Susan Davis

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3304, the National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2014. As ranking member of the Military Personnel Subcommittee, I am pleased this bill includes a number of provisions that continue our commitment to our Armed Forces. I want to thank Chairman Joe Wilson for working with me in a bipartisan manner to support our servicemembers and their families. Mr. Speaker, I also want to recognize the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Buck McKeon, and Adam Smith, the ranking member, for their really excellent, wonderful leadership. I want to thank the hardworking staff as well on the Military Personnel Subcommittee: Debra, Craig, Dave, Jeanette, Jon, and Colin. Sexual assault has been a focus of this committee for the last several years, and this bill continues to make significant progress toward increasing victim empowerment and holding commands accountable at all levels. The portions of this bill addressing sexual assault send a clear message: if you can't contribute to a safe and respectful environment, then get out. Beyond sexual assault, the bill provides additional separation authorities as the services reduce their end strength. These authorities will be crucial to the Department's ability to execute the drawdown in a responsible manner, while ensuring that all serving members and their families who also serve are compensated appropriately. Additionally, this bill continues our oversight responsibility and commitment to prisoners of war and those missing in action. The bill requires the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW and Missing Personnel Affairs to disseminate appropriate information on the status of missing persons to family members. It also requires a report detailing statistical data on the recovery of remains of missing servicemembers from various conflicts. The bill before us continues to recognize the sacrifices of those who serve our Nation in uniform. During a time when thousands of Americans still remain in combat, we in Congress have an obligation to ensure that these men and women, and their families, are supported, and provide them the resources they need to carry out the mission. I urge all my colleagues to support this bill.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, we have taken a first step to come together. Well, it is a bigger step than we have seen in a while, but let's remember, it is only a first step. And I think people have said a small step, but it is a step and I am as excited as some of you are saying that we have been able to do that. However, and more than that, unfortunately, we have not been able to come together to keep up the safety net for 1.3 million unemployed Americans by extending emergency unemployment insurance. In fact, the problem of long-term unemployment is not even addressed. It wasn't even discussed at length. If you want to pull away the safety net and leave people with nothing, well, at least have some creative solutions for getting them back to work. Now, like many of you, I have to go back to my district, my constituents in San Diego, who have been struggling to find work for so long and tell them that we could not come together to preserve their only means of subsistence. So let's remember, as we take this step forward, let us keep working together to extend unemployment benefits for those in desperate need and start--let us start coming up with some bigger solutions to getting people back to work.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. I thank Congresswoman Speier for having this Special Order today because the focus on NIH--you know, for so many families, it actually comes down to care for their loved one. That is what they know can happen as a result of proper granting at appropriate levels for the NIH. Simply put, it is really vital to the Nation's health. Without NIH funding, we will not see the breakthroughs that we have seen in the past. NIH funding has led to cures. It has led to treatments and preventions for truly some of the most horrific diseases of our day afflicting everyone. You know, diseases don't pick and choose between infants and seniors, lower, middle and, we might say, upper class. They don't distinguish. It is kind of equal opportunity for all, and that is why they have to be targeted. I have been a consistent coleader of the annual NIH appropriations letter, requesting that the House appropriate full funding for the NIH, and the return to full funding is absolutely essential. NIH is unique in its function. We know that we have an active private sector in our country. That is wonderful. And we certainly see that in my community of San Diego, and my colleague Congressman Peters talked about this earlier. But the private sector simply does not have the ability to replace public investment in the NIH. They don't have it. That kind of basic research in science has to come from the United States Government. That is where it has always come from. It has come from there when we even look at the advancements that we have had in technology. And it certainly makes a difference when we think about what we are doing and what our friends, our allies around the world, and even some who are not allies, are doing in this area. So we have got to be competitive. It doesn't make any sense not to be. We know that the NIH conducts and funds research that is just too expensive--too expensive and too risky for private industry to undertake a loan; and it has led us to major advancements in the understanding of diseases like Alzheimer's, cancer, and Parkinson's. The research coming out of and the grants coming from NIH are a huge driver of our biotechnology industry; and that, in turn, contributes heavily to our economy. Particularly in San Diego, we see that every single day because that is where the hundreds of jobs, good-paying jobs that allow