Rosa DeLauro

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize this week as Malnutrition Awareness Week. Every 60 seconds, ten hospitalized patients with malnutrition go undiagnosed, and many of these patients are older adults. Malnutrition Awareness Week is a multi-organization, multi-pronged campaign created by the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition to educate healthcare professionals to identify and treat malnutrition earlier, educate consumers to discuss their nutrition status with their healthcare providers, and increase awareness of nutrition's role in patient recovery. There are common-sense solutions that can help close the malnutrition care gap. We currently do not know the full extent of the malnutrition problem plaguing the senior population. Screening measures for malnutrition are not a part of our national health surveys, and malnutrition is not included in the national health indicators and goals for older Americans that help shape public health programs and guide healthcare professionals. We cannot expect older adults and their families to take steps to address malnutrition if we don't give guidance on identification of and interventions for the problem as well. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture nutritional guidelines have never addressed the issue of older adult malnutrition. We also cannot advance malnutrition care and promote improved patient recovery if we don't align the identification of and interventions for malnutrition with healthcare quality incentive programs. Malnutrition can lead to greater risk of chronic disease, fragility, disability, and increased healthcare costs, yet nutrition status is rarely evaluated and managed as individuals transition across care settings. Therefore, this Malnutrition Awareness week, I call upon the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to routinely include malnutrition screening measures in national health surveys of older adults, and to include malnutrition among national key health indicators and Healthy People 2030 goals for older adults. I call upon HHS and the USDA to include dietary guidance for the prevention and treatment of older adult malnutrition and the closely-aligned problem of age-related sarcopenia (loss of strength and muscles) in the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Finally, I call on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to include malnutrition electronic clinical quality measures in Medicare quality programs as well as include measures related to malnutrition in care transition programs. I ask that my colleagues in the House of Representatives join me and rise in commemoration of Malnutrition Awareness Week. I wish to also salute the many groups and organizations who are involved on a daily basis in the fight against malnutrition, especially the bipartisan Defeat Malnutrition Today coalition and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to pay tribute to the life of an outstanding member of our community, and my good friend, the Honorable Lawrence DeNardis, who passed away earlier this week. Larry was an extraordinary human being whose good work touched countless lives in many ways. He will be deeply missed by all of those fortunate enough to have known him. Larry served in public life where he demonstrated a unique commitment to public service. He served five terms in the Connecticut State Senate as well as one term in this body as the United States Representative for Connecticut's Third Congressional District. After his term in Congress, Larry went on to serve as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Legislation at the United States Department of Health and Human Services. He was also appointed by former President George W. Bush as a member of the Board of Regents of the National Library of Medicine--a position which he held for four years. Larry spent much of his life as an educator and administrator in higher education. Long before either of us were involved in politics, Larry served for sixteen years as the Associate Professor and Chairman of Political Science at Albertus Magnus College, where he hired me to teach a course on international politics. He was also Visiting Professor of Government at Connecticut College, Guest Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars of the Smithsonian Institution, and seminar instructor at Yale University. At the close of his professional life, Larry served for over a decade as President of the University of New Haven and under his leadership and direction the University truly prospered. I have often spoke of our nation's need for talented, creative educators, willing to help our young people learn and grow--Larry was just that kind of teacher. His good work and diligent efforts to provide a quality education touched the lives of thousands of young people--going a long way in providing them with a strong foundation on which to build their futures. It is not often that you find an individual who so willingly dedicates himself to the betterment of his community. In addition to his professional contributions, Larry has worked with numerous local business and service organizations aimed at providing a better quality of life for the residents of the Greater New Haven area. We may have come from different political viewpoints, but I could always count on Larry to provide insight or guidance when I asked. I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with him and to call him my friend. Larry was many things to many people, teacher, community leader, friend, and mentor, but first and foremost, he was a husband, father, and family man. My deepest sympathies go out to his wife, Mary Lou; his four children Larry, Jr., Gregory, Mark, and Lesley; family, friends, and colleagues as we remember Lawrence DeNardis and the inspiring legacy of service he left to us all.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to join the Connecticut Democratic Party as well as friends, family, and colleagues from across the state in extending my heartfelt congratulations and sincere thanks to an outstanding Connecticut leader and my good friend, Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman, as she is honored with the 2018 Ella Grasso Award. The first woman to be elected Governor of Connecticut, and the first woman in the nation to be elected without having been the spouse or widow of a former governor, Ella Grasso was a trailblazer for women in the world of politics. Each year, the Connecticut Democratic Party honors a woman serving in public life whose contributions to our state reflect Ella Grasso's leadership and vision. I can think of no one who has shown more dedication and commitment to making our state a better place for all of our residents than our own Nancy Wyman. Nancy was an x-ray technician and mother of two when she first ran for public office seeking a seat on the Tolland Board of Education. She was successful in her pursuit and thus began a career in public service that has spanned more than three decades. Following her eight-year tenure as a member of the Board of Education, Nancy went on to run and serve in Connecticut's State House of Representatives for four terms before seeking statewide office in 1994. Nancy was the first woman to be elected Comptroller, a position which she held for sixteen years and only left when she was asked by now-Governor Dannel Malloy to be his Lieutenant Governor. As Lieutenant Governor, Nancy has chaired the Board of Access Health CT, Connecticut's official health insurance marketplace. Created in 2011 to comply with the federal Affordable Care Act, her leadership has helped Access Health CT to become nationally recognized as one of the best health exchanges in the country and a model on which other states have developed their exchanges. Whether on the Board of Education, in the State House, as Comptroller, or Lieutenant Governor, Nancy has served our state and its residents with honor and distinction, earning her the respect and admiration of all of those who worked with her no matter their political persuasion. Nancy is one of Connecticut's most beloved politicians. With her witty sense of humor, her straight-shooting honesty, and the sky-high heels she is known for wearing for everything from press conferences to parades, Nancy connects with people from every walk of life. You know she is in your corner every time. I, like so many others, consider myself fortunate to call her my friend and I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to thank her for the countless times she has been there for me. She is my soul-sister--a kindred spirit whom I have been proud to work with and I cannot thank her enough for her friendship, support, and good work on our behalf. Nancy Wyman, in so many ways, is a reflection of the very spirit in which the Ella Grasso Award is given, and I am honored to have this opportunity to join all of those gathered to recognize her and her legacy of service to Connecticut. I wish Nancy, her husband Michael, their two daughters and their husbands, Stacey and Steve Papa and Meryl and Bill Baldwin, and her grandchildren Kyle, Taylor, Lindsey, Max and Sydney, all the best for many more years of health and happiness.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to instruct at the desk.