Katie Hill

Ms. HILL of California

Ms. HILL of California. A truly sweeping Democratic reform package.

Ms. HILL of California. My other friend, Congresswoman Katie Porter, a fellow member of the Katie Caucus, has introduced bipartisan legislation to make childcare more affordable.

Ms. HILL of California. Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer was the first freshman to have legislation pass the House, a bill to bring Federal investment to small businesses in rural America.

Ms. HILL of California. Well, we really want that foreign interference not happening in any future elections, so I am glad to hear that. Just this week, Congresswoman Kim Schrier introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to help prevent child abuse.

Ms. HILL of California. Congressman Andy Levin, who we just heard from, has introduced six pieces of original legislation. That is a lot.

Ms. HILL of California. Oh, we are indeed. Eighteen freshmen are leading House subcommittees, as my colleague, Ms. Stevens mentioned, including: Congresswoman Kendra Horn, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, Congressman TJ Cox, Congressman Mike Levin, Congressman Harley Rouda, Congresswoman Susie Lee, Congresswoman Xochitl Torres Small, and Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher. That is a lot of people. And what is so exciting about that is that there has never been a freshman class with this many people with the gavel.

Ms. HILL of California. And Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, who was Teacher the Year before, is now fighting to keep guns out of our classrooms.

Ms. HILL of California. Well, let me tell you about my friend Josh Harder from the great State of California, who is fighting for broadband in rural areas through the Save the Internet Act.

Ms. HILL of California. That is absolutely right. Congressman Brindisi's Working for Rural New York plan focuses on solving problems rural communities face in his district.

Ms. HILL of California. At her first townhall in Virginia Beach, Congresswoman Elaine Luria, whom I am proud to sit on the Armed Services Committee with, brought the Beach's voter registrar and police chief, the head of its affordable housing efforts, and one of the State delegates with her and heard from more 250 people who were attending.

Ms. HILL of California. Five thousand letters is a lot of letters. Congressman Dean Phillips actually started holding townhalls before he was even sworn in.

Ms. HILL of California. That is a lot of events, and if you recall, the colleagues that many of us replaced, the former colleagues that many of us replaced, were criticized for not having townhalls. But, in fact, during the February recess alone, freshman Members made up 51 percent of the Members of Congress holding townhalls, even though we make up just 18 percent of Congress.

Ms. HILL of California. Mr. Neguse, I am pretty excited to be here today because we get to brag a little, and I get a little tired with bragging about myself. I think that is something we do a lot as a Member of Congress, and today we get to brag about our friends.

Ms. HILL of California

Ms. HILL of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1957, the Taxpayer First Act, which I wasn't expecting to rise in support of; but this act improves taxpayer service, modernizes IRS infrastructure, helps low- and middle-income taxpayers, and really creates critical reforms that my colleagues like the Honorable John Lewis have been fighting to pass for years. They have finally gotten Senate Republicans to work with them and, for the first time, could enact critical provisions that will help consumers and become law, despite a divided government. But that means that Senate Republicans fit in some bitter pills and some problematic provisions. One of these is a piece that came to my attention today--which the corporate tax lobby has spent years and millions of dollars to get--which would bar the IRS from creating a simple, free filing system that would compete with their own. Analysis shows that, through these corporate programs, U.S. taxpayers eligible for free filing pay about $1 billion a year in unnecessary fees. In this freshman class, I and many of my colleagues were sent to reject corporate influence and stand up for people. This puts us in a difficult spot. But the rest of this bill is too important. Champions for low-income, working people say that this is an opportunity that will not come again and will help 150 million taxpayers. Therefore, I support it, and, separately, I will introduce legislation with some of my colleagues to address the problems that have been inserted by special interests. We have to continue the fight to get big money out of politics, and this is the beginning of the fight, not the end.

Ms. HILL of California

Ms. HILL of California. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. HILL of California

Ms. HILL of California. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Equality Act. As the first LGBTQ woman in Congress from the State of California and the second openly bisexual woman to serve in Congress overall, I could not be prouder to support this landmark legislation. Throughout my run, I got so many questions about why I chose to be honest about my sexuality. I am married to a man, I am from a purple, historically Republican, district, and everyone said it would be easier for me to hide who I am. But the reality is that representation matters, especially for the LGBTQ community, when so many of our basic rights are still at risk. Through my work on the issue of homelessness, I have seen how disproportionately our community is affected by discrimination still. The Equality Act will provide basic protections in terms of employment, housing, education, and more. Everyone should have a fair chance to earn a living and provide a home for their families without fear of harassment or discrimination. I could not be prouder to be part of a new generation of leaders who will be the ones to finally pass the Equality Act and fight for true freedom and equality for all.

