Tammy Duckworth

Ms. DUCKWORTH

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. Speaker, achieving immigration reform is not just an issue of security or economics; it is also an issue of women's rights. It is women who disproportionately bear the brunt of our inability to fix the immigration system. Undocumented women are more likely to suffer from domestic violence, poor work conditions, or be victims of human trafficking. They are afraid to demand justice for crimes that are committed against them, and they are afraid of retaliation and deportation. A pathway to citizenship is critical to putting an end to a system that encourages the exploitation of women. Far too many mothers have been separated from their children because our immigration system does not value family unity and parental rights. Family values are American values. Women waiting decades to reunite with their families is not acceptable. Ensuring that our family-based immigration policies are strong and that they come with rights to employment are key to promoting the well- being of women. We benefit as a Nation when women have the ability to reach their full potential. With the help of women, it is projected that comprehensive immigration reform will reduce our deficit by $1 trillion over 10 years. I know that my neighbors care about women's rights and care about keeping families together. That is why we need to pass comprehensive immigration reform now.

Ms. DUCKWORTH

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. Speaker, for medical reasons, I was unable to be in Washington, D.C. for the roll call vote on H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013. Had I been present, I would have voted Aye. I've heard from manufacturers, workers, and farmers in Illinois about the importance of an efficient and modern water transportation system that allows them to move their products to market. Investing in our ports, waterways, and other water infrastructure is key to keeping our economy competitive and creating jobs and much needed economic growth. While not perfect, H.R. 3080 represents true bipartisan compromise that will allow us to move forward with reform that is long overdue.

Ms. DUCKWORTH

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. Speaker, my neighbors cannot understand how we could actually recess today with so much work left to today. In 2012, businesses in my district were approved for $391,000 in Small Business Administration loans per day. That is the most of any district in Illinois. Yet zero SBA loans have been approved in the last 12 days because our government is shut down. ACME Design in Elgin, Illinois, was founded by Clint Borucki and has been a part of our community since 1992. Clint has 10 employees and has designed and manufactured models for advertising, businesses and government. Now, an important project for his business is on hold because a military contractor is unable to move forward during the Republican government shutdown. Last Monday, in Schaumburg, I spoke with Federal employees who serve their country and play by the rules. These middle class Americans who live paycheck to paycheck are being punished for our inability to fund the government. Church of the Holy Spirit Food Pantry in Schaumburg told me that they will be unable to fill the gap the government shutdown has left for families in need in my district. My neighbors can't understand how we could recess for 2 days while this Republican government shutdown remains in effect. Let's stay in session, get to work for the people we serve, and reopen the government.

Ms. DUCKWORTH

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I appeal the ruling of the Chair.

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

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. Speaker, if you rule this motion out of order, does that mean we will not have a chance to keep the entire Federal Government open today? Can the Chair please explain why we can't open the entire Federal Government today?

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Yes, Mr. Speaker.

