Lizzie Fletcher

Mrs. FLETCHER

Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I was detained outside the Chamber, waiting on a member before me at the metal detector. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 76.

Mrs. FLETCHER

Mrs. FLETCHER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Article of Impeachment and in opposition to the gaslighting that is masquerading as debate in this Chamber today. I was in this Chamber when the President assembled and unleashed a mob to attack the United States Capitol and the United States Congress, the elected representatives of the people. By doing so, he incited an insurrection against our representative democracy itself. If that is not an impeachable offense, then what is?

Mrs. FLETCHER

Mrs. FLETCHER. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Johnson for this opportunity and for her bipartisan leadership of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology during this Congress. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4447 and the important bills from the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology that are included in this bill. I am proud to represent Houston, Texas, the energy capital of the world, and our country leads the world in energy production and innovation because of the work that we do in Houston. We innovate, we create, we research, and we power the world. H.R. 4447 will help ensure that we continue to do so with a meaningful increase in the Federal resources necessary to develop critical energy technologies that we will rely on in our energy mix into the next century. As the center of energy expertise and experience in the country, my constituents in Houston are well-positioned to utilize the financial support provided through this bill and to help chart the course for our energy future. I am particularly glad that to expand research and development of large-scale demonstration of carbon capture, utilization and storage technologies, this package includes legislation I helped lead with my friend from Fort Worth, Mr. Veasey, the Fossil Energy Research and Development Act. Critical work on carbon capture is going on right now in my district, and we have a real opportunity to reduce carbon emissions through these and other carbon capture efforts. To continue the important work of modernizing the use of fossil fuels, Houston companies and universities will be eligible to compete for an estimated $14 billion in grant funds made possible by this bill. I am also glad that this bill includes the ARPA-E Reauthorization, legislation passed through our subcommittee to reauthorize funding for the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy to help advance high-potential, high-impact technologies in the early stages of development. While I support these and other important provisions of this bill, I recognize that it is not a perfect bill. I am disappointed that my amendment to address some outstanding issues related to eminent domain and pipeline construction was not made in order. Our conversation about our energy future is vital for all of us. I look forward to continuing my work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure that we are able to build the infrastructure we need to ensure the reliable delivery of American energy across the country and to collaborate on the essential research that we need and that we focused on so much in our committee work. In the energy capital of the world, we have unique and critical expertise to offer this conversation, and it will help us chart a path forward together. Madam Speaker, this bill represents some of the things we can do together. And for that reason, I will vote in favor of it, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mrs. FLETCHER

Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor United States Marine Corps Corporal Wesley Alexander Rodd, who was killed during a training accident off the coast of Southern California on July 30 of this year and was just laid to rest last Saturday. Born in Houston, he was a resident of Cypress for 17 years. Just 4 months ago, he became a father. After graduating from Cy-Fair High School in 2016, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, and he served as a rifleman with the Bravo Company. We are grateful to him for his service to our country--for his dedication and for his sacrifice--and it is fitting that we, the people he defended, honor him today on the floor of this House, in this Chamber. And as we do so, we honor the loss and the grief and the sacrifice of his wife, Jamie; his 4-month-old son, Ezra; his mother, Valarie; and all of his family, his friends, and his fellow marines. All Americans are forever in their debt--and he will be forever in our hearts.

Mrs. FLETCHER

Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Maloney for all of her efforts to bring this important bill to the floor of this House. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal. He was my constituent, and he was killed in the line of duty nearly a year ago today on September 27, 2019. As we reach this sad anniversary for our community, I am grateful that this bill to pay tribute to Deputy Dhaliwal's lasting impact on our community is on the floor of the House today. This legislation will designate the postal facility on Addicks Howell Road in Texas' Seventh Congressional District as the Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office Building. Deputy Dhaliwal was widely regarded as a role model for Americans of all faiths wishing to serve their communities. He was the first observant Sikh to serve in the Harris County Sheriff's Office, and he was also one of the first officers in Texas to receive a policy accommodation to practice his religion while serving as a police officer. As my colleagues have noted, he was born in Punjab, India, but his parents soon decided to emigrate to Houston where Mr. Dhaliwal grew deep roots. He did have a successful business, but seeking to build a bridge between law enforcement and the Sikh community and the greater Houston community, he joined the Harris County Sheriff's Office, first as a detention officer in 2009 and one year later he was deputized and graduated to the rank of patrol deputy. He was assigned to district 5 which covers much of northwest Harris County, an area he would patrol for the rest of his career. Through his years of service, he improved law enforcement's cultural understanding of Sikhs and was an outstanding example of the tireless contributions that religious minorities and marginalized communities make to our country. Deputy Dhaliwal was also known to have a giving heart, coordinating relief efforts after Hurricane Harvey and traveling to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria to help a colleague's relatives. He volunteered countless hours for Sikh communities across the Nation serving as the director of homeland security for United Sikhs, helping to advise Sikh communities on dealing with potential hate crime threats, and advocating for their religious rights. Deputy Dhaliwal is survived by his wife and three young children. He represented the very best of our community. He worked for equality, connection, and community through his life of service to others. The senseless slaying of Deputy Dhaliwal is a solemn reminder of the risks assumed by police officers daily in serving and protecting our communities. Renaming this post office facility in his honor will serve as a permanent reminder of Deputy Dhaliwal's commitment to and sacrifice for the community that he lived in and served. It will show that we stand in solidarity with the people of Houston, of Harris County, and the Sikh community across the country as they celebrate the life and mourn of loss of this remarkable and selfless hero. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Maloney for her support of this important bill, I thank my colleagues in Texas for joining me unanimously in bringing it forward as cosponsors, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' in favor of the bill.

Mrs. FLETCHER

Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, John Robert Lewis was one of the most courageous and committed citizens that our country has ever known. With unparalleled courage, with deep faith, and with profound hope, he personified a belief in this country and a belief in his fellow citizens all the days of his life. Through his life, he gave all of us a gift: a chance to see the world as it should be and a way to make it so. At this pivotal time in our country's history, his faith in America and in Americans must guide us now. We have the opportunity and the responsibility as Members of Congress and as citizens to honor him by believing, as he did, in an America as good as its promise and by working to make it so. We have many miles to go to build the beloved community, but he showed us the way. How lucky we are, and how we miss him so.

Mrs. FLETCHER

Mrs. FLETCHER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act. At this unprecedented moment in our country's history, when the novel coronavirus has made plain the vital need for affordable and accessible healthcare for people across our country, I was proud to cast my vote in favor of this bill, which builds on the Affordable Care Act. Ten years ago, the Affordable Care Act expanded access to healthcare for millions across Texas and across the country. Since that time, we have also learned of critical improvements needed to the ACA to ensure that care is both affordable and accessible. This bill lowers the cost of prescription drugs, caps premiums, and protects people with preexisting conditions. Vitally important for Texas, with the highest rate of uninsured people in the country, this bill encourages States that haven't expanded Medicaid to do so. And I will work with leaders in Texas to make sure that we do. These are priorities for people across my district, across my State, and across our country. As we battle this public health crisis, I am glad the legislation that is necessary and timely has passed the House, and I urge the Senate to do the same.

Mrs. FLETCHER

Mrs. FLETCHER. Madam Speaker, on Monday, March 2 and Tuesday, March 3, I was not present for votes as I was in Houston for the Texas Primary Election. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 79; YEA on Roll Call No. 80; YEA on Roll Call No. 81; and YEA on Roll Call No. 82.

Mrs. FLETCHER

Mrs. FLETCHER. Madam Chair, I ask unanimous consent to claim time in opposition, although I do not oppose the amendment.

Mrs. FLETCHER. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chair, I rise today to offer this bipartisan amendment with my colleague and neighbor, Mr. Crenshaw, to help families who, through no fault of their own, were denied disaster recovery funding--in our case, for our constituents affected by Hurricane Harvey. As Members of this body will recall, Hurricane Harvey landed on the Texas Gulf Coast in August of 2017. It was the second costliest hurricane in United States history. It took 68 lives, it dropped more than 60 inches of rain, and it caused nearly $125 billion in damages. Our community came together to help, and we showed each other and the Nation how much we can accomplish when we work together to help our neighbors in need. This body worked, too, appropriating funds quickly to help those affected for immediate assistance and for long-term rebuilding. But the needs were great and the funds, though well-intentioned, were slow. So many of our constituents took out loans from the Small Business Administration, where they could get low-interest loans to begin the necessary and immediate work of rebuilding. When they applied for the SBA loans, they were told that taking out a loan would not disqualify them from other disaster aid. Unfortunately, they were, in fact, disqualified from other forms of Federal aid because they had taken out an SBA loan. If they had taken out a loan from a friend or a bank, they would not have been in this situation. They would still be eligible for the Federal aid. But because they chose to take out an SBA loan in the midst of an unprecedented disaster, they were disqualified from receiving further Federal assistance. Of course, that is inconsistent with the program, it is inconsistent with the intent of this body to punish people for seeking help from the agencies that are there to help them in their times of need. I have heard from so many constituents who have been left behind by what, by all accounts, was a mistaken interpretation of the intent and the rules that need to be corrected. We simply cannot leave them behind. We now have the opportunity to correct this error here and to bring meaningful relief to disaster victims. This amendment will fund $45 million to those in Texas who were wrongfully denied assistance because they took out SBA disaster recovery loans. We have a chance today to right this wrong and to deliver the help that our neighbors have been waiting on for years. During Harvey, our community demonstrated that we are at our best when we are working together to solve problems, and this amendment does the same. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. FLETCHER. Madam Chair, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price), the chairman of the Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mrs. FLETCHER. Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the distinguished Speaker of the House.

Mrs. FLETCHER. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank my colleagues for their collaboration on this bill. I thank Mr. Crenshaw for working with me on this important effort for our community and for communities across our State and, of course, our country. I thank everyone for their collaboration and support in this effort, and for the eloquent statements and important statements made this morning in support of this amendment on the floor. I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment. And I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. FLETCHER

Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 535, the PFAS Action Act, a comprehensive bill to address PFAS contamination across the country. And I thank my colleagues for their commitment to bringing this bill to the floor. Mr. Chair, I am glad that one of the bills I filed in this Congress, H.R. 2638, has now been included in this legislation. It directs the Environmental Protection Agency to issue guidance on minimizing the use of firefighting foam and other equipment that contains PFAS chemicals by firefighters and first responders. Its purpose is simply to minimize the risk for our firefighters and first responders as well as for our environment. We know that these chemicals are dangerous for humans who have been exposed to them, and we know they are dangerous for our environment. Unfortunately, we have seen the impacts in our community as recently as last year. During the ITC plant fire in Deer Park, Texas, in March 2019, firefighters used more than 130,000 gallons of foam to extinguish the massive flames in that fire. Not long after, high levels of PFAS chemicals were found in the water in the Houston Ship Channel and lower levels were found farther downstream, according to the Galveston Bay Foundation. Our first responders risk their lives every day to protect our communities. We must do everything we can to protect theirs.

Mrs. FLETCHER

Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this USMCA agreement. In my home State of Texas, trade with Mexico and Canada accounts for billions of dollars and millions of jobs, many of them at the Port of Houston and in the greater Houston area. The USMCA modernizes the framework for our trade, strengthening enforcement, labor, and environmental provisions in an updated agreement that does not adversely impact our businesses, our workers, or our environment. It is also critical for our energy future, codifying a new zero- tariff policy and further encouraging U.S. energy exports across North America for years to come. The agreement represents a true bipartisan accomplishment that will set the standard for future trade agreements. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Neal, the working group, Ranking Member Brady, and Ambassador Lighthizer for their work. As cochair of the New Democrat Coalition Trade Task Force, I have been actively working with them to advance this agreement all year. I am so glad to see it come to the floor of the House. I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes''.

