Steven Horsford

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago today, President Johnson declared a war on poverty. Since that day, our country has fought to increase access to resources for those struggling to make ends meet. Poverty has declined by more than one-third since 1967. That is because, historically, we have had strong bipartisan support for programs like Social Security and Medicare and tax policies like the Earned Income Tax Credit. But the war on poverty is not over. In 2012 there were 49.7 million Americans living in poverty, including 13.4 million of our children. We cannot break our promise to fight poverty. That is why this Congress needs to do everything to strengthen these programs and lift people out of poverty. Tax credits for struggling families reduced the poverty rate in 2012 by 3 points. SNAP helped to reduce poverty by 3 points. Unemployment insurance reduces poverty as well, and it is why we need to extend it. Our commitment to these programs must not waver. Let us work together to really end poverty now.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. I just want to conclude by ending where you started, which is on creating economic mobility for all Americans. When we talk about innovation, job creation, growing the economy, we are talking about growing an economy that works for all Americans, for people who are in the middle class, most importantly, because they are the engines of our economy, but also those who are striving to be part of the middle class. That is why assistance for unemployment insurance and extending unemployment insurance is so important. It is why providing nutrition assistance programs for families when they are in need is important, because they are creators in moving people out of poverty and into the middle class; and it is what we are focused on when we talk about making it in America. We are not saying make it in America for the top 1 percent of the wealthiest, the elite. We are focused on those who are the engines, who are the backbone, who have made America great. We can do big things if we work together as a body to do that. I know that is what my colleagues are aspiring to do. I am proud to join you here tonight, and I will continue to work with you and with anybody from either party who is focused on growing our economy and on creating true economic mobility for all Americans.

Mr. HORSFORD. I want to just accentuate--thank you for yielding time--the need for infrastructure. In my home State of Nevada, as you indicate, the lifeline of our primary industry, the gaming and tourism industry, is largely dependent upon a strong infrastructure for people being able to get to our State to be able to enjoy our entertainment. We have legislation before this Congress that would do just that by helping to build a new interstate between Phoenix and Las Vegas, the two major metropolitan communities in the intermountain west that don't have a major interstate between them that would help create a corridor between Mexico and Canada and provide the type of trade and commerce that would grow our economy. Those are the types of investments that we desperately need, as well as an investment in our veterans. A third of my population in the Fourth Congressional District of Nevada are veterans, people who have served our country with distinction and honor and now have come back home and cannot find work. It is why we need to reauthorize the Veterans' Employment and Training Act, help to provide entrepreneurial and small business funding for veteran-owned businesses so that they can compete and participate in the Make It In America agenda that Mr. Garamendi and Mr. Tonko and other leaders in this body have worked so hard to bring forward. So I urge the House Republican leadership, we are serious about solutions for the American people. I didn't come here to be a ``no'' vote or a ``yes'' vote for every piece of legislation. I came here to work with my colleagues to find solutions to complex problems. One of the biggest problems that we face is that not enough of our friends and neighbors can find work. The way to address that is to make it in America and to support our agenda.

Mr. HORSFORD. Thank you. First, I'd like to extend my appreciation to my colleague, Mr. Garamendi from California, for laying out the case for economic mobility. I'm glad that we're beginning to have this discussion at the beginning of this second session of the 113th Congress because it's the discussion that the American people desperately need this Congress to focus on, and you touched on it. Are we providing enough for the people who have too little? Are we focused on those who are in the middle class and are striving to be part of the middle class? I'm from Nevada. Nevada is currently tied with Rhode Island for the highest unemployment in the Nation at 9 percent. This is not something that we're proud of. We like boasting about being the entertainment capital of the world and the fact that we have some of the most magnificent natural resources. Unfortunately, the prolonged recession has hit our State and the people of Nevada to our core, and it's because, in large part, our economy was a growth economy. For nearly 20 years, year over year, we had double-digit growth, and people were moving to the great State of Nevada to help us build and to grow. During the recession, that changed. So, now, thousands, over 100,000, Nevadans are unemployed and have been, primarily from the construction, engineering, and architecture sectors of our economy. Thousands of Nevadans have spent more than a year now doing what many of us here in Congress maybe haven't had the perspective of experiencing. So my question to my colleagues tonight is, have you ever been unemployed? Do you know what it feels like to have to go to a work center or to spend your days full-time looking for work? Do you know what it means to submit resume after resume, never to get a call back, not knowing if it's your skills or some other issue as to why you're not getting that interview? Well, thousands of Nevadans have the full-time job right now of looking for work, and I recently held a meeting at a local work center, Workforce Connections, and met with constituents who are affected by this prolonged recession and the discussion that we're having here tonight about the need to have a priority and a focus on creating jobs in America again. They've been affected by the downturn in the economy, and they've been affected by the expiration of unemployment benefits, many of them. I promised that when I came back to Congress today that I would share the story of several of these constituents because too often we talk in this Chamber as if there aren't people behind the numbers. There are 1.3 million Americans, our neighbors, who are without unemployment insurance. Think about that term--insurance, of the unemployment insurance program, who are relying on this Congress to do its job so that our neighbors, our friends, and some of our family who are unemployed cannot be left out and without. So I just want to share the story of several of these constituents because I want to put a perspective on who we're talking about. One of the constituents, her name is Pauline. She's worked in a warehouse customer service position. She has a degree in bookkeeping. Unfortunately, after more than 20 years in serving as an accountant, her skills are outdated, and so as she has looked for current jobs, she hasn't been able to land one. She was laid off because technology devalued her position, and there was no longer a need for her services. She currently lives at a home with her husband and two adult offspring, who are also looking for work. One of her daughters just got hired, actually yesterday, as a teacher. She was very proud of that. So do you know what she is doing after 20 years? She has enrolled in a training program to update her skills in QuickBooks so that she can add that certification to her resume, because that's one of the things that the employers that she's applying for say that they want her to have, this certification. She's using the unemployment insurance as a bridge while she's in training to allow her and her family to meet their basic obligations to keep a roof over their head, to provide food on the table and to keep the lights on. Those are the basics that are being funded because of unemployment insurance. Then there is Alfordeen. She was laid off from the medical industry after more than 20 years as an administration person. She handled all of the admissions for this local medical company in southern Nevada. She is currently looking to obtain her certification for her to meet the minimum requirements for current positions in her field. She is also a cancer survivor. She found out she had cancer after she lost her job, the job that provided her health benefits. She was thankful because of the Affordable Care Act she now can get insurance again that she lost because she lost her job. After more than 20 years of caring for people in the health care industry, she is now relying on unemployment insurance as a