limiting nondisclosure orders, raising the standard of review, and ensuring that service providers have standing when they object, H.R. 7072 inserts transparency, reason, and balance into a system that for too long has been a free-for-all for government prosecutors simply by virtue of it being too easy to overuse. If history and recent reporting has taught us anything, it is that we cannot trust the Department of Justice--under any administration--to police itself. It is imperative that the House of Representatives fulfill its role and ensure our laws are keeping pace with rapidly changing technology. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Nadler and Congressman Fitzgerald for their leadership on this bill and our friends, Senator Leahy and Senator Lee, for their leadership in the Senate. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 7072.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Dean), an important member of the House Judiciary Committee.

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6538) to create an Active Shooter Alert Communications Network, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act. Across the country, workers are calling out sick because of COVID, truck deliveries and other shipments are facing delays, and people are panic-buying, all leading to product shortages and soaring prices. Yet, while we know the COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly challenged our Nation's supply chain, we also know there are systemic imbalances in our economy. Decreased competition, driven by market concentration, has allowed companies to further drive up costs and their profits at the expense of hardworking Americans in one of our most vulnerable moments. In the beef-processing market, for example, four dominant companies control 85 percent of the market. The four largest poultry processing companies made up more than half of the market in 2015, up from 35 percent of the market in 1986. We have seen this trend all across our economy, as large corporations have squeezed out independent businesses, eliminating competition. As a result, hardworking Americans throughout this country are paying more as food prices skyrocket, particularly for meat. Provisions included in the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act will help us tackle this very issue and help bring prices down across the board. The Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act and the Butcher Block Act, for example, will help strengthen our investigatory and enforcement tools to address market competition issues while also investing in additional meat processing capacity. The PRECISE Act will improve farming efficiency and help ensure farmers' resiliency to future disruptions in fertilizer supply. The Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Investment and Market Expansion Act and the Year-Round Fuel Choice Act will help drive down prices at the pump for Americans and increase available fuel supply. These are just a few of the provisions in this comprehensive package that will help ease the economic burden on American families and help create an economy that works for all of us. I urge my colleagues to come together to help hardworking Americans by driving down these costs and supporting this legislation.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, this Pride Month we need to both celebrate the LGBTQI+ community and take action to further LGBTQI+ equality. A vote for today's bill is a vote to do just that. The Financial Services Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Economic Justice Act includes a portion of my bill--the Equality Act--to explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in credit. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and my amendment to explicitly clarify that all forms of sex discrimination are prohibited by the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Importantly, my amendment makes clear that discrimination on the basis of sex stereotypes, pregnancy, childbirth, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics, including intersex traits, are all forms of unlawful sex discrimination under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. No one should be denied access to credit because of who they are or who they love. Yet, 7.7 million LGBT adults 18 and older live in states without statutes explicitly prohibiting LGBT discrimination in credit. A vote for today's bill and my amendment will ensure long-lasting explicit nondiscrimination protections for the LGBTQI+ community and others in credit. I thank Chairwoman Waters for introducing this bill and ensuring it is inclusive of the LGBTQI+ community. I urge my colleagues to stand with the LGBTQI+ community this Pride Month and vote for my amendment and the underlying bill.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act. Before the Emanuel church shooting, before the Uvalde, El Paso, and Parkland shootings and so many others, shooters showed warning signs or even flat out said what they were going to do. Before many die by suicide by gun, they show warning signs that they may be a danger to themselves. In these situations, there is often evidence that something terrible is going to happen. We know it, we can even articulate it, but we are often powerless to stop it. This bill remedies this situation. This bill would help prevent individuals who pose an imminent threat to themselves or others from accessing firearms, by allowing law enforcement and family members to file a court petition in Federal court to temporarily--temporarily-- block dangerous individuals' access to guns. Despite the claim that this bill invades due process, this is absolutely false. It is a thinly veiled attempt to prevent any and all regulations of firearms in this country. As the chairman has said, it