Veronica Escobar

Ms. ESCOBAR

Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend the 20 years of dedicated service that Ms. Deborah A. Zuloaga has provided as President and Chief Executive Officer of the United Way of El Paso County (UWEPC). Ms. Zuloaga, a native El Pasoan and alumna of North Texas State University, dedicated 11 years to various roles in political and government service in Washington, D.C., before returning to her hometown. Upon her return to El Paso, she continued her service to the community as an Associate Director and then Resource Development Director at the UWEPC. In 2003, she was appointed the President and Chief Executive Officer, marking the beginning of a transformative era for the organization. Under Ms. Zuloaga's leadership, the UWEPC not only faced challenges head-on but also thrived. The generous donation from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott in 2020 stands as a testament to the organization's impact and the trust placed in Ms. Zuloaga's stewardship. Her unwavering leadership during difficult times, including the response to the August 3, 2019 tragedy, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, underscores her commitment to community resilience. Ms. Zuloaga's involvement in various nonprofit initiatives, state boards, and community events further highlights her dedication to the well-being of El Paso. Her accolades, including being honored as one of six Women of Impact by El Paso Inc. in 2019, receiving the Outstanding Child Advocate--West Texas award from Children at Risk in 2021, and being nominated for El Paso Inc.'s 2023 El Pasoan of the Year, are a testament to her lasting impact to our community. Today, it is my privilege to honor Ms. Deborah A. Zuloaga for her exemplary service, leadership, and dedication to our community, and wish her and her family the best upon her retirement.

Ms. ESCOBAR

Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Army Senior Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). The Army ROTC program has been an integral part of the UTEP and the El Paso community since its establishment on July 1, 1948, as an Air Defense Artillery ROTC unit of the College of Mines and Metallurgy. Today, the Army ROTC program offers UTEP students basic and advanced courses of Military Science, including a Minor in Military Studies, and provides training in small unit leadership and military skills, in both classrooms across campus and in a field environment. The Officers commissioned through the UTEP Army ROTC program have served their nation in all major conflicts from the Korean War through the Global War on Terrorism, having preserved the liberties that have enriched this nation. Additionally, the Officers are always at the forefront of providing voluntary service to our country in terms of disaster preparedness and response, community development and environmental protection. Today, it is my privilege to honor the UTEP Army ROTC, and all those associated with the program, for the important role in preparing individuals to serve their country and their communities, for the last 75 years. I wish them continued success and impact for many years to come.

Ms. ESCOBAR

Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend the Emergence Health Network Veterans One Stop Center for their continuous innovation to expand mental and behavioral health services to El Paso veterans and active-duty military and their families. Emergence Health Network (EHN), the local mental health authority in El Paso, has a dedicated facility focusing on behavioral needs and services. The Veterans One Stop Center (VOSC) in Northeast El Paso provides behavioral health services and additional support to veterans, active-duty military, and their families. Recovery-oriented care is offered to meet the needs of veterans, thus promoting hope and encouragement. EHN's partnership with Fort Bliss has proved to be a tremendous benefit as an additional resource and support system for these individuals to solve the wait and intervention times for care. EHN's Veteran's One Stop Center has the capability and resources to expedite these services to a much-needed population and can provide care to service members anywhere from two to five days of initial contact. Today, it is my privilege to honor Emergence Health Network's Veterans One Stop Center for the grand opening of their new facility in East El Paso and thank them for their ongoing efforts to help our veterans, active-duty military, and their families.

