Susan Davis

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 242.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, this will be my 20th and final NDAA. As I prepare to seek other challenges, I want to remind my colleagues of the incredible work that can get done with this legislation, especially when patience is required. Since joining the Armed Services Committee, I have seen our focus change. At the height of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, we focused on the critical needs of our troops fighting every day. Now, our focus has shifted more towards innovation and future needs of our troops. But we can't forget that this bill is not just about spending on things, it is about our servicemembers and their families. We cannot forget the importance of the sacrifices that they make. It is hard to even convey the magnitude of their service. The military can enhance performance by caring for every member of the military community, something that we hear every day from military leaders that, quite honestly, we didn't hear 20 years ago. But there is more work to be done. We must ensure no military family goes hungry and no military spouse is forced to leave the workforce because of a military move or lack of childcare. The military can enhance performance by fostering an environment where the opportunities for advancement include all who are willing to work hard. When I began serving on the HASC, the idea of women in combat roles or LGBTQ Americans serving openly was only a distant dream. Today, we understand the importance of diversity in our ranks. That strategic focus brings the best and the brightest Americans forward to serve. Where any discrimination persists, it must end. We have focused so much on the prevention of sexual assault and harassment. I recently came across a picture taken at a breakfast on this issue with General James Amos in 2010, then the commandant of the Marine Corps. He asked one of his mid-level officers if she would report an assault if it occurred. She responded unequivocally, no. Much to his surprise. We have made sincere policy changes to address this horrible problem, but the fight continues. This bipartisan legislation is the culmination of many of the efforts of many Members. There is much good in it and much that is needed to support our servicemembers and their families. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank, very quickly, our outstanding Chair Smith, our dedicated Ranking Member Thornberry, and the amazing professional staff who made this all possible. I will miss them all, and I know the critical work in service to our Nation continues.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Scott for yielding and for being a strong partner over the years in recognizing the importance of investing in America's workforce development. While we look to the robust apprenticeship systems of Switzerland, the U.K. and other countries, we know that the United States has the potential to have our own unique, highly effective environment for a mentor-led workforce. And today we can put resources behind our need to match employers addressing community needs with our constituents who seek skills and education. At a time when many workers have been forced to look for new pathways to financial stability, we have a responsibility as Members of Congress to expand employment opportunities that provide meaningful work and family-supporting wages. The legislation under consideration today will do just that. We have had many conversations in our Education and Labor Committee about providing high quality educational pathways, and I appreciate the work of the ranking member on that regard. And we have spent much time together talking about this issue. But I want to go on to pinpoint those issues that have to be included. The educational pathways that we know do not require a 4-year college degree that allow people to earn while they learn. Makes sense. And provide nationally portable and recognized credentials. We have tirelessly worked for months with our Republican colleagues to make sure this legislation achieves these goals. This past March, just before the world changed as we know it, we made public a draft of this legislation that was open for feedback. We were able to incorporate comments from over 20 groups and stakeholders. And this legislation also incorporated feedback from the bipartisan hearings and round tables we had with employers and apprenticeship stakeholders. One of the legislation's primary goals is to ensure that people across the country are speaking the same language regarding apprenticeships. It is designed to demonstrate that apprenticeships are an equal, high-quality, post-secondary, prestigious alternative to the traditional 2- or 4-year college degrees. Of great interest, this bill codifies youth apprenticeships as opportunities that prepare high school students for post-secondary education, much like advanced placement classes. We have already seen how a small investment from the Federal Government results in enormous returns. In 2017, the insurance company Aon started their business in Chicago with only two employees and 25 apprentices. Now, they have over 50 employees and over 750 apprentices all across the country. In fact, they have announced the expansion of their Chicago apprenticeship network to cities and employers across the country who are following their lead in looking at registered apprenticeship credentials as alternatives to a 4-year degree. But here is the key. As the CEO of AON himself stated: ``The biggest obstacle to success at scale is not in finding a qualified supply of talent, it is incenting employers to create the demand for quality, career-track jobs that look beyond traditional hiring practices,'' which is precisely what this bill sets out to do. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from AON's CEO Greg Case highlighting their and other employers' excitement about the expansion of the registered apprenticeship system and demonstrating how many firms have not only not been hindered by the current registered system, but rather are enormous beneficiaries of it. Aon, Chicago, IL, November 16, 2020. Hon. Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott, Chairman, House Committee on Education and Labor, Washington,