people to really reach their potential and be purposeful about their work, that is where that comes from. NIH funding keeps researchers and graduate students employed doing what they do best, investigating answers to our most complex medical mysteries: cancer, premature birth, heart disease, and so on. I have had these young scientists in my office talking about the fact that they may not stay with the field, a field that they love, because they can't get the grants. As we cut back, only the most experienced scientists get those grants, and they are good. But our young people may be even better, but we have got to give them a chance. We have got to give them a chance to move forward and do that. More than 80 percent of the NIH budget goes to over 300,000 research personnel at more than 2,500 universities and research institutions throughout the United States. So that is affecting a lot more than California. It is affecting our colleagues around the country, and maybe they don't even realize what an impact that has. In San Diego, we are fortunate. We have got a lot of researchers, a lot of scientists working hard; and they received $1.13 billion in NIH funding in 2012. It has sparked major breakthroughs, brings jobs to the region, and creates potential breakthroughs for millions around the country. So we are doing our part; but, tragically, the sequestration requires NIH to cut 5 percent, or $1.55 billion, of its fiscal year 2013 budget. NIH must apply the cut evenly across the board, the way things are today. That is why we have to change that. I hope we will be able to do that. NIH must apply the cut evenly across all programs, projects, and activities which are primarily NIH institutes and centers. This means that every area of medical research will be affected by that. Every area. Not just the few that maybe we think don't need the help, but every area. This is an irrational, backwards-thinking policy that will harm millions of Americans--current patients and future ones--and cost us millions in economic output. As a result of the sequester and the slashing of NIH funding, already approximately 640 fewer competitive research project grants will be issued from what we have already done; approximately 750 fewer new patients admitted to the NIH Clinical Center; no increase in stipends for National Research Service Award recipients in 2013; and a delay in medical progress. You know, these medical breakthroughs that we have that benefit many of our patients, many of our constituents--and I know I have friends who have been the beneficiaries of some of those breakthroughs--they just don't happen overnight. In almost all instances, those discoveries result from years of incremental research to understand how diseases start and progress. Even after the cause and the potential drug target of disease is discovered, it takes an average of 13 years and $1 billion to develop a treatment for that target. And what is difficult is that we know that a lot of people are waiting for some of those clinical trials because you have to be careful how that is done, and that takes time. It takes enough patience, enough people willing to take that risk so that we can see what happens over time. That is so important. And when we start breaking this up, the whole process doesn't work. Cuts to research are delaying progress in medical breakthroughs, including development of better cancer drugs that zero in on a tumor with fewer side effects; research on a universal flu vaccine that could fight every strain of influenza without even needing a yearly shot; and the prevention of debilitating chronic conditions that are costly to society and delay development of more effective treatments for common and rare diseases affecting millions of Americans. And, as I mentioned earlier, we lose the promising, accomplished scientists and researchers who are leaving the industry because of the loss or inability to get grants. We see that faculty at top universities across the country are reporting cutting labor spending by 7 percent and operating with skeleton staffs, severely limiting job opportunities for new researchers. Over 50 percent of scientists surveyed by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology said they had a colleague who has lost his job or expects to soon. Some of the scientists are not coming back. They are going elsewhere. They are going to those areas where we are competing because they can take a more stable position outside of the research sector here in the United States. Do we want that? I don't think so. Quite simply, we are inflicting decades of damage with the sequester policy that we have, and I hope that that is going to change. It is not rational to do that. It is cruel. It is backwards. It is insanity. Let's join together and undo--what we can agree on in a bipartisan basis--a foolish policy with an untold number of victims from every State and every city and town in this country. Let us work together to restore NIH funding immediately. I thank my colleague.

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Well, I think we saw the leadership coming from President Bush at that time. And because we also had--those of us here on this side of the aisle, I think, in support, it was a bipartisan effort. We saw that leadership coming from the top; and that is what made a difference, because it was written into the budget. Now, I must say, we weren't able to sustain some of that because of a number of reasons. And we were fighting two wars and then had a number of other issues that we needed to look at. But the reality is that that was maybe unique in some ways because it really came from leadership at the top. It was here, on our side of the House, and the House was supportive. The Senate was supportive, and the President was supportive. So it was really altogether. We don't see that leadership right now from the other side of the aisle.