has been found constitutional. There is a hearing before the seizure with a judge, with witnesses, testimony under oath, affidavits. The judge makes a finding. It happens all the time in domestic violence cases. These guns can only be taken away for a temporary period after a hearing with a judge, who determines on balance that it is necessary to do so for the safety of the gun owner or the community. This bill is so common sense. It has historically been bipartisan. The last Republican President supported it, introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham in the Senate. I thank Congresswoman McBath. Our Republican colleagues this morning have been talking about their passion for the Second Amendment, their devotion to the right to bear arms. If only for a moment they showed the same devotion, the same commitment to preserving the life of young people, the right to live a life free from gun violence, to go to a movie theater or church or synagogue and not worry about their life and their liberty because they are gunned down by someone who shouldn't have a firearm. This is absolutely the most commonsense proposal that will come before Congress on guns. Keep them out of the hands of people who are dangerous to themselves and others. For God's sake, vote for this bill.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support reinstating the assault weapons ban. The AR-15 has become the weapon of choice for shooters looking to kill as many people as possible in as little time as possible. Researchers estimate that if we still had a Federal assault weapons ban we would see 70 percent fewer mass shooting deaths. The number of mass shootings has skyrocketed since the original assault weapons ban expired in 2004. These weapons have been used in the deadliest shootings in our history from Sandy Hook to Parkland to Uvalde. They are weapons of war that have no place in our community. This is the amount of damage which is done by one bullet fired by an AR-15 as it enters the body. That is the bullet. That is the size of the damage. The bodies of kids in Uvalde were riddled so badly with wounds that their parents had to use DNA tests to identify their own children. One family identified their child by their shoes--their shoes. These weapons don't just kill. They slaughter, and they decimate. They are designed for death and maximum destruction. They have no place in our schools or in our streets or anywhere in our communities. We know that the original assault weapons ban worked. We have to reinstate it before more innocent lives are lost.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, almost 6 years ago I sat down right here on this floor with the late, great John Lewis and so many colleagues to protest the Republicans' unwillingness to take up gun safety legislation after the Orlando shooting at the Pulse nightclub. We promised to the American people that if we were given the majority, we would deliver on gun safety legislation. Last year, we passed bills for expanded criminal background checks and to close the Charleston loophole to ensure criminals can't buy firearms. And today, we will pass groundbreaking legislation to address gun violence and the epidemic of gun violence in our country. Gun violence is the crisis of this generation. There isn't a person or a community in this country that isn't affected by gun violence. It doesn't matter if you are rich or poor, in a city or suburb, young or old. We are all a text message away from this happening to any one of us. In the last 159 days alone, we have had more than 240 mass shootings in this country; almost 19,000 dead from guns, and 27 school shootings. Children killed in Uvalde, Parkland, Sandy Hook, and many more places across the country. Enough is enough. It is time to do something. Every minute we wait, every minute we fail to act, we sentence more Americans and more children to death by guns in this country. The Protecting Our Kids Act is a smart, commonsense package that will save lives. I urge my colleagues to take this first step with us. Help reduce gun violence in this country. Protect your constituents from the gun violence that is ravaging communities all across America. And we can't stop here. This is a great bill. There is a lot more work to be done to make certain that kids and all the members of our communities are safe. But have the courage to stand up. Actually, it doesn't take a lot of courage. Do your job. Protect your constituents from these horrific acts of gun violence. Vote ``yes'' on this legislation.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 3823, the ``Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment and Technical Corrections Act.'' This important bipartisan, bicameral legislation introduced by my colleague, Congressman Neguse, will ensure that our bankruptcy system works for the entrepreneurs, small businesses, homeowners, and American families who are the backbone of this country and of the communities where they live and work. If there is one foundational principle of American bankruptcy law, it is the promise of the ``fresh start.'' The fresh start is a quintessentially American idea. It is the promise that even when your best efforts have failed, you will have a chance to get back up and try again. It is the promise that your debts will not destroy you. By increasing the debt limit for small businesses electing to file for bankruptcy under subchapter V of Chapter 11 to $7.5 million, and for individual Chapter 13 filers to $2.75 million, this legislation will provide much-needed certainty that the bankruptcy system will be responsive to hardworking Americans and their families trying to stay afloat in a world that can get turned upside down by global economic shocks. We all benefit from the fresh start. When it works as intended, it boosts economic growth, reduces unemployment, and encourages innovation and entrepreneurship. This legislation represents a major step toward ensuring that our bankruptcy system makes good on that promise. I thank my colleagues, Representatives Neguse and Cline, for their leadership on this bill and for their work to ensure that small businesses and families have meaningful access to the bankruptcy process. I urge my colleagues to support S. 3823.