Debra Haaland

Ms. HAALAND

Ms. HAALAND. Madam Speaker, on July 17, I was inadvertently not recorded for Roll Call vote 493. I had intended to vote ``Aye.'' As a cosponsor of the bill, H.R. 748, the Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2019, I strongly support this important legislation that will help reduce the cost of healthcare for the over 181 million Americans who depend on employer-sponsored health insurance. To avoid the 40 percent excise tax, many employers have been making changes in plan design that are driving up deductibles and out-of-pocket costs, yet one in five employers are expected to hit the taxable threshold in 2022. As a result, this tax is placing a disproportionate burden on working families, which was not the intent of Congress when it enacted the Affordable Care Act, and I intended to vote ``Aye'' on this legislation to repeal it.

Ms. HAALAND

Ms. HAALAND. Madam Speaker, I stand in support of equal pay for equal work and in celebration of the women's national soccer team. The team's World Cup victory highlighted a stark reality: There is still work to be done to ensure equal pay for the same work. Last week, my colleagues and I in the Democratic Women's Caucus wrote to the U.S. Soccer Federation with a simple argument: Our most successful U.S. soccer team in history deserves equal pay. The work of the women soccer players, coaches, and staff should not be worth less simply because they are women. The women's soccer team is inspiring young girls everywhere to dream big. We must make sure those girls don't have to worry about equal pay. You shouldn't have to be a record-breaking world champion to get the same pay as your male counterparts. As Megan Rapinoe said at the victory parade on Wednesday, ``We have to be better.''

Ms. HAALAND

Ms. HAALAND. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment requiring reporting on human rights in Brazil in light of the Bolsonaro administration's dangerous actions. President Bolsonaro has said he wants to strip constitutional land rights from Brazil's indigenous people. He has openly stated that indigenous people should have been exterminated. His threats go beyond words. Bolsonaro's administration has already begun infringing upon the rights of indigenous people and other vulnerable groups. Despite this alarming behavior, President Trump named Brazil a major non-NATO ally. Congress can and must use its authority to direct and block funds and conduct oversight. The Bolsonaro administration must understand that increased U.S. cooperation is conditional upon respect for the rights of the people of Brazil, including indigenous people, Afro-Brazilians, women, and LGBTQ communities. Congress is watching, and we must demand accountability. Mr. Chairman, I also rise to support my amendment, which prohibits the Department of Defense from contracting with companies that do not have a sexual harassment policy. Now more than ever, people are empowered to speak up and change the culture in the workplace. Congress, the Department of Defense, and many other workplaces have or are implementing policies to hold perpetrators accountable. We must demand the same from those who do business with our government. In fiscal year 2017, the Department of Defense spent $320 billion on contractors. If these contractors are going to receive Federal dollars, they should be subject to the same accountability. My amendment will ensure that contractors have sexual harassment policies in place prior to signing on the dotted line. All workers must be protected in the workplace, especially when they are working to protect our country. I urge my colleagues to support workers and pass this amendment and pass the en bloc package.

Ms. HAALAND. Madam Chair, this administration's reckless behavior threatens to plunge the region into chaos and our own country into another endless and costly war. We have powerful, peaceful tools to bring other countries to the negotiating table. Under the leadership of President Obama, we used these tools successfully to neutralize Iran's nuclear program. The President's irresponsible policies have squandered that progress and, instead, set into motion tensions that are spiraling out of control. We have alienated our closest allies, and Iran is taking steps toward developing a nuclear weapon. This senselessness demonstrates that this administration cannot be trusted with the authority to use military force in Iran. Madam Chair, I support this amendment.

Ms. HAALAND

Ms. HAALAND. Mr. Chairman, America must live up to its values, and that means treating transgender servicemembers with the same respect and dignity as their counterparts. Both of my parents served and only judged their fellow servicemembers on one standard: their ability to complete the mission. Transgender servicemembers honorably serve this country and are not any different than any other servicemember. They come from families where service is a tradition. They go through the same training and abide by the same requirements. They deserve fairness and respect, and I urge the passage of this amendment.

Ms. HAALAND. Madam Chair, I rise in support of this amendment, and I want to highlight three key points: The military women of reproductive age lack access to adequate healthcare. This is a healthcare problem. Unplanned pregnancies hamper readiness and make it harder for women to advance their careers, and this personnel issue can be easily remedied. A service branch shouldn't determine the quality of care our servicemembers should have, and this is an equality issue. I thank Chairwoman Speier, and I urge passage of this amendment.

Ms. HAALAND

Ms. HAALAND. Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I recognize my dear friend and lifelong Native American activist, Frank LaMere. I want to join his family, the Nebraska community, and the national tribal community in celebrating him and his decades-long dedication to civil rights for all, particularly for Native Americans. An activist from the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, Mr. LaMere was a prominent grassroots leader always ready for action. He was the longest serving Native American member of the Democratic National Committee, serving from 1996 to 2006. He founded both the Nebraska Native American Caucus and the Native American Caucus of the Democratic National Committee. In Nebraska, he also served as the state's Democratic Party First Associate Chair. I am proud to have served alongside him in the Democratic National Committee, and I will always have fond memories of his leadership, his stories, perspective and empathetic spirit. Frank served as a tireless advocate for Native American rights, leaving behind a legacy of tremendous and significant change for the state of Nebraska. He had the gift of truly connecting with any individual and used his voice to lift and empower others. Mr. LaMere fought against the loss of Native children to the child welfare system and against the violence they faced in their foster homes. He was instrumental in ending border town beer sales in Whiteclay, Nebraska, eliminating decades of predatory sales that fueled alcohol-related issues on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Mr. LaMere advocated to ensure that Native Americans were always involved in the political process and were guaranteed a seat at every table. He will be greatly missed.

Ms. HAALAND

Ms. HAALAND. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my two amendments to the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill for FY20, which were included in en bloc amendment No. 5. I thank my friend Chairwoman Betty McCollum for supporting these amendments, and for the work she and Ranking Member Joyce have done to increase funding for programs that are vitally important to Indian Country. Despite their good efforts, due to budget constraints, there is still work to be done to meet the needs of our Tribal Nations. The United States Constitution defines the unique government-to- government relationship between the federal government and Tribal Nations. The federal trust responsibility originates from the days when Native Americans were forced to surrender tribal land and suffered loss of life and the removal/resettlement of one-fifth of Tribes from their original homelands. The United States signed 375 treaties, passed laws, and instituted policies that promised to safeguard Native Americans' right to self-governance and to enable delivery of essential services in Indian Country. One of these services is health care. During the latter part of the nineteenth century, the federal government expanded health care for Native Americans due to overcrowding at boarding schools and the spread of disease. It was only in 1968, when Indian health care lagged behind the rest of the country, was the Indian Health Service (IHS) designated in an effort to fulfill the trust responsibility. Over the last two centuries, the failure of the federal government to adequately address American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) wellbeing led to this population being ranked in the bottom of health, education, and employment. Congress has continued to inadequately fund Indian Country at disproportionately lower levels than funding for services for any other population. IHS is currently only funded at 40 percent of the need, and the average per capita spending for an IHS patient is only about $3,800 compared to the national average of $9,523. During fiscal year 2019, IHS' budgetary need was $30 billion, but the enacted level only amounted to $5 billion, which is $25 billion less than the amount needed to properly administer health care in Indian Country for 2.2 million AI/ANs across 573 federally recognized Tribes. Urban Indian health care is an area of particular need. Approximately 70 percent of AI/ANs live in urban areas, but they lack access to adequate health care services because only 1 percent of the chronically underfunded IHS budget has been allocated to urban Indian health care. Currently urban Indian health is estimated to only meet 22 percent of the need of the roughly one million urban Al/ANs who live in urban Indian health care services areas. My amendment seeks to draw attention to this area of serious need. While we are making strides with this bill, an additional $35,000,000 would help provide resources for health care services needed by the urban Indian population. Tribes are also in desperate need of resources for tribal courts and law enforcement. AI/AN suffer from one of the highest rates of crime and victimization of any group of people in the United States. Although overall funding for public safety in Indian Country has increased, it does not come close to meeting the public safety needs in Indian Country or the needs to police and protect Indian Country, especially related to tribal courts and law enforcement. My amendment highlights that an additional $63 million is needed for tribal courts and $113 million for law enforcement to give AI/ANs living on tribal lands access to basic public safety services that are readily available for other Americans living outside of Indian Country. I appreciate the good work done by Chairwoman McCollum and Ranking Member Joyce to begin to address these pressing needs in Indian Country, and I thank them for their support of my amendments. I look forward to continuing to work with them and Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Granger to ensure that the federal government fulfills its trust obligation to Tribes and that Tribes have the resources they need to provide services and opportunity to their members.