Mrs. DAVIS of California. I thank my colleague.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, this holiday season, my constituents have inspired me by writing in about the importance of food aid and the SNAP program. All of us here in Congress have the luxury of knowing that we can provide our families with healthy food; but there are so many people in our country that will go this holiday without such a blessing, and, sadly, most of those in dire need are children. In fact, 70 percent of all households that depend on SNAP are families with children. In my district, a 16-year-old girl named Maya was hospitalized last year for issues related to malnutrition. She had struggled in school and showed signs of depression. Maya's hospitalization triggered her father to apply for SNAP benefits. Having a more reliable source of food gave Maya the energy to improve her grades and help her family. She helped her family out by getting a part-time job. As we debate the farm bill, let's remember that there are children like Maya. Let's work together to protect SNAP.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3487, a bill to reauthorize the Federal Election Commission's Administrative Fines Program through 2018. This program allows the FEC to streamline ``straightforward disclosure violations'' and enact a penalty. Since its introduction in 1999, the AFP has improved the enforcement process, decreased late filings, and assessed over $4 million in fines. Reauthorizing the AFP program is a reasonable and appropriate step. The FEC is a small agency charged with the monumental task of overseeing the massive, complex, and eroding campaign funding system. In the wake of Citizens United, we need them more than ever. Instead, the agency has been mired in partisan games, distracting it from important functions such as conducting audits or issuing regulations, advisory opinions, and enforcement actions. But now, with a new, confirmed full slate of commissioners, I look forward to the agency moving ahead and returning to its core duties instead of the partisan squabble of the past. Even though my Republican colleagues and I don't always see eye-to- eye on these campaign finance issues, we all agree that the AFP program has been successful. I am very proud to stand with Chairman Miller on this issue. I urge all Members to support H.R. 3487. I urge an ``aye'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I join the chair in supporting S. Con. Res. 25, which authorizes the use of Emancipation Hall for a ceremony to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Native American code talkers. I am very pleased to support the efforts to honor these patriotic Americans and their service to our Nation during some of its most trying times. This honor is extremely well deserved, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I must say, I hope that all of us are looking forward to this ceremony because I think it is going to be a very impressive one and give us a chance to honor, again, these wonderful, patriotic Americans. I urge an ``aye'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Major General William Gourley was truly a soldier's soldier. His long and storied career can be summed up by the motto he took with him across the Army to every unit he commanded: ``Soldiers first.'' He insisted that support of the military must focus on the needs of soldiers, and this mantra soon became the standard across the entire Army personnel community. After more than 30 years in uniform, General Gourley continued fighting for the well-being of soldiers and their families. His bigger- than-life persona and caring nature endeared him to Active Duty soldiers and veterans alike, and he could often be seen at the former Fort Ord--at the commissary or at the PX--inquiring as to how servicemembers were and as to how he could help them. He was a fixture at the local VA clinic, but dreamed of a larger facility that could seamlessly integrate care over the life of a soldier. It was this desire, coupled with his penchant for helping others, which led him to play an instrumental role in the planning and development of the soon-to-be joint VA-DOD hospital. It would only be fitting to see this new and innovative facility named after a true American hero. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my colleague from California (Mr. Farr), the sponsor of this legislation.

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, we have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, the typhoon in the Philippines has left a wake of unimaginable devastation. Those living in the areas hardest hit by the storm are embarking on the excruciating process of trying to pick up the pieces. Members of the San Diego region's large Filipino community are determined to send aid to their native country. They are collecting clothing, food, and encouraging cash donations. The feeling of helplessness from my constituents that have family living in the area where the typhoon hit is profound. It is important that people understand where their efforts are most needed and where their donations will be best used. It is in these difficult moments like this where we witness unbridled compassion and empathy, and I am pleased that the humanitarian efforts, which our military and aid communities do so well, are under way, and at least 13 other countries have joined the effort as well. The help is not arriving as fast as those suffering from hunger, cold, illness, and homelessness need. The Filipino Americans in our districts are looking to us to continue our role as leaders in humanitarian aid. Let's continue to help those most in need.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, I rise today to recognize the 1-year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy and to remember those who tragically lost their lives, their homes, and so much of the communities that they knew. The storm's crippling impacts still persist up and down the east coast. While we cannot blame climate change for any one event, all of these natural disasters taken together are undeniable evidence of a looming man-made disaster. My constituents in California are also struggling to deal with climate change. In my State, 12 of the 20 most damaging wildfires occurred in the last 10 years, and crops have been decimated due to rising temperatures and water scarcity. We need to ask ourselves: What have we learned from Sandy? What have we learned from other disasters, and what can we do to prevent the next one? This problem has no party. There is no more personal or more compelling issue. Climate change is a human problem, with the direst of consequences. It is time to put aside our partisan differences and start working together to address these issues.