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, we have unfortunate circumstances. We do not have a bill that the majority has brought up for consideration, the Labor-HHS appropriations bill, as I believe it is our duty. I will remind everyone that this bill was twice delayed in the markup for Labor-HHS, so we are trying to make the best of a bad situation. Meanwhile, the Senate has passed a Labor-HHS-Education bill. The Senate bill is not perfect. In fact, there is much to improve, but it provides a foundation for conference negotiations between the House and the Senate. The House bill, unfortunately, despite an increase of $18 billion in nondefense spending, the House Labor-HHS-Education bill is held to level funding. Out of a total increase of $18 billion, the Labor-HHS- Education bill should receive an increase of about $5.5 billion, and yet we received a zero increase, and Chairman Cole has heard me say this over and over and over again. This allocation means that the House bill includes no new investments in the Child Care and Development Block Grant, nor new funding to help students afford a postsecondary education. The House bill also eliminates funding for family planning and teen pregnancy prevention programs, as well as health and safety grants. It even cuts funding for community health centers by $100 million, and the list goes on. In addition, the House Labor-HHS-Education bill is loaded with ideological poison pill riders, including riders to block funding for the Affordable Care Act, block funding for family planning, block funding for Planned Parenthood clinics, and it adds new riders to protect Monsanto and to allow religious discrimination in child welfare services. However, there is one crucially important issue that is addressed in the House bill that must be included in the final conference report. That is the President's manufactured crisis at the border. I speak, of course, of family separation, which has inflicted terrible trauma on children, their parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, and uncles. The administration's policy of separating families is child abuse. Experts have sounded the alarm on the lasting damage that we are doing to these children. Parents are the buffer. With them, the children can endure incredibly stressful circumstances. Without them, the children are at risk of lasting mental and physical damage, and they are suffering these wounds at our hands. Now, months and months later, approximately 500 children who were separated from their families remain in HHS custody. For most of these children, their parents were deported, and HHS has been unable to reunify these families, and unfathomably, may never be able to reunify them. The administration has tried to pass off responsibility of reunifying these families to third parties like nonprofits. It is unconscionable. In the House bill, Democrats advanced the first congressional action to address this manufactured crisis. The full committee, I might add, on a bipartisan basis, adopted 12 amendments. These amendments must be retained in the final conference report. These amendments, to discuss them very briefly, did a number of things. They expressed the sense of Congress that families should not be separated and that families should be reunited immediately. They required HHS to provide Congress a plan for swift reunification, to provide regular reporting, and to ensure the agency and its partners are upholding the highest standards with regards to care and privacy. Family separation is not the only crucial element of the conference committees. Student safety must also be paramount, and thus, it is also important to address the issue of guns in our schools. Arming teachers is not the answer to school shootings, and it is outrageous that Secretary DeVos would even consider using taxpayer dollars on such a dangerous proposal. If the Trump administration actually wants to keep students safe, it should allow the Federal Commission on School Safety to consider the role guns play in school violence, support funding for gun violence prevention research at the CDC, and fully fund the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Program to provide more mental health services and bullying prevention programs in our schools. The Secretary has said she has no intention of weighing in on whether funds can be used or cannot be used to arm teachers. However, she should say that this money is not there for guns in the classrooms. In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, we must make the best of a bad situation. Republicans are not operating under regular order and abdicating our responsibility as the House of Representatives. Yet, as we proceed, we need to ensure that we advance the best policy under the circumstances. I believe that we should have had the House Labor-HHS bill come before the floor of the House. I urge my colleagues on the conference committee to keep these priorities in mind as they work toward a final bill. The American people deserve nothing less. They are already getting too little. Let us not forget that our obligation and duty is to give people a better chance at a better life. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), the ranking member of the Committee on Appropriations.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), the ranking member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Ms. DeLAURO. It is my understanding, Mr. Speaker, that the gentleman needs to yield back, and then I close.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. In closing, let me again urge the House conferees to look at the Senate Labor-HHS bill as a base for improvement, and I mean seriously to improve it. I ask them again to please pay close attention to the priorities that we have outlined here today. The work of the Labor-HHS bill has always reflected our priorities as a Nation, helping to provide services that meet our most basic needs, our health, our children's education, and the scientific research that uncovers the cures of tomorrow. These are challenges that only the Federal Government has the ability, the capacity, and the resources to help us meet. The central problem of the House bill is that it fails to meet that threshold. The American people are tired of Congress spending trillions in tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans while telling families and working people that we simply do not have the resources to invest in things that impact their daily lives. We can make those investments, but only if we make them a priority. I want to say to the chairman of the subcommittee, to Mr. Cole, that we have been able to bargain in good faith over the last several years, and that ought to be our goal in this effort, so that we can meet the mission of what this Labor-HHS bill has at its core. It is about the people of this country and meeting their needs. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ms. Helen Blank of the Women's Law Center for her lifelong advocacy on behalf of children and families. On July 19th, the Coalition on Human Needs will honor Ms. Blank as a Special Human Needs Hero. Each year, the coalition honors heroes who fight effectively to meet the needs of low income and vulnerable people. For decades, Helen has been a true champion for families needing high quality and affordable care for their children. Before joining the National Women's Law Center, Helen served for 24 years as the director of the Child Care and Development Division at the Children's Defense Fund (CDF). I first met Helen when she worked at CDF, and I was Chief of Staff for Senator Chris Dodd. We were partners in highlighting early childhood development before the passage of the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG)--one of Helen's great achievements. Rarely does an advocate have such influence on the passage of a law, and this is no small or inconsequential law. Since its enactment in 1990, the CCDBG has served millions of children and families, ensuring that all children can access affordable and enriching early learning experiences during their critical years of development. Perhaps no one has been as dedicated to its success as Helen Blank. She was there to see its funding double at the end of the Clinton Administration, and again to see it receive a huge infusion of resources in the Recovery Act of 2009 during the Great Recession. Most recently, her single focus on the critical nature of funding for CCDBG paid off again as earlier this year the budget agreement included historic investments in child care. She has built successful campaigns that have brought attention to the importance of early care and education for the development of healthy children. At times, it was an uphill battle to keep the issue front and center. During the second Bush Administration, when they proposed to make Head Start funding dependent on standardized testing, similar to the No Child Left Behind Act, Helen was there along with her powerful coalition to help us fight back. Through her work, Helen has garnered a reputation as a steadfast and principled defender of the needs of children and their families. Her work has shined a light on the importance of early childhood education, provided guidance on successfully implementing legislation and funding in the best interests of children, and inspired hundreds of advocates who continue to champion the needs of our youngest. It is my honor and privilege today to recognize Helen Blank for her decades of hard work and dedication to the health and well-being of our children.