Sharice Davids

Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas

Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my support for H.R. 1044, the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act, introduced by Congresswoman Lofgren. This bipartisan legislation will help ease green card backlogs for those facing the longest wait times and help our businesses retain the high-skilled staff they need to be competitive. Last month, I sat down with Sunayana Dumala, who shared her story with me. It was only 2 years ago that our community was devastated when Sunayana's husband, Srinivas, was murdered in a hate crime in Olathe, Kansas. My predecessor helped her obtain a temporary visa, but she still faces a potentially decades-long wait to gain citizenship. This is because, with him gone, her status was at risk. These green card backlogs need to be resolved. Sunayana is not alone. Many people have applied for permanent residency and are stuck in long backlogs for green cards. H.R. 1044 creates a fair and equitable first-come, first-served system, helping to even out green card lines and helping to prevent excessive backlogs for folks like Sunayana. It allows U.S. companies to focus on what they do best: hiring people with the right skills to create products, services, and jobs. This is a piece of a larger, more comprehensive reform needed to fix our broken immigration system.

Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas

Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas. Mr. Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment.

Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment to the Save the Internet Act that helps the American consumer. This amendment requires the Government Accountability Office to produce a report examining the FCC's efforts to assess competition in the wireline and wireless broadband internet access markets, and to tell us how the FCC can better assess competition in the future. Driving competition in the telecommunications industry is good for innovation, consumer pricing, and availability of service. It only makes sense then that we should receive an accurate assessment of the FCC's current efforts to promote that competition and to ask the GAO how they might do it better. I urge support for this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Michael F. Doyle).

Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas

Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Representatives Cleaver, Watkins, and Larsen, for cosponsoring this bipartisan piece of legislation to designate the Quindaro Townsite in Kansas City, Kansas, as a national commemorative site. I would also like to thank Senator Pat Roberts for his important leadership on this issue. The bill that passed this week honors the significant history of Quindaro, which served as a key stop on the Underground Railroad and helps preserve the site for future generations. Quindaro is an important part of United States and Kansas history in the fight for freedom and equality. It serves as a reminder of a dark chapter in our Nation's history. Sadly, for too long, the Quindaro Townsite has lacked proper investments needed to preserve it as a historic site. But the community leaders in Kansas never gave up on fighting for Quindaro, people like Marvin Robinson a Kansas City, Kansas, native who spent over 30 years working for this legislation to pass. He now plans to use the site to improve racial relations in the community and to educate people about our shared history. Madam Speaker, I am proud to protect Quindaro's history and keep its stories alive for future generations.

Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas

Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to voice my support for this amendment to H.R. 8 introduced by Representatives Horn and Murphy. This amendment protects people facing the threat of domestic violence, dating partner violence, sexual assault, stalking, and domestic abuse. I am the daughter of a military veteran, and like most Kansans, I respect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. But also, like most Kansans, I am tired of politicians doing nothing to stop senseless killings. That is why I support commonsense solutions to keep our communities safe, like expanding background checks and closing dangerous loopholes in our laws. In our effort to ensure the safety of our communities, however, we can't forget the needs of those at risk of domestic violence to protect themselves from abuse. According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, in 2017 a domestic violence incident was reported every 23 minutes and a domestic violence murder occurred every 9 days in the State of Kansas. In the United States, more than 12 million people experience some form of domestic violence by a current or former domestic partner every year. These women and men deserve our support, which means we also need to reauthorize and strengthen the Violence Against Women Act. These men and women deserve to be protected. I cannot emphasize that enough. Mr. Chair, I am proud to support H.R. 8. It is a critical piece of legislation that will save lives, and I urge my fellow colleagues to stand up for survivors and those at risk and support this amendment.