Ms. ESCOBAR

Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Chair, my amendment highlights the importance of the Thriving Communities Program within the Department of Transportation, which my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have struck funding for. The Biden-Harris administration launched the much-needed program in 2022 to prepare State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments to better access Federal funding for their communities. This program is intended to help provide technical assistance to underresourced and disadvantaged communities to help them identify, develop, and deliver on transportation, housing, and other much-needed community revitalization opportunities. It is unfortunate to see that my colleagues on the other side have eliminated this program, which helps communities in their own districts. Not only does the program provide technical assistance, but it also provides grant and financial management support, predevelopment assistance, community engagement, planning, and project delivery support. With historical funding provided by the bipartisan infrastructure law and the Inflation Reduction Act, it has been a priority for the Biden- Harris administration to ensure Federal investments that tackle climate, clean energy, and transportation initiatives are equitably distributed to economically disadvantaged communities as well as rural communities. In fact, many of the same colleagues who approve of slashing this funding have actually enjoyed and celebrated the projects built in their districts with this money. I represent El Paso, Texas, an economically disadvantaged community that would benefit from the Thriving Communities Program. By eliminating this program, communities like mine and many like it across the country will not have the needed resources or equal opportunity to access and benefit from available Federal funding for vital projects in their communities. Rural communities, especially, will suffer. As we all know, economically disadvantaged and rural communities across this country deserve programs like this because they know their needs but lack the needed resources to seek Federal funding. It is programs like the Thriving Communities Program that continue to help the most vulnerable access the historic Federal funding passed by the bipartisan infrastructure law and Inflation Reduction Act. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Quigley).

Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Chair, eliminating this funding is reckless. It will make it harder for underserved and rural communities across the United States to access this much-needed Federal funding. We know that investment in infrastructure doesn't just help rebuild our country, but it also creates badly needed American jobs that help communities across America thrive. That is why I ask my colleagues to support this amendment. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. ESCOBAR

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

Ms. ESCOBAR. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. ESCOBAR

Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Chair, my amendment strikes section 224 of the bill, which mandates that ICE prioritize detention before considering any other options, such as alternatives to detention. This mandate is absurd, and for a party claiming to champion fiscal responsibility, it makes no sense to mandate detention, which is the most expensive option available. We know from previous alternatives to detention, like the case management program run by DHS in 2016, that providing case management services for migrant families costs the Department roughly $39 per day. Compare that to the cost of detaining those same families, which is roughly $300 per day. The mandate makes no sense, even on the most practical level. The United States simply does not have the capacity to detain every single asylum seeker who arrives at our Nation's front door, nor should it. Furthermore, section 244 of the bill hamstrings DHS' operational flexibility to effectively manage their resources depending on the Department's needs at a given time. This could cause a ripple effect of management issues for several agencies within DHS, including ICE and CBP, which would further exacerbate the challenges we see in border communities like mine. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Chair, if my colleagues were truly being honest with each other, they would admit the proposed Homeland Security appropriations bill is unworkable and truly will not solve the challenges that we face. For this reason, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee. Mr. Chair, this bill pulls money from critical DHS functions and improvements, including investing in our ports of entry, the CBP One app, and even endangers public safety by defunding CBP's recently updated vehicle pursuit policy. In short, this bill is filled with unworkable, empty promises Republicans feed their base instead of putting forth real solutions. I have tremendous respect for my colleague, the gentleman from Ohio, and I would implore him to work with us on a bipartisan solution that is truly workable. I was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border. I live there today. I raised my two children there in that beautiful community. No one wants safety, security, and order more than those of us who live there and have invested our lives in those communities. We know that relying on borders, as my colleague, Representative Cuellar, has pointed out, is not the answer. They don't deter or manage, and they don't make migrants go away. All it does is feed cartels so that they can find other routes for migrants. We share a commitment to wanting to end that. We can find a solution and a bipartisan pathway. My colleague, Maria Salazar, and I have come together to find compromise, to seek true solutions that uphold our values and actually solve the problems at hand, and I invite my Republican colleagues to join us. There is no doubt that this is a very broken system that puts significant pressure and strain on communities like mine, on NGOs, on local governments, on our Federal personnel, and, of course, the incredible inhumanity that migrants endure in order to seek an opportunity to live and work in our country. This broken system is a consequence of Congress' inaction. It has been 37 years since Congress has reformed and passed a comprehensive immigration law. There is no better time than the present to do that together, in a bipartisan way. Depending on unworkable solutions, expecting that Mexico will accept every migrant, believing we can jail every human being that comes to our border is unrealistic, and it is not a true solution. If the House rules permitted, I would have offered a motion to recommit with an important amendment to this bill. My amendment would cut the billions of dollars being allocated to the outdated and expensive border wall and reallocate it to the programs and services necessary to address a deadly and urgent matter--the fentanyl smuggling detection and interdiction that is needed at our ports of entry. The most effective way to ensure that fentanyl smugglers are caught and held accountable is to send resources where fentanyl is entering the country--our ports of entry. Over 90 percent of fentanyl is seized at these land ports and interior checkpoints, and it is overwhelmingly smuggled by U.S. citizens crossing the border legally. Mr. Chair, I include in the Record the text of my amendment. Ms. Escobar moves to recommit the bill H.R. 4367 to the Committee on Appropriations with the following amendment: Page 13, line 19, after the dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $310,274,000)''. Page 14, line 20, after the first dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $658,400,000)''. Page 14, line 20, after the second dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $317,000,000)''. Page 14, line 22, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $975,400,000)''. Page 15, line 9, after the dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $258,750,000)''. Page 16, line 21, after the first dollar amount, insert ``(increase by $15,000,000)''. Page 16, line 21, after the second dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $15,000,000)''. Page 18, line 16, after the first dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $9,676,000)''. Page 19, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $50,000,000)''. Page 27, line 9, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $658,400,000)''. Page 27, line 11, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $1,052,000,000)''. Page 27, line 15, after the dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $317,000,000)''. Page 27, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $76,600,000)''. Page 56, line 1, after the dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $14,700,000)''.

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

Ms. ESCOBAR

Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend the Fox Family Foundation for their transformative investment to Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso to help launch the ``Steve and Nancy Fox Cancer Center,'' the first comprehensive cancer center in West Texas. Steve Fox, who has called El Paso home for the past 45 years, is President and Chief Executive Officer of Fox Auto Team, a group of car dealerships based in El Paso. He is a cancer warrior, who battled stage 4 tongue and neck cancer over two decades ago. Steve Fox has tirelessly advocated for comprehensive cancer care in our community and has served on the board of the Rio Grande Cancer Foundation and MD Anderson's Board of Visitors and Advance Team. For 20 years, it has been his dream to bring comprehensive cancer care to El Paso, and this year, that dream came true when the Texas legislature approved a historic $65 million plan to build a cancer center. The Fox Family's investment will support clinical trials, research and recruitment of world-class physicians, nurses, and researchers to the center. With Cancer being one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Hispanic population and El Paso having an 83 percent Hispanic population and 395 cancer cases per every 100,000 Hispanics, the Steve and Nancy Fox Cancer Center is expected to help close gaps and increase Hispanic participation in cancer research and clinical trials. Today, it is my privilege to honor Steve and Nancy Fox, and their two daughters, Paige, and Ashley, for the magic they have produced through their several community initiatives and thank them for helping bring a center that will serve as a beacon of progress in the fight against cancer.

Ms. ESCOBAR

Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome Command Sergeant Major Tammy M. Everette to Fort Bliss as the new Commandant of the Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) Leadership Center of Excellence and Sergeants Major Academy. Command Sgt. Major Everette has served over 27 years of active military service and will now be the first woman to assume the duties and responsibilities of the 24th Commandant in the Academy's 51-year history. As Commandant of the NCO Leadership Center of Excellence and Sergeants Major Academy, she will continue to advance the Academy's mission of providing the best professional military education to our future Sergeant Majors to become holistically fit, disciplined, and well-educated professionals who are ready for challenges of large-scale combat operations. She has served across the country and worldwide in various leadership roles and has received numerous awards and decorations including the Legion of Merit (2OLC), the Bronze Star Medal (1OLC), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (3 OLC), the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal (1 OLC) among many others. Command Sgt. Major Tammy M. Everette is doing tremendous work to develop and provide holistic, effective, and pedagogically sound education to further advance military excellence. It is my distinct privilege today to celebrate her military service to our country and welcome her in her new role as 24th Commandant of the NCO Leadership Center of Excellence and Sergeants Major Academy.

