Virginia Foxx

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize today's guest chaplain, Pastor Ryan Hodges of Rocky Face Baptist Church in Hiddenite, North Carolina. In 2005, Pastor Hodges earned his theology degree from Cherry Grove Baptist Bible College in Wilkesboro. He has since served in four churches in our State, wherever God has called him to use his gift of preaching and zeal for souls. He is also a loving husband and father. Mr. Speaker, the surest way to make a positive change in our country is to follow God's will for our lives, which is itself a lifetime's work. North Carolina's Fifth District is blessed to have a faithful servant in Pastor Hodges, dedicated to helping others recognize God's love and plan for them. We are blessed to have his prayers and service today, as is everyone that God places in his life.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Madam Chairwoman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Chairwoman, this amendment is about preventing harm to communities and supporting local control. The Youth PROMISE program was enacted as a part of the broader and very bipartisan Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act reauthorization. These reforms were focused on giving States and local authorities the ability to help prevent delinquency and put these young people on a path to success. Delinquency prevention is the key to helping local communities thrive, and the Youth PROMISE program will be a critical tool in their work. I particularly like this program because it is not a one-size-fits- all approach, as Washington so often wants to do. Rather, this program is a complete toolbox of options for State and local officials to determine what is needed to help them address the problems they may be facing, or, even better, help young people before there is real trouble. That is what prevention is all about. I also like this program because it is the essence of true bipartisanship, and it was the authorizing committee coming together to evaluate the need, consider the evidence, and develop a better plan to help people in need. I should not be surprised, but I was when I saw the Appropriations Committee continued to fund their projects rather than building off of the hard, bipartisan work of the authorizing committee. If we want Washington to work, we need to start by having the appropriators work more closely with the authorizers. While this amendment will not address all of these issues, it is a start. These funds will help make this a program that we will be able to assess and, hopefully, see some real success. I was pleased Mr. Scott and I were able to come to an agreement on positive reforms that will help young people in all of our communities last Congress, and I appreciate working with him now on this continued priority for our committee. I urge support of the amendment.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, Job Corps is meant to be an outlet to help disadvantaged youth gain the skills necessary to achieve a good education and the skills needed for the workforce, but the failures of the program do a disservice to students, staff, and the American taxpayers who pay for the programs. For years this federally funded program has struggled to ensure the safety and security of students. There is ample documentation about the systemic deficiencies in Job Corps, and over 30 different government reports and audits have raised concerns over the safety and security of participants. The administration's proposed changes to Job Corps are an important first step in reforming the program so that it actually works for students and efficiently utilizes taxpayer funds. The Department of Labor's mission of preparing at-risk youth for meaningful participation in the workforce and skills development for career success makes them a better choice for running the 25 Job Corps Centers that have previously been operated by USDA. The transition of these Civilian Conservation Centers, or CCCs, will allow USDA to strengthen its focus on improving our Nation's forests and grasslands while also remaining a key partner in the DOL-run Job Corps centers going forward. In short, the administration's efforts would allow more students to participate in the Job Corps program at high performing centers and in doing so protect taxpayer money. I urge my colleagues to support a Job Corps program that actually protects and serves students and to vote ``no'' on this amendment.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Chair, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Chair, could I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Chair, au contraire, to the gentleman from Oregon. Not only have I visited one of these programs but when I was president of the Mayland Community College, we had a program very close by. I am very well aware of these programs. I doubt the gentleman from Oregon has ever read the report, which talks about the ineptness, the lack of safety, and the danger in these programs. The dangerous place that these programs are, the number of deaths that have occurred in Job Corps programs, yes, there are phenomenal results. There are phenomenally bad results in these programs. Mr. Chair, we have 7 million jobs unfilled in this country right now. If Job Corps, along with our colleges and universities, were doing their jobs in this country, we wouldn't have 7 million jobs vacant in the country. We would have more people prepared with the skills they need to fill those jobs. The recommendation made by the administration will allow more students to get the skills they need at a lower cost for the American taxpayers and in higher-performing centers. We need to spend the scarce dollars that we have as wisely as possible. These programs are more in line with the mission of DOL than in line with the mission of the Department of Agriculture. We need to allow the Department of Agriculture to focus on its mission and the Department of Labor to focus on its mission. I have all the sympathy in the world for young, disadvantaged people who do not have skills to get jobs, Mr. Chair. I have worked directly with those people. I have helped many of them. This is not the way to go. If we truly want to help them, we will have effective programs, not dangerous programs and not ineffective programs. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise to applaud the Trump administration for its proactive steps to ban fetal tissue research. Last week, HHS terminated the NIH's $13 million contract with the University of California, San Francisco for research involving human fetal tissue from elective abortions. Madam Speaker, we should not use aborted babies for research, period. Furthermore, we don't need to because there are scientifically credible alternatives, and this administration is expanding them. Just last December, NIH announced $20 million for finding ethical alternatives to fetal tissue research. Yet the Democratic Party supports research with aborted baby parts, refuses to protect babies born alive after an attempted abortion, and even decries the Hyde amendment, the most basic of protections for taxpayer money. Thankfully, our pro-life President will ensure that only forward steps will be taken to protect all human life.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Gerald Gwaltney. An Alexander County native, Sergeant Gwaltney was sent on four major landings in the Pacific during World War II, including Iwo Jima, where he witnessed the iconic American flag raising there. In the line of duty, Sergeant Gwaltney sacrificed himself for his men, costing him the use of his right hand. Even after brushing with death and experiencing the horrors of combat, this selfless patriot said he would do it all over again. This year, President Trump signed a law directing the Secretary of Defense to conduct a commemorative program for the 75th anniversary of World War II. It is important to take such opportunities like this week's commemoration of the 75th anniversary of D-day to highlight heroes like Sergeant Gwaltney and remember the brave Americans who fought and died for our country in World War II to preserve our freedom.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment in the House of Representatives. Women's right to vote was won by the brave work of suffragettes, many of whom were from North Carolina. In 1917, the National American Women Suffrage Association held a 4- day suffrage school in Raleigh to advance the movement in our State. Instructor Halsey Wilson said, ``We have a government of men, by men, and for the people, instead of a realization of the hopes of Abraham Lincoln of a government of the people, by the people, for the people.'' Today, I am grateful to be serving among the largest group of women ever elected in this body. When the 19th Amendment was ratified, 10 million women joined the electorate, but the suffragettes' work also laid the foundation for women in public offices and the House of Representatives we have today.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief organization headquartered in Boone, North Carolina, on its expansion in North Wilkesboro. This inspiring organization has been providing spiritual and physical aid to impoverished victims of war, disease, famine, and natural disaster since 1970. The new North Wilkesboro Ministry Center will serve as a lifeline to remote missions in developing countries. It will house inventory from World Medical Mission, including lifesaving medical supplies and an emergency field hospital. This expansion and the wide-reaching vision of Samaritan's Purse would not be possible without the hardworking and dedicated staff behind it. These great humanitarians are an honor to represent, and I know that they are wonderful ambassadors of North Carolina's Fifth District around the world. Congratulating North Wilkes and West Wilkes Middle Schools on Lighthouse Certification

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize North Wilkes Middle School and West Wilkes Middle School in North Carolina's Fifth District on their recent achievement of Lighthouse certification for implementing the Leader in Me program. Lighthouse certification is the highest recognition awarded by the FranklinCovey institute, and these are the first schools to receive this distinction in our State. I commend the schools' administration, staff, and students for embracing new paradigms of leadership and undertaking the comprehensive school improvement model put forth by the Leadership in Me program. The program aims to provide a holistic education that encompasses leadership, a culture of student empowerment, and academic achievement. Congratulations to North Wilkes Middle School and West Wilkes Middle School for their demonstrated success. The high-achieving students are evidence of how effectively local leaders in Wilkes County foster positive results with innovation in education.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Kentucky for yielding, and for handling this bill today. I also commend my friend, Representative Comer, for his outstanding leadership of the Republicans on the Civil Rights and Human Services Subcommittee, and for his leadership on this bill. I have served on the committee under its different names for a long time. It was a great honor to serve as the Committee's chairwoman during the last Congress, and as Republican leader during this Congress because, from this perspective, I have seen just how much we are able to get done together that doesn't always capture the attention of the rest of this body or the public. It should be a great encouragement to all of us that when it comes to serving the most vulnerable Americans, children and youth, Republicans and Democrats on the Education and Labor Committee have been able to come together on numerous occasions and produce bipartisan legislation that is forward-looking and aims at prevention first. We did this last Congress with the Juvenile Justice Reform Act and with the reauthorization of the Missing Children's Assistance Act. In a perfect world, we would not need laws addressing child abuse. We certainly would not need stronger laws addressing child abuse. But this world is far from perfect. Today, members of the Education and Labor Committee have brought before the House an update to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act which, since 1974, has helped States combat child abuse and neglect. This bill, aptly named Stronger CAPTA, looks to those who spend their professional and personal lives fulfilling what can only be described as a deep calling to stand between children and abuse, to lead us forward in our efforts to serve families. Last year, we saw a House-wide effort to address the scourge of opioid abuse in communities across the country. As our committee met for hearings and worked to determine our own contributions to that effort, the impact opioid abuse and addiction is having on innocent children came in to sharper focus. In many ways, today's legislation has its roots in those informative proceedings. This bill recognizes the power of community in supporting at-risk families. Leaders in Washington and in State capitals, more than anything, want to protect children in danger. But it is friends, neighbors, fellow church members, and community volunteers who can spot real trouble, hopefully, before it will start. This legislation strengthens and expands coordination among local agencies to help ensure families have access to physical and mental health services, domestic