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Rosa Bilston, my constituent from New Haven, for her commitment to the nation and to public service. Despite recent shootings at schools across the country, Congress has failed to pass any meaningful reform to school safety or firearm regulations. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues in the house not to forget that at the core of this discussion is the fact that the lives of children like Ms. Bilston are impacted every day by gun violence. It is with great pride that I include in the Record the powerful words of Ms. Bilston. rosa bilston, age 11--speech on gun violence Today I would like to talk about gun violence. A few months ago, 17 people were killed at Parkland school in Florida. Then, a few weeks ago, 10 people were killed in a shooting in a Texas school. Hearing about this was very hard for me because my family is from Texas. It shook me to know that children were killed in a place I feel so close to. When I was in Kindergarten, there was a shooting in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. Many children died. This was told to me at the time, but I didn't remember it for a long while. We were just about to leave for Germany, and our minds were focused on leaving the country. I remembered it again after the Parkland shooting and at first I found it appalling that two shootings could be so close together in our country. But then I realized there were lots more school shootings in America. In fact, this year, there have been 22 school shootings. And this spring, a friend of mine lost her friend in Guilford. He was handling a gun. It wasn't a school shooting but he was still killed by a gun. This was appalling to me and to my friend. I'm talking about guns today for two reasons. The first is that children should be aware of this, because it is happening to children. The second is that I strongly believe President Trump should ban assault weapons. These kill lots of people very quickly. I would also like to see more background checks: at present people who are mentally troubled are able to own war weapons which are made to kill mass numbers of people. These should not be owned by anyone other than people in the army. I personally do not believe that anyone should own a gun, but I understand that others do not have this view. My grandmother in England has a gun. I definitely believe, and I think others can agree with this, that the conditions here for gun owning should be the same as they are for my grandmother. Her gun is kept in a locked cabinet, away from ammunition. The police check this every year, and every year she completes paperwork to prove that she is still healthy. I believe this should be the norm here too. The way I think we should change policy is by protesting. Over the past years it has been the grown-ups who have been saying that things are not okay. Congress has not changed anything. The government has not changed anything. Obama tried to ban assault rifles during his presidency but Congress said no. So now grown-ups have tried everything they can. Congress must hear a new voice. That is the voice of children, our friends and our neighbors and classmates. It should not just be those with personal connections to those who've died, it should be all those who see something here is wrong. If the new generation doesn't step up to the plate, nothing will happen. As Dr. Martin Luther King said, ``Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.'' We must not be silent. Thank you.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record this article by Ms. Phyllis Beren concerning children separated from their parents at the southern border. Children on the Border (By Phyllis Beren) As I thought about the honor of separating young children from their families at the U.S. border, what came to mind was the London bombings during World War II, when many children were evacuated to the country to stay with foster families. I recalled the war nurseries of the Hampstead Clinic in London and the work of Anna Freud and Dorothy Burlingham, who ran these nurseries and observed the children who were separated from their mothers during the war. One of their observations that has stayed with me for more than forty years of practice as a psychoanalyst and child therapist was the traumatic effect of separation from their mothers. ``The war acquires comparatively little significance for children so long as it only threatens their lives, disturbs their material comfort or cuts their food rations. It becomes enormously significant the moment it breaks up family ties and uproots the first emotional attachments of the child within the family group. London children, therefore, were on the whole much less upset by bombing than by evacuation to the country as a protection against it.'' (p. 37 War and Children, by Anna Freud and Dorothy T. Burlingham) I don't believe it is an exaggeration to say that our country is now engaged in a war--a war to overthrow our democracy, a war on our constitution and legal system, a war on our principles, and a war on being human. Usually the first to suffer are the most vulnerable and defenseless, as we are now witnessing in the treatment of young children at our border. We are giving no thought to the child abuse we are inflicting on these children--in fact, we are doing the opposite; we are turning a blind eye, which is the main characteristic of child abuse. Child abuse takes many forms, not only visible, external bruises. The wrenching separation that these young children are experiencing every minute they are apart from their families is a trauma inflicted that will remain an open wound. Daily, we are reading about the visible distress these children show--terror, severe separation anxiety, sleeplessness, nightmares, crying, begging for their parents. Why is zero tolerance an acceptable policy? ``Zero tolerance'' implies a police state where torture or murder is necessary if one crosses the border illegally. Zero tolerance gives permission to commit child abuse by separating the children from their parents. All child experts agree that such separation is a form of child abuse that can leave the children with permanent mental and physical damage. Separation of children from parents is child abuse; it is not an attempt to enforce the law, but rather an attempt to terrorize the parents by threatening them with the permanent loss of their children. Families with children can be detained together if necessary, without resorting to abuse by separating children from their parents, destroying the family bond, and inflicting severe and often irreversible mental and physical harm on the children. As a child, I had the good fortune to survive World War II with my parents by my side. We were together in a displaced persons camp in Germany in the American section from 1946 to 1952 before immigrating to the United States. The United States Army, our heroes, who oversaw the camp provided a safe community for the refugees. There is no comparison between my childhood in the DP camp and the children separated from their families at our border. Today, I no longer recognize the country we live in. We adult citizens of this country and our elected representatives know of this abuse, and we are nevertheless allowing it to continue, which makes all of us complicit.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Juliet Franklin on the occasion of her Bat Mitzvah and for her dedication to public service. Recent events in our nation have highlighted the social and political divide that we must all work to bridge. It is with great pride that I include in the Record the powerful words of Ms. Franklin, delivered on the day of her Bat Mitzvah. Mr. Speaker, while this speech not only calls us all to action to defend civil rights in our nation, this young lady's words also serve as a reminder that we must work to improve our society for our children and grandchildren. Jews in the Civil Rights Movement (By Juliet Franklin) Good morning. Thank you for coming. My B'nei mitzvah project is about Jews in the civil rights movement. I decided to do this as my project because I am really interested in history. One thing I seem to learn about over and over again in history is how certain groups of people get mistreated, and I think that is really unfair and unjust. In English class, we read Warriors Don't Cry, a book about integration in the civil rights movement, and it made me sad and angry how African Americans were treated in our country. I began to wonder what American Jews did to participate in this movement and what beliefs caused them to do so. I decided to look at this for my bat mitzvah. During the 20th century, many Jews joined the African- American community in their struggle for civil rights. This is probably, in part, because certain Jewish principles are important to the idea of civil rights. The belief that Jews should do Tikkun Olam', an idea from a book of rabbinic teachings called the Mishnah, says that Jews should do acts of kindness to repair the world. Another important jewish concept is Tzedaka, an idea derived from the hebrew word ``tzedek'' or ``justice.'' From this principle, Jews are directed to give Tzedaka, meaning justice or charity to those who are in need. Finally, a central foundation in Judaism, from Leviticus in the Torah, is to ``love your neighbor as yourself.'' In our congregation, we believe that a neighbor does not have to be determined by the person's actual geography and that we can be loving, accepting, and supportive of all people. Jews have their own long history of being discriminated against and being denied rights because they were viewed as different. These experiences of discrimination led many Jews to fight for their own civil rights. It also led some Jewish people to help African Americans in their fight for equality because of the belief that everyone deserves to have freedom, justice, and equality. One notable example of Jews' involvement in trying to promote social change for African Americans was their help in the development of the NAACP. At the start of the 20th century, African Americans faced huge discrimination and persecution in the U.S. They were subject to lynching and other forms of mental and physical violence, often with no efforts by the government to stop it. In 1908, things reached a boiling point when two innocent African American men were lynched in Springfield, Illinois by a white mob during what became known as the Springfield riots. In the wake of these riots, the NAACP was formed in 1909, and several Jewish people are considered to be founders. For more than 100 years and still today, the NAACP works to remove barriers in racial discrimination through legal action and other democratic processes. Jewish people have also worked to improve long-standing problems with educational opportunities for African Americans, particularly in the South. An especially important contributor was an American Jew named Julius Rosenwald, the son of Jewish immigrants who became the President and then Chairman of Sears, Roebuck, and Company, the equivalent of Amazon.Com today. Despite his success, social justice for African Americans became a large focus for him as he recognized that African Americans and Jewish people shared an unfortunate experience of discrimination. He said ``[t]he horrors that are due to race prejudice come home to the Jew more forcefully than to others of the white race, on account of the centuries of persecution which they have suffered and still suffer.'' Rosenwald turned his concern into action. Between 1917 and 1948, Rosenwald contributed funding for over 5,000 schools for African-American kids across the deep South. In fact, by 1928, one-third of the South's rural black school children and teachers were served by Rosenwald Schools. Ultimately, he donated over 70 million dollars to causes to help African Americans, and if you think that sounds like a lot of money now, just imagine how much it was back then! Though Julius Rosenwald's work did a lot of good, African Americans were still treated very unfairly in our country, and money alone was not going to fix it. During the 1950's and 60s, many Jews continued to help blacks in the south by participating in social action. It is estimated that Jews made up about 30% of the white volunteers that took part in the civil rights movement. One way that some Jews participated was as freedom riders. Freedom riders rode interstate buses in mixed race groups into the segregated south, in hopes to change the segregated buses law. Being a freedom rider was a dangerous job. Many freedom riders were kicked off buses, beaten up by segregationists or police, or even killed. Jews also participated in dangerous voter registration efforts. Rabbi Allan Levine is an amazing man who was a freedom rider and fought for civil rights. He was arrested for eating at a restaurant with black people in Jacksonville, Mississippi. He also marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama to demand voting rights for African Americans, facing violent state troopers on the Edmund Pettus bridge. His son Ori Levine said of his dad, ``Every time he went to the south he made sure to wear his yamakah.'' He wanted people to know that he was a Jew who came to fight for their rights. It was important for him that everyone knew that Jews fight for the rights of weaker people.'' Andrew Goodman and Mickey Schwerner were Jewish men from the north who traveled to the south to participate in civil rights actions in 1964. They worked with James Cheney, an African American, to help register African Americans to vote in Mississippi with the Congress for Racial Equality. While they were there, the three of them were murdered by Ku Klux Klan members, and their dead bodies were hidden. Not until 2005, exactly 41 years after the murders to the day, was a man charged and ultimately convicted of direct involvement in the murders. During this same period of time, on August 28, 1963, a man delivered a great speech during the March on Washington . . . You probably think I'm talking about Martin Luther King Jr., but I'm actually not. Though Martin Luther King Jr.'s I have a dream' speech truly was amazing, I am talking about someone who is less well known--a Rabbi named Joachim Prinz-- and he had an amazing speech too! Joachim Prinz was born in Berlin, Germany in 1902, and, at age 24, he became a rabbi. He was an unconventional rabbi who spoke out strongly against Hitler, the Nazis, and the treatment of the Jews. He was arrested 3 times by the Gestapo, and finally kicked out of Germany in 1937. Still, because of his warnings about the Nazis, thousands of Jews left Germany and their lives were saved. When Prinz left Germany, he came to America and spoke out against the government in Germany, as well as the US government's policies towards African Americans. While some of the members of the congregation liked those ideas, others felt the Civil Rights Movement should not be a Jewish problem. In response, Prinz stated ``I would not morally say justice to the Jews without saying justice to the blacks. It is indivisible.'' In 1963, he was invited to give that speech I mentioned before at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. He spoke about the Jews' historic quest for freedom and justice, and stated: ``When I was the rabbi of the Jewish community in Berlin under the Hitler regime, I learned many things. The most important thing that I learned under those tragic circumstances was that bigotry and hatred are not 'the most urgent problem. The most urgent, the most disgraceful, the most shameful and the most tragic problem is silence.' It is too bad that his speech came right before Martin Luther King's powerful I Have a Dream' speech, because Prinz's speech was pretty great too, and now no one remembers it! What he wanted us to remember is that the we must not be a nation of silent onlookers. We should take action and not ignore injustice. Recently, I had the opportunity to interview his daughter, Deborah Prinz. My great-aunt Micki was kind enough to put me in touch with her. Ms. Prinz told me that he was very loving and determined to speak his mind even if he thought people wouldn't agree. For example, in his synagogue, even though it wasn't popular, he allowed girls to have bat mitzvahs, I asked her if she was inspired by her father and she replied yes. I agree, because she created a program called the Achieve Foundation, an organization where more than 2,000 children and adult volunteers tutor kids who need help in school but cannot afford tutors. She is following in her father's footsteps to make the world a better place, just like everyone else who puts their mind to it can. I have mentioned a number of famous Jewish men who had important roles in the civil rights movement. Now, I want to tell you about a woman, maybe not as famous, but still very important. Her name is Millie Goodman, and she is an 89-year ``old Jewish, African-American woman who has been committed to fighting for civil rights throughout her life. She is also a cofounder of our DC Chapter of Machar, and she was generous enough to tell me about her experiences. Growing up, she went to a Rosenwald school in the deep south. Millie started her career as a clerk and typist in Washington D.C with the federal government during the 1950s. Early on, she recognized the challenges of being an African- American woman in the government. For example, she watched white secretaries advance quickly, while African-American secretaries remained in the lower positions. One day, an office administrator stopped her and told her that he had tried to help black people but he did not think they appreciated it, and that this was why he could not take the chance to promote her. She said she `went blind' with rage and threw her notes, inkwell, and paper on him, ruining his shirt. Her supervisor, a white woman from Texas, remained calm and did not let her get fired. Millie left that job and ultimately had a highly successful career, moving from an entry level position of GS-3 to GS-15, the highest level for a career civil servant. Throughout her career, Millie volunteered with the NAACP. Having grown up in the South, she knew the role of the NAACP and participated in civil rights activities, including the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery. Millie's family worried that she would be killed during the march and leave her 14 year-old daughter, Cheryl, without a mother, but Millie believed that she had to march to make Cheryl's life better. While Millie had been born a Southern Baptist, she decided to convert to Judaism, saying that Judaism let her be free. Millie and her husband Joe found what they were looking for in Machar, as it had social justice as its foundation. Among the many things I learned from Millie, she taught me the importance of determination and commitment. She said ``You