Alcee Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentleman.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 15 seconds to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern).

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I ask how much time I have remaining.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I would advise the gentleman from Texas that I am prepared to close if he is.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I ask the American people to look at this chart. Rules under Speaker Ryan: structured rules, 44 percent; closed rules, 56 percent; open rules, zero. That is what we are talking about. As with all bipartisan measures, this NDAA has many things to like and some provisions that are causes for concern, but it did demonstrate that there can be bipartisan cooperation in order to safeguard our national security, and that should be the case in every one of the jurisdictional undertakings here in Congress. I commend the committee for once again tackling such a major legislative package, but sadly, this approach is far and away the exception to the rule around here. Finally, Mr. Speaker, we have a moral responsibility to address gun violence in this country. Gun violence has overtaken our country. We have a moral responsibility to every child who now attends school thinking about, not if a school shooting will happen, but when it will happen to them. This responsibility is not owed to them at our leisure, it is not owed to them next month or next week or tomorrow, but today. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on the rule, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, it is my great privilege to rise today to commend Mr. Roger DeHart, a devoted public servant who walked more than 1,000 miles from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Washington, D.C., in order to raise awareness about human trafficking. Roger is a Deputy Officer in the Broward County Courthouse. He began training for this walk six months ago, and after pooling his vacation time, he set-off from the steps of the Broward County Courthouse to the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery and the United States is one of the top destinations in the world for trafficked victims. Centers of tourism, including Florida, are major destinations for human trafficking victims--many of whom come from our own communities and schools. Florida now has the third highest rate of trafficking in the country, and Broward and Palm Beach Counties rank first and fourth respectively for in-state incidences of trafficking. We are seeing a disturbing trend of victims being targeted at schools, where traffickers use force, fraud, or coercion to control victims and subject them to compelled labor or commercial sex acts. One year ago, I led members of the South Florida Congressional Delegation in urging the Palm Beach County and Broward County Public Schools systems to incorporate human trafficking education into their curriculums in order to push back against this horrific crime. Mr. Speaker, I am awe inspired by Roger's activism and dedication to raising awareness about an issue that is taking place in our community and in every state across our nation. Roger deserves a debt of gratitude for all that he is doing to bring about real change, and working to end human trafficking once and for all. It only takes one person to make a difference. I thank Roger for being an unsung hero to so many, for his service to our community and to our nation.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, it is my great honor to rise today and recognize the achievements of Coach Robert A. Green, also known as ``Pompey.'' Coach Green, a world-class runner, Army veteran, and Athletic Director at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, touched countless lives over the course of his distinguished career and represented the best of men, known by all for his generosity, kindness, and caring of his athletes. Coach Green was born in Fort Myers, Florida and attended Dunbar High School. He was considered the fastest football player in his graduating class of 1949. He attended Allen College in Columbia, South Carolina, on a full football scholarship, where he obtained four Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships in the 100-yard dash and became the first runner from Allen to run in the world famous Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After school, Coach Green joined the United States Army, receiving numerous awards, medals and commendations for achievements. While serving in the military, he tied the world record for the 100-yard dash at 9.3 seconds. Coach Green began working at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale in 1957. He served as the Track Coach, Department Chair and Athletic Director over a 35-year career. He was the first African American Coach to attend the Broward County Coaches Clinic for Track Coaches, allowing Dillard High School to participate in the County's Integrated Track Meet in 1967. He is also the founder of the Panther 100 Club. This innovative and vast booster club has donated over $100,000 to the academic and athletic clubs of Dillard High School. These funds have afforded numerous unique opportunities for the children of Dillard High School, including trips to Alaska, New Orleans, and Washington, D.C. Coach Green is a member of the National Negro, Allen University, Florida High School and Dillard High School Halls of Fame. The tracks of Dillard High School and Dunbar High School are named in his honor and his football jersey, No. 4, is retired from use at Dunbar High School. Mr. Speaker, Coach Robert A. Green is more than deserving of recognition in the annals of American History for his service to our country, and his dedication to the education, mentoring, and the personal development of the youth of Dillard High School. I thank him once again for his years of service.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank my good friend, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Newhouse) for yielding me the customary 30 minutes for debate. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to debate the rule for consideration of this measure, H.R. 3053. As my good friend alluded to, this legislation has bipartisan support and takes an important step towards permanently securing nuclear waste in our country. Thirty-six years ago, Congress passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act. In doing so, this institution created a formal process for constructing a permanent geological repository for the growing amount of nuclear waste across our country. This particular provision established a scientifically based, multistage process for selecting an eventual site of permanent storage for highly radioactive nuclear waste, delineated the Federal Government's responsibilities for the transportation of spent nuclear fuel, and created a dedicated funding source for disposing of nuclear material. Five years after passing the NWPA and following significant congressional review of the Department of Energy studies, it was determined that the facility be built at Yucca Mountain. However, after many subsequent years of planning, licensing, and construction, the project has stalled--at a cost of tens of billions of dollars. The question of how to dispose of spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste has been an ongoing problem in our country for decades. Even with the statutory requirements put in place by the NWPA nearly four decades ago, no permanent solution is currently available for safely storing high-level radioactive waste in a consolidated, secure location. Rather, spent nuclear fuel is stored at nuclear reactors across the country. Many of these facilities have been shut down, or soon will be, without any solution to the long-term problem. For obvious reasons, the issue of nuclear waste storage at plants across the country is of great concern to the surrounding communities, especially as some nuclear plants are shuttered early. The longer we wait, the greater the problem will become. H.R. 3053, the underlying legislation, directs the Secretary of the Department of Energy to create a program to consolidate and temporarily store commercial spent nuclear fuel during the development, construction, and initial operation of a national repository. The legislation provides the Energy Department with consolidated storage options to help fulfill the Federal Government's obligations to take possession of spent nuclear fuel in other States that are waiting for a permanent repository. This bill, although I have some concerns, is a good step forward. This is a complicated issue, and I believe this institution has come together to present at least a viable option for addressing a very serious need. Mr. Speaker, in taking up this legislation, the Rules Committee has acted for the second time in just a few weeks to bring bipartisan legislation to the House floor. While the bill we are debating today is certainly not perfect, it is, nonetheless, an example of what can be accomplished through compromise and bipartisan cooperation. This type of process should not be the exception to the rule. It should be the standard operating procedure for the House of Representatives. I mention this because we all know this is, by and large, not the case. Instead of working together, we have witnessed dozens of controversial and partisan bills pushed through the House through a closed process designed to silence the minority and even voices within the Republican majority. That is wrong, and for the sake of this institution, it cannot continue. Using the closed process, my Republican friends recently pushed through one of the largest tax giveaways in American history. They did so at the expense of middle class families across the country, passing the bill without so much as a single hearing or bipartisan conversation. According to the latest survey by the National Association for Business Economics, the massive tax cuts have not made any difference in businesses' hiring plans. Rather, almost every week, we hear of corporations using their millions of dollars in handouts to buy back stock and pad the pockets of their investors. It is no wonder most Americans haven't seen their paychecks go up. In a few years, when the tax breaks expire--that is right, they are only temporary--the few families across the country who benefit will recognize the tax scam for what it really is: an empty bag of goods that added nearly $2.5 trillion to the national debt. My friends on the other side are even contemplating paying for part of their tax plan by retroactively eliminating funding for a number of programs, and the children's healthcare program is one of them. Let me say that again. In order to pay for the tax cuts for millionaires and large corporations, my Republican colleagues are suggesting cutting billions of dollars from healthcare programs for vulnerable children. How dare they. The closed process isn't just about what is being rammed through the House; it is about what is being blocked altogether. Americans across our Nation continue to be victims of gun violence, yet Congress has failed to pass even basic commonsense reforms like banning bump stocks or fixing our background check system. More than 26,000 children and teens have been killed in gun violence since 1999. This year alone, 500 teens and over 100 children have been killed or injured by guns. People are killed every single day, and this body has done nothing but prevent sensible reforms from even being considered. Another example is DACA. Eighty-three percent of Americans say they favor continuing the DACA program, as do a majority of the Members of this House, and that includes Republicans and Democrats; yet the majority refuses to bring up the Dream Act for a vote. Just put it down here for a vote; that is all. The 26 measures for guns that are reasonable, put it down here for a vote. If it doesn't pass, then at least we can say to the American people that we tried to do something about gun violence and we tried to do something about the Dream Act. Mr. Speaker, it is our responsibility to the American people to consider legislation in a transparent and serious manner, and the legislation that we are considering today is exactly that kind of situation, something that doesn't happen nearly enough. I commend my colleagues for their bipartisan work on H.R. 3053, but it is absurd that bipartisan work is such a rarity, and that is worthy of comment. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, few people in this body understand the dynamics of Yucca Mountain as do the Members from the State of Nevada. One of my good friends is on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and on the Foreign Affairs Committee, and I have had the pleasure of being on the Rules Committee and hearing her make presentations with reference to this matter. She speaks very clearly. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus).

Mr. HASTINGS. I yield the gentlewoman from Nevada an additional 1 minute.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. When debating a bill as significant as this one, it is imperative that the people's House allow as much debate and as open a process as possible. Sadly, the Rules Committee did not even allow all Members from Nevada, whose State this bill will impact the most, to offer their amendments on the House floor. Once again, this majority picked winners and losers and limited debate to just a select few amendments. This is unfortunate but all too common an event during the 115th Congress. To block a Member from offering an amendment to a bill that would impact their district, in particular, is to block a Member from representing their constituents. I might add, there were five Members, Democratic and Republican, from the Nevada delegation who were present at the Rules Committee last night. Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I am going to offer an amendment to the rule to allow the people's House to debate and vote on Representative Rosen of Nevada's amendment, which was blocked by the Rules Committee. Her amendment, which is a thoughtful proposal, would delay licensing, planning, or construction of the nuclear repository at the Yucca Mountain site until the Director of OMB studies the economic viability and job-creating benefits of alternative uses of the Yucca Mountain site. It is bothersome to me that we have had most of the discussion here already without talking about reprocessing; and I asked last night how much research is being done, of the distinguished chairman of the committee, who, I believe, has done an incredibly good job in offering up bipartisanship. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment in the Record, along with extraneous material, immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Mr. HASTINGS. As I said previously, the members of the Nevada delegation know more about this issue than all the rest of us combined. So to discuss our proposal, yet another clear voice that came to the Rules Committee last night and her amendment was not made in order. I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Rosen), a member of the Armed Services Committee, and the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui), my good friend, who serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee, and is a former member of the Rules Committee, so she understands our process extremely well and has done extraordinary work on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I would like to close by again commending the committees involved in presenting this legislation, and for doing so in a bipartisan manner. While the underlying bill we are debating today is not perfect, it is, nonetheless, an example of what can be accomplished through bipartisan work. In bringing up this bill, the Republican leadership has, perhaps, tipped its hand. It has demonstrated that it is capable of working with the minority and allowing for mature debate and compromise worthy of this institution. I hope this trend continues. I suspect that it will not. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on the previous question and the rule, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

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

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of my very dear friend, Mr. Cyrus ``Russ'' M. Jollivette. I was fortunate to have known Russ for many years. His untimely passing is a true loss for the State of Florida. Russ was born on August 5, 1946 in Miami, Florida to Frances Reeves Jollivette Chambers and Cyrus M. Jollivette, Sr. He is the brother of two sisters, Regina Jollivette Frazier and Cleo Leontine Jollivette. He held a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from C.W. Post College, a Masters of Business Administration in Management from Long Island University, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Miami's (UM) School of Law. Russ dedicated himself to the advancement of higher education, health access and services, and public service. While well-known for his 24 years of service at UM, and his 12 years of service at Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of Florida, there are many other organizations, educational institutions, nonprofits, and community groups that Russ started, chaired, or directed. Russ committed himself to creating and supporting educational opportunities for students in Florida and beyond, at colleges and universities from the University of Miami to St. Thomas University, Florida A&M University, Florida International University, University of Florida, University of North Florida, Barry University, Jacksonville University, Eckerd College, and community colleges throughout the state. He also played a major role in the world of health, seeking support for several hospitals and medical schools, and especially children's hospitals and schools of nursing throughout Florida. He had served as the Chairman of the Dade Public Health Trust, and always sought support for the Children's Hospital at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center, the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Health System, as well as cancer centers throughout Florida. Additionally, Russ played a role in the world of philanthropy. He directed relations for the UM Foundation for decades and directed the BCBS Florida Blue Foundation. He was responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars reaching education, health, community, and nonprofit initiatives. Russ was a special leader in the world of higher education and public service, and a leader in the African American community. Everywhere he went, he made a positive impact on those around him. Fond memories of Russ will forever remain with his daughter Lynn Jollivette Johns, and his two beautiful grandchildren, Richard Franklin II and Lauren Marie. Mr. Speaker, I was truly honored to have known Russ and to call him my friend. He was kind and generous person, who was always giving back. I know that Russ' spirit and loving memory will always live on. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this extremely difficult time. He will be dearly missed.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the passing of my dear friend Lottie Albert. Lottie was born on December 25, 1915 to Eva and Louis Wernick in New York City. Twenty-one years later, Lottie married Sol Albert and the two enjoyed 55 years of marriage, and have two lovely daughters, Harriet and Doreen. Lottie was the loving grandmother to Eric, Glenn, and Lowell, as well as a great-grandmother to Kyle, Samantha, Heather, and Seth. Lottie was a resident and community leader of Broward County for over 40 years. It has been my honor to see Lottie's commitment and passion for serving her community. She was an amazing individual, who dedicated herself to helping so many throughout South Florida. In 1988, she was inducted into the Area Agency on Aging's Dr. Nan S. Hutchinson Broward Senior Hall of Fame. Additionally, Broward County honored Lottie in 2005 by declaring November 12th as ``Lottie Albert Appreciation Day.'' In 2012, Lottie was inducted into the Broward County Women's Hall of Fame for her work with the Ann Storck Children's Center, the Elderly Interest Fund's MEDIVAN Program, and the Alzheimer's Family Center. Mr. Speaker, Lottie was an extraordinary friend. She helped me at every stage of my career, never wavering, never faltering. On good days and bad days, I knew Lottie would be there for me as she was for so many of us. Her advice, wisdom, humor, and vast knowledge of life will be sorely missed.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the passing of my dear friend, Lottie Albert. Lottie was born on December 25, 1915, to Eva and Louis Wernick in New York City. Twenty-one years later, Lottie married Sol Albert. The two enjoyed 55 years of marriage and have two lovely daughters, my friends, Harriet and Doreen. Lottie was the loving grandmother to Eric, Glenn, and Lowell, as well as the great-grandmother to Kyle, Samantha, Heather, and Seth. Lottie was a resident and community leader of Broward County for over 40 years. It has been my honor to see Lottie's commitment and passion for serving her community. She was an amazing individual who dedicated herself to helping so many throughout south Florida. In 1988, she was inducted into the Area Agency on Aging's Dr. Nan S. Hutchinson Broward Senior Hall of Fame. Additionally, Broward County honored her by declaring November 12 as Lottie Albert Appreciation Day. In 2012, Lottie was inducted into the Broward County Women's Hall of Fame for her work with the Ann Storck Children's Center. Mr. Speaker, Lottie was an extraordinary friend of mine. She helped me at every stage of my career, never wavering, never faltering. On good days and bad days, I knew Lottie would be there for me, as she was for so many of us. Her advice, wisdom, humor, and vast knowledge of life will be sorely missed.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, it is kind of good to see a Floridian in the pro tempore chair. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Alabama for yielding me the customary 30 minutes for debate, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to debate this rule. Last night at the Rules Committee, we had the opportunity to hear from Chairman Kevin Brady of the Committee on Ways and Means, the chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee, Lynn Jenkins, and the ranking member of the Oversight Subcommittee, John Lewis, about this legislation. They discussed--hey, America, listen to this--the bipartisan nature in which they worked on this issue to craft legislation that they hope can achieve strong bipartisan support in this body. It came out of committee 38-0. H.R. 5192 protects young children and recent immigrants from synthetic identity theft, a type of fraud that involves combining a legitimate Social Security number with a fake name in order to create a new synthetic identity. One in every 10 children have fallen victim to this type of threat. Research has shown that children's identities are stolen at a rate of 50 times more frequently than adults, resulting in children and families shouldering unforeseeable debt and a flawed credit history that is extremely difficult to clear. Mr. Speaker, in a refreshing change of pace, this measure, as I indicated, had a 38-0 vote coming out of the markup in committee and included input from Democrats, the IRS, and consumer protection advocates. Unsurprisingly, as I have indicated, it came out of committee overwhelmingly with all 16 Democrats voting in favor. The bipartisanship reflected in this bill is certainly a rarity in this body and, frankly, could have easily come before us under suspension of the rules. It is now painfully obvious what the Republican majority's playbook is. My friends across the aisle can work in a bipartisan manner if they want to, but when it comes to major issues facing our country, like taking away healthcare from 23 million Americans or handing a $1.5 trillion tax giveaway to America's wealthiest citizens, they would rather force through partisan legislation written in back rooms with little to no expert analysis, similar to the farm bill that is about to come out here sometime in the not-to-distant future. While it is certainly refreshing that we are working in a bipartisan manner for a change, protecting children and families from identity theft is not the only bipartisan priority. These reforms are just as pressing as protecting our children from gun violence, providing relief for hard-working, young Dreamers, and debating the use of military force overseas--or how about an infrastructure bill of consequence and real immigration reform. Sixty-eight percent of Americans say Congress must do more to reduce gun violence. More than a million Americans took to the streets across the country to march for our lives and to urge Congress to take action to reduce gun violence. I had the honor of sitting on the stage on that day, and I was never as proud as I was of the children from Broward County, where I am privileged to serve, or from around this Nation, and their friends and allies, parents, loved ones, and constituents who came from all over the country here, as well as to events in a significant number of locations around the country. 207 members of Congress, including 14 Republicans, are sponsoring H.R. 4240, the Democratic Representative Mike Thompson's bill that would give States the resources to help them submit information to the background check system. One hundred Members of Congress, including seven Republicans, are cosponsoring the Gun Violence Restraining Order Act, which will allow family members or law enforcement officials to petition a judge to temporarily remove firearms from an individual in crisis. We had that example in Florida after it passed its law. Immediately, a family came to the sheriff's office to have weapons taken from a person in crisis. Has the Speaker brought these bipartisan measures to the floor for a vote? No. The Republican majority has refused to take up even the most basic commonsense legislation to help mitigate the epidemic of gun violence facing this country. My friends across the aisle have even refused to address the use of bump stocks, a reform whose need is agreed upon by Democrats and Republicans, including the President. Fortunately, in the State of Florida, it did pass in the last session of the legislature. Mr. Speaker, just last year, 34 House Republicans signed a letter to Speaker Paul Ryan urging him to bring forward a permanent legislative solution for the Dreamers, these young, hardworking individuals who are stuck in legal limbo. But despite this bipartisan support, not to mention the support of 90 percent of the American public, the Republican majority continues to block the Dream Act, ignoring the calls of the vast majority of Americans. It is time for the Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress to stop playing politics with the lives of Dreamers and come to terms with the fact that their long anti-immigrant wish list is not going anywhere fast. Mr. Speaker, the House of Representatives is a place where the issues facing our Nation should be addressed and solved in a bipartisan manner, similar to this legislation. It is a sad state of affairs for the Nation that Congress has continued to sit idly by while the executive branch further engages our military in conflicts overseas without congressional authorization. Republican leadership's refusal to allow a robust debate on the efficacy of an authorization of the use of military force for our presence in Syria is not only a dereliction of duty but does a great disservice to the country and our Constitution. If the President, any President, intends to further involve American troops in the Syrian conflict, or any conflict, then Congress has not only the responsibility but also the constitutional authority to lead that conversation. Despite across-the-aisle support for these pressing problems, we are not here today debating the rule to address gun violence in America. We are not here today debating the rule to protect Dreamers from being removed from our workforce or being deported to countries of which they have no knowledge. We are not here today debating the rule for the use of military force in Syria. We are not here today discussing immigration reform. We are not here today discussing an infrastructure measure that is desperately needed. When I came to Congress in 1992, there were 14,000 bridges in this country in need of repair. Today there are 54,000 bridges in this country in need of repair. But we are not discussing that here today. Instead, we are using floor time to discuss a bill that could have easily been considered on the suspension calendar, and I predict that, had it been on the suspension calendar, 435 Members, or as many as assembled, would have voted unanimously in favor of the measure today as they would if it were on the floor at this particular moment. Are my friends across the aisle intent on running out the clock before the midterm elections? Is that what the American people have to look forward to over the next 7 months? The people who