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2021. We are at an important crossroads in this country. With white supremacy on the rise and violent extremists fueling each other's bigotry and hate, we are seeing an alarming increase in domestic terrorism fueled by this hatred. A recent analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies showed that in 2020, domestic terrorism in America was at its highest level since information started being collected nearly 30 years ago. In 2019, Michael McGarrity, Assistant Director for the Counterterrorism Division of the FBI stated that, ``racially motivated violent extremists are responsible for the majority of lethal attacks and fatalities perpetrated by domestic terrorists since 2000.'' Mr. Speaker, we are talking about the safety and security of every American, and the targeting of already marginalized groups. We also witnessed this just days ago in Buffalo, when a self- proclaimed white supremacist, fascist, and anti-Semite targeted the Black community, murdering ten victims in a supermarket. We saw this last year in Atlanta when a gunman attacked Asian women in spas. We saw it in the bomb threats at HBCUs and Jewish synagogues, and as terrorists have attacked Black churches, synagogues, and Sikh temples. We keep seeing it over and over again. Congress needs to act. We can start today by passing the bipartisan Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act. This legislation will create offices at the DOJ, FBI, and DHS to monitor, investigate, and prosecute cases of domestic terrorism, a long-overdue update to not only help prevent these horrific crimes, but to also bring perpetrators to justice. This bill would also improve and streamline information-sharing and training systems between different law enforcement agencies, including at the local and State level, to better our understanding of and response to incidents of domestic terrorism and white supremacy. And finally, it would establish an interagency task force to combat white supremacist infiltration of our military and Federal law enforcement--a terrifying trend that we need to combat now before it gets any worse. I thank Representative Schneider for introducing this desperately needed legislation. I am proud to be an original cosponsor. I thank Chairman Nadler for his leadership, and I urge all my colleagues to support this important bill. It should be a strong bipartisan vote. Say ``no'' to white supremacy and domestic terrorism in America.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to show my united and unwavering support of LGBTQI+ people across the globe and their right to live their lives openly, free from discrimination, harassment, and violence. Yesterday, May 17th, we marked the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. I had hoped that by 2022, we would no longer need this day to draw attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by LGBTQI+ people around the world. In too many countries, it is still a crime to be LGBTQI+. At least 68 countries have laws that criminalize same-sex sexual relations between consenting adults. In six of those countries, people can be sentenced to death for same-sex sexual relations. And at least nine countries have laws criminalizing forms of gender expression that target the transgender community. In countries like Russia, LGBTQI+ people are targeted for discrimination. And under Putin's regime, they also have seen their ability to organize and fight for their rights curtailed. In countries like Chechnya, LGBTQI+ people are subjected to state- sanctioned torture and violence, including murder. The United States has a moral obligation to address these human rights abuses against LGBTQI+ people. That is why the House passed-- with a bipartisan vote--the Global Respect Act, legislation I authored to deny visas to those who commit human rights abuses against LGBTQI+ people abroad. This legislation will also codify reporting requirements on these issues in the State Department's annual Human Rights Report. The Senate now needs to send it to the President's desk. We need to equip our government with the tools it needs to help secure LGBTQI+ equality and protect the rights of LGBTQI+ people here at home and abroad. We are fortunate to have strong allies in the White House in President Biden and Vice President Harris. Their administration has stated unequivocally that it is the policy of the United States to ``pursue an end to violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics.'' They have done important work to advance those goals and have also taken meaningful action to ensure we are leading by example here at home as well. In his State of the Union Address, President Biden specifically asked us, this Congress, to send him the Equality Act for his signature. The Equality Act will, finally, explicitly prohibit LGBTQI+ discrimination in key areas of our everyday lives--including employment, housing, public accommodations,'' education, federally- funded programs, credit, and jury selection. The House passed this bill, and I am now asking the Senate to do the same. As we espouse values of equality abroad, we need to look inwardly too. In too many states, LGBTQI+ people, especially trans youth, have been under attack. More than a dozen anti-LGBTQI+ bills have been signed into law in the states this year. These laws are discriminatory, and cruel, and are doing real harm to the LGBTQI+ community. The Trevor Project recently published a study which found that in the past year 45 percent of LGBTQ+ children seriously considered attempting suicide. Stop for a minute and take that in. Almost one out of every two LGBTQ+ children seriously thought about taking their own life. If that statistic was the same for your child, would you act? The Trevor Project also found that 1 in 5 transgender and nonbinary children attempted suicide and 60 percent of LGBTQ+ youth who wanted mental health care couldn't access it. We must do better. And for us in Congress, that means strengthening protections for the LGBTQI+ community here at home and abroad. It means taking this meaningful action to show these children, and all LGBTQI+ people that they are not alone. And so I would like to thank the LGBTQI+ activists across the world. Their work is so important. We know how difficult it can be to fight for LGBTQl+ equality, especially in countries where it is a crime to simply be yourself. The work that they are doing will have a positive impact for generations. They are on the right side of history, and we will use every lever of the federal government to support them and the fight for global equality.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, our economy is still recovering from 2 years of a once-in-a-generation pandemic that basically shut down our economy. As Americans stopped going out and spending money, companies slowed production not only to meet this change in demand but also to allow for social distancing and COVID safety protocols for workers. Now, as Americans have started to resume their normal lives, companies are struggling to keep up with the increased demand for goods. These supply chain issues and a worker shortage has resulted in higher prices across the economy. These issues do not fully explain some of the skyrocketing prices that we are seeing. The pandemic, and the ensuing recovery, have laid bare systemic problems in our economy, including market consolidation and price gouging. As our economy works to recover from the pandemic and the shocks to our supply chain, and as the world responds to Putin's reckless invasion of Ukraine, food and energy costs have skyrocketed for people around the world, including here in America and including in my district in Rhode Island. While President Biden has taken a number of steps to tackle costs for Americans, including releasing millions of barrels of petroleum from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, expanding access to gasoline with 15 percent ethanol, and additional investments in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program to help those most in need, systemic imbalances in our economy are enabling companies to further drive up costs. Put simply, they are taking advantage of hardworking Americans and raising prices just because they can, all for the sake of extraordinary profits. As Americans are working to recover from 2 years of an unprecedented health crisis and the economic downturn it caused, companies are reporting record profits as worker pay remains stagnant and families feel the squeeze on their pocketbooks. This is especially true in the case of gas prices. Exxon, for example, is reporting that in the first quarter of 2022, its net profits have more than doubled, to $5.5 billion, compared to last year. Chevron has reported its highest quarterly profit in nearly a decade. These record profits are a direct result of record gas prices. If these prices were solely based on inflation or supply chain issues, these companies wouldn't be seeing these obscene increases in profits. To make matters worse, these record profits aren't being invested in new drilling sites to help us deal with energy shortages brought on by Putin's invasion of Ukraine but, instead, are going to massive company stock buybacks, shareholder dividends, and salary bonuses. This is pandemic war profiteering. In grocery stores across America, the cost of food continues to rise as prices for goods like pork, chicken, and beef have spiked dramatically. While some may point solely to inflation for these increased prices, there is, once again, a larger systemic problem. In the meatpacking industry, for example, the top four companies are estimated to control up to 85 percent of the industry. In industries all across the economy, the story is the same. Three firms control 93 percent of the soft drink industry. Three firms control 85 percent of the baby formula industry. Three firms control 93 percent of the baby food industry. Four firms control 79 percent of the beer industry. Three firms control 79 percent of the dry pasta industry. And three firms control 73 percent of the cereal industry. If history has taught us anything, this kind of market consolidation hurts product quality, market competition, and worker safety, all the things we need to have an equitable economy. As simply put by President Biden: ``Capitalism without competition is exploitation.'' So, as we look to recover from this pandemic, and in a way that creates an economy that works for everyone, for the people of this country, we need to hold these monopolistic giants accountable. To start, Congress must pass the Big Oil windfall profits tax. Companies that have taken advantage of this moment and taken advantage of the American people in a time of crisis shouldn't be raking in record profits. Those profits should be returned to the consumers that they gouged. We also should pass H.R. 7688 to be sure that we are taking on, in a serious way, price gouging in the energy sector. I am working with Congresswoman Schakowsky on an economywide anti-price gouging bill. We need to be sure that we are funding the FTC to do this work so it can conduct rigorous investigations and look carefully at this kind of market consolidation. But look, this is about corporate greed, about people taking advantage of this moment. As the American people are recovering from a very difficult couple of years, we should not, in addition to that, allow them to be victims of this kind of price gouging. We have the ability to do something about it. We have bills that I hope we will bring to the floor. Return what was improperly taken from consumers at the gas pump. Return it back to them. I also thank President Biden for the work that he is doing to bring down gas prices, to focus relentlessly on inflation, both for food and gas. This is the number one concern of my constituents in Rhode Island, and it will remain the number one concern in the weeks ahead as we do something to be sure that we are taking on these profiteers, the pandemic profiteers and war profiteers.