Janice Hahn

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. HAHN. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. HAHN. I also want to start out by thanking Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Ruppersberger for bringing forward this bipartisan bill, and I am echoing I think what everyone is feeling today, that I think it's important for the American people to see this, to see us come together on such an important issue when it comes to protecting all Americans, so it feels good to be a part of this today. I know that we face complex challenges and threats to our national security, and I don't think anyone ever wants to see another September 11 terrorist attack on this Nation. To prevent that, I know we need to use many tools at our disposal to combat the ever-evolving dangers that threaten our society. We need all levels of law enforcement to work together to ensure that we're safe. We must protect the rights of all of our citizens as we do this. We cannot allow our desire to protect our country come at the expense of any group in this great country. This is the promise of our Nation's Founding Fathers. The promise of equal justice under the law is etched in our Supreme Court building. This is part of our Nation's DNA that there is the promise of equality. My amendment furthers this promise. It requires the Civil Liberties Protection Officer, which is in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, to ensure that any training between the intelligence community and law enforcement includes the protection of constitutional rights of racial and ethnic minorities. Mr. Chairman, we cannot take our national security for granted, but we have to ensure that everyone has equal justice under the law. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. HAHN. Thank you to the chairman and the ranking member for bringing this bipartisan bill forward that I think will have such great support. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Bishop H. H. Brookins, who passed away on Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at the age of 86. Bishop Brookins was a giant in the Los Angeles community and in the African Methodist Episcopal, A.M.E. Church both nationally and internationally. He was a leader among leaders who had a knack for creating historic ``firsts.'' Bishop Brookins is credited for identifying former LAPD Lieutenant Tom Bradley as the preferred candidate to run for Los Angeles City Council in 1963, and for spearheading Bradley's victory as Los Angeles's first African-American Council member, and again 10 years later as the city's first African- American Mayor. Another Brookins ``first'' was the co-founding of the United Civil Rights Council, organizing 75 groups to help the Black community recover from the 1965 Watts Riots. Bishop Brookins served as the first President of UCRC, and later was a founding Board Member of Rev. Jesse Jackson's People United to Serve Humanity, also known as Operation PUSH. Born Hamel Hartford Brookins in Yazoo City, Mississippi on June 8, 1925, the seventh of 10 children of sharecroppers, he first attended Campbell College in Jackson, Mississippi. There he became pastor of his first church with fewer than 20 members. By 1954, H. H. Brookins was a minister in Wichita, Kansas, where he was elected the first black president of the 200-member Interracial Ministerial Council and led religious and civic leaders in uniting communities following the Supreme Court's order to desegregate the Topeka, Kansas public schools. Bishop Brookins also was famous for his leadership in the struggle to end Apartheid in South Africa. The H.H. Brookins legend in Los Angeles centers around his extraordinary accomplishments as Pastor of First A.M.E. Church, whose storied multi-million dollar sanctuary lies in the historic West Adams district, having started with an $8 building fund. First A.M.E.'s congregation now has nearly 20,000 members, a community development corporation, senior housing, and much more. Although he has passed from this life, Bishop H.H. Brookins lives on in the ministries of First A.M.E., and in all of us who loved and admired him. I offer my sincere condolences to Bishop Brookins' wife, the Rev. Rosalynn Kyle Brookins, his two sons, Sir-Wellington Hartford Brookins and Steven Hartford Brookins, and his daughter, the Rev. Francine A. Brookins.