Diana DeGette

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, in less than one week, it will be a whole year since the school shooting in Jonesboro, Arkansas. And almost exactly one month later will mark the 1-year anniversary of the tragedy at Columbine High School just outside my district. A month after that, a whole year will have gone by since the Senate passed their version of child gun safety legislation. Mr. Speaker, what has been done here in the House? The sad answer is, nothing. We have done nothing to protect our citizens, to protect our families, and most importantly, to protect our children. When is this House going to stand up against the gun violence being perpetrated against our children? When are we going to stand up for the safety of our families? This Congress will be judged for as much as what it does not do as what it does. And, Mr. Speaker, it has not gone unnoticed by the public that we have done nothing to protect them from the horrific gun violence that continues to pollute our proud country. The very least this House can do is pass common sense child gun safety legislation and pass it now.

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, another tragedy has struck. Yesterday, a little girl in Michigan was shot and killed by one of her classmates, a 6-year-old boy. A 6 year old, Mr. Speaker. And the question we are all asking ourselves today is, ``How in the heck did a little 6-year-old boy get a gun?'' If anybody watched the footage of this on the news last night, they saw a scene that has become all too familiar in this country: A school being evacuated, teachers leading frightened children to safety, sobbing parents frantically looking for their children and, at the end of the day, another dead child, another victim of gun violence. Yes, Mr. Speaker, another tragedy has struck, but still Congress does nothing to keep guns out of the hands of kids and out of the hands of criminals. This is not the year 1900, this is the year 2000. We have a crisis in this country and Congress is going to go home again today, not to come back until next week, still having done nothing to pass common sense child gun safety.

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the splendid efforts and notable accomplishments of five outstanding women in the African American Community within the 1st Congressional District of Colorado. It is fitting and proper that we recognize these leaders for their exceptional record of civic leadership and invaluable service to our community. It is to commend these outstanding citizens that I rise to honor Faye Boyd, posthumously, Anna Jo Haynes, Councilwoman Edna Mosley, State Senator Gloria Tanner, and Hazel Whitsett. Faye Boyd touched the lives of many people and made a tremendous impact on our community and those who knew her and worked with her. Faye fulfilled both the spiritual and humanitarian needs of our community through her church, the Shorter Community African Methodist Episcopal Church. She was president of the Women's Missionary Society and shared an international ministry in Central Africa with her husband, Reverend Jesse Langston Boyd. She worked in communications and media and was the author and producer of Christian Music and drama productions. Faye Boyd devoted herself to protecting the interests and rights of working people as the Deputy Director of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment and she was instrumental in creating both the Physicians Accreditation and Independent Medical Examiners Programs. She was also well known for working conscientiously and effectively in addressing the needs of various groups and constituencies as the Director of Constituency Outreach for Governor Roy Romer. It comes as no surprise to our community that Faye Boyd was recently honored as one of the ``Women of Distinction--2000'' by Macedonia Baptist Church for her devotion and extraordinary service to our community. Anna Jo Haynes has devoted a lifetime to improving the condition of children and families in Denver. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Mile High Child Care Association and under her direction, the agency now operates thirteen child development centers that truly serve families in Denver's inner-city neighborhoods. Ms. Haynes began her distinguished career in early childhood during the mid-1960's where she served in a variety of capacities with Head Start. As an educator, she developed a college credit course for training family child care home providers with the Community College of Denver and subsequently developed and provided training for two hundred family child care homes which served as satellites to the Mile High Child Care centers. She directed the development of the nationally recognized television series, ``Spoonful of Lovin'.'' Anna Jo Haynes has an impressive history of civic leadership. She was the founding Chairperson for the Colorado Children's Campaign and is a past President of the Women's Foundation of Colorado. Ms. Haynes was appointed to the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues by then Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder and served as a consultant to the White House Conference on Children and Youth. She is the Co-Chair of the City/School Joint Council for Early Childhood Care and Education and chairs the Mayor's Child Care Advisory Committee. Her devotion and service to our community has earned her several accolades and major awards including the YMCA's Martin Luther King Human Dignity Award and the Children's Health and Welfare Award given by the Colorado Chapter of the American Association of Pediatrics. Councilwoman Edna Mosley has amassed a distinguished record of leadership in our community and with the City of Aurora. She currently serves as an At-Large Member of the Aurora City Council and in that capacity has provided the needed guidance and public policy direction pertaining to city management, finance and budget, transportation, planning and development, and environmental affairs. She has been on the forefront of redevelopment for former military installations in the 1st Congressional District of Colorado and serves as the Vice Chair of the Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority and has served as an Executive Committee Member of the Lowry Economic Recovery Project. Councilwoman Mosley has also been an effective advocate for equal opportunity in Colorado and served as the Director of Community Relations for the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, as well as the Director of Community Development and a Board Member for the Urban League of Metro Denver. Her broad range of activities and interests has been a great service to the community as well. She was a founder and board member of the Women's Bank, and has served as the Chairperson of Denver Sister Cities International, the Denver Civic Theater, the Morning Star Senior Day Care Center and Adams County Economic Development, Inc. She has served as a member of the Governor's Trade Mission to the People's Republic of China and the Colorado Supreme Court Nominating Commission. Her commitment and service has earned her several awards including the Aurora Chamber of Commerce ``Woman of the Year Award'', the Colorado Broadcaster's Association ``Excellence in Broadcasting Award'' for Best Sustaining Public Affairs Program, the Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday Commission Humanitarian Award. State Senator Gloria Tanner has an eminent history of civil leadership. I had the great privilege of serving with her in the Colorado State Legislature. Senator Tanner has been a trailblazer and is the first African American woman to serve in the Colorado Senate. Currently, she is one of six legislators to serve on the powerful Joint Budget Committee, which formulates the budget for the State of Colorado. Senator Tanner has been a voice for progress in Colorado and has sponsored and passed significant legislation pertaining to civil rights for women and minorities, marital discrimination in the workplace, parental responsibility, worker's compensation cost savings and parental rights for adoptive parents. In 1998, Senator Tanner was elected President of the National Organization of Black Elected Legislators/Women. She is the founder and past Chairperson of the Colorado Black Women for Political Action and the Chairperson of the Colorado Caucus of Black Elected Officials. She has served on numerous commissions and boards including the Commission on Women, the Governor's Job Training Council, the Economic Development Commission and the Juvenile Justice Committee. Her devotion and service to the community has earned her numerous awards for her civic and social contributions including the Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce ``Leadership Denver'' Award and the Colorado Association of Community Centered Boards ``2000 Legislator of the Year'' Award. Hazel Whitsett has been on the front lines of progress for over thirty years. She is one of the co-founders and is currently the Executive Director of the Northeast Women's Center. This Center works with women and families to increase opportunity and build self- sufficiency through education, training and employment. Hazel Whitsett has been a long time activist and has an extensive record of designing and conducting educational programs in the community. Her membership on several boards and commissions including Colorado Kids Ignore Drugs, The Black Church Initiative, The Colorado Black Women for Political Action, The Black Women's Network and the National Council of Negro Women exhibits her strong commitment to community, families and youth. Her devotion and service to our community has earned her several local and national awards including the National Common Cause Public Service Award, the National Council of Negro Women ``Women in Excellence'' Award, the Colorado Black Women for Political Action ``Tribute to Black Women'' Award, and the American Association of University Women ``Trailblazers'' Award. Please join me in commending Faye Boyd, Anna Jo Haynes, Councilwoman Edna Mosley, State Senator Gloria Tanner and Hazel Whitsett for their courage, dedication and invaluable service to our community. It is the strong leadership they exhibit on a daily basis that continually enhances our lives and builds a better future for all Americans. Their lives serve as examples to which we should all aspire.

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, four years ago this week, the Congress approved the Telecommunications Act of 1996. While I was not a Member of Congress at that time, I was working on these issues while I was in the Colorado state legislature. on the anniversary of the Act, I would like to both herald the progress that has been made and comment on what challenges remain. One of the main goals of the 1996 Act was to allow more competitors into local phone markets in order to spur competition and provide better opportunities for consumers. The introduction of competition into the local markets has been much slower than anticipated and, at this time, over 90% of Americans have very little choice of local telephone providers. The ultimate goal of course is greater competition in all markets, which will result in more choices and better prices for consumers. Many new companies, many of which are located in my home state of Colorado, have sprung up in the past few years and have gained a significant foothold in the exploding business of e-commerce. Nearly a billion dollars are being invested by new entrant telecommunications companies in facilities and services every month. Today, more than ninety-nine percent of Americans can reach an Internet Service Provider (ISP) with a local phone call. Forty-six states have 100 or more ISPs and more than half of the states have over 200 ISPs to choose from. These ISPs connect into backbone providers which have also grown from fourteen at that time the Act was passed, to forty-three today. This growth has been remarkable and has benefited consumers enormously. It is important that the pro-competitive provisions of the 1996 Act are kept in place so that we can keep moving towards a fully integrated and competitive market. I am strongly in favor of increased competition in all areas of telecommunications, which will mean better service and lower prices for customers. The sooner there is more competition in both local and long- distance telephone markets and the Internet industry, the better it will be for all consumers. I look forward to the day when my constituents have a multitude of choices in all areas of in telecommunications, whether it be voice or high-speed data services.

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and honor Marcus Houston, a young student from Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver who has achieved national recognition for exemplary volunteer service to his community. Mr. Houston was named one of Colorado's top honorees in the 2000 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Program, an annual honor conferred on the most impressive student volunteers in each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Marcus developed the ``Just Say Know'' program that educates middle level students about what is necessary to succeed academically, socially, and athletically in high school. Noticing the numbers of fellow students who were ineligible for participation in athletics due to poor grades or conduct, Marcus developed a motivational presentation based on his own successes. The ``Just Say Know'' program demonstrates how a student's personal presentation can influence his or her performance both in school and on the field. In addition to his motivational speeches, Mr. Houston developed an essay contest, which he funds out of his own pocket, that encourages students to write about what success means to them and how they plan to personally succeed. Mr. Houston should be extremely proud to have been selected from such a large group of volunteers. I heartily applaud him for his initiative in seeking to make his community a better place to live, and for the positive impact he has had on the lives of others. Marcus has demonstrated a level of commitment and accomplishment that is truly extraordinary in today's world, and deserves our sincere admiration and respect. His actions show that young Americans can and do play important roles in our communities and provide us with tremendous promise for the future.

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the heroic acts of Frank Moya. Earlier in November, Mr. Moya, a well-known attorney in my hometown of Denver, Colorado, thwarted an attack and saved someone's life. Mr. Moya was leaving the Arapahoe County Justice Center when he heard that a woman was being attacked in the parking lot. Without hesitation, Mr. Moya rushed to the scene where he saw the victim being viciously stabbed by her estranged husband. He saved her life by jumping in and personally subduing the attacker. In today's often apathetic world, Mr. Moya has demonstrated courage and selflessness by coming to the aid of someone in need of help. He acted swiftly and without regard to his own safety in order to save the life of another. The world could use a hundred more like him and I am proud to count him as a fellow Denverite and friend. Colorado's first congressional district is fortunate to have Mr. Moya as one of its citizens. On behalf of myself as well as other residents of Denver and Colorado, I would like to thank Mr. Moya for his heroic actions.

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the esteemed gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis). (Mr. DAVIS of Illinois asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos).

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Romero-Barcelo). (Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 4\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce), the sponsor of the resolution. (Mr. LaFALCE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 5 minutes. Mr. Speaker, as the co-chair of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus and as an original cosponsor of this legislation, I would especially like to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) for his tireless efforts on behalf of this resolution. A similar resolution passed the other body 93 to zero, and I commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) for bringing this quickly to the attention of the House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, there are several forms of diabetes, as we all know. I would like to focus in my remarks on how diabetes affects the lives of the children of this country. Juvenile diabetes or Type I diabetes represents only a small percentage of the total cases of diabetes, yet the mortality of Type I diabetes is more than double the mortality of Type II diabetes. This disease affects over 1 million children nationwide. It strikes when they are young and it stays with them the rest of their lives. Type I diabetes is one of the most costly chronic childhood diseases, and it is one you never outgrow. In Type I diabetes, someone's pancreas produces little or no insulin. Although the causes are not entirely known, scientists believe the body's own immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Because insulin is for life, people with Type I diabetes must take several insulin injections and many finger-prick blood tests per day. People have assumed for a long time that because people with Type I diabetes do not immediately die, that insulin is a cure. However, anyone who deals with diabetes on a daily basis knows that diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in this country. It is a major risk for heart diseases and stroke. It is still the leading cause of adult blindness, kidney failure, and amputations. It affects an estimated 16 million Americans, and it is the sixth leading causes of death due to disease in the United States, and the third leading cause in some minority groups. Yet, diabetes research has received woefully little attention over the last number of years, and many of us, including myself, the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce), and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Nethercutt), the co-chair of the diabetes caucus, are working to make sure that this changes. For every statistic that we see on the floor today, there is a human face behind it. This summer 100 children from all across the country visited us here in Washington to lobby on diabetes issues. One of the people they met with was the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Donna Shalala. A little boy, Preston Dennis from Phoenix, Arizona, gave the Secretary a doll which had hundreds of pins stuck in it to represent the hundreds of shots he has had to take since he was diagnosed with diabetes. When I met with the Secretary about this issue earlier this fall, she showed me that doll, and she promised to keep it in her office until we find a cure for diabetes. There is good news here. We are at a critical point in diabetes research, and now it is time for Congress to step up and do its part to find a cure. Last spring I had the honor of visiting the Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard University, and visited with many of our leading scientists who are on the cusp of major breakthroughs. This disease I believe can be cured within 10 years if Congress will fully fund the diabetes research outlined in the congressionally-mandated Diabetes Research Working Group. The DRWG recommended $827 million for diabetes research. Yet, under the current budget outline for the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies, diabetes will be lucky to get $500 million. This is certainly a substantial step in the right direction, but frankly, we are too close to a cure to fail to make the full commitment that we need. We must expand epidemiological studies to include children with Type I diabetes. We also need to explore the critical role epidemiology plays in developing an effective public health strategy to address the startling growth in the number of children with Type II diabetes. Again, I would like to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) for introducing this legislation so Congress can act together and with a strong voice to point out how much must be done to fight to cure diabetes. I would also like to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon), our Vice-Chair of the caucus, for all of his efforts. I would especially like to thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), the chairman of my subcommittee on the Committee on Commerce, for his diligent efforts in this way. I hope this resolution will be the first of many efforts by this Congress to find a cure for diabetes. Finally, I would like to say what the children say. Angela Bailey, a 10-year-old with diabetes, said this: ``I could become blind, have a heart attack, or kidney disease. When I get old, I might even have to get an amputation. If there is a cure, then I won't have to worry.'' Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I do not think that we could be any more clear here today. We need to adequately fund diabetes research, and we need to do it now. There are over 260 Members of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, which the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Nethercutt) and I chair. It is the largest caucus in Congress. There are 109 cosponsors of this piece of legislation. Every Member of Congress is touched in some way by a relative, by a friend, by a constituent with diabetes. The diabetes working group report sets out a clear path. The research we need to do is not useless, it is not frivolous, it is targeted, and it needs to be done. I do not think we can say any more clearly to the administration and to the National Institutes of Health that we appreciate what they are trying to do but that they need to do more. They need to increase the funding for diabetes research so that we can cure this disease and we can do it in the American spirit, in the way we always tackle all of these problems. Again I wish to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) for bringing this resolution forward. It is important. And I would like to thank the hard efforts of everyone who continues to fight so that we may cure this deadly disease and that we may do it soon. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes.)

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez).

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa). (Mr. HINOJOSA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. So it is the intention to talk about the unlawful sale of organs or fetal tissue.

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of the time. Mr. Speaker, certainly no one in this chamber would ever advocate the improper sale of ``baby body parts'' or of ``fetal tissue.'' This is a very sensitive issue of medical ethics which is important for us to ensure is always being adhered to in the strictest way. This issue, if there is an issue, even though no one has documented it, if there is an issue of improper sale of fetal tissue or of children or anything of that nature, the sponsor of the bill, the floor manager, the chairman of the Committee on Commerce, any Member of this House could have requested NIH to investigate those allegations pursuant to the statute. That has never been done to date. They could have brought this issue up during the NIH authorization hearings, which the Committee on Commerce has jurisdiction over. That has not been done. They could have requested an oversight investigations hearing into these very deeply troubling allegations. That has not been done. After looking at what has not been done, it becomes clear that this practice of bringing this issue to the House floor to demagogue it is improper. We should go through the committee process and decide whether, in fact, these practices are occurring. And if they are, we should stop them immediately. No one would favor the sale improperly of fetal tissue or any other kind of tissue. But let us call this what it is. If there is an issue, let us have a hearing, let us investigate it, let us prosecute anybody who is breaking the law. That is what we should be doing, not standing here in November as the session is winding down and raising it on the floor for the first time. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to my colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler).

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey).

Ms. DeGETTE. Reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for that clarification. As I stated in the colloquy, any way we interpret this resolution, the unlawful sale of either children, of children's organs, or of fetal tissue would be illegal under Federal statutes. Murdering children would be illegal under 18 USC Section 1958(a) and, in fact, it would be a capital offense under Federal law. Unlawful purchase of human organs is also unlawful under 42 USC Section 274(e)(a), and, as noted by the gentleman from New York, it is also illegal to profit from the sale of organs or fetal tissues under 42 USC Section 289g-2(a). Those who partake in this illegal activity are subject to fines, 10 years in prison or both. And, obviously, it is a Federal crime to murder anybody, including babies or small children. The reason I raise this issue in this way is because what we are discussing here today is a serious issue of medical ethics, and I think that it is incumbent upon all of us in Congress to make sure that proper protocols are being followed with respect to research and that no illegal activity is occurring. However, the use of inflammatory and imprecise language in resolutions such as this one does nothing to ensure that these laws are being enforced or that proper controls are in place. In fact, we do not even need to consider a resolution in Congress to request an oversight hearing. If, indeed, illegal acts are occurring, then the oversight and investigation subcommittee of the Committee on Commerce, of which I am a member and I believe the gentleman from New York is also a member, should investigate these acts and any violation of Federal law should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. When fetal research was legalized in 1993, in the NIH Revitalization Act, a portion of that legislation established the conditions under which federally-funded fetal tissue research can take place. This law provides that it should be unlawful for any person to knowingly acquire, receive, or otherwise transfer any human fetal tissue for valuable consideration. Specifically, it prohibits the purchase of human fetal tissue. It is interesting to note that a GAO report issued in 1997 determined that these requirements were in fact being met and no further complaints have been issued or detected, according to the NIH. We called the company, Opening Lines, which the gentleman referred to in his opening statement, and we learned that they have closed their offices and could find no other evidence of them. However, as I noted a moment ago, if protocols are not being followed, and if, in fact, fetal tissue is being sold, then Congress should hold hearings, investigate this matter, and the perpetrators should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But in establishing protocols and in thwarting illegal acts, we need to be mindful of the benefits that legitimate fetal tissue research has brought. Fetal tissue research has already resulted in significant advances in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease and even in more potential advances for Alzheimer's, diabetes, and many other serious medical conditions. There is a wide range of disorders and diseases that may benefit from fetal tissue transplantation research, including Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, spinal cord injuries, leukemia, Down's syndrome, Tay-Sachs disease, hemophilia, epilepsy, cancer, and perhaps even brain damage caused by an accident or a stroke. Scientists estimate that fetal tissue transplants could help approximately 1 million Parkinson's disease patients, 2.5 to 3 million people affected with Alzheimer's, 25,000 people suffering from Huntington's disease, 600,000 Type I diabetics, 400,000 stroke victims, and several hundred thousand persons who have suffered a spinal cord injury. As the co-chair of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus and, more importantly, as the mother of a 5-year-old child who could benefit significantly from appropriate fetal tissue research, I want to ensure, and I know my colleagues want to ensure, that this critical research continues in an ethical manner so that we may find a cure for diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and these many, many other diseases in the near future. Again, if there is illegal activity going on, we should fully investigate it. But let us not cloud this issue with hyperbole or inaccurate language. Let us make sure that all of the protocols are being followed and illegal activity is not going on. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeGETTE. I yield to the gentleman from Colorado.

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am wondering if my colleague from Colorado (Mr. Tancredo) would be available to engage in a short colloquy with me. Mr. Speaker, I just would like to try to clarify the intent behind this resolution before I make my statement. The reason is because, as I read the resolution, it says that it is a Federal crime for any person to knowingly for valuable consideration purchase or sell, quote, ``baby body parts,'' and then it goes on. When I read this, I went and looked at the Federal statutes. I found no Federal statute which criminalizes specifically selling ``baby body parts.'' I was wondering if the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tancredo) was talking about either some insidious plot to take babies and kill them, and horribly, to sell the body parts; or if the gentleman was referring to the unlawful purchase of human organs as it would apply to minors, or, as I suspect from what the gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella) said, that the gentleman may be talking about the unlawful sale of organs or fetal tissues is prohibited by statute.

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.