Jaime Herrera Beutler

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I agree with a lot of the gentlewoman's sentiment that there is no question we must support the men and women of the Capitol Police. We must provide them the equipment, the training, and, most importantly, the leadership that supports their efforts. Can I ask why you have not put together legislation to reform the police board if it is so all-important that we do so? It has been 5 months since January 6. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren), the chair of the Committee on House Administration, for the purpose of answering a question.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Reclaiming my time, Madam Speaker, I think one of my challenges is it has been 5 months, and I myself have sat in meetings with the Senate Acting Sergeant of Arms, with police officers, with the police union. I have talked with the police union president. I have talked with individuals who were there on January 6. I have put together my own timeline of these events. And to say that, 5 months later, we are going to put the money before the actual reform to me says there is a dereliction of duty from the House Administration Committee. I mean, how many hearings have taken place on January 6 in House Administration before today? You are telling me there was a meeting yesterday? That is absolutely unacceptable that we are going to stand here today and say that we have to do this, Madam Speaker.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Reclaiming my time, Madam Speaker, I am 100 percent in agreement that we must put the funding behind the men and women who stand between us and violence, not a question. I am there. What frustrates me is that I am being told that if I don't vote for this today, somehow I am not standing behind our men and women in blue when the House Administration Committee should have led the way with the Honore report. It was put out months ago. They could have put these reforms in place, could have told us how this money would be spent. But they didn't. Why? And then they say it is not bipartisan unless we do what they want? I am sorry, but this isn't my money. These are taxpayer dollars, and I want to make sure that we are not just saying we spent the money and we are not reforming the system. For this to never happen again, those reforms need to be in place. To me, it is a missed opportunity, and I will not stand here, Madam Speaker, to have it laid at our feet to say somehow we are not supporting the men and women in blue. I will not abide by that charge. I believe if that is the truth, then we need to make sure that we are all doing our work in getting the reforms in place so that the money can follow. That is how this whole place is designed to work. It is in the Constitution. That is what we are supposed to do. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I agree with the Speaker of the House that we do need to trust; and we, at some point, need to rely on one another's better nature, honestly. I have been walking through that this year ad nauseam, and will continue to do so. And it is in that same spirit of comity that is part of the reason I raised this challenge. I have not been afraid to challenge my own team at all, but that is part of why I am also not afraid to challenge the other team. If I refer back to General Honore's report, which is the basis for what we are being asked to vote on this for, under his piece, the Capitol Police Board Decision-making During Emergencies, he said: ``The Capitol Police Board's deliberate decision-making process proved too slow and cumbersome to respond to the crisis in January, delaying requests for critical supplemental resources. We recommend revisions to 2 U.S. Code 1970 and 1974 to give the USCP Chief the authority to request external law enforcement and National Guard support without CPB preapproval in extraordinary emergency circumstances. . . . `' And he goes on to explain that. So it is not like we have to do a lot of research to figure out what laws need to change in order to be compliant with General Honore's report. And that would give me a whole lot more--it would allow me to trust and verify that we are spending this money in the way that we should. But they are not doing it, Madam Speaker. That is what really bugs me. We were in good negotiations trying to work this out, and all of a sudden last week, it is just done, we are not going to negotiate anymore. That is my problem. What other pieces in this bill are not fully fleshed out? I think it was a very important point to make that, look, I am for protecting this Capitol and the staff that serve here, and the men and women that serve here, and I will back up our police officers any day of the week and twice on Sunday, but it really bothers me that it is a priority when our security is threatened. We have got all these other emergencies around this country, things like the southern border, and we are just going to sit on it. Madam Speaker, I am not saying hold everything back, as is being promoted. They are saying hold everything back just because we don't have everything else figured out. Well, why don't we take the steps that we know that need to be addressed? I mentioned the southern border. That is a crisis we know. But at least take General Honore's report and implement it, and then I wouldn't be as opposed to funding it. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gonzales).