Ms. HAALAND

Ms. HAALAND. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Equality Act. America must live up to its values by treating everyone as equals and ending discrimination once and for all. The Equality Act is about making sure all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, can participate in our society without fear. New Mexico is home to diverse religious and traditional communities and has stood up for its LGBTQ population for a very long time. The Equality Act allows us to adhere to our faiths, while prohibiting harmful and isolating acts of discrimination against the LGBTQ community. No one should have to worry about being discriminated against when interviewing for a job or struggling to find a healthcare provider that will treat them. Tomorrow morning, when I vote for the Equality Act, I will be proud to stand with my colleagues, with New Mexicans, and with my daughter, who is a proud LGBTQ American. The time for equality is now, and we must pass the Equality Act to live up to our values.

Ms. HAALAND

Ms. HAALAND. Madam Speaker, I rise today to stand in solidarity with families suffering from this administration's inhumane policy of separating children from their parents. Earlier this week was the 1-year anniversary of this administration's family separation policy, and today hundreds of families are still separated. That means hundreds of children will not be with their mothers on Mother's Day. This week, I visited a Families Belong Together art installation outside the Capitol by Paola Mendoza. It depicted a mother reaching out in anguish for her child who was in a cage. That is the reality for these families, and they will feel this trauma for the rest of their lives. Native Americans know all too well the long-lasting trauma of government-enforced family separation. Our communities still struggle with the impact that cruel assimilation policy has had. This trauma cannot be undone. We cannot let this administration forget the chaos it created in so many people's lives, and we must stop the racist policies it continues to push.

Ms. HAALAND

Ms. HAALAND. Madam Speaker, if we think back to the beginning of this Congress, we started the first 100 days under an unnecessary government shutdown. I met with constituents, Federal workers, and businessowners in my district who were forced to suffer for the President's frivolous campaign promise. At the end of the day, we funded the government and made sure Federal workers received back pay. All the while, we were setting up a path to work for the people, making our communities a priority, not just the wealthy and well connected, but people who suffer when they lose a paycheck and need to rely on accessible healthcare. We are in a special moment in history, a moment when our freshman class of House Members look more like the people we represent, and our experiences reflect the experiences of everyday Americans. I am a single mother. I often had to piece together healthcare for my daughter and I, and I am still paying off my student loans. This class of freshman lawmakers know the struggles that many are going through, and, with our new majority, it is clear we are working for the people. We passed the bill that would ensure everyone has an opportunity to participate in our democracy, while taking steps to end corruption. The most significant land legislation of our time made it across the finish line, including provisions of my first bill, to designate land for everyone to have access to public lands in New Mexico. It was a huge win for my State, because in New Mexico we value our natural heritage and resources, and we believe in protecting the places we hold dear for future generations to enjoy. The public lands package makes all of those things possible. It is also a prime example of what our Democratic majority can get done because we are willing to work across the aisle and push legislation through. Our progress includes things like fighting for equality with the Paycheck Fairness Act and a resolution condemning the President's transgender troops ban, fighting for prosperity for everyone by introducing a $15 minimum wage and passing the Dream and Promise Act. We are also tackling the challenges of our time with the Violence Against Women Act and forging a path to address climate change with an unprecedented number of committee hearings uncovering the climate change realities facing our communities, and we are working on legislation that will create a Green New Deal for everyone and for our country. In 100 days, you can get a lot done, and we are looking forward to getting more done for the people in the next 100 days.