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5497, the BURMA Act, which would provide badly needed resources to civil society actors in Burma and impose sanctions on the Burmese military for upending years of progress, democracy, and human rights for a self-serving and brutal agenda of repression and violence. Having visited Burma, I have seen the strength of its people as they have struggled to create and sustain democracy. Now, under the authoritarian Tatmadaw, the divisions, prejudices, and violence have been exacerbated and progress has been reversed. The Rohingya and other vulnerable populations continue to be displaced and assaulted. Journalists are purposely targeted for harassment and violence. The political opposition has faced unspeakable violence and imprisonment. We must commit to holding those responsible for the collapse of democracy and human rights to account, and we must support those that are working in dangerous circumstances to reestablish the rule of law. As we continue to work against global authoritarianism and for democracy and human rights around the world, let us stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Burma and their struggle for freedom.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the MORE Act, legislation that takes an important step in rectifying some of the harm caused by the failed war on drugs. The enforcement of marijuana laws has been a major driver of mass incarceration in the United States. Hundreds of thousands of people are arrested each year for marijuana-related charges, very often just possession. This has, in turn, led to our Federal prison system operating at 103 percent of capacity, and too many of these offenders are serving time for nonviolent drug-related crimes. A drug-related conviction, even for possession, can be devastating for the rest of a person's life, making it difficult or even impossible to vote, get a job, be approved for a loan, or even qualify for a government program. As we know, these consequences have had massively disproportionate impact on communities of color, as Chairman Jeffries just mentioned. This current system, frankly, doesn't work. It doesn't make any sense--not for community safety, not for the functioning of an effective prison system, and not for successful rehabilitation. By removing marijuana from the Federal controlled substances list, allowing for the expungement of marijuana offenses, and providing support to communities most impacted by the failed war on drugs, the MORE Act is a long overdue step in restoring justice and reversing the harms caused by the war on drugs. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Nadler for his extraordinary leadership on this issue. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation and to support it here today. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes'' in reversing the gross injustice that the war on drugs has produced and bring sensible policy back into place. I again want to end by thanking everyone who has worked on this for so many years, but particularly our chairman for his passionate and strong leadership.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Prohibiting Punishment of Acquitted Conduct Act--commonsense bipartisan and bicameral legislation to restore a key aspect of fairness to our criminal justice system. Under the U.S. criminal justice system, you are innocent until proven guilty. A principle that is foundational to our system of law and order. Coupled with this principle, is that if you are charged with a crime, you are entitled to a trial by a jury of your peers. If they find you innocent, your case is finished. This all makes sense--and aligns with our understanding of our justice system. But, in too many cases, tour courts are punishing people for crimes they've been found innocent of. Currently, even if one jury finds you innocent and acquits you of a crime, a different judge can still use that allegation as a basis of providing a harsher punishment for a crime you are convicted of. This means that the second judge can effectively unilaterally overturn a prior acquittal when considering a future sentence-- dismissing the presumption of innocent until proven guilty. This is absurd. I was a litigator and defense attorney for many years, and I understand exactly how unjust it is for someone found innocent to have this ticking timebomb looming overhead. This bill will end the practice of judges increasing sentences based on conduct for which a defendant has been acquitted by a jury-- restoring a foundation pillar of fairness in our criminal justice system. I want to thank Congressman Cohen and Congressman Armstrong for their leadership on this issue, and I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense bill.