Jason Crow

Mr. CROW

Mr. CROW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act. For too long, we have seen the influence of Big Pharma on this Chamber. For every Member of Congress, there are three industry lobbyists looking to buy their vote. Meanwhile, back home in Colorado, one in three of my constituents can't afford to pay for their medication. It needs to stop. I am proud to have helped introduce a provision to H.R. 3 that would prevent Big Pharma from raising the cost of prescription drugs past the rate of inflation. I stand here today for the 300,000 Coloradans with diabetes who will save 75 percent on their insulin. I stand here today for the 400,000 Coloradans with asthma, who will save 80 percent on their prescriptions. And tomorrow I will cast my vote for my constituents, people like Sue Way of Aurora, who, after seeing her insulin increase by 500 percent, was forced to ration her medicine, resulting in an ulcer. Her story is the story of so many Coloradans. The time is now to deliver on our promise to reduce the cost of prescription drugs.

Mr. CROW

Mr. CROW. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I am proud to stand here with my colleagues to support the Farm Workforce Modernization Act on behalf of farmers and farmworkers in Colorado. Colorado farms are doing all they can to move forward, despite the administration's trade war, which has led to a 15 percent reduction in Colorado agricultural exports in 2019. It has also stifled the migrant seasonal farmworker program when farmers need it the most. Throughout this year, I have met with farmers in my district, including Robert Sakata of Sakata Farms in Brighton, Colorado, which was started in 1945 by his father. To Robert and other Western growers, modernizing the guest worker program is crucial to their success as a family farm and their contribution to our local economy. This important piece of bipartisan legislation will do just that. The bill will establish a program for Colorado farmworkers to earn legal status, improve the H-2A program by ensuring critical protections for workers, and establish a mandatory nationwide E-Verify system for all farmworkers. I thank my colleague Representative Lofgren and all those who have worked across the aisle to get this very important bill done.

Mr. CROW

Mr. CROW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Location Act, which I am very proud to have introduced along with my friend and colleague from Wisconsin, Congressman Mike Gallagher. The global war on terrorism changed the course of American history and the lives of millions of servicemembers, first responders, and civil servants--including my own. On 9/11 and since, we have learned that we can never take our democracy or our country's security for granted. It is a fight that, sadly, continues today. The millions of Americans who have voluntarily served and sacrificed for our Nation deserve our deepest gratitude, but they also deserve our recognition. Several generations of Americans have now come of age during the global war on terrorism. There are now Americans born after 9/11 who are serving today, overseas, in uniform in what has become our Nation's longest conflict. That is one of the reasons why it is now time for us to recognize the several generations of Americans who have volunteered to serve our Nation: those of us who have served and who have worked to help our fellow veterans understand the important power of place, the transformational power of a sacred location where veterans and their families can come together to heal, to remember, and to reflect. Memorials like those for World War II, Korea, and Vietnam have provided the opportunities for those generations whose lives and service were defined by those conflicts, and it is now time for the current generation of veterans to have that same opportunity. It is our hope that, by honoring them in the Nation's Capital, we will ensure a location befitting of their service and their sacrifice. Over 2\1/2\ million Americans have served in uniform in the global war on terrorism, and millions more first responders, law enforcement, and civil servants have also supported global operations. To date, over 7,000 Americans have given the ultimate sacrifice and over 53,000 have been wounded. Many more bear the invisible scars of the war that will be with them for the rest of their lives. If these feel like statistics to some, they are not to me and to many others. At a time when Congress feels more divided than ever before, I hope that this Congress can focus on what we do have in common and what does bring us together so that we can move our country forward. We have a sacred duty to those who have selflessly served in our Nation's longest war, and it is a charge that we do not take lightly. I urge my colleagues to join me in this effort by supporting the bill.

Mr. CROW

Mr. CROW. Madam Speaker, in honor of National Apprenticeship Week, I rise today to recognize the importance of Registered Apprenticeship Programs. Since 1937, the Department of Labor's Registered Apprenticeship Program has been a model for recruiting and developing well-trained workers in highly-skilled occupations. Registered Apprenticeship Programs play a vital role in setting robust training, pay, and safety standards that are nationally recognized and credentialed. Programs that are given the registered apprenticeship designation are subject to stringent requirements that mandate progressive wage increases, quality assurance assessments by the government, comprehensive safety training, and workplace rights protections. These standards and protections also include important equal opportunity measures and equity outcomes such as requiring targeted outreach to previously underserved populations for recruitment into apprenticeship programs, diversifying the workforce and providing rewarding career opportunities for women, veterans, and people of color. Furthermore, I'd like to take a moment to highlight the Colorado Building and Construction Trades Council, comprised of 24 craft local unions who belong to 14 national and international unions. These local unions make represent 30,000 skilled working men and women in the Colorado. The Building Trades Union has, and continues to, exemplify the gold standard of the Registered Apprenticeship system. Building Trades Registered Apprenticeship programs represent over two thirds of all the registered apprenticeships in the U.S. and, together with its contractor partners, invest over $1.5 billion annually in a nationwide network of over 1,600 training centers. The Building Trades' Apprenticeship Programs are proven alternatives to a four-year college degree and provide apprentices with opportunities to learn portable skills and receive a debt-free education while earning livable wages. I congratulate the Colorado Building and Construction Trades Council on their success and implore my colleagues to join me in protecting and expanding upon the DOL's Registered Apprenticeship Program.

Mr. CROW

Mr. CROW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Verification Alignment and Service-Disabled Business Adjustment Act, or the VA-SBA Act. I start by thanking my friend and colleague from Mississippi (Mr. Kelly)--or, as a former Army captain myself, I like to call him General Kelly--for his leadership and friendship and hard work on this bill as well. Veterans are uniquely qualified and have a valuable perspective as they start and manage small businesses. In my home State of Colorado, there are over 52,000 small businesses owned by veterans that continue to give back to the country, the community, and our economy every single day. These veteran-owned businesses have also proven to go above and beyond to hire other veterans, including those who have been injured in the line of duty. Currently, service-disabled veterans who want to start a business have to go through a complicated, confusing, and redundant application process through both the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Small Business Administration. The VA-SBA Act removes duplication in regulation and cuts red tape to ensure the Federal Government can provide the support and resources that our veterans deserve. It also ensures that data on service- disabled veteran-owned businesses and veteran-owned small businesses is located at the Small Business Administration, which is uniquely equipped to serve veterans who want to start small businesses. This bill will greatly ease the burden on our veteran-owned small businesses by cutting unnecessary red tape. I thank Chairwoman Velazquez and Ranking Member Chabot, as well as Mr. Schneider and all my colleagues on the Committee on Small Business. This truly is an example of bipartisan cooperation, as we have all come together to do the right thing by our veterans and our small businesses, a true win-win for the country and for our communities. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. CROW

Mr. CROW. Madam Chairwoman, I rise today in support of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act. I would first like to thank my colleagues and friends from the Colorado delegation, Congressman Joe Neguse, and Senator Michael Bennet, for their dedicated, hard work on this important bill. Colorado is home to 4 national parks, 41 State parks, 960 wildlife species, and 6,000 miles of rivers. From hiking, to camping and skiing with my family, including my two children, who I am proud to say are fifth-generation Coloradans, I know that among the most important aspects of the Colorado way of life are the beautiful places where we live, work, and play. But we must act quickly to ensure that Colorado's many national treasures are protected for our children, our grandchildren, and the generations to come. The CORE Act will help us accomplish this by providing permanent protections for over 400,000 acres of Colorado's public lands. It unites and builds on many prior efforts by protecting four iconic landscapes in one single, all-encompassing conservation bill for all of Colorado. As an Army veteran, I am also thrilled to highlight the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division, whose members trained at historic Camp Hale and fought valiantly in World War II. At the peak of the war, Camp Hale housed as many as 14,000 soldiers. They were trained in skiing, snowshoeing, mountain climbing, cold-weather survival skills, and winter combat to prepare themselves for the Alpine warfare that awaited them in northern Italy. In 1945, they broke through German mountain defenses, drawing forces away from other theaters and playing a critical role in winning World War II. Many of them came back afterward to help build Colorado's outdoor recreation industry that we now know, love, and cherish today. By passing this bill, we honor the 10th Mountain Division's legacy and the sacrifices of those soldiers by designating over 28,000 acres of land that constitutes Camp Hale as the Nation's first-ever National Historic Landscape. This measure ensures that people of all ages can recreate on the Camp Hale lands, walk in the footsteps of those soldiers who trained there, and protect the site for future generations so that history and legacy will live on. I am honored to work with my delegation colleagues on this effort. The CORE Act is a once-in-a-generation protection of lands to hand to our kids and grandkids so that they can continue to love Colorado as much as we do. I urge all Members to vote in favor of this bill.

