Lois Frankel

Ms. FRANKEL

Ms. FRANKEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 246, a bipartisan resolution that opposes the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement aimed against Israel, strongly supports a two- state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and affirms the Constitutional right of American citizens to free speech. Let's be clear about what BDS is and is not--BDS is not a social justice movement. It ignores Palestinian terrorist attacks targeting Israeli civilians, including more than 18,000 rockets and 105 suicide bombings, as well as human rights abuses perpetrated by Palestinian leaders against their own people. BDS is an international effort to economically, politically and culturally isolate our close ally Israel. It undermines prospects for a two-state solution by punishing Israel with economic harm in order to force concessions by Israel alone and encouraging the Palestinians to reject negotiations in favor of international pressure. BDS does not recognize the right of the Jewish people to national self-determination, a right proclaimed by the United Nations. Some of its supporters even advocate for Israel's complete destruction. Omar Barghouti, a co-founder of the movement, has said, ``Most definitely, we oppose a Jewish state in any part of Palestine.'' I am pleased that members of Congress, on both sides of the aisle, understand that a secure Israel is important for our country as well as our allies. I am proud to be a co-sponsor of this resolution which puts Congress on the record opposing the discriminatory BDS campaign against Israel and supporting a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states.

Ms. FRANKEL

Ms. FRANKEL. Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of this very important legislation, the Raise the Wage Act. Mr. Speaker, they are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your grandmothers. They are your childcare workers, your home health aides, your retail workers, your maids. They, too, have to pay rent, buy food for their families. By the time many retire, they live in poverty. Women play an essential role in the economy of the United States of America yet make up two-thirds of minimum-wage workers. They are our mothers, our sisters, our grandmothers, our daughters. They deserve a raise, and they need a raise. When women succeed, America succeeds.

Ms. FRANKEL

Ms. FRANKEL. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. FRANKEL. Madam Chair, this amendment takes an important step toward fighting terrorism. It would require the Director of National Intelligence to submit an intelligence assessment on the relationship between women and violent extremism and terrorism. Madam Chair, to prevent ISIS 2.0 and to improve U.S. counterterrorism and peace-building efforts, we need to pay more attention to the roles that women play in violent extremism, including as victims, as perpetrators, and as preventers. First, as victims, women are often the first targets of terrorism. We have seen it with the abduction and rape of thousands of women and girls by ISIS, the kidnapping of hundreds of girls by Boko Haram in Nigeria, and the attack of girls just trying to go to school by the Taliban. Secondly, Madam Chair, women are not only the victims of terrorism. Some are perpetrators. Recent research shows that women are turning to terror organizations because of false promises of protection, escape from abuse at home, and even, believe it or not, for leadership opportunities. As a result, women-led attacks are rising. In fact, now, 20 to 30 percent of foreign terrorist fighters are women. In sub- Saharan Africa alone, three out of four child suicide bombers are girls. Madam Chair, women are not only victims and perpetrators of terrorism. They are also preventers, as mothers, wives, and daughters. They influence their spouses and children. They are on the front line of detecting early signs of radicalization in their families and communities. Madam Chair, because of gender inequality, their warnings are often ignored. Let me give you an example. Afghan women saw young men being recruited at a wedding, and they shared their concerns with law enforcement. They were dismissed. Later, those same recruits went on to kill 32 people in a bus attack. I conclude, Madam Chair, by saying that understanding women's unique roles in terrorism is important to creating more peaceful communities around the world, which results in more security for the United States of America. Madam Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to support this very important amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FRANKEL

Ms. FRANKEL. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. FRANKEL. Mr. Chairman, I think there are a few of us here in Congress who are old enough to remember a time when we actually did nuclear bomb drills in school. It probably would have been a futile action had there been a real attack. And although nuclear warfare is still an existential threat to all of us and our allies around the world, it has been arms control that has let us go about our lives daily without that worry of nuclear war: agreements like the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, known as the INF Treaty, signed in 1987 between the United States and the Soviet Union, which led to the elimination of thousands of United States and Russian nuclear missiles. In recent years, it has become apparent that Russia has been violating this treaty. And in response, in February, the Trump administration announced its withdrawal to the consternation of our European friends, giving both the United States and Russia freedom to produce more nuclear weapons. And it is the general consensus of the arms control community that we should be working with Russia to bring them back into compliance instead of adding to our nuclear arsenal and sidestepping NATO. Once again, this administration is alienating allies who don't want to be targets for Russian attacks. The NATO Secretary General said, clearly: We do not intend to deploy new land-based nuclear missiles in Europe. In recent testimony before Congress, General Paul Selva, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated: There are no military requirements that we cannot currently satisfy due to our compliance with the INF Treaty. In other words, the world has enough nuclear weapons to destroy civilization. It is clear that our withdrawal from INF has been driven by extreme elements in our administration who have made their careers out of destroying arms control agreements. To stop this nuclear escalation, my amendment would prohibit funding for missile systems noncompliant with the INF Treaty unless the Defense Department demonstrates an ally has agreed to host the INF missile and that we have exhausted all other diplomatic options. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment to prevent a dangerous and costly nuclear arms race. Enough is enough. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FRANKEL. Mr. Chair, how much time do I have remaining?

Ms. FRANKEL. Mr. Chair, let me just respond by saying, according to the Department of Defense, there is nothing in this amendment that would impact missile defense test systems. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel).

Ms. FRANKEL. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Garamendi).

Ms. FRANKEL. Mr. Chair, how much time do I have remaining?

Ms. FRANKEL. Mr. Chairman, let me just say this. The Department of Defense says that nothing in this amendment would impact missile defense cooperation with Israel. I just want to end by saying: Enough is enough. Diplomacy, not more nuclear weapons. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FRANKEL

Ms. FRANKEL. Madam Speaker, on roll call votes 431, 432, and 433, I was not present because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``YEA,'' ``YEA,'' and ``YEA'' respectively.

Ms. FRANKEL

Ms. FRANKEL. Madam Speaker, on roll call vote 355, I was not present because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

Ms. FRANKEL

Ms. FRANKEL. Madam Speaker, on roll call vote 249 I was not present because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY.

Ms. FRANKEL

Ms. FRANKEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their work on this bill. I am very proud to support this rule for this very outstanding bill package that makes For the People investments to give every person a better chance for a better life. Mr. Speaker, I want to touch on a few issues. First, with this legislation, we recognize that when women succeed, America and the world succeed. We do this with many, many outstanding investments. When women in our country and the world are educated and healthy and have economic opportunity, their communities will be more prosperous and peaceful for everyone. We have increased investments in Head Start and childcare programs, medical research, family planning, girls' education, fighting gender- based violence, and supporting women-owned enterprises. Mr. Speaker, we are repealing the administration's cruel domestic and global gag and religious refusal rules that are cutting off lifesaving healthcare to so many people in our own country and around the world. We are also making smart investments in our country's infrastructure. So important to my home State of Florida is the restoration of Florida's Everglades, to keep the drinking water clean and safe for over 8 million people. I want to add, as a mother of a retired United States marine war veteran of many years and representative to so many honorable servicemen and -women, I recognize their selfless and brave service to our country. So I am especially pleased with the funding for the Veterans Student Success Program on college campuses that will help veterans transition to student and civilian life. Mr. Speaker, as I said, this is an outstanding bill for the people of this country, and I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the bill package.

Ms. FRANKEL

Ms. FRANKEL. Mr. Chair, I oppose this very cruel amendment which supports the Trump administration's rule that allows virtually any individual or entity involved in a patient's care, from a hospital's board of directors to a receptionist that schedules procedures, to put personal beliefs ahead of a patient's health. This antiabortion obsession has gone to the ridiculousness. Under this Trump rule, a pharmacist could refuse to fill a prescription for birth control, a receptionist could refuse to schedule an abortion for a child rape victim, an ambulance driver could refuse to take a patient suffering from miscarriage to the hospital, all based upon their personal beliefs, not the patient's welfare. Mr. Chair, this rule is dangerous. The amendment is dangerous. It should be killed before it kills us.