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Mr. Willie Andrew Robinson III, affectionately known in Los Angeles and around the world as ``Big Willie'' Robinson. Big Willie Robinson was the founder and president of the International and National Brotherhood of Street Racers. He passed away on May 19, 2012 and will be sorely missed by his fellow Viet Nam veterans and the countless people who found a new sense of purpose in life as a result of Big Willie's work in the greater Los Angeles community. Born on September 12, 1942 in New Orleans, Louisiana, Willie Robinson attended Louisiana State University in 1960 with the hope of playing football for the university. But because African-Americans were not yet allowed to play at LSU, Willie left after only one year to attend UCLA. Shortly after moving Willie found work in a Los Angeles area body shop. He bought his 1957 Oldsmobile, began street racing, and turned Louisiana's loss into Los Angeles's biggest gain. Drafted into the Army in 1964, Willie Robinson was one of the first African-Americans to serve in the Green Berets in Vietnam, which he did with honor until 1966. From the time he returned to Los Angeles late that year until his death, Big Willie's trademark beret, fatigues and Brotherhood colors were known worldwide. At 6'6'' and over 300 pounds, Big Willie's immense physical stature paled in comparison to his iconic stature as a peacemaker and truce- broker among LA street gangs and people of all ethnic groups. Legendary Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley respected Big Willie's work so much that in 1974 he helped Big Willie to open the Terminal Island Brotherhood Raceway, which hosted street races while promoting non-violence and racial unity for over two decades. Big Willie Robinson is one of the greatest ambassadors of hope and racial unity in this country during my lifetime. He was truly a God- send, and it is entirely fitting that he chose to live out his life's mission in the City of Angels. May Heaven receive Big Willie Robinson with open arms and declare, ``Well done, good and faithful servant.'' I extend my deepest condolences to his mother, Ms. Lula Mae Simmons, his sister Jean Davis, and his brother, Don Ray Robinson.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, during my short time in Congress, I've worked hard to highlight the importance of our ports, not only to my district in California, but to our national economy. Ports support 13.3 million American jobs and generate $3.15 trillion in economic activity. That is why I founded the PORTS Caucus to educate Members of Congress on the importance of ports to our national economy. As a member of the Small Businesses Committee, I also understand that economic recovery is going to be fueled by the job-creating power of our small businesses. That is why I am introducing the ``Ports as Small Business Incubators Act,'' which will join these two economic forces and further strengthen our economy. In 2005 alone, North American incubation programs assisted more than 27,000 companies that provided employment for more than 100,000 workers and generated annual revenues of $17 billion. My bill creates a grant program available to Port Authorities interested in creating their own small business incubators. The Ports as Small Business Incubators Act will allow port authorities to apply for a grant to create a small business incubator. This program will encourage port authorities to give opportunities to entrepreneurs who need them most. These newly-created small business incubators will be designed to foster small businesses owned by women, veterans, and minorities. Finally, this program will also encourage businesses that develop a crucial part of our economy: green jobs. Port authorities can work with small businesses that focus on clean energy and improved air and water quality. By passing this bill, we will ensure that our entrepreneurs are given the chance to succeed. This program will nurture our new businesses and provide a much-needed boost to our recovering economy.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Last October, on the 10th anniversary of the war in Afghanistan, I visited Arlington West--a moving memorial to Americans who have died in that war. Every Sunday, on the sands of Santa Monica Beach, volunteers have put up a cross for every soldier who has lost his life in that war. As the number of dead has grown, they have only been able to put up one cross for every 10 soldiers. 1,843 U.S. soldiers have lost their lives in Afghanistan. We've had 17,000 casualties. The defense bill today, in its current form, slows down the effort to withdraw our troops when we should be speeding it up. That's why I have cosponsored legislation with Barbara Lee that would mandate that any Afghanistan funding be used only to bring our troops home. Without such a change, I cannot vote for this bill. I don't want to go back to Arlington West only to see them adding more crosses.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to submit my remarks in opposition to a Republican bill that weakens protections for violence against women and in support of the bipartisan Senate bill that actually protects victims.

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, today the House will consider a bill entitled the ``Violence Against Women Act.'' This bill, however, does very little to stop violence or protect women. Instead of continuing the tradition of coming together in a bi- partisan manner to pass this important reauthorization and achieve something we all should be able to agree on, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have turned the Violence Against Women Act into a partisan messaging platform. VAWA should protect every victim from their abuser, regardless of their immigration status. Instead, this bill endangers immigrants by punishing victims who cooperate with law enforcement. VAWA should protect every victim, regardless of their sexual orientation or the gender of their abuser. Instead, this bill endangers LGBTQ victims by including ``gender-neutral'' language that ignores the reality that people are being underserved because of their sexual orientation. VAWA should protect every victim, regardless of their Tribal affiliation. Instead, this bill endangers Native victims who are abused by non-Native Americans and leaves tribal courts without proper authority to protect victims and create safe communities. Because the so-called ``Violence Against Women Act'' does none of these things, I stand in firm opposition to this bill.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, the Violence Against Women Act has saved lives, reducing domestic violence by half. Our colleagues in the Senate have embraced this fact and passed a bipartisan reauthorization bill that makes sense. Unfortunately, I can't say the same thing about H.R. 4970. My Republican friends have good intentions. I believe they want to protect victims of domestic violence just as much as I do, but to be effective, however, our legislation has to address the problems as they exist. H.R. 4970 does not. The bill makes reporting abuse more difficult, forces shelters and counselors to spend more of their precious resources on unnecessary paperwork, and fails to extend protection to the LGBT Americans. One of the most striking deficiencies is its failure to protect immigrant victims of abuse. Because of their status, immigrants are often scared to report crimes of violence. This fear results in more damage to their communities as the violence escalates. But law enforcement has the powerful tool to combat these crimes--the U visa program, which protects immigrants if they report abuse.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, I've been a Member of Congress for almost a year now, and in that time, I don't think anyone would accuse me of not trying to be bipartisan. I enjoy my Republican friends. I like working together to get things done. But bipartisanship does not equal silence. Budgets are a reflection of our values, and the Republican reconciliation budget bill coming to the floor this week runs contrary to everything I believe in. The Republican budget makes drastic cuts to schools, to health care, to investment in our children's future, and it also guts valuable programs like Meals on Wheels for our seniors. Yet it does not ask for a single contribution from the wealthiest among us, nor the most profitable corporations in the world. Being a friend means being able to tell them when they're wrong, and to my Republican friends, this budget doesn't reflect who we are as a Nation. It's wrong.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, we must hold the government accountable for the safekeeping of the sensitive information that we choose to share with it. In response to a number of privacy concerns I have with the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, I sought to encourage more government accountability by cosponsoring a bipartisan amendment with Congressman Woodall that was offered to the Rules Committee yesterday addressing some of these concerns. Under the current bill, the threshold for having a cause of action against the government for disclosing personal information is exceptionally hard to meet. Our amendment would have lowered this threshold, ensuring that the government treats highly sensitive and personal information it receives with the utmost care. While this amendment was a great example of Democrats and Republicans coming together on an issue that all Americans care about deeply, unfortunately, the Rules Committee chose not to move it forward. While I believe it is important to protect our country against impending cyberattacks, it must be done in a manner that fully respects Americans' constitutional rights.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. This past Friday, I spoke to the graduates of Pepperdine University School of Public Policy. I gave the commencement address. Like many other students who will be graduating this year, they are determined and eager to take on the difficult challenges of this world. Unfortunately, many of them are leaving college with a mountain of student debt--debt that can keep them from pursuing opportunities which may not yield short-term financial rewards but could make our world a better place to live. You don't have to look far to find these amazing young people. Our offices are filled with them. Others have said it today, but I'm going to say it again. We must pass legislation to prevent the interest rate on Stafford loans from doubling this July 1. It's also why I've introduced H.R. 4286, which would allow students to begin paying back their Federal loans 12 months after they graduate instead of 6, and I hope I have support on that. This is commonsense legislation that will allow new grads the chance to start their careers without the burden of monthly student loan payments.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor the memory of H. Michael Weitzman, who passed away on April 16, 2012 and whose absence is felt deeply in his community and in the hearts of all who knew him. Born August 19, 1929, H. Michael Weitzman was an alumni of Case Western University and the Ohio State University's School of Optometry. He served his country as a line officer in the Navy and continued to work as an optometrist until just over a year before his death. Dr. Weitzman was an immensely caring person with a poignant and selfless dedication to serving his fellow man. A deeply spiritual person, he lived out the Jewish ethic of loving-kindness until his dying day. As an established Optometrist in the San Pedro community, Dr. Weitzman was known for his attention to his patients, often seeing people at no charge. Not only was Michael Weitzman generous in his own practice, his philanthropy extended to several charities and non-profits including the Lions Club Vision Programs, fINdings Art Center, and the California Vision Foundation which provides free eye care for the needy. I extend my deepest condolences to his wife, his two sons, Gregg and Dan, his daughter, Dr. Debra Gierut, and his seven grandchildren. Though Dr. Weitzman is no longer with us, his legacy lives on in the lives of the loved ones he has left behind and in the community he served tirelessly throughout his life.