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I just want to say that I appreciate the debate that we have had today. I don't think any of us disagree on what we want. We want a safe and secure Capitol. We want to make sure that the people who work here are taken care of. We want to make sure that we are backfilling everything from overtime pay to mental health needs. And we want to make sure that that is all done to fix or to address some of the challenges we have had this year. But, in addition, because we are talking about such a great sum of money and resources, I want to make sure it never happens again. There are other things that are happening alongside this. We have talked about the commission today, and we have talked about other things. But our responsibility with this is to make sure, as appropriators, that we are spending money and we are verifying that it is being used to the best end. That is, right now, ultimately what I think we can do better with. It is true right now that the Senate, both Republicans and Democrats, are not in line with what this legislation is. So if we take a little bit more time and we do this right, we can come out with something that we can all be proud of, that will do the job that it is intended to do. I am very disappointed to recommend a ``no'' vote on the underlying legislation. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Mr. Speaker, for 10 days, moms, dads, and grandparents have been lying awake at night, waiting for the inevitable warning call of sirens to pick up their children and run to the nearest bomb shelter. No one should live with this type of fear. No one should live with the fear that missiles could rain down and destroy their homes and lives at any moment. Yet, this is the reality that many Israeli families are living right now. For 10 days, Israel has been defending itself from attacks launched by Iranian-backed terrorists. Let's be clear: Israel has the right to defend herself and its homeland from terrorist attacks. Israel is one of the United States' greatest allies in the Middle East, and we cannot waver in our support of Israel during this challenging time. Today, I am standing with the people of Israel, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. My hope is that peace and calm can quickly be restored in the region. Until that happens, we must continue standing in solidarity with the Nation of Israel and its people.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to stand against our enemy. To clarify, our enemy isn't the President or the President- elect. Fear is our enemy. Fear tells us what we want to hear. It incites anger and violence and fire, but it also haunts us into silence and inaction. What are you afraid of? I am afraid of what people will say or think. I am afraid of being devalued. I am not afraid of losing my job, but I am afraid that my country will fail. I am afraid patriots of this country have died in vain. I am afraid my children won't grow up in a free country. I am afraid injustice will prevail. But truth, truth sets us free from fear. Truth doesn't guarantee bad things won't happen, but it does promise to always prevail in the end. It has no shadows where darkness can hide. With truth comes love, and we could use that right now. My vote to impeach our sitting President is not a fear-based decision. I am not choosing a side; I am choosing truth. It is the only way to defeat fear.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Madam Speaker, is this a country, is this an America that we want to give to our children, a country of lawlessness, of might makes right, of mob rule? Previous generations of Americans have laid down their lives to answer ``no'' to that question. I do not want to be the first generation of Americans so selfish as to answer ``yes.'' Nothing is more important to me than preserving this constitutional Republic as a Representative. Article II of the Constitution states: ``Each State shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors,'' meaning that it is the duty of the State legislatures to select their electors in a manner they stipulate. It is right here. The Founders of our Republic did not want to federalize elections, which is why they reserved the selection of electors to the State legislatures. Historically, when Congress intervened in the electoral process, it was in the Civil War. It was when States were sending multiple slates of electors. But that is not the case today. Of the six States actively being contested, five have Republican legislatures; five are controlled by one party; five have the authority to get together and to vote to change the elector that they sent to us. How many of the six did? Not one. Pennsylvania did not get together and vote as a body and send us a new slate of electors. They did not send us a bill or a resolution citing injustice at the State level. None of them. Are they cowards? Do they not know the Constitution? Have they not read it, like you and I? Or are they merely passing the buck? Here is the reality. Look, I believe this was not a fraud-free election. I believe that there were problems in Pennsylvania and in Georgia. But the Constitution gives us the right to fix that at the State level, not throw out the electoral college. We do not want to absolve the responsibility of the people in those States to hold their own lawmakers accountable. I, as a Washington State Congresswoman, don't know better than the people in Pennsylvania and Georgia. Folks, we can't vote to undermine the electoral college today. We have to uphold it.