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. Speaker, it would appear that the chairman has resigned himself to keeping the government shut down for 30 days so that the VA will run out of money in that 30 days' time. The way to ensure that the VA doesn't run out of money in 30 days is to pass a clean CR to reopen all of government. Mr. Speaker, I have spent every moment since waking up in my hospital bed at Walter Reed defending our military and serving our veterans. I know when they're being exploited. Mr. Speaker, the bill we are debating isn't a serious or respectful attempt to support our Nation's heroes. It will not help veterans; in fact, it does just the opposite. It cuts more than $6 billion in funds for the Department of Veterans Affairs from the same bill that my colleagues and I passed, 421-4, just earlier this year. I can't support this bill because it pits one veteran against another. It would continue paying out pension benefits at the cost of cutting medical and prosthetic research for wounded veterans. It would give veterans in the VA their health care and needed mental health services, which I applaud, but it leaves 800,000 of their brothers and sisters--my brothers and sisters--caught in the backlog where they would have to wait even longer to get a decision on their benefits. It would allow our troops with posttraumatic stress to access the Veterans Crisis Line, but at the expense of not laying our heroes to rest in our national cemeteries on a timely basis. It would allow our veterans to be counseled for military sexual trauma, but not quickly review the appeals that they submit to get the compensation they so rightfully deserve for that trauma. This is unacceptable. It is shameful we are even considering responding to our veterans' service to our Nation with a funding cut at a time when the need for their services has never been greater. And we don't fund government by pitting one group against another. A piecemeal deal to fund some veterans could still allow TRICARE to run out of funds for prescription medication for our military and retirees. We're not a Nation that would ask veterans to accept funding at the expense of their children who are in Head Start. A piecemeal-approach bill tells our thousands of military and veterans' families who rely on food stamps that we will pay their salaries when they go to war, but we won't feed their children. And the idea that funding the VA will protect their benefits from the effects of this shutdown is simply not true. Our veterans are also small business owners in Elgin, Illinois; they are students in Addison; they are homeowners in Hanover Park; and many of them continue to serve their country as government employees. Funding just part of the VA will not help the veterans who are waiting on loans from the Small Business Administration. So let's put our politics aside and stop using our veterans as pawns. This approach will not meet the full range of desperately needed veteran services. It is no way to fund government. Our veterans didn't leave their comrades behind on the field of battle. Shame on the majority for leaving them and the Nation they defended without a government. Our Nation is better than this. We are better than this. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this motion to recommit and please, please allow us to bring up the clean, Senate-passed continuing resolution that has the additional $6 billion of funding for our heroes, for our veterans. Let's reopen the government so we can get back to the work of serving our Nation. Point of Order

Ms. DUCKWORTH. I am opposed to the bill, Mr. Speaker.

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Ms. DUCKWORTH

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Because of the demands of extremists in Congress, today, in communities across our country crucial services have halted. Hundreds of thousands of middle class employees have been told to stay home without pay. All because Congress has failed to carry out the most basic of its constitutional duties--to keep this government funded. The bills we will be considering tonight will not fix the government shutdown. I am the first to support our military men and women and our veterans. Ensuring our citizens have access to their national parks is a priority. And I am a cosigner of the letter for the gentlelady from the District of Columbia asking for the city to be able to continue to be open and do its work. However, this piecemeal approach will only prolong a shutdown. We cannot keep government running piece by piece. All--not just some--of my constituents deserve service. I urge the House leadership to end the shutdown today by passing the continuing resolution that was approved by the Senate, and then get together to conference on a long-term budget that reduces deficit reduction and creates jobs.

Ms. DUCKWORTH

Ms. DUCKWORTH. I thank the gentlelady from Arizona for bringing us together on this incredibly important issue. Mr. Speaker, our veterans, throughout their military careers, are taught to be physically tough and mentally strong; and just because they suffer from post-traumatic stress, it does not negate that. They deserve every opportunity to achieve the same American Dream that they defended for the rest of us. Yet, unfortunately, too many of our veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress or from other mental injuries resulting from their service. Post-traumatic stress and mental injuries are not always the result of combat; they can also include such trauma as that of sexual assault. Regardless of how the trauma is suffered, we still must take care of our veterans. We cannot allow these injuries to prevent them from living the lives that they deserve; and in some cases, these injuries have led these brave men and women to take their own lives. It has been almost 8 years since my own injury; and in that time, if the 22- suicides-a-day rate is to be counted, there have been at least 24,000 veteran suicides. This is simply unacceptable. When I was director of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs, one of the very first things that I did was to create a 24/7 hotline for mental health available for vets. We have one now across the Nation, and that telephone number is 1 (888) 273-TALK. Please put that on your refrigerator doors. You never know when that number could save a life. We started that hotline because caring for our veterans and their mental well-being is not a secondary priority; it is a mission that we must pursue each and every day. We cannot rest until we end veterans suicide in our Nation. We need to care for these warriors' invisible wounds with as much dedication and as many resources as we do their other combat injuries. Yet, because they are invisible, we often overlook these wounds. I am asking all levels of government, business and ordinary citizens to make preventing veteran suicides our mission. We must come together and reduce the stigma of post-traumatic stress. We must provide the funding and the support that our heroes need. They fought for us. Now it is time for us to fight for them.

