Sylvia Garcia

Ms. GARCIA of Texas

Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong and unwavering support for H.R. 5, the Dream and Promise Act. I am proud to represent the 29th Congressional District of Texas. One of the things I am most proud of is the strong and vibrant immigration communities that reside in our district, where thousands of DACA, TPS, and DED recipients live, work, and play beside us as neighbors and colleagues. If Dreamers were forced to leave our district tomorrow, we would lose over $400 million of GDP. Our immigration policies put politics over people, which often hurt our children who are in constant fear of being separated and uprooted from the country they call their own. This is wrong for our economy. This is wrong for our communities. This is wrong for our country. It is time that we pass a permanent solution for these vital members of our society, which is why I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 5.

Ms. GARCIA of Texas

Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman for yielding, and I rise today to express my strong support for this bill, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act. Since the Brady law was enacted in 1994, many American lives have been saved, murders have fallen by at least 32 percent, and our community streets are safer and stronger as a result. But our work is not done. In Houston alone, we see an average of 550 acts of gun violence per year. Too many of our loved ones are lost to senseless gun violence that could be prevented by keeping firearms out of dangerous hands. We know expanded background checks work. States requiring background checks on all handgun sales see half as many mass shootings as States without the expanded requirements. That is why I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 8. This commonsense bill will prevent private firearm sales to prohibit purchasers and close online and gun show loopholes. While this bill does not cover everything, it is a step in the right direction that will make my district--Houston, Texas--and this country safer.

Ms. GARCIA of Texas

Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today as January is School Board Recognition Month. I regret that this new job has prevented me from attending celebrations this month in the school districts across my district-- Texas' 29th. They include: Houston, Aldine, Humble, Sheldon, Channelview, Deer Park, Pasadena, and Galena Park lSD. All these districts and their employees deserve a big Texas thank-you for all they do to prepare our children for their future. Thank you especially to all of our School Board Trustees for all they do for our students and schools in the Houston Region. We must all do our part to ensure our students get the well-rounded education they deserve. Madam speaker, I also want to congratulate the Galena Park North Shore High School Mustangs Football Team in winning the Conference 6A D1 State Championship. I urge everyone to attend a community pep rally this Saturday, February 2, 2019 at 3 p.m. at the Galena Park Stadium. Go Mustangs.

Ms. GARCIA of Texas

Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise to object to the administration's threat to issue a national emergency declaration and reprogram money that has been allocated for Hurricane Harvey. I join a bipartisan group of Texas legislators in opposition to this diversion, including my former colleagues from the Texas Senate. This administration is seeking any funds or any means to go around Congress to build his wall. Congress is a coequal branch of government, Madam Speaker, with a duty to appropriate funds for Hurricane Harvey. Any action to delay or divert those funds puts lives at risk and potentially displaces people from their homes, many in my own district in Houston. We must do more to mitigate the damages caused by flooding. Diverting disaster funds to pay for a wall will not accomplish that goal. I am proud of the bipartisan opposition to this effort, and I hope that we can work together in that same spirit to end this Trump shutdown.

Ms. GARCIA of Texas

Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this body has passed bipartisan bills to open up the government, yet this shutdown could become the longest one in the history of this country. My communities in Houston are feeling the real effects of this shutdown. Over one-in-five families in my district depend on food stamps. This shutdown continues to threaten their food security and, in some cases, their health and well-being. This issue hits our seniors especially hard, because over 11 percent of food stamp recipients are seniors and over three-quarters of those live alone. In Texas, almost 30,000 Federal employees are furloughed or working with no guarantee of a paycheck. At Houston's Hobby Airport, in my district, we may put air travelers at risk. TSA employees, air traffic controllers, and Customs and Border Protection agents are required to work without pay. No one should be forced to barter for their rent or food, be evicted from their home, or be forced to work without pay. We have passed bipartisan legislation to end this shutdown. Let's reopen our government and let's pay our workers.