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I rise today in strong support of the Homicide Victims' Families' Rights Act, legislation that will help tackle the backlog of cold cases and bring long overdue justice to more than a quarter of a million unresolved or unsolved murder cases. It is estimated that every murder victim leaves behind more than four family members. This means that more than a million grieving loved ones, families, friends, and communities, are still waiting for answers. And this is not just a problem in older cases. In 2017, the FBI Uniform Crime Report estimated that across all levels of law enforcement, investigators were only able to close 62 percent of murder cases. We can help remedy this with the Homicide Victims' Families' Rights Act. This bill empowers families by affording them the right to have their loved ones' homicide cases examined by a Federal investigator to see if the case should be reinvestigated. This is an important review process to establish, especially since our technological and scientific investigation techniques are constantly evolving and being improved, providing law enforcement new tools to investigate even the oldest of cold cases. This is a straightforward, smart bill that will hopefully bring peace to victims' loved ones who are too often left in the dark. I want to thank my friend and colleague, Congressman Swalwell, for his extraordinary leadership on this bipartisan bill and encourage all my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes.'' Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a national victims' organization group coalition letter of support; individual letters of support from The American Investigative Society of Cold Cases, Parents of Murdered Children, Inc., and Murder Accountability Project; and individual letters of support from the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, and the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. December 6, 2021. Re Support the Homicide Victims' Families Rights Act. Chairman Jerrold Nadler, House Judiciary Committee, Washington, DC. Ranking Member Jim Jordan, House Judiciary Committee, Washington DC. Dear Chairman Nadler and Ranking Member Jordan: The undersigned organizations strongly support the bipartisan Homicide Victims' Families Rights Act (HVFRA). It is our understanding that this legislation, which is introduced by Representatives Eric Swalwell (CA-15) and Michael McCaul (TX- 10), is being considered before your committee. Violent homicides affect so many more lives that just the victim. The undersigned organizations all provide essential resources to families and loved one of homicide cases by engaging in ongoing emotional support, education, prevention, advocacy, and awareness. We provide continued support to survivors during the devastation and helplessness they constantly feel while waiting for justice and closure for the murder of their loved ones. HVFRA would expand rights to the families and loved ones in federal cases by requiring reviews and reinvestigations of cold case homicides. HVFRA would also provide relevant resources to law enforcement agencies by updating and categorizing the types of crimes that lead to homicide, cold cases. With our collective goals towards supporting families and loved ones who seek justice for unsolved, crimes, we collectively agree that HVFRA will provide important resources which will provide justice. The HVFRA assists families and loved ones of homicide victims by: Reinvigorating reviews of cold case murders files. Reviews are initiated upon request by a loved one or family member three years after a case goes ``cold.'' A case is ``cold'' if no suspect is readily identifiable and all leads have been exhausted. Providing a full reinvestigation using the most up-to-date technologies and investigative standards. Following a review request, if law enforcement concludes that new probative investigative leads would result, a full re-analysis must be undertaken. This includes a complete review of the file and accompanying evidence, new or renewed interviews with potential subjects and witnesses, and other methods to identify possible missed steps. Increasing transparency in national crime databases. The National Institute of Justice would annually publish detailed statistics on the number of cold cases, aggregated by the types of associated crimes and agency. This information will assist law enforcement agencies across state lines to help identify trends and hopefully find new leads. Ensuring reviews and reinvestigations are working. Federal law enforcement agencies would be required to provide annual reports to Congress on what is working and what is not working with new investigations. This will aide in ensuring that programs are biased towards assisting family members and loved ones find justice. The undersigned organizations proudly support the HVFRA. This important legislation is completely aligned with our collective commitment towards assisting those who suffer following a cold case homicide. It is our hope that the House Judiciary Committee will promptly markup this legislation so that it can be received before the full House floor for swift passage. Sincerely, American Investigative Society of Cold Cases. Murder Accountability Project. National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. National Organization for Victim Assistance. Parents of Murdered Children, Inc. Project: Cold Case. Uncovered.