Ms. ESCOBAR

Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the exemplary service of Eric S. Cohan, a career member of the Foreign Service currently serving as Consul General of the United States in Ciudad Juarez. Mr. Cohan has served nearly 30 years to advance United States interests abroad. He previously served in Ciudad Juarez as Deputy Principal Officer for four years and returned in 2020 as Consul General. As Consul General, he leads a team of more than 350 hardworking State Department employees to assist and protect more than 200,000 United States citizens living in the state of Chihuahua and to facilitate trade and goodwill with Mexico. During Mr. Cohan's tenure as Consul General, he has reunited countless families through lawful immigration, reduced a pandemic-era immigrant visa backlog by 67 percent, and helped keep our economy strong by issuing visas to truckers, agricultural workers, entrepreneurs. students, and others whose entry into the United States is critical to the economic well-being of everyday Americans. He understands how intertwined El Paso and Ciudad Juarez are to each other and that forging strong partnerships are vital for our economy and the everyday movement of both American and Mexican citizens. Mr. Cohan and his staff do tremendous work to advance the bilateral relationship between the United States and Mexico, and honor the importance of the cultural, economic. family, and historical ties between our two nations. It is my distinct privilege today to celebrate his public service and wish him well in his next assignment.

Ms. ESCOBAR

Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Speaker, this week, the House is poised to pass a bill threatening funding for public schools and institutions of higher learning if they provide shelter to vulnerable migrants. First, it is important to state the obvious. Migrant encounters are down by 70 percent, and the number of people arriving at the southern border has dropped significantly since the Biden administration ended the use of the Trump-era title 42 policy months ago. While my Republican colleagues want to continue their rabidly anti- immigrant agenda instead of focusing on the needs of the American people, the American people should know that President Biden's efforts to better manage the border are working. Second, it is important for the American people to understand what my Republican colleagues are really trying to do. Last December and early again this spring, members of the media descended on my community of El Paso, Texas, to film and interview hundreds, and at some point, thousands of migrants sleeping on the streets of El Paso. During that coverage, my community told the country that our shelters were full. My community, like others across the country, sprang into action, and with the help of Federal funding, El Paso's Office of Emergency Management provided emergency shelter for vulnerable migrants, and because other shelters were full, had to use empty schools on a temporary basis. My Republican colleagues aren't trying to help us find solutions, which, by the way, could be done if we could get bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform done. Instead, they are using legislative action to harm migrants and harm communities like mine. Earlier this year, Republicans worked to eliminate funding to NGOs and receiving communities, and now they are deliberately trying to create a humanitarian catastrophe by further limiting options for receiving communities. This is what they want: a humanitarian catastrophe. By prohibiting the use of schools for emergency shelter, my Republican colleagues are creating a situation where migrants may not have anywhere else to go except the streets of communities like mine if we were to see numbers climb again. Unfortunately, the Republican Party of today is gripped by troubling extremism. Instead of seeking real solutions, again, like passing comprehensive immigration reform on a bipartisan basis, they are instead seeking to appease the extremists among them in their ranks. If they want to deal with challenges inside our schools, how about they work with us on gun violence or teacher shortages. Democrats, on the other hand, remain focused on solutions and will continue to fight for the needs of Americans. One of those areas of concern in districts across the country has more to do with ensuring we protect key programs that help everyday Americans, which is why if we defeat the previous question, Democrats will bring up a resolution affirming our commitment to protecting Social Security and Medicare. These are vital programs that have a profound impact on the lives of millions of Americans. Both programs serve as a cornerstone of retirement security and affordable healthcare coverage for our seniors, people with disabilities, disabled workers, and survivors of deceased workers. In my district, many El Pasoans rely on Social Security and Medicare to help them meet their basic needs such as housing, preventative care, prescription drugs, doctors' visits, and daily expenses. This inhumane school defunding bill does nothing to truly address any real challenges we face, and I urge my colleagues to defeat the previous question so we can instead bring up important legislation affirming our commitment to the American people.

Ms. ESCOBAR

Ms. ESCOBAR. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment, which, make no mistake about it, is the Republican Party's backdoor effort to create a national abortion ban. I represent El Paso, Texas, which is home to Fort Bliss, one of our country's premier military installations. I serve on the House Armed Services Committee, and I am a mother of two. My colleagues want to ensure that the enlisted women of the United States military and their family members who live in Republican States where abortion has been banned are forced to carry a pregnancy to term, even in the case of rape and incest. Unlike my Republican colleagues, I trust women, and unlike my Republican colleagues, I believe women have a place in the United States military and that it is our job to support them.

Ms. ESCOBAR

Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend the 43 years of public service of Richard D. Wiles, Sheriff of El Paso County, and a distinguished law enforcement leader in our community. Richard Wiles was raised in El Paso and is an Andress High School alum. After graduating, he joined the El Paso Police Department in 1982 and worked his way up the ranks from a Patrol Officer to Chief of Police. Wiles was elected Sheriff to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office in 2009 where he has made important improvements to the safety of our community. As Sheriff, Wiles has significantly improved the technology and training that officers receive. Sheriff Wiles implemented the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) that works with Emergence Health Network (EHN) to respond to calls and aid high-risk situations that may involve a person suffering a behavioral or mental health crisis. Under this program, officers are learning how to respond to mental health cases and help divert people from our criminal justice system when appropriate. Sheriff Wiles was also an outspoken leader following the deadly domestic terrorist shooting that happened on August 3, 2019. He stood up and called out the blatant racism that motivated an individual to drive hundreds of miles with the intention to kill immigrants and Hispanics. Sheriff Wiles understands the strength and significance of our diversity and has embraced it within the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. He has robust knowledge of the criminal justice system both in theory and practice. He received his bachelor's degree in criminal justice from the University of El Paso (UTEP) and earned his master's degree in criminal justice from Sul Ross State University. He also attended the Federal Bureau of lnvestigation's (FBI) National Academy and the Bill Blackwell Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas. Sheriff Wiles has always sought to be the best leader by continuously learning. Today, it is my privilege to honor Sheriff Richard D. Wiles, thank him for his dedication, and wish him and his family the best upon his upcoming retirement.

Ms. ESCOBAR

Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the rich history, culture, and community that the City of El Paso has built over the last 150 years. The City of El Paso was officially incorporated in May 1873 by the Texas Legislature. Since the inception of the city, we have been inextricably linked with Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua and communities in Southern New Mexico. We are home to the Ysleta del Sur Tigua tribe, the University of Texas at El Paso, the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, and Fort Bliss, our nation's second largest military installation. We are a dynamic region, a vibrant metroplex where cultures and traditions blend. El Paso is known as the `Sun City,' where people can enjoy a Chihuahuas or Locomotives game, go on a hike or bike ride on a scenic trail in Franklin Mountains State Park, walk through our historic downtown, or enjoy the poppies in the spring at the Castner Range National Monument. The beauty of our Chihuahuan desert is unmatched. And at night, the Star on the Franklin Mountain always shines bright. The City of El Paso is one of a kind. Our people are known to be warm, friendly, and hardworking. Our city comes together for unifying events, as we did for the Chamizal Treaty of 1963 when the United States and Mexico came into a peaceful settlement of a century-long dispute. We are a community of kindness and good will, one that always welcomes the stranger. But we also come together to love and help each other during times of great challenge, as we did after the domestic terrorist shooting on August 3, 2019 that took 23 souls. El Pasoans are resilient, and we have never lost touch with our humanity. ' I am proud to call the City of El Paso my home and it is my privilege to honor the 150th anniversary of our beautiful city. The future is bright for our community.

Ms. ESCOBAR

Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to praise the transformative work of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) El Paso over the last ten years in the Paso del Norte region. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso became an independent university within the Texas Tech University System on May 18, 2013, with the goal of improving lives and empowering generations through accessible health education and world-class patient care. Now, the university's four schools train tomorrow's Borderplex health care leaders. By partnering with local hospitals, primarily University Medical Center, the medical school provides vital opportunities for medical residencies, clinical rotations, and postgraduation job placements. In addition to transforming the lives of 2,135 graduates, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso continues to serve our community by removing access barriers to health care, addressing the health care worker shortage, and conducting cutting-edge research on diseases that directly impact Latino and residents of our border community. Today, it is my privilege to honor the 10th anniversary of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso and am confident that its strong leadership will remain steadfast in their mission to improve access to health care and inspire future generations of physicians, dentists, nurses, and biomedical researchers.