don't know what you can do until you do it.'' Looking back at Millie's life, I have realized that one person can certainly do a lot. With resilience, persistence, and passion, people can do whatever they put their mind to. Another personal and important part of my project this year was a trip I took with my family to Birmingham, Selma, and Montgomery, Alabama. In Birmingham, we went to the 16th Street Baptist Church, a site where the Ku Klux Klan placed a bomb that killed four African American little girls. There was a park across the street where many children and adults protested, and the police responded with tear gas, water hoses, and dogs. It was really sad to imagine what happened there. We saw the real cell Martin Luther King Jr. was held in at the Birmingham jail where he wrote the ``Letter from a Birmingham Jail,'' a very famous letter where he describes his belief in non-violent civil action. We went to the Civil Right Voting Institute and learned all of the ways that African Americans were denied the right to vote. For example, the government set up a lot of impossible tests that African Americans had to pass, like guessing the number of bubbles on a bar of soap, the number of jelly beans or cotton balls in a jar, or writing out the entire constitution word for word. In Selma, we walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where the police charged and beat many people during the first attempt to march from Selma to Montgomery on what is now called Bloody Sunday. In Montgomery, we learned was it was like when Rosa Parks wouldn't move to the back of the bus. We also walked to the Capitol building, the very spot where the march from Selma ended and Martin Luther King spoke. But, though our trip was so jam-packed with those things, we made sure to have time for other things like eating good Southern soul food, having a dip in the hotel hot tub outside in the cold air, and even escaping from an escape room with only 6 seconds left!! Despite progress, African Americans and other people of color still face civil rights challenges including discriminatory police practices, gerrymandering, voter intimidation at polls, and voter identification laws. But, you don't need to be a Martin Luther King Jr., a Julius Rosenwald, or a Joachim Prinz to have an impact, and you don't need to have a bat mitzvah project to get involved in working for civil rights for oppressed people. I first started to learn about civil rights issues through books I read for fun or for school classes. Books like the March series by Congressman John Lewis, The Lions of Little Rock, Warriors Don't Cry, Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom, and many other books helped me learn about the experiences of others. There are great DVDs you can watch that describe the lives of important people like Julius Rosenwald and Joachim Prinz. You can also learn through visits to museums and other landmarks around DC and in different states like Alabama. Second, speak up when you see discrimination happening around just like Luke is doing with his No Place for Hate Club. Third, if you can find the time and get the support of your parents, look for ways to get involved through volunteering and social action. Many of you are already doing this. For example. Many of us participated in the Black Lives Matter Protest, the Women's March, and the March Against Guns; My dad and I volunteered at a Rock-the-Vote rally for students coming into D.C. for the gun march; My friends Margaret, Luke, and I volunteer weekly at a soup kitchen; and Rigby tutors a young girl whose family recently immigrated to the US. Or, Machar's Social Action Committee is another great resource. Finally, even if you don't have the time to participate in social action efforts, you can follow the Jewish principle of Tzedakah to help people and groups with money. You can pressure your parents to do this! These actions, no matter how small, can make a difference in the lives and experiences of others and, by extension, yourself. Even though the freedom riders completed their task of integrating the busses, there is more to be done and we can all still get onboard the ride for freedom! I want to thank Norm, Heather, Rabbi Jeremy, and Marlene for their help. I want to thank my Grandma and Steve for listening to me practice and offering advice. Of course, I want to thank my parents for all of their help with this project and taking me to Alabama and making me practice even when I didn't want to. And thanks to my sister too--she played a lot of Yahtzee while I was practicing! Finally, I want to say mazel toy and thanks to Luke and Rigby for being great friends and b'nei mitzvah partners and all my friends and family like my Nana from California for coming and giving me this opportunity to speak.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Rigby Zentner on the occasion of her Bat Mitzvah, and for her dedication to public service. Recent events in our nation have highlighted the need for comprehensive and compassionate immigration reform. It is with great pride that I include in the Record the powerful words of Ms. Zentner, delivered on the day of her Bat Mitzvah. As she has written, we have a moral duty to welcome those in need. Mr. Speaker, this speech should serve as a reminder that we must work to improve our society for our children and grandchildren, and that our society is truly made richer and stronger by immigrants. Welcoming the Stranger (Rigby Maya Zentner) ``Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!'' Emma Lazarus Thank you for coming. I really appreciate everyone being here today. Over the past year I have been researching Jewish values on welcoming the stranger, and how it relates to immigration in the past and today. I explored lessons from the Torah; the Jewish experience during their migrations; and my personal experience with helping to welcome a newcomer to America. At the time I was choosing my Bat Mitzvah topic, there was a political uproar about immigration. The Trump Administration was working to: Limit the rights of immigrants in the US Put a travel ban on Muslim countries, and Build a wall on the Mexican border. I couldn't believe this was happening in our homeland and my core values and beliefs led me to want to do more research on how people are treated and welcomed in this country. I also wanted to find a way to help a stranger to America adjust to life in the United States. All of us in this room have been a stranger before, whether it was being new to a country, school or activity. We all know what it is like when you are someplace where everybody knows each other and you don't know any of them and, most importantly, we all know how we would like to be treated and welcomed in those situations. I am fortunate because I have almost always been surrounded by my friends and family. The times in my life when I have felt like a stranger are nothing compared to what some people have gone through in their lives as immigrants or refugees . . . but even some of my experiences have made me feel nervous and afraid. For example, there was a time when my family and I used to go to my neighbors Super Bowl parties. My neighbor, who was around my age, would invite all her friends to the party as well. I only knew my neighbor and one of her friends. I would try to get myself included but it was really hard because all of them knew each other and went to the same school so they would talk about things that were happening at their school, or play games I didn't know how to play. They were not trying to be mean and I doubt the even noticed, but I felt really excluded and upset. After this experience I tried imagining what it would have been like to come to a new country and not know anybody or speak a different language, and I couldn't. To get started on my research, and because this is my Bat Mitzvah, I wanted to explore my jewish culture. I decided to understand what the Torah, The five books of Moses, says about how to treat foreigners. I know that it is important to explore our history and culture because it shapes our morals and values. My research led me to believe that Jewish people have welcomed foreigners with open arms. The Torah gives instructions on how to welcome strangers as many as 36 times. Exodus 22:20 says ``you shall not wrong nor oppress a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.'' In other words, since Jews have been strangers we should feel empathy toward others and not harm them. Leviticus 19:33-34 tells us, ``When strangers reside with you in your land, you shall not wrong them. The strangers who reside with you shall be to you as your citizens; you shall love each one as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.'' Nevertheless, as I learned more about the history of these original Torah passages, it became clear that not everybody interpreted the Torah in this way. Rabbi Jeremy told me that in these verses the Hebrew word ger is used, which can translate to ``immigrant'' OR ``convert''. In the middle ages Rabbis interpreted ger as convert, so the Torah might be saying that you should treat converts to Judaism nicely INSTEAD of saying that Jews should treat all strangers well. Because today the messages of the Torah are not always clear, I prefer to assume that my religion is instructing me to be kind to ALL strangers, and not just to Jews. It is important to always review our history and reflect on our actions so that we can learn from our mistakes. In the past, Jews were not always welcomed to new communities in a kind way. And, it is this history that influenced Jewish culture and our ethics on welcoming strangers and helping others. Around the world the treatment of Jews was frequently terrible. For example. . . In Spain, in 1492, the inquisition forced Jews to convert or be killed; In 1508 German people were allowed to confiscate and destroy all Jewish books In 1547 Jews weren't allowed to live in Russia at all; In France, in 1615, King Louis XIII declared that all Jews had to leave or be killed; Between 1622 and 1629 Persian Jews were forced to convert to Islam In 1654 Jews were expelled from Brazil. The treatment of Jews became so bad, that, in 1848, a German newspaper said that killing a Jew should be treated as a misdemeanor instead of a serious crime. In the early 1900s there were Pogroms in Russia where they rounded up all the Jews and either killed them, beat them, and made them leave. My great great grandfather fled these Pogroms and spent 7 years traveling across China and Asia Koshering meat for Jewish communities. When he finally got to America he sent for the rest of his family, including my great grandma, Yetta Greenberg. America is known as a country of immigrants. Today, according to the Pew Research Center, the U.S. has more immigrants than any other country in the world. In the past 25 years, the U.S. immigrant population doubled from 23 million to 46 million foreign born people. Our country hasn't always been perfect, and our current situation is very upsetting, but America has a pretty great culture around letting in strangers and being welcoming to everybody. Nevertheless, it is more complicated than that. Jews came to America to escape the harsh treatment they received in Europe, Russia, Brazil and other places, in hopes that their lives would improve. Some things were better when they arrived, but it wasn't perfect. Books, school, and, yes, even schoolhouse rock, taught me that American is the land of opportunity and in most instances it is . . . but not always. In 1654, the first Jews arrived in America from Recife, Brazil to what is now New York City. Initially, some parts of America tolerated different religions, but other places didn't. For example, for years Jews were banned from living in places like Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire. Furthermore, Jewish tradition made it hard to live in the colonies. There were laws against working on Sunday, the Christian Sabbath, so if Jews didn't work on Saturdays, the Jewish Sabbath, they could only work a five day week, making it harder for them to support their families. In spite of these challenges, the early Jewish settlers to America were more able to worship freely and generally had more rights than they did in Europe. And, with the First Amendment protecting religion and free speech, America became one for the safest places in the world for Jews to settle. Still, as I looked closer back in our history I found the treatment of immigrants and refugees in America to be inconsistent. One of our best presidents, Franklin D. Roosevelt, made a terrible decision about Jewish refugees. During the Holocaust when many Jews needed a safe place, FDR and Congress turned them away. Congress turned down a bill that would have allowed 20,000 Jewish children from Germany to find safe haven in the U.S. Furthermore, when a ship with about 1,000 Jewish people trying to escape persecution tried to enter the United States it was turned away. After the ship was turned away TWICE it sailed back to Europe where many of the Jews were caught and sent to Nazi concentration camps. Unfortunately, today we are experiencing a lot of anti- immigrant feelings. President Trump and his administration have repeatedly tried to place a travel ban on immigrants from several Muslim-majority countries. Additionally, the Trump Administration is also trying to cancel DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which will directly impact about 690,000 people. The Trump administration has started separating parents from children to try to make people not want to immigrate illegally. One example of this comes from an El Salvadoran family whose father fled to America to escape gang violence. After the Dad left, the gang tried to kill his 16 year-old son. So the Mom took the 16 year old, as well as her 3 year old son and 11 year old daughter across the border into America where she thought they would be safe. They were caught and her kids were taken from her and placed in foster care while the mother went through a trial to consider her application for refuge. The kids spent months in foster where they weren't even allowed to hug each other. How is it acceptable for our country to punish a 3 year old by separating him from his Mom and family--for any reason--is beyond me. Many Americans believe that immigrants come and take jobs and resources and bring crime and other evils. When I first learned about immigrants, I thought that most barely spoke English, worked at fast food restaurants, and lived in tiny one bedroom apartments. These beliefs including my own early impressions-are based on inaccurate stereotypes. In fact, America needs immigrants. They help our economy; they are often job-makers and entrepreneurs, taxpayers and consumers. ``Compared with all Americans, U.S.-born children of immigrants are more likely to go to college, less likely to live in poverty, and equally likely to be homeowners.'' Furthennore, immigrant-headed households who are close to the poverty line rely less on government help than U.S.-headed households in the same position. The facts are clear-it is simply not true that most immigrants come over to America and sit around doing no work and relying on the social safety net. Moreover, many undocumented immigrants in America are here because they are fleeing severe economic hardship, violence, or persecution. Because Jews have often been in a similar situation of fleeing to safety, I believe that we in particular need to welcome these strangers. Given the Jewish experience through the ages, and notably the Holocaust, the current situation in Syria should be especially meaningful to Jews. We watch what is happening in Syria where hundreds of thousands of children and families have died since the start of the Syrian War. Yet, in the first three months of 2018, the U.S.-the richest, most powerful, greatest country in the world-has accepted only 11 Syrian refugees. You heard right- 11 Syrian refugees in three months. This is unbelievable and I am speechless to as how our government is responding to this tragedy. Still, there is room for hope. Individuals around the country are working tirelessly to assist Syrian refugees I am proud to say that my Machar congregation and people like Hannah in my B'Nei Mitzvah class, are working to help Syrian refugees in the U.S.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, on the summer solstice, Alzheimer's disease advocates do what they love: From sunrise to sunset, they hike, they bike, they sing, and they run in order to raise funds and awareness about the indiscriminate and crippling disease. They do so on the longest day to symbolize the challenges the 5.7 million Americans living with this deadly disease face from sunrise to sunset. Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death. It kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. We have an obligation to do everything we can to understand this disease so that we can cure it, which is why we and I work to increase funding at the National Institutes of Health. One breakthrough there can save millions of lives over generations and can find cures for this disease, which as many as 16 million Americans could live with by 2050. Every day, from sunrise to sunset, I am proud to stand with all those fighting this deadly disease and all those who are fighting with them. Mr. Speaker, together, we will end Alzheimer's.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York with heartfelt thanks for organizing this effort tonight and calling attention to what is such a poignant and powerful issue, one that we haven't faced in a long time and one that has engaged the people of this country in a way that we have not seen in a very long time. Mr. Speaker, I rise to strongly condemn the Trump administration's policy of child abuse--yes, it is child abuse--at our Nation's border and to demand answers and solutions. The President's zero-tolerance policy has separated thousands of children from their parents, some who are younger than a year old. I just saw my colleague from Ohio, Marcy Kaptur, who was on the floor not that long ago, and she talked to me and said there have been two babies separated from their parents, ages 8 months and 11 months, and flown to Michigan. Think about it. Think about your own children. Think about your grandchildren. The Trump administration is now keeping babies and toddlers in cages. The fencing is what you do for a dog run. It is the same kind of fencing that these children are in. Yesterday, the President signed an executive order. He claims it is going to fix the crisis that he made. Yet two infants were on a plane tonight, separated from their families and sent to Michigan. What is the weight of that executive order? It is not worth the paper it is written on. His executive order is not going to fix the crisis. Michelle Brane, director of the Women's Refugee Commission