Mark DeSaulnier

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, according to the Institute for College Access & Success, the DeVos rule would forgive just 3 cents of every dollar borrowed by students. That means those scammed by bad actors and fly-by-night institutions would be forced to repay the vast majority of their loans for degrees they didn't get, often through no fault of their own. We need to help defrauded borrowers, not defend for-profit colleges. That is what this resolution is all about. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens).

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a September 3 Institute for College Access and Success article titled ``Defrauded Students Left Holding the Bag Until Final `Borrower Defense' Rule.'' [From The Institute for College Access & Success, Sept. 3, 2019] Defrauded Students Left Holding the Bag Under Final ``Borrower Defense'' Rule Claiming to protect students and hold colleges accountable, on Friday the Department of Education finalized its so-called borrower defense rule. The rule allows students to seek to cancel student loans connected to fraud and other illegal activity by their colleges. ``If a school defrauds students, it must be held accountable,'' said Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos in the press release. Yet the Trump Administration's proposal would do virtually nothing to hold schools accountable for their misdeeds or to protect students who were wronged. To really understand the impact of the rule, you have look at page 669 of the notice where--in a table titled ``Assumptions for Main Budget Estimate Compared to PB2020 Baseline''--the Department published its own estimates of the likely impact of the rule: Borrowers will be required to repay the vast majority of loans resulting from colleges' wrongdoing. Only about 3 cents of every dollar borrowed will be forgiven under the borrower defense rule. Colleges, on the other hand, will rarely face any questions. They will repay only about a penny for every dollar of loans stemming from misconduct. The Department expects substantial amounts of illegal activity by colleges. In 2021 alone, the Department expects nearly 200,000 borrowers to suffer from colleges' illegal conduct, but their rule would leave borrowers to repay 97 percent of the resulting $2.5 billion in debt. Source: TICAS analysis of data provided by the U.S. Department of Education, ``U.S. Department of Education Finalizes Regulations to Protect Student Borrowers, Hold Higher Education Institutions Accountable and Save Taxpayers $11.1 Billion Over 10 Years,'' August 30, 2019. Available at https://bit.ly/21POWdk. Methodology: Figures derived from U.S. Department of Education's publication of the unofficial text of the final rule on its web site on August 30, 2019. U.S. Department of Education, ``U.S. Department of Education Finalizes Regulations to Protect Student Borrowers, Hold Higher Education Institutions Accountable and Save Taxpayers $11.1 Billion Over 10 Years,'' August 30, 2019. Available at https://bit.ly/21POWdk. Because Table 3 provides the data by sector, we used other Department data on loan volume by sector to produce a weighted average, on the assumption that these figures are consistent over time. U.S. Department of Education, ``Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Proposal,'' March 11, 2019, page Q-30, https://bit.ly/21XI7Xm. To translate these percentages into the number of affected students, we used other Department data on the number of students borrowing federal loans, again assuming that these figures are similar from year to year. Federal Student Aid Data Center, ``Aid Recipients Summary,'' April 2019, https://bit.ly/l2MGL5wc. To translate these percentages into dollar terms, we used projected loan volume in year 2021 from the Congressional Budget Office. Congressional Budget Office, ``Student Loan Programs--CBO's May 2019 Baseline,'' May 2019, https:// bit.ly/21A5juo. We examined fiscal year 2021, the first full year of the rule's implementation.

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I have one more speaker.

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, before I recognize the gentleman from Connecticut, I want to mention, like the previous speaker, I am a Member of this House who made payrolls for over 35 years in the restaurant business. I have a different perspective. I wanted to hire the most talented person in front of me, and I wanted my managers to do the same thing. I don't think this rule, these kinds of laws, will inhibit that. I understand the intuitive perspective, but if you believe in hiring the best person, I don't think you have to be afraid of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney).

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 790 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank the leadership of the Rules Committee, Mr. McGovern and Mr. Cole, for our civility last night. Although it was a long hearing and we are very much in disagreement, I felt proud to be part of that hearing, and I really want to recognize both the ranking member and the chair. The previous speaker is part of that Rules Committee, and I would just say that the passion that she demonstrated in her comments, I can't say how much I completely disagree with her, which is a statement on the environment we find ourselves in, and I, unfortunately, agree with some of her comments, but where the responsibility is I would put at the White House and the President. He is the divisive one. He is not trying to heal our wounds. The reality and urgency of this moment cannot be more consequential to the American democracy. This is not a hypothetical. President Trump violated the law and solicited foreign interference in our election. At the same time, objective experts have overwhelming evidence that Russia interfered in the 2016 election and is actively engaged in undermining the 2020 elections. Our vote today and the Senate's actions on impeachment have very real long-term consequences for American democracy. Where do we go from here if the Senate does not remove him? The President has a pattern of escalating behavior. The day before the special counsel testified to Congress that the Russian Government interfered in our election in sweeping and systemic fashion, President Trump made this call.