Ms. HAALAND

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

Ms. HAALAND. Mr. Chairman, this bipartisan amendment addresses the needs of Native Americans living in urban areas by making victim advocates available in State courts for urban Indians under the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program for States. In 2018, the State STOP grant program awarded 56 awards totaling over $154 million to State programs to provide funding for victim services to address sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking through State initiatives to enhance existing programs and fill gaps in services. Currently, the State STOP grant program is used to strengthen partnerships between Tribal and non-Tribal stakeholders to improve responses to Native American victims, but there is no requirement for State grant activities to prioritize the hiring of in-court victim advocates for urban Indians. Frequently, the subgrantees of this program are community-based organizations, which are chronically underfunded, short-staffed, and not able to specifically address the needs of urban Indian victims. This leaves urban Native victims without any resources, which are severely needed within State courts and which could easily be remedied by hiring in-court State victim advocates. This is especially true in light of the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women, to break the cycle of generational trauma and violence. Due to devastating Federal policies, like forced relocation and removal, 71 percent of the Native American population lives in urban areas. Urban cities with high populations of Native Americans include places like Phoenix; Seattle; Los Angeles; and in my district, Albuquerque. Recent reports by the Urban Indian Health Institute identified 506 cases of missing and murdered indigenous women across 71 urban cities. My State of New Mexico ranked number one for the highest number of missing and murdered indigenous women cases, which was 78. Mr. Chairman, I thank the bipartisan cosponsors of this amendment, Representatives Grijalva, Cole, Gallego, Moore, Young, Case, Soto, Davids, and Torres, for their support. I ask my colleagues to help these Native American women who are the victims of violence. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Ms. HAALAND. Mr. Chairman, I offer this bipartisan amendment to improve public safety in Indian Country through the Tribal Access Program, or TAP, which is an existing information-sharing system for Tribes in Indian Country. The Tribal Access Program administered through the Department of Justice is an effective method of sharing criminal conviction information between Tribal, local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies. TAP allows law enforcement officers in neighboring jurisdictions to see each other's restraining orders, warrants, and exclusion orders across jurisdictional boundaries to improve public safety. Having this information is critical to keeping victims of domestic violence safe from harm, but, unfortunately, the Department of Justice has told many Tribes they don't qualify to participate. Although the statute says that any Tribal government can access this data, the DOJ rejects applications from Tribes that don't specifically have arrest authority. Under my amendment, a Tribal government with a designated public safety agency, regardless of their ability to detain and arrest perpetrators, will have access and the ability to enter information into the TAP program. I want to be clear that my amendment does not allow these designated public safety departments or agencies to determine criminal convictions. That is a determination made by courts through due process. This amendment only allows information sharing and access to TAP to better communicate between public safety departments on reservations that are frequently limited in resources. The stakes are too high to continue to deny Tribes that are already struggling from resources to keep people safe in Indian Country access to this important information. For example, I heard from a Tribe that one of their members had a preexisting restraining order against her abuser; however, when the perpetrator entered the reservation, the Reservation Patrol--a Tribal public safety agency without arrest authority--unknowingly allowed the abuser to enter the reservation because they did not have access to information about the existing restraining order. The violation of the restraining order against the unsuspecting victim could have been prevented if the Reservation Patrol had the ability to access the criminal history of the abuser through TAP. Denying Tribal public safety departments access to information that can prevent crimes, particularly violence against women, is unconscionable. The chronic lack of public safety resources in Indian Country, including inadequately staffed law enforcement agencies and lack of cell phone and internet service for communication, already puts Tribes behind in protecting their members. If this were about any other community located off the reservation, it is likely this amendment wouldn't be at issue today. I thank the bipartisan cosponsors of this amendment--Representatives Young, Cook, Grijalva, Cole, Gallego, Ruiz, Case, Soto, Davids, and Torres--for their support and ask my colleagues to help give Tribal public safety departments the information they need to protect Native American women from violence. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. HAALAND

Ms. HAALAND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of our transgender troops. The United States is stronger and safer when our military reflects our Nation's diversity. This administration's transgender ban makes a mockery of that commitment. And let's be clear: This is a ban. We must not ask transgender servicemembers to go back in the closet or tell them: You are less than other Americans. I wholeheartedly support every single American who wants to serve our country. My father was a 30-year career marine, and he would never judge another marine on anything other than their ability to complete their mission. Why should there be another standard? Trans servicemembers meet the same standards as every servicemember, and this was confirmed during a subcommittee hearing when trans troops testified as witnesses. These transgender troops were highly decorated and earned recognition on the basis of the quality of their work. As all military personnel do, transgender troops deserve our respect. I challenge anyone who favors this kind of discrimination to look at their transgender constituents and tell them they are not fit to serve. I thank my colleagues for taking a stand for all of our servicemembers today.