Ms. DUCKWORTH

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. Speaker, several weeks ago, we had a deeply partisan debate about cuts to SNAP. The proposed cuts by the majority were then $20 billion--a number that many of my colleagues and I found unacceptable and rejected. The majority has now doubled these cuts to $40 billion a year--nine times the amount passed in a bipartisan vote in the Senate. They have abandoned all attempts at bipartisanship and compromise to satisfy the unreasonable demands of the far right. Mr. Speaker, we should not be playing politics with a program that means so much to American families. The $40 billion in cuts will slash benefits to as many as 6 million Americans, including 170,000 veterans. The average benefit for SNAP is only $4.50 a day--just $1.50 a meal. As someone who benefited from food stamps when I was a teenager, I know what the safety net means. This benefit is the difference between a child going to bed hungry or having the energy to focus on school. It is the safety net that allows low-income seniors to be able to both eat and afford medication. In my district, the poverty rate rose from 5.3 percent in 2000 to 9.2 percent in 2011. We need to be finding ways to reduce poverty in our communities, not cutting programs that work, like SNAP.

Ms. DUCKWORTH

Ms. DUCKWORTH. I thank the gentlelady from New York for yielding. Mr. Speaker, instead of bickering over partisan pieces of legislation that will go nowhere, we should be working to fix the sequester and hammer out a budget that creates jobs, grows our middle class, and responsibly reduces the deficit. We should be taking up a well-funded Transportation and Housing appropriations bill rather than the draconian measure that drastically underfunded projects like those in my home district, such as the Elgin- O'Hare and the Barrington Road and Interstate 90 interchange. We need to make investments to rebuild our bridges, to improve our infrastructure, and to keep our children safe. We should be working on comprehensive immigration reform that is practical, fair, and humane. Reform with a pathway to citizenship will expand our workforce, secure our borders, and bring in new revenue to help us balance our budget. I was sent to Washington to work on legislation that creates jobs and tackles the deficit. I don't want to leave for a 5-week district work period without taking some action on our critical, unfinished business.

Ms. DUCKWORTH

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. Speaker, yesterday marked the 48th anniversary of the establishment of Medicare and Medicaid. Since Medicare was signed into law in 1965, millions of Americans have relied on the crucial programs to live their lives in dignity, and millions more who have paid into the system are counting on Medicare to one day provide them with quality health care. This historic commitment and pledge from our country is one of our greatest achievements. Seniors like my mother, and those living with disabilities, all understand the essential role Medicare plays in the lives of so many Americans. In April, I held a roundtable with constituents in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. They all stressed to me the importance of protecting and preserving Medicare, but also on cracking down on abuse and fraud that exists in the program. I have met with people living with disabilities who rely on these benefits for their health services. As we celebrate and acknowledge the great benefits of Medicare, it is important that we reinforce our commitment to the program, even as we cut down on the waste and fraud. We must continue our fight to strengthen and enhance Medicare and fulfill our 48-year-old promise to millions of hardworking Americans across this great Nation.

Ms. DUCKWORTH

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following. Whereas, for 48 years, Universal Technical Institute (UTI) has been the leading provider of post-secondary education for students seeking careers as professional automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians, with 11 campuses across the country; and Whereas, on July 18, 1988, the first class at the Glendale Heights, Illinois campus convened, and since then the campus has grown and expanded; and Whereas, since the first class convened, more than 19,000 students have graduated from the Illinois campus, ready to enter the workforce and obtain jobs in industry; and Whereas, since opening, UTI's Illinois campus has expanded its advanced manufacturing training programs; and Whereas, UTI's Illinois campus attracts students and families from across the Midwest, drawing half of its students from 100 miles or more away; and Whereas, UTI provides its students with the career training necessary to succeed, including placing an emphasis on technical expertise, professionalism and personal responsibility; and Whereas, four out of five UTI graduates find jobs in their field of studies within a year of graduation; and Whereas, UTI produces nearly $50 million in direct and indirect economic benefits for the region and state annually, according to a recent economic impact study. Now, therefore, be it Resolved, that we do hereby celebrate the 25-year anniversary of UTI's Illinois campus and commend them for their commitment to the community and to career-focused education.

