Doug Collins

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, this is definitely an area that I looked forward to. It should have happened last Congress, for my good friend from Tennessee. It is going to happen, I believe, in this Congress. We have both the House and the Senate, and I think this is definitely something the administration will support. I look forward to this becoming law. This is simply a good bill that opens up transparency and allows us to make better decisions in Congress. That is what we are supposed to be about. Again, I thank my friend from Tennessee for being a cosponsor on this and for being a part of that. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Cheney), who is a cosponsor and our Conference chair. She has been a great supporter of this. I would also be remiss, Mr. Speaker, to not say that it was her predecessor who introduced me to this issue, Mrs. Lummis, who always seems to be around, and she keeps this agenda in focus as well. I want to say thank you to her for her previous work.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, there are so many times on this floor that we come down here and we talk about things that divide us, but I have to say, Mr. Cohen and I, we have had so many things that sometimes we don't see eye to eye on, but we are still friends, and this is one of those times where we have been pursuing this one for a long time. This is a bill that I have been very privileged to have him be a part of and sponsor. H.R. 752, the Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act, is to provide transparency and oversight for taxpayer dollars awarded under the Equal Access to Justice Act. Of all the folks who have been cosponsors on this, Mr. Cohen has stood out among all. He has been such a great supporter of this, and it is good to have him with us managing this bill. I also thank Representatives Cheney and Peterson for being original cosponsors and their continued leadership on this. Also, Mr. Speaker, because this is, I believe, something we should have passed last Congress, we went ahead and worked it, and, today, we are also excited to have identical legislation that has been introduced in the Senate by Senators Barrasso and Coons. This bill has previously passed the House unanimously. It is common sense and restores needed congressional and public oversight. Congress originally passed the Equal Access to Justice Act in 1980 to remove a barrier to justice for those with limited access to the resources it takes to sue the Federal Government and to recover attorney's fees and costs that go along with such suits. The law was meant to give citizens the ability to challenge or defend against unreasonable government actions where they might otherwise be deterred or unable to do so because of large legal expenses. The Equal Access to Justice Act was intended for true David and Goliath scenarios where a wronged citizen is facing the Federal Government's vast resources. This law has been on the books for decades and remains important. However, since 1995, tracking and reporting requirements on payments under the law have been halted. Without a comprehensive Federal report on the total amount of fees under the law, we have fallen behind in oversight responsibilities and can't tell, in a meaningful way, if that law is still working as intended. In fact, a Government Accountability Office report indicated that, without any direction to track payments, most agencies simply do not do it. We have only anecdotal evidence about how much we are spending on attorney's fees, the agencies paying out the fees, and what types of claims are being covered. The Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act reinstates needed transparency and accountability requirements to ensure that the Equal Access to Justice Act is helping individuals, retirees, veterans, and small businesses as intended. It requires the Administrative Conference of the United States to develop an online searchable database that includes information on the number, nature, and amount of the awards; claims involved in the controversy; and other relevant information. Agencies would be required to provide information requested by ACUS for the development and maintenance of the database. Importantly, ACUS would be required to withhold information from the database if disclosure is prohibited by law or court order. As made clear in report language in previous years, I continue to expect ACUS to take appropriate measures to ensure that individual specific healthcare information, such as an individual's diagnoses and treatments, is not contained in the database. This legislation ensures appropriate protections are in place while facilitating critical public and congressional oversight. The Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act places agency expenditures under EAJA in view of a watchful public eye and restores scrutiny over taxpayer dollars. Where the Federal Government is spending money, Congress needs to exercise oversight and ensure it is being done in accordance with the law and congressional intent. Tracking and reporting requirements preserve the integrity of the Equal Access to Justice Act. They will enable Congress to evaluate the law to make sure it is working effectively for the people it is intended to help. We owe it to small businesses, Social Security claimants, veterans, and similarly situated individuals who rely on the law, faced with the daunting task of taking on the Federal Government, to make sure that it is working. I look forward to continuing bipartisan efforts to move this bill forward and to the Open Book on Equal Justice Act ultimately becoming law. The consensus behind this legislation reflects the need to address this issue and Americans' right to know how their taxpayer dollars are being spent. It is time we gave them that transparency. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, much has been said about this bill. I think all of it is very timely, and I think, again, as we look at this, this is a time in which we all come together and make a very strong statement in support of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner). She is someone to whom this has been a tireless call. She has been a sponsor of this, and outspoken on this, a fighter on this, along with the other folks who have talked about this.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 507, the Put Trafficking Victims First Act of 2019. Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery, which has taken its toll on communities across our Nation. It is a multibillion-dollar criminal industry that denies freedom to nearly 25 million people around the globe. Traffickers use violence, threats, deception, debt bondage, and other horrendous tactics to force people to engage in commercial sex or to provide labor or services against their will. This creates an enormous need for expanded victims services, improved data on the prevalence and trends of human trafficking, and effective mechanisms to identify and rescue trafficking victims. H.R. 507 expresses the sense of Congress that a portion of the funds available under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 should be devoted to increasing the safety of victim service providers, many of whom are threatened because of their positions. It also promotes a trauma-informed, evidence-based, and victim-centered approach for providing services to the victims of trafficking. Additionally, H.R. 507 promotes the effective prosecution of human traffickers and individuals who patronize or solicit children for sex. It encourages States to improve efforts to identify and meet the needs of human trafficking victims. The bill also establishes a working group to identify barriers to the collection of data on the incidence of sex and labor trafficking and recommended practices to promote better data collection and analysis. Finally, H.R. 507 will provide assistance to trafficking victims seeking restitution, many of whom still face many obstacles in Federal court. The bill directs the Attorney General to report on efforts to increase mandatory restitution for victims by providing Congress with the relevant data. Mr. Speaker, this has been an issue in my home State of Georgia. It is one that I am very proud to know that, under Governor Deal, our previous Governor, and continuing under Governor Kemp, that around, especially, the city of Atlanta, a very international city, it has also, unfortunately, become an area in which sexual exportation and human trafficking was something that became a scar and is still affecting our city. We saw that around the Super Bowl and the several arrests that took place. This is something that needs to be erased from our vocabulary. This is something that does not need to be talked about. Again, human trafficking anywhere in the world is wrong and, hopefully, will be relegated to the annals of the history books at some point. I want to commend the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass) and also my friend, the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner), for their tireless devotion to continuing this path and bringing this forward each Congress. I am looking forward to this actually becoming law during this session, and I would urge all of my colleagues to support this. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I think this is something we can all get around. I think, again, when we deal with our veterans, I have made the comments many times before, not specifically in dealing with this fraud and dealing with the issues here that are just heinous--and anybody who would do this definitely would put themselves on the margins of society--but also on a broader picture with our veterans. I think this scenario where we can all come together--I long for a time in which my constituents services folks back in Georgia, I long for a time when I listen to their report each week, and I want to come to a time when there are no veteran issues. We should strive in our country to have a time in which no veteran should feel the need to have to go to their Congressman to get help. That is something that we can all shoot for. That is a worthy goal. I would love to have that time to let them help other people and not these men and women who have served us so proudly. Mr. Speaker, I know you would join me in that. Mr. Speaker, I ask for support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the bill before us today makes a small but significant change to the Federal fraud statutes to protect veterans from fraudsters who seek to steal their benefits. It does so by inserting a new provision into the criminal code to complement the mail and wire fraud statutes. In recent years, there have been reports of criminals entering nursing homes in search of elderly veterans with the intent to defraud them of their Federal benefits. Like many crimes of fraud, Mr. Speaker, the worst part is that people often present themselves as helpful to the veteran. This is a truly heinous crime worthy of Congress' attention. This legislation has passed this House twice by overwhelming margins, and it also incorporates technical assistance from the Department of Justice, ensuring it will be effective in practice. This is a bill that is supported by many. My colleague, Mr. Meadows from North Carolina, has spoken eloquently about this, and we will be entering his message under general leave as well. As a member of the Air Force Reserve and an Iraq veteran, Mr. Speaker, this issue is near and dear to my heart. I have introduced numerous pieces of legislation over the years to protect our veterans and to expedite the benefits process. Our men and women in uniform have sacrificed much for us. They are entitled to our gratitude, our respect, and our protection. As President Abraham Lincoln reminded us 156 years ago, it is our duty ``to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan.'' Mr. Speaker, there is nothing in my mind more heinous than someone who tries to defraud a veteran of what they have earned. This is something that we can all come around on. This is something we can all support. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, obviously, the gentlewoman from Texas has ultimate passion on this bill and I would not say anything except that we support this legislation. We look forward to moving it. I am sure that she will be able to make any changes she needs to. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. No, I do not.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. If I hear the gentlewoman correctly, what she is asking is continuing as we were 5 minutes ago into this process and continuing on. Is that the gentlewoman's intention?

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Well, it is a proper question.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, continuing my parliamentary inquiry, could it also be a possibility for the gentlewoman to understand that this is the intent, and we have this into the Record; that if she was to move ahead with this, that I am sure this will be probably well-respected and well-founded in the Senate; that we could make the change in the Senate and have it back over for us so that we could make this, and not hold up the further proceedings today?

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. From an inquiry position, is it possible here that we could unanimous consent a change to this title?

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. But I am not sure how we would do it at this point, unless we could agree. Parliamentary Inquiries

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Look, personally, from my perspective, to continue our colloquy here, I have no problem with the name. I think it was probably an oversight in drafting from a previous time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. I understand.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. I see the gentlewoman's concern here on lines 4, 5, and 6 of the bill. I mean, are we awaiting a ruling from----

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Is it my understanding the gentlewoman is asking for a correction to the short title? Is that what we are looking for?

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I have no other additional speakers for this and would inquire of the gentlewoman from Texas if she is ready to close on this piece of legislation.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 494, the Tiffany Joslyn Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2019. The bill reauthorizes the Justice Department's Juvenile Accountability Block Grant--JABG--program, strengthens the program to reduce youth crime, and contains vigorous accountability and oversight mechanisms to ensure taxpayer dollars are efficiently and wisely utilized. I would like to say thank you to the sponsor of this legislation, Congresswoman Jackson Lee, for her hard work and, as she just explained in great detail, the many things about this bill that are good for us and why I would support this bill. When young people commit crimes, it has a serious and long-lasting detrimental impact. Our children represent the promise of a bright future and the hope for continued prosperity. That means improving the juvenile justice system and reducing juvenile crimes is crucial to preserving and protecting the future of our children and our Nation. The JABG program provides grants to States, Tribes, and localities to strengthen juvenile justice systems and reduce recidivism among offenders. The program currently has 17 authorized purpose areas, including the implementation of graduated sanctions for juveniles; support for prosecutorial initiatives aimed at curbing drug use, violence, and gangs; accountability-based school safety initiatives; the establishment of juvenile drug courts; and bullying and cyberbullying prevention. The JABG has a long history of bipartisan support among members of the Judiciary Committee and in Congress as a whole. Again, I thank my colleague, Congresswoman Jackson Lee, for her hard work on this legislation, and I would encourage my colleagues to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise on H.R. 498. Again, this is a good act. The Clean Up the Code Act is one that I ask everyone to support and vote ``yes'' on, and I yield back the balance of my time.