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 963, the FAIR Act, which prohibits the enforcement of forced arbitration clauses in consumer, employment, civil rights, and antitrust disputes. Buried deep within the fine print of almost every contract consumers sign are clauses that deprive hardworking Americans and small businesses of their day in court when they attempt to hold corporations accountable for breaking the law. We heard from lots of small businesses in support of this bill. No one claimed that they were required to have forced arbitration in order to remain successful. Forced arbitration protects systemic wrongdoing. Everyone is always allowed to have arbitration if they want to voluntarily once a dispute arises. This forces people to give up their right to have their claims heard, and most Americans don't even know they have given up that right because they are forced to sign contracts, where in the fine print is a provision where you are waiving that right. When you get a phone, when you get cable, when you have internet service. This outrageous practice, as my colleague from Florida just described, is nothing short of a corporate takeover of our Nation's system of justice, and it affects almost every single American. This private arbitration that is very expensive, that lasts a very long time also lacks the procedural safeguards of our justice system. It is not subject to oversight, it doesn't have a judge, doesn't have a jury, it is not bound by laws even passed by Congress or the States in which it occurs, but it has become a requirement of everyday life for tens of millions of consumers and workers who have to surrender their rights to hold wrongdoers accountable. These provisions require people to give up the right to have their claims heard in a court of law and to have that remedy that will prevent the wrongdoer from continuing. Think about someone bringing a family member or loved one into a nursing home who doesn't have the opportunity to negotiate taking out that provision because someone they love is in desperate need of care. I will give you a real example: Someone who is defending our country; the case of Lieutenant Commander Kevin Ziober, who testified in support of the FAIR Act in the last Congress. He served in the U.S. Navy Reserves since 2008. He was activated multiple times to serve in Afghanistan and Iraq. On the last day of his employment, they had a party for him. They had a cake in the shape of a flag; they celebrated him; and moments later he was fired. When he said to his employer, ``You can't fire me, there is a Federal statute that protects me,'' they said, ``Sorry for you, you agreed to forced arbitration. You waived away your rights in your employment contract.'' And in the fine print, sure enough, there it was. He testified at the hearing in 2019 that his case was in arbitration 7 years later. Nothing fast about that. And sadly, he said, ``This happens every day across America, not only to servicemembers and veterans whose rights are violated, but also to working people and consumers of all backgrounds.'' The FAIR Act will ensure that what happened to Lieutenant Ziober and what happens to millions of other hardworking Americans never happens again. Let's restore justice to our justice system by getting rid of these pernicious, horrible, unfair provisions. As I conclude, I thank Congressman Johnson for his extraordinary leadership. He has been fighting to try to free the hardworking Americans and consumers and people who fight for our country from the bondage of forced arbitration clauses, and finally we can do that today. Vote ``yes.'' Vote for the FAIR Act.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Meeks for his extraordinary leadership in this very important moment. I rise in strong support of H. Res. 956 and in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. On February 24, Vladimir Putin thought he was making another step toward realizing his delusional pursuit of reconstituting the U.S.S.R. when he ordered the brutal invasion of the sovereign and peaceful nation of Ukraine. Vladimir Putin thought the Ukrainian people would give in quickly to the violence and abandon their freedoms. Vladimir Putin thought President Zelensky would flee and capitulate to Russian demands. Vladimir Putin thought the world would turn a blind eye toward Russian aggression. Vladimir Putin thought wrong. In fact, as Chairman Meeks said, we saw firsthand the determination and the will of the Ukrainian people to fight to preserve their own country and their own freedoms. They are doing that today, fighting day by day, hour by hour, to protect their country and secure a free and democratic future for themselves and their families. The free world has rallied together to impose devastating sanctions against Russia, against the Russian economy, and to hold the Putin regime and his enablers to account for their crimes. I strongly support this resolution, and I know the United States and its allies are united behind the people of Ukraine, behind the values of freedom and democracy and against the tyranny of a thuggish dictator, Vladimir Putin. I thank Chairman Meeks for his extraordinary leadership and thank Ranking Member McCaul as well.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I would like to begin by thanking Chairman Takano for his incredible leadership on this legislation and tireless work on behalf of veterans all across our country. H.R. 3967, the Honoring our PACT Act of 2021, recognizes the full range of military toxic exposure, from contaminated water at military bases and airborne hazards from burn pits, to radiation from atomic testing. It upholds and recognizes the promise we made to every servicemember that we would care for them should they become wounded or sick while risking everything to protect this country. This legislation is long overdue, and it is the least we can do for the more than 3.5 million veterans who are currently suffering without the healthcare they need and deserve. These veterans and their loved ones should never have been forced to come to Congress demanding that we and the VA provide the care they have so clearly earned, which is why I am glad that this bill ensures that future veterans will be able to get the help they need without waiting decades for help by streamlining the VA's toxic exposure presumptions. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill.