Janice Hahn

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Women's History Month and the bold women pioneers who shattered glass ceilings and paved the way for women across this country to succeed. From the courageous women at the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention who came up with the audacious new idea of women's rights, to the suffragettes who won the right to vote in 1920, we stand on the shoulders of the giants that came before us. But women's history does not end there. From the first woman Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, to the three women on the Supreme Court, to women candidates for President, bold women continue to break barriers. But there is work to be done. Women are still paid less for the same work as their male counterparts. We are more than half the population, but just 20 percent of Congress. The United States continues to be one of just three nations in the world with no paid maternity leave law. I know my daughter and my granddaughters deserve the same opportunities as my sons and grandsons. I am going to fight on behalf of the women across this country until that is a reality.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, today, I am reintroducing the Pipeline Inspection Enforcement Act to prevent oil pipeline leaks like the one that greatly damaged the community of Wilmington, California in my district. Los Angeles is home to one of the most vast pipeline networks in the United States. Both oil and gas pipelines connect the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach with the refineries in the area. Therefore, pipeline safety is a very important topic for me and the communities which make up the neighborhoods surrounding the Port of Los Angeles--including Wilmington, a primarily working class community. I have represented Wilmington for over 10 years--first on the Los Angeles City Council, and now as a Member of Congress. Since Wilmington sits on top of one of the largest oil fields in the nation and a complex system of pipelines, this community lives with a heightened threat of a pipeline leaking or exploding. This became an unfortunate reality for many residents of Wilmington two years ago when a pipeline ruptured, causing thousands of gallons of crude oil to spill onto a residential street wreaking havoc on the lives of families who live in the community. When Phillips purchased the pipeline, they were told that it was empty. In 15 years, the pipeline was not inspected to ensure that it was true. As a result, the people in Wilmington paid the price. I remember racing over there the morning it happened and discovering that yards were destroyed and homes were damaged. The smell of oil made people sick. The residents had to deal with the noise of jackhammers tearing up streets to locate the leak. Some people could not leave their houses and get to work. The legislation I am reintroducing today would have prevented the damage these families experienced by forcing companies like Phillips 66 to simply have firsthand knowledge of what their pipelines contain. My legislation will ensure that a company purchasing a pipeline does its due diligence and inspects the status of the pipelines they purchase within 180 days of the sale. This inspection needs to have third party verification by either PHMSA or a state authority. It is neglectful not to inspect the pipelines. The oil spill endangered the health and safety of many of my constituents as well as property damage and costs to the local economy. These basic improvements to federal policy would protect countless communities like Wilmington. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to make this legislation law.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, on the evening of February 9, this little precious angel, 1-year-old Autumn Johnson, was in her crib when a gunman approached her family's Compton home and opened fire on the converted garage where they lived. Autumn was struck by a single bullet to her head. Two sheriff's deputies on the scene didn't think they could wait for the paramedics and rushed little Autumn in her father's arms to the hospital in their squad car. She was declared dead at the hospital. Yesterday sheriffs arrested her suspected killer. The motive is still unknown, but law enforcement suspects gang involvement. I hope that justice is served, but I know that nothing can make up for what Autumn's parents have lost. I attended her funeral on Saturday, and my heart broke into a million pieces when I saw Autumn in her little lavender casket. Before she was buried, her young father put her pink teddy bear in beside her. When is the breaking point? When will we decide that our communities have seen enough bloodshed? When will we get serious about investing in our young people and giving them better opportunities than gangs? When will we in Congress finally do our part to prevent gun violence? Autumn's life mattered, and it is time we started acting like it.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, tonight, for the first time, there will be one empty seat in our First Lady's box for the State of the Union Address. One seat will be left open next to Ryan Reyes, whose boyfriend, Daniel Kaufman, was shot and killed in the recent terrorist attack in San Bernardino. That open seat will represent Daniel and all of the Americans who have lost their lives to gun violence. Tonight, when I look at that empty chair, I am going to be thinking about Mary Matsumoto, a 72-year-old woman who was shot and killed in San Pedro last January; Armando Bejar, a 15-year-old boy who was shot and killed in Compton in September; Lucille Wills, a 74-year-old woman who was shot and killed in Carson in April; Emmanuel Sosa, an 18-year- old young man who was shot and killed in Wilmington, California, in June. That seat will represent the 436 people who have been shot and killed in just Los Angeles County alone since the last State of the Union. Heartbreakingly, if we were to save empty seats for each one of those victims, every seat on the House floor tonight would be empty.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, this upcoming Monday, the Westboro Baptist Church plans to hold protests outside of Redondo Union High School in Redondo Beach, California. We have seen these protests before, often at the funerals of our fallen servicemen and -women. They are known, unfortunately, for their hateful message, especially against LGBT Americans. The members of this church believe that America's generation of high schoolers is ``utterly without hope.'' They say that because these young students are promoting acceptance and inclusion of all people, regardless of whether they are gay or straight. I couldn't disagree more with their premise of calling these students ``without hope.'' I think because these students are promoting acceptance and inclusion of all people, regardless of whether they are gay or straight, they are building a future full of hope. I have the utmost faith in the next generation as the future leaders of this Nation. Of course, no matter how much I disagree with this group, these individuals should be allowed to exercise their right to protest, and they do have a right to free speech in this country. The students have those same rights, and an inspiring group of Redondo High students are organizing a peaceful counterprotest on Monday. Yesterday, I wrote a letter to the members of the school's Gay- Straight Alliance and told them that I wished I could be there on Monday to protest alongside of them. These students deserve to live in a world where they can be who they are and love whom they choose. In standing up against hate and living a life of acceptance, inclusion, and understanding, they are making that world a reality. I know my colleague here, Ted Lieu, who represents Redondo Beach, joins me in saying that we are so proud of these students. We are proud of their courage, their bravery, their intelligence, and skill in standing up for what they know is right, just, and for being brave enough to organize a counterprotest. I am going to be in Washington, D.C., on Monday. But if I were not here, I would want to be standing alongside each and every student to show my solidarity with them. Instead, let me tell them that I will be there in spirit.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, I have stood here many times in the last few years with the same message to my colleagues: Let's take action on gun violence and save some lives. I have named horrible statistics on gun death, like young people in the United States are more likely to be killed by a gun than in a car accident. I have told stories about people who have suffered incredible loss, like Vicky Lindsey from Compton, who lost her son to gun violence and founded Project Cry No More. I have cited polls showing bipartisan support from voters for sensible reforms; but year after year, Congress has refused to act, despite its knowing how easy it is for criminals and dangerous people to buy these deadly weapons. This week there was a bright spot. President Obama has taken executive action to increase the number of background checks on gun sales, a move which we know will help to keep guns out of dangerous hands. I thank the President, but our work to prevent gun deaths cannot end there. Congress must finish the job by instituting universal background checks, banning assault weapons, and closing the dangerous loophole that allows a gun dealer to sell a gun if the FBI has not completed the background check within 3 days. We have to act. There is no excuse not to.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. I thank my colleague, Congresswoman Torres, for introducing this very important bill. Mr. Speaker, as co-chair and cofounder of the Congressional PORTS Caucus and also as a representative of the busiest port complex in the Nation, I have long advocated for much-needed cybersecurity at our Nation's ports. In 2013, a report by the Brookings Institution found that there is a serious cybersecurity gap at many of our Nation's ports, putting them at risk for an attack. A significant cyber attack at one of our major ports could bring commerce in an entire region to a halt and send shock waves throughout the national and global economies. This is a problem that needs to be addressed, but unfortunately, we do not have a clear picture of where cybersecurity vulnerabilities exist at our ports. Earlier this year, the House passed my amendment to instruct the Department of Homeland Security to identify gaps in cybersecurity at the Nation's 10 most at-risk ports and then to make recommendations for how we can address these problems. I am pleased that that amendment has been included in the omnibus that we will be voting on later this week. Mr. Speaker, the bill we are talking about today expands on this progress and is a great vehicle to identify cybersecurity problems at our Nation's ports. I would like to commend my colleague Congresswoman Torres for bringing this important issue to the floor. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Massachusetts for the few moments to talk about something really important. Colleagues, it is our responsibility to take action on behalf of the American people that we represent, and right now they are begging us to take action to keep them safe. We should not be wasting our time debating this legislation on the floor today when so many lives are at stake. The American people are anxious, many are afraid, and they have reason to be. Guns kill 36 people every day in our country. No other developed country comes close to that level. Some would say it is we, in this body, who are to blame because we have failed to enact even the most reasonable policies to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals. It is unbelievable that an individual on the terrorist watch list can walk into a gun shop and buy the firearm of their choice in this country. Among all the gaps in our gun laws, this loophole is the most glaring. In fact, in the past 11 years, 2,000 suspects on our FBI's terrorist watch list have walked into a gun store and bought the weapon of their choice. All we are asking for is the commonsense legislation that Peter King has introduced that would close this loophole be brought to this floor for a vote. This bill, introduced by Peter King, has bipartisan support. Of course, this bill is not a cure-all for all gun violence in this Nation, but it is a step in the right direction. I join my colleagues in asking Speaker Ryan to bring this legislation to the floor for a vote.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, mass shootings have become daily occurrences in this country. There were 355 mass shootings in the first 336 days of this year. Americans are understandably shaken. As Members of Congress, it is our responsibility to enact policies to protect and defend them. It is unbelievable that an individual on the terrorist watch list can walk into any gun shop and buy the firearm of their choice. That is completely legal right now, and law enforcement has no ability to stop it. We all know that our weak gun laws in this country have failed for decades to protect innocent lives. We have a long way to go in reversing the deadly damage done by the lobbying efforts of the NRA, but this is a good place to start. Closing this glaring loophole is common sense. It is not a cure-all for all gun violence in this Nation, but it is a step in the right direction. I am calling on Speaker Paul Ryan to bring H.R. 1076, the Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2015, up for a vote immediately. The American people are calling us to do something, and we can start now.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, 60 years ago today Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a White man. Her simple act of defiance and her quiet dignity in the face of daily injustice grabbed the attention of activists and launched the civil rights movement. In 2013, we unveiled a statue of Rosa Parks that stands just outside these doors in the U.S. Capitol Statuary Hall. This year I took my 11- year-old granddaughter to Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, Alabama, so that the next generation of young Americans can understand the role that she played in shaping the history of our country. I actually got the great honor of meeting Rosa Parks at an event once that my father held at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital in Watts. What thrill it was to hold her hand as the audience sang ``We Shall Overcome.'' It has been 60 years, but, unfortunately, we know that the discrimination Rosa Parks faced still faces minorities communities in this country today. On this anniversary, I hope we can look to her example for inspiration in the ongoing struggle for justice for every American.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember Nohemi Gonzalez, a 23-year-old Cal State Long Beach student whose life was cut short Friday night in the terrorist attacks in Paris. Nohemi was a shining star of the Cal State Long Beach design department. She was in Paris for the semester, studying at the Strate School of Design and traveling Europe. It was her first time abroad. Nohemi has been described as a cheerful soul and a self-driven young woman who had everything at her feet. My heart goes out to her mother, Beatriz; her longtime boyfriend, Tim; and all of her family and friends. I cannot imagine the pain they are feeling. This tragedy has brought home the devastation of terrorism, which often seems isolated and worlds away. Her murder has stunned all Americans, but it is particularly painful for the southern California delegation in Congress and the Long Beach and El Monte communities that lost one of their own. As we grieve for our own loss, we stand in solidarity with Paris and with the families of 129 victims killed in Friday's attacks. As French authorities continue raids to bring the perpetrators of this ungodly violence to justice, our hearts are with the people of France, our loyal friend and our earliest ally.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. I thank the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline). This was our joint amendment. Mr. Chair, as you said, Scenic America is working on different ways in this country to beautify our landscape. I believe that this transportation bill was the appropriate place to do this, as this is about highways and our roads in this country. But, having the disapproval and opposition of my chairman--it wasn't that strong, but it was a disapproval--I will agree to withdraw this amendment, and we will work with Scenic America to find another way to bring the undergrounding of our utilities forward.

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline) to speak in support of this important amendment.

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer the Hahn-Cicilline amendment to the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015. Our committee has been putting in many months, some would say even years, in writing this bill. So it is actually a great day to see this bill finally come on the floor. In addition, I would like to thank Chairman Shuster, Ranking Member DeFazio, and the entire Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for our hard work in crafting this legislation. If I might just take a moment at this point to give a farewell and a rest in peace to Howard Coble, who was a good member of our Transportation Committee, who served in the Coast Guard. In fact, we named our Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act the Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014. We will miss him. He was a good member of our committee. Our amendment today looks to make our Nation's roadways safer and, also, more scenic by directing the Secretary of Transportation to study the benefits and costs of undergrounding power lines. Forty percent of all power outages are due to fallen trees or weather events, and an additional 8 percent are caused by traffic accidents. By placing power lines underground, roadways are safer from downed lines during storms, service to customers is more reliable, and our roadways will simply be more beautiful to drive on. Every year over 1,000 fatalities occur as a result of collisions with utility poles. In fact, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, about 20 percent of all highway deaths are due to power line poles and traffic barriers. This is a preventable tragedy, and this amendment asks the Secretary to evaluate if this is feasible and to share with Congress its findings. We should take this highway authorization as an opportunity to make our highways safer and more scenic. My home State of California has been a leader in undergrounding power lines. In 1967, California began encouraging and directing utility providers to allocate a portion of their budgets to replace overhead cables with underground cables. This has been a good start, but I think we could do more in this country. It was President Johnson, urged on by Lady Bird, who signed the Highway Beautification Act in 1965 to limit unsightly roadside mess. Upon the bill's passage, President Johnson said, ``Beauty belongs to all the people. And so long as I am President, what has been divinely given to nature will not be taken recklessly away by man.'' By conducting a nationwide study through the DOT, we can begin to see where these conversions make sense across this country. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Chair, I withdraw my amendment.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, next week, Americans will celebrate Veterans Day and honor the sacrifices of the men and women who have served this Nation, but one group of veterans has gone unrecognized far too long. In World War II, more than 200,000 merchant mariners braved troubled seas to deliver supplies to the battlefields of Europe and the Pacific. They faced enemy attack and suffered a casualty rate higher than any other uniformed service. Unfortunately, the World War II Merchant Marine veterans were never eligible for benefits under the GI Bill and were long excluded even from Veterans Day celebrations. Many of these merchant mariners are now well into their eighties and nineties and have yet to receive the honor and appreciation they deserve. As Veterans Day approaches, I am calling once again on my colleagues to pass H.R. 563, legislation that will provide the fewer than 5,000 surviving World War II Merchant Marine veterans with a one-time $25,000 payment as a token of this Nation's appreciation. When my colleagues are home in their districts celebrating Veterans Day, I hope that what I have said today will prick their conscience. Despite their sacrifice, despite their patriotism, one group of veterans has not been celebrated. Our merchant mariners deserve so much more. It is time to pass H.R. 563.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, the poster beside me depicts the moment in Pope Francis' parade through D.C. when a little girl snuck through the barrier and was lifted into the Pope's arms on live TV. That little girl is a constituent of mine, Sophie Cruz, a 5-year-old from the City of South Gate. She is one of 5 million children who are American citizens, but whose undocumented parents face deportation. She gave the Pope a T-shirt with a message in Spanish that read: ``Pope, rescue DAPA so the legalization can be your blessing.'' Deferred Action for Parental Accountability, or DAPA, is a program that would stop the deportation of parents of American children. So far, DAPA faces strong opposition. But is this really what we want, to separate families, to leave American children in the United States without their parents? I could not be more proud to have Sophie as my constituent. Last night my office honored her with a congressional certificate at a ceremony at the South Gate City Hall. I wish that I could have been there last night, but I want Sophie to know that I support her and that I will be fighting for DAPA for her and for the 5 million children just like her across this great country.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, today we will vote on what, hopefully, will be this Congress' last short-term extension of the highway bill. We have made progress on a long-term bill, and the House should consider that legislation next week. This is good news. But the short-term bill also includes an inevitable but disappointing extension of the deadline for railroads to install positive train control technology. This technology can prevent train accidents and is designed to save lives. Originally, Congress gave railroads 7 years to install positive train control, but as that deadline approaches, the railroads are woefully behind schedule. With the railroad industry's threat to shut down over our heads, we have no choice but to go through with this extension. I worry what the consequences will be for this. This has to be the last delay that we give to the railroads. Congress did not mandate positive train control to be a thorn in the railroads' side. It was done to save lives.