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Scott for yielding me the additional time. We all talk a good game in wanting to build this economy and build opportunities for our constituents who do not want to pursue a 4-year degree, but we haven't put financial muscle and know-how behind creating these valued credentials that employees seek. In closing, I want to make one point, that this legislation only codifies the standards for programs that have registered for access to the credentials and funding provided for in this bill. Unregistered workforce programs that do not want access to this bill's resources will not need to change their programs. We are simply strengthening the known registered apprenticeship system that is in place today with more clearly established programs. Families can sit down at the kitchen table, discuss their futures, and look to the rejuvenated registered apprenticeship system as one of many high-quality pathways to post-secondary education. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, on behalf of my fellow members of the San Diego Congressional Delegation, I would like to pay tribute to Tom Karlo, the General Manager of KPBS in San Diego. After 47 years with the station, Tom is retiring. These days, very few of us can say we have been with the same organization for nearly 50 years. But when you have, as Tom says, the best job in the world, it's not surprising. While Tom has been a fixture at KPBS, KPBS is a longtime respected fixture when it comes to news in San Diego. And Tom deserves credit for that. We in San Diego are very proud of KPBS, and it is no surprise that it is the highest-rated public television station in America. Every week, more than 1.2 million people tune in on television or radio or click or stream KPBS content. During Tom's tenure, KPBS's top-notch journalists, producers, and crew have won numerous awards both locally and regionally, as well as nationally. I know my colleagues can attest along with me that when you are interviewed by KPBS you had better be prepared because they certainly would be. Tom himself has won three local Emmy awards. When I joined KPBS as a community producer in the late '70s, Tom had already been there a few years. As a student at San Diego State University studying film and television, he was hired as a part-time assistant in 1973. We worked together during several years of public television auctions (some of us remember those days) and he was truly a man of many disciplines. He has done just about every job--director, producer, assistance cameraman. In 2009, he was elevated to General Manager and we find ourselves working together again as he would come to Washington, D.C., for what was a common goal for all of us: protecting vital federal funding for public broadcasting. Over the years, while his roles have changed, one constant has been Tom's self-effacing manner. His retirement will be our loss, but it will be his family's gain. He is no doubt looking forward to spending more time with them, especially his grandchildren. My colleagues, Reps. Scott Peters, Juan Vargas, and Mike Levin, and I would like to wish Tom all the best in his retirement.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, today we celebrate Ruth Bader Ginsburg. We remember her groundbreaking work and remarkable legacy. We owe our opportunity to be who we are to what she accomplished. That's why we call her the Notorious RBG. Justice Ginsburg defied expectations. Despite her acumen and proven ability in the law, she was denied jobs for which she was well- qualified. She nonetheless pursued that career at a time when social norms kept women at home and discouraged them from working. Justice Ginsburg showed up for a generation of women and men. Equality drove her work. Her vision and imagination demanded that she not allow an individual's dreams be shortchanged by institutional inequality. When people are held back by unjust laws, they cannot flourish and thrive. She felt that in her bones, and she strove to fix it. As a Jewish woman, I feel a strong sense of identity with her. She was grounded in the teaching of Tikkun Olum--to repair the world and the Torah's admonition that one doesn't have to complete the work but cannot desist trying. Now, there will be not just a void with her passing, but a chasm as our role model--our champion of liberty, equality, and democracy. So we and future generations must pick up the torch and continue her fight.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, I and the other members of the San Diego Congressional delegation, rise with admiration and respect to honor and recognize the tremendous legacy of Daniel L. ``Dan'' Gross, who retired from Sharp HealthCare as Executive Vice President of Hospital Operations on April 3, 2020. Born in Independence, Kansas, Dan's early childhood experiences created the blueprint for his education, career and philanthropic contributions. He experienced hospitals as a place for healing when serious medical issues meant repeated hospitalization for his mother. He was also very interested in science. His comparison of the hearts of five animals ``off the farm'' led to first place in the science fair when he was in 4th grade. Like many San Diegans, in 1979 Dan came to visit but decided to stay. Planning further education, he was attracted by California's outstanding higher education system--which at that time was also affordable. He interviewed at all the San Diego hospitals but chose Sharp Memorial Hospital because of its commitment to professionalism. While working his way up the clinical ladder at Sharp, Dan realized his graduate education goals earned a Masters in Nursing Administration from San Diego State University and his Doctorate in Nursing Sciences from the University of San Diego. The first in his family to attend college; Dan knows the importance of nurturing the next generation of health care providers. He has advised on curriculum at San Diego's charter Health Sciences High and Middle College (HSHMC), and created internships at all Sharp hospitals for HSHMC students. Dan's childhood experience on a farm also had a role in leading him to Sharp, where he was able to contribute to cutting edge research in cardiac services, including Jarvik Hearts, transplants, and left ventricular assist devices. Dan's graduate education ensured that nurses played critical roles during exciting times in clinical innovation. Patients throughout the country have also benefited, as he has raised over $3 million for the American Heart/Stroke Association, consistently turning out the largest team for the annual fundraising walk for research and education. Dan has worked at Sharp for over four decades, moving from clinical care to overseeing operations for four acute-care hospitals, three specialty hospitals including Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns, the largest freestanding women's hospital west of the Mississippi, and Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital, the largest private inpatient psychiatric hospital in California. Not content with just ensuring a range of health care services that span cradle to hospice, Dan has led efforts to improve health care policy, quality, and affordability through leadership roles with both the California Hospital and the American Hospital associations. He has advised federal, state and local elected officials, federal and state agencies, and business and civic organizations. In retirement, Dan could not step away from Sharp during a major public health crisis such as COVID-19, therefore he has continued to lend his expertise and steady leadership. Dan continues to be involved as an active board member for the California Health Care Foundation, an independent, nonprofit philanthropy that focuses on improving the health care system for families in California. Dan has been a champion for access to high quality health care in San Diego, California and the nation. He has worked tirelessly to expand San Diego's health care infrastructure, provide opportunities for the next generation of health care providers, promote excellence in nursing, and support science education, research and advances in the treatment of chronic diseases. Madam Speaker, we ask that you please join us in recognizing Daniel L. Gross.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on House Administration, the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and the Committee on Rules be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 7512) to rename the House Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards as the House Communications Standards Commission, to extend the authority of the Commission to regulate mass mailings of Members and Member-elect of the House of Representatives to all unsolicited mass communications of Members and Members-elect of the House, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of House Concurrent Resolution 92, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 87) providing for the reappointment of Michael M. Lynton as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, with John Robert Lewis' passing, we lose and deeply mourn a great friend and mentor, and the world loses the most respected ``good trouble'' maker of our time. John's standing will only grow as his legacy endures. Mr. Speaker, every year since I have been in Congress, I asked John to speak to entering high school seniors from San Diego who visited our Capitol as part of an in-depth civics and leadership program; and for 20 years, with each new group of 45 very diverse students, he gave his time, his energy, and his wisdom, graciously answering their many spirited questions. They, too, will never forget him and how he changed them. Here is just a brief example: Alejandra Cordova, from 2001, said Mr. Lewis taught her ``not to be afraid to rock the boat every once in a while.'' David Hickman, from 2015, said he ``truly showed us what it meant to be a change-maker, to live through our actions and speak up against injustice.'' He taught our children well. John, you taught and changed me and everyone you touched. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I thank Michael Collins and all of John's staff, who had the hardest task of all to say to visitors captured by John's words: ``I am sorry, but the Congressman must depart now.''