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Two days before that, the President says that Article II of the Constitution says that he can do whatever he wants. As Washington warned in his farewell address, foreign interference tampers with domestic factions and misleads public opinion. We must honor the Nation that our Founders envisioned and impeach this president for violating the law and betraying the American people.

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of long-time community advocate, Sean Casey as he begins retirement. Sean Casey has dedicated his life and career to children and families. After graduating from Oberlin College and getting his master's degrees from UC Berkeley in both social welfare and public health, Sean worked at UC San Francisco, developing better data and analysis for maternal and child health programs. He also created Fetal/ Infant Mortality Review programs in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. Quickly after joining First 5, Sean became Contra Costa's Executive Director. Throughout his tenure, First 5 Contra Costa provided life- changing services to over 500 families. While he was Executive Director, Sean oversaw the development of a county-wide preschool planning process which implemented a Quality Rating and Improvement System. He supported the development of three parent advocacy groups, which identified and addressed issues related to early childhood development including affordable housing, immigrant and racial justice, and the safety of neighborhood parks. Sean also worked to establish Contra Costa County's Help Me Grow system to help parents identify potential developmental challenges their children may have and connect them with the necessary resources and services. He also developed Ready Kids, which helps young children prepare for kindergarten and their academic lives. On top of that, he helped establish the Children's Leadership Council, the Family Economic Security Partnership, the Early Learning Leadership Group, the Budget Justice Coalition, and the Contra Costa Funders Forum. Sean also served as the Chair of the First 5 Association. Sean has always been a leader in the community and someone I have enjoyed working with greatly. Over my years in public service, I have visited First 5 and many of the other programs he is associated with and am always impressed by the impact he has on the children and families he works with. As he retires from First 5, we wish him well knowing that his legacy will continue to enrich the lives of Contra Costa families. We wish him great luck and joy in retirement.

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of an esteemed leader in Contra Costa, Jerry Brown. After a decade of leadership at the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) where he served the people of our county, Jerry will be leaving at the end of the year. His 18 years at CCWD were supported by his strong educational background in mechanical engineering, civil engineering, and business administration. Prior to joining us in the Bay Area, Jerry started his career with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. During his tenure with CCWD, Jerry held various leadership positions and was appointed General Manager in September 2010. Throughout his career, he has worked in the water planning industry to ensure the proper management of water system facilities and secure water quality and supply to the public. Jerry has influenced state and federal water policy through his participation on various boards and committees such as the Bay Area Council, the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, and the California Urban Water Agencies. Above all, Jerry has placed his focus on customer service. Some of his notable achievements during his time with CCWD include constructing resilient and climate-adapted facilities and cultivating a strong safety culture within the organization. Jerry has been a strong partner and advocate for the needs of the Delta, and I have enjoyed our working relationship. Please join me in congratulating Jerry for his dedicated service, and in wishing him luck in his future endeavors.

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of long-time community advocate, Whitney Dotson. Whitney Dotson's commitment to the good of his community is demonstrated by his career with the East Bay Regional Park District. Beginning as an appointed member of the Park District Advisory Committee, he later was elected to the Board of Directors where he worked on his passion for parks and health. During his many years on the Board of Directors, Whitney has supported several significant projects, including the Atlas Road Bridge at Point Pinole, restoration of Albany Beach, and preservation of the North Richmond Shoreline. He also supported the completion of two Bay Trails, one between Pinole Shores and Bayfront Park and the other between Berkeley and Albany. Director Dotson fought to prevent commercial and residential development of the Breuner Marsh at Point Pinole, which was renamed the Dotson Family Marsh. Through this project, Director Dotson was able to continue the work of his father, Reverend Richard Dotson, to keep the marsh a natural place for everyone in the community to enjoy. Director Dotson has been described by his colleagues as tirelessly pursuing environmental protections in his community. Director Dotson's service extends beyond his work with the East Bay Regional Park District. He is the president of the North Richmond Shoreline Open Space Alliance, Associate Director of the Neighborhood House of North Richmond, and Vice Chair of the Community Advisory Group. Throughout his tenure with the East Bay Regional Park District and through his philanthropic work, Director Dotson has fought to preserve open space and ensure a clean and healthy environment for generations to come. Director Dotson departs the East Bay Regional Park District with a legacy of championing the environmental well-being of his community. We wish him great luck and joy in retirement.

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Florence Weiss for her honorable service to the City of Concord, California as she begins retirement. Florence Weiss has been a resident of Concord since 1982. She was first hired by the City of Concord as Downtown Coordinator on June 24, 2002 and eventually became the Downtown Program Manager. Throughout Florence's 17-year career with the City, she has promoted and fostered an increased sense of community in the downtown area, including Todos Santos Plaza. Florence focused much of her leadership on expanding community events. She has overseen countless events including the popular Music and Market series, which has grown in attendance from an average of 500 attendees to an average of 4,500 attendees. In an effort to keep the music series running in downtown Concord, Florence established the Save our Series program to help fund the event and she has consistently exceeded fundraising goals. She has also overseen the creation of new events such as viewing parties for the Golden State Warriors championship games and Concordstock, an event held in 2008 that celebrated 20 years of concerts in Todos Santos Plaza. In conjunction with Florence's commitment to increasing attendance at downtown and community events, she has advocated for a healthier and cleaner Concord, most notably by helping to successfully implement a smoking ban in the Downtown District. Even in times of tight budgets, Florence has used her creative problem solving and fostered community engagement and enthusiasm. Florence Weiss has a been a champion for the City of Concord and its residents. We wish her great luck and joy in retirement.

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Madam Chair, my amendment requires that healthcare workers and social service workers are provided with information on available mental health resources, trauma, and related counseling. It is appalling that those who dedicate their lives to caring for people in need suffer workplace violence at disproportionately high rates across the Nation. In 2018, healthcare and social service workers were four times as likely to suffer a serious workplace violence injury than workers overall. Between 2013 and 2016, one in four registered nurses and nursing students reported being physically assaulted at work by a patient or a patient's family member. And in 2017, State government healthcare and social service workers were almost 10 times more likely to be injured by an assault than private-sector healthcare workers. Some, tragically, do not survive these incidents. Yesterday, I spoke about a former constituent, Donna Kay Gross of Concord, California, who was a psychiatric technician at Napa State Hospital in California. She was brutally murdered by a patient outside the unit where she worked. She chose to go into this field and work as a technician because of a history of mental health in her family, and her mother was at Napa State Hospital. Her story, unfortunately, is not completely unique. A few years ago here in Washington, Mindy Blandon, a registered nurse, was working in the surgical oncology unit when a patient she was treating became agitated. As Mindy and another nurse approached the bedside, the patient became combative. At the end of an extended scuffle, the patient strangled Mindy with her own stethoscope. Luckily, Mindy survived with the support of her other staff, but the trauma she went through will forever affect her. Workplace violence has serious physical and emotional consequences for workers and employers alike. While H.R. 1309 includes provisions for workers' medical care as part of the underlying bill, we must also address the psychological effects of workplace violence. Survivors of workplace violence are at an increased risk of long-term emotional problems and post-traumatic stress disorders which can be debilitating, lead to lost days of work, deteriorate productivity and morale, and sometimes even end workers' careers. The high turnover that results weakens our Nation's healthcare workforce that is already stretched thin and discourages good people from entering these professions. I am proud that California has led the way in preventing and responding to workplace violence against healthcare workers, including requiring the mental health service information that this amendment provides. There is a clear need for these services. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 18,400 workers in the private industry experienced trauma from nonfatal workplace violence in 2017. Of those victims who experience trauma from workplace violence, 71 percent worked in the healthcare and social assistance industry. This amendment would bring the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act in line with the California law by ensuring that healthcare and social service workers are provided with critical information on trauma and related counseling for employees after a violent incident. Madam Chair, I urge support for the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), my distinguished friend.

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the contributions of Contra Costa Television (CCTV) on its 25th anniversary. CCTV was established by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors in 1994 as a governmental and educational access cable television channel. In addition to airing programming twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week on six channels, CCTV also live streams on its website and social media to reach over 350,000 homes in Contra Costa County. CCTV connects, informs, and entertains the community by airing Board of Supervisor and District meetings, in addition to other community meetings, events, public safety information, local sports, and local programming. CCTV's award-winning programming includes Veterans' Voices, which won the Western Alliance Video Excellence award in 2016 and 2018 and the California State Association of Counties 2015 Merit Award. Additionally, CCTV has partnered with the Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department and local chapters of the League of Women Voters to provide the Elections Preview programs. This is the only locally produced voter education programing for broadcast and online streaming. CCTV's slogan, ``Making Television Part of the Solution,'' highlights its dedication to serving the community by providing public broadcasting and communicating County services for the last 25 years. In an era where local journalism is disappearing at an alarming rate, CCTV is a welcome presence in the Bay Area that shares information and brings the community together. Please join me in honoring Contra Costa Television's 25th anniversary.

Mr. DeSAULNIER

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney), who has put so much work into this effort.