Migrant Rights and Justice program, describes the President's executive order as ``no solution.'' She said ``there are more than 2,000 children already separated from their parents. This executive order does nothing to address that nightmare.'' There are 2,300 children who are in limbo. They don't know where their parents are. They are too young, some of them, to know where their parents are, and their parents don't know where they are. Have you ever been to a shopping mall on a Saturday with your kids or with your grandkids and all of a sudden you turn around and you can't find them? The panic is overwhelming. You don't know what to do first, who to call. You are looking around frantically. It is the same with a child who is calling out ``Mommy,'' ``Grandma,'' because they don't know where their link is. This is the United States of America. What are we doing? It is a nightmare. This is about children. They are at the center of this crisis. As I see it, there are three crucial questions that President Trump and his fellow Republicans have yet to answer. First is reunification. There is no plan for reunification. How is this administration going to reunite children with their parents? According to statistics from the Department of Homeland Security, between May and June, the Trump administration, as I said, took 2,300 children from their parents at the border. How are they going to guarantee prompt reunification of all of these children and their parents, especially when some of the parents have already been deported? Some of these children have none of the records necessary to turn them back to their parents or even to verify who their parents are. Can you imagine? I fear that these children may never see their parents again. And that is what the former Director of U.S. Customs and Enforcement, John Sandweg, said. He warned: ``You could be creating thousands of immigrant orphans.'' That is unspeakably heartbreaking, when you think about it, for many of these children and their parents. That last hug might have been their last hug. Can you imagine the terror? It is terror to not know where your child is and with the thought that you may never see that child again. I cannot imagine it. I was on the floor of the House today a good part of the day and I saw a lot of little tykes here, beautiful children playing on the chairs here in the safety and security with their mothers or their fathers who are sons, daughters, and Members of the House of Representatives, or maybe even grandchildren. I had my grandchildren here last week. If you think that you might not ever see them again or they may not see you, that is what is happening on the border. What are the standards under which the Trump administration is detaining these children? Children are the most vulnerable in our society. We need to take extreme precaution whenever we take responsibility for them. What are the accommodations in these detention facilities in regard to healthcare, availability of mental health professionals? Experts are sounding the alarm about the healt repercussions, the mental health repercussions. Luis H. Zayas is a professor of social work and psychiatry at the University of Texas at Austin. He said: ``It's not like an auto body shop where you fix the dent and everything looks like new. We're talking about children's minds. If that trauma continues over a long period of time, that can actually begin to shift brain development because it becomes more of a chronic trauma.'' These children need professional care. Instead, there are reports that children are being sedated. They are being injected with sedatives to keep them calm. There are reports that special-needs children are not receiving any of the care and attention they need. That is unacceptable. There are clear standards on the books on how children are to be cared for in these situations. We need to ensure the Trump administration is following the law. Another area is oversight. Congress has a moral and constitutional obligation to ensure the administration is taking the proper, immediate, and necessary steps to fix their own self-inflicted crisis, which is why I introduced a resolution which 180 of my colleagues have supported and Democratic colleagues have supported to condemn this policy as child abuse. This is child abuse, make no mistake. This is not an issue of right or left or Democrats or Republicans. This is an issue of right and wrong. That is why we sent a letter to the Office of Management and Budget Director, Mr. Mulvaney, and HHS Secretary Azar on June 14 and asked about the costs that the President's policy decision has incurred. We have not heard an answer from them or from the administration on any of these questions--not on costs, not on reunification, not on standards, not on oversight. It is unacceptable. The President's self-manufactured crisis is child abuse, plain and simple. As Members of this Congress, we have a moral responsibility, a moral obligation to stand up and to say: Stop this child abuse. Mr. President, fix this crisis now. Your executive order didn't do it. Humanity, this is about our humanity. It is about the soul of this country and what we are about and where our values are. Whatever our views are on immigration, to watch what is happening at our border with disrupting families, wrenching children from their parents is a disgrace, and it is one that we have to address as Members of Congress, and it is one that this President and this administration and those others who support this effort need to look into their hearts and souls and say: I can't go there. Let's do something else to help to make a difference. I want to thank the gentlewoman for all that she is doing to bring attention to this issue. God bless her.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise today to extend my sincere congratulations to the Gianotti family and the residents of Woodview Associates as they celebrate the 40th Anniversary of this very special apartment community. With a vision well before its time, Howard and Elizabeth Gianotti built Woodview to ensure that they elderly and disabled of their community would have an affordable, beautiful, and safe place to live as they enjoyed their twilight years. With Howard as the driving force and Betty as the quiet compass by his side, that vision soon became a reality. In Howard's words, he ``wanted to build a place that he would be proud to have my mother live.'' Woodview is well known as a safe, beautiful housing facility, however, it is the special care that they provide to their residents that make it a real home instead of just somewhere to live. Today, their daughter Robbin, along with her husband, Don, and their children Rachel and Don, Jr., continue that legacy overseeing the property and management of what is arguably the most sought after subsidized housing in East Haven, Connecticut. Caring for our elderly population has become a national issue as America's ``baby boomers'' are growing older, and safe, affordable housing is needed more than ever. Additionally, those who suffer from disabilities are in growing need of facilities which will meet their needs as well. By providing our seniors and disabled with affordable housing, Woodview gives its residents so much more than shelter from the elements--they are giving them pride, comfort, independence and stability. I want to extend a special note of thanks and congratulations to Robbin and her family. Though Howard and Betty are no longer with us, they are ensuring that their legacy continues to leave an indelible mark on this community. I thank them for their invaluable contributions and continued dedication to their residents--they have set a standard of service, compassion, and commitment that inspires us all. Once again, my heartfelt congratulations to them on this remarkable milestone--Happy 40th Anniversary.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with a warm heart that I rise today to congratulate the Iovanne family on the 90th Anniversary of Iovanne Funeral Home--a remarkable milestone for this New Haven institution. Now run by the third generation of the family and located in the heart of Wooster Square, the neighborhood of my own childhood, Iovanne's is a bedrock of our community. Founded in 1928 by E. William Iovanne and his wife, Angelina, the Iovanne Funeral Home was established in a time when wakes and funerals were held in family homes. As time passed and traditions changed, they found a new home at 11 Wooster Place where they continue to operate today. With the unexpected passing of his father, Bill Sr. took the helm of the family business and has served his profession with honor and distinction for more than forty years. Today, Bill Iovanne, Jr., better known in the neighborhood as simply Billy, is the family's third generation to serve as President. Having learned at the feet of his grandmother and father, Billy keeps his grandparents' original motto of ``always treat a person the way you want them to treat you'' close at heart as he and his staff help guide families through the loss of those closest to them. The Wooster Square neighborhood has always been the heart of New Haven's Italian-American community and is home to many iconic businesses and cultural institutions--Sally's and Pepe's Pizza, St. Michael's Church, Columbus Park, Libby's, the St. Andrew's Society, the Santa Maria Maddalena Society, and, of course, Iovanne's. Each has played a role in the community's rich history and continue to help shape its future. The Iovanne family, particularly Bill Sr. and Billy, are not only neighborhood business owners, they are dedicated and devoted members of the community. They have both long devoted their time and energies to ensuring the preservation of the Wooster Square neighborhood and its Italian-American roots. That is why they were honored by the Greater New Haven Columbus Day Parade Committee in 2012 as that year's Grand Marshalls. There are few that families trust more with the final celebration of life for their loved ones than the Iovannes. There are no words of thanks for the care and compassion they provide to their clients during that most difficult time. Indeed, when I lost my own mother, Luisa, last year, there was no question as to who I would entrust with her final arrangements. I have known the Iovanne family my entire life and am fortunate to call them family. It is my great honor to have the opportunity to stand today to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Bill Iovanne, Sr., Bill Iovanne, Jr. and the entire Iovanne family as they celebrate their 90th Anniversary.