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Madam Speaker, Roslyn (Lynne) Holtzman Nierenberg died on August 25, 2020 after a long decline. She and her identical twin sister Sara (Sue) were born at home 2 months early on November 18, 1928. Dr. Richardson, who delivered them, visited daily for months until he was sure they would survive. Their father, Aaron Holtzman, came to America from Belarus in 1920. Their mother, Gertrude Lemonik Holtzman, was born on the lower East side. Her parents were from Ukraine. Lynne and Sue's parents initially had a general store in Norwood, NJ. They later had a men's shop in Bergenfield, NJ. Lynne and Sue went to the public schools in Bergenfield, NJ. They have two surviving younger sisters, Myra (Mikey) and Carol Ann (Candy), and one sister Cynthia, who died in infancy. Lynne and Sue graduated from New Jersey College for Women (NJC) at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ in 1950. (NJC later became Douglass College.) Lynne met Theodore (Ted) Nierenberg in the summer of 1947 when they were counselors at Lakeside Pines, a girls' sleep away camp. This was after he served as an officer in the Navy in the South Pacific in World War II. They married in 1950 after Lynne graduated from college. They lived in Queens, NY initially, while Lynne did editorial work and Ted worked in the insurance industry. They bought their first house in Teaneck, NJ shortly before their first child, David, was born in 1953. They moved to a second house in Teaneck in 1960 before their fourth child was born. Lynne spent many busy years raising four children, being a member of Temple Emeth, being an active member of many PTA's, and doing volunteer work at Englewood Hospital. She was a wonderful mother. She encouraged her children to read, study music, get involved in extracurricular activities, and do volunteer work. Lynne had always wanted to be a nurse. In 1968, the first year that Englewood Hospital admitted older students, Lynne started nursing school. She graduated two years later, first in her class. Lynne initially worked as a psychiatric nurse in the inpatient psychiatric unit at Englewood Hospital. She then worked at an outpatient mental health center in Dumont, now called Vantage Mental Health Care. She then taught psychiatric nursing at Holy Name School of Nursing. While at Holy Name, she earned a masters degree in counseling. She then became the psychiatric nursing supervisor at Englewood Hospital. (The job also entailed doing psychiatric continuing education for the nursing staff and serving as a liaison when patients with psychiatric problems needed to be hospitalized on the medical or surgical floors.) Lynne briefly worked in psychiatric medication research at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx, NY. Lynne then worked at the outpatient mental health center at Miseracordia Hospital (now Our Lady of Mercy), in the Bronx, NY. She functioned there like a psychiatric nurse-practitioner. This was her most challenging and satisfying job because it pulled together all of her skills. She retired in 1993. Lynne also did volunteer work. For about 13 years, she ran a support group through the American Cancer Society's Cancer Adjustment Program. She later ran the Survivors after Suicide support group for about 13 years at Vantage Mental Health Care. She also ran a support group for women who had premature babies. She was the devoted mother of David Nierenberg (married to Patricia) of Camas, Washington; Susan Nierenberg (married to Peter Goldman) of Teaneck; Amy Knitzer (married to Jonathan Perlstein) of Montclair, NJ; and Ellen Nierenberg, currently living in Tromso, Norway. She LOVED being a grandmother to: David and Patricia's children: Elodie, Jacob, and Albanie; Susan and Peter's daughter Emily; Amy and Jonathan's sons Dan and Zack; and Ellen and Jens' children: Johanne, Solveig, and Daniel. Unfortunately, Lynne developed Alzheimer's Disease. After Ted had a stroke in 2009, Lynne and Ted moved in 2010 into Van Dyk Park Place, an assisted living facility in Hawthorne, NJ. Ted died in 2011. Lynne is survived and missed by: her sisters Mikey and Candy, her children David, Susan, Amy, and Ellen, her 9 grandchildren, and 14 nieces and nephews.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Small Business be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 8265) to extend the Paycheck Protection Program access for small businesses, to extend the lifeline that southwest Washington businesses--over 9,500 have taken advantage of, and have saved 92,000 jobs in southwest Washington and across this country, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to stand up for small businesses and workers across the country who are struggling right now. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. sharp, I will be filing a discharge petition in the House to temporarily seize control from the House Democratic leadership and revive the vital job-saving Paycheck Protection Program. Every one of us has heard from restaurants and stores on the brink of closure. They are not crying wolf. Many will not make it through October without more PPP funds. I know the majority leadership is feeling tremendous pressure. How? Because they canceled votes tomorrow morning. I guess allowing my more- seasoned Democratic colleagues to be on the floor while we file this petition jeopardizes leadership's political posture. Well, enough posturing, and enough treating the fate of small business like a chess game. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to sign my discharge petition in the morning and rescue small businesses. Be brave. Now is the time to act.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge Republicans and Democrats to join us on this vote to extend the vital jobs-saving program, the Paycheck Protection Program, which will provide relief to small businesses that desperately need it during this public health crisis. It is not just the small businesses that will benefit. It is actually for the workers who work in those businesses to keep their jobs. With talk that the House Democrat leadership is looking to finish our legislative business and send us home early, we should be doing everything that we can in our power to provide that relief to small businesses that desperately need it. In my district in southwest Washington, almost 9,500 small businesses have accessed critical paycheck protection loans. Surgical Training Institute in Camas was able to keep its 22 employees employed. The little Neptune Theatre in Pacific County also took advantage of this program. Altogether, they have saved 92,000 jobs. That is 92,000 people--individuals, moms, dads, brothers, and sisters--who are able to continue providing for their families by putting food on the table and keeping a roof over their kids' heads. This should not be a political football. Across the Nation, the PPP has helped save millions of jobs, and small businesses have been able to keep their doors open and pay their employees. This is not a partisan issue. Let's stop talking about what was done in the past. Let's look forward and fix the problem. Join with us now and support extending this program. To me, it is a shame that small business relief and relief for workers is a partisan issue. It should not be treated like a political football here in Congress. This is not a hostage we should hold on to to get anybody's wish list passed. We should pass this. The fact of the matter is that the PPP expired on August 8, and we have been in session many days between now and then. With nearly $135 billion still in the program, Congress must act now to free up these funds and get relief to those who need it most. Thousands of businesses across the country are on the brink of collapse and mass layoffs, and they are crying out for help. If we do not act now to extend the PPP, they could all go under. We are talking about our neighborhood mom-and-pop shops that are the backbone of our communities. We don't have any more time to waste. Mr. Speaker, I urge defeat of the previous question so the House can advance bipartisan relief to small businesses.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise today in support of the National Museum of the American Latino Act. The National Mall is the most-visited national park, with over 25 million visitors each year. It is nicknamed ``America's front yard.'' It is a testament to the accomplishments, history, and diversity of the people that make up these United States of America. However, there are almost 60 million Americans whose stories, contributions, and traditions do not have a platform or a spotlight here. Millions of us, both Mexican Americans like me, and people of other heritages, value those contributions to our Union and want to see that platform become part of our country's message. Let me say, I so believe this spotlight needs to happen, in part, because my generation of Hispanics, we didn't have the Spanish language passed on to us, in part, because it wasn't popular to tout that. Now, more than ever, most of us have had to learn it through things like wonderful products, or in college, or in high school, which is awesome; but I want to see that pride of passing that language down and preserving the culture, as it is an American culture; and what better opportunity would we have than to highlight it here in America's front yard. The story of the American Latino is woven into the fabric of this Nation. Latinos have fought in every U.S. war since the American Revolution and settled in parts of the United States before the arrival of Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock. Latinos are a crucial part of the American identity. There are those of us who have explored space, like astronaut Ellen Ochoa. We've brought innovation to the world, like inventor Elena Medo. We have done things that few other athletes in the world could do, like baseball legend Edgar Martinez of my home State in Washington, the Seattle Mariners. And I am proud to note personally that we have helped shape our Nation's laws by serving in Congress. I have had the amazing opportunity to be the first and only Hispanic Member of Congress, House or Senate, to have served from Washington State. I would like to highlight that it was my predominantly White, smaller corner of what I will call the best part of the Pacific Northwest that bestowed upon me this amazing honor. Hispanic Americans represent the heart of the American Dream: Strong family values, amazing work ethic, strong faith in community and in civics. My first or second term here I remember walking down the National Mall and seeing a protest, and it was a very peaceful protest, unlike some that I have seen. It was families, and they were walking side-by-side, and they were wrapping themselves in the American flag. To me, they represent the best of us. I look forward to visiting the National Museum of the American Latino and sharing these stories with my children, these American stories. Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of this legislation.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Ashley Lin of Vancouver, Washington, on becoming a distinguished finalist and top volunteer in the 2020 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program. These annual awards were founded in 1995 to highlight individuals' service to our communities, and to encourage younger members of this nation to continue this tradition early on and throughout their lives. Ashley, a junior at Union High School in Southwest Washington, founded and runs the organization ``Project Exchange.'' This organization has been central in recruiting participants, designing curriculum, and securing funding to bring cross-cultural learning experiences to 250 middle and high school students from over 20 countries. She attributes the motivation to create this program to her time serving as a U.S. Youth Ambassador to Uruguay. Once again, I want to extend my sincerest congratulations to Ashley on becoming a distinguished finalist in this program. I also applaud Ashley for bringing these opportunities to students from all over the world, and enhancing their educational experiences.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Lori Christian of Chehalis, Washington, on becoming a distinguished finalist and top volunteer in the 2020 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program. These annual awards were founded in 1995 to highlight individuals' service to our communities, and to encourage younger members of this nation to continue this tradition early on and throughout their lives. Lori, a junior at ``William F. West High School'' in Southwest Washington, founded the organization ``Teens for Abused Children (TFAC)'', which works with local hospitals and Child Protective Services to assist with cases involving abused children. Lori has also worked independently to raise awareness for related issues. She has also organized community toy, clothing, and diaper drives. Once again, I want to extend my sincerest congratulations to Lori on becoming a distinguished finalist in this program and applaud Lori's commitment to improving her community.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Madam Speaker, I rise to express my strong support of the pro-life amicus brief filed by 207 of my colleagues with the U.S. Supreme Court relating to June Medical Services, LLC v. Gee. Due to the unusual level of pressing business last month before the House and the Appropriations Committee on which I serve, I did not have the opportunity to thoroughly review the brief prior to the filing deadline. I affirm my full support for the brief. My record shows consistent support for life at all stages, and that has not and will not change.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1865, which includes funding for the Legislative Branch. The recommendation for fiscal year 2020 Legislative Branch Division provides for $5.049 billion. This is a 4.4 percent increase above fiscal year 2019. The allocation provides the budget request for the Office of the Congressional Workplace Rights and the Government Publishing Office, as well as increases for the House of Representatives, Capitol Police, Congressional Budget Office, Library of Congress, Government Accountability Office, and the Open World Leadership Center. I am really pleased that this bill supports the Capitol Police, as well as funding for important Architect of the Capitol security infrastructure improvements to keep the Capitol campus safe and to keep its visitors safe, its staff, the Members, and the folks who work here. I am also supportive of the funding that supports the Library of Congress' Visitor's Experience enhancements and other programs that my constituents, all of our constituents, enjoy regularly, as well as upgrades to the Capitol complex facilities for visitors and staff with disabilities, which will make it easier for the blind and the visually impaired to access and enjoy the Capitol complex.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Madam Speaker, I appreciate Chairman Ryan's cooperation and support on several initiatives that are important to us and this institution. I would like to thank Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Granger for their support and guidance throughout this process. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 1865.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Madam Speaker, on Friday, November 15, 2019 I am not recorded on final passage of H.R. 4863, the United States Export Finance Agency Act of 2019. I was engaged in a conversation with a constituent from the state of Washington discussing the issue of homelessness and mistimed the vote for final passage although I was present. The U.S. Export-Import Bank is critical to the Washington state economy and its workers, and I support its reauthorization. If I had been present on final passage, I would have voted: yes, on Roll Call 624.

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER

Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Mr. Speaker, October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and I rise today on behalf of every parent who has suffered a miscarriage, a stillbirth, or an infant loss. The unanswered questions and mystery, as well as the feelings of guilt that surround pregnancy loss and the death of a newborn, add to the excruciating heartache. We see you. No one should grieve alone. We stand alongside those who have experienced this great tragedy and do our best to comfort, listen, and support. We also vow to honor the legacy of those precious lives lost by working to eliminate preventable infant deaths. Today, we remember the 1 million pregnancies in the United States that end in miscarriage, stillbirth, or the death of a newborn baby each year. Their intrinsic value, no matter how short their lifespan, is profound.