Mrs. FLETCHER

Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2726, which simply codifies existing internal policy at Amtrak that prohibits smoking or use of electronic cigarettes on Amtrak's trains. Amtrak instituted this policy in 1993 and has since updated it to address the use of electronic smoking devices. I think this is very important. Last year, we addressed a similar gap in the code and included a provision in the FAA Reauthorization Act to prohibit the use of electronic cigarettes on airplanes. This bill once again puts Congress on the record as supporting protections for the traveling public from the risk of secondhand smoke. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mrs. FLETCHER

Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2548) to modify eligibility requirements for certain hazard mitigation assistance programs, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2548, as amended.

Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to bring my bill, H.R. 2548, the Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects, or HELP, Act to the floor today. I am proud of the HELP Act and all that it represents. It is bipartisan, commonsense, meaningful legislation that was born out of conversations and a partnership with local officials in my home district that will benefit all Americans. As many in this body will recall, Hurricane Harvey hit my district and the Texas Gulf Coast in August 2017, causing great devastation. It dropped nearly 60 inches of rain, it claimed 68 lives, and it caused an estimated $125 billion in damage. It was the second most expensive hurricane in United States history. Members of this body responded to Harvey's devastation with the speed and purpose needed for recovery, passing three supplemental appropriations bills, sending billions of dollars in aid to Texas through different programs, but recovery was and is still slow, slower than many expected, and slower than any can afford. Before I was sworn in this year, I met with our local officials at home to talk about the impediments to recovery: How could we speed up recovery? Where was recovery delayed? What could the Federal Government do? One impediment that had a significant impact on recovery was the process for the award of mitigation project funding from FEMA. As my colleagues may know, section 404 of the Stafford Act provides that FEMA may grant up to 75 percent of funds for cost-effective mitigation projects through a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Local municipalities, States, and Tribes are responsible for meeting the remaining local match. Their projects must be approved through FEMA. When States or municipalities apply to the grant program, projects, regardless of size or scope, require a comprehensive review to make sure all requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, NEPA, and other statutory requirements are met. Importantly, these Hazard Mitigation Grants do not allow for reimbursement of costs incurred before a grant is approved. As a result, many areas recovering from disaster must wait for the FEMA review to go forward for months or years at a critical time for decisionmaking and recovery. In the case of natural disasters, local governments need to move quickly on projects like land acquisition, for example, buyouts of homes that have been damaged, and other projects. The chief recovery officer for the city of Houston has told us that FEMA's pre-award cost policy, that is, not allowing the reimbursement of costs incurred before grant approval, is a limiting factor in recovery, especially in these cases of land acquisition. Homeowners simply cannot afford to wait months or years for decisions to make their own decisions about whether to repair their homes or whether to take a buyout of the homes, and the result is not only inefficiency, but real hardship. For example, the Harris County Flood Control District received $25 million from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to conduct buyouts to reduce flood damages in areas located deep in the floodplain where structural projects to reduce flooding are not cost effective or beneficial. But that was nearly a year after Hurricane Harvey that that grant money was awarded. It took a year because of the review period required at FEMA for all applications. Most homeowners simply do not have the luxury of waiting a year or more to begin repairs or to decide what to do. Many would be open to a buyout, but funds aren't available, so instead, they take out an SBA loan or other loans to begin repairs. And if you already owe money on loans or repairs to your house, a buyout is no longer an attractive option or even an option at all. Once a property owner has repaired their property, the less likely a buyout is a viable path forward for that individual and for the community. It is not just anecdotal evidence. The data shows that, for acquisition buyouts, the quicker you can make an offer to buy out property after a flooding event, the more likely the disaster victim is to accept it and the more it reduces costs overall. The quicker local governments are able to move, the more people they can help, and the more resources can be leveraged for recovery. Having a one-size-fits-all approach to reviewing projects through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is not efficient or effective. It needlessly delays critical mitigation work. So that is where the idea for the HELP Act came in. The HELP Act will allow land acquisition projects and simple construction projects that do not require an Environmental Impact Statement under NEPA to commence immediately without risk of losing potential Federal matching funds. This will allow State and local governments to respond more quickly to the needs of their community and to plan disaster mitigation more efficiently and effectively. It is simple, it is straightforward, and it is needed. At home, I hear a consistent concern that Federal disaster money moves at a glacial pace. This bill addresses some of that and will be a real improvement for communities across the country. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues Mr. Meadows, Mr. Olson, and Mr. Butterfield, my original cosponsors who worked with me on this bill. I also want to thank all of the cosponsors of the bill who helped in the effort, in addition to Chairman DeFazio and Chairwoman Titus, whose assistance in bringing this bill to the floor was essential. Disaster mitigation is not and should never be a partisan issue. I am glad to see the bipartisan consensus in support of this bill and that we can address these inefficiencies and these real impediments where they exist. There is still much work to do when it comes to preparing for future storms that we know will come, but I am hopeful that the HELP Act will aid State and local governments when they do. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation and help our families, businesses, and communities recover from disaster. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Financial Services, Washington, DC, December 11, 2019. Hon. Peter A. Defazio, Chairman, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing concerning H.R. 2548, the Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects Act. In order to permit H.R. 2548 to proceed expeditiously to the House Floor, I agree to forgo formal consideration of the bill. The Committee on Financial Services takes this action to forego formal consideration of H.R. 2548 with our mutual understanding that, by foregoing formal consideration of H.R. 2548, we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and that our Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as this or similar legislation moves forward with regard to any matters in the Committee's jurisdiction. I appreciate your commitment to work with the Committee to address any outstanding issues as the bill is considered in the Senate. The Committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving this or similar legislation that involves the Committee's jurisdiction and request your support for any such request. Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming this understanding, and I would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Congressional Record during Floor consideration of H.R. 2548. Sincerely, Maxine Waters, Chairwoman.

Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Mr. Meadows' partnership on this, and I look forward to working together on many more projects that are of real assistance to the people who we represent. Mr. Speaker, the HELP Act, as we have discussed, is a commonsense, bipartisan, meaningful piece of legislation. It is exactly what we are sent here to do, and I am pleased to see it on the House floor today. I urge all of my colleagues to vote in support of it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mrs. FLETCHER

Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4719) to amend the Federal share of the fishing safety standards grants, as amended.

Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4719, as amended.

Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4719. This bill reestablishes a more gracious 75 percent non-Federal match requirement for grants to support fishing safety training and research programs to improve the safety of U.S. commercial fishing fleets. Commercial fishing is one of the United States' most dangerous occupations, with a fatality rate nearly 30 times higher than the national average. Workers in the industry can face a wide variety of hazards, depending on the vessel or fishery. Research and training to address best practices for a specific fleet and/or region are critical to ensure U.S. fishermen are receiving the best possible information and training before they depart the pier. There have been some recent successes in reducing fatal workplace injuries within the commercial fishing industry, but targeted safety research and training remain necessary and essential to maintain that downward trend. Over 23,000 commercial fishers work in the Gulf of Mexico. By providing fishers, NGOs, academia, and businesses with access to targeted Federal safety research and training grants, we are ensuring that commercial fishing remains not only a career choice for Texans but a less risky pursuit, as well. This bipartisan bill was introduced by Representative Golden and has attracted bipartisan cosponsors among other Transportation and Infrastructure Committee members, including Representatives Young, Pappas, and Pingree. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 4719, and I urge my colleagues to join me in passing this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Golden), the sponsor of this legislation.