Ms. FRANKEL. Mr. Chair, my, my, my, here we go again, the anti- abortion obsession turned into more cruel ridiculousness. How interesting that my Republican colleagues, whose motto is ``less government,'' try at every opportunity to interfere with a woman's most personal decision whether or not to bring a child into the world. But this amendment does more than that. It is aimed at eviscerating Planned Parenthood and like clinics, cutting off access to contraception and lifesaving healthcare to millions of Americans. Women and the people they trust--not politicians--must be in charge of women's reproductive destinies, which means that women must have access to full healthcare, because we will not go back to the days of coat hanger medicine. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to defeat this very, very bad, bad, bad, bad, very bad amendment.

Ms. FRANKEL

Ms. FRANKEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding and my colleagues who have brought this before us today. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the American Dream and Promise Act. As a teen, Daniella had a dream, a dream to be a lawyer. Her grandmother had brought her here from Venezuela when she was a small child, from a place she barely knew and never returned to. Daniella learned English, made friends, studied hard, and became an honors student. When she applied for a college scholarship, she learned for the first time a family secret: she was undocumented. Disqualified from this scholarship and with no money for college, Daniella was devastated. Then, in 2012, like for hundreds of thousands of young people, the doorway to opportunity opened. President Obama issued the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals order. Daniella enrolled in college and is now preparing for law school. Mr. Speaker, today is a day that walls come down and we show the world that dreams like Daniella's can come true.

Ms. FRANKEL

Ms. FRANKEL. Madam Speaker, let me start by first of all thanking my colleague, Mr. Castro, for yielding time, and Chairman Engel and Ranking Member McCaul for their bipartisan leadership. I am rising in support of a bipartisan resolution brought by myself and Representative Scott Perry of Pennsylvania denouncing female genital mutilation and cutting, known as FGM. Every girl, no matter where she is born, has a right to be free of violence, and FGM is a barbaric violation of girls' and women's human rights. It is defined by the World Health Organization as any procedure that involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for nonmedical reasons. Madam Speaker, there is no developmental, religious, or health- related justification for this harmful practice. FGM poses immediate risks to girls' health, including severe pain and bleeding, difficulty in passing urine, infections, and even death due to hemorrhage or shock. The practice often leaves girls with long-term scars as well: post- traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, HIV infection, cysts, abscess, genital ulcers. I could go on. Girls who have undergone FGM also face an increased risk of complications affecting their menstrual cycles, sometimes resulting in infertility. And as my colleagues pointed out, more than 200 million women and girls living today around the world, including women right here in the United States of America, have been cut. And now here is a horrible statistic: UNICEF predicts that, if there is no reduction in this practice within the next 30 years, the number of girls being mutilated each year is going to grow from 3.6 million a year to 6.6 million a year. Madam Speaker, I want you to know that, with resources and advocacy, we can stop this horrific practice. Just look at Jaha, a very, very courageous young woman from Gambia who was a week old when she was mutilated and forced into marriage at age 15. Now, she escaped that marriage. She could easily have fallen into despair. Instead, she spoke out because she never wanted her daughter or any other child to go through the suffering of FGM. Because of her hard-fought efforts, FGM is now banned in her home country. Like Jaha, we must all do more. So, today, I am asking the United States Congress to pass this bipartisan resolution denouncing female genital mutilation, recognizing it as a violation of the human rights of women and girls, affirming the importance of ending its practice for the safety and security of women, calling upon the international community to increase its efforts to accelerate the elimination, and urging our State Department of the United States, in their gender programming, to incorporate coordinated efforts to eliminate FGM. Today, we are going to send a clear message that this practice must stop; and the United States, as one of the largest donors in the global health programs, can help end this cruel practice. There are things that we can do, like allocating resources annually to continue our efforts to eliminate FGM, codifying the U.S. strategies to prevent and respond to gender-based violence; and we must--I want to say this emphatically--we must restore funding to the U.N. Population Fund, the world's largest program to end FGM, that works with 17 countries and more than 3 million survivors. Madam Speaker, ending FGM will help millions of girls have a better life. And when they have a better life, that means that their communities will be more prosperous and more peaceful, because when women succeed, the world succeeds. It is imperative that we end female genital mutilation now. And I thank my colleagues for joining me in support of this critical resolution.