Mr. CROW. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. CROW. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today to highlight the Colorado Army National Guard's High- Altitude Aviation Training Site, or HAATS, a program that all members of the Colorado delegation value deeply and support. HAATS offers a hands-on experience for helicopter pilots in the science of flying at high altitudes where air pressure is significantly lower, and engines run hotter. Learning these skills is critical to successfully execute military operations and rescue missions in mountain terrain. Each year HAATS trains over 400 air crews from all branches and components, including the National Guard, the Army, Army Reserves, and allies around the globe. As a combat veteran, I served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, two of which were in Afghanistan where the terrain is rugged, unforgiving, and high altitude. The pilots with whom I served received HAATS training. Their skill, composure under pressure, and dedication is worthy of our praise. With this amendment we honor the HAATS mission and recognize how crucial that mission is to our national security and the readiness of our Armed Forces. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CROW. Mr. Chair, I appreciate the comments of my friend from Colorado. This is certainly an example of the Colorado delegation working together, talking and collaborating, trying to figure out the best path forward for our State and the interests of all of our districts. This is an issue, as I talked about earlier, that is very personal to me. I served in Afghanistan, and like I mentioned earlier, the pilots with whom I served received this critical training. My life and the life of my soldiers relied on this training being conducted and the important mission that HAATS performs every year for all of our services. But I also learned something else in the Army that--and you don't have to take my word for it--one of the best ways to get information, the best way to figure out what the soldiers and the troops need, is you talk to the folks on the ground, you talk to the folks on the front line. Mr. Chair, I applaud the work of Senator Bennet and my very good friend and colleague Congressman Joe Neguse for doing just that, reaching out to our military commanders. I want to read, very briefly, a letter that was sent to them by Major General Michael Loh, who not only is a pilot but is the commander of the Colorado National Guard. He said: I am writing to express the support of the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs for the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act through the diligent efforts of staff within the department, the offices of the bill's sponsors, and the Department of Defense, who have mitigated prior concerns related to military overflight of the potential wilderness areas identified in the bill. That is our commander. That is our top commander of the Colorado National Guard that manages this facility, the pilots, and the training that occurs, saying: Thank you. You did your work. The delegation reached out. You have mitigated our concerns. Move forward. What else do we need other than that word of our commanders? Joe Neguse and Michael Bennet worked very hard to make sure they were addressing the concerns, and we should take their word for it, not ours. Mr. Chair, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Neguse), my friend.

Mr. CROW. Mr. Chair, in closing, I would like to stress again the importance of honoring HAATS and its critical mission. In July, I was pleased to join 416 of my colleagues, including Mr. Tipton, in voting for an amendment that has language that we can all get behind. Again, I reiterate the fact that you don't have to take anyone's word for it sitting here having this debate tonight. The commanders on the ground, the people managing this facility, managing the pilots, in fact, the pilot himself with the responsibility to make sure that this mission has to go forward, have blessed this effort and said that their concerns are mitigated and that they are happy to support this effort. So we, I think, owe it to our generals, to our soldiers, and to our troops to defer to their better judgment on this because they know this better than we do. Mr. Chair, I am very happy to support this amendment, and I urge all others to support it. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CROW

Mr. CROW. Madam Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to Colorado's oldest and largest Armenian American organization--Armenians of Colorado, Inc. (AOC)--for their four decades of community building. Established in 1979 by several families, Armenians of Colorado (AOC) is a nonprofit organization that has grown to serve the Front Range's vibrant Armenian American community. From teaching the Armenian language and cultural traditions to raising awareness about Armenian history, AOC has been the pillar of the Centennial State's rapidly growing, vibrant Armenian community. Its purpose is to foster a cohesive Armenian community and to further the understanding of Armenian history, culture, language, and customs within the community and to the general public. AOC's landmark achievement, the Colorado State Capitol Armenian Memorial Garden, was established in 1982 with the planting of a blue spruce and installation of a memorial plaque in commemoration of the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide. In 2015, on the centennial anniversary of the commencement of the Armenian Genocide, AOC renovated the Colorado State Capitol Armenian Memorial Garden and installed a replica of a medieval Armenian khachkar (cross-stone) in memory of the victims of all crimes against humanity and in tribute to Coloradans who participated in the Near East Relief's philanthropic efforts to rescue and raise 132,000 orphans of the Armenian Genocide. This khachkar memorial is a recreation of one of the 3,000 Djulfa cross-stones destroyed during the Nagorno-Karabakh War. Because the fact is, while the Armenian genocide occurred generations ago and an ocean away, we still feel its pain. We have seen how easily the same motives that allowed the Armenian genocide to occur still happen to today. As we have learned, all too often an assault on any ethnic group or religion is an assault on all of us. AOC has also been instrumental in partnering with the Armenian National Committee of America to establish the Sardarapat Armenian Memorial Highway in my District in 2018 to mark the centennial anniversary of the establishment of the Armenian Republic and to celebrate Armenian Genocide survivors' determination to save their nation from total extinction. On its 40th birthday, I wish AOC many more successes in its commendable mission of serving the educational and cultural needs of Colorado's vibrant Armenian American community.

Mr. CROW

Mr. CROW. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the distinguished chair and ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Engel and Mr. McCaul, for their leadership in crafting this joint resolution condemning the administration's decision to withdraw and abandon our Kurdish allies in Syria and leave them to an unlawful assault by Turkish forces. As a combat veteran, I know firsthand the strength of our Nation is tied to our partnerships and alliances around the globe. During my three deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, I counted on our local partners for the safety of our soldiers. And those partners depended on the U.S. commitment to them. That relationship forged in a combat zone is built on trust and the belief that our word is our bond. The administration's reckless decision to withdraw U.S. forces has undermined the value of our commitment, not only to our Kurdish allies, who are now isolated in fighting enemies on all sides, but also our other allies around the world. The message that we are sending is that the American handshake doesn't matter. Our withdrawal is an abdication of our moral responsibility to the Kurds and undermines the belief that America is a resolute partner. It has also led to our adversaries like Russia, Iran, the Assad regime, and ISIS exerting greater influence in the region. Let me be clear, the President's decision makes us less safe and further isolates us from the very allies from whom we have drawn so much strength. The President must immediately reverse his decision to withdraw U.S. personnel from Syria, recommit to our Kurdish allies, and take a firm stance against any further aggression by Turkey against the Kurdish people.

Mr. CROW

Mr. CROW. Madam Speaker, in honor of October being National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I rise today to recognize Gateway Domestic Violence Services. In addition, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Gateway Domestic Violence Services on its 40th Anniversary. Since 1979, Gateway has steadfastly provided services to over 400,000 adults and children who are experiencing family violence throughout the City of Aurora and Arapahoe County. Gateway has assisted these individuals through their 24/7 Crisis Line, Emergency Shelter, Extended-Stay Shelter, Nonresidential Counseling Program and Court Advocacy Program. These services have resulted in allowing individuals and families to live a life free from violence in their homes. The scourge of domestic violence is widespread and affects people of all ages, races, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds. It is estimated that 50 percent of all families in the United States are impacted by intimate partner violence. A woman is assaulted or beaten every 9 seconds and approximately 4 victims are killed each day by an intimate partner. The trauma suffered by children who witness domestic violence can result in their inability to form healthy relationships. Today, it is my honor to commemorate Gateway's 40th anniversary. The work they do in our community is necessary and impressive. In 2018 alone, they answered just under 8,000 crisis calls, served 789 individuals between their two shelters, counseled 229 adults and children, walked through the court process with 2,925 victims, and presented on the issues of family violence 102 times to groups throughout the community. Gateway diligently strives to ensure that every victim that reaches out for help is treated with dignity, respect and given the tools to help break the cycle of violence they are experiencing. Furthermore, their work helps ensure victims are not blamed for the violence they experience and will not have to continue to live in fear of abuse in their own home. I am confident that Gateway Domestic Violence Services will continue to provide quality services to victims throughout the community, as they have done for the past 40 years

Mr. CROW

Mr. CROW. Madam Speaker, I rise today in solemn memory of the 12 lives lost and the many lives changed forever 7 years ago in the Aurora theater shooting. Since then, I have come to know many of the victims' families, and I stand in awe of their courage and strength. Many have become stewards in our community, and their example is an inspiration to us all, people like State Representative Tom Sullivan, who honors his son's life by serving in the Colorado State Legislature and fighting every day for commonsense gun violence prevention, or Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, who lost their daughter and have spent their days since advocating for survivors around the country. Today, my only wish is to tell them that we haven't forgotten. Looking at this Chamber, it may seem as if we have moved on. In the 7 years since, little has changed. Our country is no safer. We disagree about how to solve the problem, but we do agree that there is a problem. There is a public health crisis in our country, and it doesn't matter if you live in a red or blue district. I stand here today, committed to making a change, committed to showing families in our community that just because time has passed, our urgency to addressing gun violence has not.

