Bob Goodlatte

Mr. GOODLATTE

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Newhouse).

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon).

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Ferguson).

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs), a member of the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bergman).

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining on each side.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Black).

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Tennessee.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Woodall).

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Brooks).

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Alabama.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. In closing, let me quote President Ronald Reagan. In his address to the Nation on the fiscal year 1983 Federal budget, he said: ``Only a constitutional amendment will do the job.'' ``With the stick of a balanced budget amendment, we can stop government squandering, overtaxing ways, and save our economy.'' A few years, later he said this in his weekly radio address: ``One part of our Founding Fathers' genius was their provision for amending the Constitution. They knew they had created a good document but not a perfect one. In fact, even two centuries ago, some of them, especially Thomas Jefferson, were troubled by one omission: the lack of a limitation on public borrowing by the Federal Government.'' ``Well, even in their reservations about the Constitution, the Founding Fathers were perceptive and wise. ``I think most of you know how badly out of control Federal spending has gotten in recent years;''--I'm quoting President Reagan in 1980-- ``today the national debt is $2.25 trillion.'' ``. . . I'm one of those Americans who has always believed that a constitutional amendment mandating that Congress balance the budget is the answer to what ails us.'' That was 30 years ago. Today the national debt is over $20 trillion, and President Reagan's words ring 10 times louder as a result. I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment and in freeing our children and grandchildren from the burden of a crippling debt they had no hand in creating so they and their own children and generations to come can be free to chart their own futures. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important amendment to the United States Constitution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GOODLATTE

Mr. GOODLATTE. Thank you, Chairman Thompson. I really appreciate your organizing this Special Order. I am glad you picked this topic because we need to tell the story of what the great provisions are in this farm bill, but also how important it is to Republicans that we work with America's agricultural community to make sure that we continue to provide the safest, most abundant, most affordable food supply in the world. Americans today, right now, enjoy one of the lowest percentages of their average income being spent on food of any country in the world, at any time in the world's history. Back when our country was founded, 90 percent of Americans lived on farms and basically produced enough food to just take care of themselves and then maybe have a little bit left over to sell to buy some implement for their family. Today, 2 percent of America's farmers do that, provide all of that food and nutrition, including what goes into these important programs for low- income people. So making sure these programs are protected but also making sure that they work fairly and honestly is the objective of this farm bill. I want to talk tonight about a program that helps get food directly into the hands of those who are in need in communities throughout the country, including in Virginia's Sixth Congressional District that I have had the honor of representing. The Emergency Food Assistance Program, known as TEFAP, is a Federal program that helps to supplement the diets of low-income Americans, including elderly people, by providing them with emergency food assistance at no cost. TEFAP provides commodities to the States, who then distribute the food through local agencies, like the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank and Feeding America Southwest Virginia in my district. This program is a good model of efficiency and allows State and local organizations to play a leading role in helping to meet the nutritional needs of those in their communities. Food banks are an existing, strong network for food delivery to those in need. However, it is also important to note that many farmers often still have excess fruits and vegetables that go to waste. The solution is to establish a farm-to-food bank program, allowing States to enter into agreements with farmers to procure this excess for distribution. To achieve this, we are expanding funding in H.R. 2 for TEFAP, using a portion of that increase for a farm-to-food bank program, a State- administered agriculture surplus clearance program, that provides an inexpensive source of food for low-income families while supporting producers. I want to thank Chairman Thompson and Chairman Conaway for their hard work to ensure that TEFAP remains a viable resource for American families. Again, thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your hard work and for organizing this opportunity to share some of the great things in this farm bill with the American people.

Mr. GOODLATTE

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4203) to amend title 18, United States Code, with regard to stalking, as amended.

Mr. GOODLATTE. 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. 4203, currently under consideration.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased we are voting on H.R. 4203, the Combat Online Predators Act. This legislation increases the maximum criminal penalty for those who stalk children and obligates the Department of Justice to report best practices for prosecuting stalking laws at the State and local levels. According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, approximately 7.5 million people are stalked each year. While stalking may not involve physical harm, the psychological effects from being stalked can be just as severe. Stalking victims live in constant fear of violence. They fear it will never stop. In fact, the prevalence of anxiety, insomnia, social dysfunction, and severe depression is much higher amongst stalking victims than the general population. About half of all victims of stalking indicate that they were stalked before age 25, and about 14 percent of female victims and 16 percent of male victims experienced stalking between the ages of 11 and 17. Mr. Speaker, the unfortunate reality is that, in the internet age, stalking our Nation's youth has become easier for predators. Predators can now harass children in their homes--the very places our children should be safest--and can even do so anonymously. H.R. 4203 recognizes that those who stalk minors should be subject to greater criminal penalties. The bill increases the maximum allowable prison sentence by 5 years in cases in which the victim is a minor. No child should live in constant fear for their own safety, and this bill will further deter predators from such conduct. Stalking cases are also notoriously difficult to prosecute because they require showing repeated intentional harassment. It is important for prosecutors to be able to reference best practices in investigating and prosecuting these cases. Therefore, H.R. 4203 requires the Attorney General to issue a report identifying best practices in bringing these cases. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the lead sponsor of this legislation, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick from Pennsylvania. This bill was approved with unanimous, bipartisan support by the House Judiciary Committee, and I urge my colleagues in the House to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, at this time, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick), the chief sponsor of the legislation.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time, only to urge my colleagues to support this very strong, bipartisan legislation. I want to congratulate the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Murphy). I want to thank the ranking member of our Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee for her work in this area. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. GOODLATTE

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of H.R. 4909, the STOP School Violence Act of 2018. Violence at our schools makes students feel vulnerable in a place where they should feel comfortable to learn, grow, and be happy. To curb violence at our Nation's schools, the STOP School Violence Act provides a multilayered approach to identify threats and prevent violence from taking place on school grounds. It provides much-needed resources to train students, teachers, and law enforcement officers on how to recognize and quickly respond to warning signs, and provides funding for technology to keep schools safe. Eighty percent of school shooters told someone of their violent plans or exhibited warning signs. The bill before us today will ensure that students, teachers, and law enforcement will learn how to identify at-risk behaviors, properly assess threats, and intervene appropriately before a tragedy strikes. The STOP School Violence Act provides funding for training to prevent student violence against others and self, including training for local law enforcement officers, school personnel, and students. Prevention training gives students and school personnel the ability to recognize and respond quickly to warning signs of school violence and includes active shooter training. The bill provides funding for technology and equipment to improve school security and prevent attacks. This includes the development and operation of anonymous reporting systems, such as mobile apps, a hotline, and a website. Funding may also be used for metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other technologies to keep schools safe. The bill also supports the acquisition and installation of technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency. The legislation also contains funding for school threat assessment and crisis intervention teams so that school personnel can respond to threats before they materialize. Finally, the STOP School Violence Act provides funding to support law enforcement coordination efforts and, in particular, those officers who already staff schools. The version of the bill before us today is the result of a collaborative effort of many of my colleagues who worked with Mr. Rutherford to incorporate many of their ideas. I would like to point out the important contributions of Representatives Susan Brooks, Coffman, Chabot, Granger, Rodney Davis, Messer, and Bost, including many key elements of legislation that they have introduced into this bill that have made the bill stronger. Finally, I want to thank Mr. Rutherford and the bipartisan group of cosponsors for their work on this important bill, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4909. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4909) to reauthorize the grant program for school security in the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as amended.