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, before we left 2 weeks ago, my Republican friends attempted to enact their budget, a budget that would have ended Medicare as we know it, shifting costs to seniors and raising their health care costs by $6,000 a year; a budget that would cut taxes for the wealthiest Americans and multinational corporations by $4.6 trillion; a budget that would slash Medicaid, food stamps, and Pell Grants for students. Thankfully, the Senate has said ``no.'' Now, instead of reaching across the aisle and instead of working with us to pass bipartisan transportation and jobs legislation, Republicans are pushing legislation to allow the importation of animal remains. Yes, that's how we're spending our valuable time today, considering laws to allow hunters to bring back polar bear heads. Really? I will vote, again, against this budget, and I ask my Republican friends to let go of their tricks, concentrate on what's important, and work with us to create jobs.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, this recession has left virtually no one untouched. Students that are graduating from college are finding not only a hostile job market, but many carry with them an overwhelming amount of debt. If we are going to get our economy back on track, we need to make sure those young people are given a fighting chance. The unemployment rate for new college graduates in many fields is higher than the national average and they currently have to begin repayment on their loans a short 6 months after they graduate. The class of 2010 faced an unemployment rate for new college graduates of 9.1 percent, the highest in recent years. That is why I am introducing the ``Student Loan Grace Period Extension Act'' which will extend the grace period for Federal Subsidized and Federal Unsubsidized Student Loans from 6 months to 12 months after the student graduates. This bill will provide students with a necessary window after graduation where they can conduct their job search without the financial constraint of monthly student loan payments after 6 short months. Given the recent recession and our slow economic recovery, it only makes sense to give those young people just entering the work force a fighting chance to find a job and start earning before they begin repaying their loan obligations. By passing this bill, we will ensure that our college graduates are not prematurely burdened with student loan payments before many of them may be able to find gainful employment in their field.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, as our men and women return from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we have a duty to honor their sacrifice and service. They are returning to an economy that has not yet fully recovered and, especially for those veterans under 35, they will face a higher rate of unemployment than the national average. These servicemen and women come home with valuable experience and training, but often find that there is a disconnect between their service and requirements for employment in the civilian world. These men and women should not be forced to start over in their training for good-paying jobs like commercial truck driving. The men and women who operated heavy machinery and combat vehicles come home with a wealth of knowledge and first hand experience. Our communities cannot afford to let this expertise go unused. Currently, if these professionals want to use their skills to become professional drivers, they need to go through training for a Commercial Driver's License as if they had no experience at all. That is why I am introducing the ``Commercial Drivers Licenses for Veterans Act.'' This legislation will provide grants to states to provide for the expedited training and licensing of veterans with prior experience operating heavy machinery and combat vehicles. By passing this bill, we will not only ensure that our communities have the professional drivers they need, but we will show the men and women who have served our country that we value their experience and expertise.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, no veteran should ever experience homelessness. I don't have to tell anyone in this body that this, unfortunately, is not the case. According to a point-in-time study, on one January night in 2009 an estimated 75,609 veterans experienced homelessness and veterans are vastly over-represented in the homeless population in America. The Department of Veterans Affairs has developed a number of programs to assist homeless veterans and, while more can be done, it's important to make sure that all homeless veterans can access the programs designed to help them. In order to qualify for benefits available to homeless veterans through the VA, an individual must meet the definition of ``homeless'' codified as part of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. In 2009, the HEARTH Act expanded the definition of homeless to reflect our present reality and include individuals in transitional housing, persons living in motels and persons who would imminently lose their housing. A change was also made to the McKinney-Vetno Act to expand the definition of homeless to include individuals fleeing a situation of domestic violence or some other life-threatening condition. This change, however, is not currently reflected in the definition of ``homeless veteran.'' That is why I am introducing this legislation, which will correct and expand the definition of ``homeless veteran'' to include veterans who are fleeing situations of domestic violence. This small change will allow those veterans who find the courage and the means to leave their abusers the chance to access the benefits that should be available to all homeless veterans. By passing this bill, we will ensure that this especially vulnerable population of veterans has the chance to access benefits the Department of Veterans Affairs already provides. This bill is one small step to ensuring every homeless veteran can access the benefits they deserve.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because the health of women and their families is threatened. It's threatened not only by a Supreme Court case across the street but by the Republican budget right here in the House. The Affordable Care Act law protects women from being charged more for health insurance for simply being a woman, and it allows women to get health coverage and not be denied because giving birth may be considered a preexisting condition. And it helps families--mothers and fathers--have a little bit of peace of mind in raising their children. Last Friday in my district, I met with Kathy Estrada and her son Nick. Kathy and her husband have worked hard and are doing the best they can to raise their son. But as a young man in his twenties, Nick is building a life, and it's incredibly expensive to buy health care insurance. He is a skateboarder, and she used to lay awake at night worrying that something might happen to him out on the streets and she wouldn't be able to take care of him because he couldn't be on her insurance. But because of the affordable care law, Kathy can rest easier because Nick can be covered on her insurance policy. The affordable care law is today helping women and families of all ages across the country, and that's the way it should continue.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in honor of the Faith & Politics Institute's 12th Annual Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimage to Birmingham, Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, which I had the great privilege of joining. This pilgrimage was about coming together--not as Democrats and Republicans--but as Americans, as men and women who believe somehow and some way that we have a can find a way to create the American community. The non-violent and peaceful Americans who risked so much simply to have the government honor their rights under our Constitution reminds me of what it means to be a patriot. In the face of brutal beatings, fire hoses, cattle prods, trampling by horses and in some cases death, these heroes forced America to face its past and present, and change the way it treated its own citizens. Our pilgrimage included visits to many historic places in Alabama that changed the course of history for all Americans. In Montgomery, we visited Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. began his ministry and the parsonage where he and his family lived through two bombings. Other visits in Montgomery included First Baptist Church where the Rev. Dr. Ralph Abernathy served as pastor, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Rosa Parks Museum and the Capitol--the building from which Governor George Wallace declared he would uphold segregation laws and on whose steps the Voting Rights March culminated. My father, Kenny Hahn, took an enormous risk early in his public career to welcome Martin Luther King Jr. to Los Angeles. He did it because it was the right thing to do. This trip reminded me how important it was to stand up for what you believe, like my father did in 1961, and throughout his career. We must live up to the example set for us by leaders of the Civil Rights era by continuing the fight for social justice and for the rights of all Americans. I would hope that every member of Congress would take this pilgrimage during their career and that each American learns more about a group of men and women who stood up for and changed our nation.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, even before coming to Congress last July, ports have been a top priority for me. I served on the Los Angeles city council for ten years and represented the Port of Los Angeles--that, with the Port of Long Beach, are America's ports. When I arrived in Congress, I wanted to raise awareness of ports and their impact on our nation's economy. So, I started the bi-partisan PORTS Caucus to work with my colleagues over the past couple months to educate my colleagues and include ports in our national dialogue. This week, I took the next step in that mission by introducing a resolution honoring our ports. The United States is served by more than 350 commercial sea and river ports that support 3,200 cargo and passenger handling facilities. Each day United States ports move both imports and exports totaling some $3.8 billion worth of goods through all 50 states. Additionally, ports move 99.4 percent of overseas cargo volume by weight and generate $3.95 trillion in international trade. These numbers speak for themselves: ports are a crucial component of our national economy, and they deserve Congress' attention. This resolution honors both the tremendous contribution ports make to our national economy and the extraordinary service of Americans employed at our nation's ports. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution in order to advance our national dialogue on ports.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, this week marks the second anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, legislation that makes quality health care more affordable for everyone. March is also Women's History Month, so I would like to talk about how this act affects women's health. Instead of just imposing government mandates on health care for women, I believe the Affordable Care Act empowers women and their families because the Affordable Care Act bans insurance companies from requiring women to obtain authorization before getting OB/GYN care. The Affordable Care Act keeps insurance companies from denying coverage for conditions such as breast or cervical cancer, pregnancy, having had a C-section, or being the victim of domestic violence; and it ends the practice of gender rating, so women will no longer be charged higher rates for simply being a woman. The Affordable Care Act does all of this while preserving Americans' right to choose their own doctor and the health coverage that they want. Women's health, Americans' health is better because of the Affordable Care Act.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. I would like to thank my colleague, Congressman Ted Poe, for giving a shout-out to the PORTS Caucus, showing this country that we can work together on issues that matter to the people of America. Mr. Speaker, yesterday was Super Tuesday, but this year's campaign has been anything but super. Thanks to the Supreme Court's misguided decision in the Citizens United case, a handful of Super PACs, funded by billionaires and special interest groups, have dominated this year's elections. But it doesn't have to be this way. Four years ago, the Republican nominee for President, John McCain, was a leading voice in reforming how we pay for campaigns. In this body, Republican Chris Shays fought to clean up elections. That's why I've come to the floor today, to ask my Republican friends to join with me and with people like John McCain and Chris Shays in supporting the DISCLOSE Act, a law that would shine a very bright light on these Super PACs. This law would let us know who is paying for these ads, and it would require these invisible power brokers to appear in their ads just like the candidates do. If we came together to change this, it really would be super.