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, the President was right last week when he said that nobody won after last week's political spectacle--instead, it was America that lost--but I am glad that we finally came together and reopened the government. If we had followed the Republican plan, we would only have funded 17 percent of the entire Federal Government. Such haphazard funding is really a recipe for a long-term, manmade disaster--a colossal failure to invest adequately in our Nation's future. So, in the next few weeks, we will have an opportunity to come together and, once and for all, put these funding battles behind us. We all understand that agreeing on a budget will not be easy, but that doesn't mean we should wait until the last minute to start talking to one another. Let's get back to work now and start the process of figuring out how we can agree on a balanced and reasonable fiscal plan that puts middle class American families first and the American Dream back in reach.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, throughout my political career, I have always tried to work with my colleagues--no matter the party--to get things done for my constituents in San Diego. This week, however, it is hard to point to anything we did to help the American people. As we move past this episode, commentators will inevitably try to decide who looked strong, and who looked weak, who is up in the polls and who is down, who blinked and who stood firm. But Mr. Speaker we need to move past such talk. Because make no mistake, there were no winners this week. Only losers. Thousands of hard working American families who rely on government aid programs, federal employees who were furloughed, and kids just hoping to visit a national park all were hurt this week for no real reason at all. In fact, in my city of San Diego alone, it is estimated we lost $7 million a week during the shutdown. $7 million. Imagine the investments in our schools, roads, and small businesses that we could have made with that money. Madam Speaker we can't keep hurting ourselves. We have many important things to do to put Americans back to work and strengthen the middle class to be playing these sorts of games. The American economy is on the road to recovery, but we keep getting in its way, as we barely avert one manmade disaster after another. For once, let's bring stability to the markets, rather than continually manufacturing uncertainty. In the next few weeks we will have an opportunity to come together and once and for all, put these battles behind us. We understand that agreeing on a budget will not be easy. But that doesn't mean we should stop talking and wait until the last minute to figure out what to do. Instead, let's start working today on finding a balanced approach to solving our budget problems. We can do this, but only if we stop playing games and get to work as soon as possible. Madam Speaker, Americans are sick and tired of watching the show we put on this week, and I am sick and tired of being a part of it. Most of all, I am sick and tired that people here in the Majority think they can routinely use my friends and neighbors back home in San Diego as pawns in some larger political game. Let's agree to never again embrace such a reckless approach to governing that does nothing but cause needless pain to the American people. Let's agree to never again make up problems, when we have actual ones to solve. Let's agree to discuss our differences rather than resent each other for them. That's what American democracy is all about, that's what it has always been about.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, it pains me to see the shutdown's impact on everyday lives. While ordering coffee the other day, I asked Diona, the hardworking woman behind the counter, how she was doing that day. She confided that she had been up all night taking care of her 3-year-old son, who was suffering from stomach pains. She was exhausted. She wanted to buy the Lactaid milk that settles her boy's stomach, but because of the shutdown, her WIC office was not open. Her WIC card was out of money, and she was a long way from payday. There are probably tens of thousands of Dionas out there--women working hard and worried about their kids and not sure how they will make ends meet. The media may be focusing on the rancor, the talking points of politics, but this shutdown is really about a little boy with stomach pains and a mother who cannot afford to give him relief. The Women, Infants, and Children program helps low-income women buy formula and other healthy foods, and it is one of our most successful nutrition programs. It is just one of the shutdown's many casualties. Let us end this shutdown right now. Let us vote on a clean bill to fund the whole government. Let us restore vital problems like WIC, and let us stop this lunacy and get back to work for the American people.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the House bring up the Senate amendment to H.J. Res. 59, to open the government and go to conference on a budget so that we end this Republican government shutdown.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I have spent my career in San Diego, Sacramento, and DC working with all of my colleagues--no matter the party--to get things done for my constituents in San Diego. But now sadly, I stand on this floor and watch what I consider to be the greatest show of political dysfunction I have seen during my time in public service. I hear my colleagues on the other side of the aisle speak of winning, of putting points on the board. Winning? Mr. Speaker, there is no winning to be had here. But, I can tell you who is losing--hard working American families, my constituents in San Diego, and the great state of California. Every day that this shutdown continues more of my friends and neighbors are harmed. My city of San Diego loses $7 million a week every week that this continues. $7 million. Imagine the investments in our schools, roads, and small businesses that we could be making with that money. Jobless claims are surging as the many San Diegan contracting businesses are forced to lay off their workers. Small businesses in San Diego are finding it difficult to sustain their operations, as they lose thousands in stalled federal small business loans and grants. The many veterans who live in San Diego are finding their hard-earned and well-deserved benefits delayed. And now, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle talk of negotiating? The Senate passed a budget in March--in March. For months and months, I have joined with my Democratic colleagues requesting that the House appoint conferees to negotiate a compromise. Nothing. No willingness to open up a dialogue, to negotiate. Nothing. Now, the government is shut down, and my friends and neighbors in San Diego are suffering. We can fix that right now. We can take a vote to reopen the government right now. Then we can get together and talk like adults about our differences on the budget--and not use my friends and neighbors as leverage to score points in a game that no one will win. This isn't a game, this is lunacy.