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to join the family, friends, and colleagues who have gathered to extend my deepest thanks and appreciation to Salvatore Luciano as he celebrates his retirement, marking the end of a nearly 50-year career in public service and Connecticut's union movement. Sal has dedicated a lifetime to Connecticut's working families. Beginning his career in 1980 as a social worker with the Connecticut Department of Children and Youth Services, Sal spent many years working on behalf of some of our most vulnerable children. Investigating cases of abuse and neglect, Sal worked to ensure their safety and protection. It was also at this time that he began his involvement with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). First serving as a steward in Local 2663, Sal was elected the chapter's President in 1989 and of AFSCME Council 4 in 1999. In 2001, he left state service when he was appointed Executive Director of Council 4 to fill a vacancy. He would go on to win the election outright in 2002 and has held the position he has served in ever since. Headquartered in New Britain, Connecticut, Council 4 represents 35,000 workers in state and local government as well as the private non-profit sector. Sal has led the fight on behalf of his membership, striving to ensure a fair wage, quality, affordable health benefits, and security in their retirement. Sal has been a vocal and tenacious advocate and his presence at Council 4 will most certainly be missed. Sal's involvement with Connecticut's Labor movement extends beyond his work at Council 4. He is also the Executive Vice President of the Connecticut AFL-CIO and a member of the International Executive Board of AFSCME. He serves as a Vice President of the United Labor Agency, (AFL-CIO) and is a Board Member of the State of Connecticut Retirement Commission. Sal has dedicated much of himself to improving the quality of life of Connecticut's working family--a legacy that will serve as an inspiration to future labor leaders. I have had the pleasure of knowing Sal for many years and have always considered myself fortunate to have benefitted from his experience and guidance and to call him my friend. Today, as he celebrates his retirement and begins a new chapter, I am honored to have this opportunity to join family, friends, and colleagues in thanking Salvatore Luciano for his outstanding service to Connecticut and our working families. I wish him all the best for many more years of health and happiness.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, due to an unavoidable family commitment I missed Roll Call vote number 258 regarding the ``Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Act.'' Had I been present, I would have voted Yes. On Roll Call vote number 259 regarding the ``Safe Disposal of Unused Medication Act,'' I would have voted Yes. On Roll Call vote number 260 regarding the ``approving of the Journal'', I would have voted Yes.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong opposition to this Republican rescission package. Mr. Speaker, President Trump and congressional Republicans are trying to take deconstructing government to a new level. They are proposing to take $15 billion in Federal funds away from the citizenry and investment in our economy budgeted for the Children's Health Insurance Program, medical innovation, advanced manufacturing, infrastructure projects, and the list goes on. Why? They are doing so to pay for a tiny fraction of their $1.5 trillion tax cut for the rich. This is just another example of their irresponsible governance. What is on the chopping block? With this rescission package, the majority would cut the balances in the Children's Health Insurance Program by $7 billion, simply send them back to the Treasury. They would cut funding when we should be investing in critical services for children and families. They would cut funding that helps workers who have lost their jobs due to trade access health insurance. They would cut funding for AmeriCorps and prevent more people from serving vulnerable populations in their communities. They would cut funding for critical healthcare infrastructure projects. Just a few months ago, we used these funds to replace the Biosafety Level 4 laboratory at the Centers for Disease Control. This lab is necessary for handling the most highly pathogenic organisms, such as Ebola, other hemorrhagic fevers, and smallpox. This is a critical piece of public health infrastructure. Why do Republicans want to cut its source of funding? They would cut funding for programs that rural America depends on, rural housing programs, rural water programs. For example, it would rescind $15 million from the Value Added Producer Grant Program, a vital lifeline for small businesses in rural America. Well, I want to remind Americans that the President and his House allies are betraying the promise they made to the American people, Mr. Speaker. In March, we agreed to historic and urgently needed funding for our families. The omnibus funding bill for 2018 made important investments in health, education, and job programs. It made critical investments that boost the middle class. It was not easy. We worked hard to come to an overwhelmingly bipartisan agreement that benefits the people of this country. And now, months later, the Trump administration and House Republicans are violating the spirit of that agreement. It is not a serious way to govern. This is money for our children, not for the President to claw back to placate fervent conservatives who maintain their drumbeat on Twitter and TV. And what do Republicans get for breaking their word, going back on their promises and taking from children? Well, according to the Congressional Budget Office, Mr. Speaker, the actual impact of this rescission package would amount to $1 billion over 10 years. That is less than 1 percent of the Republicans' $1.5 trillion tax scam for the rich. In fact, it is one one-hundredth of a percent. If Republicans are so worried about spending, why not rescind the money from the tax giveaway to corporations that are using it to buy back stock? They are not raising wages. Well, they appear to be beholden to the lobbyists and the insiders who have profited so exorbitantly from that gift. And according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 83 percent of the tax scam benefits will go to the top 1 percent. And those big boosts to paychecks? They have not materialized. You look at Walmart. They spent $20 billion on stock buybacks for their shareholders; yet, according to the Roosevelt Institute, had Walmart instead dedicated that money to workers, they could have raised wages to more than $16 an hour. They did not. Mr. Speaker, budgets, spending, appropriations, and rescissions reflect our values, and it is clearer than ever that President Trump, Speaker Ryan, and the Republicans in the Congress value corporations and the wealthy, not people who work for a living or those who are the most vulnerable. They rig the rules for the rich and rob from the poor to pay for it. Congress must reject President Trump's proposal and put forth policies that work for the middle class and families and for those who are most vulnerable, not balance the budget on their backs. The American people would be far better served if Congressional Republicans joined with Democrats to fund critical investments in education, healthcare, infrastructure, and protecting our retirement programs. When teachers are protesting across the country for fair pay, Republicans want to go backwards. When Americans are stuck in jobs that do not pay enough to live on, Republicans want to go backwards. When 40 percent of households cannot afford the basics of a modern, middle class lifestyle, Republicans want to go backwards. Mr. Speaker, it is unconscionable, and the American people deserve better. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. But the gentleman hasn't told us that the money they take from CHIP is not going into programs for children. It is going back to the Treasury, so we will take a look at cuts to Head Start, maternal child health programs, childhood immunization, newborn screening, child lead poisoning prevention, and many others. Tell the whole story. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York.