Ms. DUCKWORTH

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from California for yielding, and also for your leadership on this important issue. Earlier this year, at Harper College in Illinois, I held an education roundtable with school district administrators and parents on the importance of averting the sequester and reforming our education system. Since then, I have heard continuously from educators and parents throughout my district on the importance of English language learner programs for our young men and women. As a child, English was not my first language, and I understand intimately the importance of programs that help children learn the language of our Nation. It makes them more competitive when they become adults and enter the workforce. It also makes our Nation more competitive to have truly bilingual members of the workforce. That is why I support proper funding of the English Language Learner program, and I'm rising in opposition to this dangerous bill that, simply put, lets students down. H.R. 5 ignores the needs of this growing portion of our student population. It ignores them, along with poor children, migratory children, and neglected children. This bill guts education funding, rolls back protections for disadvantaged students, and removes accountability provisions that we all know our students deserve. I want the children in my district to receive excellent education, and this partisan, extreme bill will fail to provide that.

Ms. DUCKWORTH

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Madam Speaker, last month, in Addison, Illinois, I held an immigration roundtable with 38 organizations that spanned the political spectrum. Attending were the chambers of commerce, the ACLU, local colleges, and municipalities. They all told me that now is the time to act on comprehensive immigration reform. My neighbors know that, done right, immigration reform can make our communities stronger and that it can provide opportunities for our businesses by expanding our workforce. Reform will make us safer by securing our borders. We can help balance our budget by letting millions of immigrants who are willing to make the necessary sacrifices become tax-paying American citizens. We must work together to provide a pathway to citizenship as part of any comprehensive immigration reform legislation. The Senate has passed such a bipartisan proposal, and Members of the House should reach across the aisle and do the same. We cannot allow partisanship and extremism to stop us from making commonsense reforms that are vital to the future of this great Nation. Now is the time for Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation that is practical, fair, and humane.

Ms. DUCKWORTH

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. Chair, the Farm Bill that we are considering today includes massive cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program--$20.5 billion to be exact. I am offering an amendment that will help us understand the repercussions of these drastic cuts. My amendment will require the Secretary of Agriculture to report to Congress on the effects of SNAP cuts on charitable food providers, like food banks and soup kitchens. Should these devastating cuts become law, it is common sense that we should know the consequences--my amendment is about taking responsibility. There is little room to cut this vital program. The average SNAP benefit is now only $4.50 a day. That's just $1.50 a meal. And this benefit will get even lower in November when the 2009 Recovery Act increase expires. The reality is that these cuts will significantly increase demand on charitable food providers who are already stretched to the limit trying to meet the needs of our communities during this tough economic time. These providers are facing the perfect storm--over the past few years demand for their services has been increasing as the federal, state and local, and private funding they depend on has dwindled. Higher food and fuel prices are also making it harder for them to purchase and distribute food. Charities simply do not have the resources to fill the growing funding gaps. This means that when the SNAP program faces further cuts, hungry Americans will have nowhere else to turn. I hope every Member in this body will agree that in the wealthiest nation in the world, no American child should go to school hungry and no parent should have to make the difficult decision between paying rent or paying for groceries. This is simply unconscionable. At this point we've all heard the numbers--these cuts will end food aid for nearly 2 million Americans and cut 210,000 children off of school lunch and breakfast programs. This is a very personal issue for me. I was one of those hungry children. My father lost his job when I was a teenager and it was food stamps that kept me from going hungry. Food stamps, school breakfast and school lunch were there for me so I could worry about school instead of hunger. They nourished me so I could develop the skills to serve our country in the Army, the VA, and here in Congress. This is also very personal for many of my constituents like Christine from Elgin, Illinois. It is because of her SNAP benefits and the Willow Creek Community Church's Food Pantry that Christine is able to provide food for her family. Her husband was laid off from the manufacturing company he worked at for 29 years. Christine, who is now disabled, can no longer work as a Nursing Assistant. Theirs is one of 3,000 families that Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois serves per month. It is personal for the husband and wife who now count on SNAP benefits and the Church of the Holy Spirit Food Pantry in Schaumburg, IL after the husband lost his job as an electrician due to nerve damage in his hand, and they saw their savings quickly drain. It is personal for the hard working employees and volunteers at the Greater Chicago Food Depository who serve 77 percent more people today than they did in 2008. These stories are just a tiny sample. Forty-seven million Americans-- most of whom are children, elderly or disabled--rely on the SNAP program. These cuts are not just numbers on a page. They affect real human beings. They will have devastating consequences for real families. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and face the reality of what these devastating cuts will mean for families and charities all across the country.

Ms. DUCKWORTH

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Madam Speaker, the cuts we are considering to SNAP-- $20.5 billion--will be devastating for many American families. There is little room to cut this vital program. The average benefit is only $4.50 a day, just $1.50 a meal. These cuts will slash benefits to 2 million Americans and cut more than 200,000 children off the school lunch and school breakfast program. This is a very personal issue for me. I was one of those children. After my father lost his job for several years when I was a teenager, food stamps, school breakfast, and school lunch were the only things that saved me. They were there for me so I could worry about school instead of my empty stomach. They nourished me so I could develop the skills to serve my country for the next 20 years--all of the way here to Congress. I believe that in the wealthiest Nation in the world, no American child should go to school hungry, and no parent should have to make the difficult decision between paying rent or paying for groceries. Charities, like the Church of the Holy Sprit food pantry in Schaumburg, are already stretched to the limit, trying to meet the needs of our communities during these tough economic times. This means that hungry Americans will have nowhere else to turn. I ask my colleagues to reject these draconian cuts.

Ms. DUCKWORTH

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. Chair, during rollcall vote No. 256 on June 19, 2013, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' Amendment No. 3 Offered by Ms. Foxx

Ms. DUCKWORTH

Ms. DUCKWORTH. I am opposed in its current form.

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Madam Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Madam Speaker, the willingness of our troops to place the Nation first is why the scourge of sexual harassment and assault in the military is so horrific. Just a single case is unacceptable. This is a self-inflicted wound that has no place in the greatest military in the world. I love the military with every bone in my body. The lessons I learned as an army officer, the camaraderie I experienced are at the core of who I am, just as it is for my brothers and sisters in arms. That is why I am personally devastated to see how many predators continue to abuse and attack one of our own. The military is a place of great discipline, technical proficiency, and personal sacrifice for the greater good. It is a place where young men and women grow and thrive, developing as great leaders and team members. This is the case for so many of them. However, for some, the military has now become a place of fear and intimidation. The services have made significant efforts to try to stamp out sexual harassment and assault, but there are still unacceptable failures in these efforts. With each new piece of data on the rates of sexual assault and on the lack of command responsibility by many in dealing with military sexual trauma, I have gradually come to the conclusion that we need another path to protect the victims. This amendment adds a new course of action for victims to pursue should they choose it. It empowers them at a time when they feel most powerless with a new option that is outside the chain of command with an independent investigation and prosecution system. I place the highest priority on the importance of a commander's authority to lead and discipline the men and women under his or her command. However, in the case of sexual crimes, there continues to be failures in the existing processes for investigations and punishments within that chain. That is why we must empower victims with an additional choice so that they can seek justice. There are many, many good commanders. My own experience has been a positive one with all of my commanders, all of whom were men, being protective of all of their soldiers and doing the right thing. Yet the data shows that there are enough predators and failed commanders that we need to take care of this now. This solution supports command authority but also, importantly, empowers victims by giving them one more option. The men and women in our Armed Forces are why we live freely in the greatest country in the world. When our warriors face combat, they must be able to focus completely and single-mindedly on the mission at hand. They cannot do this if they are threatened with sexual assault. When our Nation's parents are approached by their brave young son or daughter who is looking to join the military, these moms and dads need to know without a doubt that their child will be cared for, that they will become disciplined, well-trained leaders. They should not have to fear that their child will become a rape victim. The military is a place of honor, one where our troops serve with great pride. This amendment is a balanced approach that honors our military by providing the victim with a choice on how to seek justice. Madam Speaker, at this time, I yield the balance of my time to the gentlelady from California, who's been a leader in victims' rights, Ms. Speier.

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.