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my good colleague from California, Mr. Garamendi, for devoting this Special Order hour to the needs that we have in this country when it comes to our infrastructure. I am sort of excited because this week, at long last, barely in time before the highway trust fund runs out of money, we are finally going to look at a long-term surface transportation bill to fund some of our Nation's most critical infrastructure, which you have been talking about. Our Nation's highways, our roads, our bridges, they have been neglected far too long. Today we unfortunately have an infrastructure crisis. Not only do the American people rely on these roads to get from point A to point B safely and efficiently, our economy relies on them as well. I have been advocating, as you know, for more funding for our freight network. That is the series of highways and roads that go from our ports and our manufacturing hubs and that the vast majority of our Nation's freight travel on. Our Nation's ports are hard at work, bringing in cargo from all over the world and exporting the products of American manufacturing to the growing overseas market. Twenty-two million jobs nationwide rely on the efficient movement of goods in and out of our ports. These jobs rely on our Nation's freight network. For too long we have failed to invest in this important infrastructure and allowed it to crumble. Too many bridges along the freight network are in disrepair, and too many of our highways are unable to handle the modern levels of traffic. Now, many of us deal with the inconvenience of traffic every day, but this same traffic also costs both businesses and consumers money, and it threatens our economy's ability to stay competitive in the 21st century global economy. As the roads on our freight network become more and more unreliable, the cost of transporting these goods increases, and American manufacturers and consumers pay the price. That is why I proposed legislation that would drastically increase the funding of this freight network infrastructure. I thought it would be a good idea, and my bill would have used existing customs fees to provide $2 billion every year just to fund this freight network and the infrastructure projects without, by the way, raising any taxes. I thought, by investing in our freight network, we could give American businesses and manufacturers a competitive edge and spur job creation across the country. The highway bill that we are considering this week provides just $750 million per year in freight funding. That is less than half of what I was hoping for. But it is a start. I hope that we can continue this conversation and find ways to invest in our ports and in this freight network at the level that our economy needs. I hope that in coming days we can work in a bipartisan way to improve the highway bill and ensure that it passes before the end of this year. I would like to see the freight network expanded to include that last mile. Those are the roads that connect everything to our ports with highways and with rail. And when we talk about improving our roads, these last mile roads are often forgotten, even when they have the greatest amount of traffic. I hope that we can expand the freight title to include funding for on-dock rail at our ports. Investing in on-dock rail would actually ease traffic on our highways by taking a lot of those trucks off the roads. That cargo would come off the ships, go right onto the rail and then to the end consumer. This bill is a positive step. It is not perfect. It is not as good as I would like to have seen, but it is the right step for a long-term plan to invest in our Nation's critical infrastructure. I am looking forward to working with you, Mr. Garamendi. Thank you for your leadership on this. Thank you for talking about why Make It In America makes sense. But none of that makes sense unless we can finally invest in this infrastructure in this country to, as you said, make this country great and make it work for everyone.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, today, I am reintroducing a resolution to recommend the designation of a Presidential Special Envoy for the Balkans. In November of 1995 the United States government spearheaded a series of peace talks in Dayton, Ohio, that ended more than three years of warfare and ethnic cleansing that plagued much of the Balkans region. Ultimately, from those talks stemmed the Dayton Peace Accords, which essentially established the new-nation state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, as time has evolved since Dayton, the U.S. has made uneven attempts to continue this important dialogue and revisit the many weaknesses in the original Dayton Agreement. As many have said over the years, the Dayton Accords solved the war of the 1990s but did not fully resolve the Constitutional and governmental needs for this new nation state. The time has come to lend our services in aid to this important region and help Bosnia thaw her ``frozen conflict,'' as it has been referred regarding the present situation. This new nation must continue to move forward toward full integration into our important western alliances. Bosnia and Herzegovina must further develop active and free capital markets in order to help secure governmental structures that fully protect the economic, political, and religious rights for her three recognized constituent peoples--the Croat Bosnians, the Bosniak Muslims, and the Serb Bosnians. Croat Bosnians have had over the years trouble consistently electing a truly representative Croatian to the tri-partite Presidency in Sarajevo. In addition, many Croats in Bosnia still do not have full ownership of their pre-war properties and are unable to return to their homesteads. A country is respected for how it treats its smallest constituencies, and in reality the future success of the Croats in Bosnia is the glue that will hold Bosnia and Herzegovina together in the future. While the U.S. has urged the Bosnian government to initiate needed revisions themselves, we have witnessed this relatively new nation state, which maintains great political and economic potential, actually fall back into occasional violent patterns as witnessed in February 2014. As the Representative of the 44th district of California, an area steeped in Balkans culture with a very active Croatian American community, I have heard firsthand the concerns arising from growing general instability and the economic and political difficulties experienced by the Croatian Bosnians, the smallest of the three Dayton recognized constituent peoples of Bosnia. As I have stated before, this region is integral to the future success of our interdependent international community and a Europe that is whole and prosperous. We have an obligation to support the democratic and free market progress that has been hard won over the last two decades in the Balkans. The United States and Europe cannot be distracted by other regions dominating the news. My Resolution will establish a much needed independent Special Envoy for the Secretary of State. This Envoy shall fully investigate the current state of affairs and provide a comprehensive report to the Congress and the Administration. This report will recommend additional and alternative methods for assisting Bosnia and Herzegovina in developing a fully functional and stable system of government--a system that her people so adamantly desire and fully deserve. Therefore, I call upon this 114th Congress to designate a special Presidential Envoy to evaluate the successes and shortcomings of the Dayton Peace Accords, and to provide tangible policy recommendations so that we may assist this region to fully establish the security and prosperity that its citizens demand for themselves. It is my greatest hope that the United States can remain a catalyst for change and success in the Balkans, as it illustrated earlier during the era of the Dayton Accords.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 90th anniversary of Phineas Banning High School in Wilmington. It was named after General Phineas Banning, known as the ``Father of the Port of Los Angeles,'' thus the school's mascot, the Pilots. Banning has earned a reputation as an athletic powerhouse. The Pilots hold the title for the second-most CIS championships in the entire city of Los Angeles. Over the past 90 years, Banning High School hasn't lost sight of its core mission: to educate the young people of Wilmington and to prepare them for their future. It is an impressive alumni that have gone on to be NFL stars, Olympic athletes, actors, CEOs, scientists, and educators. Many of my friends and members of my staff went to Banning High School. They can trace lifelong friendships and some of their fondest memories to their time there. Tomorrow night Banning will celebrate its milestone at its homecoming football game against the San Pedro Pirates. Both schools are in my district, however; so, I am not taking sides. But I want to wish both teams good luck and wish the Pilots a happy 90th birthday.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to first thank Speaker Boehner for inviting Pope Francis to be the first Pope to ever address a joint session of Congress in his visit to the United States last week. I know that I was not the only Member of Congress who was deeply moved by Pope Francis' address. His message was simple and honest. It crossed religious and political divides. He challenged us to do better and even invoked Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He reminded us that this Nation continues to be a land of dreams. Pope Francis has returned to the Vatican, and we must get back to work. But I hope that his message will stay with us a little longer. And we should follow the Golden Rule. Paraphrased, we should treat others like we would like to be treated. Not only should that apply to how we treat each other in the Halls of Congress, but also to how we address the bigger problems that this Nation is facing. From immigration reform to voting rights, each of us should place ourselves in the shoes of struggling families and work on the solution that is right for them and right for this country.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of long-suffering airline passengers. All of us know that air travel is becoming more and more uncomfortable. At a time when airlines treat passengers so poorly, subjecting us to decreased legroom, cramped planes, more seats in each row, charging extra fees for luggage or snacks, and many other inconveniences, many people are understandably upset that a CEO of a major airline will receive a golden parachute with up to $20 million in compensation and free first-class airline tickets for life. The airline industry is expected to double its profits this year as compared to last year, and even though the fuel prices have dropped 50 percent, ticket prices have barely budged, but what has changed is smaller seats and less legroom. Since 9/11, the traveling public has complied graciously and patiently with all the new regulations, but once they board the airplane, they are squeezed at every side. I will soon be introducing legislation that improves the flying experience for the flying public. I think Congress needs to look out for the consumer.

Ms. HAHN

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, today I am proud to join my colleagues Senator Tim Scott and Senator Cory Booker in introducing the ``Safer Officers and Safer Citizens Act of 2015.'' This legislation will provide federal grant funding to outfit law enforcement officers with body cameras. Police departments that use body cameras consistently have lower rates of complaints, show a reduced use of force, and have been shown to be a win-win for officers. A report conducted by the City of San Diego showed a 40% reduction in complaints filed by individuals, a 46% reduction in the use of force, and a 30% reduction in the use of pepper spray. A second study in Rialto, California showed a 60% reduction in force. These cameras make our streets safer for law enforcement and individuals. Further, 785 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies participated in a study of the effectiveness of body-worn cameras, and 85% agreed that these cameras reduce false complaints. The bill I am introducing today with Congressman Bill Foster and Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty, which is the companion to the Senate bill recently introduced by Senators Cory Booker and Tim Scott, will provide these law enforcement agencies additional resources to equip their officers. At a time of tension and eroding trust between law enforcement and the public in many communities, body cameras help hold police officers accountable and encourage them to act appropriately as they protect and serve. This legislation enables departments to purchase body cameras without cutting or diverting funds from other important programs including community outreach efforts. The ``Safer Officers and Safer Citizens Act of 2015,'' will provide $100 million annually to state, local, and tribal law enforcement departments through a grant program to outfit their officers with body cameras. I call on my colleagues in Congress to join me in this effort, and pass this bill.