Katherine Clark

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, in 1970 in this very Chamber the first African American woman elected to Congress, Shirley Chisholm, said: There is an unspoken assumption that women are different. Artificial distinctions between persons must be wiped out of the law. Congresswoman Chisholm was calling for the passage of the equal rights amendment. Fifty years later and a century after securing the right to vote, I stand before you, Madam Speaker, with the same call to action. I stand before you as a Member of the 116th Congress with the greatest proportion of women Members in our history and a female Speaker, but yet as a woman, my rights remain unprotected in the Constitution. The majority of Americans are women, but yet our Constitution does not fully and explicitly include our mothers, daughters, grandmothers, aunts, and neighbors. Our Constitution is not just a founding document. It is a foundational document to equality under the law. It is time to reflect the truths that have become self-evident, that all people are created equal. It is time to pass the equal rights amendment.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, 15,208. 15,208: That is how many Americans lost their lives to gun violence in this country last year. For each life lost, there is a compounding grief of the friends, the parents, the children, the spouses, the loved ones, survivors whose lives are forever altered, forever shattered by this preventable public health crisis. At the current rates of gun violence, nearly every American will know at least one victim of gun violence in their lifetime. Imagine who that might be in your own life. 344: That is the number of days that have gone by since House Democrats passed not one but two safety bills to help bring an end to senseless suffering. For 344 days, both of these bills have been met by Mitch McConnell's wall of obstruction. These are bipartisan bills that are also supported by 90 percent of Americans across political ideology, and they require immediate action. Senator McConnell, your complacency is lethal. Every day you fail to act is another day that more Americans suffer loss. Stop the silence. Start doing your job, and change the course of gun violence in this country.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, to paraphrase one of our founding mothers, Abigail Adams: A people may let a President fall, yet still remain a people, but if a President lets his people slip from him, he is no longer a President. Just as Abigail Adams warned, Donald Trump has let the people slip from him. He works for himself, not us. He tried to extort a foreign government into investigating a political rival, and he has unlawfully withheld witnesses and evidence. If we want a democracy, today we must stand for the rule of law. A vote to impeach is a vote to remain a government that is of, for, and by the people. It is a vote born of great fear for our future, but also rooted in optimism: that if we stand for the truth, for our Constitution, we can continue to create a country of liberty, justice, and equality for all.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 296 that commemorates the Armenian genocide through official recognition and remembrance. More than 100 years ago, an estimated 1.5 million Armenians were massacred by the Ottoman Empire. There is no argument that this undeniable crime against humanity occurred. It is not an opinion or an interpretation of events. It is fact. Yet, despite the overwhelming consensus of historians and scholars, there are those who would deny the awful truth that this was a genocide. To those, I would say if you do not recognize the darkest pages of history, you will never fully learn the lessons they hold. Today, I stand with my constituents from across my district, but particularly from Watertown, Massachusetts, home to a thriving Armenian diaspora community, to urge this House to pass H. Res. 296 and recognize this crime against humanity for what it was, a genocide.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Chairman, I join Chairman Price in strong opposition to this amendment. Two years ago, HUD removed guidance that was meant to ensure our transgender community members are able to access emergency housing or homeless shelters. House Democrats stood up against this assault on LGBTQ Americans, and HUD Secretary Ben Carson assured us that the removal of this guidance was only temporary. Later this spring, Secretary Carson testified that we should not be pressing for guidance or pressing him on this issue because we wouldn't like the answer that HUD would provide. In other words, HUD stood ready to explicitly allow or promote LGBTQ discrimination. Discrimination in any form for any amount of time is reprehensible and unacceptable, and now we have an amendment before us that would make housing discrimination permanent. It would continue the uncertainty around LGBTQ protections and make vulnerable people's lives harder. Let's remember what is at stake. One in three transgender people have experienced homelessness, and we know that homelessness in the LGBTQ community overwhelmingly impacts our young people. Right now, there are approximately 350,000 transgender people under the age of 25 in the U.S., and it is estimated that over 20 percent of them lack secure housing. Through the appropriations process, House Democrats have put in place protections for transgender Americans and have taken the proactive step of protecting the rights of LGBTQ individuals in emergency housing intervention situations. No American seeking refuge and safety should be kicked to the curb. No one should be discriminated against, especially not in a time of dire need. Mr. Chairman, I urge every Member of this body to reject this amendment, reject discrimination, and reject the Trump administration's and Secretary Carson's cruel rollback of LGBTQ protections.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, 3 years ago, tragedy struck Orlando, Florida, at the Pulse nightclub. Over 100 people celebrating life with friends, partners, and family were gunned down on a dance floor at a gay club; 49 of them lost their lives. A place of refuge was transformed into a death trap by a hateful and cowardly act, and today we can honor those lives by calling for action. At the time, the Pulse nightclub was the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Tragically, in the 3 years since this shooting, we have witnessed more senseless suffering and death: Parishioners in Texas and South Carolina and worshippers in Pennsylvania; Students in Santa Fe and Parkland; Municipal workers in Virginia Beach; Neighbors on sidewalks and parks; Over 50 people shot in just one weekend in Chicago 2 weeks ago; And then 58 concert goers in Las Vegas lost their lives, taking the grizzly title of the deadliest mass shooting. Days after the Pulse shooting, I joined with my colleague, the iconic Congressman John Lewis, in leading a sit-in right here on this very floor. We could not stand for another day of inaction. We stopped Congress because Congress had stopped working for the American people. Now, 3 years later, within months of taking the majority, we have passed two gun safety bills. And while I am encouraged and proud of the work we have done here in the House, we see the same obstructionist game being played out in the Senate. The two bills are stalled, and Americans continue to die. Mr. Speaker, 40,000 people a year die from gun violence in our country. Every day, 100 Americans are killed with guns, and hundreds more are shot and injured. Gun violence and mass shootings have gone from a rare event to a public health crisis. Just this week, Massachusetts General Hospital opened a Gun Violence Prevention Center to teach doctors how to deal with firearm safety in recognition of the public health risk that gun violence has become to Americans. Mr. Speaker, today I come before you standing and not sitting, but still imploring with the Senate to take a vote: Perform your basic responsibilities not as Members of Congress but, also, as members of our communities. We cannot waste another day. Millions of Americans at home are worried for their families, frustrated by our inaction, and scared that they or anyone they love could be next. We have a simple message on this grim anniversary for the Senate: Stop the silence. Pass commonsense gun violence prevention measures. Pass the Equality Act, and do your job for the people.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, as we commemorate D-Day and express our heartfelt gratitude to veterans across our great Nation, it is also an appropriate time to think of civilians and security threats at home. June is Gun Violence Awareness Month and a time to reflect on the lives we have lost to gun violence and reinvigorate our fight to end senseless suffering. Just this past week, 52 people were shot in Chicago, resulting in 10 deaths, and 12 lives were taken in Virginia Beach. The shooting in Virginia Beach was the 150th mass shooting in 2019. Just think about that and the lives lost. Americans like Ryan Keith Cox, a hero who helped his coworkers to safety, Mary Louise Gayle, a devoted mother and grandmother known for her holiday gingerbread houses, Richard Nettleton, a veteran and a die-hard Red Sox fan, Katherine, Christopher, Bert, Laquita, Bobby, Missy, Joshua, Alexander, and Tara. We are not powerless. 100 days ago House Democrats passed two gun safety reform bills supported by over 90 percent of Americans. These bills can save lives. We can bring sanctuary and safety back to our communities. We ask our Senate colleagues to do their job and bring these life- saving measures up for a vote.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Chairman, every day, millions of Americans use the internet to enrich their lives, engage with their communities, and do their jobs. While most online interactions are positive, the sad reality is that for far too many Americans having an online presence means being subjected to harassment, stalking, sextortion, and sexual abuse. In recent years, the internet has become an easy way for abusers to stalk victims of domestic violence and prey on vulnerable children. These crimes aren't just one-off occurrences, they are not just virtual. They can destroy lives. One of my constituents received an onslaught of rape and death threats so horrific and explicit that she and her husband fled their home and eventually moved because they feared for their lives. Unfortunately, when she reported these threats to law enforcement, the officers she worked with did not have the training or the resources necessary to fully investigate this crime and bring the perpetrators to justice. And this is just one story. In fact, 20 percent, one in five, of all adult internet users have been affected by cyberstalking, persistent harassing emails or other unwanted online contact. One increasingly common form of online abuse involves perpetrators threatening to expose private or sensitive material, including nude images, unless victims produce sexual materials or pay the abuser money. The Department of Justice recently declared that this type of abuse, known as sextortion, ``. . . is by far the most significantly growing threat to children,'' and that: Sextortion cases tend to have more victims who are minors per offense than all other child sexual exploitation offenses. According to a 2015 FBI analysis of 43 sextortion cases, at least two victims committed suicide and at least ten more attempted. From self-mutilation to suicide, the consequences of sextortion for traumatized victims can be devastating. If we are going to prevent these types of online crimes, we need to make sure our law enforcement understands how to best combat them. This amendment establishes a grant program to train local and State law enforcement to prevent, enforce, and prosecute crimes carried out online. It creates a national resource center to study these crimes and requires the FBI to update the Uniform Crime Reports and National Incident-Based Reporting System to include cybercrimes. In an economy that is increasingly online, these crimes can profoundly impact career choice and economic participation. My amendment would make sure our criminal justice system is equipped to respond to the crimes that happen online or offline. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to provide law enforcement with the tools they need to combat these crimes by supporting my amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, after the Parkland shooting, high school students in my district told me a heartbreaking truth. They didn't believe that Congress cared about their lives or their future. Sadly, I understood why. Complacency defined the Republican Congress' position on gun violence. They did nothing after moviegoers were slaughtered in Aurora, kindergartners were murdered in Newtown, and after one of our own colleagues, Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, was shot doing her job as a U.S. Representative. After 46 people were gunned down at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, I sat on this very floor in protest. My colleagues and I sat in solidarity with a very clear but somber message: No more. No more moments of silence. No more inaction while Americans had senseless deaths due to gun violence. No more would the entirety of solutions to gun violence be tweets with our thoughts and prayers. It has been 2 years since the sit-in and, finally, the inaction has come to an end. Thanks to the brave survivors, the students, the advocates, and the family members, we have been able to pass commonsense gun safety. Today is a new day, and we will continue this fight.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and for holding this important Special Order hour. It is so important that we tell the stories of the very real impact of this shutdown, and I appreciate her giving us that opportunity. I do want to share some of the stories from my district. We recently heard from Emily, who is a TSA agent at Logan Airport and a single mom of three. She hasn't received her paycheck. She won't be getting one tomorrow and is worried about falling behind on rent and childcare payments. She has to stay current with childcare or she loses her children's spots. She said: ``I don't know how I'm going to make this work. If I don't get paid, how can I afford to send my children to daycare?'' She has $400 left in her bank account. Then there is Donna from Revere. She has been employed at her job for the last 22 years but doesn't know where her next meal will come from without a paycheck to rely on. Donna said: ``I have to choose between buying food or paying a bill.'' We received a call from a retired Federal employee in Natick. She lives in affordable housing and is required to prove her income to renew her lease. She cannot obtain a statement from OPM regarding her pension because they are closed, jeopardizing her living situation. Sandy called us. She owns a startup in Cambridge that almost exclusively contracts with DOD and DHS. This is a small business, and they are struggling to keep up with payroll as the checks stopped coming. She said: ``We have about a week and a half of payroll left.'' David from Ashland is an Active Duty Coast Guard member stationed in Boston. I want to note that the community has come together to open a food bank for our Coast Guard members and their families. He doesn't know how he and his family are going to continue to pay their bills. The Coast Guard, certainly for coastal States and for our national security, plays a critical role, not only in search and rescue, and protection from terrorism, but also in drug interdiction. The fact that we are asking Coast Guard members, who serve their country proudly and with great patriotism, to work without pay is a national shame. Susan from Belmont receives a housing subsidy through HUD, and if the shutdown continues, she is afraid she could face the possibility of eviction. We have heard from Amanda in Waltham. Amanda is an Indian citizen who has resided with legal status in the U.S. for over 12 years, working for a childcare provider. She, her husband, and young son traveled to India in November to visit with family. At that time, they went to the U.S. consulate to get their visas stamped. Her husband's visa was issued right away, but Amanda's was subject to further review. Having not received her visa, she remains in India, separated from her son and husband. The shutdown has delayed this processing further and has prolonged the separation, which is a significant hardship on this family. These are just a few of the stories that we have heard about what is the real impact of this shutdown. It is long past time that we open government. We can negotiate on what real border security looks like, but it shouldn't be done at the expense of the security of these families and of our national security as well.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from North Carolina for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I have to agree with my colleagues today. This is not the bill that the House approved or that has everything that we have worked on our subcommittee to get into law to help fund those programs that are so vital to families at home and across this country, but we are here today trying to get the Senate to accept ``yes'' for an answer, because what is critical is that we reopen government. President Trump is holding 800,000 Federal employees hostage, and that ripples out to millions of Americans who rely on government not just for a paycheck, but for those critical services, whether they are border security or TSA agents, the FBI, food programs, or vital housing and transportation services. Specifically, the Federal Housing Administration has stopped processing loans and mortgage approvals, putting families trying to buy a new home or refinance an FHA-insured mortgage into financial limbo. I heard a story of one woman who is battling cancer. She has not been able to earn an income, and refinancing her home was the key way that she could continue to have this battle and get the treatments that she needs and give her family the money to survive and meet their basic needs. With the closing of FHA, she is unable to get those documents and be able to refinance her house. This shutdown is also threatening to destabilize more than 4 million households that depend on HUD's rental assistance programs. The phones are ringing off the hook in my office in D.C. and back home in Massachusetts. We heard just this week from a retired Federal employee from Natick who called because she lives in affordable housing and is required to prove her income to renew her lease.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, she cannot obtain the statement from OPM regarding her pension right now because they are closed. This jeopardizes her living situation. We must reopen government and then resolve our differences about how we address border security. Passage of this bill is a critical first step.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 332.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of this bipartisan amendment, which supports the Pentagon's FY19 budget request for research and development conducted by the Defense Innovation Unit-Experimental, also known as DIUx. I am grateful to my colleagues, Representatives Gallagher of Wisconsin and Russell of Oklahoma, and to my colleague from Massachusetts, Representative Tsongas, for working with me on this amendment. American technological innovation is widely renowned as the world's best. Our private-sector innovators are constantly pushing the envelope of the possible, inventing new technologies that revolutionize how people live. However, when it comes to national security, we have a serious problem. Thousands of our startups have a strong desire to contribute to national security, but over the past two decades, as our cutting-edge innovators have changed the world, government procurement processes have failed to change with them. As a result, in critical areas such as cybersecurity, our top private-sector innovators have no economically viable avenue to pursue government business. The Department of Defense, therefore, has no access to them. DIUx is the only funding stream in this entire bill that solves this problem. Military services and commanders in the field identify pressing problems that they need solved and bring them to DIUx. DIUx then pairs them with top commanders and top innovators to provide a pilot contract to solve their problems. This has resulted in bids from more than 650 companies in more than 42 States. Most importantly, DIUx is able to solve these problems, in most instances, in less than 90 days. This is far more flexible, agile, and cost-effective than any other procurement vehicle currently available. Just one of DIUx's 71 programs now saves the Air Force 400,000 pounds of fuel per day--just one project. That is enough to more than recoup DIUx's entire FY18 appropriation several times over. If the devastating cuts proposed to this program come to pass, DIUx will lose its critical momentum, capabilities, and talent, jeopardizing the program's future. If we care about protecting our troops, enhancing national security, and ensuring efficient use of taxpayer funds, I hope we will adopt this amendment, which simply matches the Pentagon's FY19 budget requested by DIUx. Mr. Chairman, if I may ask how much time I have remaining.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Russell).

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Chairman, I urge adoption of this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member for yielding and for all his work on this issue and continuing to underscore the need to actually fund access to healthcare so that we can curb this horrible epidemic in a meaningful way. One of the many factors that contributes to the opioid crisis is the sheer volume of opioids in circulation. According to the CDC, over 214 million prescriptions were written for opioids in 2016, and we can see that in our own Federal programs. A 2016 study showed that one in three Medicare part D recipients received opioids. That is almost 80 million prescriptions for a cost of $4.1 billion. The sheer volume makes it hard to prevent abuse, addiction, waste, and fraud. Almost 90,000 beneficiaries of Medicare are at serious risk for abuse and overdose, receiving over 2\1/2\ times the recommended dosing. This study eliminated anyone who is on hospice care. Additionally, 70,000 recipients receive an extreme amount of opioids. That is the equivalent of 24 Vicodin every single day. That is why I, along with my colleague, Markwayne Mullin, have introduced the Every Prescription Conveyed Securely Act. This bill will require that every prescription written for a Medicare part D beneficiary be prescribed electronically by 2021. We know this technology will save lives by making it harder to forge prescriptions, easier for doctors to know if a patient is doctor shopping, and be able to prevent fraud and save the government money. Mr. Chairman, this is a commonsense bill that can help fight the opioid crisis. I am very grateful to Chairman Walden and the ranking member for including it in this package.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, last night inclement weather caused travel delays, and as a result I missed roll call vote number 269. Had I been present, I would have voted yes.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize Gloria Cordes Larson, who will step down as the first-ever female president of Bentley University on June 30, 2018. Throughout her esteemed career, Ms. Larson has been a pioneer in higher education, a dedicated civil servant, and a champion for gender equity. During her 11 years as Bentley University President, Ms. Larson guided the Waltham school through the Great Recession, facilitated its transition from a college to a university, and ultimately, secured a 97 percent job placement rating for the institution's graduates. In 2011, she helped found the Bentley Center for Women and Business, a program designed to advance shared leadership among women and men at all levels of the corporate world. Most recently, under her leadership, Bentley University was ranked fourth in U.S. News & World Report's 2018 ``Best Value Schools''. Prior to her tenure as Bentley University president, Ms. Larson served as Secretary of Economic Affairs for the administration of Governor Bill Weld; acted as Deputy Director of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission; was the first-ever woman to chair the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce; and led a business advisory cabinet for former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. Upon being asked what her personal priority as President of Bentley University was, she reportedly said that it was ``to help women breakthrough in the business world.'' In every facet of her accomplished career, she has unchained the impossible and shepherded the way for the next generation. In recognition of her impact on the university, Massachusetts, and the advancement of women in business, Bentley University is honoring her legacy by naming the Center for Women and Business after Ms. Larson. I couldn't think of a worthier recipient and a better inspiration for students. The trail that Ms. Larson has blazed for women and students in our Commonwealth and across the country cannot be understated. We thank her for her dedication, and wish her the best of luck as ``president-in- residence'' of Bentley University's School of Education.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5102, the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act. As families at home know too well, our country is in the midst of a devastating public health crisis. The opioid epidemic claims more than 115 lives every day, and in 2016 alone, more than 42,000 people lost their lives to opioid-related drug overdoses, and more than 64,000 died from drug overdoses overall. Every one of those lives lost left heartbroken families, friends, and communities. Part of addressing this epidemic is making sure that everyone who is looking for help can access effective treatment and ongoing management of this chronic condition. To date, however, we have failed in this endeavor. The Surgeon General's 2016 report on addiction estimates that only 10 percent of Americans living with substance use disorder receive any treatment. There are a range of barriers to accessing treatment, but one of the most significant is a shortage in the workforce needed to provide it. Between the rising cost of education, low salaries, and a high burnout rate from the stressful and emotional work, it is a struggle to attract new people to the treatment field and keep those who work in it long term. In my district, I have heard time and again from families and providers that there simply aren't enough treatment specialists available to help the growing number of people who desperately need treatment. I have heard from families who have tried to get their loved ones into treatment and lost them to an overdose before they were able to get them the help they needed. No one should have to live with that heartbreak. That is why I authored this legislation with my esteemed colleague from Kentucky, Chairman Hal Rogers. This bill will help recruit and retain more treatment experts by offering up to $250,000 in student loan repayment for participants who agree to work in the treatment field for up to 6 years. The program will cover professionals who represent the whole spectrum of treatment, from physicians to nurses, to social workers, to recovery coaches, promoting the kind of wraparound treatment approach that we know gives patients the best chance for success. By providing a portion of loan repayment for each year of service, the program encourages treatment professionals to stay in the field longer. Further, this legislation is designed to send help where it is needed the most. Participants in the program must work in a county or municipality with either a shortage of mental health professionals or an above-average rate of overdose deaths. Whether you live in an urban or rural area, from Massachusetts to Kentucky, more need will mean more available treatment. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Rogers for his partnership on this important legislation and the other original cosponsors, as well as the Energy and Commerce Committee and their staff for their work throughout this process. We need to make significant long-term investments in the professionals who make recovery possible. People's lives depend on it. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation.

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I was unavoidably detained in my district. Had I been present, I would have voted the following way: Roll call vote 167--Yes, and Roll call vote 168--Yes.