bridge so that she can meet her obligations while going to school so that she can get back into the career that she loves, helping other people. Teresa also was laid off from the medical industry. She is in need of updated skills and certification in order to find gainful employment. One of the things that struck me about the stories, listening to Teresa, Alfordeen, and Pauline, is they all expressed the same concern that because they've been in the workforce for 20--one was in the workforce for 30 years--that they feel that they're not being given an equal shot now in competing for jobs when they go to apply, that they feel like because of their age, maybe, that they're being looked over for possible positions. I think that's a real issue that this Congress needs to confront. I know that there is legislation by people like Representative Schakowsky and others who want to bring this issue to this body, and I ask the Speaker to allow that legislation to be considered. There is James, who worked also as a customer service representative and who is enrolled in a training program to become a medical biller because he knows that is a demand occupation right now and there are a ton of openings. Again, he needs to have a certification in order to get the job. Then there is Susan, who is currently unemployed, and her unemployment funds stopped 3 weeks ago. She is a single mother who is caring for her daughter and receives no child support. She has no family to rely upon, and she is not eligible nor seeking welfare. All of the Nevadans that I have met with have had their unemployment insurance lapse, and they are scrambling to make ends meet. No one, none of them, wants to live on unemployment insurance forever. In fact, they all said to a person that they wanted to go to work. Some of them were in training, and they were using unemployment as a bridge. Others go to the Workforce Connections office on a regular basis every week looking for jobs to apply for. None of them are lazy, Mr. Speaker. When unemployment insurance expires, it doesn't just mean those struggling to find work won't be able to put food on the table or pay the rent; it means money that is pumped into our local economy will also be lost, and that is a serious drag on the economy. So if you don't want to listen to me talk about the people who are affected behind the 1.3 million who are losing their unemployment insurance, the 20,000 Nevadans, then maybe you will care that this is a drag on our economy, and you will do the right thing by extending the unemployment insurance. Overall, failing to renew the emergency unemployment compensation program will cost the economy 200,000 jobs this year, according to the Congressional Budget Office, including 3,000 jobs in my home State of Nevada. The expiration of Federal unemployment insurance at the end of last week is already taking more than $400 million out of pockets of American job seekers nationwide and in local and State economies. In Nevada, the total economic benefit lost during the first week of the insurance expiring was $5.4 million. For every $1 spent on unemployment insurance, it grows the economy by $1.52, according to Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. So there are some 17,600 unemployed workers in Nevada who have lost their unemployment benefits because this Congress failed to do its job in December when we had an opportunity to do it. I urged the Speaker, along with 170 of my colleagues, to not adjourn, to not go on recess until we completed the work of extending the unemployment insurance, but that request was not acted upon. So we are here, and as my colleagues have said, there are things, there are solutions that we can do to extend the unemployment insurance. If you want to offset it, if you want to have pay-fors, I would like to offer a couple of suggestions on how to pay for it. In order to offset funding for unemployment insurance, Congress could close a number of corporate tax loopholes, such as eliminating tax incentives for companies to move jobs overseas. Why is it that we continue to incentivize major corporations, based on U.S. tax policy, for shipping jobs overseas when we have Americans who are desperate for work right here? Why should big CEOs get corporate bonuses at the end of the year for sending our jobs to other countries when the people in our own neighborhoods could be performing that work? The United States loses an estimated $150 billion annually to tax- avoidance schemes involving tax havens. Many of our largest and most- profitable corporations paid absolutely no Federal taxes at all in 2011. So Congress could also find revenue by placing caps on commodity payments or eliminating or reducing subsidies to mega-farms in the farm bill that is currently being negotiated. So for whatever reason, if my colleagues on the other side of the aisle think that it is the constituents I talked about, who get $300 or $400 a week, who are the problem with the Federal budget, that they are the reason that we have a Federal deficit, then I would urge you to consider these pay-fors. Let us end the corporate tax subsidies. Let us end the policies that ship our jobs overseas, and let's start investing in America and Americans again. There are reasonable solutions, but that means we have to come together to get it done. We can't let rigid ideology trump the practical need to help those in need. I thank my colleagues, Mr. Garamendi and Mr. Tonko, for being here tonight, and I am hopeful that the Senate, under the leadership of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and my U.S. Senator, Republican Dean Heller, who is a cosponsor on the unemployment insurance bill, extend it for 3 months. They are working in the Senate to reach an agreement. I hope that the Speaker and my colleagues in the House will take it up and vote on it so that none of our neighbors go without unemployment insurance to provide for themselves or their families.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Thank you to the gentleman from California (Mr. Garamendi) for yielding time. I appreciate your leadership, as well as the work that you and our whip, Mr. Hoyer; General Enyart; the gentlelady from Ohio; the gentlelady from Maryland; and many of my other colleagues, who have been working for so long to bring the focus to jobs, job creation, and growing the economy in America. We are here today to talk about the American Dream, and that is having a good job--a family-sustaining job that can provide for yourself and your loved ones. We are talking about expanding economic opportunity not just for a select few at the top, but for those who are in the middle class who are striving to become a part of it. We are talking about the basics of job creation. And, yes, I am a freshman. I have been here for just under a year. I am amazed and quite humbly frustrated by the fact that in 1 year not one comprehensive jobs bill has been brought to this floor for a vote by the majority on the other side; and yet we have example upon example of good job-creating legislation. The package of bills that is under the umbrella of the Make It in America proposal are good, commonsense proposals that would help every region of our country. Now, I am from Nevada. At 9.3 percent, my State, though, has the highest unemployment in the country right now. It is nothing that we are proud of. It is stubbornly high, in large part because we experienced the hardest impact during the recession. When people aren't doing well in other regions of the country, they are not making money. That means they can't come to Nevada to spend money. While our economy is largely dependent upon hospitality and the service industry, my district, which encompasses some 51,000 square miles throughout every corner of Nevada, has mining, agriculture, and four military installations, including many, many private small business contractors who are doing work at our Air Force bases and the Army depot. It has other small businesses who are ancillary to the hospitality industry. And so they have all been impacted by this decline in the economy, and so we have an unemployment rate that is currently at about 9.3 percent. I am glad that my colleague from California showed those pictures from the job fair that you conducted. I want to commend you for doing that because it puts a face on these numbers. It is not about a percentage point here or there. It is about the faces of the people who are standing in line looking for work. Right now in this body at this time it is incredibly important for us to focus on the lives of the people who are impacted because of this Congress's inability to get something done as important as jobs legislation for this country. Now I would like to touch just on two major points, if I could. The first is the fact that, again, in my State, we have had a prolonged recession. So many of the people who have been unemployed have been unemployed for going on a year or longer. Some of them actually are from the construction sector, which was our number two industry in Nevada. But because of the burst in the housing