Mr. CROW

Mr. CROW. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. CROW. Madam Chairwoman, I rise today to offer an amendment to highlight the importance of honoring our commitments, to keep Americans and those who serve our country around the world safe. Unfortunately, by virtue of being Americans and representing the values of our country, our citizens are sometimes targeted by adversarial countries and wrongfully detained. In those situations, we must leverage all available tools and resources at our disposal to secure their safe return. We must employ a whole-of-government approach to return Americans wrongfully detained in foreign countries back to their families. We are a nation founded on the principle of due process. We must hold other countries to the same expectations of equal treatment under the law. We must also support the foreign nationals who put their lives and the lives of their families at risk to contribute to our national security. We owe these extraordinary individuals our gratitude for their assistance, particularly in light of the dangers that they often face. Despite precautions, in some cases, their contributions have led to their detainment or imprisonment. One of our greatest strengths is the network of individuals and nations that want to help us because they can rely on us to keep our promises. That is why we must continue to stand by our commitments to our partners, particularly when they are persecuted for their contributions to the U.S. Simply stated, we must honor our commitments to those who have stood by us. This amendment asserts the importance of this position, not just because it is in the best interests of the United States, but because it is the right thing to do, and that moral responsibility is an essential virtue of being an American. Madam Chair, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from California (Mr. Schiff).

Mr. CROW. Madam Chair, in closing, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment and uphold our obligations to our fellow Americans and partners around the world. We are a country that keeps its promises, and we must do so well into the future. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CROW

Mr. CROW. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Delgado) for yielding, and I want to thank Chairwoman Velazquez for prioritizing this critical issue and bringing our bill to the floor. I also want to thank my friend and colead on H.R. 2331, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Balderson), for his leadership on cybersecurity and small business issues and this bill in particular. I value his input and expertise on all of these issues. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bipartisan legislation I introduced with Ranking Member Balderson, the SBA Cyber Awareness Act. The Small Business Administration houses vital information for small business owners and lenders. We must do everything we can to help the SBA protect its systems and the data of our Nation's small businesses. Our bill would require the SBA to be more proactive in protecting its data and more transparent in the event of a cyber breach. First, our bill requires the SBA to issue a report detailing its cybersecurity efforts within 6 months of enactment. This report must include an assessment of the SBA's existing IT and cybersecurity infrastructure and its strategy to address vulnerabilities. Notably, this bill ensures we are protecting ourselves against China by requiring an audit of any SBA system or IT equipment manufactured by a company headquartered in China. The report must detail every cybersecurity risk or incident in the last 2 years and the SBA's strategy to address them going forward. Second, our bill provides a framework for the SBA to follow in the event of future breaches, requiring timely notifications to Congress as well as the people in the small businesses affected. The bill also requires the SBA to submit a full report to both committees on how the cybersecurity risk or incident occurred and how many parties were affected. The goal of this bill is to put the SBA and the small businesses that it interacts with and that depend on it on the best footing possible to combat the rising threat of cyberattacks. I am very excited that this bill is up for a vote in the House today and has such strong bipartisan support. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in support of our bipartisan legislation and thank everyone who had a hand in bringing it to the floor. It is an exciting day when we can focus on our Nation's small businesses and cyber infrastructure, and I am hopeful for this bill's quick consideration by the Senate.

Mr. CROW

Mr. CROW. Madam Chair, I rise today to support this amendment to reassert Congress' constitutional role in authorizing the use of military force. As a former Army Ranger, I learned firsthand that when politicians talk tough in this town, real people get hurt. It was an honor to serve our country in Iraq and Afghanistan, but I also witnessed the consequences of sending Americans into harm's way without defined goals and a clear exit strategy. The most solemn responsibility of Congress is the decision to authorize the use of military force. It is a responsibility that our Founders reserved for Congress because we are directly and daily accountable to those who have to fight our wars: our sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers. I urge my colleagues to join me in reasserting Congress' role in deciding when to use military force by voting ``yes'' on this amendment. It is time to fulfill our constitutional duty.