Ms. HAALAND

Ms. HAALAND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Equality Act. America must live up to its values, and that means treating everyone as equals and ending discrimination. The Equality Act is about making sure all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, can participate in our society without fear. New Mexico is home to diverse religious and traditional communities and has stood up for its LGBTQ population for a long time. We stood up early to ban the cruel practice of conversion therapy. The Equality Act allows us to adhere to our faiths while prohibiting harmful and isolating acts of discrimination experienced by too many LGBTQ Americans. Consider this: 38 percent of transgender New Mexicans are unemployed; 40 percent live in poverty; 26 percent have been discriminated against during the hiring or promotion processes; 41 percent have been homeless at some point; and 33 percent have been discriminated against at a place of public accommodation. No one should have to worry about being discriminated against when planning their wedding or struggle to simply get a cake. The Equality Act will outlaw such discrimination, which is why we should pass it as soon as possible.

Ms. HAALAND

Ms. HAALAND. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 1 because I want America to live up to its democratic principles, and that means having a government that really is for the people and not just for those with the means. This bill is about ensuring that all voters, regardless of ZIP Code, race, or party, can participate in our democracy. I am proud that H.R. 1 includes a bill I introduced, the Same-Day Voter Registration Act, which will increase access to the ballot box across the country. Same-day registration already exists in 17 States and the District of Columbia. In those locations, more people, not fewer, participate in elections. I spent nearly two decades organizing to make sure New Mexicans, including those in Indian Country and in rural America, have access to our democracy. This commonsense provision gets rid of arbitrary registration deadlines, which often fall long before the real time needed to process voter registration applications. Same-day voter registration is one of many provisions in H.R. 1 that will make elections more accessible.

Ms. HAALAND

Ms. HAALAND. Mr. Speaker, as a 35th-generation New Mexican, I rise today in support of S. 47. This bill represents a major victory for conservation, and I want to congratulate the chairman and his co- drafters on its success. In my home State of New Mexico, new protections in the Organ Mountains, the Cerros del Norte, and San Juan County will add over 250,000 acres of new wilderness, the highest conservation protection this Congress can bestow. These lands will preserve our ecosystems, protect access to clean, consistent water flows, and help our State to begin to adapt to the realities of climate change. By permanently authorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund, S. 47 will help my home State and every State in this Nation, and I strongly encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Ms. HAALAND

Ms. HAALAND. Madam Speaker, I rise to urge President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to reopen the Federal Government. Let's be clear: the crisis is not along our Nation's southern border. The real crisis is getting people back to work. I cannot stand by silently while nearly 800,000 Federal workers, thousands of which are in New Mexico, won't receive a paycheck, and countless, innocent people suffer because they will not receive essential services from the Federal Government. The government shutdown impacts the State of New Mexico more than almost anywhere in this country. The government shutdown directly affects more than 6,000 Federal employees throughout New Mexico. These dedicated public servants are not getting paid, but they still need to pay the rent, put food on the table, and they still need to make payments on their car loans and student loans. Almost 50,000 residents of New Mexico's First Congressional District depend on SNAP benefits to feed their families. The government shutdown means that SNAP benefits are threatened. As someone who relied on government assistance programs when I was raising my daughter as a single mom, I have been there, and I know that it is devastating for these people to worry about how they are going to pay for their next meal and take care of their families. Our Indian tribes, pueblos, and nations who rely on Federal funding for aging services and Indian Health Services for medical care, are already being impacted by this shutdown, and the suffering will grow greater as the shutdown drags on. If this shutdown continues, 62 percent of Indian Health Services will be forced to cease offering services, and 54 percent will be forced to lay off essential staff. This is a recipe for disaster. On the Navajo Nation in my State, people have been trapped in their homes without food, water, and medicine because the government has failed to fund the Federal maintenance to plow snow from the roads. The Department of Agriculture's Food Distribution Program on Indian reservations runs out of funding at the end of this month. This program provides nutrition assistance to nearly 90,000 Native Americans. Madam Speaker, I voted to pass legislation through this House that Democrats have put forward to reopen the government. What we need now is Senator Mitch McConnell and President Trump to show that same kind of leadership and act on these bills, which the Senate already passed last year, and reopen our government.