market, the fact that we are not building as much in the commercial sector, the lion's share of the people who are unemployed actually come from the construction sector. They also come from engineering companies. They also come from architecture companies. I have talked to small business owners who run architecture firms who have had to lay off more than 40 to 50 percent of their staff over the last few years. These are good-paying jobs as well, jobs that provide good wages for families to provide for themselves. But the points I want to make include the fact that on December 28, if this Congress doesn't do something in the next few days, some 20,000 individuals in Nevada who currently are receiving emergency unemployment compensation are at risk of losing that safety net, if this Congress fails to act. Now, I don't see how in good conscience we as Members of Congress who, as you say, get paid a good wage--the best wage I have ever had as a poor person growing up in Nevada who has had to work two jobs virtually since I was 14, 15 years of age, to now be a Member of Congress, is a great honor. But I do not see how in good conscience we could leave here on Friday and fail to extend unemployment benefits for millions of Americans who need this safety net, especially at the holiday season Now, a lot of people who were standing in that line have children. They have families that are relying on them to put food on the table. There are people in my district who I have talked to who say that they are going to go without having a holiday this December because the only thing they can do is to provide enough money to keep a roof over their head, food on the table, and gas in the car so that they can keep looking for a job. So I would encourage the leadership here to do everything that they can to allow us to vote to extend the unemployment emergency compensation that is set to expire on December 28; 20,000 Nevadans in my home State are relying on it, and I know millions of other Americans are as well. Let me just close to my colleague from California by also offering one more suggestion of ways in which we can get America working again. I introduced legislation, Putting Our Veterans Back to Work Act of 2013. One other interesting fact about Nevada, about a third of our constituents are veterans. These are people who have given their all to protect our country's freedom in a time of combat; and now all they ask for when they come home is an opportunity for a job, an opportunity for decent housing, for quality health care, access to education for themselves and their kids. So, with my colleagues, I have introduced H.R. 3454, the Putting Our Veterans Back to Work Act. It renews our vow to hire our heroes by reauthorizing the transition, retraining, and employment services that have been created. It expands our vow to veteran small business owners to ensure that they have access to capital that they need for the veteran-owned small businesses that we are encouraging to grow. It builds on our vow to hire heroes by basically committing additional resources through job training, the Workforce Investment Act system, to ensure that our veterans are given priority for hiring. Finally, it ensures that our veterans are not being discriminated against in the workplace. So this is an important contribution I think to the Make It in America proposal, and I think it speaks to the other opportunities that we have here today to grow our economy. I just want to close by saying to Mr. Garamendi that it is great that we can have a focus on what we can do in this Congress. Again, I have only been here a year, and it is frustrating to hear what we can't do: the fact that we haven't been able to pass comprehensive immigration reform or employment protections for individuals regardless of who they love, the fact that there are infrastructure bills that have been proposed by the Make It in America proposal that have bipartisan support so we can revitalize our country. We can do great things if this body, if the Members on the other side who have refused to allow these bills to come to a vote, if they could meet us halfway. We can meet the needs of the American public. We can provide equal pay for equal work and make sure that women are paid the wages that they deserve. We can invest in education and make sure that our schools are adequately funded. We can replace the sequester and make sure that our kids have a head start at a bright future, and we can strengthen our social safety net for seniors and the poor and those who are in the middle class. Mr. Speaker, there is no shortage of what we can do to increase opportunity, to grow the economy and to create jobs. This Congress just needs to show the willingness to work, to put the American people back to work. I want to commend, again, my colleague, Mr. Garamendi, and the others who have spoken this evening for putting this issue front and center. This is the priority that the American people want us to focus on: jobs, jobs, jobs. Thank you.

Mr. HORSFORD

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

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended. The underlying bill would exempt almost every private equity fund from registration and reporting requirements under Dodd-Frank. It is another attempt by House Republicans to turn back the clock on progress that we have made to make sure Wall Street is helping Main Street. This bill, despite being titled the Small Business Capital Access and Job Preservation Act, has nothing to do with small business or creating jobs, and everything to do with chipping away at the safeguards put in place when Congress passed financial sector reform. Wall Street reform has made the financial system more transparent, reduced risk, and protected against systemic failure. Private equity fund advisers have been filing reports with the SEC for over a year now. We shouldn't be trying to gut the system of accountability and oversight, we should be building it up. We should be working together to make the reforms work and make them stronger. H.R. 1105 would roll back the progress by providing blanket registration and reporting exemptions, seriously hampering oversight. The motion to recommit I am offering would amend the underlying bill so that investment funds are only eligible if they do not own a controlling interest in companies that outsource American jobs to other countries. We would also require reporting about any downsizing at each company owned and controlled by the fund. Instead of decreasing transparency by Wall Street, we should be demanding greater public disclosure to protect consumers. We should not be encouraging outsourcing of American jobs overseas. We should be incentivizing companies to keep jobs right here in America, or to bring them back. And we should not be encouraging downsizing or the elimination of jobs, but incentivizing companies to hire employees and to get the American public back to work. Now, when I go home to my district in Nevada and meet with constituents, they want to know what Congress is doing to create jobs. They aren't asking me to roll back reforms that make financial markets more stable. They aren't asking me to make life easier for Wall Street. They want this Congress focused on one street, Main Street, and on creating middle class jobs to help grow the economy and put Americans back to work. And so it is telling that for this Congress, with so few legislative days remaining in this year, we are focusing our precious time on private equity fund advisers. This bill focuses the attention of Congress on the policy desires of an elite group that is doing just fine. They are asking for more secrecy. Why? That is not what we should be spending our time on. Instead of bringing an infrastructure bill to the floor that would create middle class jobs, instead of passing comprehensive immigration reform, Mr. Speaker, to fix our broken system and to grow the economy, instead of passing workplace protections that prevent Americans from being fired because of who they love, instead of working to reduce food insecurity, instead of replacing the harmful sequester that is hurting everything from military contractors to economic activity for all Americans, instead of doing any of that, of doing what the American people are demanding of this Congress, the House GOP, through H.R. 1105, are focusing their energy on gutting Wall Street reform. So we have serious business that this body could be focused on, business that many of our constituents on both sides of the aisle say they want us to address. But, instead, we have H.R. 1105, a focus to gut Wall Street reform; and it is a quiet, but concerted, effort to once again turn back the clock on the American people. Not to mention, the underlying bill is also a futile attempt because the President has already said he would veto the legislation. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the motion to recommit and for the House of Representatives to do the people's business, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HORSFORD. I am opposed in its current form.

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Thank you. I would like to thank you, Mr. Speaker, and my good friend from the State of New York. One of the great pleasures of being a Member of this body is getting to know colleagues from across the State. We have a dynamic freshman class--five Members who are freshmen in the Congressional Black Caucus. It has been my honor to co-anchor this hour of the Special Order for the Congressional Black Caucus with my esteemed colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries). I would like to commend him for his tremendous leadership on a breadth of issues that have come before this Congress. Even recently in his role as a member of the Judiciary Committee, some legislation that we will be considering just this week is going to happen because this Member has worked across the aisle to bring people together to try to seek common ground. It is what we need more of, Mr. Speaker. One of the things that we are doing here tonight is reflecting after a year in this 113th Congress. I am a new Member. I have been here now, like I said, for just over a year after being elected. My constituents back home in Nevada ask me often, so what is it like to be a Member of Congress? You know, do you feel good about what it is you are able to accomplish? It is an honor, it is a great honor, to serve the people of Nevada's Fourth Congressional District here in the people's House, the House of Representatives. It is a great honor, and I am proud to be a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, which has colleagues who are some of the most committed proponents of progressive social and progressive economic justice legislation that comes before this Congress. As honorable as this position is, as proud of a moment that it is for me personally, when I hear the statistics that were read by our chairwoman, Chair Fudge, that less than 50 bills that have been passed by Congress have become law, that is rather frustrating, and it is frustrating to the American people. Prior to coming to Congress I served in the State legislature in Nevada. We only meet every other year for 4 months. Do you know, Mr. Speaker, in 4 months--in 120 days--we considered and passed approximately 1,000 bills. Think about that. One State can consider and approve approximately 1,000 bills in 120 days every other year, but 435 Members in the House of Representatives in more than a year have been able to accomplish less than 50 bills becoming law. That is why the American public is so frustrated. So while I reflect on this year, there are areas that I am proud of in accomplishments that we have made. Unfortunately, there are bills that have been proposed that have not moved and legislation that is still pending in this body. My hope is that, as we reflect on this first year in the 113th Congress, that it will challenge us as Members to come prepared in 2014 to get the people's job done. There are a number of key bills that we need to focus on. As my colleague has talked about, we have fought to ensure our justice system is more fair and protects all citizens equally under the law. We have fought to increase access to affordable health care, something that is desperately needed for millions upon millions of Americans. Our leaders have worked to fight to preserve and to protect important social safety nets like SNAP benefits and Medicare and Medicaid because we have made it our mission to protect America's most vulnerable citizens. We have time and time again called for the sequester to be ended. I just met with constituents in my district in Nevada who said, please don't allow a government shutdown to happen again in January, don't allow these cuts under the sequester; the second round of cuts would be even more harmful, let alone the first round to take hold. Despite these areas, there is work to be done. One of the issues that I have been particularly involved with, as a member of this Congressional Black Caucus, has been immigration reform, the need for comprehensive immigration reform. I am proud to have served as one of the cochairs, along with my colleague, Mr. Jeffries, and Representative Clarke, also from New York, as cochairs of the Congressional Black Caucus' Immigration Reform Task Force. We have worked tirelessly with other House Democrats to craft a bipartisan commonsense bill, H.R. 15, which aims to begin fixing our broken immigration system. It would grow our economy, we know, by 5 percent in just two decades, reduce our deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars, create thousands of jobs, and, most importantly, Mr. Speaker, it would bring millions of people out of the shadows and into society, including thousands of DREAMers, by creating a pathway to citizenship, all while shoring up our border security. As a member of the Homeland Security Committee, I know my colleague, Mr. Jeffries, on the Judiciary Committee, we have worked time and time again on legislation to bring forward proposals on comprehensive immigration reform. We are asking our colleagues on the other side to join with us to make these things possible, to not just talk about it, to not be proud or pleased with just 50 bills being passed by one of the least productive Congresses in the history, but to actually accomplish things that the American public expects us to accomplish. Another top priority that I would like to talk about this evening, Mr. Speaker, that we have been working on with my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus is preventing racial profiling practices in our law enforcement that have been hurting individuals across the country. Our citizens deserve to live free from fear, especially among those whose jobs are to serve and to protect. That is why I introduced the Universal RESPECT Act, a bill that would help prevent racial profiling practices from occurring. The Universal RESPECT Act will establish an interagency review of Federal efforts to eliminate racial profiling in the United States by amending the Homeland Security Act to require that recipients of Federal law enforcement grants and training facilities do not engage in racial profiling. Simply put, Mr. Speaker, the Universal RESPECT Act will end the practice of rewarding law enforcement programs that do not respect basic civil rights and civil liberties. We need to make sure we stay vigilant in our fight for justice in this country, and that has been a constant theme in the Congressional Black Caucus's legislative agenda, whether it is on the budget, as our colleague, Mr. Scott just talked about, or a plethora of bills that have been brought forward by individual members, and is central to the FY14 budget that has been worked on by the Congressional Black Caucus which reduces the budget and creates millions of jobs in a fair and balanced way. Let me just close by talking about one final area, Mr. Speaker, that we as Members of this body need to stay focused on, and that is jobs and growing the economy. In my home State of Nevada, we still have a stubbornly high unemployment rate above the national average. Despite improvements in certain sectors, there are far too many Nevadans who are still looking for work, many who have been out of work a year, year and a half, going on 2 years. And I know as part of the budget debate that will occur between now and January 15 will be a discussion about extending unemployment benefits, which is incredibly important to American families who have been struggling during this sustained recession. So I would challenge my colleagues on the other side, allow us to bring forward the number of jobs legislation and bills that would help build our infrastructure back up in this country. Allow us to bring these bills to a vote in this Chamber so that we can get our country moving again, we can get the middle class economy moving, we can help middle class families who are trying to provide for themselves and their families with good, sustainable, family-sustainable jobs, not low-wage jobs that put people in the same position to depend on assistance programs by the Federal Government. That is not what the American public wants. They want a family-sustaining job that allows them to provide for themselves and their family. That is what we are arguing for. It is what the Congressional Black Caucus represents each and every week when we come to this Special Order hour and why these issues are incredibly important. So as we reflect back on this year, this year of missed opportunities, as my colleague from New York just said, it is in fact missed opportunities because we could have done so much more in this body. There are 435 Members, dedicated staff, people who love our country and want to see it progress, but it is time for us to put the partisanship, the ideological views aside and to allow us to put our country first. That is what I am here for, Mr. Speaker. I know it is what my colleagues are here for, and I look forward to working with anyone from either side of the aisle from either Chamber who wants to work with the President to move our country forward, and I appreciate this Special Order time.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Yerington Lions football team on their 42-19 win over Mountain View Christian for the Division III Nevada State title. They were undefeated throughout the season, finishing 11-0. So this wasn't just one title game; it was a year of proving that they are really the best. And it is not just any State title for this school; this is the first State title since 1981. And they have the support of everyone in town. The whole community was out for the game, wearing their team colors of purple and white. Interesting to note, on average, the Yerington Lions gave up less than 5.6 points per game, average. That is lower than Congress' approval rating. That is pretty impressive, don't you think? Yerington is an important part of my 51,000-square-mile district. So I want to say congratulations to the students, congratulations to Coach Cody Neville, and congratulations to Yerington. You make Nevada proud.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. I would like to underscore a couple of points that the gentleman is making here. The first is the fact that this does disproportionately affect the poor and those who are striving to become a part of the middle class. At the same time, there are corporate subsidies, billions of dollars of corporate subsidies for the agriculture industry in the farm bill and in other legislation that has come before this House that they will move expeditiously and then leave the food behind in the farm bill, for the first time that I am aware of that we have approved a farm bill without also including the food assistance component to it. They later came back and included it, but with a $40 billion cut. And the positive economic impacts of this cannot be underscored either. I hear from representatives from the retail industry who tell me that SNAP creates some $340 million in farm production for each $1 billion of retail that is generated. There is some 3,300 farm jobs that are created for each $1 billion of funding that is provided for; that for every $1 billion of SNAP benefits, it also creates between 9,000 to 18,000 full-time jobs. So not only is this the right thing to do, not only is it the morally conscionable thing to do, it is also good for the economy. And so as we make this argument, how important it is to debunk some of the myths surrounding SNAP, one of them being that there is fraud in the SNAP program and that is why the cuts aren't going to hurt the poor or those who are striving to be part of the middle class.

Mr. HORSFORD. I thank the gentleman from New York for your leadership and commitment to this issue. You have come to this floor on many occasions to talk about the important issues facing our country, and you are always inclusive and factual. You make a compelling argument for why this body needs to take up these issues. Let me just conclude, Mr. Speaker, by saying not only do we reject $40 billion in cuts to the food assistance program, but we are actually calling on our colleagues on the other side to work with us, to help make SNAP work even better for America's families, to build on the great things that SNAP already does. This program is actually one of the most successful antihunger programs that we have. It lifts more families out of poverty than most other programs. Let me just close by sharing one example that we can be addressing. The example I want to close with is the Thrifty Food Plan, which is currently how SNAP benefits are currently calculated. The TFP is the lowest cost of the four food plans developed by the USDA, and it is unrealistic for a family of four. A family of four receiving $632 per month doesn't go very far in buying those fresh fruits and vegetables that my colleague talked about at the local farmers market. The current TFP formula fails to calculate difficulties associated with the lack of food availability. The fact that in many of our communities, both rural and urban, the accessibility to nutritious, wholesome meals and fruits and vegetables isn't even available. That falls disproportionately on the poor to have to pick up those costs. For example, it doesn't include the cost of transportation. It doesn't include food preparation time that so many working families struggle with. It leaves the average family of four with a $200 monthly benefit shortfall. Again, this is simply unacceptable. As the wealthiest Nation in the world, no American--not our children, not our veterans, not our seniors--should be forced to survive on what is now $1.40 per meal. That is why, Mr. Speaker, we are here this hour to bring attention to this issue and to call upon our colleagues to work with us, to not implement these cuts and to make these programs work--not only SNAP, but Head Start and the other vital programs that so many families are depending on as part of that social safety net and the fabric of the American society. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, in that remaining time, I would like to yield to my colleague, Mr. Jeffries, for any concluding remarks that he has, and then I will close out this Special Order hour.

Mr. HORSFORD. I thank the gentleman. I would like to debunk another myth, and that is: just let the charities handle it. We have a number of great nonprofits out there, the church community, the faith-based community, can step up and fill the void. Well, I would like to turn your attention to this chart which shows that, with all the great work that the nonprofits and the faith-based community is doing in addressing hunger and food insecurity, that amounted to about $5 billion in estimated value of all food that is distributed by U.S. charities this year. That compares to $5 billion that has already been cut since November 1 because of the setback, the so-called hunger cliff. This does not take into account the additional cuts that are on the horizon both in the Senate plan, which is about $4.1 billion of additional cuts, compared to the House GOP plan, which again is estimated to be $39 billion. Now, I support the charities in my local communities. Three Square is our local food bank. They do a phenomenal job in southern Nevada in helping both our rural and urban areas, getting the needs of the families and the food that they need in those communities. While my family and I will be making a donation to our local food bank and helping families get meals for Thanksgiving, that is not going to absorb the $39 billion of cuts that are proposed by the other side. This is just another one of those examples where the arguments don't support reality. We are living in reality. The families who are struggling on these benefits whose stories we have shared tonight are dealing with reality. It is not a mother who is raising her children who is struggling to make ends meet who wants to rely on SNAP benefits that is the problem with our budget. It is simply not. It is not the veterans who have served our country with distinction and honor and who have come back, and because of the environment in their communities, they are also relying on SNAP benefits. They are not the problem with the Federal budget deficit. It is not the seniors at the Pahrump food bank that I visit who literally are having their meals cut back because of their draconian budget cuts. These American families are simply relying on a safety net that has been there and should be there in the wealthiest country in the world. Now, I agree with my colleague who says that from a budget standpoint we have to tackle these problems, but there is a way to do it right. There is a way to do it without costing more in human toil, and there is a wrong way to do it. And the proposal by House Republicans to balance the budget on the backs of our children, our seniors, our veterans, the working poor and those who are striving to be part of the middle class is not it. We will work with you on other ways to balance the budget, but it shouldn't be by making more families food insecure. Mr. Speaker, may I ask how much time we have remaining?

Mr. HORSFORD. Thank you to the gentleman from New York, the co-anchor for this Special Order hour, Representative Jeffries. I look forward to a dialogue on this, but let me just underscore what it is we are faced with in this House of Representatives. Our colleagues on the other side, the House Republicans, proposed $40 billion in food assistance cuts to low-income families over 10 years. This would affect 210,000 children who currently receive free school meals and would affect some 170,000 veterans--yes, veterans--who also depend on SNAP benefits in our country, and would cost an estimated 55,000 job cuts in just the first year of cuts alone. At a time when we should be growing the economy, adding jobs, helping our veterans, helping the poor, and those who are striving to be part of the middle class, the bill that was passed in October has these devastating cuts to children, to seniors and, yes, even to our veterans. Now, I have said before, and I will say it again, we should not be cutting the safety net for our most vulnerable while maintaining costly government subsidies for the well-off industries. That is what my colleague from New York just talked about. Littered in this farm bill are subsidies for Big Ag, some of which they themselves didn't even ask for and they know should be expiring in order for us to preserve funding for children, seniors, and veterans. So it is not a Nevada child in my district who receives just over $4 a day to eat who is the problem with the Federal budget deficit. The problem is corporate welfare and the special interest giveaways that litter our Tax Code. It is time that we put a face to the individuals who are benefiting from these programs. That is what we are here to spotlight tonight. I would like to share just three quick stories of constituents who have shared with me in my office their impact and reliance on the food assistance program, known as SNAP. The first is Alma. She lives on Social Security in my district. She currently receives $932 a month. Out of that she pays all of her bills--her rent, her utilities, she gets all of her necessities, and has very little left over. She has about $91 a month that she can live off for food. Now, with these proposed cuts, it would be $54 based on a history of cuts and adjustments. She doesn't want to be on SNAP benefits; but without that safety social net, she will go hungry. Another constituent, Erin, is currently a pre-law student and is unemployed and recently found out she is pregnant. She is working really hard to make a better life for herself and her family, but right now she can only provide for herself; but she has a child to take care of and the SNAP cuts will hurt her ability to do that. And, finally, there is Bertha, whose monthly SNAP benefit is $310 a month. She is a single mom of four children, and that SNAP benefit gives her about 2 weeks' worth of food. Her paycheck barely covers daily expenses, so any cut--$10, $20, $30--will have a serious impact on her family. And, oh, by the way, her kids are 9 months, 12 years old, 14, and 18. So these are the real people who are being affected by these cuts, and it is not just the SNAP program. Unfortunately, this targeting of the poor for savings throughout the budget is nothing new by our colleagues on the other side. Those who are striving to break into the middle class face serious barriers to entry because the House Republicans' budget cut job training, they are about to cut unemployment benefits, they have cut child care assistance and funding for Head Start. They are also trying to undermine the Affordable Care Act, which provides health insurance to many who could not afford it otherwise. I would like to tell you some stories of constituents in my district who have voluntarily shared their story and given me permission to share their story of the success of the Affordable Care Act. One is Michelle. She is a constituent in Pahrump, Nevada, which is about an hour outside of Las Vegas in my district. Michelle enrolled in a plan on the exchange that will save her $200 per month and allow her access to her OB/GYN services closer to home. She calls her enrollment in the program an ``overwhelmingly positive experience.'' Michelle is currently on a HIPAA-guaranteed plan that costs her about $565 per month. If she gets sick and needs an urgent visit to the doctor or a mammogram or other OB/GYN service, she has to drive to Las Vegas from Pahrump, which I said is about an hour outside. After enrolling in the Affordable Care Act, she will save more than $200 a month and have access to local urgent visits and OB/GYN services in her community in Pahrump. Mr. Speaker, now is not the time to turn back the clock or leave constituents like Michelle behind. There are other constituents who have also shared their stories with me--Jeronimo and Teresita. They have been without health insurance for 10 years and were finally able to receive affordable insurance through Nevada Health Link. So, if you are watching, go to nevadahealthlink.com and sign up today. There is another one--Victor and Yumaria. They had never had insurance before. They are a father and a daughter who were approved for a qualified health plan at an affordable price, and they are very happy and thankful to finally have insurance. Then there is Lisa, who is also enrolled in Medicaid for her and her family, which she is entitled to based on the eligibility requirements. In my home State, there are some 21 percent of Nevadans who are currently uninsured. More than 30 percent of the children in my State are uninsured. So not only is it the cuts to SNAP, the cuts to Head Start, to job training, to vital services that so many families depend on, but it is this undermining of vital social safety net programs that people in the middle class are striving to be a part of. So I want to ask my colleague, Representative Jeffries, from New York, what are some of the positive economic impacts to the SNAP program? How can we help to reinforce this message that not only is this good for the families that we are talking about, but it is also good for the economy? And what about those 55,000 jobs that could be cut in the first year alone if the House GOP plan to cut these services goes into effect? I yield the time to the gentleman from New York.

Mr. HORSFORD. I would like to thank the distinguished gentleman from Indiana for his remarks and for highlighting the fact that this is an issue that affects all American families across this country. We all know someone who relies on SNAP benefits or we have come into contact with individuals--our neighbors, our friends, our veterans--who rely on these benefits as well. To somehow suggest that this is an issue that only a certain number of communities should care about is simply false, and it is why we are having this conversation, Mr. Speaker. This is a conversation that we have on each and every Monday that we have the opportunity to come to the floor of the House in order to raise important issues like the one we are raising tonight on hunger. I want to encourage people who are listening right now to send us your comments and to share your experiences with SNAP benefits. You can do so by sending us a tweet at #cbctalks, and we will try to share your comments and your questions so that we can have this conversation here on the floor of the House, because it is a conversation that many families across America are confronting. I would like to invite up my esteemed colleague from New York, with whom I have the honor of co-anchoring the CBC Special Order hour. It has been a great opportunity to get to know him and to work with him on these important issues. I would like to start a bit of a conversation with him, if I can, on these issues. There are a number of things I would like to touch on with the gentleman from New York. The first is on which households are most affected by this food insecurity across America. Will you touch upon that? Then I would like to talk about how the attack on SNAP also plays into the Affordable Care Act. I yield now to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries).

Mr. HORSFORD. Thank you to the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. As she said, we will fight on. These are issues that are not going to go away. With the farm bill negotiations, I am optimistic that, despite the fact that when that bill was brought here to the House of Representatives in October and there was an incomprehensible $40 billion cut to SNAP, we can bridge that gap between now and the end of the year and pass a farm bill that includes the important policy for farm subsidies in this country that are necessary, but do so by not including special subsidies for Big Agriculture and other corporations while cutting $40 billion in SNAP food assistance to the poor. Again, these are issues that are critically important to American families across this great country. They are issues that we are hearing about daily from our constituents. Many people don't realize that it is not only good for the individual who is on food assistance, but it is also good for our economy because this is money that goes back into our local grocery stores that keeps people employed and helps our local economy. So it is a benefit in two ways. I would now like to turn attention to the gentleman from Indiana, Representative Carson from the Seventh Congressional District, for his remarks during this Special Order.

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, this evening, we come to this Special Order to bring attention to the issue of hunger in America. In just a little more than over a week, many of us will spend time around our tables celebrating Thanksgiving dinner. And as we give thanks for the incredible benefits that we enjoy, there are many Americans who will go without. They will go without a nutritious meal. They will go without meals in the classrooms or after school. Many of our veterans will go without meals as well. And so tonight, the Congressional Black Caucus uses its hour in this Special Order to bring attention to these important issues, particularly at this time in the debate about our budget. Earlier this month, on November 1, the 2009 Recovery Act's temporary increase in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, expired, resulting in an additional benefit cut to all households. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, this is approximately a $25-per-month or $300-a-year cut to nutritional benefit programs for a family of four. SNAP benefits will now average less than $1.40 per person per meal in 2014, down from $1.50 previously. Bringing attention to these issues is critical, particularly, as I said, when we are entering negotiation on the farm bill as well as negotiation on the budget. So tonight you will hear from members of the Congressional Black Caucus who see these issues as priorities in these negotiations. I would like to extend time now to the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, a lady who serves on the Agriculture Committee and who has been a champion for the issues of SNAP as well as other food assistance programs in the farm bill. I yield to the gentlelady from Ohio, Representative Fudge.

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials into the Record on the subject of this Special Order.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Madam Speaker, it is past time for this Congress to work together to improve the Affordable Care Act. This law can be improved, but it is also helping people throughout this country and in my home State of Nevada. One example that I would like to share with you today is that of Michelle, a constituent from Pahrump, Nevada. Michelle enrolled in a plan on the exchange that will save her $200 per month and allow her access to OB-GYN services closer to home. She called her enrollment in the program an overwhelmingly positive experience. Michelle is currently on a HIPAA-guaranteed plan that costs her $565 a month. If she gets sick and needs an urgent visit, mammogram or other OB-GYN services, she has to drive to Las Vegas from Pahrump. After enrolling in the Affordable Care Act, she will save more than $200 a month and have access to local urgent visit and OB-GYN services in Pahrump. Madam Speaker, now is not the time to turn back the clock or leave constituents like Michelle behind. If Republicans are successful in defunding or even delaying the Affordable Care Act, Michelle will lack insurance. She will have to go back to the predatory plan that offered her no real coverage and costs even more. I ask my colleagues on the other side, let's work together to make the Affordable Care Act work for the American people.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Let me thank my good friend. I am proud to co-anchor this Special Order hour each week with you, my good friend from the great State of New York (Mr. Jeffries), and to all of my colleagues who came out tonight to put a real face to the real issues that are affecting America this day. To our leader, the chairlady of the American Black Caucus, thank you for your steadfast leadership in making sure that all issues are addressed on this floor. I listened to the other side of the aisle for more than an hour before coming to our Special Order. I tried to make sense of the arguments that they were making tonight. But do you know what? Their piecemeal approach to funding the government makes no sense. This chart signifies just what a piecemeal approach to government looks like. This chart makes it look like the GOP has approached funding our government like a game of Pac-Man. Well, this isn't a game. There are real lives at stake. It is time for Speaker Boehner and the House Republicans to realize it is game over and to work with those of us on the Democratic side in the House and our leadership in the Senate and the President to reopen government. Americans across the country are already hurting from this Republican-led government shutdown. In my district alone, 11,000 Nevadans have been furloughed, leaving families struggling to pay their bills on time while putting food on the table. I recently returned from my district and had a town hall with constituents to hear the effects that this government shutdown and the impending debt ceiling would have on the constituents of my district. One constituent, Fred Waggar, shared his story with me. He is a veteran who now works for the VA. He is worried that on October 25 he will not get his paycheck as a medical services coordinator for the VA. Then on November 1, he may not get his check and the benefits that he is entitled to as a veteran. Fred said he is living paycheck to paycheck, so what is he going to do come November 1 when the rent is due, when the utility bills come due, when it is time to put food on his table, because Republicans are now determined to hold the full faith and credit of the United States hostage because Speaker Boehner is too busy catering to a fringe of radicals in his caucus? I also have received tweets from our #cbctalks from constituents in my district. Kevin Hooks, who is the president of the Las Vegas Urban League, says that with the impending debt ceiling not being lifted, if the Women, Infants, and Children program that the Urban League administers closes, 200 families per day will lose health services and 15 employees will be furloughed. He goes on to say that the child care subsidy would affect upwards of 225 children per day, and some 60 employees will be furloughed. Shaundell Newsome with the Urban Chamber says that Nevada businesses are being impacted by the government shutdown. It is killing small businesses. Open it. The fear is real. And then I got a question from the Clark County Black Caucus asking-- or saying that their members are nervous that they won't receive Social Security or unemployment checks on the first of the month; what should I tell them? Well, I stand here, my colleagues and I, along with 196 House Democrats, in support of a clean debt ceiling increase that insures that the full faith and credit of the United States of America is protected and avoids a Republican default. Our constituents have already suffered enough from this shutdown. We need to be representing the people's interest, not punishing them. Refusing to raise the debt ceiling carries serious implications, as all of my colleagues have discussed tonight. For an already fragile economy, if we allow the Republicans to default on our debt, middle class American families and the poor would be forced to pay higher interest rates for mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and credit cards. Veterans will be affected; disability benefits will not come on time. Is this any way to send a message to our veterans? So we call on our colleagues tonight, you have left the building, but we are here and we will stay and work as long as it takes to ensure that our obligations are met, that the government is reopened, and that we meet our obligations to pay our bills.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the House bring up the Senate amendment to H.J. Res. 59, the clean CR, and go to conference on a budget so that we can end this Republican government shutdown now.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today saddened by the news that Nevada Assemblywoman Peggy Pierce has passed away. She was the staunch liberal conscience of the Nevada State Legislature, but she commanded respect from both sides of the aisle because of her steadfast belief in her principles, because she was a hard worker and because she cared so deeply about the well-being of her constituents and the people of Nevada. I first met Peggy before her time in the assembly, when she was a fellow organizer, helping to coordinate rapid response for displaced workers in Las Vegas after the tragic events of September 11. She was as committed to helping others then as she was in her tenure in the Nevada State Legislature. She succumbed to cancer, but she did not lose the fight. She put her constituents before herself, and in that sense, she had always been a true public servant. My thoughts and prayers are with her family. You will truly be missed, my friend.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today to give credit where credit is due and to commend a Republican who understands the negative consequences of this shutdown, and he is the Governor from my home State of Nevada, Governor Brian Sandoval. Yesterday, he told the Las Vegas Sun that Nevada is struggling because of this ongoing shutdown. He said that Nevadans are going to ``see some catastrophic issues going on for the State'' if the shutdown continues. The Sun reported that 362,000 food stamp recipients will see benefits end on November 1 as State employees who administer the program face potential furloughs. In addition, 425,000 women, infants, and children would be cut from food assistance rolls. Rape crisis call centers may be closed. Unemployment claims will not be processed. Republicans in Congress need to recognize what's happening in their States. Listen to your constituents. Listen to your State legislators and Governors. This shutdown needs to end, and it needs to end now. Office of the Governor, Las Vegas, NV, October 8, 2013. Hon. Harry Reid, U.S. Senator, Washington, DC. Hon. Dean Heller, U.S. Senator, Washington, DC. Hon. Joe Heck, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Dina Titus, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Mark Amodei, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Steven Horsford, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Senators and Congressmen: Your service to our state is vitally important, and I want to thank you for your work and dedication. I know we all put Nevada first and understand how special and unique our great state is. We have all worked together to move our state forward, and I will always be grateful for your willingness to put partisanship aside when it comes to Nevada. I feel compelled to write all of you to express my deep concern with the shutdown of the federal government and its potential impacts on our state. This shutdown impacts how the state operates, the services we are able to provide, and has the potential to set our state back when it comes to economic recovery. In the most basic of terms, this is about ensuring people are fed, houses are kept, and jobs are available. As you are aware, Nevada was the last state to emerge from the great recession. While we have made much progress since the height of the recession, our unemployment rate still remains above the national average, and our housing market has not fully recovered. And while Nevada's economy is once again expanding, a prolonged federal shutdown undermines consumer confidence and threatens economic growth nationally. Either of these outcomes endangers the tourism industry that is so important to our state. Job creation and getting Nevadans working again has been my greatest priority since coming to office, and I know, as members of the federal delegation, it has been a priority of yours as well However, I am concerned that we may be forced to take steps backwards as the impacts of this shutdown unfold on the economy. While we do not know the extent of the impact, we know even in the best of times the economic impact of a government shutdown is felt. I am also deeply concerned about the possibility of a disruption in services to our state's neediest. Whether it is child nutrition programs, SNAP benefits, unemployment insurance, or dozens of other programs, this disruption in service undermines the economic and nutritional security of Nevadans. Those who are struggling may go hungry or be unable to pay their rent or mortgage. These services are designed to help those who have fallen on the hardest of times. A disruption to these services will be devastating for some. The state has the ability to cover the cost of some federally funded programs during the shutdown by temporarily allocating money that has been set aside for other purposes. However, we have no assurances that the federal government will reimburse Nevada for any costs that it assumes during the shutdown. It is difficult to make informed choices on how to proceed absent swift action from the federal government to provide clear directions regarding which programs will be made whole and which will not. At a very minimum, the federal government needs to address this uncertainty so the state can plan financially and manage its affairs responsibly. The State of Nevada cannot be expected to assume the costs of federal programs. We built our budget in good faith with reasonable assurances regarding federal funding levels. To that end, I have included a summary of the shutdown's impact on the people of Nevada. I implore each of you to work together to resolve the issues in Washington and to honor the federal commitment to Nevada. Thank you for your attention to this most important matter. As always, I am available to each of you should the need arise to discuss this further. Sincere regards, Brian Sandoval, Governor.