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, this shutdown has affected more than just the government. We all need to understand that. Yesterday, I learned that a veteran-owned small business in my district that contracts with the Navy has had to furlough its workers; but because they are not Federal employees, they won't be receiving backpay when the government resumes full operations. The lost pay will have a terrible impact on these employees and their families, but their absence is also seriously affecting the financial well-being of the small business that employs them. Let's think about this: How often is this happening throughout the country? And you begin to see how San Diego, alone, is losing $7 million a week during the shutdown. How much longer are we going to play political games when everyone is guaranteed to lose? For our communities, for our economy, and, most of all, for those who are out of work, even one more day is too long. Let's fund the whole government and end this shutdown.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, I visited the Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command in San Diego. As I spoke with SPAWAR employees, I was proud, but not surprised, to learn that the majority of them were veterans. In fact, this happens almost every time I speak to a group of Federal workers. Veterans represent more than 25 percent of the entire Federal Government workforce--so many of whom sacrificed for our country in Iraq and Afghanistan. After making the difficult transition to civilian life, none of them expected to be told that they cannot come to work. Let our veterans and the rest of the Federal workforce do their jobs. The best way to serve veterans and honor our promise to them is to reopen the entire government without delay.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, not only has the majority chosen to shut down vital government functions that all Americans depend on, but they have specifically and unabashedly targeted women. Some of my colleagues are willing to gamble with the livelihoods of millions of public servants simply to ensure that women do not have access to affordable contraception and preventative health care. They are willing to sabotage our government to prevent prenatal checkups and cancer screenings. They would risk our economic recovery to make sure that women will pay more for health care than men. The government shutdown has already taken a toll on women and children by slashing funding for vital nutritional and clinical services. We cannot allow this shutdown to be used to strip away all of the gains the ACA made for women's health. Do they really want pregnancy to be a preexisting condition again? And are they willing to shut the place down to stop women from being able to pay for health care? Enough, Mr. Speaker. Bring on a clean funding bill, open the government, and let it pass for all of our sakes.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, September 28, I missed the following votes: H. Res. 361--Waiving a requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII with respect to consideration of certain resolutions reported from the Committee on Rules, and relating to consideration of the Senate amendment to H.R. 2642, to provide for the reform of agricultural programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2018. On agreeing to the resolution had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall No. 493. H. Res. 366--Providing for consideration of the Senate amendment to the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 59) making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes, and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3210) making continuing appropriations for military pay in the event of a Government shutdown On ordering the previous question had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall No. 494. H. Res. 366--Providing for consideration of the Senate amendment to the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 59) making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2014 . . . On agreeing to the resolution had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall No. 495. H.R. 2251--To designate the United States courthouse located at 118 South Mill Street, in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, as the ``Edward J. Devitt United States Courthouse.'' On motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall No. 496. H.J. Res. 59--Making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes. On concurring in the Senate amendment with amendment #1 (permanently repeal medical device tax) had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall No. 497. H.J. Res. 59--Making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes. On concurring in the Senate amendment with amendment #2 (delay implementation of the ACA by one year) had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall No. 498. H.R. 3210--Making continuing appropriations for military pay in the event of a Government shutdown. On passage had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall No. 499. H.R. 2848--Department of State Operations and Embassy Security Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2014. On motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall No. 500.

Mrs. DAVIS of California

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, September 25, 2013, I missed the following votes: H.R. 1961--To amend title 46, United States Code, to extend the exemption from the fire-retardant materials construction requirement for vessels operating within the Boundary Line. H. Res. 354--Providing for the concurrence by the House in the Senate amendment to H.R. 527, with an amendment. Had I been present, I would have voted: ``no'' on rollcall No. 484, ``yes'' on rollcall No. 485.