Ms. HILL of California

Ms. HILL of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 47. In addition to permanently reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which is, of course, critically important, this bill also establishes a memorial for the St. Francis Dam disaster. This memorial is a project that has been a priority for my hometown, the city of Santa Clarita, for many years, and the site is just miles from where I grew up and where my sister now lives. The St. Francis Dam was an integral part of our city's water infrastructure back in the 1920s. On March 12, 1928, the dam failed, and the resulting flood killed over 450 people, cost millions of dollars, and destroyed many homes and other property. The collapse of the St. Francis Dam is considered one of the worst civil engineering failures of the 20th century and is the second deadliest disaster in California history. I am proud that, in the 116th Congress, we will finally be able to magnify the stories of this tragedy and provide a constant reminder of how critical infrastructure is to the safety and security of our communities.

Ms. HILL of California

Ms. HILL of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1063) to amend title 44, United States Code, to require information on contributors to Presidential library fundraising organizations, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. HILL of California. 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 this measure.

Ms. HILL of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Cummings and Representative Meadows for sponsoring this legislation. Former Representative John Duncan from Tennessee first sponsored a bill to improve Presidential libraries 19 years ago. A bill identical to the one before us passed the House in the last Congress with bipartisan support. I hope we now can finally get this important reform enacted. The Presidential Library Donation Reform Act would make the process for building Presidential libraries more transparent. Presidential libraries have become increasingly expensive as they have evolved into multipurpose centers. The costs for building a Presidential library must come from private funding, and modern libraries cost millions--in some cases, hundreds of millions--of dollars to build. The George W. Bush Presidential Center, for example, cost an estimated $250 million to build, and President Bush raised approximately $500 million for the building and an endowment for his library, museum, and institute. Although President Obama has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for his Presidential library, he has voluntarily disclosed the names of those who have donated $200 or more. We should not, however, rely on such voluntary disclosures. Under current law, there is no requirement to disclose the identities of those who donate to a Presidential library, and a President, while still in office, is able to raise an unlimited amount from private donations. There is no limitation on who can donate to a sitting President for a Presidential library, or how much they can donate, and their identities remain secret. This bill would require organizations that raise money to build Presidential libraries to disclose the identity of any individual who donates more than $200. The National Archives and Records Administration would then be required to post the donation information online. The bill would also create criminal penalties for individuals who report false information on donations and for fundraising organizations that omit donation information. A group of 15 good government organizations, including Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and the Sunlight Foundation, sent a letter last Congress urging the House to support this bill. Here is what they wrote: ``Under the current opaque system, Presidents raise funds privately to establish their Presidential libraries. These efforts, which often begin long before they leave office, are unregulated and undisclosed, creating opportunities for, and/or the appearance of, influence peddling. Improved transparency would help reduce the appearance of impropriety and help deter inappropriate behavior.'' This bill had bipartisan support and passed the House last Congress without opposition. Mr. Speaker, I urge every Member of this body to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. HILL of California. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 1063, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. HILL of California

Ms. HILL of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1065) to provide for a study on the use of social media in security clearance investigations.

Ms. HILL of California. 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 this measure.

Ms. HILL of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressmen Lynch and Hice for their work on this bill. This bill would require the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to issue a report to Congress on the use of social media checks in background investigations for security clearances. In recent years, a number of agencies have begun pilot programs to help develop the best methods for incorporating social media into background checks. For example, the Army initiated a pilot program that found that, while checking social media is a valuable tool, it can be costly and may raise legal issues. This bill would require that OMB conducts a comprehensive study on these issues and report back to Congress. This one-time report would describe the current uses of social media postings for investigative purposes and any legal concerns or impediments to their use. In addition, the report would summarize the results of any pilot programs on the use of social media conducted to date and provide cost estimates for implementing their widespread use in the background investigation process. This report would greatly assist Congress in determining whether further legislative action is needed when it comes to the Federal Government's use of social media in background investigations. An identical measure was approved by the House last year without opposition. Mr. Speaker, I urge every Member of this body to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. HILL of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch).