David Cicilline

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan measure because stalking is a crime in which victims are made to live in constant fear. The effects of stalking can manifest both physically and mentally and have short-term and long-term consequences. In this digital and technological world that we have now all immersed ourselves in, it is imperative that we remain more vigilant of the nefarious activities of those lurking in the shadows to exploit our children's vulnerabilities. Hence, I support the Combat Online Predators Act and I urge all of my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, last week the arts and education communities lost a giant when Dr. Roger Mandle, the former president of the Rhode Island School of Design for more than a decade, passed away in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, at the age of 79. I was fortunate to work closely with President Mandle during my time as mayor of Providence. He was a passionate advocate for the humanities and a visionary leader who ensured that Rhode Island remained home to the leading arts and design school in the world. Most of all, he was an extraordinary human being and talented leader who sought to leave our world in better shape than he found it. He recognized the influential post he held as a civic leader in the city of Providence, he understood fully the importance that great universities and colleges have to the success of cities, and he worked to ensure that RISD was an asset for Rhode Island's capital city. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him. My thoughts and prayers are with Roger's wife, the renowned abstract artist Gayle Wells Mandle, and their entire family today.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, wars are costly, and the war on marijuana is no exception. This war has derailed lives. It has led to lost jobs and housing. It has torn families apart. The cost of the war on marijuana has disproportionately fallen on the backs of Blacks and Latino people. As White entrepreneurs across the country support their families by running businesses selling marijuana, many Black and Latino people are spending time behind bars and criminalized for doing the same. In Rhode Island, a Black person was 3.3 times more likely to be arrested for possessing marijuana than a White person in 2018, even though Black and White people use marijuana at similar rates. Immigrants have been deported simply for using marijuana in States that permit its use and despite never being convicted of a crime. Targeting low-level marijuana-related offenders with harsh penalties has done little to make our communities safer. The MORE Act ends the criminalization of marijuana. It protects the 36 States, including Rhode Island, that have led the way on marijuana policy and legalized it for medicinal purposes. People convicted of marijuana-related charges are often denied access to social programs or even the ability to take out student loans to further their education and careers. The MORE Act helps fix that. This legislation redirects resources away from prosecution of marijuana and toward community investments and public health solutions. It establishes an opportunity trust fund that provides resources for those who have marijuana-related convictions, including job training and substance abuse treatment. It moves us closer toward racial equity by allowing expungement of nonviolent marijuana convictions. The MORE Act provides restorative justice by providing SBA loans to assist small businesses, especially small businesses controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged people. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Nadler for his leadership and for introducing the MORE Act. I am proud to be a cosponsor, and I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this historic legislation.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 228.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1049, the National Heritage Area Act. Since 1984, the National Heritage Area program has played a vital role in preserving the history, culture and natural beauty of our Nation's most historically and naturally significant communities. It has worked closely with those communities to help make them vibrant and ensure their place as part of the national landscape. In my home State of Rhode Island, the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor plays a vital role in preserving the history of communities in Blackstone Valley, the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. In addition to preserving this history, the coordinating entity for the Blackstone Valley Heritage Corridor works hand in hand with the National Park Service to support the continued development of the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, which runs from Providence and Pawtucket through Worcester, Massachusetts. I was proud to lead the House effort to establish this national park in 2014 and look forward to seeing its continued growth and development in close coordination with the Blackstone Heritage Corridor. The relationship between the Blackstone Heritage Corridor and the Blackstone Valley National Historical Park plays a vital role in telling the story of how America became a prosperous nation through its mills and factories, and the immigrant communities in Rhode Island and Massachusetts that worked in those industries and that helped build the foundation of our country. The National Heritage Area Act will ensure that this relationship can continue by authorizing funds for heritage areas through 2034 and fostering new opportunities for relationships between heritage areas and the National Park Service to grow. While the Trump administration has proposed eliminating this critical program year after year, I am grateful for the work of my colleague from New York, Congressman Paul Tonko, for his leadership on this issue. And I thank Chairman Grijalva and the Natural Resources Committee for their efforts to bring this legislation to the floor. I urge passage of H.R. 1049, to support the National Heritage Area program and to continue preserving our Nation's history and natural beauty.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, America's opioid crisis is far from resolved. According to the American Medical Association, over 40 states have reported an increase in opioid overdose deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. Despite the steady decrease in opioid related deaths in 2017, 2018, and 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the opioid epidemic in Rhode Island. Opioid overdose remains the leading cause of accidental death in Rhode Island. In the first seven months of 2020, Rhode Island experienced a 33 percent increase in overdose deaths compared to the same period last year. And every day we are at risk of losing more and more people to overdoses, with recent numbers showing that Black and Hispanic Rhode Islanders are disproportionately experiencing overdose related deaths. Over the years, State Opioid Response funding has been critical to responding to this deadly epidemic. This funding has helped to provide Rhode Islanders with adequate resources to combat drug abuse and prevent overdoses before they turn deadly. State Opioid Response funding has allowed for more support and treatment for people suffering from addiction to get the help they need and put them on a path toward recovery. This funding increases access to naloxone so that people in our communities are trained on identifying an opioid overdose and know how to stop the harmful effects of overdose. As we say in Rhode Island, ``an overdose doesn't mean it's over. Naloxone saves lives.'' State Opioid Response funding saves lives. While we continue to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, we must also ensure that states' are supported to continue their fight against the opioid epidemic. I thank Representative Trone for introducing H.R. 2466, the State Opioid Response Grant Authorization Act of 2020 to make sure we meet the needs of responding to the opioid epidemic in communities across this country. I urge my colleague to support this important legislation.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, this has been one of the most productive sessions of the U.S. House in modern history. In less than 2 years, under Democratic leadership, the House has passed more than 600 pieces of legislation responding to the urgent priorities of the American people. We have passed bills for the people, cracking down on corruption, driving down healthcare costs, and raising wages for workers. Many of these bills are bipartisan. All are commonsense approaches for delivering results for working people. But roughly 400 of these bills have been buried in Mitch McConnell's legislative graveyard. He won't even give them a vote. His sole purpose, it seems, is to pack the Federal judiciary with rightwing judges who will rip away healthcare from 20 million people and eliminate protections for people with preexisting conditions. This is no way to run a democracy. The American people deserve better. That is why House Democrats will keep fighting for the people until these bills become law.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, for most of the past century, the United States has led the world in the promotion of human rights. People from all over the world have long come to America seeking refuge and a better life. And in our best moments, we welcome them with open arms. Yet under the Trump administration, immigrants have been met with great hostility. On Trump's watch, children have been separated from their families and endured unspeakable trauma in DHS custody. In just the past few weeks, new and horrific allegations have emerged about the use of forced sterilization on immigrant women by ICE, allegations so serious and sickening, that they demand a swift and thorough investigation. According to one nurse who worked at the Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia, immigrant women received unnecessary hysterectomies, records were destroyed, and migrants were not tested for COVID-19. In the words of one immigrant held at the facility, ``When I met all these women who had surgeries, I thought this was like an experimental concentration camp. It was like they are experimenting with our bodies.'' Mr. Speaker, these allegations are horrifying. If true, they are a gross violation of human rights and a violation of the most basic ethics that medical professionals are sworn to uphold. What is more, there is a long history of forced sterilizations, like the procedures found in these allegations, being used against people of color, religious minorities, prisoners, individuals with disabilities, and other vulnerable communities. Such procedures are not only wrong, but they rise to the level of gross human rights abuses. That is why it is so important that these shocking and staggering allegations be investigated now and anyone who participated in such abuses be held fully accountable. Mr. Speaker, I want to end by thanking all of my colleagues, but in particular, my friend Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, a champion for human rights here and around the world, someone who has led this effort and authored H. Res. 1153 to condemn forced medical procedures on individuals without their full, informed concept. I thank her for her leadership and for this powerful message that we are sending to ICE and to the world that we will not tolerate this kind of behavior. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the resolution.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, one of the stages of deprogramming cult members is to point out the differences between the cult's ideology and reality. And QAnon is a cult. In an effort to reach some of the people that have fallen under its control, I would point out a few facts. Mass shootings are not staged so that the government can come and take away your guns. John F. Kennedy, Jr., died more than 20 years ago in a tragic aircraft accident. He is not in hiding, nor is he going to be President Trump's running mate. And President Trump is not fighting a secret war against a Satanic, child-molesting network of politicians. It is a sad statement that discussing such obvious absurdities is occurring in this Chamber today, but the fact is, that some have praised QAnon and encouraged the growth of this cult, even as the FBI has labeled it a domestic terror threat. And sadly, with the support of the White House, and even some Members of Congress, QAnon has moved from the darkest corners of the internet into the mainstream of today's political discourse. This November, there will be 22 individuals on the ballot for the House and the Senate who have either been endorsed by or lent credence to QAnon. This is a threat to public safety and to our democracy as a whole. This movement needs to be condemned and its followers need to be brought back to reality, just as we would do with any other cult. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Congressman Malinowski, for his leadership on this resolution, for the hard work he did to make certain that the condemnation of this dangerous cult is bipartisan. And I hope all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will support this resolution so we can send a message clearly and strongly to the American people that this cult is dangerous for our public discourse, dangerous for our democracy, and dangerous for our communities.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I am mindful today that the Major League Baseball playoffs are starting. While House Democrats are ready, once again, to step up to the plate and pass urgently needed relief for our constituents, Senate Republicans and the White House refuse to play ball. But sadly, unlike a ball game, their refusal will have deadly consequences. This updated, much-needed bill addresses the seriousness of both the public health crisis and the economic crisis American families are dealing with. It provides strong support for small businesses, non- profits, and gives a lifeline to the struggling restaurant industry and independent live-venue operators. It gives additional assistance for airline industry workers, extending the Payroll Support Program, and adds more funds to bolster education and childcare. Living up to its name, Heroes 2.0 honors our heroes on the front line by providing assistance to State and local governments who desperately need funding to pay vital workers, like first responders and healthcare workers who are keeping us safe. It provides funds for coronavirus testing, tracing, and ensures every American can access free coronavirus treatment. These are not radical ideas. This is the basic responsibility to keep the American people healthy and safe. It provides additional direct payments with a more robust second round of economic stimulus checks of $1,200 per taxpayer and $500 per dependent. It ensures worker safety by requiring OSHA to issue a strong, enforceable standard for all workplaces to develop and implement infection control plans. And it protects Americans from losing their employer-provided health insurance by making unemployed Americans automatically eligible to receive the maximum ACA subsidy on the exchanges. It restores the $600 weekly unemployment benefits through next January. It helps struggling families afford a safe place to live, assisting renters and homeowners make monthly rent, mortgage, and utility payments, preventing homelessness in the middle of a global health pandemic. It addresses rising hunger with an increase in maximum SNAP benefits. Finally, it safeguards our democracy with new resources to ensure safe elections, an accurate Census, and preserving the Postal Service. I have heard my Republican friends say these are radical, far-left ideas. These are core American responsibilities that we should address in a bipartisan way. We have met you halfway. That is the compromise. Your constituents are suffering. They need your help. Vote ``yes.''

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. America will soon pass 200,000 deaths from COVID-19. This pandemic is now the second leading cause of death in our country, only behind heart disease. This year, it will kill more Americans than lung cancer, stroke, Alzheimer's, diabetes, and the flu, and it didn't have to be this way. President Trump knew the dangers in January. His Deputy National Security Advisor told him to cut off travel from China, but he didn't do that. The next month, the President told a reporter that COVID-19 was more deadly than even your most strenuous flus, but he didn't tell the American people. He did what he always does when he faces a crisis. He failed the American people. Just yesterday, he told a crowd of his own supporters in Ohio that the disease ``affects virtually nobody.'' Yet, 200,000 have died of this disease. He is not up to his job. He never was. It is too big for him. The American people deserve a President who will take this deadly virus seriously and has a plan to defeat it.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I am proud to cosponsor the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, legislation that bans products of forced labor by Uyghurs to the United States. I want to acknowledge and thank Chairman McGovern, Chairman Blumenauer, Ranking Member McCaul, Mr. Smith, and others who have led this effort. As members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, we work every day to ensure that America stands up for freedom around the world, and we take action to promote freedom in human rights around the globe. So, in that vein, we must ensure that the exploitation of the Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities does not continue. Most Americans would be shocked to learn that, for years, Uyghurs have been interned, tortured, interrogated, and brutally forced into labor by the Chinese Government, and then products they manufacture make their way into the U.S. market. This bill will stop these practices. We must pass this legislation to crack down on China's abhorrent human rights practices. We must continue to be a force for democratic values and human rights in our own country and around the world. This is an example of working together in a bipartisan way to make it clear that the United States of America will not remain silent while these gross human rights violations continue, and we will do all that we can to bring the attention of the world to the important practices of the Chinese Communist Government by passing these two pieces of legislation.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, more than 4 months ago, the House passed the HEROES Act, legislation that protects our HEROES on the front line of this pandemic, our police officers, firefighters, healthcare workers, sanitation workers, it provides stimulus payments for up to $6,000 per family, extends unemployment benefits of $600 per week through January, and gets hazard pay and much-needed resources to frontline workers. This bill has sat on my Mitch McConnell's desk since then. In the meantime, tens of millions of Americans are out of work with unemployment levels four times higher than they were before this pandemic. More than a million layoffs and State and local budget cuts that are crippling services for those who need them the most. A total of 6.3 million Americans have been infected and nearly 200,000 have died. Mr. Speaker, instead of voting on the HEROES Act, the Senate Republicans put forward their own bill that didn't come close to addressing the problems we face: The economic catastrophe and the public health crisis. The American people deserve better. They need help. They deserve a Senate and Republicans in the Senate that work for them, and a President who tells them the truth. Rest assured, Democrats are going to continue fighting for all those that our Republican colleagues in the Senate and that President Trump have left behind.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, last March, as the COVID-19 pandemic first began to affect our day-to-day lives, the FBI warned that we could soon see a rise in hate crimes committed against Asian Americans. In this moment, President Trump could have tried to bring Americans together. That is not the path he chose. Instead, the President has poured gasoline on the fire, using terms like ``kung flu'' and ``China virus.'' The White House has stoked racial tensions and fed into our country's worst xenophobic impulses. From March until June of this year, our country saw more than 2,100 reported hate crimes targeting Asian Americans. More than 3 in 10 Asian Americans now say that they have been the subject of slurs or racist jokes since the start of this pandemic. These slurs and jokes aren't just words. They are actions designed to make Asian Americans feel less than equal, and they have no place in this country. But that is the reality of life in Donald Trump's America. This administration has tried to turn back the clock on racial equality. This administration has demeaned, belittled, and ostracized nearly every minority community. Today, the House is saying no more. We will not stand by as this administration attacks innocent men, women, and children of Asian descent. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this excellent resolution.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 8162, the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Coronavirus Relief Act. As the coronavirus pandemic continues, schools throughout Rhode Island and all across America have been forced to close their doors, some for the rest of the year. This trend means that high-quality after-school and summer programs will be even more necessary to provide young people with a safe, enriching place to learn and grow. We have an obligation to ensure that these programs have the resources and flexibility needed to meet the needs of America's children. Currently, more than 2 million children and families rely on Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers for after-school and summer learning programming. With schools across the country closing, many students are unable to obtain services provided by out-of-school programs, including academic assistance, a safe place to be when their parents are working, and access to a hot meal or healthy snack. We know after-school programming provides one of the most effective ways to keep children safe in the late afternoon and early evening hours and keeps them on the right path to completing school. These programs help students develop essential life skills such as problem- solving, critical thinking, and healthy living. Additional flexibility for 21st Century Community Learning Centers will help improve access to these critical programs and will make sure that after-school programming is available to students and families to keep children safe and engaged and to strengthen families and communities throughout the pandemic. Madam Speaker, I urge passage of the bill, and I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me the time.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2639, the Strength in Diversity Act. I thank Congresswoman Marcia Fudge and Chairman Bobby Scott for their leadership and for affording me the opportunity to speak today, and I am proud to support this important step toward addressing the legacy of segregation in America's schools. ``Segregation distorts the soul,'' Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote in 1936 from a Birmingham jail. Yet 66 years after the Supreme Court unanimously held in Brown v. Board of Education that racial segregation of children in public schools is unconstitutional, segregation remains a reality for many of America's children. It is a persistent stain on the soul of our country. The Strength in Diversity Act incentivizes inclusive educational environments and promotes racial and socioeconomic diversity in schools as instrumental to the education and development of every single child. This act encourages school districts to study the effects of segregation, evaluate their current policies, and implement evidence- based solutions to deepen diversity in their schools through inclusive policies. We all wish that racism was a thing of the past. It is not. We must actively confront our Nation's sins, past and present. We must confront the fear and the hatred embedded in our institutions, embracing, once and for all, the strength of our diversity. America can do better for our children, and we must. And it is important to remember, discrimination robs the victim of the ability to become all that they can, of their full potential. But it also robs the entire community of what that person could contribute and do, free of the pernicious discrimination that is at the heart of this legislation. So I urge all of my colleagues to vote in support of H.R. 2639. I thank Congresswoman Fudge and Chairman Scott for their extraordinary leadership. I am really proud that this bill is on the floor today, and I hope my Republican colleagues will embrace their responsibility to help end racism in this country and in our schools and be sure that every child in America has the same opportunity to realize their full potential.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I thank the extraordinary men and women who serve us in the United States Postal Service. I rise today to highlight President Trump's shameless attempts to degrade the United States Postal Service, a revered American institution. These actions not only undermine our elections, they are gambling with people's lives. These past several weeks I have received thousands of emails, calls, and letters from constituents pleading that these changes be reversed. Just this week I heard from a constituent with diabetes who feared her family was at risk of losing their insurance after learning her payment had arrived 1 month late after it was mailed. Her story is, sadly one of many being heard across the Nation. COVID-19 has already brought on significant financial trouble for so many families. To further hurt working families now facing late fees on rent or car payments through no fault of their own is unconscionable. House Democrats have promised to get government working for the people, and today's bill is another example of that commitment. Everybody loves the Post Office. It has been with us since the founding of our country, knitting together communities, and this attempt to undermine and degrade services is not only undermining services to our constituents, it is threatening our democracy.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 170 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 168. Members Recorded Pursuant To House Resolution 965, 116th Congress Clay (Davids (KS)) Cleaver (Davids (KS)) DeSaulnier (Matsui) Frankel (Clark (MA)) Garamendi (Sherman) Grijalva (Garcia (IL)) Hastings (Wasserman Schultz) Horsford (Kildee) Johnson (TX) (Jeffries) Khanna (Sherman) Kirkpatrick (Gallego) Kuster (NH) (Brownley (CA)) Langevin (Lynch) Lawson (FL) (Evans) Lieu, Ted (Beyer) Lipinski (Cooper) Lofgren (Jeffries) Lowenthal (Beyer) McEachin (Wexton) Moore (Beyer) Mucarsel-Powell (Wasserman Schultz) Nadler (Jeffries) Napolitano (Correa) Pascrell (Sires) Payne (Wasserman Schultz) Peters (Rice (NY)) Pingree (Clark (MA)) Pocan (Raskin) Porter (Wexton) Rooney (FL) (Beyer) Rush (Underwood) Serrano (Jeffries) Watson Coleman (Pallone) Welch (McGovern) Wilson (FL) (Hayes)

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I want to begin by thanking Congressman Serrano for his persistent leadership on this issue, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation in a very strong bipartisan vote. It is important we celebrate and understand the history of the Latino community in this country and the contributions they have made since the very beginning of this country and continue to make today. I come from a State, the State of Rhode Island, where a very diverse and vibrant Latino community has made an extraordinary difference in the State of Rhode Island. We have leaders from the Latino community in business, in the arts, in politics, and in education. We have been blessed in so many ways by the extraordinary contributions of Latinos in Rhode Island and all throughout our country. This is a wonderful way to celebrate that history and honor this great community. I urge everyone to support the bill. Muchisimas gracias a todos.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by acknowledging the extraordinary leadership of Frederica Wilson, who has spent her entire life dedicated to the well-being of young Black men and boys and has decades and decades of incredible support of young people in her community. This commission is a reflection of that commitment. Merely because of the color of their skin, Black men and boys are criminalized, separated from their families and communities, and targeted for police violence at alarmingly high rates. Black men are 250 percent more likely to be killed by police than White men. That fact is a stain on the soul of this country. But America's sins extend far beyond the deadly disparities in policing. Racism touches nearly every aspect of our lives, oftentimes in the most insidious and subtle of ways, yet still in plain view in the areas of healthcare, education, and economic opportunities. We must address the sins of America's past that have revealed themselves in the inequalities of America's present. The Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys moves us one step closer to building a more perfect Union where all Americans, regardless of race, have an equal opportunity, not just to get by, but to get ahead. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his courtesy, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support this excellent bill.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my support for H.R. 7608, the State and Foreign Operations, Agriculture, Rural Development, Interior, Environment, Military Construction, and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2021. This year's legislation includes a number of priorities that I have advocated for which will benefit my home state of Rhode Island, protect our environment, benefit families, serve our nation's veterans, and strengthen our national security. I would like to thank Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Granger, as well as the Subcommittee Chairs and Ranking Members for their work on this year's House legislation. The State and Foreign Operations division makes important strides in strengthening our national security. For the past three and a half years, the Trump Administration has made us less safe. The State Foreign Operations and Related Agencies funding bill, however, would make the country, and Rhode Islanders, safer. Along with funds for diplomacy--something that the United States should be investing in, rather than making a mockery of--this bill invests in emergency appropriations for global coronavirus preparedness, response, and relief efforts. Because if we do not address the global pandemic, it will continue to come back to us. In addition, this bill supports global reproductive health and family planning programs; and promotes equality for LGBTI people and people with disabilities. In particular, it contains my increase-decrease amendment to draw attention to the State Department's shameful attempt to turn back time and strip women and LGBTQI individuals of their civil and human rights. Members of the House and Senate have now sent five letters to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressing our strong, continued concern regarding the work of the Department of State's Commission on Unalienable Rights (``the Commission''), but we have received no reply. It is simply inexcusable that the Department of State would not respond in any way to our repeated oversight attempts, in particular as the Commission has proven time and time again that it could undermine our nation's ability to lead on critical human rights issues, including with respect to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and protections for millions of people globally in the LGBTQI community. As a member of the House Foreign Relations Committee I am particularly disturbed that the Secretary has chosen to create the Commission rather than honor the advice of the State Department's Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, which is vested with the authority to advise the Department on U.S. foreign policy related to human rights. I believe that the Department's strategic priorities should be guided by the Assistant Secretary, Congressionally mandated reporting on human rights, and well established and lasting human rights standards, rather than the Commission. By signaling, through the Commission's mandate and membership, a desire to place religious freedom above all other rights, the State Department is undermining commitments the United States has made abroad. Indeed, the Commission's actions create a risk that the United States will breach those legally binding obligations that do not align with the Commission's view of human rights. Further, the Commission's work could undermine priorities that the United States has encouraged other nations to adopt. The Trump Administration has shown, time and time again, that it is unwilling to rein in the behavior of despots and dictators. We must not allow the Commission to give them permission to run roughshod over the human rights of even more people around the world. The United States should be on the front lines of protecting human rights at home and abroad, including those guaranteeing SRHR and protections for millions of people globally in the LGBTQI community. Looking to ``natural law'' as a method of undermining long established human rights protections for minority groups and elevating religious freedom over other rights is both illegal and immoral. The Agricultural, Rural Development, and Related Agencies division provides funding for important agricultural research. It is critical for Congress to support research and educational programs to ensure the United States remains a global leader in agriculture. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) and their Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) provide investments and grants in key areas of transformative research and development. This year's bill provides an additional $10 million above the enacted level for USDA-NIFA and AFRI, which will provide educational institutions with grants to continue work in key areas of transformative agricultural and food research. We must ensure that these institutions have the funding needed to continue their vital work and demonstrate our commitment to addressing agricultural challenges. This year's Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies division will include a number of key priorities which will provide significant benefit to my home state. This bill increases funding for the Operation of the National Park System (ONPS) by $200 million from the 2020 Fiscal Year. An increase for ONPS funding will allow for continued development and maintenance of the Blackstone Valley National Historic Park, which commemorates and preserves the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. The bill also provides an increase for the Southern New England Estuaries Geographic Program. This critical program engages with stakeholders in my home state, and throughout Southern New England, to preserve our region's estuaries, which provide significant and economic benefit. It also helps to preserve fragile ecosystems and wildlife habitats, and helps to manage the impacts of human activity along our coastline. I also strongly support this bill's commitment to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The increased funding for NEA and NEH will boost Rhode Island's arts economy, and support our renowned community of artists. I was also very glad to see this year's Interior and Environment appropriation will continue to restrict the issuing of new oil and gas leases in the Outer Continental Shelf. Rhode Island's ocean economy generates more than $2 billion annually, and supports more than 41,000 jobs in industries such as commercial fishing, tourism, and other recreational activities. Expansion of oil and gas drilling off the coast Rhode Island, and throughout New England, would devastate our local ocean economy, destroy critical marine habitats, and continue to exacerbate the effects of climate change. Finally, in this year's Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies division, the committee took significant steps to strengthen suicide prevention programs for our nation's veterans. In particular, this bill provides $313 million for Suicide Prevention Outreach programs. It will also ensure that $115 million for the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL), a dedicated toll-free hotline for veterans experiencing mental health crises and thoughts of suicide, is available in FY21. This amounts to a $4 million increase for the VCL from the 2020 level. It is estimated that each day 20 American veterans take their own life. We owe it to the brave men and women who have served our nation in uniform to ensure that they have the best mental health care and available services for them when they return home. I thank you for the opportunity to express my support for H.R. 7608, and I urge passage by the entire House of Representatives.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak in strong opposition to this amendment. This amendment would seek to ignore a U.S. Supreme Court federal standard and allow the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe to open an off-reservation casino right on the border of Rhode Island. Under the Indian Reorganization Act, the U.S. Department of Interior is only allowed to take land into trust for tribes recognized before 1934. The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe became federally recognized in 2007. This amendment will set a dangerous precedent and undermine both a U.S. Supreme Court ruling and disregard the U.S. Department of Interior's most recent ruling. An off-reservation casino would result in an overwhelming economic loss to my state's economy. The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a great blow to my state, hitting the travel and tourism industry particularly hard. Casinos in Rhode Island generated $300 million in annual revenue before closing due to the pandemic. An off-reservation casino would further devastate the financial loss to my state currently facing a 12.4 percent unemployment rate in June, higher than the national average. We as a Congress should not be circumventing the court's decision and allow a one-time carve out for the building of a casino that is bad for Rhode Island. Regardless of this amendment, the Mashpee Tribe will still be a federally recognized tribe and will continue to receive federal benefits. Make no mistake, this amendment does not aim to help the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, but instead help lobbyists secure a win for their own interests. This amendment will do more than just greatly damage the Rhode Island economy, it will put Congress on a path of hand-picking winners and losers over the court's decision. This amendment would signal it's okay for lobbyists and hedge funds to be the decision makers in Congress, and not the representatives of the people. I urge my colleagues to join me in strongly opposing this amendment.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the House passed H.R. 6395, the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act. The passage of this year's NDAA in the House was a bipartisan achievement done under extremely difficult circumstances, and I would like to congratulate Chairman Adam Smith, and particularly Ranking Member Mac Thornberry, as this will be his final NDAA before his retirement at the end of this year. I wanted to take a few moments to highlight some of the provisions in this legislation which I am grateful were included. These include provisions which will strengthen manufacturing in my home State, protect the employment rights of our Nation's servicemembers, help to improve maternal and mental healthcare for servicemembers and their families, and strengthen ties with one of our Nation's oldest allies. The Southern New England Regional Commission, H.R. 5124, which this bill included, establishes a regional commission that will facilitate the investment of Federal funds in southern New England, including my home State of Rhode Island, to build upon our regional strengths, such as defense manufacturing, shipbuilding, and renewable energy. This initiative will generate critical economic growth in the region to reduce poverty, unemployment, and out-migration in counties that were hit hardest by the Great Recession and now by COVID-19. Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge Congressmen Joe Courtney, Joe Kennedy, Stephen Lynch, John Larson, and Bill Keating, who are cosponsors of this legislation, and I thank them for their support of this critical initiative which will benefit all of our districts. This year's NDAA also includes the Justice for Servicemembers Act, H.R. 2750, which I authored, clarifying that the statutory rights of servicemembers and their families under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act cannot be waived through forced arbitration unless it is agreed to after a dispute arises. American servicemembers, veterans, and their families have sacrificed much in service of our country. They have fought to protect the fundamental idea that we are a nation of laws and institutions that guarantee the rights and prosperity of every American. Since the Second World War, Congress has created many laws, including the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, to provide essential protections and guarantee every veteran and Active-Duty servicemember, including the Reserves and National Guard, the right to be free from workplace discrimination on the basis of their military service and their right to their day in court to enforce these protections. But for too long, forced arbitration has eroded these fundamental protections by funneling servicemembers' claims into a private system set up by corporations without the same procedural safeguards of our justice system. Buried deep within the fine print of everyday contracts, forced arbitration clauses block the brave men and women in uniform, as well as their family members, from having their day in court to hold corporations accountable for breaking the law. This bipartisan provision ends this shameful practice by clarifying that arbitration clauses are only enforceable if agreed to by servicemembers or their families after a dispute arises. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Congressman Jared Golden, Congresswoman Susan Davis, and Congressman Guy Reschenthaler, for their strong bipartisan support for this provision to protect our men and women in uniform. Also included in this year's NDAA is a provision which will require the Department of Defense to provide a report to Congress on the maternal healthcare, in particular mental healthcare, that is available to our Nation's servicemembers, as well as the spouses of servicemembers. According to the CDC, 1 in 8 women nationwide experience symptoms of postpartum depression, and in some States that percentage can be high as 1 in 5. Yet, according to the What to Expect Project, data related to instances of postpartum depression and other mental health conditions associated with pregnancy and childbirth is not widely available. This report required by the amendment will require the Department of Defense to outline the care that is currently available for servicemembers and their spouses who may experience symptoms of postpartum depression. Finally, this year's NDAA will include a provision which will encourage greater investment and trade between the United States and Portugal. Last year, I introduced the Advancing Mutual Interests and Growing Our Success, or the AMIGOS Act, H.R. 565, which makes Portuguese nationals eligible for E-1 and E-2 nonimmigrant visas if the Government of Portugal provides similar nonimmigrant status for U.S. nationals, legislation which passed the House without opposition in December of last year. Access to these investor visas will allow Portuguese investors to support projects in the U.S., benefiting our economy as well as that of Portugal. As one of the first countries to recognize the United States after the Revolutionary War, Portugal is one of our closest economic partners and strongest allies. Today, the United States maintains that longstanding relationship as the fifth largest export market for Portugal, and its largest trading partner outside the European Union. The AMIGOS Act will strengthen this trade partnership and strengthen ties with our longtime NATO ally, Portugal. I would like to acknowledge Congressman Bill Keating and Congressman Devin Nunes for their support of this provision, and the instrumental role they played in securing its inclusion in this year's NDAA during the House Armed Services Committee markup. I would, once again, like to thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Thornberry for supporting these provisions, and for their work on this year's National Defense Authorization.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, it has been more than two months since the House passed the HEROES Act. In that time, there have been more than 50,000 new coronavirus deaths, bringing the total to more than 140,000 Americans and more than 2.5 million more cases. Yet the Senate has done nothing. This important legislation provides much-needed relief to States and cities experiencing lost revenue, to support our heroes on the front lines. It ensures our first responders and essential workers are entitled to hazard pay and guarantees up to $200 billion for those who have risked their lives working during the pandemic. It expands testing, tracing, and treatment to all Americans. It puts money back in the pockets of struggling Americans with a second round of stimulus payments up to $6,000 per household. It preserves health coverage by protecting the more than 5.4 million Americans who have lost their employer-provided health insurance. It extends the weekly $600 Federal unemployment benefit through January, providing a vital safety net for a record number of Americans who are unemployed. Right now, that expires in just 9 days. It helps worried families afford a safe place to live, assisting renters and homeowners with rent, mortgage, and utility payments and other housing-related costs. I urge the Senate to pass this bill immediately.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2214, legislation that will repeal the President's shameful Muslim ban, and strengthen our immigration system by ensuring immigration decisions are not made on the basis of religious discrimination. In the face of religious intolerance, Roger Williams established the great State of Rhode Island on the principles of religious liberty and separation of church and State. These are important principles that were ultimately incorporated into our founding documents. In fact, President Washington, addressing the Hebrew congregation at Touro Synagogue, wrote in a famous letter in 1790, when they asked, Will we have religious freedom in this new country? He wrote those words: ``For happily the Government of the United States gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.'' And what has been the result of this religious discrimination, this Muslim ban? It has resulted in mothers and fathers being separated from their American children. Foreign students are prevented from studying at our Nation's great universities; and doctors from countries under the ban aren't able to come here to provide care to patients in the United States, despite healthcare shortages across the Nation during a global health pandemic. In addition to that, Madam Speaker, this legislation violates the founding principles of this country of religious freedom. I am very proud that this legislation is being brought to the floor so that we can reaffirm that important principle not only in the founding documents of our country but in the present immigration laws and their application. In addition to that, there has been a lot of discussion about how we are paying for this. I am very proud that this legislation includes provisions of the Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Through Promoting Competition Act, which will save taxpayers over half a billion dollars in the form of lower prescription drug prices. All across the country, prescription costs are skyrocketing. People are going bankrupt and even dying because they can't afford prescription medication. H.R. 2214 addresses product hopping, an anticompetitive tactic used by Big Pharma to protect and extend their monopolies over certain prescription drugs, leading to dramatically higher prices. This legislation expressly prohibits hopping under the FTC Act, and the bill is subject to the same equitable remedies, including restitution and disgorgement of profits. So, all this talk about folding into the pay- for would actually produce lower prescription drug prices for Americans, and somehow that is a bad idea? Give me a break. This bill reasserts the prohibition against religious discrimination, one of the most important founding principles of this country, and it pays for it by delivering lower prescription drug prices for the American people. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Nadler, Congresswoman Chu, and Congresswoman Jayapal for their great work, and I urge my colleagues to pass this bill.