Karen Handel

Mrs. HANDEL

Mrs. HANDEL. 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 material on S. 1766, currently under consideration.

Mrs. HANDEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. S. 1766, the Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting Act of 2017, also known as the SAFER Act, will strengthen State and local law enforcement's ability to reduce the number of untested rape kits and help take more offenders off our streets. Congress provides significant resources annually to the Department of Justice to help reduce backlogs of untested forensic evidence. This legislation will reauthorize the Attorney General's authority to allocate 5 to 7 percent of funds made available to carry out the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program to help communities audit their backlogs, which is an important first step in any effort to eliminate a backlog. Despite the cases analyzed and improvements made with our Federal resources, backlogs persist due to the ever-increasing demand for evidence testing. According to the National Institute of Justice, as the value of DNA evidence is increasingly recognized, more evidence gets collected and submitted to laboratories for analysis. Delays in analysis of forensic evidence often result in delays of justice: serial offenders can continue victimizing, and innocent individuals may be incarcerated. The SAFER Act helps address this common impediment to the response to rape and sexual assault at the State, local, and Tribal levels. Importantly, the SAFER Act also would clarify that pediatric forensic nurses are eligible for training and employment grants. This provision underscores the critical role that pediatric sexual assault nurse examiners can play in a community's response to children who are victims of abuse. S. 1766 can help ensure that resources provided for DNA analysis are focused on grant recipients making a good faith effort to estimate and manage their backlog of untested samples and improve efforts to get sex offenders off of our streets. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. HANDEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe), my colleague.

Mrs. HANDEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, let me start by recognizing the tremendous leadership of my colleague, Representative Ted Poe from Texas. I thank him for giving me the honor of being his wing woman in presenting this important piece of legislation today. And, indeed, the SAFER Act is an important piece of legislation to reinforce the efforts of our local and State law enforcement in their work to reduce the number of untested rape kits and help take these sexual assault predators off the streets. At the same time, this legislation underscores the critical role that the pediatric sexual assault examiners play in this process and makes them eligible for key training. So, again, I ask my colleagues to pass this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. HANDEL. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mrs. HANDEL

Mrs. HANDEL. Mr. Speaker, the last time we had real tax reform in this country was 1986. To achieve economic growth in the 21st century, we need a Tax Code designed for the 21st century. The status quo is simply not getting it done. It is not good enough. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is a bold, transformative step that simplifies our Tax Code and reduces the tax burden on working Americans and middle-income families. This bill reduces the Federal tax rate for the majority of low- and middle-income Americans while doubling the standard deduction. More than 65 percent of filers in Georgia's Sixth Congressional District use that standard deduction. What does it mean? It means that a married couple will be able to pay not a dime of tax on their first $24,000 of income every year. The bill will also fuel economic growth and job creation. Small businesses will be at the lowest tax rate since World War II. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act contains real tangible benefits for the majority of American taxpayers. I support this bill enthusiastically and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mrs. HANDEL

Mrs. HANDEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Franks), my colleague and the lead sponsor of Micah's Law.

Mrs. HANDEL. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 548, I call up the bill (H.R. 36) to amend title 18, United States Code, to protect pain-capable unborn children, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mrs. HANDEL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 36.

Mrs. HANDEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, also known as Micah's Law. This bill prohibits most elective abortions at 20 weeks after fertilization and thereafter. That is the beginning of the fifth month of pregnancy. That is the point in a pregnancy when a substantial body of medical evidence shows that a baby in the womb can feel pain. H.R. 36 is humane legislation for innocent babies and for mothers. It includes exceptions for the life of the mother and exceptions in the case of rape and incest. Additionally, this bill imposes criminal liability only on the medical professional performing that abortion, not on the mother. Mr. Speaker, there is broad consensus within the medical community babies at 5 months in the womb are not only able to feel pain, they can hear music. They can even respond to human voices. America is one of only seven countries in the world that still allows elective late-term abortions, joining North Korea and China. Today, we understand so much more about a baby's development during a pregnancy. Voluntarily terminating the life of an innocent baby when we know that baby can feel pain can no longer be acceptable, and a majority of Americans agree. Hearts and minds are changing. How many of us have marveled at the vivid sonogram images of a soon-to-be-born son, niece, or grandchild? How many of us have been amazed and so very grateful that babies born early, as early as 20 weeks, have a very real chance of survival? Mr. Speaker, this bill reflects today's medical understanding about a baby's ability to feel pain. Micah's Law reflects those changing hearts and minds of Americans. Micah's Law reflects the higher aspirations of this Nation, a truly moral nation, to foster a culture of life. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 36. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. HANDEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), my esteemed colleague, the Judiciary Committee chairman.

Mrs. HANDEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Ryan), the Speaker of the House.

Mrs. HANDEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King).

Mrs. HANDEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), chairwoman of the Education and the Workforce Committee.

Mrs. HANDEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. McMorris Rodgers.)

Mrs. HANDEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman and physician from Tennessee (Mr. Roe).

Mrs. HANDEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner).

Mrs. HANDEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy).

Mrs. HANDEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).

Mrs. HANDEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry).

Mrs. HANDEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Johnson).

Mrs. HANDEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Black).

Mrs. HANDEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Walker).

Mrs. HANDEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin).

Mrs. HANDEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hultgren).