violence prevention programs, disability supports, and substance abuse treatment, when necessary. As opioid addiction continues its hold in communities in every single congressional district represented here, we must look at Stronger CAPTA as another way we can fight back. This bill puts families and children before bureaucracies and paperwork. I am proud of the members of the Education and Labor Committee on both sides of the aisle who worked together to bring this bill to the floor. I urge all Members to support the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for yielding and for his tireless work exposing the deep flaws in this bill. Madam Speaker, I rise as the leader of the Republicans on the Education and Labor Committee, which should have had an opportunity to consider this legislation fully, considering its vast implications for educational institutions and employers. We did not have that opportunity. Instead, we had a single subcommittee hearing. As a fierce advocate for the Education and Labor Committee, I would never deem any subcommittee unimportant, but it was the subcommittee with the smallest membership. On top of that, somehow the decision was made to bring this bill to the floor under a closed rule with no amendments. So, I commend my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee for their work on behalf of all of us. This bill may have ``equality'' in its title, but it does not serve all people. Its mandates for specific accommodations in shared facilities puts job creators, particularly those in small businesses, schools, and other community-serving facilities on the hook for Washington's half- baked ideas. Its vague and circular definitions of gender identity will lead only to uncertainty, litigation, and harm to individuals and organizations that will be forced to comply with a law the authors don't even seem to understand. This is a classic example of passing something now and figuring out what it actually means later. We have been here before. If the Devil is in the details, we are in for a lot of devilish surprises. This is no small price for some greater good, as the bill's proponents have argued. Opening schools and workplaces to expanded liability based on, as the bill states, a ``perception or belief, even if inaccurate,'' of suspected discrimination. Madam Speaker, I am going to repeat those words, because they are so unbelievable: ``a perception or belief, even if inaccurate,'' of suspected discrimination. How can we write legislation like this? It would have untold chilling effects on hiring, career advancement, and one could easily see discourse in the classroom. Where the bill is alarmingly clear, however, is in its meticulous and intentional destruction of religious freedom protections. American employers and educators have grown accustomed to clumsy and misguided mandates coming down from Washington shrouded in good intentions. Other laws under the jurisdiction of the Education and Labor Committee are littered with them, but this time something is different. The provision in H.R. 5 that guts the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 is clear in its intent. This bill is a brazen attempt to replace timeless, inherent religious liberties with the identity politics of the moment. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle could have been given the benefit of the doubt on the rest of this bill. Careless and shortsighted legislation is what they have done best for many years, but this fevered grasping, this hysterical clawing at individual Americans who hold personal religious convictions, represents a major departure from where the debate in this Chamber has been before. I sincerely hope it is temporary, for the sake of this body, and more importantly, for the sake of the people we represent. I hope this bill, which faces certain failure in the Senate, will be remembered as a failed experiment in oppressive legislating and not the first-time move in a new, sustained attack on religious freedom.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise as leader of the Republicans on the committee of jurisdiction over employer-sponsored healthcare, the House Committee on Education and Labor. We have a vital stake in this debate because that is how most Americans get their healthcare, through their employer. Our focus should be on improving those options. Instead, we are here so our Democratic colleagues can grind an ax against the few remaining healthcare options they don't get to control. Among its many choice-eliminating, freedom-limiting provisions, this legislation would eliminate short-term, limited-duration insurance plans. These plans are an obvious potential solution for millions of Americans, working or not, who may find themselves between jobs or unable to afford rising premiums in the already expensive individual market. If any of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle claim to be champions for hardworking Americans or the unemployed, their support for this provision is proof that those claims are empty. It is worth noting for the Record that short-term, limited-duration plans were legal under the Obama administration and that States still have the authority to regulate these plans both under the Obama administration and under the current rules. If States choose to limit or prohibit the sale of these plans, they are free to do so. By considering this bill, House Democrats are once again defaulting to their standard uncreative, blind support for one-size-fits-all Federal mandates instead of respecting the judgment of State lawmakers and authorities, as well as individuals, to act in their States' and their own best interests. Republicans on the Education and Labor Committee have been and remain fully dedicated to protecting Americans with preexisting conditions and unleashing new customizable, affordable, workable healthcare options that take into account the changing needs of all Americans at all stages of life. The bill before the House today will not lower drug prices, will not protect anyone from surprise billings, will not lower premiums, will not cut any out-of-pocket costs, and will not provide one cent of tax relief. Its failure to achieve any of those objectives makes it simply unacceptable for us as Republicans. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cline).

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. David P. Roe), the distinguished ranking member of the Veterans Affairs' Committee.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to the amount of time left.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg), the distinguished Republican leader on the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Fulcher).

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.