sent us here deserve bipartisan solutions to the pressing problems confronting this great Nation. Not next month. Not next week. Not tomorrow. But today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, through you, I would advise my friend that I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I listened very intently to my friend from Alabama, and he indicated that the action that was just undertaken over the weekend by this administration was ``something,'' and I maintain that it was under an old Authorization for Use of Military Force. Listen, one of the reasons Congress won't undertake to debate an authorization for the use of military force, which I would urge my friend would give us a strategy if we had that debate and at least the administration would have Congress' input with reference to the use of military force--we can't continue to have pin pricks at the whim of any President. I argued the same thing during the Obama administration, and I argued it during the Clinton administration. What we have done is abdicate our responsibility in Congress when it comes to war. And if you think it isn't war, then ask the 500,000 people who are dead as a result of this measure undertaken in Syria, not just by the United States but with a variety of forces fighting inside. If you think it isn't war when a bomb destroys a building, or 76 missiles destroy buildings, then I have news for you about what war looks like. And we had no input. My understanding is the administration met with the leadership of the Republican Party. I don't recall hearing a single Democrat was invited to have any discussion at all about this matter. Mr. Speaker, I applaud this bipartisan legislation, as I have said, that would limit synthetic identity fraud and help protect millions of identities, including those of young children and recent immigrants, from being stolen. In a refreshing change of pace, this measure received input from Democrats, the IRS, and consumer protection advocates. My friend from Alabama said that there are measures that are coming forward, and I applaud him that those measures are coming forward. But I didn't hear him say that there were going to be measures having to do with Dreamers. I didn't hear him say there was anything that would be significantly involved in gun violence other than his words with reference to bump stocks and some reference back to some other date in time. I am talking about right now, not only bump stocks but the necessary indicia for buying a weapon and the age for buying a weapon and a variety of measures. Twenty-six measures exist right here in the House of Representatives on which we could be voting--any one of them--that are commonsense gun reform. And we refuse to do so because the Speaker won't put them on the floor. I hope that we can continue working together across the aisle to confront the pressing issues facing this great Nation. When the farm bill comes here, I hope Democrats have some input. They haven't had any at this point. And we can help people whom we have been elected to serve. However, it is time that we address gun violence in America; it is time that we protect Dreamers; it is time we exert our constitutional authority and debate a new Authorization for Use of Military Force; and it is time for us to repair these broken-down bridges and raggedy roads in the United States of America. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), my friend, for yielding me the customary 30 minutes for debate. Mr. Speaker, like my friend from Texas, I was overcome with sadness by the tragic news of Louise's passing, who was not only the ranking member of the Rules Committee, but the first and only woman to have chaired the committee. For 30 years, Louise poured every ounce of energy she had into serving her constituents in upstate New York. She never hesitated to speak her mind, and she never wavered in espousing her beliefs. I will always be truly grateful for the time that I had to serve alongside her. Louise was one of my dearest friends in Congress, having not only served with her on the Rules Committee but also on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Helsinki Commission. Her legacy speaks for itself. She was not just a champion of women's rights. She was a champion of working families everywhere. This Nation has lost one of our fiercest public servants, and her absence will leave an unfillable void. Mr. Speaker, I offer my deepest condolences to Louise's daughters: Megan Secatore, Amy Slaughter, and Emily Minerva; her seven grandchildren and one great-grandson; as well as to her friends, constituents, and congressional staff during this extremely difficult time. Her spirit and loving memory will forever live in the Halls of Congress. She will be dearly missed. Mr. Speaker, turning to today's rules, this rule brings the number of closed rules for the 115th Congress to 74. In other words, more than 50 percent of the legislation coming to the Rules Committee has been closed off from an open and honest debate by my Republican friends. At the beginning of this Congress, we were told by my Republican colleagues that they would run the government in an open manner. They even championed regular order. Well, that spirit has clearly been jettisoned in favor of an overly partisan approach to governing. By way of example, one of today's bills, H.R. 5247, was introduced last Tuesday, brought to the House floor for a vote on the same day without the committee of jurisdiction holding one single hearing on the bill or Members having the opportunity to offer their amendments. Not surprisingly, the measure failed to pass under suspension of the rules. What was the response of my friends on the other side of the aisle when the vote failed? Did my Republican colleagues insist that the Energy and Commerce Committee hold hearings on the measure? Did my Republican colleagues on the committee of jurisdiction invite experts to speak on what the consequences would be if this bill were to become law? Did my Republican colleagues work with Democrats to come up with a bipartisan solution? No. Madam Speaker, let me tell you what did happen. The Republican leadership ignored the problems with the measure and brought it to the Rules Committee last night for it to be considered on the House floor today. Now, this flies in the face of regular order, to ask the entire membership of the people's House to vote on something for which no one can honestly say they know what the unintended consequences would be if this bill were to become law. Bad process makes bad bills, and the process we have witnessed with this bill can't get much worse. Yet it did get worse when the Republican majority blocked the ranking member's, Mr. Pallone's, substitute amendment, an amendment which was both germane and had bipartisan support. Madam Speaker, the Republican majority took it a step further when they extended the Holman rule for the remainder of the 115th Congress. My friends on the other side of the aisle are yet again seeking to scapegoat Federal employees, make cuts to the Federal workforce, and politicize the civil service system that was established to professionalize agencies and offices, all while ignoring the waste and abuses in the reality show of the Trump administration. Madam Speaker, challenged by the American people to bring up comprehensive gun reform, House leadership instead brings up one bill that hasn't gone through anything resembling regular order and another bill that weakens and undermines a valuable tool that gives financial companies and regulators an opportunity to identify and correct problems before they could lead to another financial crisis. Every year, roughly 35,000 people are killed by guns. Moreover, 2,700 children and teens are shot and killed, and over 14,000 more are shot and injured every year. That is an average of 47 American children and teens shot every day. And the effects of gun violence extend far beyond those struck by a bullet. Gun violence shapes the lives of the millions of children who witness it, know someone who was shot, or live in fear of the next shooting. We have witnessed the effects over the last month with the students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. This weekend, hundreds of thousands of students and their supporters will descend on Washington, D.C., to demand that the Federal Government take action to stop the epidemic of mass shootings, which have become all too familiar. No less than this morning when I turned on the television, less than an hour and a half away from here, in yet another school, yet another shooting. Fortunately, it appears that the resource officer there engaged the shooter early on and may have caused there to be less damage, although some people were injured, and one or two critically. We can no longer ignore what gun violence really is in this country. It is an epidemic. But do not just take my word for it or the students who witnessed 14 friends' and 3 teachers' lives brutally cut short. The American Medical Association, following the tragedy at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, declared gun violence in this country ``a very public health crisis,'' a crisis which the Republican majority's only answer is to offer thoughts and prayers and further block any Democratic measures to address this crisis and to continue to block the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from even researching gun violence. Instead of finally making permanent the status of Dreamers in this country as full citizens, the Republican majority ignores their calls and the calls of the vast majority of Americans and, instead, brings up one bill that undermines a valuable early warning system of our Nation's economy and another bill that has gone through a completely closed process. Enough is enough. President Donald John Trump says he wants to fix this problem. The Speaker says he wants to fix this problem. We on this side of the aisle clearly want to fix this problem. So let's do it already. Madam Speaker, last week, when I was managing yet another useless financial regulation, I commented and I asked the American public to respond: Would you rather us stop banks from having stress tests or would you prefer that we deal with the deferred action for children in this country, 800,000 of whom are Dreamers, 120 of whom lose their status every day? Would you prefer that we deal with the measure that is on the floor today or that we deal seriously with a variety of issues having to do with gun violence in our society, which I have described as an epidemic? Would you prefer as a priority, America, that we deal with these trivial matters that are going nowhere fast or that we center ourselves and focus on those measures that are vital to the survival, security, and safety of all Americans? Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.