Ms. FRANKEL

Ms. FRANKEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor 80 high school seniors in Florida's 21st District who have decided to enlist in the United States Armed Forces. Of the eighty from my district, thirty-three have joined the Army; their names are the following: Jacob Alexis, Jayquan Amaker, Edwin Asenjo, Devon Barthelemy, Briana Bolivar, Ricky Borgela, Kamron Botelho, Ricky Casseus, Lanca Danastor, Jannifer Elie, Joaquin Flores, Zachary Forster, Shemoi Foster, Linear Gelpi, Naeshawn Goines, Hunter Hall, Jessica Harris, Ashlyne Janvier, Christopher Jean Louis, Halina Josama, Joshua Lee, Bentley Meide, Brandon Moore, Ronie Olibrisse, Miguel Perez Mendez, Angela Pintos Villca, Dedan Presendieu, Erika Santiago, Ritchy-Senat, Christel Stephon, Trevor Topete, Zulma Bonilla, and Jaqueissy Pena. Nineteen have joined the Marines; their names are the following: Kenneth Allen, Ryan Altes, Huguenson Camy, Ralphy Dormeus, Jonathan Giron, Fernando Guerra Guzman, Michael Guillen, Valeria Manzano, Trevor Murtha, Collin Poerstel, Sebastian Rodoli, Kevin Aguilar-Agosto, Matthew Soares, Jesus Juarez, Jay Marine, Anthony Medina, Shiloh Robinson, Joseph Saavedra, and Alberto Velazquez. Twenty-six have joined the Navy; their names are the following: Izabella Brunson, Justin Rose, Jordan Sharpe, Maria Figueroa, Roseny Joseph, Adler Pierre, Xavier Lesueur Sierra, Danny Ortiz, Natali Tamayo, Jessica Gonzalez Rodriguez, Jessica Wagner, Leonardo Gandica Gonzalez, Flora Hill, Donald III Tuckwood, Jeali Vasquez, Summer Dobbs, Jacqueline Sierra, Rafael Perez Garcia, Isaiah McGraw, Ian Giles, Roshell Almonte, Christopher Walsh, Gabriel Rinaldi, Brandon Granberg, Kaden Kennedy, and Alessandro Riccio. Two have joined the Air Force; their names are Valeria Degrossi and Donovan Dowling. It is in thanks to the dedication of patriots like these that we are able to meet here today, in the United States House of Representatives, and openly debate the best solutions to the diverse issues that confront our country. On behalf of myself and all of my constituents in Florida's 21st District, I thank them for their service, and best of luck as they pursue this challenging endeavor.

Ms. FRANKEL

Ms. FRANKEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Ann Weaver Norton and on behalf of the Ann Norton Sculpture Garden in West Palm Beach, Florida. Ann Norton was an inspirational artist. She found her passion at age 8, when she received her first sculpting tools. She eventually moved to New York where she studied at the National Academy of Design, the Arts Student League of New York and Cooper Union. Ann served as an apprentice to the famed sculpture John Hovannes and a studio assistant to Alexander Archipenko. Her artwork was well received and she participated in numerous shows at the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. In 1942, Ann moved to West Palm Beach and began teaching at the Norton Gallery and School of Art. Five years later, she married Ralph Norton, the school's founder. In 1977, Ann established the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens Foundation. The sculpture garden and the foundation work to preserve the artwork of Ann Norton and other unique local treasures. The Norton Sculpture Gardens commemorates the great artwork and culture Ann brought to the community of South Florida. On February 9, 2019, the Norton Sculpture Garden held a grand reopening. After $100 million in renovations over eight years, the museum now includes an additional 12,000 square feet of gallery space and a new exterior. On display one will experience artwork from the likes of Jackson Pollock, Claude Monet, and Georgia O'Keeffe. I proudly join the Ann Norton Sculpture Garden in celebrating the induction of Ann Norton to the Florida Artist Hall of Fame this Saturday, April 13, 2019.