Ms. ESCOBAR

Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2, a shameful, unserious bill that would shutter our country's asylum system and make the situation at the border much worse. For decades, Congressional Republicans have blocked efforts to reform outdated immigration laws, choosing to focus only on the border, believing that if we can be cruel enough, that would deter desperate people from seeking asylum at our Nation's front door. That hasn't worked, and H.R. 2 is more of their same failed approach. We all want an orderly, well-managed border, especially those of us who live and raise our families on the border, but there is a critical difference that exists from there. Many of my Republican colleagues want no immigration at all, and many believe cruelty is an effective deterrent. But my Democratic colleagues and I and, indeed, most Americans, know that we must and should have legal pathways coupled with enforcement and strategic investment in order to achieve a functional system. This bill is an extremist Republican wish list that caters to the party's most warped values by jailing children and families and extinguishing asylum. The cruelty, unfortunately, is the point. It is no wonder that this bill has been called un-Christian. I represent El Paso, Texas. I am a proud third-generation El Pasoan, and it is where I raised my two children. My community has been at the forefront of immigration for decades, and El Pasoans have always stepped up to help migrants. Our local governments and NGOs work alongside U.S. Customs and Border Protection to provide migrants with food, a place to sleep, and assistance finding transportation to their next destination. We collaborate the best we can, united in our shared humanity. In 2019, for the first time, local partners became eligible to receive Federal funding for this work, and that has been critical to El Paso and other border communities. H.R. 2 will bring that funding to an end and would make it illegal for NGOs to provide any services, from a bottle of water to a safe place to sleep. Let me remind you of Matthew 35:36, ``For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I need clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me.'' This bill would decimate the systems that border communities have built and would literally, by design, create a humanitarian catastrophe. Because of this and many other shameful provisions, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand against this bill and work with those of us who are committed to a real bipartisan solution.

Ms. ESCOBAR

Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate National Infertility Awareness Week, founded in 1989, to salute the parents, doctors, researchers, and others for the extraordinary progress over the last four decades to destigmatize infertility and bring awareness to the many barriers people face when trying to start and build their families. Most Americans are not aware that approximately one in five Americans are impacted by the disease of infertility. The disease affects both men and women of all races, religious backgrounds, and economic statis; it knows no barriers and impacts millions of individuals. Through the revolutionary contributions of research scientists and considerable medical advancements, fertility treatments have vastly improved since the first successful IVF pregnancy and live birth occurred in 1978. Such advancements include early infertility detection through detailed and data-driven testing, advanced egg-freezing technology, and progressive procedures that allow young cancer patients to preserve their fertility prior to undergoing lifesaving chemotherapy treatments. Organizations like RESOLVE: the National Infertility Association, advocate for millions of individuals and couples in this country who need medical assistance to have a family. Other groups, such as the Military Family Building Coalition (MFBC), have focused on raising awareness for active-duty service members and their spouses facing unique challenges with family building. They are actively working to bring awareness to these unique challenges and advance laws and policies that will help our servicemembers sacrificing for our country achieve their dream of building or expanding their own family. There are also organizations such as the Alliance for Fertility Preservation, who stand up to voice on the importance of affordable fertility preservation options for individuals undergoing cancer treatment. In fact, in the absence of comprehensive and reliable fertility preservation and family building healthcare coverage, the option of having children may not otherwise be available for millions of Americans without the financial assistance of organizations like RESOLVE, AFP, and MFBC, and countless other worthwhile organizations. Since 1978, and because of extraordinary medical advancements and steadfast advocacy organizations, millions of Americans have been able to receive life affirming treatments that have resulted in the delivery of babies. And while advancements have been a substantial step forward for family building, significant medical, financial, and health equity barriers still exist for others who require medical assistance to combat infertility. During this National Infertility Awareness Week, I am calling on my colleagues in Congress to do more to remove many of the barriers that currently exist for those experiencing infertility challenges in their pursuit of having a child. The ability to have children and the timing of building a family is a basic human right, and thus we must work together to pass legislation to create a path for these American families. I also applaud my colleagues including Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz, Congresswoman Brownley, Congresswoman DeLauro, Congresswoman Strickland, and Congressman Rick Larsen for introducing legislation devoted to eliminating obstacles to building families. I salute the millions of infertility warriors throughout the country and the world, who advocate on behalf of that most precious of gifts, that of family.