Mr. CROW. Madam Chair, I rise today to support Representative Lee's important amendment to repeal the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force, an authorization that has long outlived its intended purpose: the 2002 AUMF authorized U.S. force to overthrow Saddam Hussein's regime and enforce U.N. resolutions in Iraq. Much has changed since those days and, today, Iraq is an important partner in the fight against terrorism. As the justification for the 2002 AUMF has ended, so, too, should this authorization. This is not an opinion I alone hold. Just today, Army Chief of Staff, a nominee for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Milley, stated that the 2001 AUMF provides all of the authorities necessary for ongoing counterterrorism operations in the region. I agree with General Milley and believe it is time to repeal this outdated authorization that no longer serves an operational purpose. A common theme in the NDAA this year is the emphasis on increasing transparency and reasserting congressional oversight on matters of war and diplomacy. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this amendment and demonstrate that Congress is reasserting its Article I authorities and responsibilities.

Mr. CROW

Mr. CROW. Madam Speaker, today, I include in the Record two agency letters my office received in response to two inquiries I sent in February. The first is a June 25, 2019 letter in response to a February 28, 2019 letter I wrote with 19 of my colleagues to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (``ICE'') regarding public health risks and treatment of detainees at ICE detention facilities and contract facilities. The second is a June 28, 2019 letter in response to a February 20, 2019 letter I wrote to the Department of Homeland Security regarding medical concerns at the ICE contract facility in Aurora, Colorado. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, June 18, 2019. Hon. Jason Crow, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Representative Crow: Thank you for your February 28, 2019 letter regarding public health risks and treatment of detainees at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities and contract facilities. Enclosed, please find answers to the questions posed in your letter. The co-signers of your letter will receive a separate, identical response. Thank you again for your letter and interest in this important matter. Should you wish to discuss this matter further, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, Raymond Kovacic, Assistant Director, Office of Congressional Relations.

Mr. CROW

Mr. CROW. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. CROW. Mr. Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment that would defend the integrity of the U.S. Census. The U.S. Census is crucial to every community, and it is our duty as Members of Congress to ensure that every person is counted. Not only does the Census send a message that every person should be counted, but it determines how and where Federal dollars are spent. Simply put, it is crucial for our local cities and counties. The Census count helps us understand how to best provide healthcare, education, housing, and numerous other public services. As the chairman of the Small Business Subcommittee on Innovation and Workforce Development, I have seen how the Census determines how we spend Federal dollars for programs like the Small Business Development Center Program and Community Development Block Grants. It is clear that the purpose of the citizenship question, which we have already debated and will continue to debate, is not to ensure that resources go to the communities that need it most but rather to stoke fear and suppress the Census count. In communities like mine, this would have a huge impact. It would undermine our ability to gather an accurate count. That doesn't just hurt people in our community. It strains public resources and poses risks to our community's public health and safety. I am here to lift up the voices in my community and assure them that Congress will not replace good governance with fear. While the administration announced that it would continue the data- sharing agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to provide quality statistics, my amendment reasserts that existing law prohibits the Census Bureau from sharing individualized Census data across agencies. Congress must stand firm in assuring the public that no disaggregated data may leave the Census. Furthermore, this amendment raises awareness of the law that penalizes any disclosure of information by Census employees who share personally identifiable information with agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Escobar).

Mr. CROW. Mr. Chair, just to be clear, we vehemently oppose the citizenship question because as the evidence has made it abundantly clear, the purpose of that question is to suppress the count and to stoke fears within our communities, which will have a huge detrimental impact to our ability to gain an accurate count and provide resources in an effective way and to govern throughout the country. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano).

Mr. CROW. Mr. Chair, in closing, I just want to reiterate the need that we send a very strong message as Members of Congress that we have to enforce existing law. We have to provide the confidence to people throughout the country that the Census will not be used to undermine the integrity of the process, that the citizenship question's purpose is to stoke fears and to suppress the count, and that we will not allow those fears to overcome the need for good governance to gain an accurate count and make sure that the government is working effectively and we are providing resources to people throughout our communities. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.