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Texas for his comments. Democratic and Republican administrations have sat idly by while healthcare and social service workers are being beaten, abused, and killed. The problem is not going away. It is getting worse. In the words of the ranking member of the Rules Committee, the distinguished gentleman from Oklahoma, he will be voting for the bill because it is better than what we have got. I certainly agree. This bill does far better for our frontline workers who we ask to care for us every day. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule and the previous question. The text of the material previously referred to by Mr. Burgess is as follows: Amendment to House Resolution 713 At the end of the resolution, add the following: Sec. 6. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the House shall proceed to consideration in the House of the bill (H.R. 1869) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to restore incentives for investments in qualified improvement property. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. The bill shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and on any amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and the ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means; and (2) one motion to recommit. Sec. 7. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the consideration of H.R. 1869.

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Just a couple of points to my friend from Texas. He is correct on the open process. However, we did allow for all 10 amendments that were submitted to be accepted, and the final vote was 2-9, understanding that that was a foregone conclusion to many of us. I would just say that this is such an important issue in the urgency, and I would like to join with my colleague to fix the standard and the practice, and to add funding so that the Department can do it. There is an urgency for problems like this to be solved. We can save money in the long run. When I was in local government, I was on the governing board of our county hospital. Two of our five floors were psych wards. We spent hours and hours in closed sessions dealing with liability issues on those wards. So when I read this bill, I think that so much of what is in this bill, many of us have already done, at least from California at the local level and at the State level, and it is good business practice. As somebody who is a former small business owner that had high workers' compensation in the restaurant business, cost avoidance is a good thing. My workers' compensation carrier came out at least once a year to inspect our facilities and see where we could avoid these incidents. So it is just a good business practice. When I look at this, it makes so much sense. There is a cost to start this, but there is, clearly, in my mind, a fiscal savings and an emotional savings when you think of the lives lost. This is not new, but the demand in the changing trend lines say to me that this is urgent. So I would like to agree with my friend from Texas and I would be happy to work with him, but with incidents like this, this Department really needs to be ramped up. It is a national embarrassment that it takes 20 years, or 7 years for the Department to do these rules, understanding that you have to work with stakeholders. So I think there is an element of opportunity here for us. I do think that it is unfortunate, as we talked about in the Rules Committee last night, and Mr. Byrne talked about, that we couldn't get across the finish line and come together completely as a bipartisan bill. Having said that, as my friend from Texas alluded to, this is a bipartisan bill. We do have supporters, including Mr. Cole. Madam Speaker, I have no other speakers, and I understand that the gentleman has no additional speakers, so I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Mrs. Lee).

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Connecticut.

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Connecticut.

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Madam Speaker, yesterday, the Rules Committee met and reported a structured rule, House Resolution 713, providing for consideration of H.R. 1309, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act. The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and the ranking member of the Committee on Education and Labor, makes in order all 10 amendments submitted, and provides for a motion to recommit. It also provides standard recess instructions for next week's district work period. Madam Speaker, there is an epidemic of violence against healthcare and social workers in the United States. Last year, Department of Labor statistics showed they were nearly five times as likely to suffer a serious workplace violence injury than workers in other industries. The Government Accountability Office found that rates of violence against healthcare workers in hospitals, nursing homes, and residential care facilities are 5 to 12 times higher than the estimated rates for workers overall. Between 2011 and 2016, 58 hospital workers died as a result of workplace violence. For me, this matter strikes close to home. In 2010, a Napa State Hospital technician in California, Donna Kay Gross, a constituent, was killed outside the State hospital by a patient under psychiatric care. Donna entered the profession to honor her mother, who battled mental illness and was a patient at that very hospital. She was the mother of three grown children and was raising her granddaughter. Her colleagues described her by saying: First and foremost, Donna was a human service- type person and loved being with people and working with people. Donna's life was cut short when a patient brutally murdered her to steal jewelry and cash from her. This story is just one of thousands of incidents that are on the rise. Sadly, violence has become so commonplace for healthcare workers that they think it is part of their job, resulting in only 30 percent of violent incidents being reported. Some States have stepped up to enact laws to require employers to establish a plan to protect against workplace violence. Donna's story, for example, inspired action in California that I was proud to be a part of when I was chair of the senate labor committee. That action in California served as the basis for the bill before us today in the rule and tomorrow on the floor. These workers deserve national action, and they deserve it now. At the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, these workers are not receiving the urgent attention they need. OSHA takes at least 7 years to put out a standard, but in some instances can take up to 20 years. People like Donna Kay Gross cannot wait that long. To protect the people who dedicate their lives to caring for us, we need to move now. The longer we wait, the more people will suffer. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.