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding. Usually, one's healthcare is not top of mind, until it is. This, Madam Speaker, is one of those times. We have to protect people's healthcare, men and women, whether it is battling the coronavirus, finding a cure for cancer, or even birth. Currently, Medicaid covers women for only 60 days postpartum, but life-threatening complications from pregnancy, as we all know, can continue much longer. These illnesses don't follow the calendar. Regulations, of course, must align with reality. This needs to be changed. Fortunately, this bill would extend Medicaid coverage to a year postpartum and provide women with critical coverage to help detect, diagnose, and treat potentially fatal complications. By ensuring better health awareness from the beginning, we can ensure that all babies are protected and cared for as they grow. When our Nation is facing a health crisis, the logical reaction should be to strengthen healthcare, not to weaken it. We need to secure these smart policies to protect future Americans from the start. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Affordable Care Enhancement Act.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, there are 240,000 defrauded students waiting for student loan relief. Over 40,000 of those students are from my home State of California. After doing nothing for students who have been defrauded by predatory colleges, the Department has come out with a new borrower defense rule that only makes things worse--in several ways--under the guise of protecting the taxpayer from footing the bill. But we have to remember, our students are taxpayers, too. This new rule clearly gives preference to the very colleges causing the harm from the borrower defense rule that it was intended to prevent. If a school closes before delivering on its promises to students, they should have automatic discharge of their loans to that institution. Students who have spent years bettering themselves working to get into jobs, sacrificing in the hope of improving financial conditions for their families are being told that they simply don't matter. Colleges, on the other hand, can use this system to keep taking money and they don't have to deliver what they promise. Our students deserve protection from predatory practices. Mr. Speaker, the resolution before us today is the first step toward blocking the new fraud borrower defense rule from taking support, and I urge its support.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 38) to establish the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies for the inauguration of the President-elect and Vice President-elect of the United States on January 20, 2021, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, for weeks, people across the country have been protesting in the streets, demanding justice for George Floyd, for Breonna Taylor, and for a countless number of people killed by police. Sadly, incidents like these are something that our communities of color know too well. This moment--this moment--begs us to act, to be bold, to capture this opportunity for change. I commit and I urge all of my colleagues to be allies in this fight and amplify our voices, recognizing that, once again, it is the women of color who will take the lead in ensuring justice for all. Vote ``yes'' on this bill.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Women's History Month--and specifically, this year's Women's History Month. In 2020, we celebrate 100 years since the passage of the 19th Amendment and the beginning of women's suffrage. This is also the year in which 38 states finally ratified the Equal Rights Amendment and we held a vote on the House floor to extend the deadline for passage. These historic milestones remind us of how hard women have worked and fought in the streets, in the courts, and in political office for the rights we have today. But even as we celebrate the role of courageous trailblazers, we remember, too, the hidden figures whose contributions are not in our history books. I think about the knowledge we cannot pass down, and about the women we will never know because their history was not recorded. We've made gains in the home, in the workplace, in military service, across civil and reproductive rights, and as global leaders. Despite that, we know that there are many places where young girls do not see what they can be--shattering elusive glass ceilings will change that.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, I rise with admiration and respect to honor and remember the tremendous legacy of Reverend (Rev.) George Walker Smith, who passed away in San Diego on February 15, 2020 at the age of 91. Rev. Smith was a champion for racial equality and one of the most impactful educators and civic leaders in San Diego's history. Rev. Smith was born on a plantation in Haynesville, Alabama in 1928. As the son of sharecroppers, he faced adversity early on in his life, as the local school he attended was segregated, substandard, and only offered schooling through the ninth grade. After noticing Smith's intellectual capacity, the plantation owner decided to send Smith to a nearby church-run school. Capitalizing on his educational momentum, Smith attended Knoxville College in Tennessee and later matriculated on to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary School. After completing Seminary School, Rev. Smith moved to San Diego with his wife, Elizabeth Irene, in 1956. Once in San Diego, Smith founded a Presbyterian church in Golden Hill. Smith's congregation, Christ United Presbyterian Church, later moved to 30th and Fir Street in South Park, which he led for decades. While in San Diego, Rev. Smith did not limit his talents to the pulpit. In 1963, Smith became San Diego's first elected black official, after winning a seat on the San Diego School Board. Smith went on to serve on the school board for 16 years and acted as the board's president a total of four times. Rev. Smith left an indelible impact on the school board in his leadership and successful efforts to recruit a diverse faculty, at a time when educators of color were few and far between. In 1970, Rev. Smith founded the ``Catfish Club,'' a weekly lunch meeting that would become a mainstay for discussions on civic issues, local politics, and social justice. The ``Catfish Club'' created a safe environment for multiple views and approaches, at a time when the country and city needed it the most. In 1976, he was elected president of the National School