Ms. FRANKEL

Ms. FRANKEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in support of what I consider, and many consider, one of the most important pieces of legislation that protects the families of America, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, because no woman or man or child should ever be afraid to walk into their own home because of fear from violence from a spouse or a dating partner. So today, I rise on behalf of one of my constituents named Olga, from Florida, who on her wedding day thought she was entering into a dream marriage for herself and her two children. But this marriage turned into a nightmare when her husband became aggressive, violent, and controlling, imprisoning Olga and her two children in their own home, not even letting the children go to school. Olga fled to my hometown and was nurtured back to emotional and financial health by a local domestic violence organization in my community. The Violence Against Women Act helps tackle the epidemic of domestic violence, stalking, dating violence, and sexual violence. Since it was first passed in 1994, serious victimization by an intimate partner has dropped by 72 percent for women and 64 percent for men. However, it is estimated that as many as 45 million adults will still experience physical violence, rape, or stalking by an intimate partner sometime in their lives. Reauthorizing and strengthening this legislation, expanding protections, increasing funding, and improving services to survivors will save lives across America and help protect women like Olga and let her children be spared from horrific violence. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this great bill.

Ms. FRANKEL

Ms. FRANKEL. Madam Speaker, this is a great day in America. I am so proud to say that as the Congress considers these bills that protect and advance human rights. I rise today, specifically, to talk about the Paycheck Fairness Act, because men and women should be able to be paid the same for doing the same work. I thank my colleagues, Rosa DeLauro and the committee chairman, Bobby Scott, for their advancement of this great legislation. Madam Speaker, I want to tell you a story, the story of a young lawyer who worked in the public defender's office. Her job was to represent people accused of crimes like murder and robbery. She was a free lawyer for them. It was very high pressure, and it was very grueling, but she loved it. When she got the job, she was told a rule: Nobody talks about salary in this office. But one day, she found out that a male colleague was doing the same job, and he had similar credentials, but he made much more money. She was making $18,000 a year. He was making $20,000. When she asked her boss why, she was told that he, the male attorney, had a wife and children to take care of. Madam Speaker, that was me. That happened to me 40 years ago. It was then and still today is a very common experience to millions of women who are still earning 80 cents on the dollar that men make, and actually much less for women of color. It still makes me angry to think about my own experience, but I am not complaining about my own life journey. Fortunately, I have a job now that pays me the same as my male colleagues. I am so happy I am in a position to do something about this today. As a result of lower lifetime earnings and different work patterns, women are hit hard in retirement.

Ms. FRANKEL. I am too excited, Madam Speaker. This is why so many women end up in poverty. I want to just say this over and over: women go to work for the same reason men go to work, and that is to take care of their families. Regardless of the circumstance's agenda, we deserve to be paid equally. This Paycheck Fairness Act is going to allow workers to talk openly about their pay. It is going to prohibit asking about salary histories. It is going to require bosses to prove disparities exist for discrimination. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill because when women succeed, America succeeds.

Ms. FRANKEL

Ms. FRANKEL. Madam Speaker, I rise in recognition of Loujain al- Hathloul, a Saudi women's rights activist and political prisoner who stands trial today in Saudi Arabia. Loujain has been imprisoned for her political activism, including for women's equality under the law. She was arrested in May 2018, along with a dozen other peaceful women's rights advocates. These activists have been held as prisoners, and have reportedly faced torture and abuse, including sexual violence, beatings, and electric shocks. Loujain was arrested for her advocacy on behalf of an end to the male guardianship system and the ban on women driving. Fighting for women's rights is a fundamental American value that we have long championed worldwide. Today marks the first day of her sham trial. She has been denied a lawyer and any real form of defense against the Saudi government. The United States cannot stand by and watch while justice and democracy are devalued by our partners. We must hold the Saudi government accountable for such human rights violations. That is why I introduced a bipartisan resolution condemning Saudi Arabia's continued detention and alleged abuse of women's rights activists. Saudi Arabia must release these advocates and end the discriminatory male guardianship system that restricts women's decisions about their livelihood. Let this serve as a reminder to the world that women's rights are human rights.