Boards Association. He also served on the National Advisory Commission on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the White House Committee on Education and the Arts, the California School Boards Association, the San Diego Community College District, and the San Diego Crime Commission. He was the first president of the Citizens Advisory Review Board, which monitored police practices in the city in the mid-1980s. As a Member and President of San Diego Unified School District, as well as President of the National School Board Association, Rev. Smith was the strongest voice for the achievement of all children. He was always probing the performance of students who would be first in their family to attend college. He believed strongly in accountability for all adults responsible for a path to opportunity for all young people. Although Rev. Smith retired from his church in 2000, he remained active and served as a mentor in the community. Rev. Smith is survived by his daughter, son, four grandchildren, and a great grandson. I was privileged to have the opportunity to personally witness and appreciate his drive to bring people together in order to create a better community. I always admired Rev. Smith's ability to keep education at the center of all he did; a wise and thoughtful approach. I valued our relationship as I looked to him as a mentor on becoming a member of the school board in 1983. It was always a personal pleasure to be in his company over the years. He always inspired me to go beyond expectations and do everything possible to make this world a better place. Engaging and demanding, Rev. Smith was a noble champion for justice. While San Diego has lost a giant, I believe that his life's work will serve as a legacy and example for future generations to come. Madam Speaker, I ask that you please join me in remembering and commemorating the great life of Rev. George Walker Smith.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, 244 years ago women were left out of our Constitution by the men who drafted it. But since then, generations of women and men have blazed a steady trail towards equality in this country; but we still do not have constitutional equality. I attended many ERA events representing the League of Women Voters in the 1970s, and if someone would have told me then that we would still be fighting for this in 2020, I would have said that it was a failure of justice. Why is anyone against rights for everyone? Madam Speaker, equal rights for women transcend your politics, they transcend your age, where you are from, and your gender. Women in this country continue to receive unequal pay, suffer from harassment in the workplace, endure discrimination for pregnancies, and fight long legal battles over domestic violence cases. A correction of our Constitution is clearly long overdue. Liberty and justice for all must apply equally to women and men in this country. Let's pass this resolution.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, I rise to urge my colleagues to pass the Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act unanimously and immediately. First, I congratulate my friend and colleague, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, on her decades of hard and successful work making the case for a women's museum. Women are underrepresented in our nation's historical accounts, monuments, memorials, and museums. Our past, present and as of now, our future are all marked by the absence of women's stories. From Native American women and early pilgrims; to Abigail Adams when she wrote to her husband to ``remember the ladies''; to the suffrage movement; to the one thousand, one hundred, and two Women Airforce Service Pilots that revived our World War II effort; to Rosa Parks to Title Nine. And I could go on and on and on. Clearly, women have transformed the history of our country. But the story of American women is not just in the historical moments. It is also the contributions of women in every aspect of our society. There is a missing contextualization of the enormous impact that women have had in film, literature, science, government, education, culture, sports, and more. We have the opportunity to tell the full story, so why are we only telling half of our history? With these contributions showcased in a museum, we will no longer ask--Why don't we have a woman's National Museum? But instead, we will celebrate how fitting it is for every girl and every woman to identify with our country's past and want to play a significant role in our future. You can't be what you can't see. Frankly, I cannot believe that this museum does not already exist. I urge my colleagues to vote for the passage of this bill.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, I rise with admiration and respect to honor and remember the tremendous legacy of Dr. Carrol Waymon, who passed away in his San Diego home on January 3, 2020 at the age of 94. Waymon was a champion for racial equality and one of the most impactful educators in San Diego's history. Born to a family of eight in North Carolina, Waymon overcame many obstacles before making his way to San Diego. He received an undergraduate education from Howard University followed by masters in psychology and education from Temple University. In 1964, he was working on racial issues for the Los Angeles Human Relations Agency when a request for assistance came from the San Diego City Council to assess racial injustice in the city. Waymon chose to move to San Diego and dedicated his life to our community. While other cities experienced significant racial tensions, Waymon saw an opportunity for San Diego to build bridges and improve the lives of all citizens. In 1967, Waymon was appointed head of the Citizens Interracial Committee (CIC), San Diego's first human relations agency. During his tenure he chaired more than 40 public meetings and spearheaded the drafting and adoption of San Diego's first equal employment opportunity ordinances. Among the many achievements realized by the CIC, Waymon played a critical role in removing housing restrictions for people of color, making it possible for African Americans to stay in any major hotel across the County, try on clothes in department stores, and dine in major restaurants. Waymon was also widely regarded as a brilliant educator who was responsible for the founding of San Diego State University's Africana Studies Department. He enjoyed a 33-year career working with San Diego Mesa College as a psychology, sociology, and anthropology professor. I was privileged to have the opportunity to personally witness and appreciate his drive to bring people together in order to create a better community. I always admired his focus on education for all at the center of all he did; a wise and thoughtful approach. I genuinely treasured our warm relationship and will sorely miss his presence in the community. While San Diego has lost a giant, I believe that his life's work will serve as a legacy and example for future generations to come. Madam Speaker, I ask that you please join me in remembering and commemorating the great life of Dr. Carrol Waymon.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, when a college makes promises to recruit students, we expect those promises to be met. Yet time after time we see colleges closing or losing accreditation, leaving their students with worthless degrees. There are currently 240,000 defrauded students waiting for loan relief, and more than 40,000 of these students are from my home State of California. These defrauded student borrowers have been needlessly waiting--many for over a year--to obtain this student loan relief. The most inexcusable part of this situation is that the Department of Education, during all this time, could have brought relief to these students using the original borrower defense rule. Instead, this administration has decided to create an entirely worthless rule that, firstly, does almost nothing to help borrowers. Further, it provides clear preference to the very sham colleges that are compromising the integrity and the purpose of the original borrower defense rule. This recent rule is sending a message to the American public that any scammer can open up a school, collect money, defraud our students, and dodge any consequences. It is outrageous to learn about the hundreds of servicemen and -women who have tried to improve their professional standings by enrolling in one of these programs only to end up with a pointless credential and a lot of unconscionable debt. In these tragic cases, many have not only expended their GI Bill funding for good but have also lost years of their lives working hard and studying to gain these futile degrees. The original borrower defense rule was an honest attempt to address these grievances and give students their dignity back. Rather, we have here today a new rule that makes it nearly impossible for students to truly regain what has been lost due to this large-scale con job. Mr. Speaker, why are we making it harder for our defrauded students to recover their lives? Mr. Speaker, the resolution before us today is the first step toward blocking these flawed and misguided changes to the borrower defense rule from taking effect, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I voted against the 2002 AUMF. In coming to that very difficult decision, I learned an important lesson: that we must ask every administration that seeks to use military force how it will manage the consequences of its actions, even if those actions can be justified. Has this administration done that? Unfortunately, I think the answer is no. I will vote for this resolution today for the same reasons I had then: no overall strategy, no justification, and nobody in this administration can answer how it will respond to the aftermath. By virtue of the power and the responsibility granted to us by the Constitution, we must ask those questions. Let's take this opportunity to make diplomacy work. Let's stand together as a Congress to establish our authority. Let's stand together and vote against a new war without an end game.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Neal for yielding. Trade negotiations are not for the faint of heart. Few votes have generated more passion in this Chamber than votes on trade agreements. That is why I am so glad that we finally have an agreement that Members from both sides of the aisle can support. It is no secret why that is. This is an agreement that sets up, for the first time, facility-level inspections to make sure that workers' rights are being honored, and it removes the onerous IP provisions that have made their way into far too many trade agreements in recent years. Finally, as a Member from the San Diego region, it is important to have an agreement like this that both preserves and improves the binational partnership that defines the larger community. This agreement lays the groundwork for the Federal Government to finally address the longstanding pollution flowing from the Tijuana River into San Diego Bay, which impacts both the health of our community and our military.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, make no mistake. We are not impeaching this President. He is impeaching himself. If you are the President and you obstruct justice, try to bribe a foreign leader, and threaten national security, you are going to get impeached. End of story.

Ms. DAVIS of California

Ms. DAVIS of California. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank Chairman Scott for his leadership on this bill. This bill is named after the late Congressman Elijah Cummings for his great work fighting for affordable healthcare and prescription drugs. He fought for people like a constituent of mine who wrote to me regarding the absurdly high cost of insulin. He explained in this letter that his brother had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, which requires him to take an insulin injection four times a day. My colleagues are probably familiar with that, people they know. A single bottle of insulin costs $400. He tells me that some people skip needles. Others let themselves stay at harmful blood sugar levels so that they can make their insulin last longer. Madam Chair, no one should have to suffer this indignity, especially when in many places around the world, insulin is as low as $8. With H.R. 3, Medicare will be able to negotiate drug prices for seniors and beneficiaries, and our constituents won't be plagued by such high costs for such a common drug. And thanks to this bill, the NIH will have more resources to encourage more research and more experimentation. The savings can be used for large projects and for new pilot initiatives to assist the development of new cures and treatments, and this can really be groundbreaking for all of us. I supported this bill in committee because it boosts the economy by saving both American workers and businesses billions of dollars. We all know what that can mean. Madam Chair, I encourage my colleagues to vote for the underlying legislation.